John Deere Z535M 54" vs TORO Titan 54" - Cut Quality BATTLE!

[@89HemiHundred]

I think there’s a few things that should be pointed out about this comparison. You compared a Toro with a fabricated that to a John Deere with a step deck, that’s a huge difference right there because the Toro desk is just gonna be made better. As far as cut quality goes the John Deere look like it had a lot less stragglers than the toro did. Most people aren’t gonna be cutting with their shoots down anyways, and that would almost completely eliminate the problem with the John Deere, since it shoot is angled downward at the ground. John Deere makes excellent products and I just wanted to share that information for anyone that’s interested

[@mainstreetmower]

Hi, thank you for your time. You made some good points. We compared the 2 mowers that were closest to each other from both the brands, in terms of price and features. The decks compared in this video was not a choice from us, but merely what the brands offer for the same (ish) price range (mind you, toro is about 700 cheaper for a much better deck). As for the cut quality, We mentioned in the video that John Deere was not bad at all. Toro did leave a few more stranglers, but definitely did better on a first pass at-least with a shoot on. The decision to leave the shoot on was intentional, since we want to test out all setups for our viewers. In the next John Deere vs Toro comparison, which is dropping soon, we would not have the shoot on. 🙂

[@404nitro]

The stamped deck thing is an old wives tale. I have run JD stamped decks for over 20 years including under my CUT and my Z950 and a bunch of older garden tractors and Z's.. They are every bit as strong as any fabbed deck and stronger than most. They cut as well as or better than any fabbed deck. I also run a Scag Cheetah so know this first hand.

[@LeonardoMigot]

@@mainstreetmower with that thick grass almost tall was better if being collected with collector sistem or mowed the lawn with grasshopper mower with 4rxd rear discharge like this become very good fertilize itself garden

[@daniellang6112]

Disbursement is all in the chute shape & blade speed IMHO

[@leonardomigot-yn1ti]

@@mainstreetmower you not learned nothing in this world

[@keithnagy7464]

I cut without the shield down in my exmark. You should have tried it with the shields up. Does anyone cut with them down?

[@mainstreetmower]

Yes, we plan on testing out different setups that people usually use. The next video i the Toro vs JD series would have the shields up. 🙂

[@patriciabeuster4556]

I think new equipment will always win over used equipment but I also think that most people aren’t needing to mow 12 inch tall grass too so the John Deere is probably just fine on dispersing normal clippings or just remove/flip up the flap as it looks to be aiming the clippings more directly down when coming out the blade chamber. Love me some Al Bladez!!!

[@mainstreetmower]

That's totally fair. The better mower is the one that suits your needs and style of cut better. More importantly, the better mower has a better dealer near you, may it be for a homeowner or a professional landscaper.

[@kevincameron8437]

My Toro Titan just gave up the ghost yesterday with about 650 hrs on it. It was a maintenance hog with constant belt issues..both deck and drive. And the Kawasaki engine ended up burning oil the past 3 seasons. So, I think I'm going to go Deere this time around. Thanks for the info and comparison.

[@SaltyBbqPiggy]

How many seasons did it last? I’m in the market and looking more closely at a Toro.

[@kevincameron8437]

@@SaltyBbqPiggy It lasted about 8-9 seasons. It went through deck belts like crazy until I found a bad bearing guide that was tearing the belts. Once I fixed that, it was pretty good. It also went through drive belts from the engine. And then the engine started burning oil for the past 3 seasons--about a gallon a season. So far, my Deere is running circles around the Toro, even when it was brand new.

[@SaltyBbqPiggy]

@@kevincameron8437 I really appreciate the response. I have 2.5 acres, all flat, no trees, no slopes. I’m trying to figure out what I can get away with.

[@tz1598]

@@SaltyBbqPiggy I have a JD Z540M and have had great luck with it. It does clump a bit out the chute, but i sweep it and it looks great. The cut quality has been awesome as well. It has the kawasaki and I have had no issues other than routine maintenance. Our yards sound very similar and I think you would love the deere. The boys are also right that it depends on which dealer is nearby. Happy Mowing!

[@SaltyBbqPiggy]

@@tz1598 Thanks for the help.

[@therrienmichael08]

What if you went counter clockwise all the way starting at the outer perimeter ?

[@Jasonrcsd]

do you think blade tip speed played was one reason the JD didn't discharge as well? Also, with that tall grass how is each mower for cleaning around the belt? Are they quick and easy access or do they require several steps and a pain to get at to clean around everything. Just found your channel and enjoying the videos!! I'm in the Cowboy State getting ready for spring. I have 7 acres. 2 that the home sits on and 5 acre lot that borders the home. I usually use a compact tractor with a 3-pt finish mower. Outline everything with my John Deere D130. My issue is that my tractor set up can be a pain. It's not always as simple as just go out and mow. There have been times when either the tractor broke down or the 3-pt finish mower broke down and I've had to mow the entire 7 acres with the D130 42" deck. Those times suck as it literally takes up an entire weekend. It's all flat land but the 5 acre lot can be rough as there has been pocket gopher, vole etc activity. Now I'm looking for my first ZT and that is how I discovered your channel. Initially I was looking at the Toro Titan 60" w/MyRide but the nearest dealer is 120 miles away. The local JD dealer is only 20 miles away. Still undecided which way to go.

[@charlandjordan6176]

WOW! Thank y’all for sharing!

[@mainstreetmower]

Glad you liked it 🙂

[@charlottesometimes6977]

Thank you, boys!

[@mainstreetmower]

Our pleasure 🙂

[@alisonscannell3721]

Toro, the spread was great, so much better than the JD, great comparison guys 🎉

[@mainstreetmower]

Thank you Alison. Glad you liked it. 🙂

[@TheIronDuke502]

I was curious about what blades were on the John Deere and on the Toro. You could have easily raked and baled all of those clippings. Very tall grass is a challenge for any brand of mowers and the types of mower blades can play a huge role with the results. Thanks as always for your great videos.

[@drwallace8664]

😅

[@daniellang6112]

I like to raise deck when going back over furrows. I start 1 level up and change accordingly to feather in clippings.

[@bartdaw6681]

Good honest commentary! I have to agree with you.

[@mainstreetmower]

Thank you Bart. Really appreciate it.

[@Eyesofthasouth]

Does this model Titan have a hinged floor plate or removable for deck and belt access?

[@jklbubbublkj7939]

that model doesnt. they updated to a new one, that does.

[@Eyesofthasouth]

@ I ended up getting the older one. It’s truly a refined beast. Love it

[@brianmuse7215]

Does the John Deere have the bagger plate under the deck? If so remove it and it will disperse grass a lot better.

[@mainstreetmower]

Oooh I did not check that. Thank you for that advice.

[@patriciamorehouse5704]

I think even though the Toro spread out the grass better, do either have a option to buy a bag to catch all the clippings if someone doesn't want to leave the grass on the lawn. If this is an option then it's a tie of course. The John Deer gives you a better chance in raking the grass up if you want to do it that way. It depends on the person.

[@mainstreetmower]

Totally agree Patricia. Both mowers were soooo good that it comes down to personal preference of setup and cut.

[@leadnsteel1428]

I was a Toro guy for a while. I had an old Proline 36 and a Timemaster 30 inch but going SCAG now. Blades also need regular sharpening.

[@mainstreetmower]

Oooh. May I ask what led you to making that switch?

[@leadnsteel1428]

@@mainstreetmower I think Scags are made better.

[@bgood424]

If you can and have time I’d love to see a video on the z master 4000 hd.

[@mainstreetmower]

We do have one on the 4000. Here's the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoeWi6Forthnr80si=MJYtHN_e9qAv_LBM

[@ross7684]

It sounds like the Titan Max would be a good head-to-head comparison to the new JD 500 series. As far as this test, the Toro did a better job and I do believe a properly sharpened blade would have taken care of that weed you mentioned.

[@mainstreetmower]

Good to know man, thanks for sharing. Titan Max vs JD 500.

[@johnrau6568]

You need Al Blades on the other mower, would be fun to watch...lol

[@mainstreetmower]

Hahah that would've been awesome.

[@harryerhart5978]

Another thing we're not doing is the deck setting because it says 3.5 doesn't mean it's 3.5 you can have deck drop it says 3.5 but it could be 3 inches. Scag is famous for that no pitch of the deck or cutting shorter than the deck says l had that problem 😊😊😊😊

[@PhillipDrumz]

What is it about the toro that allows it to eject grass more efficiently? Wonder how it is different from the John Deere 🤔

[@MrLewisb33]

It seemed to me like the John deere's discharge chute was pointed more towards the ground than the toro. That'll make the difference if that's really what these bad eyes saw

[@anitaparrish691]

I need u to come up where I live to how it cuts

[@mainstreetmower]

How up is up?

[@travpark8163]

For me; the Deere is great because it does just land right next to the mower, have used the vacuum attachment on the rear for pickup, and some I’ve seen in Europe use a small bailing tool behind to bail up the hay… and your right, it’s more dependent on who’s nearby to use and get service by… toro I would use if I was leaving the clippings behind, and Deere for when collecting the clippings

[@gregoryeditor6500]

I am waiting for the 2024 Toro Recycler and Supper Recycler reviews. I really need one with the power reverse. 36 likes now

[@mainstreetmower]

yesss those would be great to do a review on.

[@daniellang6112]

Toro's definitely disperse much more evenly! Blade speed? Chute shape? Combo? It just works better. Love my 50" Timecutter!

[@mainstreetmower]

For sure. Specially the chute and dispersing mechanism. Toro has no match in the game for that thing.

[@hypervigilance1465]

I want to upgrade to the titan from the timecutter eventually timecutter is only 4 months old.

[@mainstreetmower]

That upgrade might take a while if you're waiting for the timecutter to reach the end of it's life.

[@hypervigilance1465]

@@mainstreetmower yea it's good but i'm basically mowing almost 2 acres of the desert Im wishing i would have gotten the suspension model but they were sold out here in socal. I already need to sharpen the blades after 4 months only 16 hours on it installed an hour meter.already did the first oil change and burnt the oil drain plug warming it up.

[@hypervigilance1465]

@@mainstreetmowerone of the front tires is flat i'm going to put a little slime in it and fill it back up.

[@mainstreetmower]

@@hypervigilance1465 We've heard about the front tires going flat a couple of times now. There are god flat free options available on the market. We have a video on it, might be useful 🙂​

[@chrisfaulkner3840]

In my opinion toro did better job spreading out the grass

[@mainstreetmower]

I feel the same. Both mowers had their advantages but grass dispersion was definitely TORO's strong point.

[@rachelgibson1858]

Yeah the Deere looked like it was leaving windrows.

[@johnddaley]

The 530m he referred to is actually only $5800 so actually $100 cheaper than the toro, the 530r is $6500 and has a Kawasaki and every option available on the 5 series deeres. The 535 tested has a Briggs. The 530m that is referenced is also a 24hp Kawasaki, which is an absolute beast, it also comes with the comfort glide seat which is really nice as well. With that height of grass both machines would have performed much better with the discharge chutes pulled up or better yet removed like 99% of people do anyway. It definitely interesting to me how every other brand is compared to Deere. That alone should tell you something.

[@harryerhart5978]

Watch out green and yellow are coming to town The John Deere 960m 60 inch deck 31 HP Kawasaki. Soon as l can get it back out of the shop 😜😜

[@mainstreetmower]

Can't wait Harry. Very excited for that video. 🙂

[@harryerhart5978]

Me too if it ever gets fixed 😡

[@TimMcCurry-ue9kr]

I own a John Deere X 595 diesel tractor that I mow with. My tractor does the same thing that your John Deere zero turn cuts. It leaves big clumps of cut grass on my lawn. I have observed the lawn guy who cuts my neighbors lawn with an unknown brand zero turn mower. I haven’t been able to get close enough, or ask him the name brand of his zero turn. But, we mow about the same times, sometime within a day or two apart. And, I have noticed that his zero turn disperses the grass much better than my John Deere X 595 diesel tractor. I am looking to buy a Toro zero turn mower now. I want to retire the old John Deere tractor. It is thirty years old! And, I have begun having some mechanical problems with it.

[@mainstreetmower]

That's very interesting. JD does have a good cut no doubt but it did leave large clumps for me when i put it to the test. TORO's dispersion however is unmatched in the industry.

[@nonameguy4441]

I was looking a John Deere and even their commercial mowers have stamped decks which I thought was strange

[@harryerhart5978]

Stay tuned my friend don't give up on a stamped deck yet

[@nonameguy4441]

@@harryerhart5978 They're coming out with new decks?

[@mainstreetmower]

@@nonameguy4441 Yes we though that was strange too, specially for the prices.

[@nonameguy4441]

@@mainstreetmower it will keep me from running them

[@mainstreetmower]

@@nonameguy4441 I get that. There's some things you need for sure for your specific style of mowing.

[@majorrichards7943]

I have a my ride Toro and it does a great job and it leaves no lumps of grass all over. I have a monster kid on on my Toro.😊

[@mainstreetmower]

That's great. Thanks for sharing 🙂

[@richardwalther6229]

The mower you use to clean up after the other mower is the better one.

[@mainstreetmower]

hahah. Very thankful for the toro 🙂

[@howardgabel5736]

The John Deere chute is too low! I adjusted mine about 3 inches higher. Blows grass out so much better.

[@JimboVR549]

As a deere factory technician that series John deere mower is junk any yellow deck zeroturn Is cheaply made try a green deck 7 iron with the larger discharge which also has alot faster blade tip speed and then see The difference

[@mainstreetmower]

That's great insight, specially coming from someone how is that intimately connected to the units. Thank you for sharing Jimmy. Our next comparison (dropping tomorrow) has the green deck deere vs the Toro.

[@Austin-ry2gs]

Deere cut quality was better imo. 98% of people cut with no shute or atleast have it proped up. Toro seems like a decent machine for the price.

[@mainstreetmower]

That's fair. There's no right answers in my opinion. It's whichever suits you best. And more importantly, whichever has a better dealer near you.

[@gabriellesullivan4772]

Al Bladez sent me...

[@mainstreetmower]

Hey, welcome to the channel.

[@elvinjonesjr4730]

I like the Toro, it’s cut looks better.

[@mainstreetmower]

Same. These 2 mowers were both so good, that it rally just comes down to preference with cutting style and quality. And who has a better dealer near you.

[@brentkingnwagent1347]

John Deere by far.

[@frenkybigone5641]

Für mich sieht es so aus das der Toro mäht sauberer!

[@mainstreetmower]

Absolut einverstanden.

[@MJF40]

Double cut needed regardless.

[@daniellang6112]

John Deere left a mess. Double cut with deck higher for more dispersment

[@mainstreetmower]

Copy that. Thank you for the advice.

[@mosfet500]

Not fair, you're a Toro dealer.

[@johndenver8574]

Take off that shoot for the john deere and it will disperse better.

[@mainstreetmower]

Yes, that's the plan for the next John Deere comparison. We wanted to test them in different setups for the viewers. Started with the shoot on for this video.

[@alolipa]

Dude get to it already

[@simplytg]

Imo the Toro outdid the John Deere.

[@mainstreetmower]

In some regards, yes I agree with you.

[@andreabond3501]

Toro Won dispersed better

[@mainstreetmower]

Definitely dispersed better.

[@jawoo2228]

John Deere products are pretty colors. Toro products are functional.

[@patriciabeuster4556]

This thumbnail has me in stitches. Chip’s hand isn’t even connected to his arm.

[@mainstreetmower]

Not gonna lie, you spotted that one 😅

[@daman9780]

are those standard blades on the john deere....try high lift and i am sure that the cut of the john deere will be as good as the toro and will throw out the grass just as far

[@MJF40]

Double cut needed regardless.