Advice on new xero turn mower please

[tillboy2001]

In the next year or so we'd like to look into buying a nice zero turn mower. I haven't been to look at any of these other than walking by the consumer grade models they have at Home Depot. What I'd LOVE to have is a Dixie Chopper, but I don't know about the cost and availability of a dealer nearby to service it under warranty should there be any warranty repairs needed. Read below to see all the details of what I'm looking for. I'd like your opinions on the various models if you have any personal experience with these. I'd also love to know some pricing (ballpark is fine) because you can't find the pricing online for these (usually).

What I've considered/done a slight bit of research on (online) so far:
- Kubota, ZG222
- Dixie Chopper, Silver Eagle
- Scag, Wildcat
- John Deere, Z510A
- Cub Cadet, Recon 48

Mowing conditions:
- 4 to 6 acres - mostly smooth, a little bumpy in a few places but not too bad.
- Lots of hills, mostly reasonable inclines but somewhat steeper in some areas

What I Need/want:
- Plenty of engine power (gasoline engine, not diesel due to cost concerns)
- 48" to 50" deck (don't need/want anything bigger than a 50" deck for access to smaller space)
- Strong transmission that can deal with our hills

What I have/use now:
- Cub Cadet 1550 riding mower (50" deck, 25HP Kohler v-twin), 2 years old

I use the Cub 1550 to mow a little over 2 acres at the moment, but if I get a zero turn I'd start mowing more like 4 acres or so to help out the in-laws next door.

What I don't like about the Cub Cadet 1550:
- Transmission (my biggest complaint) is too weak. I lose about 50% or more of my speed going up hills. The tranny just can't/won't pull that had.
- Can't get turned around as fast as I'd like (thus my desire for a zero turn)
- Can't get the mower deck into tighter places like you can with a zero turn with the deck out front.
- Grass builds up too much under the deck. Would rather have a more open deck design instead of this one that sort of has curved chambers around each of the 3 blades which I believe lends itself to grass buildup.

Budget: Probably around $7,000 or so.

Thanks for your input!

 

[tillboy2001]

I just realized I had a typo in the title....xero instead of ZERO. Oops

 

[WH401]

If it were me I think I would go with either the Scag or the JD, but leaning more towards the Scag. From what I have heard, Scags are very agile when it comes to hills. Also I don't think you can beat Scag for the amount of machine you get for the price. I like the JD, but I just think that the Scag is built slightly better. IMO, the separate wheel motors and pumps of the Scag is a more reliable design.

The grass build up part is just something your going to run into. Most mowers these days have the circular baffles around the blades as it helps to cut clippings better and create better suction.

 

[Carl_NH]

PZ,

I have a similar situation - Cub 1811 18 yrs old but still works - the hydro gave me some problems - leaking relief valve that I replaced but is still a strong runner that I cant quite justify replacing - yet. I also tow a trac vac for fall/spring yard cleanup and plan to keep the cub for that task. We have 1.5 ac of grass but lot of trees and planting beds to cut around so the zero turn is much more manuervable.

I came close to buying a zero turn a year ago and looked at and ran several units and discussed the options with a friend that has a mowing business for 20 yrs and has used nearly every brand - basically he said any of the commercial units are good its what you like/prefer color and brand. He prefers Scag, Ferris and Exmark.

As you know there are two classes - the HD/Lowes models and then commercial brands. What you buy is likely more of a regional preference for service and support as all the commercial units are good machines.

I narrowed the field to three - Ferris, Kubota, and John Deere 19-21 HP Kawasaki, 48-52" deck. They all have attributes like the Kubota has a lift up deck for ease of cleaning and blade removal, Ferris has a spring suspension setup for smoother ride, all of them have 7 gauge decks, good quality hydro pumps, similar construction and warranty for residential use.

Pricing - expect these units to be $5500-7000 range depending on model and options and the best deals or a demo unit are in Sept/Oct as most northern dealers dont want to sit on inventory over the winter. I had an option on the Ferris 1500 w/48" deck for $5400 but decided to hold off given the state of the economy last fall.

Regarding your comment about the up front deck and being able to get in closer - the front wheels on the zero turn are about 8" out in front so I dont think this is a huge advantage over the Cub set up.

On another note - I travel to OH area and in London OH there is a large JD dealership just off the interstate that have a large selection of machines and a area you can "test mow" - maybe worth a look - probably about an hour from you.

 

[Kernopelli]

I have had two different Grashoppers and both were exceptional machines. Got rid of the first one because I bought a rear finish mower for the tractor and after a few years ended up buying another Grasshopper. I got tired of running things over and weed eating and the first one was so good I didn't think twice about buying another one. They are built like tanks and very reliable. I have a rather steep pond levy I have to mow and have no problems either side hilling or climbing it while mowing. I have the chevron tread tires and they get great traction and hold the machine well but they will cause divots if you turn too hard/quickly on soft ground.
Both were gas engine and with front mounted decks, I personally prefer it over mid mount since it allows me to easily reach under low tree/shrubs and under my fence. The quality of cut is very good, you have to mow some really high grass to get windrows or clumps.
Honestly, I wouldn't even consider buying new. A used late model unit is considerably cheaper and it will last for years. They are quite popular in my area and I have seen many of them that have been used commercially and still running great after years of hard use. I currently have about 1500 hrs on mine and it still runs/operates like new.

 

[Gizmo2]

I would definitely go commercial grade and I would guess the smallest mower deck would need to be 52 inches. A smaller deck will make trimming very hard. I originally wanted a 48 inch deck on my Toro Z Master but got a 52 inch, glad I did these machines are wide. If my zero turn died today I would have a new one tomorrow.

 

[tillboy2001]

Thanks for the input so far. The more I look at the Scag the more I like it. I believe our local Kubota dealer also sells the Scag products so I can look at Kubota and Scag at the same place. The Deere dealer is nearby as well....and a Cub Cadet dealer not far off either. I could run to all those places just to get a look and see if there's anything obvious that would change my mind one way or the other after viewing in person. Mainly for this discussion I wanted to make sure there weren't any "don't buy that thing, run for your life!" sort of problems that you knew about for these models. Also to try to get a ballpark price before I go look at them to be sure I had the models lined up right. I think I do from what I can tell. We'd like something fairly heavy duty but not so much that it takes the price to 8k and higher. Thanks

 

[GreenWannabe]

- Grass builds up too much under the deck.

I recently started using Fluid Film on my deck (38 inch 1994 JD LX176 with mulcher kit). I'm still on the first application, have mowed our half acre probably four times with high grass, and have absolutely zero buildup under the deck. Without it, the buildup was terrible. I have no interest in the company or any dealers, just love the product.

 

[TPS]

pz31,
I have looked at all of them and there are many good ones out there. Toro commercial grades are good, Dixie Chopper, Bad Boys, Grasshopper, ExMark, Ferris, and Kubotas etc. Still for myself I like the Hustlers and the Scags in the gas engines. Scag is the only one that offers a nice machine for the homeowner that has a rops on it. They have a 3 year homeowner warranty and Hustler has a four year homeowner warranty. They both offer the Kawasaki commercial grade engines too. Have the dealer send one out and try it on your hills. They are a little different on hills, do not go straight down, as you traverse you need to feather the downside wheel a little more and always turn uphill. Once you get it down though you will be surprised how steep of hill they can traverse. They rarely roll unless you are close to a dropoff which can be very dangerous, but they seem to slide once you meet their limit. test drive them all and get a feel for the best dealer in your area.
Good luck-TPS

 

[MESSMAKER]

Scag and Xmark rule on all the horsefarms around here. Dixie Chopper is popular but expensive. Grasshopper is well made but most people just don't like the looks.