Cub Cadet Ultima ZT1 42 Review (2026): Which Version You Have and What Replaced It

Quick Answer: The Cub Cadet Ultima ZT1 42 is discontinued, and the name covered three different mowers. The ZT1 42 had a 22 HP Kohler V-twin and an 11-gauge stamped deck ($3,499 on cubcadet.com in August 2023). The ZT1 42 FAB had a 21.5 HP Kawasaki FR651V and an 11-gauge fabricated deck ($3,399-$3,499 list in 2025). The ZT1 42IP had a 547cc single-cylinder engine and a 13-gauge stamped deck ($2,999). If you want a new one, buy the Ultima Z2 42 ($3,599), which is the FAB’s successor with the same engine and deck. The Z1 42 ($2,999) is the ZT1 42IP renamed, with the same item number.

Searching “Cub Cadet Ultima ZT1 42” now turns up a mix of sold-out pages, leftover store listings and used mowers. On November 4, 2026, Cub Cadet’s own site showed the ZT1 42 FAB as out of stock with no price, and it listed the Kohler ZT1 42 under prior-year models. Tractor Supply still listed an “Ultima ZT1 42IP” at $2,999.99 on October 30, 2026. Cub Cadet has moved its residential zero-turns to the 2026 Ultima Series Z. This guide sorts out which ZT1 42 is which, what each one became, and what to check before you buy a new or used one. We compared Cub Cadet’s current and archived spec sheets, its parts and warranty supplement, its operator’s manual and the CPSC recall database. We did not test these mowers ourselves.

The three Cub Cadet ZT1 42s, compared

Specs come from Cub Cadet’s own product pages, read from the Internet Archive’s snapshots of cubcadet.com (August 6, 2023 for the ZT1 42; May 13 and September 16, 2025 for the FAB; May 13, 2025 for the 42IP) and from the live pages on November 4, 2026. All three share a 2 x 2-inch tubular steel frame, a 3.5-gallon fuel tank, a 1 to 4.5-inch cutting height in 15 positions, and 20 x 8-8 rear and 11 x 6-5 front tires. All three also carried a 3-year, unlimited-hour residential warranty with no commercial-use coverage.

The naming trap: “ZT1 42” on a listing title can mean a Kohler V-twin on a stamped deck, a Kawasaki V-twin on a welded fabricated deck, or a single-cylinder engine on a thinner stamped deck. The price gap between the cheapest and dearest version was about $500 on Cub Cadet’s own site. Always match the model number, which is printed on the plate under the seat pan, according to Cub Cadet’s operator’s manual.

Is the ZT1 42 discontinued?

Yes. Cub Cadet replaced its Ultima ZT1, ZT2 and ZT3 with the 2026 Ultima Series Z (lap bars) and ZS (steering wheel), each in Z1, Z2 and Z3 tiers. Cub Cadet’s ZT category page still lists six ZT1 models (42 FAB, 46, 50, 54, 54P and 60), but all were marked out of stock on November 4, 2026. The ZT1 42 FAB page shows no price at all.

The history, as far as Cub Cadet’s archived pages show it:

• 2020-2021: the ZT1 42 (17AREACS010) with a 22 HP Kohler 7000. Its product page called it “ideal for mowing slight rolling hills and several obstacles up to 2 acres.”
• 2023: the ZT1 42 (17AREACSA10), still Kohler-powered on an 11-gauge stamped deck, at $3,499.
• 2025: two 42-inch ZT1s side by side. The ZT1 42 FAB ran a Kawasaki on a fabricated deck, listed at $3,399 and on sale for $3,199 in May. The ZT1 42IP was marked “New for 2025” with the 547cc IntelliPOWER engine, listed at $2,999 and on sale for $2,899. By September 16, 2025 the FAB was listed at $3,499 and already out of stock.
• 2026: the Ultima Z1 42 and Z2 42 take over.

Cub Cadet’s parts and warranty supplement for the line (form 769-27005A, dated August 20, 2024) lists the 42-inch models as “ZT1 42, ZT1 42 FAB, ZT1 42IP.” That confirms they were sold as separate models, not as option packages on one mower.

What replaced it: Ultima Z2 42 vs. Z1 42

The Z2 42 is the ZT1 42 FAB with a better feature list for $100 more than the FAB’s last list price. The engine, deck gauge, transmission and speeds are identical. Cub Cadet adds an hour meter, an LED light bar, a bolstered seat, thicker 5/16-inch caster yokes and Turf Armor tires. The Z1 42 is the budget path at $600 less than the Z2 42. That saving costs you the V-twin, two gauges of deck steel, the rear hitch and the lifetime deck-shell coverage.

Want a wider deck at a similar price? See our Cub Cadet zero-turn guide for the full 2026 Ultima Z and ZS lineup, including the Z2 46 and Z2 50.

The ZT1 42 warranty: what “lifetime” means, and why it doesn’t transfer

The ZT1 parts and warranty sheet includes Cub Cadet LLC’s full limited warranty text (form 100084 Rev B, October 18, 2023). It is more specific than the product pages:

• Ultima ZT Series: 3 years, with no commercial-use warranty. Using the mower for paid mowing voids commercial coverage entirely.
• Frame: the ZT and ZTX frame is covered for residential use by “a seven (7) year Limited Lifetime Warranty.” The product pages say “lifetime limited.” The warranty text puts a seven-year number on it.
• Fabricated deck shell: covered “for the lifetime of the product,” defined as for as long as the first buyer owns it, or seven years from the initial sale, whichever comes first.
• Not transferable. Coverage belongs to the Initial Purchaser who bought the mower new from an authorized Cub Cadet dealer, distributor or retailer. A copy of the sales receipt is required for warranty service.
• Engine warranted separately by Kawasaki, Kohler or Cub Cadet’s engine program, under the engine maker’s own terms.
• Short coverage on wear items: 30 days on normal wear parts such as belts, blades, tires and seats; 3 months on paint and wheel rims; lead-acid batteries 1 year prorated, with full replacement only in the first 3 months.
• Exclusions worth knowing: repairs must be done by an authorized Cub Cadet service provider, and “operation in sandy and/or corrosive environments” is excluded.

For a used ZT1 42, this means the second owner gets no Cub Cadet warranty, even if the mower is only a year old. Price a used one accordingly, and see our zero-turn mower warranty guide for how Cub Cadet’s terms compare with other brands.

Parts: what fits which ZT1 42

Cub Cadet’s parts supplement shows where the three versions share parts and where they don’t. Prices are cubcadet.com list prices on the ZT1 42 FAB parts page on November 4, 2026.

The two parts buyers order wrong most often are the mulch kit, which differs between the stamped and fabricated 42-inch decks, and the oil and air filters, which differ by engine. Cub Cadet’s sheet lists separate Kohler (KH-12-050-01-S), Kawasaki (KM-49065-0721) and Cub Cadet (951-12690) oil filters. Our zero-turn mower parts guide covers how to look up parts by model number.

Buying a used ZT1 42: what to check

• Read the model plate first. It is under the seat pan, according to Cub Cadet’s operator’s manual. 17AREACS010 or 17AREACSA10 is the Kohler version, 17BIEACEA10 is the FAB, and 17ALEACS010 is the 42IP.
• Recalls: we found no CPSC recall naming any Ultima ZT1 model. The 2024 Kawasaki engine recall (CPSC 24-256, about 68,500 engines from model years 2021-2023) covers FS-, FJ- and FX-series engines and names only the ZTX-6 among Cub Cadet mowers. The ZT1 42 FAB’s FR651V is not on that list.
• No warranty carries over, as explained above, so budget for belts, blades and a battery yourself.
• Hour meter: only the Z2 42 has one as standard. On a ZT1 42 it was an accessory (part 490-900-C075), so many used units have no hour reading at all.
• Slopes: Cub Cadet’s ZT1 operator’s manual says not to mow on slopes greater than 15 degrees (25%), and to mow across slopes, not up and down. See our guide to zero-turn mowers for hills if your yard is steeper.

Our used zero-turn mower guide has the full inspection checklist, from deck rust to transmission noise.

The bottom line

The Cub Cadet Ultima ZT1 42 is gone, but its two best versions live on under new names. If you wanted the ZT1 42 FAB, buy the Ultima Z2 42 at $3,599. It has the same Kawasaki engine and 11-gauge fabricated deck, plus an hour meter, LED light bar and better seat, for $100 over the FAB’s last list price. If you wanted the cheap ZT1 42IP, the Ultima Z1 42 at $2,999 is literally the same item number. A used ZT1 42 only makes sense at a clear discount, because Cub Cadet’s warranty does not transfer to a second owner. For lots around an acre, see our best zero-turn mower for 1 acre picks, and for other value picks see our best zero-turn mower for the money guide.

Sources: cubcadet.com product and spec pages for the ZT1 42 FAB, Ultima Z1 42 and Z2 42 (November 4, 2026); Internet Archive snapshots of cubcadet.com ZT1 42 (August 6, 2023), ZT1 42 FAB (May 13 and September 16, 2025) and ZT1 42IP (May 13, 2025); Cub Cadet parts and warranty supplement 769-27005A (August 20, 2024) with limited warranty 100084 Rev B (October 18, 2023); Cub Cadet operator’s manual 769-27000A (August 29, 2024); CPSC recall 24-256; Tractor Supply listing via Google Shopping (October 30, 2026). Prices change often and can differ by dealer.