Kubota ZD1211 72" Review plus Mowing 

One of my lawyers was bragging about his new $19,000.00 Kubota zero turn mower. I just retired financially secure for the next 150 years and bought a 10 year old JD Z-225 non-commercial series with a blown engine for $300.00. After install of new engine and tires I'm at under 1500.00 into it. I like my mower more lol.

72" deck and kubota diesel blasting through that hay. Good stuff and a great mower. These things are so overbuilt its unreal. One of the few things you can buy in todays world that is truly built to last

I've got a zd323 at my work, 9 years, 2,000 hours, and was heavily neglected, like no oil changes for at least a 3 year stretch, nevermind grease. What an incredible machine. It's the only machine we've ever had long enough to have to replace the rear tires due to wear. Kubota engines seem to be one of the only quality motors still in production, they'll take anything you can throw at them, then laugh in your face about it.

Perfect review that helps a lot. Considering the width of your chair, maybe start working on that belly, start with 10 sit ups a day until you can do 100 easily. Just go by the day. Everybody can. Not to be rude, I just wish everybody good health. Thank you and take care.

Received ZD1211RL-3-72 this past May and love it. Not cheap but it works great for my 11 acres. Powerful, sips diesel, fast, no more crap blowing back on me, smoother ride, has a real radiator. Had a ZG227a-54 for 8 years. This is light years superior. Also have the hitch kit for my Craftsman wagon and fertilizer.

We run a 40 hp kubota diesel with a 72 inch deck that thing is a beast I’ve mowed hay with it about 4 or 5 feet tall best mower I’ve ever bought basically a compact tractor in a lawn mower

Got a 2019 zd1211 72 inch. Change the oil every year. And fuel filters every year. New blades every year. Grease it every 100 hours, some 300 hours.. always make Sure tires are level, and if you know it out of alignment take it to the dealer you bought it from. They will fix it for free. It’s a beast

I bought the Ferris 3300 and it is a beast love it with the new Cab Air addition............

My girlfriend bought me the 1511 last year and its badass. Mowing 10 miles an hour saves me hours a week.

1100 hrs on my zd326s. still running strong apart from a mower deck gearbox that just went out on me in pretty spectacular fashion but at this point it doesn't owe me anything. It takes a beating up here in our SW PA springs when the grass is growing faster than I can keep up with it so often times I find myself playing catchup until summer comes in to slow it down. I replaced the rear tires with some carlisle garden tractor tires that have some mild lugs on them. greatly improved the mower's traction in slick conditions and doesn't tear up the yard at all unless you're being careless. I would venture to say it tears it up less because it doesn't spin as much. I wish kubota made mowers to handle larger area mowing like toro does but I suppose that's what their tractors are for. The 1211 and 1611 look like nice machines, wish I had the coin for one.

Back in 2004 I purchased a snapper 52" with a 21 hp Kawasaki. I regret it to this day. That motor has always been under powered and with 300 hours is a pain to start. You have the type mower I wish I would have got

Put a bolt and nut with locktite on it now. Been using mine that way for over ten years. Kubota ZD28 New 9-3-2002 $9000.00 now has 975 Hrs. All hrs mowing my property around my house. I did not realize my ZD28 was almost 16yrs old. I just looked at service records. I was 57 at the time I purchased it in 2002. I had been finishing mowing my 20 acre property with a Kubota tractor and a Woods 7 foot three point finish mower. The ZD28 cut down mowing time almost two hours. I am older now and only finish mow about 8 acres. I have the other acres cut and baled two or three times each year.

I have a Kubota ZD331 with a 72” pro deck. For me, it is diesel all the way: much more torque and much better fuel mileage.

I bought one new in July. I only have 20 hrs on mine so far but this thing is a BEAST! Mine is exactly like yours, cushion seat, 72" cut. I just broke a spindle guard on my last mow on my farm, hit something really hard. I used the jack up system to get under it on the deck and it was awesome! So easy to get underneath the deck. Very powerful. It used to take me 4-5 hrs to mow my HUGE lawn with my JD X320 48" cut or my Kubota TG1860 diesel 54" cut. They are both great mowers, but my new ZD does it in 1 hour! I used to spend 2 days on my 83 hp massey ferguson with 6ft bush hog mowing around my poultry houses (bout 10 acres) this 1211 knocks it out in about 2 hrs! The speed and swipe this thing makes is unreal! I had many telling me to not get the 72 inch because of scalping. Well I don't mow commercially, I just maintain my home and farm land with it. It takes care of everything I used to use a bush hog just fine and it mows my lawn like a fine tuned machine and I have had NO scalping problems. If you set your wheels on the deck right it wont ever scalp. I wonder why people can't figure that out? I'm glad I got the 72", the 60" would have been a big mistake for me. If you know your land, once you get used to running this thing you can smoke it! The only problem I've had is getting too close to soggy ground! You WILL GET STUCK, I've stuck mine 4 times on my farm, have to put the nissan in 4x4 low to pull it out! The thing weighs 1,800 lbs, so you better not bring the 4 wheeler or side by side, you won't budge it.

It would cut better without bogging down if you would always throw the grass to the outside instead of recutting the clippings.

I just did 3.5 acres Sat on a Kabota Z421, a new machine. It was superb.

That seat fits 99% of the people, I say cut back on the chow and the seat will begin to fit you like it should. Great video!

im looking at the new ones now, they make it with a 31hp diesel now

Awesome video!! 👍👏 Try double cutting the same line back forth before moving on to the next line/row. It cuts all the gras completely because the first cut is cutting the majority of the grass but when you go over it again there is more room for the blades to smothly cut the rest of the grass leaving nice finish cut. 👍👍💯

We have a zd1021 that we got last year for using around the cranberry marsh so far it's been a very reliable powerful machine put about 80 hours on the unit so far

That hay your mowing is what its like most of the time around my poultry houses. 3 Poultry houses are 40x500 sitting on 12 acres of land. I've mowed it 4 feet tall. It takes two or three passes to get it yard/lawn smooth, but it will do it. Amazing that this thing will mow the same grass as my 83hp massey ferguson tractor and bush hog. I usually had to make 2 passes with my bush hog to get it clean looking.

Just advice, I don't know if you care or not, but when you cut anything really more than 4.5 inches you should be going slow, the slower you go the better your cuts will be and less likely youll have to second cut the lawn :P

Just fresh video , buddy😊

Nice bit of kit

On your anitscalp wheels,...you should insert the pin from the front, so that if and when it catches on something, it won’t flip the spring up and pull the pin out.

Nice mower man ! Looks like it has plenty of power.

That’s a pretty impressive machine. You don’t really see any out here in Arizona. They have a dealer. But you never see those mowers being used.

If you put the chute up it throw the clippings twice as far and give you a way better cut quality.

Just bought one yesterday. You just got to love it!!!

Kubota zd323 60 inch deck best mower that you can get I got 2500 hours on my Mower and four years it doesn't bog down original belts and pulleys what's a Exmark or a Scag couldn't handle commercially used striped as good as any other mower and more dependable than any other mower I've had Skaggs Annex marks

Wow this thing really takes it down. I've got a 2017 Z724 after seeing this if get another mower it will be a Kubota diesel.

I get what your doing in the 1 ft hay cut.BUT,why not set the deck height higher and cut twice?Easier on the machine,and throw the grass to the outside.A machine this size will last forever in the right hands.I just bought a 1011,first oil change coming and the deck gets oil sprayed twice a year.I traded a GF 1800 in and got a Z turn,what a difference.

What a machine! I would love one. Wish also I was rich enough 🤔

Looks like a really nice mower. Can’t imagine having a 72in ha

Maybe you have done it since this video, but the anti-scalp wheels need to be adjusted. unless you're cutting shorter then 2" there should be 2 of those spacers moved to the bottom of that shaft which will lower the wheel. This will also lower the relative height of that snap pin that snags on things.

Sweet machine

To small a motor for a 72 inch deck. The one we run will overheat if working it hard. The older ones had a 32 horse if not mistaken

I like hearing the diesel grunt

What a beast.

Do you like the way it mows the grass? Is it smooth? The machine looks great.

probably the best looking zero turn mower..but i think i want a ferris/simplicity with the suspension

Very nice machine !

Problem with these mowers is the ACS deck. They designed the deck to not drag air as much to work under 25 hp engines on larger decks. The blades do not have any lift... or suction. Try an aftermarket blade that’s designed with hi lift blades and that will fit your spindle . You will see a huge difference in cut quality

Very nice machine, I would love to run that myself! I got a brand new Kubota Z725 60" model this past spring for my expanding side job of mowing and it has been awesome. Love the adjustable suspension seat on it a lot! Many of the lots I take care of are small however so I have been stuck doing them with my old JD X300. No, far from a commercial GT. Good engine, weak K46 Tuff Torque so its slow as well. It's time to sell or trade it for my second Kubota Z turn next spring. Looking at getting the Z411 48" Kawasaki powered machine to fill that role. Expensive machines for sure, but I like to buy once and get years of use, so in the long run with very good maintenance they should run trouble free for many hours with both having the commercial Kawasaki powerplants..Sure would like the fuel mileage of that diesel! I live in a housing community village and have slowly taken over everything over the years from simple repairs, to all the mowing, and I also do the winter snow plowing with my Kubota RTV1120d...yep another expensive thing,,but its been great for 4 seasons now..Plow was over 5K alone. I know most would say buy a plow truck, but I use the RTV for much more than just snow, and the hydraulic dump bed is fantastic when I'm doing mulch, or doing gravel drives and roads as well...Still use my old Ford 3910 50hp diesel farm tractor with FEL and a stone rake for that service. I finally got a very large and heavy roller as well that I tow behind the RTV to pack in the new stone,,works great!! Funny thing is I just retired from my union job at the required 50yrs. old...Decided working for myself sounded like fun, and so far so good..My youngest still in HS loves running the equipment..good thing,,need all the help I can get!! EDIT,,forgot to add,,try just some simple heavy duty zip ties to hold that pin in place while mowing under the fence..should do the trick just fine.

I’m getting a 60” next season and I’d say it’s a really nice machine

Add a spacer (pipe)and longer bolt for the arm rest to extend them out and use a bolt and nut for the deck wheel

We got ours a year and a half ago. We have over 1500 hours. Now. Like it alot better the the John deere 997. Rear tires are pricey

Tryed one now for two days. Must say that I would like air in my fronttyres.

Nice video. The advantage of the ZT mower with diesel is you don't have to suck down the diesel fumes as I do on my MF GC2410 with the exhaust on the front. Nothing worse than getting blasted with fumes on a lovely day.. lol I mow the same type of terrain. How is the ride?

Build spacers and longer bolts for your armrests.

Can't you make (or buy) a couple of spacers to spread your armrests out?

Look I get it your big and i have a tendency to be as well i just skip breakfast and eat a cliff bar for lunch and whatever i want for dinner it works but only one cliff bar for lunch not two or three trust me and if that doesn't do it eat less for dinner and do more during the day

I use a ZD331 with 30--31 HP Kubota Diesel engine, It will flat mow some grass! Problem we have had with it is engine starving for fuel , And it rides like a covered wagon. .

sounded like a jet when you engaged the blades aahhah

sounds like a jet when you engaged pto!!

Yea, I have one. About every other time I use it back to to mower shop it goes. Also the middle blade never cuts the same height as the other two. Makes it look real nice on 10 acres. It doesn’t mulch and don’t hit a mud puddle. Let’s just say keep the ATV close for tow. One of the worst buys I made

Great video. Keep up the good work.

There nice don't get me wrong but I think there overpriced to be honest. People can say I'm wrong all they want but I know a few people that has a diesel Kubota and they got stuck on there pavement driveway because the back wheels under the motor caught the pavement and the drive tires wasn't touching the ground, there was only a 2 inch difference between the ground and the driveway, then again it was going up a small hill too. I had to hook my truck up to him and pull him off of the driveway. He told me what he paid for it I said hell for that much that thing getting stuck like that I would take it back. Nice to see this one does not have those wheels though. Nice video

Just bought this machine here is one downside that I have found after 5 hours of mowing. When you turn sharply it pushes the grass down and doesn't cut it. So it leaves a hunk of grass. My old 326 did not do this.

Those wheel pins wouldn''t pull out if you drilled a hole throught the end and put a cotter key in it. Good video though.

curious on the leg room ...... I am 6'3 and a big guy as well.

Just put some duct tape around that safty pin. So it wont get caught. On anything. Great mower i just bought mine last week.

top-drawer⭐

Are you still liking the ZD1211 I’m looking at that one and I found a ZD326 I can’t make my mind up ????

get you a push mower for a summer and those arm rest won't "pinch your belly" anymore.

Where are you out of? Just want to know what type of grass you're dealing with.

Looks like the one offset caster causes it to miss a strip when it cuts...

On grass that tall throw it outside so you don't have to recut the clippings.

One thing I don’t like about the Kubota was it’s a very dirty mower. When you mow with it , it makes you super dirty. A lot blows out the front then back onto you.

Good video...thanks for sharing. Quick question for you regarding the 72" deck...do you wish you would've gone with a 60" instead due to the scalping or are you happy with the 72"? I'm trying to decide which one to go with. Thanks!

Wht mower want big down in that field, and far as the seat I'm over weight too, that on us not kabota, that's a good mower I have one🙂

lets hear some nice turbo whistle

If you want to know how solid these machines are built (this one weights 1,800 lbs ), my daughter made the mistake of backing out in her car without looking a few days ago and she stuck the left side of the mowers deck under the left side of her car and it ripped everything out from underneath her car and didnt put a scratch on the mower. They are built like tanks! But her car aint!

The only problem. Is to find a good mechanic who works 0n diesel engines....so which one is better scag or kubota??

"It squeezes on my belly"

Would it bog and cut a little better if he slowed down a little? just asking.

I really hate fixed decks, I prefer front mount mower like the Grasshopper 500, 600, 700 and 900 series. I fell in love with the Mean Green Electric ZTR's and Stand-Ons. I don't even know of ANY OTHER mower with 24-36 HP and 700+ pounds of torque !!!! and 7 hours runtime per charge.

these are the best beast the 1211

Put a roll pin in wheel keeper

How much better would it mow the tall stuff if you mowed slower?

I have to disagree on its cutting power. That Kubota D1105 is a strong engine (it's actually the same engine that a lot of powerful mini skid steers use) but I think they have the cutting deck tuned wrong. My employer has 2 of these machines. We are cutting mostly bahia here in South Alabama. Both units bog AND overheat very easily when you get in thick bahia thats around 8 inches or more. If the lawn is cut weekly it's fine but it does not do well in thick/taller grass. The ride is super comfortable but I'm disappointed with the performance. My brother in laws Hustler Super Z 60 in. will cut circles around this unit without a doubt

$20,000-$23,000 later!.. Not meaning to be cynical but for that price it ought to be GREAT!....That said wish I could afford one LOL

Can it get with bucket for grass??

$14,500 retail price. ?

Zero turns are better than those rider mowers.

Is this model the newer version of the zd331

do you have problems with the a wide deck digging in on uneven ground?

That mower bogs more then I thought it would be far, it nearly stalled at one point

Have you mowed with a mulch kit on the ZD1211 with the 72" deck? Any thoughts on how it would do with a mulch kit pulling a hill?

What degree hill can this manage

How you like the ACS vs the Velocity plus?

What year is it?

It's a spring seat

How much did this mow cost you to buy

I’ll keep my scag

Just sold my 326 because I felt like it was underpowered and the cut quality was crap. Demoed a brand new 1211-60 and it was just as bad. Kubota is probably going to be losing my business this time around.

What Scag are you comparing to

Can this rival scag's lawn supremacy

I have a Gravely Pro-Turn 460 with the new Yamaha 33hp EFI engine and it's around 5O.1 lbf (torque) @ 3100 rpm...just curious as to what that Kubota diesel is making.

That cut quality is not good at all. Kubota definitely needs a better deck design. Mow professionally every day and it takes a lot of design work to make a high preforming deck.