Designed to be a productivity monster, the zd1211 has a slew of features and design choices that allow you to get through your day as quickly as possible thanks to its zero-turn system, powerful 24.8hp engine, and massive 60″ mowing deck.
You’ll be able to mow through vast plots of land with a fraction of the effort at a pace smaller machines would struggle to compete with.
So for anyone with substantial plots of land they need to keep under control, the zd1211 seems like an obvious choice. However, users of this mower have reported running into some issues that you ought to be aware of.
So in this article, we aim to take an in-depth look at these issues and see whether this machine is worth the price after considering these problems.
The most common problems with Kubota zd1211
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Kubota has made strides to ensure the zs1211 lawn mower is as user-friendly and low maintenance as possible. This includes their original hydrostatic transmission, which responds well under all load circumstances, as it has no belts that need changing. So outside of the occasional oil change, this machine’s incredibly easy to run.
Not only that, but it has a slew of user-friendly design choices to make maintenance a breeze. This includes easily liftable panels under the seat and maintenance hatch.
While everything in Kubota’s power has been done to minimize issues, it does inevitably run into some problems.
1. The engine doesn’t start, or it is difficult to start
It’s always troublesome to find that the engine doesn’t start when you’re ready to begin your work day.
Fortunately, it’s a common problem that can occur on any mower and is usually pretty easy to solve with some basic troubleshooting steps.
Before we go over fixes, the weather is the first thing to be mindful of. If the mower’s been in storage for a long time, mainly if the weather is cold, the battery may have drained over time and require recharging.
Or the more common scenario is the temperature has affected the fuel viscosity, which increases due to the ambient temperature. In this case, you may have to use an additive to make the fuel weather resistant or potentially discard the old fuel and try something of different viscosity.
Once those are sorted, the next thing to check is both the fuel and air filter. These are responsible for filtering out any debris or unwanted material before it can enter the engine. However, over time these can become clogged up, preventing the solid flow of either fuel or air to the engine and reducing its functionality.
Here you should clean them out, or if they are already too old, discard them and install new filters.
The fuel filter isn’t the only thing affecting the fuel flow. Sometimes air or water can make its way into the fuel system, which affects the engine’s ability to function. Here, you may need to bleed the system to remove unwanted air.
Be sure to check the fuel line coupler bolt and nut are tight, as this is the main area where water or air may potentially enter into the fuel system.
2. The engine is overheating
When the engine overheats, it can reduce the operational functionality of the Kubota zero turn mower and even accelerate component degradation – ultimately costing you more money in repairs. So getting this fixed as soon as possible is a good idea.
One of the primary contributors to overheating is simply overloading the engine. This includes mowing too far on uphill terrain or loading it up too heavily. So a quick fix to get the engine temperature down is to ease the load on the engine.
Other things you might need to check are that there is enough coolant in the engine, top it up if there isn’t enough, and check the radiator and hoses just in case any coolant is leaking out. Repair any leaking spots as needed.
The next thing to check is the fan belt. The fan is responsible for circulating air through the system, so if the fan wears down or is slipping, it won’t be able to keep the Kubota mower as cool. When checking the fan belt, replace it if you notice it’s frayed, cracked, or split.Â
If it’s in relatively good condition, you may be able to re-tighten it a bit to prevent slippage.
Finally, check the radiator core and grille screens to ensure airflow through the Kubota mower. Remove any trash or debris that’s been caught up in there.
3. The engine produces colored smoke
There are two kinds of smoke you will commonly see produced from this mower’s engine. If you see black smoke, the engine may be overloaded (also called running rich), causing excess fuel or oil to burn off. But it may also be a result of the fuel quality being poor.
To correct black smoke, you should check the oil and fuel levels to ensure it’s not overfilled and the fuel filter to ensure it’s clean. You may also need to change the fuel to a higher-quality grade.
If you see white or blue-tinged smoke, it may indicate the injection nozzle has an issue and is not correctly atomizing the fuel. It may also suggest that fuel has made its way onto the muffler and is being burned off.
To deal with white smoke, you should load up the engine to burn off the excess fuel around the muffler. Then you can check the injection nozzles are working. And once again, checking the fuel filter is a good idea here too.
4. Battery issues
A problematic battery can result in all kinds of issues cropping up with your Kubota zero-turn mower. It’s a vital part of the engine and electronics functionality, so it should be addressed as soon as possible.
If you find that the starter does not function, it may have been caused by overuse of the mower’s lights which have drained the battery, or it may be due to a poor terminal connection preventing the flow of electricity.
The solution here is to recharge the battery. However, if you find that it seems to lose its charge unusually quickly, it may indicate that the cells inside the battery are old, and it’s time to replace the entire battery.
Once you are sure the battery is holding a charge, you should inspect all the connections to ensure nothing has come loose, check for any corrosion, and clean any bad terminal points as needed.
5. Poor cut quality
This mower’s ability to mow large areas of land in a short timeframe does not excuse it from having poor grass cut quality. But inevitably, over time, you will find the cut quality degrades. So there are a few steps we need to take to ensure that high-level grass-cutting quality is maintained.
The first thing to look at is the mowing blades. Over time and through use, these will dull and require resharpening. Kubota recommends resharpening the blades every 25 hours of service to ensure they remain sharp and can cut cleanly.
However, when inspecting the Kubota zero-turn mower blades, check for any significant dings or gouges taken out of the blade. This can usually happen due to the blades picking rocks or debris as you mow.
If the blades are significantly damaged, they will not cut well and present a safety hazard as they may break. So if the blades look exceptionally worn, you should replace them altogether.
Another thing to check is the turn mower bearing on which the blade spins. Sometimes these may gather up dirt over time, making the blades not spin as cleanly. They may also not be level resulting in an uneven cut. So be sure to clean the turn mower bearing and ensure its level.
Finally, you should check that each wheel has adequate tire pressure. If one tire is flatter than the others, the zero-turn mower deck will lean down on one side resulting in an uneven cut.
6. Hydrostatic transmission issues
An issue with the hydrostatic transmission can manifest as all manner of machine-related troubles, from poor operation to the engine not moving.
Suppose you find that the operation of the machine is poor and bumpy or that the engine is having trouble moving. In that case, it’s usually caused by there not being enough hydrostatic transmission fluid or that the associated filter has become clogged. So, top up the hydraulic fluid and clean out the transmission filter.
In some rarer cases, you may find that the machine slowly moves even when the control levers are in a ‘neutral lock.’ This can be caused by the hydrostatic lever linkage not being correctly adjusted or that the control linkage pivots are sticking.
Unfortunately, these are tricky for user service, so we recommend consulting your nearest Kubota dealer to fix this.
Kubota zd1211 Problems: Are they a deal-breaker?
If you need a machine that can handle a large amount of mowing work in a short time, there is no better choice than the zd1211.
Even though it does have some issues and will require some good general maintenance and upkeep, Kubota has integrated a slow of user-friendly design choices to assist you in making maintenance of this zero-turn mower as easy as possible.
This makes it ideal for non-commercial users who need to be able to service and upkeep the machine by themselves.
Therefore, we highly recommend the Kubota zd1211 as a fantastic machine with excellent user-friendly design choices.
Marvin is an expert in farming equipment with a strong background in agricultural engineering. He graduated from Kansas State College of Agriculture, where he received a degree in Agricultural Engineering and specialized in farm equipment design and maintenance.
