Buying Advice Zero Turn vs. Tractor

[jenkinsph]

I would suggest something along the lines of a deere 2520 with a 4' brush hog and a rear 5 or 6' grooming mower as a minimum. It would go faster with a 3520 and a 5' brush hog and 6' grooming mower but more money. In both cases I would opt for the IMatch and Auto hitch, would make changing the decks out quick and easy.

As I see it it is better to have the mowers behind you so that you can see obstructions in the tall grass and weeds before you run over it. These rear mounted implements are easier to service and mount too.

Currently Deere has a special pricing for the 2520 with two implements with a $2500 discount. Might be just right for you as this would be easy to transport from site to site.

[SixHoeBob]

If you want to mow tall grass/hay, go buy a Kubota. If you want to spend your days pretending to be a mechanic, take $2000 to a public sale.

If I had projected steady income, I would go with the low hour/new Kubota.

[JiminGa]

being from the same area and doing the same type of work, I'll give my input. I don't think you are gonna want a tractor at all, weed eat the first timers that you can't put your mowers on. I get some of these jobs myself from time to time. My helper and I can knock out the standard overgrown yard with weeds head high in an hour. charge accordingly. Then proceed with the mower on it in the future. This system keeps you in the field instead of running back and forth for this type of equipment or that, unless you have so many that you could run the tractor at every job all day, then you may be able to justify going that route. I did just buy a bx25, but I don't have a mower for it, I have a couple of mowers that are strictly mowers. Don't try to buy a swiss army knife machine, it'll disappoint you on commercial work.
Jim

[OkieDave]

I have broken it down into the "types" of lawns I am cutting during each grass season (April 1st - October 31st)

70% Lawns mowed biweekly recuts- height from 2" up to 15"
15% Lawns mowed- 16" - 36"
15% Initial Lawn cut over 36" up to 72" w/thick weeds & up to 2-3" saplings.

With that said, we are cutting about 10 properties per day. Would a tractor be feasible turning on/off, loading/unloading that many times per day?

15% x 10 properties/day means 1.5 times a day you're cutting 36-72" w/ weeds and saplings. Math is math.

If this is accurate, you definitely need a tractor w/ brushhog, as well as a ZTR for the rest of your mowing tasks. I suspect, however, that your estimate is high. Once you cut it down, it won't get three-to-six feet tall unless neglected for a good long while. We'll say it takes four weeks to hit 36" (probably shorter than reality, but let's go with it). At five days a week, times ten properties, you're looking at 50 properties/week. Four weeks to get to 36", you're looking at 200 properties. Even assuming that half your days are rainy (and thus unsuitable for mowing), you're looking at 100 properties to mow.

I'm not here to say you're exaggerating, but I've been guilty of more than a few innocent overestimates myself. As I said before, if your estimate is accurate, and you need brushhog capabilities every day, then you definitely need a tractor. Before I signed on the dotted line, though, I'd be rechecking my estimate.

[Gary Fowler]

Let me say that I know how realtors are, they dont want to put any money into a property until the city or community makes them cut something, so you may well have lots of overgrown property to mow and if you are talking city lots of less than acre, a small 20 Hp tractor with a 4' or 5' bushhog is more than adequate for what you need. You arent going to be running 8 miles an hour in unfamiliar area anyway, so why buy the HP needed to go that fast. A 20 HP tractor will cut at 3-5 MPH in head high grass which is all you want to go in those conditions anyway. These Size tractors can be had fairly reasonable in 2 WD which I would think is all you need for this type work. If you have a sustainable business, then I would look at new with a new medium duty mower with the chain type guards front and rear for protection from flying objects. For grass and small bushes there is no need to spend hundreds extra on heavy duty which is only getting you thicker deck not heavier gears.
Folks here mostly recommend buying the brand that they have, but most all brands are of equal quality but not all are of equal price. Just find a good dealer and price every color that is available in your area to get your best price and dont be afraid to negotiate as most dealers will knock off a few bucks from the original quote.
Since I am like most others here, dont forget to check out the LS brand. They are new to USA market under LS brand but have been making models for lots of folk like Case, New Holland, Montana for years. They tend to be much cheaper right now if you have a dealer anywhere close by. Check out the LS forum here for more info.

[Gale Hawkins]

I agree. I have chopped hidden steel posts with the bushhog but I sure would not want to do that with our new ZT.

Property that is waist high means a like of concern at some point and expect to find old bicycles, etc if you do not know the property.

[deepNdirt]

I agree. I have chopped hidden steel posts with the bush hog but I sure would not want to do that with our new ZT.

Property that is waist high means a like of concern at some point and expect to find old bicycles, etc if you do not know the property.

Not found often in overgrown subdivision lots although I did cut around and across the dam of a retention pond a few weeks ago, it was overgrown with Blackberry briers, I had to back into it all because the briers were hanging over so badly would catch my arms if driven forward,
this mess was at least 8 ft tall and couldn't see a thing either front or backward, I located a elevated manhole, you know the kind that is built up with cement, Lucky I caught it with the back corner of the cutter and stop me in my tracks, I pulled away and looked back to see the 2 ft tall manhole,... Now had it been any shorter my cuter might had rolled over it resulting in something expensive breaking,.............
So yes it can be risky cutting things you cannot see into,

[JiminGa]

Not found often in overgrown subdivision lots although I did cut around and across the dam of a retention pond a few weeks ago, it was overgrown with Blackberry briers, I had to back into it all because the briers were hanging over so badly would catch my arms if driven forward,
this mess was at least 8 ft tall and couldn't see a thing either front or backward, I located a elevated manhole, you know the kind that is built up with cement, Lucky I caught it with the back corner of the cutter and stop me in my tracks, I pulled away and looked back to see the 2 ft tall manhole,... Now had it been any shorter my cuter might had rolled over it resulting in something expensive breaking,.............
So yes it can be risky cutting things you cannot see into,

I hit an unseen water meter box sticking up about 4 inches the year before last, destroyed a spindle, cost me as much as I made on that overgrown subdivision lot...