Swisher (60") 27 HP Zero Turn Lawn Mower

Todd Gwaltney,
Product Expert
Mowers Direct

Good mower. Shipping took 13 days from order date. The only thing I have to really complain about is the wiring. There was a loose wire on the PTO switch that kept the mower from starting (in the actual wiring harness). This took about 3 hours to track down. After that, the 2 dead man switches under each handle were tipped so the mower wouldn't start. This is a poor design because the switches barely touch when aligned and have too light of mounting screws to hold them in place. Its an easy fix. Not enough of a problem to scrap the idea of owning this mower. By the way the tech. at Swisher is very sharp and friendly. Powerful cutting mower.

Good mower. Shipping took 13 days from order date. The only thing I have to really complain about is the wiring. There was a loose wire on the PTO switch that kept the mower from starting (in the actual wiring harness). This took about 3 hours to track down. After that, the 2 dead man switches under each handle were tipped so the mower wouldn't start. This is a poor design because the switches barely touch when aligned and have too light of mounting screws to hold them in place. Its an easy fix. Not enough of a problem to scrap the idea of owning this mower. By the way the tech. at Sw... more

I placed the order on line and the Swisher ZT2760B mower was delivered 8 days later by Estes freight with lift gate. It arrived very well crated and protected. I am sure that you can use a hammer and pry bar to disassemble the crating, however I elected to use my electric chain saw to make short work of the solid wood crating. At the rear of the Swisher are two gold colored L shaped pins which enable you to disengage the transmission required to roll it off the base of the crate onto the ground.

There is a number to call to report broken or missing parts. One of the plastic anti-scalping deck wheels had been damaged as rubbed against the side of the crating and one nut and bolt required to attach the handles was missing. I reported the missing items and replacements were shipped the same day.

Attachment of the handles was quick and easy, and the hardest part of assembly is taking apart the crating. I then read through all of the instruction sheets prior to checking the oil level and added gas to both tanks. The mower fired right up with the electric start and ran smoothly. After a half an hour or so, the controls became very intuitive and easy to control in terms of speed and turning and control. My yard is NOT the typical mowing situation and much more demanding than most. Now only does it range from very flat to quite hilly. The grass ranges from normal to very thick and fast growing dense grass. In short it is a demanding challenge to mow.

Pros: I recommend the Swisher ZT2760B for several reasons. First it features a Briggs and Stratton Extended Life Professional engine and Eaton commercial transmissions that will last and perform well for many, many years of residential mowing. Second the boxed welded 2” x 2” frame and heavy duty steel welded mower deck and standard Gator Mulch with tempered mower blades. The built in hour meter, the placement of the dual gas tanks, oil drain, and oil filter make service very easy. All of these components are usually only found on much more expensive commercial grade zero turn mowers costing twice as much. Third the Swisher ZT2760B is the most competitively priced wide deck 60” mower available and is a very high quality mower for just $4,100 which gives a lot of bang for your buck.

Cons: Swisher Mowers are hard to find in stock so that you can examine them up close and in person, or take a test drive. Second, while many power equipment service centers work on Swisher’s make sure there is suitable warranty service convenient to you. Third, the 60” ZT is wider and longer than the average smaller tractor type lawn mower and requires more space to store.

I placed the order on line and the Swisher ZT2760B mower was delivered 8 days later by Estes freight with lift gate. It arrived very well crated and protected. I am sure that you can use a hammer and pry bar to disassemble the crating, however I elected to use my electric chain saw to make short work of the solid wood crating. At the rear of the Swisher are two gold colored L shaped pins which enable you to disengage the transmission required to roll it off the base of the crate onto the ground.

There is a number to call to report broken or missing parts. One of the plastic... more

I bought this mower for my small (22 accounts) lawn service two springs ago. At first, it cut beautifully and I was very happy with it's performance for the first mowing season. However, since then maintenance has become a serious issue. So far I have replaced every belt at least twice, the deck hanger bolts a couple times, one of the hydro drives, a deck spindle, and currently am waiting for a front wheel after that bearing went bad. When the hydro went bad, it was in the shop for almost a month, waiting for the part to arrive from Missouri. Apparently it was sent from MO to MI via pack mule! The deck leveling has proven to be problematic and the cut quality isn't what it was early on. The deck wheels don't really do the job, and plow far more dirt than they should. It may be a good mower for a resident with a large lawn to mow once a week, but from a semi-pro standpoint, better look elsewhere!

I bought this mower for my small (22 accounts) lawn service two springs ago. At first, it cut beautifully and I was very happy with it's performance for the first mowing season. However, since then maintenance has become a serious issue. So far I have replaced every belt at least twice, the deck hanger bolts a couple times, one of the hydro drives, a deck spindle, and currently am waiting for a front wheel after that bearing went bad. When the hydro went bad, it was in the shop for almost a month, waiting for the part to arrive from Missouri. Apparently it was sent from MO to MI via pack ... more

I purchased my mower in the spring of "08". First let me state the mower cuts great, however the deck wheels are not large enough to raise the deck when the ground's damp during the spring. They will dig up the yard instead of lifting the deck when turning on ground that is not level. I have fixed this issue myself by retrofitting wider 4" deck wheels.

Also, the left transmission stopped working at 129 hours but was covered by warranty. Problem was it stayed in the shop for 6 weeks because Swisher wanted to take the transmission apart and repair it. Finally the shop tech called Eaton who just sent a replacement.

The deck started peeling paint within the first few weeks and this mower has never been left outside in the weather. My old mower of 12 years has more paint on the deck than the Swisher. The body of the mower also has paint bubbling off in numerous spots. Real disappointed with the paint prep work. To top it off, it arrived at my house with the handles on backwards. Go figure. I'm hoping the mower will last a while but it has not gotten off to a great start.

It does have a good strong motor and cuts great (especially with my new deck wheels). We'll see in 3-4 more years if my opinion changes.

I purchased my mower in the spring of "08". First let me state the mower cuts great, however the deck wheels are not large enough to raise the deck when the ground's damp during the spring. They will dig up the yard instead of lifting the deck when turning on ground that is not level. I have fixed this issue myself by retrofitting wider 4" deck wheels.

Also, the left transmission stopped working at 129 hours but was covered by warranty. Problem was it stayed in the shop for 6 weeks because Swisher wanted to take the transmission apart and repair it. Finally t... more

I bought my Swisher 2760 ZMAX from a chain store in 2008 and it was good for a while.

Then the cut started getting bad. Had to replace blade bearings on outer blade. Over time I have had to replace most all bearings. All the belts have broken by now. I replaced them with Kevlar belts and they have held up pretty well. A couple of months ago, all of sudden it started plowing with middle anti-scalp wheels in front.

After trying all kinds of adjustments without any success I made another of many calls to Swisher, and as usual they scratched their heads and had no answers. So as a last resort, I cut one of the links out of the adjustment chain to raise the front of the deck up enough to quit plowing and it helped quite a bit, but didn't explain why it was happening. Just a shame I had already plowed my garden area!!

And then yesterday the electric PTO clutch burned out! All of this with only about 150 hours of use! Would I recommend buying another Swisher mower that even the manufacturer knows nothing about? No!

MD RESPONDS: The 2760 ZMAX comes with a 2 year Factory Warranty; hopefully the adjustments and replacements you've made haven't voided the warranty and you will be able to get help with the PTO clutch.

Swisher Tech Support is available by calling (800) 222-8183; but they do not take the place of trained Authorized Factory Service repair folks. Tech Support is to meant help with basic troubleshooting and parts; then they hand you off to a Service facility where real mechanics take over.

Normal wear and tear is not covered by the warranty, but if you believe the belts and bearings were defective they should have been addressed under the warranty; and so should the PTO clutch.

I bought my Swisher 2760 ZMAX from a chain store in 2008 and it was good for a while.

Then the cut started getting bad. Had to replace blade bearings on outer blade. Over time I have had to replace most all bearings. All the belts have broken by now. I replaced them with Kevlar belts and they have held up pretty well. A couple of months ago, all of sudden it started plowing with middle anti-scalp wheels in front.

After trying all kinds of adjustments without any success I made another of many calls to Swisher, and as usual they scratched their heads and had no a... more