Deere ZTrak Passes Our Test

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Peabody Landscape Group has been serving Columbus, Ohio, and the surrounding communities for 27 years. We offer residential design-build; commercial installation; commercial and residential site maintenance; irrigation; lighting; and tree, shrub and lawn care.

We started to look at replacing our aging mowing fleet last September and field-tested all the large commercial units available in central Ohio. Because of a relationship with a salesman, who recently switched to Deere, we included John Deere green machines for the first time. We put the Z925A to a rigorous workout. We moved it from crew to crew who used it on different site conditions, including municipal roadside mowing, office parks, homeowners’ associations and everything in-between.

With a 27 hp Kawasaki engine, this series has all the right stuff for the various conditions at commercial and large residential sites. Good weight distribution allows for easy control and stability on slopes and rough terrains. It’s also easy to mount and start with the Brake & Go starting system, and the controls have a short pattern with quick response time.


Peabody Landscape Group moved the Z925A from crew to crew, who used it on different site conditions, including municipal roadside mowing, office parks, homeowners’ associations and everything in-between.

From the operator’s seat, the deck can be set for different mowing heights at the turn of a dial. All start controls are located with easy access, and gauges are easy to read. The high-back seat offers more comfort than traditional lines, and the decks are well-built with heavy-gauge steel, providing excellent discharge and striping. The cross-porting system works well, delivering the coolest fluid to the pump doing the most work, which will decrease pump failure.

Moving forward after our field tests, I took a factory tour in North Carolina and met with engineers and production personnel responsible for design and assembly. The automated line has many quality procedures built-in, leaving little room, if any, for assembly errors.

In late March, we purchased eight of the pro series Z925As, as well as 24 additional Deere mowers. Our local dealer, JD Equipment, along with John Deere Financial, made exceptional offers, including a two-year, bumper-to-bumper, unlimited-hour warranty. JD Equipment has multiple locations around the city with one 10 minutes away, giving us quick access to parts or service if needed.

All eight of the Z925As mowed through the wettest spring recorded in central Ohio. We experienced no downtime with them in spite of exposing them to just about any site condition you can imagine.

A factory representative visited us this summer to review any deficiencies or possible future changes with design and maintenance. We suggested minor changes including better belt protection, stronger spindle covers and access to grease the spindles. The Deere ZTrak lives up to all of our expectations and more.

If you’re looking for power, durability, assembly quality and exceptional cutting capabilities, I would strongly recommend the ZTrak 900 series. Call your local dealer for a loaner and see for yourself.

Robin Wolford is the commercial and residential site maintenance manager for Peabody Landscape Group, Columbus, Ohio.