Can’t comment on the price, but you are correct that that thing is a very niche machine. It is so large that a tractor of some description with a mower attachment would be more appropriate than a zero turn machine. This mower is for large areas, and is simply too large for most of us. On this topic, the war on whether small tractors or zero turn machines are best is still raging for those, like me, who have 1 to 3 acres to mow. I have a 27 year old tractor, and would have to think seriously about a zero turn machine, should this unit not go another 27 years.
Usually they are used by municipalities to mow large areas or landscape contractors. The landscape contractor that mows the grounds for the university I work for has that exact same mower. It is awesome to watch it work.
I always have customers ask me this, and the answer is it depends on your needs. A zero turn will mow faster, no question about it, but only if the conditions are perfect like level ground. They also ride much rougher. I have owned both, and I now own a property with quite a few hills and obstacles. A zero turn is quite the handful on my property, and a garden tractor with a 54" deck takes about the same amount of time to mow, and is more comfortable. I'm sure I could buy a zero turn that would work, but the cost of that machine would be much more than my garden tractor. It also wouldn't be able to plow snow or pull a cart and aerator like the garden tractor.
100% this. I lived it years ago. I bought a zero turn to replace my garden tractor and regretted it. Like you say, a ZTR to offer the comfort, stability and capability of a garden tractor for this application would have been the price of a sub compact utility tractor with 4x4, FEL, etc.
