Acceptable hours on used zero - gas and diesel?

[Jpcjguy]

Looking at a used zero for my 2 acre property - about 1.5 is lawn.
I was wondering what is acceptable in terms of hours on these? I am ideally looking for a homeowner owned commercial quality.
Do you go by hours per year? total hours? How long do these motors in general last?
I guess it is like a car - no matter how good you take care of it, if it has over 200,000 miles - you are generally on borrowed time (yes, I know that some get 300,000+ out of a car - talking in general here!)
Should I avoid anything over 500hrs? 1000hrs? - IN GENERAL!!
How about diesels?
There is an 06 kubota ZD25 with 2400hrs and new pumps and transmission with protero vacuum bagger attachment for 5800 - is that decent?

Thanks
Joe

 

[TSO]

Not sure where you're from, but with 1.5 acres to mow, depending on your climate, you're not gonna be adding too many hours per year on a ZTR. I cut about 5 acres per week here in Mich (say from late April to late October) with my 66" diesel ZTR. That typically takes me less than 2 hours per week. I think I only added about 75 hrs total on her this year. With a decent ZTR, you should be able to mow 1.5 acres in under 30 mins.

I don't know what the right answer is regarding overall hours... I bought mine used last year with 174 hrs. It was a 4 yr old unit that an older guy bought from a dealership, then traded in on something smaller. I can only hope that it was maintained properly in the short time he had it before I got it, but with only 174 hours I figured it was worth the gamble, and so far it's been great. For you, I would be surprised if you even got near 50 hours per year. I'm not leading up to some major conclusion, just giving you an idea of the kind of hours you might put on... and that experience should give you an idea of the machines age or use condition.

But with that said, for your sized property, a 50" deck would be more than you would need. You can probably get a brand new entry-level commercial unit around 48"-52" for under $5k, so factor that into your choice of buying new or used. Being that a new one would have better financing options and a warranty, you'll have to use your own formula telling you what a used one has to be worth compared to new.

I would shy away from buying a used commercial unit from a business. Business guys are using it to make money, so they might do just the bare amount of maintenance to keep it running and making money. Nothing against that, but I would just be wary. Although, I thought I heard somewhere that Exmark dealers will sell a previously used (leased) commercial unit with some kind of warranty. That might be an option.

So, I guess I did not give you any answers, just points to consider. Good luck!

 

[waycoolmarine]

I sell a lot of used zero turns nothing wrong with commercial tradein units most commercial units are 60 or 66 or 72 the 54s are generally homeowner heavy duty units kohler or Kawasaki is the motor of choice for commercial units commercial zeroturns generally go around 2500 hours till they are not worth fixing if you find commercial grade with under 1000 hours you should be good home owners generally put less than 100 hours a year commercial guys average 350 400 a year the exmarks mentioned about are lease returns generally run by brickman those units are delivered for1st mow 2 year warranty and service programs they are turned in with 500 to 1000 hours the 500 hour units sell fast to regular customers

 

[IXLR8]

I bought a used JD 727A commercial unit from a homeowner. Who I found out later used it more like a bushhog than a lawn mower. It had 425hrs when I bought it, I balanced the blades and it has run fine for the last 5 years and I suspect it will outlast me. In general, a gas commercial mower the engines will last in the 1200-1800 hrs range, diesel engines almost twice that. I know nothing about the ZD25, but my initial reaction is that if the pumps/motors have been replaced the motor is heading to end of life. Although if the motor has been taken care of properly it could have another 1000 hrs on it and that is why they replaced the pumps/motors. For 1.5 acres of mowing, I think a diesel might be a bit of an overkill and they are several hundred pounds heavier which will compact your lawn more.

 

[Turbys_1700]

I would look at anything under 1000 hours as a good average...
If the unit has been maintained that number should give you a lot of years of trouble free service...
Around here finding a decent commercial unit with under a 1000 hours is hard to do...
And with financing rates as an attractive alternative it may be easier just to purchase new...

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

$5,800 for a unit with 2400 hours? No way. Around here, for just a little bit more (or maybe the same) I could buy a brand new Scag with a warranty.

 

[Jpcjguy]

Thanks for all the info! I thought diesel would be overkill also, but a good deal is a good deal
Sounds like I should keep looking. I have a budget of around 4K.
Based on my yard size is 48" vs. 60"+ a rather moot point? I assume the time savings would be neglible. So the thing to do is find a well maintained sub 1000hr gas mower (ideally around 500hr) regardless of deck size - as long as it is 48"+
How are the Husqvarna models? Seem to be more of them for sale around here?

 

[TSO]

Thanks for all the info! I thought diesel would be overkill also, but a good deal is a good deal
Sounds like I should keep looking. I have a budget of around 4K.
Based on my yard size is 48" vs. 60"+ a rather moot point? I assume the time savings would be neglible. So the thing to do is find a well maintained sub 1000hr gas mower (ideally around 500hr) regardless of deck size - as long as it is 48"+
How are the Husqvarna models? Seem to be more of them for sale around here?

Skip the Husqvarna models, well pretty much all the box store models, they don't hold a candle to a commercial style unit. There many reasons I could list, but if you just sit on one you'll notice right away.

A 48-52" be perfect for your lot size. The wider the deck, the more chance for scalping in any uneven spots. Also, the wider the deck, the more difficult it will be to mow around obstacles.

If you raise your budget to just 5,000, you will have a wide assortment of entry-level commercial units to shop from, brand new. I'm very happy with my Hustler unit, but most of the units are very comparable at that price and you are mostly just shopping by personal preference. They pretty much all use the same engines, same hydro-gear units, tires, etc. What you're going to be shopping is their name, color, deck design, ergonomics, and comfort.

 

[Coyote machine]

Don't buy the rebuilt one, it's been used up and is overpriced.
Either buy new or low hours used. 48-60" deck will not make much difference on 1.5 Acres.
I bough a Scag wildcat from my commercial lawn guy with 200 hours and bagger, for $8K a number of years ago. It has been awesome. I cut a lot of acres per/week and it never skips a beat. Made in USA too.

 

[art]

The Kubota diesel is a good unit but more then what you need. One that I have out has over 7,000 hours on it and still going strong with little needing to be done for the hours. The early Kubota units did only go about 2500 hours before the hydro's might fail but the newer models have not had the issue.
I always recommend that you get the largest deck on the smallest tractor for easy trimming while mowing!