Got a non turkey hunting question. I'm in the market for a zero turn mower. Like everything else there seems to be a thousand choices. Would like to stay under $5K. For those of you with experience what would you be looking for? What brands, features etc? Biggest lot would be approximately 1 1/2 acres. I'm kind of liking the looks of the Husqvarna's, but have no experience with these type of mowers.
Bad Boy mower around $4500 for 54". Should make fairly short work.
Husquvarna is OK, but for a bit more the Bad Boys, Gravely's and such with fabricated decks and easy access to stuff will probably make you happier in the long run.
All that said, I mow with a Land Pride 6' finish mower behind a New Holland tractor with turf tires. :icon_thumright:
I bought a Exmark 48 inch cut 3 years ago and wish I had bought it sooner for a 1 acre lot I have at my house. It replaced a Cub Cadet 42 inch rider and I can cut my yard in 1/2 the time it took previously and it does a MUCH better job of cutting. However, mine was $6400. Like I said, wish I had bought it a long time ago
I'm more about the dealer , servicing and parts, more than brand most of the time. That said I really like the Country Clipper with the stand up deck. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuIjjxcRhXY
No matter which mower you choose go with the widest cut you can get. Most have 60 inchers, they definitely cut down on mowing time. Don't even think of anything less than 54.
I spent a LOT of time researching mowers about a month ago. I ended up with a Hustler Raptor for a few reasons. It fit in my budget and I had a friend that works at Lowes mark it down. I think it retails for around 3200. Overall I like it a lot and it cuts great, but I just hit 10 hours on it. There are a few things that I don't care for. One is the fuel tank isn't all that large, I think It holds 3-4 gallons. I get roughly 4-5 hours on a tank. The second is the deck adjustment. You have to fiddle around with raising the deck with your foot and putting the pin in the holes. It also took me a while experimenting with how high I want to cut vs. the correct hole. If your taller over 5'10-5'11 you may have problems also. The seat isnt real adjustable.
A lot depends on how much you mowe. I mowe about an acre or a bit more. Some other mowers i looked at was the Spartan line up. If there hadn't been as big of a price difference I would have gone that route. It was roughly 1300 more. They have really nice wheels and tires, HD decks and a single knob deck adjustment. Im sure there are other things I missed. If your not familiar with them them I would check into them. The guy that owns Spartan used to own Bad Boy mowers. The other option I was looking hard at was the Scag liberty's. I don't recall the price, but they are quality machines and offer a great warranty and made here. I wanted something a bit better than a big box store residential mower, but under a commercial machine. I feel like those 3 fit in the middle. I didn't have 8-10 grand to drop on a mower or I would have gone with a Gravely. Hope this helps.
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My vote is for either a Bad Boy or a Toro.
Gravely makes some awfully good mowers at that price point.
I have a Exmark and love it. Buddy just bought a Spartan and
Really likes it.
I don't know the dealers you have close to you but you can get a hustler around $3000.00. Ex mark and Spartan are decent mowers also. I like Stag but they are a little pricey.
Would depend on what was sold in my area. I would stay away from box stores.
Just got a gravely. A must for me was fabricated deck. Looked at a bad boy but the comparable model to the gravely did not have a serviceable trans. The gravely did.
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Make sure you get a commerical model with heavery deck .I have a gravely an had good service for the 10 years I have owned it ,but I helped a good friend mow for 4 years .We mowed 26 apartments he only ran Bobcats an Scrags if I were to buy again it would be a Scrag best riding seat an very dependable all have good points an bad I don't care for the stirring ajustment on my Gravely I mow about 3 acres .The Bobcat I ran for him had 3600 hnudreds hours it never done anything to motor but serviced good air an oil change reliosly an grease regularly last for years no more than are mowing.
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TORO...CHECK THEM OUT!!
Hustler,at one time had the best warranty going.
I have a Raptor SD and its been great so far.
Greg
How much or how many yards a week are you going to be cutting? This will determine what type of mower you will need.
Quote from: USMC0331 on June 29, 2018, 09:20:20 PM
How much or how many yards a week are you going to be cutting? This will determine what type of mower you will need.
Maybe 3 acres a week.
When I used to mow commercially we used exmarks and they were bullet proof. Exmark makes a smaller mower for residential. If I were buying a mower that's what I'd go with.
At 3 acres a week you might want to get a comercial mower , residental will not hold up long with that much cutting. Gravely, Wright, Scag, John Deer (not the ones at Lowes or Home depot) , or exmark. If you want a stand on mower buy the Wright. You may have to buy a demo or slightly used one for $5000, Depending on what size deck.
Whatever you decide like a few others said get one with the fabricated deck. I would also go with a 60 inch deck.
I dont have much to mow,but went with a 52 inch and wish i would have gotten the 60 inch. I think they would be handier mowing in corners because the deck sticks out wider than the mower.
Also keep in mind that some sit up higher than others which makes them easier to tip over.
I did alot of research and ended up with a Husquavarna M-ZT Commercial. I also really liked the Scags.
For the money you want to spend id look at Gravelys. I have a couple friends that really have had good luck with them.
I bought a husqvarna MZ52 about 4 yrs ago for $4300. Been happy with it for mowing 1 acre. Wish id got 60 inch though. The edge of deck falls about even with tire and doesnt overlap passes well. Ive also mowed with scags, hustler, and exmark. I like the exmark best. The blade speed on my neighbors exmark is much faster and cut is much better. But its a couple thousand more.
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I have a Husqvarna MZ 52 and PZ 54. I went with them because there is a dealer within 20 minutes of my house. I cut around 55 yards as a side job. The MZ 52 has around 1300 hours on it and has been a good one. The PZ 54 has been too although I've only had it a year.
I am sure there are better machines out there. But I have been pleased with mine. If I was buying one, I would not hesitate to buy a MZ 52.
Country Clipper.
I bought a Toro Titan 5420 about 5years ago for $5k. It has been great!!!
I was actually looking at Bad Boy zeroes when l was sold the Toro.
I prefer a mower that turns. One that has zero turn sounds like a bad idea.
I'm mowing a drag stirip, so a turn is a mistake. All I need is forward and reverse. No need to turn.
I looked at all the mowers and went to all the dealers. Read the reviews online and searched what I could. Get one from local dealer that has a good reputation. After all the research I did I bought a Toro $6400. The reason I went with Toro was 4 year 400 hour bumper to bumper warranty. Plus they come and get it and return it to me if anything needs fixing. No other mower offers a warranty even close.
What kind of turn around s evice to they do they have an to do they bring a loner a lot of places are so busy it takes a month to get one worked on
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After looking around for several weeks last year, I went with a 54" Raptor SD. It was about 3800 or 3900 out the door and it has a fabricated deck and a 25 hp engine. I honestly don't know what else I could want from a mower under $4k. I mow about 2 acres a week and have zero issues with my choice. I'd at least check hustler out.
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Based on 90% of lawn care companies around here, Exmark seems to be the gold standard. I've been running a Dixie Chopper for personal use for four years and have been extremely happy with it. Its called the Zee 2 and is in their residential line. Whatever brand you decide, make sure its got a Kawasaki motor. Briggs and Kohler aren't even in the same ball park.
I've had a commercial Toro for many years and it has been good. My wife does all the mowing, about 2.5 Acres a week. She's hard on equipment...if you know what I mean...the Toro is tough. I would buy another Toro for sure.
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60" bad boy here with 25hp Kohler engine. Not saying it's the best, just what we use. The only complaint I have with it is one grease fitting on a deck idler pulley that is hard to get to. I cuss it every year. 4 seasons with it doing it's share of 5 acres weekly during grass cutting season here (March-October it seems) and still on the original titanium blades. Have only touched up a little by sharpening each year.
Hey Ronnie,
I got a 60" cub cadet zero turn you are more than welcome to test run for three hours or so on my property. I also got a nice stihl weedeater you can test run. I will provide the gas.
Quote from: Happy on July 03, 2018, 09:03:31 PM
I will provide the gas.
To get there and back home?
Was thinking gas for the mower only.
In all seriousness though the cub cadet, Toro and Husqvarna mowers are all made by MTD. Just order replacement parts and you will find that out. I like the cub cadet but wish they put a little more weight towards the front. On flat ground it doesn't matter much but hilly terrain can make them a bit touchy. That and better tires.
I wound up buying an Ariens Ikon X. Reviews are great, but we'll see. Now I need to find an old tractor $1500-$2000 to replace the one I killed last year. With the zero turn mower all I need the tractor for now is to keep my roads mowed back with the bush-hog.
Listen up pal. You chose the one that no one here knows anything about. How we gonna criticize your choice if you go an do that?!?! Take it back and buy one we can snipe at you about! :TooFunny:
Quote from: guesswho on July 04, 2018, 03:24:42 PM
I wound up buying an Ariens Ikon X. Reviews are great, but we'll see. Now I need to find an old tractor $1500-$2000 to replace the one I killed last year. With the zero turn mower all I need the tractor for now is to keep my roads mowed back with the bush-hog.
Ronnie, wish I had seen this thread earlier, but didn't. I've been mowing commercially for the past 15 years. I would have likely recommended a Gravely, the HD model falling in that price point, or you could have waited until next spring and I could have sold you my trade-in for around that price, 2016 Gravely 460, 33 hp Kohler engine, will probably have about 600 - 700 hours. I could have delivered it on my way down there turkey hunting, in exchange for hunting a couple of your secret spots. ;D
Quote from: Neill_Prater on July 05, 2018, 06:52:47 PM
I could have delivered it on my way down there turkey hunting, in exchange for hunting a couple of your secret spots. ;D
My spots are so secret, Even I have a hard time remembering where they are. :)
We just got an Exmark Lazer and it is amazing.