Want to buy a used Grasshopper and need advice.

[sixdogs]

Any advice on prices that used front deck Grasshoppers sell for at auction or private sale? My first choice is a low hour, front deck, recent mower in excellent condition. 60"? - 72"?

I've determined that a Grasshopper fits my needs and is a quality product. Maybe a front deck Kubota pre-TIER IV mower would work as well. My purpose is to mow around my long rows of spruce trees plus the few that are scattered in the yard. Most of my lawn is wide open. I now mow 2 1/2 acres with a B7800 Kubota and a Woods rear 7' mower but if I got a nice Grasshopper might do the whole lawn with it. I like the suspension seat and electric deck lift and my first choice is a diesel engine.

My problem is the wide variance of prices I see. Dealers are all over the place and ask way more than they are willing to accept. There are lots of Grasshoppers on lots that don't seem to be selling. That leads me to believe a farm or homeowner auction or private sale would be my best option for an honest price. I don't have to have a mower so am not rushed. I have lots of farm machinery so understand machines and can have horse traded for decades so know that drill. I'm tight with a dollar but will pay up for good stuff and will not chisel an honest seller.

There are some pretty smart guys here so any advice on pricing or models or Grasshoppers would be appreciated. I'm a blank slate and want to learn about Grasshoppers and pricing. Thanks in advance for anything offered.

 

[dsb5610]

I have a 725D I need to get listed. 61" PowerFold with around 510 hours. Bought it new in 2011. Was thinking I would ask $7500.

New one is around $16K. Online prices for used are higher than what I am thinking to ask but who knows what those actually sell for.

dsb

 

[NoTrespassing]

When I bought my Walker mower (in Ohio btw) I also compared Grasshoppers. They're both front deck but Walkers are better suited for residential manicured lawns in my opinion although they also offer larger deck units without the grass handling system. They both seem to hold their value well. If I was set on a Grasshopper I'd probably find an implement dealer, make an offer, leave my phone number if they didn't accept my offer and wait. I would imagine most dealers would rather unload a unit rather than sit on it all next winter. When you mention excellent low hour I would imagine $10K+.

Kevin

 

[sixdogs]

When I bought my Walker mower (in Ohio btw) I also compared Grasshoppers. They're both front deck but Walkers are better suited for residential manicured lawns in my opinion although they also offer larger deck units without the grass handling system. They both seem to hold their value well. If I was set on a Grasshopper I'd probably find an implement dealer, make an offer, leave my phone number if they didn't accept my offer and wait. I would imagine most dealers would rather unload a unit rather than sit on it all next winter. When you mention excellent low hour I would imagine $10K+.

Kevin

Thank you. I'll take a look at a Walker.

 

[Birdhunter1]

I've had a 2005 Grasshopper 723 with a 52" deck since 2011. It mows well and rides well and while parts aren't hugely expensive I have found that most of the wheels and bearings are rather specific to Grasshopper, that being said they aren't too bad on price. I'm almost at the point I'd rather have a second tractor in the 30 hp range with a hydrostatic transmission and either a belly mower or a rear discharge finish mower, I put maybe 40-50 hours a year on it mowing, I also have a front mount blade that is very handy for snow removal and grading loose dirt or rock in tight places. It wroks well in up to about 6" of wet snow or 8" of drier snow, it will do more but you may not be able to take a full bite, I find I use it more than my 55 hp tractor and a blade, it is more maneuverable, it doesn't big into my gravel as much as my blade on a tractor and speed changes are as easy as moving the levers vs shifting gears.
It is the cats meow for mowing under things like trees or trailers and its rather easy to mow along a fence line and hang the deck under the bottom wire and weave in and out at the posts.

In all I may just keep my Grasshopper but when it comes time to replace it I don't know that I will go with another one, while its a great machine with two attachments its really only tied to those two jobs, even with a trailer hitch I don't find it being great for tasks such as moving yard carts or dragging anything.

 

[4570Man]

A walker would be fantastic for mowing a high end manicured lawn. A 72” diesel grasshopper would blow a walker away in speed of cut.

 

[Ford850]

Sixdogs, you are looking for all the same things I was and ended up with a new 722D 61”. Liked it so much I bought a 725D 61” ten years later to supplement the 722. My son runs the 722 while I use the 725. They both work great but the 725 has a lot more power and speed. Electric lift on both.
When shopping for the new 725 I looked closely at a couple used ones but both were within a few hundred of new. Dealers didn’t budge on there listed prices but they all seem to have slightly different pricing models.

 

[Buxus]

I have had two Grasshoppers. I started with a 20 year old 720 with a 60 inch deck. Loved it, but I have acres of grass to mow, so upgraded to a used 930d with a 72 inch deck. It's a 2008 and sat unused by a municipality for years. Bought it for $9500 with 200 hours on the sparkling clean Kubota 30hp diesel. LOVE IT. Will never use anything else.

If buying used, make sure you get one with the newer transmission - the G2 drive. The old one was fine (Gemini) but when they go, it's very difficult to find a replacement, and of course the Gemini hydros can only be bought used now.

 

[sixdogs]

Great advice, Buxus. I knew something was going on with transmissions but wasn't sure. How do I identify the G2?

 

[Buxus]

Great advice, Buxus. I knew something was going on with transmissions but wasn't sure. How do I identify the G2?

I don't know how to ID the G2. What I did was ask my local dealer (with whom I had dealt with my first GH) about each model and year I looked at. Another good source of info and parts is online - The Mower Shop. It has all the parts diagrams, etc on the site for all models, all years.