Cub Cadet ZTS1

Cub Cadet Ultima ZTS1 (46") Zero Turn Mower

During COVID (2019-2022) many products were in short supply due to labor shortages and transportation problems.  I have never seen whole shelves in stores empty.  The local dealer indicated mowers were backordered and limited in supply.   I put my name on the list in July and it was delivered in September 2022.  It was late in the mowing season but took it when I could get it.   

I chose the 46" swath width because of narrow garden strips and the distance between the fence and flower beds.  It has a 22 HP/725cc Kohler 7000 series V-twin OHV engine.  The dealer offered me a 60" mower a month earlier but I felt it was too wide for my property and chose one 66% narrower.  It means half the passes as my Murray mower and 3 passes instead of 2 if I had purchased the 60" mower.  It maybe  46" but the current mower width is 54" with deck and clipping discharge chute.  Model number 17ARGBYNA10 Serial 1H08NH50214.

Likes and dislikes

Likes 

• It tackles slopes, tight turns, tall grass (+2 ft) and rough ground.

• Little tire tear out when on muddy soil.

• Multifunctional as a tractor and trailer dolly with a trailer ball added to front and sprayer added to back.

• Replaced my walk behind mowers.

• Easy access oil drain plug. 

• Oil requires 2qt to change.   

Dislikes 

• Battery dead in spring and when mower is not running full throttle.  Solved by replacing with a larger battery. 

• Oil filter difficult to reach and requires filter pliers to loosen.   

• The deck surface loves to collect clippings.

• Steering rods can bend and cause the mower to loose speed and not act as a true zero turn.  Care must be taken when zero turning upslope on super steep slopes.   Solution to bent rods is a trip to Cub Cadet service to realign steering.  Special tools are required.  

General setup and use of the ZTS1

If ground unfamiliar or covered with tall grass drive mower over it without blades turning or walk it first to find hazards.  Watch for landscaping cloth, rocks and other hazards.  Mark them as hazard with a wire flag.    

Grass Mowing

• Mower is set to 3.5" high

• Mower path adjusted so discharge chute pointed away from windows and other objects that might break.

• Pick up watering hoses before mowing.

Flower bed cleanup

• Mower is set to 4.5" high.

• Discharge chute pointed to outside of bed so clippings are not in flower bed.  

Leaf cleanup

• Mower is set to 3.5" high.

• Discharge chute pointed in the same direction until a large windrow of leaves forms then mower direction reversed to mulch the leaves.

Rough and unknown ground

• Mower is set to 4.0"

• Scout site by running mower over without blades turning.  Watch for landscape fabric, rocks, stakes, large holes and stumps.

• Mark hazards with wire flags.

• If you get stuck raise deck as high as possible using foot petal and move mower in rocking fashion. 

Post mow use cleanup

• Blown off with a Black and Decker 20v blower/sweeper or other leaf blower.

• Wash the underside of deck using the deck wash port for 5 minutes and blades turning with mower deck set to 1".  

Maintenance Schedule

Done when hour meter is dividable by:

25 hours Change air filter

50 hours Change oil  (need 2 qts plus filter)

100 hours Change blades and sharpen

Simple Modifications and Addons

For Storage

• Discharge chute was shortened by 2", so mower fits in parking space of the overhang of shed for winter storage.  Shorter chute also helped reduce plugging when mowing tall grass.  It has not plugged since the modification.  

• Added a battery charger/sprayer port to the mower battery to allow easy connect and disconnect.  

For general work

• Added a 2" trailer ball to front of mower. 

• An old newspaper delivery box was added to store grabber, branch lopper and extra trash bags.  

• Add a wire flag holders made from 1" plastic pipe.    

For mowing

• A deck wash port was added to clean out clippings from the underside of deck.

• A bungee cord added in front to hold equipment and a 3 gallon bucket for trash on front deck.  

• Elevated foot rest for forward and reverse foot pedal was added made out of 3/4" plywood to help support foot.

• Added a steering wheel spinner knob to allow one armed steering.

• Currently using an Oregon Blade Balancer from Walmart ($9.50).

• Harbor Freight stair tread was added to the mower deck tor reduce slipping when getting on/off mower.

 For spraying

• Added GPS Speedometer for a bicycle is used to determine ground speed when spraying.  The CYCPLUS GPS Bike Computer has a rechargeable battery that works +10 hours between charges.  The display shows zero until a speed of 2 mph is reached and it will read 0.1 increments.  The unit is attached to center of steering wheel using a G style mounting bracket (Garmin GPS).  This allows for unit removal when charging is necessary.  The GPS is < $30 at Amazon.

• Information about sprayer

Improving the ride with seat springs. 

Mowing western bunch grass and rough ground is one bumpy ride with the Cub Cadet ZTS1 mower.  No worse than a tractor but not a smooth ride.  Youtube videos suggest adding 2.5 inch coil springs designed for a motorcycle seat to the bottom of the seat will improve the ride but none of them responded when I asked if they were still using them.  The cost of the springs are $12 so worth a try before purchasing an expensive seat spring system.  

The springs were positioned over the rubber cushions and installed in 2023 using 1/4 bolts on the seat plate (see photo).   Tests after installation showed the seat felt too far forward but the ride was smoother.  The seat was removed from the seat plat and 2 holes were drilled 2.5" behind the ones drilled by Cub Cadet.  In addition to new holes 3 washers were added to the front bolts to elevate the front of the seat by 3/8" and level the seat.  The modification provided more legroom and more of a normal feel. 

Still a rough ride but smoother. 

Parts info

Rear tire Complete Wheel 20x8-8 (Turf) (Powder Black) 634Z07264-0637  CC price $232

Punctured Tire

On May 21, 2025 I punctured the rear left tire while mowing Emmanuel Lutheran Weedy Lots.  The tire had a big slash on the inside sidewall.  The slash suggest a piece of metal was caught between the tire and frame.  Further examination of the blade shows two large notches on the cutting edge where the blade hit the metal.  Tire was removed and taken to Les Schwab Tire in Moscow.  They examined the tire and put a tube in it.  After inflating the slash is slightly bulged but the tire plies appear to be holding and uncut by the metal object.  Video showing when I had a flat tire is at https://youtu.be/6hA4QKCiNhY.  

Parking Link

The link to the parking brake came off on June 10 while during return trip from Cordelia.  Danielson road was real wash boardie.  Steps for repair

1. Lift mower and remove tire for easy access

2. Move shift lever to move then partly block it so it handle will partly return to parking mode.

3. Insert rod in hole.

4. Make a new pin out of brazing rod wit top bent at a right angle.

5. Cut pin 2" long.

6. Drop pin in hole then bend the bottom of pin so it does not come out.  

7. Test lever.

8. Put tire back on and lower mower.  

9. Put tools and you are done.