Which Zero Turn Mower?

[byax65]

This is an older post, but I'm about to make the jump to a ZTR, and have looked at Exmark, Hustler, Scag, Dixie Chopper, Cub Cadet, John Deere, Grasshopper, New Holland, and Kubota.

For value, to me, the Bad Boy mowers seem to stand out in the pack. The heaviest built, full suspension on the model I'm looking at, choice of 32hp Vanguard air-cooled or the 28hp Kawasaki Liquid cooled. The comparable Exmark came in 700-800 dollars more than the Bad Boy. And I was really impressed with the way everything is so accessible on the Bad Boy. Nobody else comes close in that regard.

Kubota and John Deere and Hustler make some nice machines, but everytime I built one it came out to 11g-12g. Scag also built nice, but again, higher on price.

My neighbor has a Dixie Chopper and swears by it, as it's given him 10 years of work with very little problem.

Ultimately, I was sold on the Bad Boy when the local dealer's mechanic took me to the back area and showed me the difference between the BadBoy's and the Grasshoppers and Cub Cadet's they also sold.

The only thing left to check out is the ride and maybe a cutting demonstration before I take the final leap.

 

[CJ4]

byax65,

I still haven't bought a ZTM yet...I made it thru last season just using my tractor and brush hog. I'm going to give Bad Boy, Hustler, and Scags a good look, but like you, for the money I like the Bad Boy so far. I like the swing out tanks and easy to get to maintenance issues.

 

[cowsrus]

CJ4, I,m also looking at buying a ztm. I,ve also done a lot of looking and searching. It's easy if you don't worry about cost, but if you try to get something reliable and heavy built, you are looking at $5g at least, which is really more than I wanted to spend on a lawn mower. I,m going nuts, $3000 for a cub cadet with a 22hp Kawasaki & a 50in cut is what I was looking at, but I don't know how long the thing would last. I mow an acre to acre and a half and we are pretty rough on mowers.. I found a Swisher that was built pretty heavy, but it had a B/S engine. I always thought a Kohler was a good engine, but reading other posts they aren't any better than the bs. So while i'm sitting here looking , its raining every day and the grass is getting taller.

 

[CJ4]

cowsrus,

I hear ya. I just don't like Briggs engines....not sure if the commercial ones are ok or not but i don't have much faith in them, especially if i'm investing 5k or more. From what i'm hearing the Kawasaki engines sound like the best. Sounds like the small hp ones are not as good. I really think alot depends on how much area your needing to mow and the conditions of your land. Yours isn't too much area but is it rough and tough ground? I have several acres to keep up, which some will be shared with my brush-hog but my ground is pretty rough and rocky and root/stumpy right now.

Bottom line, I think a 5k mower will last for awhile if you take care of it but I think you could spend 8-9k and get one that should last 3 times as long. One issue I got into was, about 1978 I bought a 18hp Snapper 52" deck with a Onan engine. This thing was more of a small tractor that was originally made by Massey Ferguson but Snapper had bought that line out and put their name on it. It is hydrostat trans, with hydraulic deck lift and even a 3pt lift hookup on the rear. That thing still starts and runs....issue is the mower was discontinued and for the last many years you can't buy deck parts for it. It's a perfectly good mower still but the deck is shaft driven to a gear box then a cogged belt runs the pulley on each blade.....these pulleys have rubber coggs and they wear.

Anyway, my point is..........if I give 10k for a mower to last 25+ years....will the parts be discontinued in 10yrs or the company go bankrupt and a couple parts make the thing trash?????? It's all a gamble I guess......we all shoot craps everyday whether we think so or not!!!! haha

 

[DJFaninTN]

i like the bad boy mowers but be careful with the ones from TSC. they are the lighter version that bad boy makes. I know the guys at TSC and they told me that they get several complaints on them just not holding up as well. I found a bad boy dealer and he does ALL of TSC's warranty work. He just shakes his head at what gets brought in.

if you are going to spend that kind of money, go ahead and spend a few more bucks and go to a dealer who carries all the bad boy mowers and see the difference.

you might also look at the Dixie Chopper. nice ZTR and priced about the same as the bad boys.

 

[cowsrus]

I know what you mean by the machine outlasting the deck. I had a cub cadet 149 with a Kohler motor and it also hyd lift for the deck and also a hyd lift in back for implements. It had a cast iron motor and a cast iron rear end. They don't make em like that no more no matter what you pay. That thing was 12 yrs old when I got it and I used it another 12 yrs or so. It got to where it wasn't mowing even and the carburator leaked gas and I finally retired it. I still have it and have been thinking about restoring it. But in the meantime I need something to mow with. I think even with the high end mowers, you are going to have trouble with something or other. My brother in law bought a Exmark and he loves it but he's had 1 or 2 spindles go out. It was still in warranty though. My other brother in law mows with a Grasshopper and he had an axle break after the warranty ran out. Read some of these repair forums and you hear of problems with every engine made. So, what to do? Like I said above, i,m going nuts. I spend all day on the internet doing mower research. I have to decide on something pretty quick. The high end commercial mowers used to last 25 yrs, but I'm not so sure about todays crop.I'll probably pick a medium duty in the $3000. price range. I'm sure no matter what I do, I'll second guess myself afterwards.

 

[byax65]

byax65,

I still haven't bought a ZTM yet...I made it thru last season just using my tractor and brush hog. I'm going to give Bad Boy, Hustler, and Scags a good look, but like you, for the money I like the Bad Boy so far. I like the swing out tanks and easy to get to maintenance issues.

Going down on Monday to look at that Bad Boy and maybe place the order. But I may swing by the local Dixie Chopper dealer and take a look first.

 

[OKnewguy]

cj4 and Cowsrus, I live in Edmond and have been look for a used ztr. There have been a number of Grasshoppers show up in Craigslist over the last couple of months. I have emailed replies, asking them to call. I rarely get replies (sometimes by email) and never get a phone # or a call back. But then they will be relisted. So it seems like they have not sold. There was one in Jones and one with a sweepster thing. Anyway I do not know if these are scams or what. But I have basically come to the conclusion that if they do not list a phone number they are some kind of scam. I guess all of this is pointless for you two, because it sounds like you are both looking for new.
Anyway good luck, Dave

 

[CurtC]

I've had a Gravely ZTR 60" for about 8 years now. I got it when they first came out and were pricing very low to break into the market, for about 6500. It is a well built machine, I've not done anything but maintenance in 8 years, very happy with it.

 

[CJ4]

OKnewguy.....i'm in Edmond too....nice to meet you.

For everyone's info I checked out Bad Boy at TSC and the BB dealer and the ZT sold at TSC is exactly the same ZT sold @ the dealer. The issue is, it's their residential entry level machine but sold at both places and for the same price, ie: $4,995. It's very well built for a residential machine but is just a bit smaller, and doesn't have the EZ ride shocks or the better seat like the Lightning Z does. It also has the cheaper engine (Briggs 26 hp). It boils down to whether you want to spend 3,000 more for a machine that should last forever or not. I'm recommending the ZT for my mother who is 72 but she has pretty smooth mowing of 3 acres and she takes care of her stuff likes it's her kitchen sink!!!! So in her use, it should last a long while and serve the purpose good.

I just can't see buying at a store where they don't even know where to get it serviced. I have a bitter taste with the responses that I received and think it's crazy to buy at the chain store for the same price and still have to take it to the dealer when it breaks down. I'm sure it'd be at the end of the line if you didn't buy it from him....and I couldn't blame him sooo i prob will go see if they'll deal on 2 machines......