Mowing Kubota FZ2400 mower - Should I buy one?

[imprator]

I have about 4.5 acres to cut and am looking for a mower to do the job which won't cost too much tp buy.

There is a guy near me who is selling a Kubota FZ2400. He is a small dealer and has a good reputation. He doesn't know how old the machine is. It has 900 recorded hours (the hour meter is working) and the condition of the machine (very good) looks right for this number of hours. Everything works as it should and the machine operates smoothly.

This is an unusual machine (at least to me) - sero turn and 4wd. I haven't seen that combination before. Those features certainly appeal to me, but as I am not familiar with this model I would appreciate any opinions on whether it is a good machine. It's a Kubota, which usually suggests a machine that works well and is reliable, but the unusual engineering gives me pause.

I know the FZ2400 is a previous generation machine, and the little information I have been able to find on it suggests that it was sold from 1992 and was no longer for sale in 2003 (but it could have ceased production some years before that year). The relatively short model life, and the absence of an equivalent machine as a replacement, also makes me wonder whether the machine had problems.

Any opinions on this mower would be welcome.

Thanks.

 

[WH401]

The FZ2400 looks like just a short, narrower version of the F2400. It would probably be a pretty reliable machine, but personally I think I would pass on it and try to find a F2400. The F is slightly longer and the rear wheels are spaced in a wider pattern, both of these features would make it a much more stable machine than the FZ. I would think with the narrow rear wheels on the FZ that it would be "tippy" on certain bumps and any side slope. The F2400's are built like tanks, there highly reliable, and they will run forever with proper care.

Here is an F2400 for reference:
Kubota F2400 Front Cut Commercial 4x4 72" NR - eBay (item 180349739123 end time May-03-09 18:00:00 PDT)

Any of the Kubota models that are of the same variant of that design are ultra reliable machines and will make great grass cutters.

 

[imprator]

Thanks for your reply.

I looked at the machine today and decided not to buy. The machine itself was good, but I felt that the asking price was too high.

I take your point about possible stability issues, but the machine looked very stable when seen in real life. It looked rather lower and wider than it seemed in photographs, and felt very stable to drive and use. I think Kubota went to some lengths to ensure stability; the engine and transmission are mounted low, and the machine is markedly lower between the front and rear axles than the equivalent standard "F" machines. Still, if I had bought it I would have felt more comfortable with a ROPS cab or roll bar; this machine had nothing. It would definitely smart if that machine did turn over on you!

So, my search for a mower continues. I will certainly look at the standard "F" series as you suggest.

 

[WH401]

Thanks for your reply.

I looked at the machine today and decided not to buy. The machine itself was good, but I felt that the asking price was too high.

I take your point about possible stability issues, but the machine looked very stable when seen in real life. It looked rather lower and wider than it seemed in photographs, and felt very stable to drive and use. I think Kubota went to some lengths to ensure stability; the engine and transmission are mounted low, and the machine is markedly lower between the front and rear axles than the equivalent standard "F" machines. Still, if I had bought it I would have felt more comfortable with a ROPS cab or roll bar; this machine had nothing. It would definitely smart if that machine did turn over on you!

So, my search for a mower continues. I will certainly look at the standard "F" series as you suggest.

Sorry about your luck, but keep looking, you'll find something that will suit your needs. The F series machines are great and will make awesome mowers.

I agree with the ROPS point, one reason I bought a new tractor over my old was the fact that my former IH Cub had no such safety features. I cut a pretty steep hill, and while yes the engine on the Cub is offset, there were a few times when I could make the uphill facing rear wheels pretty light. It doesn't help the fact either that the seat on a Cub is mounted sky high.