Looking for a new Zero turn

[neetan]

Hi Guys

Need advice on what to buy, plus hope you will help.

Nice to be here!

Cheers

 

[txdon]

How big is your yard and how much money do we have to spend? Remember more $ is more quality most of the time.

 

[TBN Support]

Welcome to the TBN forum! :welcome:

I'm going to move your thread over to our lawn and garden section.

 

[Will_C]

A zero turn can be from 2,000 to 15,000 dollars, with anything from a 32" to 104" deck. What are you looking for?

Will

 

[DK35vince]

A zero turn can be from 2,000 to 15,000 dollars, with anything from a 32" to 104" deck. What are you looking for?

Will

I think the Hustler Super 104" is somewhere closer to $24,000.
http://www.tractorhouse.com/listings/farm-equipment/for-sale/list/?Manu=HUSTLER&Mdltxt=SUPER+104

 

[neetan]

I think the Hustler Super 104" is somewhere closer to $24,000.
http://www.tractorhouse.com/listings/farm-equipment/for-sale/list/?Manu=HUSTLER&Mdltxt=SUPER+104

Thank you for the responses.

Well, I have 2 acres of land and with all of the trees, dips, angles & angulations. I am running a JD L 110 and pushing 4 1/2 hours of cutting. So I am looking at a ZTR mower, to hopefully cut my mowing time to less than 2 hours.

Now one of my fellow land owners down the hill has a new JD 235 and seems quite happy with it, impressed with the hills he can cut and time it saves. Here in Canada it runs 3500 + taxes, comes with a 2 yr warranty, 42 cut and has the basic Sealed transmission

After looking at other models and wondering about what is out there.


~ JD dealer only wanted to sell me the unit Z 9xx about $10k+taxes = $11,300 and said this is all you will need for the rest of your life.
~ Home depot said get the same unit as the other guy and look at a 10 yr unit for less than 1/2 price, and buy a new unit in 10 yrs.
~ Kubota said look at the Z125EBR giving you a 54 cut, BG 24hp & better transmission t2200 for 6800$ for a 20 yr unit
~ Husqvarna is now at about 7100 + tax's = 8K with a Kowi engine and 3200 transmission
~ Big Dog with the lift up mower is 8K + tax
~ Basic Hustler is 4K + tax's for a 42"

So I guess I am looking for advice? Please forgive my grammar and spelling since English is my third spoken language.
Currently am 55yrs old and the wife is not interested in cutting the lawn, hoping to stay in the house for another 10-15 yrs.

I ask to all of you who have been there and or are going to be there? Now in my situation you have to consider Viability and return on investment!

Thank you in advance, & I appreciate you taking the time to read and comment on this post.

Neetan

 

[robbyr]

I push mowed til I was 46 and decided it was time for a zero turn. After talking to a salesman on the phone I headed out one Saturday to get a Gravely. My dad had one for 15 years or so and was a good machine. When we got there the wife and I both really liked the Scag. So we've had the Scag Cheetah for 3 years now. And she loves mowing now so I hardly ever get the chance. Ours was about 10k whereas the Gravely I was looking at was 5k plus. Ours is 52" and I think it's perfect for our landscape. I'm sure there's lots of quality machines out there so good luck.

 

[mowin]

Thank you for the responses.

Well, I have 2 acres of land and with all of the trees, dips, angles & angulations. I am running a JD L 110 and pushing 4 1/2 hours of cutting. So I am looking at a ZTR mower, to hopefully cut my mowing time to less than 2 hours.

Now one of my fellow land owners down the hill has a new JD 235 and seems quite happy with it, impressed with the hills he can cut and time it saves. Here in Canada it runs 3500 + taxes, comes with a 2 yr warranty, 42 cut and has the basic Sealed transmission

After looking at other models and wondering about what is out there.


~ JD dealer only wanted to sell me the unit Z 9xx about $10k+taxes = $11,300 and said this is all you will need for the rest of your life.
~ Home depot said get the same unit as the other guy and look at a 10 yr unit for less than 1/2 price, and buy a new unit in 10 yrs.
~ Kubota said look at the Z125EBR giving you a 54 cut, BG 24hp & better transmission t2200 for 6800$ for a 20 yr unit
~ Husqvarna is now at about 7100 + tax's = 8K with a Kowi engine and 3200 transmission
~ Big Dog with the lift up mower is 8K + tax
~ Basic Hustler is 4K + tax's for a 42"

So I guess I am looking for advice? Please forgive my grammar and spelling since English is my third spoken language.
Currently am 55yrs old and the wife is not interested in cutting the lawn, hoping to stay in the house for another 10-15 yrs.

I ask to all of you who have been there and or are going to be there? Now in my situation you have to consider Viability and return on investment!

Thank you in advance, & I appreciate you taking the time to read and comment on this post.

Neetan

How steep are the hills? ZTR's are not very hill friendly. They trend to crab walk when side hilling, and can slide down the hill which my not be too bad if there's a buffer at the bottom of the hill.
I'd see if your local dealer will let you demo the Z first. Some will hold the hills better than others.

As far as return on investment, a commercial mower will not only last longer, but hold its value longer.
Not sure if the warranty is the same as here in the states, but Toro 6000 series has a 5 yr 1200 hr warranty. It is also the best z I've ever run on hills. It's gas tank is under the seat, not in the "saddlebag", lowering the center of gravity.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Cheap zero turns like the box store brands (Sears, MTD etc) that run $ 2500 + are lightweight, cheap transmissions and not built to last more than 3-5 years in residential use for 1-2 acres.
I bought one of those (Craftsman 6000 with 52" deck) first and it was so rough and slide down hill at the drop of a hat. After 2 seasons of mowing with it, I got a larger more commercial grade machine and am very happy with it. It is a Ferris IS700Z and it has the 23 HP Kawasaki FS691V engine. The FS is just below the FX series commercial grade engine and it will cost a bit more than a Briggs & Stratton or Kohler engine but I think it is worth the cost. I can mow 6 acres in about 2-2.5 hours and burn 2-3 gallons of gas depending on the height of the grass.

I bought the Ferris because of the shock absorbing suspension and it really smooths out the bumps. My light weight Craftsman will absolutely beat you to death what with the small tires and stiff suspension, I can almost tell if I run over a bug.
Take a look at the Ferris or Simplicity (same mower) and if possible test them out, you are gonna really like the ride.

 

[BigBoyToys]

I needed one for the wife to mow with. Ended up with a BAD BOY ZT ELITE. Looked at the JDs but this was a much nicer machine for the money, built like a tank too. I can stand on one side of the deck and it doesn't even flinch. The local dealer was great to work with. Went with the 48" deck because of the landscaping. 54" was too tight for some of the areas we need to get between. We typically mow 1 1/2 acres of lawn twice a week. Takes about an hour with the ZT. Then of course another hour or so for edging around mulch beds and such. Also use an aluminum grass catcher from Accelerator Industries. SIMPLE and works GREAT...was a lot less than a blower system too! Have used it for two season without any issues.

ZT Elite Mowers ZTR Mower Best Residential Lawn Mowers - Bad Boy Mowers

http://www.acceleratorindustries.com/#!/home

 

[hawkeye08]

I just went through this and ended up with Ferris IS700Z 52" with the Briggs Commercial Turf series 27hp. Got home last night around 9pm and after the frost was off, mowed the front lawn. Our lawn is very rough (night crawlers and clay soil make little mounds all over plus the frost heaves). Very impressed, the other mower we looked at was the Gravely ZT 60HD with Kawasaki engine..

Ferris - suspension to help smooth out the ride
Briggs - that is what the dealer stocked and it seems to be a good engine
52" - what the dealer stocked and the 61" is probably to wide for us since the lawn is not flat and the wider the deck, the easier it is to scalp.

Gravely - also a good mower
others - yes, we found what we wanted before looking many more..

 

[neetan]

I just went through this and ended up with Ferris IS700Z 52" with the Briggs Commercial Turf series 27hp. Got home last night around 9pm and after the frost was off, mowed the front lawn. Our lawn is very rough (night crawlers and clay soil make little mounds all over plus the frost heaves). Very impressed, the other mower we looked at was the Gravely ZT 60HD with Kawasaki engine..

Ferris - suspension to help smooth out the ride
Briggs - that is what the dealer stocked and it seems to be a good engine
52" - what the dealer stocked and the 61" is probably to wide for us since the lawn is not flat and the wider the deck, the easier it is to scalp.

Gravely - also a good mower
others - yes, we found what we wanted before looking many more..

Hi Guys, Just an update ~ I went and did it!!! I bought a Hustler fastrac SD with the Honda 23hp engine with a 48” cut. Hoping it is not too much of a unit. It fulfilled my major concerns of a zero turn. Wanting to thank the community, for all the advice on what to look for and what not to buy. Now it has the ZT 3100 transmission / Honda 23 HP. / Fabricated Deck / Roll over bar / seat belt & two gas tanks. The unit was in a showroom for 2 years, with 0.9 hours on it, the salesman I think came up with a deal, that I felt was “I cannot walk away from this!” Up in Canada where our currency has taken a dive against the US, everything is up 50%. The current unit has a 48" Kawasaki FS691 23 HP. and the ZT 3400 with the better seat and selling for between 9100-10200 mine was 5800 plus 13% tax. Yes, we get ____ in Canada. I would like a better seat sometime, and will come to you all for advice on how to change it and where to get one. Sorry about the grammar, English is not my first language.
Hay, Thanks nearly forgot.

 

[robbyr]

Congrats on your purchase. Hope it's everything you were looking for.

 

[Dogsluvtrux]

Go with the one that will give you the best dealer support...I bought a Ferris. Cuts very well and the suspension is nice. And I sold Hustlers for years.....

 

[Dogsluvtrux]

And I need to read the whole thread before replying.....

 

[robbyr]

And I need to read the whole thread before replying.....

It's ok. I needed a laugh this morning.

 

[hawkeye08]

Sounds like you got a great deal... congrats