Exmark Moves into the Residential Electric ZTR Race with Quest V-Series Mowers
Commercial mower powerhouse Exmark is heating up an already competitive market with the introduction of Quest V-Series battery-powered zero turn mowers. Already in the professional space with the Vertex line, the Quest lineup is geared toward the residential market.
What They Say about the Exmark Quest V-Series Electric Zero Turn Lawn Mower
“The electric powertrain and cutting deck deliver instant torque, enabling the Quest V-Series to power through tough mowing jobs. The electric deck design also eliminates all belt-related maintenance. And with just two annual grease points and reliable integrated electric transaxle, the Quest V-series is extremely easy to maintain year after year.”
Exmark Director of Marketing, Jamie Briggs
Exmark Quest V-Series Electric Zero Turn Lawn Mower Basics
Exmark’s entry into the residential electric ZT space complicates matters. Until recently, the big three players have been EGO, Greenworks, and Ryobi—brands you have only ever made battery-powered riding mowers. Exmark’s heritage is in gas-powered riding mowers, inclufing the impressive 144-inch diesel Lazer Z model.
Starting with the durability needs of commercial lawn care professionals, they added electrification in the Pro-focused Laser Z V-series electric zero turns and electric stand-ons. Bringing what they’ve learned to the residential side of the business, I’m not surprised to see that these are well-built electrified versions that offer a more robust build than what we’ve seen from other brands in the past.
Power Source
Exmark turns to 60V Flex-Force batteries to power this electric ZT. It includes four 10Ah packs (a total of 2160 nominal watt-hours) to run the 42-inch mower for up to an hour. You can also add up to two additional batteries, bringing your total runtime up to 90 minutes.
The mower comes with a sequential 6-port charger that can take a battery to 100% in 50 minutes. With the stock battery loadout, that’s 3 hours, 20 minutes for a full charge cycle. If you’re using six batteries, it’s 5 hours.
In the 42-inch class, 60 minutes of base runtime and 90 minutes of extended runtime is fine. With a regular maintenance cut in our Florida gasses (St. Augustine, Bahia, zoysia), that’s 2 – 3 acres worth of cutting time.
That runtime is right in line with our testing on the EGO E-Steer, when we cut for about 53 minutes on four batteries. Ryobi’s iDrive 42-inch is a little better, covering up to 3 acres on its standard battery loadout and pushing out as much as 5 acres with a full setup.
Build
The mower is built on a 10-gauge unibody steel frame.
The deck is fabricated and consists of 10-gauge steel on the top, 12-gauge steel on the sides, and 7-gauge steel for the front bumper. Using a 3-point suspension, the deck is adjustable for 1.5 – 4.5-inch cutting heights.
This is where Exmark’s Quest V-series primarily sets itself apart from other residential electric zero turn mowers. With a solid foundation and build, it has a focus on durability, especially arounf the deck where the majority of damage occurs on our mowers.
Cutting
Underneath the deck, two 21.6-inch blades operate at 17,000 fpm. The mower comes set to side discharge clippings and has the option to add a mulching or bagging kit.
The drive system offers speeds up to 7 MPH in forward and 3.5 MPH in reverse.
We’ve seen higher blade tip speeds, but 17,000 fpm isn’t something I’m worried about. At that speed, I expect the mower to have plenty of lift for excellent clipping distribution, bagging, and mowing. The question is how well it can keep those blades cranking when you’re dealing with overgrowth.
Additional Features
- PTO capable
- 18 x 7.5-inch rear wheels
- 11 x 4.0-inch front caster wheels
- 16-inch high back seat
Available Accessories
- ROPS bar
- Mulching kit
- Bagging kit
- Sunshade
- Seat armrests
- Anti-blowout kit
- Turk striper
- Slope sensor
- Deck foot lift assist
- Deluxe seat
- Additional 10Ah batteries
- Additional 7.5Ah batteries
Exmark Quest V-Series Electric Zero Turn Lawn Mower Price
The mower comes as a kit with four 10Ah batteries and a 6-port sequential charger for $6499. That’s higher than you can get a basic 42-inch ZT from EGO, Greenworks, or Ryobi. However, the build seems to be more in line with Greenworks’ Maximus Z at the same price point. Higher build quality makes a difference over the long haul, so it’s an important consideration as you’re shopping.
