wHAT ABOUT DIXON O TURNS

[Eddy g]

I recently looked at a Dixon ultra 52 o turn .Surprised to fined out there owned by Husqvarna . More surprised that they no longer make them. My dealer has several of them knew still in crates .He says parts will be no problem' They look like a real good mower ' I never had a o turn he wants 4800 dollors for it . Good deal or not?

 

[Sprinklerman]

I have NEVER seen a commercial operator use one .

 

[Gem99ultra]

I have NEVER seen a commercial operator use one .

Me either. But I have seen a LOT of them in junk piles. My only hope is that Husqvarna doesn't drop their standards to the Dixon level. My advice to Eddy g is to go around to a few quality ZTR shops and learn what qualities make a good ZTR.

 

[Gary Fowler]

My neighbor has one that was given to her. The deck wont raise more than about 2" max which is strange but I was with her at the dealer one day (carb worked on) and he said that was normal for those mowers. They have some cast aluminum parts where the steering controls attach which broke on hers. Other than that, they seem to mow quite well.

 

[K man]

They look like a nice machine love the blue color lol. I do not like the foot lever on the floor deck it takes too much room and would make it a ***** to get on and off the machine. I think I will stick with my Husqvarna RZ 24 48 of which I find very dependable, easy to use and does a great job.

 

[4570Man]

I have seen some on the dealers lot and IMO they are cheaply made. I'd say $4800 is no deal.

 

[K man]

4800 sounds pretty steep to me too. My Husqvarna is 48 deck and 24 Kawasaki motor and I paid about 3200 for it and this is in Canada.

 

[Walt 2002]

I was disappointed to see Husqvarna lower the Dixon quality to Husqvarna's. Not only did Husqvarna lower quality, they doubled or nearly doubled prices of parts, shut down the complete factor laying everyone off including the engineers. The ones you see in junk piles are the cone drive ones which unfortunately few people including dealers took the time to understand. We are running a 22 year old cone drive and a 19 year old hydro. Dixon was slow to go to hydros which was their big down fall. We sold a 28 year old cone drive year before last which was still going strong on its' 3rd engine. All 5 of the Dixon Dealers in a 50 mile radius quit when Husqvarna bought Dixon because of bad experiences with Husqvarna. We have run Dixons for 36 years and I was a Certified Dixon Service Tech.

I would stay away from Dixon because of Husqvarna and they discontinued them. I would also stay away from Husqvarna.

By the way, our Dixons adjust from about 1" to about 4", IF a dealer says only adjusting to 2" is normal it is another example of not knowing what he is doing.

Walt Conner

 

[the old grind]

Had my '96 4221's cone drive biz refreshed a few yrs ago but BIL ran it a bit hard since (~2 1/2 ac, for two yrs) and apparently glazed the new cones. Neighbor just repowered a '97 3662 and its drive b is working a bit better, so far. We like our 'classics' and use them. :thumbsup:

IIRC, a Dixon's nicer seat, tires, color, ... meant another $4-500 in the big homeowner models in recent years. I'm quite happy with my '13 Husky MZ-6128, but confess that I had my choice narrowed down to the two brands by then (vs Bad Boy, Hustler, and other 'betters' or another CC.) So ... one man's soup may be another's 'emetic'. (ie: ipecac)

Walt, I hear you loud and clear, and it's kind of a shame when a 'bigger' company doesn't care to uphold traditional quality standards. The 'cheapening' of a lot of our tool/equip lines continues, including within the last decade the near disappearance of pivoting front axles on homeowner (read 'affordable') ZT's. Now we are assured of at best 'full-time one-wheel drive' and for many a slightly rougher ride.

Eddy g, I'd likely buy either brand again, and IMO they are competitive with others of similar quality/features lately. A wise friend once said, "If you're going to spend the money you might as well get you want." Just be sure of what that is, and to 'KISS' that I'd only add, 'You only pay once, but you live with the cutting width for a long time." (I'd trade you colors in a minute. )

 

[Walt 2002]

"BIL ran it a bit hard since (~2 1/2 ac, for two yrs) and apparently glazed the new cones. "

That is a condition I have not experienced. I MIGHT be able to help you with that IF you like.Contact me at address below, put in proper format and remind me what your problem is. Now the 3662 is another thing. Bad decision on changes in drive. 96 4221 is an excellent machine, only thing better in cone drive is a 4224, (Kohler engine)

Walt Conner
wconner5 at frontier dot com