If you have read our review on the MZ61, then you’re already pretty familiar with the Kohler. It’s a big and wide mower which will best be suited for commercial use or for large fields. Speed and strength is the name of the game with this lawn mower. It isn’t very crafty and great in terms of handling like the Ariens Zoom. Still, this zero turn mower doesn’t handle terribly. In fact, for a mower of this size it is actually quite impressive. After we’ve gotten to spend some time with it, we’ve realized why it has so many reviews. The product gets the job done and is quite reliable.
Performance
The biggest strength of this zero turn mower is the power and performance. 26 horsepower is a tremendous amount and more than most lawn mowers. If you’re looking for a zero turn mower that will stand the test of time and work with large areas, you may want to consider this choice. Not all large zero turn mowers are as powerful as this model is (see Ariens). When you get the chance to find an efficient yet strong zero turn mower, you have to take it into consideration. This Husqvarna certainly deserves the time of day.
Maneuverability & Mobility
Unfortunately, the Kohler doesn’t exactly excel in this area. It is heavy and doesn’t take turns very well. Hills are even worse. For those who need something more lightweight and mobile, you may want to look at the Z246. If it’s just large, flat fields we’re talking about, you won’t have any issues. When it comes to residential areas with dynamic pieces of land, you may face some trouble. Again, we’re not saying it’s unusable – we’re just making it apparent that there are better choices. The Poulan is one of them.
Comfortability
The one thing you can count on is a zero turn mower by Husqvarna being comfortable. It doesn’t matter what shape or size you are – the Kohler will support you just fine (in most cases). Few lawn mowers accommodate such a wide spectrum of people like this one does. The IKON is one that stands out, and the Troy-Bilt isn’t too shabby either. These larger zero turn mowers are often built to be more comfortable as you’re going to be spending more time on them. Obviously, this decision is a smart one.
Durability
I’ve found that Husqvarna’s Kohler model is moderately durable. A minor issue with the belt was prominent at one point for me, but it was relatively easy to fix. Most zero turn mowers we review are honestly quite durable. It is not such a rare phenomenon to find a product that holds up decently, at least in the short term. If you’re not willing to take any risks, you may want to go with a “safer” option. In my opinion, nearly every zero turn mower I’ve reviewed was fairly durable.
To Conclude
Quite a few mowers I have reviewed are substantially better than this one. For example, the race between the #1 mower and this one is not even close. This does not mean that this zero turn mower is not serviceable. It does mean however that before you select this lawn mower, you may want to consider all of your options. The strengths of the Kohler are the power and efficiency. Its weaknesses include poor mobility and handling on uneven pieces of land. We’ve found this to be a good commercial zero turn mower.