Any Fans/operators of Front Mowers out there Still??

[Jason B]

Hi


Just wondering if there are still any fans/operators of Front Mowers out there? I know everyone is crazy about ZTRs, I am not a huge fan of ZTRs, but would not hessitate to try out a Grasshopper with the deck out front.


I just bought a 1997 Deere F1145 Front mower this past March, having the 4WD and the ablity to trim up close and around objects is impressive. Might not be able to turn as sharp as a ZTR but she can really manuver. Also she does a nice job in high range cutting grass. You can really knock grass down in a hurry with the 1145.


Just wondering if there are others out there running Kbouta 2260's, 2560's, 3060's, 3560's, Deere F935's, F1145's, 1445's, Ford & New Holland Front Mowers.

In my opnion, I love the Front Mowers, I don't think I would want to go back to a mid deck mower again, after moving to a Front mower.

I also run a Rotary Broom on the Front of my F1145 and am thinking of putting a cab and Snow Blower on her as well.

I am hoping to get a few years out of the F1145 and then maybe up to a 1445 or 1435.

It's Too bad that a New Front Mower is pretty pricey compared to a ZTR, oh well, I wished the Conservation Authority I work for had bought a Deere 1445 over the 997 they bought. 997 is a good mower for a ZTR, but the ablity to trim close to trees and other objects in the park would have been nice, especially with the off set deck for tight triming around trees.

We have actually have mower weedtrimming to do now with the ZTR's then we did when the authority used to have Ford Front Mounts.


I like the fact that the Front Mowers can come with 4WD, which is great to have, as we are constantly cutting in wet grass in order to keep up with the grass, and once you get a ZTR stuck, you need an assistance of a tractor, the old Ford Front Mowers had 4WD, they would occasionally get stuck, but not nearly as bad as the ZTRs.


I will take a Front Mower hands down over a ZTR if I had the choice, buts thats just my opnion.

Take Care Jason B

 

[Nightrain1]

Count me as a fan. I have never had a machine like what you are currently useing, but my hydrostatic 20 hp Yazoo, with a 60 inch deck out front was enough to convince me over the last 15 years. Wish I could buy a new one just like it.

 

[OKnewguy]

Count me as a fan too. I love my Grasshopper. I had a Gravely ZTR before, and this Grasshopper is so much more stable. The old ZTR was only stable on hills going straight up, but the Grasshopper is stable in any direction. I also can take the front mount mower and start to put the blades over the edge of a creek that I have, you keep the drive tires on on firm ground. My ride is so much smoother then my old ztr.
Dave

 

[LBrown59]

Count me as a fan. I have never had a machine like what you are currently useing, but my hydrostatic
20 hp Yazoo
with a 60 inch deck out front was enough to convince me over the last 15 years. Wish I could buy a new one just like it.

Do you still have this ?

 

[fountain42]

Had a Deere F525 that just died and could'nt get another so I Just bought a Grasshopper 729. What a mower

 

[TEN10TRADER]

Had a f-910 deere mowed 6 ac. with it on farm -Best mower made now that i'm not on farm i have a f-525 that i would'nt get rid of for a farm-always ready to go and no trouble- with frount mower you can mow around trees and bushes better than zr's- made a V blade for the 910 and cleared snow on 1/4 drive with 2 passes- don't know how to show pic

 

[unit40]

Can I chime in here? Started with a Hustler 72" 340 mower, moved up to a Hustler 4600 range wing unit, had a Ford new Holland CM224 with a 72" deck and a deck belt driven blower for the bagging system, traded up to a Kubota F3060 with a 72" deck and PTO powered collection system, and a JD 1445 with a 72" deck and a Yanmar pony motor PECO collection system. Now debating on trading the 1445 in for either a JD 997 or two X749 mowers with the 62" decks and the 14 bushel powerflow baggers. I'm leaning towards the two X749's. I can buy two of them for the price of one new 1445 with the MCS system. I love front mounts but after running these machines for decades, I'm starting to wise up and reconsider things.

 

[Nightrain1]

Do you still have this ?

Yes, I still have it.

 

[Blackhammer]

The problem I see withthe front deck mower is the mower is now HUGE. There are a couple of grasshoppers for sale localy and they look good but 15,000 new and 8999 used. It was a really big mower. really nice too but too rich for my blood. I will stick with my ZTR. I do my 2.5 acres in under an hour.

 

[Nightrain1]

Like I said, always liked the out front design of the yazoo I used for several years, but this weekend, I came a cross a heck of a deal on a new bad boy ztr. It has a 60 inch deck and a 28 hp cat. Should be delivered tomorrow or the next day and I can't wait to see the differences. Diesels last for a long time and the bad boy is built like a brick outhouse, so I am hoping this to be my last big lawnmower purchase ever again.
The 1993 yazoo ran 9400.00 back then, I just got a diesel ztr for 9800.00 out the door. Time will tell if I done ok.

 

[sandman2234]

Count me in also. My Steiner 525 is no zero turn, but it does a lot more than mowing. I can remove the deck, install the yard blower in under a minute. When the power goes out, the 10KW generator gets to hold down the place where the FRONT DECK usually rides. Try that on a zero turn!
David from jax

 

[unit40]

That is the beauty of machines such as the Steiner, the AWD JD X7xx series as well as some front-mowers. They have their own special combination of maneuverability and attachment capability quite different than ZTR's and SCUTractors. I picked up a 10K PTO powered generator last winter and I love it. Only takes a minute to hook up and I can tow it anywhere I want.

 

[Charlton John]

I will stick with my ZTR. I do my 2.5 acres in under an hour.

Never used a front mount so I cant compare but as Blackhammer said what I love about my ZTR is the same 2.5 acres mowed in about 1 hr. 15 minutes (lots of obstacles)

 

[sandman2234]

Unless there are lots of obstacles, such as trees and bushes, I don't see how a zero turn mower can cut more grass per hour than a front deck mower. I have a 60 inch deck on mine, but there exists an option of 72 inch and 84 inch decks which are probably twice the size of most zero turn mowers. Each of these mowers has it's place and is designed to cut grass a certain way. (not trying to knock zero turn mowers). The other thing is fuel consumption, which in turn makes horsepower, which is what it takes to turn the blades and move the mower across the yard. The more horsepower available, the more grass you can cut. The more agile a mower, the easier it is turn manuever, but the wider it is, the more it eats in a single bite. Cutting 84 inch swaths as opposed to 42 inch swaths beats hanging onto a mower covering the same yard at twice the speed, which all of us know is a problem to our backs and kidneys unless somebody has spent a lot of time leveling the yard.
David from jax