Sanli ZTSD122 zero-turn ride-on mower
First Drive report in Amenity Machinery & Equipment, October 2010
Built to last, built to perform
Marking the start of the company’s second full year within the UK, Chinese outdoor power equipment specialist, Sanli, used the IOG SALTEX show to launch its first-ever diesel ride-on mower. Amenity Machinery & Equipment magazine was given an exclusive first drive of the machine in September 2010.
First impressions count and first impressions of Sanli’s ZTSD122 ride-on zero-turn mower say “compact, robust and well-balanced” as the machine is driven carefully from its trailer by Sanli’s technical services manager, Spencer Southall.
At ground level, initial thoughts are confirmed. In a nutshell, the mower looks to be a mighty tough cookie, capable of handling just about any grass-cutting job that is thrown at it.
“The mower weighs around 550kg, has an 18hp water-cooled diesel engine and independent hydraulic drive to its two rear wheels,” points out Spencer. “Add to those features a four foot cutter deck with side-discharge and mulching capabilities and you have a machine that should be spot-on for many professional and semi-professional users.”
And then there’s the price. For 2011, the list price of the Sanli ZTSD122, less VAT, is almost £100 shy of £5,000. If you don’t need or want a diesel, then the mower can be had with a 22hp petrol engine for just £3,332.50 without the VAT. Amazing value!
The venue chosen by Sanli for AME’s extended test drive was Waterperry Gardens, a beautiful and tranquil location on the northern outskirts of Oxford, approximately 40 minutes from Sanli UK’s Abingdon base.
Waterperry already uses two Sanli pedestrian mowers on its lawns and the arrival on site of the new ride-on zero-turn mower interrupted the pruning and other pre-winter work of the gardeners who emerged from the borders curious to take a look.
As with any newcomer to a machine, Spencer took the writer on a tour around the Sanli mower pointing out its principal features, safety points and servicing locations. Worthy of mention at this juncture are the machine’s overall dimensions which are 1.93m long by 1.32m wide by 1.8m to the top of the ROPS frame. Folding the frame cuts the height to 1.5m.
Access to the rear-mounted engine is very good as it is the driver’s platform which can be reached easily from either side, unobstructed by a steering wheel or column.
Instead, the ZTSD122 uses a pair of levers to control travel speed and direction. Push both levers simultaneously forwards or backwards and the machine travels in a straight line forwards or backwards. The further forward or rearward the two levers are moved, the faster the machine travels in that particular direction. Let go of the levers and they automatically return to their neutral position, bringing the mower swiftly to a stop.
Steering is equally simple. Push the right hand lever further forward than the left to turn to the left and vice-versa to turn to the right. Simple? Well, the test drive shortly will show whether it is or not.
The mower’s safety features are directed primarily at ensuring that the engine cannot be started or does not run when there is no-one on the seat, achieved with the help of a micro- switch beneath the seat cushion which completes the engine starting circuit when sufficient downward pressure is applied.
To start the engine, sit on the seat and move both steering levers fully outwards to either side. This action ensures that the wheel drive circuit is in neutral and the machine cannot move when started. Finally, check that the button that engages the electric drive clutch for the mower’s blades is fully up (if it is down, the mower will not start).
Slide the throttle lever about one-third along its travel and turn the ignition key – the engine should fire, although pre-heat may be needed when first starting from cold.
Move the two steering levers fully inwards and push them both gently in a forward direction to get going.
Spencer recommends that first-time users of any machine, especially a zero-turn mower, should familiarise themselves with the controls and their speed of reaction on a level, open area, keeping bystanders well away.
Your tester took heed and it has to be admitted that driving the mower does take a little getting used to. It’s the rapid speed of reaction that surprises initially, a very small steering lever movement producing an instant response at the drive wheels.
To experience zero-turn, push one steering lever fully forward and pull the other fully back and the machine will pirouette on the spot within its own length, an action that was carried out on a hard surface to avoid scuffing the turf. Under normal working conditions, it is most unlikely that you will ever need to carry out this manoeuvre, but it did demonstrate the remarkable agility of the mower.
Ten minutes after getting onboard, driving the ZTSD122 seemed like second nature as the mower was steered accurately along the contoured edge of a border without drifting or dropping over the edge.
Having set the height of cut using a very simple foot lever and manual dial system (cutting height range is from 30mm – 140mm), the next step is to engage the mower’s three cutter blades.
For the lightish grass growth at Waterperry, Spencer said that engine speed should be set to around two-thirds full throttle before pushing down on the blades’ drive clutch engagement button. A slight dip in engine speed is accompanied by a turbine-like drone as the cutter blades gather momentum. We’re mowing!
For the next hour or so, the machine was used on a variety of grass areas including open lawns, narrow tree-lined pathways, around herbaceous borders and amongst groups of saplings planted a few metres apart. Verdict? A brilliant all-round performer that belies the fact that it is Sanli’s very first diesel-engined ride-on mower.
Used in both side-discharge and mulching modes (the latter achieved in less than 10 seconds using a slide-in restrictor plate), the mower produced a very good finish and was both comfortable and easy to use. You can tell it’s a diesel, but noise levels are very comfortable when wearing the obligatory ear protection.
AME’s verdict? If you’re in the market for a compact, rugged ride-on rotary mower that offers a great cut, fantastic manoeuvrability and exceptional value for money, then the Sanli ZTSD122 ought to be high on your list of machines to try before next season.
Posted In Latest news, Oct 01 2010.