Quick Answer: The Bobcat ZT6000 (around $10,799-$11,796, 61-inch deck, 25 HP Kawasaki FX801V) is the best all-round Bobcat zero-turn for serious mid-size properties, backed by a 60-month/2,000-hour factory warranty per Bobcat’s own warranty documentation. Budget-focused homeowners should look at the ZT2000 (roughly $5,875-$5,990, 42-52-inch decks), while anyone wanting to skip gas can consider the new ZT6000e, Bobcat’s first all-electric zero-turn with a 20.4-kWh battery and up to 8 hours of runtime. One thing worth knowing before you shop: “Bobcat” and the older “Bob-Cat” mower brand are related but not the same product line, and a 2024 recall affecting Bobcat stand-on mowers does not apply to the sit-down ZT-series covered here.
Bobcat — best known for orange-and-black skid-steer loaders — is a newer name in zero-turn mowers than it looks. Doosan Bobcat bought the legacy Bob-Cat, Steiner, and Ryan mower brands from Schiller Grounds Care in a deal that closed in early 2020, then launched its own ZT-series lineup rather than simply relabeling the old mowers. Here’s how the current lineup compares, and what that corporate history actually means for buyers.
Bobcat zero-turn mowers, compared
| Model | Best for | Deck | Engine | Warranty | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZT6000 | Best overall | 61" TufDeck Pro, 10-gauge top | 25 HP Kawasaki FX801V | 60mo/2,000hr | ~$10,799-$11,796 | ★★★★½ |
| ZT2000 | Best budget option | 42"/48"/52" TufDeck | Kawasaki FR651V | 60mo/1,000hr | ~$5,875-$5,990 | ★★★★☆ |
| ZT6000e | Best electric | 52"/61" | 20.4-kWh electric, 3 motors | 60mo (hour cap TBD) | Dealer-quoted | ★★★★☆ |
| ZT7000 | Best for largest properties | 52"-72" | Kawasaki FX, up to 37 HP | 60mo/2,000hr | ~$15,200 | ★★★★½ |
1. Bobcat ZT6000 — Best Overall
Bobcat ZT6000
- 61-inch TufDeck Pro deck with a 10-gauge top and 7-gauge spindle supports, built on a welded 7-gauge steel frame, per Bobcat's own product specifications.
- 25 HP Kawasaki FX801V engine paired with Hydro-Gear ZT-4400 hydrostatic transaxles — a step up from the ZT2000/ZT3000 tiers' smaller engines and transaxles.
- Covered by Bobcat's standard 60-month warranty capped at 2,000 hours, the same hour cap as the larger ZT6100 and ZT7000, per Bobcat's current mower warranty page — double the 1,000-hour cap on the ZT2000/ZT3000/ZT3500 tiers below it.
The ZT6000 is sold through Bobcat’s authorized dealer network, the same commercial channel Bobcat uses for its construction equipment — see the FAQ above before assuming Amazon carries the mower itself rather than parts.
2. Bobcat ZT2000 — Best Budget Option
Bobcat ZT2000
- Available in 42-, 48-, and 52-inch deck sizes, positioned by Bobcat as its entry point for owners who want durability and a professional cut at a lower cost than the ZT3000-and-up tiers.
- Runs a Kawasaki FR651V engine rather than the larger FX-series twins used higher in the lineup — the main tradeoff behind the lower price.
- Carries the same 60-month warranty term as every ZT-series model, but capped at 1,000 hours rather than the 2,000-hour cap on ZT5000-and-up models, per Bobcat's current warranty documentation.
The ZT2000’s 1,000-hour warranty cap isn’t a sign of a weaker machine so much as Bobcat’s own tiering — see how it stacks up against other brands sized for similar lots in our best zero-turn mower for 2 acres guide.
3. Bobcat ZT6000e — Best Electric
Bobcat ZT6000e
- Bobcat's first all-electric zero-turn, available with a 52-inch or 61-inch deck and a 20.4-kWh lithium-ion battery rated for up to 8 hours of runtime depending on conditions, per Bobcat's own product materials.
- Three independent electric blade motors with adjustable high/low speed settings, plus instant-torque electric drive Bobcat markets as quieter and smoother than its gas ZT-series.
- Onboard charger accepts either 120V or 240V; a 240V connection brings a full charge down to roughly 6 hours per current dealer listings, versus a much longer 120V charge.
The ZT6000e is new enough that Bobcat hasn’t published a fixed hour-based warranty cap for it alongside its gas ZT-series — confirm current terms with a dealer before buying. For how electric zero-turns compare across brands more broadly, see our best electric zero-turn mower guide.
How the Bobcat lineup fits together
- “Bobcat” and “Bob-Cat” are related but not interchangeable — Doosan Bobcat bought the legacy Bob-Cat, Steiner, and Ryan mower brands from Schiller Grounds Care in a deal that closed in early 2020, then launched its own ZT-series under the Bobcat name from the same Johnson Creek, Wisconsin plant rather than just relabeling the old mowers. Older Bob-Cat-badged commercial mowers like the CRZ still circulate in dealer inventory as a separate, earlier product line.
- Warranty hour caps split the lineup in two, not warranty length — every ZT-series model carries the same 60-month term, but the ZT2000/ZT3000/ZT3500 tiers cap out at 1,000 hours while ZT5000-and-up models get a 2,000-hour cap, per Bobcat’s own warranty page.
- A 2024 recall affects stand-on models, not the sit-down ZT-series — Doosan Bobcat and Kubota recalled specific serial ranges of stand-on zero-turn mowers (Bobcat ZS4036/ZS4048/ZS4052/ZS4061) over a steering shock-absorber defect, per the CPSC. The notice describes the hazard as specific to stand-on platform mowers; it doesn’t name the sit-down ZT models reviewed here.
- This is a dealer-sold commercial lineup, not a big-box brand — see our best commercial zero-turn mower guide for how Bobcat compares against Scag, Exmark, and Ferris, all sold the same way.
- Check ROPS and spindle parts compatibility before buying aftermarket — Bobcat sells model-specific ROPS kits (970580/970585) rather than a universal retrofit, per our zero-turn mower ROPS guide, and commercial-brand spindle assemblies for Bobcat run noticeably more than residential-brand parts, per our zero-turn mower parts guide.
The bottom line
For most mid-size commercial or large-property jobs, the Bobcat ZT6000 is the best Bobcat zero-turn — a 61-inch deck and 25 HP Kawasaki engine backed by a 60-month/2,000-hour warranty. Budget-focused buyers should look at the ZT2000, which trades a shorter 1,000-hour warranty cap and smaller engine for a meaningfully lower price, while anyone ready to skip gas entirely should look at the new ZT6000e. Before you buy, know that Bobcat’s zero-turn line is a genuinely newer product built since Doosan’s 2020 acquisition of the old Bob-Cat mower business — not simply a renamed version of it — and that a 2024 recall affecting Bobcat stand-on mowers doesn’t apply to the sit-down models covered here. Since Bobcat sells through its dealer network rather than Amazon’s own storefront, confirm current local pricing before assuming an online listing reflects what’s in stock. For how Bobcat compares against other dealer-sold commercial brands, see our full zero-turn mower guide or our best commercial zero-turn mower guide.