I used to mow about 6 acres, but only did about 4-5 acres of it with the zero turn. The remaining 1-2 acres got done just a few times per year with a brush hog behind a Deere 750.
My lot is 60+ acres and it's 95% wooded, there is nothing to rent out to a farmer without massive deforestation, which is not what I want. I specifically bought the land because it was wooded.
I don't have a bridge to the island yet, so what I do now is load a push mower in a 12ft boat and take it back and forth to the island to mow it.Mowing the island is going to be a challenge.
If there are any local well-equipped landscape services, who have a wide range of riding equipment, it might not hurt to have them come bid your property just to be able to ask what equipment they'd use. You might want to use them to cover you for the week(s) you go on vacation, anyway.
Another option is to buy an old wreck of a mower in whatever configuration you want to try, just to use it a few weeks and see how it handles the job. Assuming you can resell it near purchase price, it's a cheap way to experiment, prior to investing in good/new equipment.
Going to these tires has helped me a lot. I mow a lot of pastures, fields, ditches, etc., and even regular lawns. On regular lawns, as long as I don't try to turn on a dime, they are fine. But I think it's obvious that I get better traction.
I remember getting stuck once or twice my first year with my ZTR. But you learn pretty quick when to avoid the soggy areas, mostly an issue in early spring. I don't think I ever got stuck after the first year, you learn to watch the water coming to the surface under the front tires, and quickly change course when it gets too wet.
I do want to add a New Holland 2120 4X4 with FEL to my collection someday. But that would not be for mowing. I like to buy older tractors pre-computer & pre-DEF.
I was hoping a ZTR with suspension would be more comfortable. The HST pedal on my 1620 really beats up on my right knee after ~5 hrs of mowing. And the seat cushion is so compressed now that my backside is in pain when done as well. Probably retofitting my current seat with a new one with some kind of suspension would help a lot...
His 7 acres hardly sound like manicured lawn; would you be doing 11mph - or even half that - on a ZTR in a reclaimed-forest-that-got-bush-hogged? Doesn't sound particularly smooth.
You need "cruise control" with that HST. It's basically a big electromagnet that temporarily locks the HST pedal in one position.
I have the same model Ferris as the one you're looking at except mine is fuel injected instead of carbaurated and a year and a half old.. I like the fuel injection a lot. Really easy starting. I told my dealer I wanted an 800. He asked if I wanted a Briggs or Kawasaki. I said Kawaski. He called when they came in, gave me a price, I liked it and it showed up with the fuel-injected model.
That's good information to have!
