Cub Cadet Ultima ZTS1 46

Incredible for Slopes & Trees – Disclaimer: I have only done 3.1 hours on it but I am already incredibly impressed (I will be back with an update once I've broken it in a little more). I live on 2.5 acres with approx. 2 acres of lawns. The block is quite sloped on average about 12 degrees with some sections that max out at about 23 degrees. When we bought bought the house it came with a Husqvarna TS242. It did the job but always felt a bit precarious on the steeper sections. I would mow up and down the steeper slope (drive up, reverse down). It recently started playing up so I decided to look into getting something more suited to the sloping block.

Was originally looking into buying a 4WD mower but didn't have a spare $16k. Found the Cub Cadet ZTS1 and read a bunch of positive reviews. Also read loads of positive reviews on the predecessor (the RTZ S) where everyone raved about how great it was on slopes. Decided to commit - paid $8499 for it at Geelong Stihl. Far more than I wanted to spent but really the only mower available for less than $16k where it's rated for up to 20 degree slopes.

Got it home and put it straight to work. Was able to mow across the steepest slope with no trouble at all. Sections that I had not been able to get to on the Husqvarna I could get to easily which saved me loads of time (usually I'd tackle these with the push mower). Didn't feel unsafe or like it was going to let go even on the steepest sections.

What I found most impressive was how easily it can steer around trees. I guess if you're coming from a zero-turn you're already used to this but coming from the 'tractor' style mower it's been great. Again - saves me significant time as I can really get close and less follow-up with the line trimer.

In terms of finish - I am very pleased with the result. The lawn is in no way manicured but it has done a great job mulching up the clippings without leaving big clumps behind, and a relatively even finish. I was a bit worried that the smaller 8" tyres would dig into the ground (it's been very very wet here this year) but this hasn't been the case at all. No more than the 10" tyres on the Husqvarna anyway. The first mow was about a months worth of growth and it had more than enough power to manage it. It will be interesting to see how the 'Cub Cadet' motor goes over time - so far it is sufficient.

If I had to nominate any cons it'd be that it has no foot brake. So you can't really stop yourself from slowly rolling down a hill unless you steer yourself away from the decline. Also - mowing really really steep bits like the dam wall which I would have previously done in an up/down pattern are not possible given the weight is now all in the back. So I can't mow across as it's too steep but can't mow up/down as it's too back-heavy. This could be a technique issue though as opposed to a limitation of the mower. I am currently using the push mower for this section (which to be honest is very very small compared to the rest of the block which the mower can reach). For reference the dam wall is about 30 degrees.

All in all I regret not getting one sooner. So far I love it - would highly recommend to anyone where slopes are an issue especially. It's worth the expense - hopefully it lasts!