Help! Zero turn mower help

[Jpcjguy]

Hi everyone,

New here and I just bought a house with 2 acres. Coming from a city lot with .22 acres. The lot is relatively flat.
I am looking a for a mower. Previous owner has a kubota 48" zero turn and he said it takes him about an hour to cut.
So I am looking for a mower. What on earth do I look for? Brands? Commercial vs. residential? Hours on it? Etc.
I am mechanically inclined as I rebuild old jeep CJs on the side. So. I do not have to call someone for the slightest thing, but I know nothing about mowers.
All advice welcome!

Thanks!

Joe

 

[Creamer]

Almost any brand will do it for you. Since you are mechanically inclined you do not need the dealer. i would go with at least a 60" deck. There is no cost factor really to go to a smaller deck and 60" is nice for a lot of things.

I run a Deines which is a mail order brand. I have had it since '97 and it has been wonderful. I literally tightened the deck belts for the first time this past summer. Only other problems have been the dry rot on the tires. I personally like the front deck for the following reasons:
1) Can get under things without you being in them, i.e. fruit trees, lilacs, etc.
2) Easy flip up deck for blade access and cleaning
3) Easier to see.

The midmount are very popular in that they cut faster and are a little easier on and off.

I would make sure you have a commercial grade blade - much heavier than a homeowner grade.

I also have a Rear deck for my subcompact tractor but driving over it with the tractor was not conducive to a nice even cut and with obstacles the zero turn cut mowing time significantly.

 

[TSO]

For that sized lot you don't need 60". A 48 or 52" zero turn will do just fine.

I have a Hustler and I'm very happy with it. But with that said, when I did my research last year, most brands are nearly identical. They all use the same engines and hydro trans units (in those sizes) so you're paying for their deck designs, styling, color, Brand name and warranty.

Most people agree that Kawasaki gas engines are better than Briggs or Kohler, so I'd stick with Kaw.

With Kaw engines, if the engine model name is "FR619" for example... the numbers correspond to engine size (cc's) and the letters are for the engine class. "FR..." is usually regarded as Residential grade, "FS..." is regarded as heavy duty residential or entry level commercial, and "FX..." is regarded as commercial.

You can probably get a nice 52" ZTR for around $6k or less. I have a 66" diesel ZTR, but I mow about 5 acres per week.

Good luck!

 

[smstonypoint]

What on earth do I look for? Brands? Commercial vs. residential? Hours on it? Etc.

Although you can tinker, dealer support is important for parts and help if you need it. Keep an eye out for the brands that the lawn service companies in your area are using -- that's a clue as to dealership quality.

Steve

 

[TSO]

Although you can tinker, dealer support is important for parts and help if you need it. Keep an eye out for the brands that the lawn service companies in your area are using -- that's a clue as to dealership quality.

Steve

Yes & No ... sometimes it's more indicative of which company runs the better lease deals.

 

[Mattc8832]

I like the older Toro Z 400 Zero Turn Models myself. There is a lot of good models on the market a lot of it will come down to personal preference.

 

[Bird]

I have the smallest, cheapest Toro, but it's all I need for a little city lot, and I do like having a dealer nearby that I can depend on. And I like the fact that I was able to download the entire parts list from the Internet.

 

[ajd187]

You don't need a 60" deck, but a bigger deck will do the job faster.

 

[Mattc8832]

I agree Toro does good online resources and a good dealer network in my area. My Z400 was a 48 inch deck.

 

[big bubba]

many many name brands out there...wise to seek advice on this forum. even for residential use in your case, i would stay away from popular (lowes, etc) consumer grade mowers & pay more for quality & longevity. construction of deck is real important. just stand or kick on a troy built or husky & you'll see just how flimsy they are. apparently a welded vs stamped construction is preferable. i'd say anything from a 52"-60" would be good for your needs. parker & hydro gear are good names for the hydraulic system. for fun, check out Encore mowers, another quality name brand good luck!

 

[amaxwell]

As others have stated, to get a quality long lasting mower, make sure it is a commercial mower ,not just a "commercial quality" mower. They are much more expensive ,but will last a long long time.My Exmark has been trouble free for over 10 years .

 

[Gary Fowler]

My first zero turn was a residential Craftsman 52" and while it has performed well for 3 seasons, it has a stamped steel deck, hard linkage to hold up the deck and a residential class of B&S engine. It is also very rough to ride over my very choppy ground. Last year I bought a Ferris IS700Z with Kawasaki FS690 engine and the coil over shock suspension. The mower deck is fabricated, hangs from chains and is very solid. The deck has a step up location on it and it doesn't move at all when you stand on it, unlike my Craftsman that tilts down till the wheels hit if you step on it. It is so much smoother and faster (about 9 MPH top speed) that I can mow my 6 acres in half the time of the craftsman even though they both have the 52" deck.

Lots of good brands to choose from like Exmark (my next door neighbor runs a lawn service and has 2 of these), Hustler, Grasshopper, Bad Boy, Toro etc. but I wouldn't trade my Ferris for any of them strictly for the ride comfort and other features unique to the Ferris.
EDIT: My Craftsman 26HP takes 6 gallons of fuel to mow my yard while the Ferris 23HP holds 4 gallons and still has over 1/4th tank when I finish. Also the Kawasaki 23 HP seems to have more power than the 26 HP Briggs engine.

 

[TSO]

Good commercial units to look at would include:

Hustler (available front Flex Forks)
Scag
eXmark
Toro (commercial series)
Cub Cadet (commercial series only)
Bobcat
Ferris (great ride comfort)
Gravely
Dixie Chopper (known for being fast)
John Deere
Grasshopper
Bush Hog
Kubota

... in no particular order.

For what it's worth, I believe Hustler won some award last year for customer or dealer satisfaction (something like that).

Also, check out my "threads starred by user" in my profile. I started one last year asking something similar when I was shopping, there are some good responses & good info in that thread.

 

[big bubba]

Good commercial units to look at would include:

Hustler (available front Flex Forks)
Scag
eXmark
Toro (commercial series)
Cub Cadet (commercial series only)
Bobcat
Ferris (great ride comfort)
Gravely
Dixie Chopper (known for being fast)
John Deere
Grasshopper
Bush Hog
Kubota

... in no particular order.

For what it's worth, I believe Hustler won some award last year for customer or dealer satisfaction (something like that).

Also, check out my "threads starred by user" in my profile. I started one last year asking something similar when I was shopping, there are some good responses & good info in that thread.

please note that hustler has also come out with a lower end consumer grade model "raptor" i think.....it would be suspect in my mind....even name brands come out with lightweight stuff just a note

 

[Mattc8832]

Ferris are great mowers. I have a friend that has a Ferris and has over 1500 hours on it and its still going strong. I agree its best to purchase a commercial unit if you can afford it. My first Zero Turn was a cub cadet from lowes back in 2004 it wasn't near the mower my Toro Z400 was or even the John Deere 737 I had.

 

[Jpcjguy]

Thanks for all the great info everyone. I appreciate it.
How is something like this: 2010 Ferris 61" Commercial Zero turn mower

 

[TSO]

Thanks for all the great info everyone. I appreciate it.
How is something like this: 2010 Ferris 61" Commercial Zero turn mower

Looks like a great deal. That's probably an $8000 mower new

 

[big bubba]

Thanks for all the great info everyone. I appreciate ibit.
How is something like this: 2010 Ferris 61" Commercial Zero turn mower

can you check out personally? ask for service record if possible. assume it has 3 blades. check play (moving each blade up & down by hand) for bearing wear...actually some bearings can be adj (tightened, etc.) ask when last hyd oil/filter was changed. mobil 15/50 full syn oil is the preferred hyd oil on most rigs

 

[Mattc8832]

Looks like a great deal. Its basically the same mower as the Snapper Pro S200 - 61 inch cut. Ferris and Sapper Pro are both owned by Briggs and Stratton and are made to the same specs. The Ferris units are more of the cadilac models compared to the Snapper Pros. Great Products.

 

[GManBart]

please note that hustler has also come out with a lower end consumer grade model "raptor" i think.....it would be suspect in my mind....even name brands come out with lightweight stuff just a note

I have the previous version before the Raptor (Sport), and while it's not a full-blown commercial model, it's still a step up from box store machines....think they run about $3500 for a 48" deck. I've got four years on it, and it hasn't had anything go wrong beyond a bolt or two needing to be tightened a bit. The Raptor appears to be an improved machine, so I think it's more than fine or someone mowing 2acres once or twice a week.

With our new, bigger property, I wish I had a 60" deck on the ZT, but I decided to get a 90" RFM for the tractors to cover the big, open areas. Then I run the ZT inside our fenced area, around the few trees, and right along the house. It's worked out to be a good combo.