Ultima 42 in. 22 HP V-Twin Kohler 7000 Engine Dual Hydrostatic Drive Gas Zero Turn Riding Lawn Mower

I recently had to say goodbye to my 19 year old Cub Cadet tractor. Loved that mower but time took its toll. Didn’t really look at other brands and went back to a Cub Cadet. While I miss Ol Yeller, I’m loving new Yeller so far. I mow a little over an acre and this new mower has saved me 30 to 45 minutes in mowing time. It’s like going from a prop plane to a jet. I like simple and this mower fits the bill. So far so good after mowing several times. I actually look forward to mowing now.

This thing is a beast. An absolute monster. It does not *care* what it mows. Seriously. My granddaughter left her scooter on the ground and I didn't see it in time. "Sorry sweetie" We gave it a good burial. My previous mower was a Craftsman 42" 21HP riding lawn mower. It could never handle our lawn. Would constantly bog down on the first mow of the season. Wet grass would get stuck inside and I'd have to stop after every pass, shut the thing down and manually clean the wet grass out of the mower blades. It finally died after chewing up the starter and I figured 2 years was the most I was getting out of the thing. I wasn't going back to Sears obviously, so I started looking at Cub Cadet and ended up on the ZT1. The ZT1 is head and shoulders above the Craftsman. Heck, it's six FEET above the Craftsman. It had no problem handling the first mow of the season. Wet grass? It laughed at it! Broken branch? Don't care. Granddaughter's scooter? I heard a weird noise and stopped and went back to look; well, see the pic. It would've killed the Craftsman. I just moved the wreckage out of the way and went on with my mowing. OK, so here's some Cons: Remember I said our yard is full of gopher holes? The ZT1 drives over them no problem but it's a serious bounce-fest. Very uncomfortable ride. I wouldn't put a beer in the cup holder - I'd be wearing the beer by the end. Whoever assembled this at the factory decided to put the nuts on the inside of the drive handles, where my legs and knees rub against when I'm being bounced around our yard. Needless to say, after the third scratch actually drew blood, I did a quick fix. Just turned the bolts around to the other side. Definitely a learning curve driving the thing. I got stuck a few times before I realized I shouldn't BACK out, I should just 360 and DRIVE out. Worked much better once I realized that. Now the question is, how long will it last? I paid $1500 for the Craftsman, just about double for the ZT1. If the ZT1 lasts four years it will be worth it! I hope it lasts longer...

My first impression of CC was the speed and manner in which the mower was delivered. I ordered on a Friday and it was delivered on the following Tuesday. Very well crated, all parts accounted for, and super easy to assemble. After using the lap arm adjustment handles, the arms where offset a little. The two 1/2" bolts fixed the issue. It was getting dark out, so I had just enough time for a short "blades up" spin around the yard. For a first time zero turn user, using the mower took a little "trial and error" but the learning curve was shorter than expected. The raw power of the v-twin, high back seat, and the large tires made for a comfortable ride. Parked for the night, I went inside to read all the accompanying manuals.....And then it hit me. I went back out to the shed to verify the mower had an hour meter. SURPRISE! I had just spent 3k for a mower that has it's warranty program based on "hour usage" and it has no meter???? Not happy...... Hence the lower score.

Have a little less than an acre lot. This is the perfect mower for my needs. Very simple and minimal control panel. Basically, it's a "go faster, go slower, PTO on/off" style. That's about it. I don't need any more than that and I love it. This particular mower came with a bolt in the rollover bar that was protruding as it was cross threaded. Seems like an "it's Friday and I'm just over this week already" job. Unable to fix this, unfortunately.

I almost bought another lawn tractor. Very glad I went with a zero-turn. I went to buy the ZT1 Kohler 42" but all they had in stock was the Kawasaki 50". I thought it might be a bit large for my .75 acre but WOW what a nice machine. So smooth and easy to use. Very comfortable. It has a strong sturdy frame and a welded box so it seems built to last. It just looks more substantial than the comparably priced competition. It really did cut my mowing time by 40% over my previous 46" lawn tractor. Very happy with this purchase. Also, Kenn at the N. Hsv store was very patient and knowledgeable. Thanks Kenn

★★★★★ 5 out of 5 stars. Looking forward to each time I get to mow. The price was better than any other 42 zero turn in my area and absolutely better than anything else in this price range. Made a two hour riding mower/ tractor job just 45 minutes with this zero turn. Most comfortable seat, 22hp cuts tall grass like butter.

We purchased this lawn mower on a Saturday afternoon. Put it in the garage as soon as we arrived home. Woke up Sunday morning to go to church and discovered the left tire was already flat. Really after one night of no use. Then after discovering it my husband checked the right tire and it had 35 PSI. It clearly states the tires PSI should be 10PSI. Who is over inflating these tires? Either way we need a new tire. Not happy after paying a lot of money already for this mower.

The mower drives well with plenty of power when the blades are engaged and has a nice clean cut. The deck cutting height system is easy to use. The ergonomic handles are very comfortable and the towing capabilities are great, handling moderate loads very well. Doing the first oil change after 5 hours of use was easy. The drip hose provides ease of drain access. The deck wash is a nice feature. It's been over a month and I enjoy using the mower. The unit itself is high quality but I think the factory assembly is where things got overlooked. The most noticeable problem was the right caster wheel being EXTREMELY squeaky. Turns out there was no grease on that side. I'm not talking about the grease points, but rather the washers. As a matter of fact, 4 out of 5 ZT1's (that includes mine) at my local Home Depot didn't have lube on the right front wheel which means the chances are high that whoever purchases those will have the same squeaking issues. Must've been an overlooked bad batch and isn't too reassuring. After lubing it up the squeak vanished. This shouldn't be a problem a consumer has to face right off the bat when buying a $3000 machine. The next big issue was the tire pressure. The right back tire was 13 psi which is acceptable for a tire that needs 10 psi, but the left tire had an alarming 36.5 psi! There is a warning stating that the tire can explode if filled above 35 psi. I'm just glad it didn't burst when I took it for a test drive. Glad I checked early before any potential damage happened. There are some minor cosmetic blemishes like the control panel sticker not being adhered properly resulting in multiple bubbles that I can't squeeze out, and some bubbles/chips in the paint job but nothing serious. Be sure to check the level of the blades before cutting. In my case the blade was 1/4" off on one side. Also be sure to check the oil level, as the gauge was at the add fill line for me. The ride can be bumpy on uneven ground. The shock absorption under the seat isn't the traditional spring type. Maintaining a slow speed over bumps is key to not being rattled around. For the price point it's a great looking and performing zero turn, but did require fixing before being ready to operate in my case. Remember this simple rule: Never assume it's good to go and CHECK EVERYTHING. No doubt this is a 5 star mower but I couldn't give it that since those previous issues I stated were present upon delivery. If you decide on this mower hopefully you'll get a good one that is assembled and inspected properly.

I own three acres and this machine has no problems. Most of my property is sloped and I feel stable. Starts right away and very easy to operate. I love the fact that the engine has features with maintenance in mind. The oil drain has a hose so oil doesn't go all over the deck. Easy to get to all the parts that need to be changed (air filter, oil filter, spark plugs). The mower deck has a hose attachment so you can easily wash the underside and keep it from building up and causing rust. LED headlights make it easier for other people to see you. Turns on a dime and lots of power. Great price and even better Mower.

Easy start, runs great, turning is smooth and efficient