Needing to mow a 6.5 acre field and was set on buying a ferris but the dealer closed

[jroach321]

So, Ive fought back and fourth on this for a while now. . . I purchased a 6.5 acre field that I'm currently building a house in the middle of. I would like to keep most of it maintained and since it was previously mowed by a large tractor so it's not so smooth.
I had decided on a ferris 3100z 72" deck for the full suspension comfort but I went by the dealer today and the sign on the door said they weren't coming back! The next closest dealer is an hour away and I've read through many of the forums saying buy the mower from a place that is close for maintenance.
I have the know how to do the general maintenance so I'm not sure how critical that is.

My question is do I drive the hour away to get a Ferris or do I go with a Scag-Cheetah, John D-R series or Kubota-zd331 all within 20 minutes?

 

[PsRumors]

Are you sure you don't want to consider a tractor? I am certain there will be landscaping duties with the new house and FEL should come in quite handy.

We have 5.5 acres we maintain. For around the house the 1025r with 60" MMM does a great job and for the field I have a 60" offset swisher mower that makes cutting duties quick.

 

[jroach321]

I have access to a tractor with a back hoe, box scraper and a few other attachments. I've been mowing it with a tractor with a 72" woods finish mower behind it and am just not happy with the bumpy ride and think I could get it done much faster with a Commercial ZTR. I'm just not sold on any particular one and now that my Ferris dealer closed it makes the decision more difficult. Not to mention my clearance is limited to 48" driving a mower under the house. Don't want a tractor taking up garage space just yet.

 

[dbear]

If it was me, I'd look closer to home. Any of the machines you mention would be a good choice from all I've read on another forum dedicated to professional lawn care. In fact, the Ferris would arguably be the last on that list. Again from what I've read, while a great marketing gimmick, the full suspension doesn't hold up very well and requires "frequent" wear parts (bushings?) replacements. Most lawn care pros, guys who are in & out of the seat 8-10 hours a day, will opt for a suspension seat.

As to specific brand comment, my BIL has a Scag Turf Tiger that is probably 20 years old and still going strong. To my knowledge, in addition to normal routine maintenance (oil, filters, blades) he's only had to replace the pto clutch once and 1 or 2 spindle assemblies.

 

[Not a member]

I'd just get what I wanted as long as you will do regular maintenance yourself. 20 minutes vs. hour won't matter if it never goes back to the dealer. I ran a Ferris for a few years and it was a nice mower. I do think the suspension is overrated. I've used other makes without it that rode better. There are a lot of nice units out there... Exmark, Toro, Scag and Grasshopper are some of my favorites.