Dadnatron
Veteran Member
85ac hay, pasture, etc. most mowed by 15 batwing. But I need to get a ZTR for edging, roadsides, around trees etc. Grass will be heavier as this won't be a weekly mowing. So, need the hp of the biggest machines to power through. The ground is a little rough and there are likely to be sticks and limbs in the grass occasionally. Basically, this is rough farm cutting not manicured lawn cutting. I don't need stripes and straight lines. I need a relatively clean cut once through and a machine which is dependable.
I tried the Ferris last summer and it worked great. The ride was great and I had no issues.
I tried the Scag today. It ate through some heavy grass like it was nothing.
I haven't tried the Lexmark yet.
The ride of the Ferris is a winning point. But the overall machine is a lot more complex given the suspension, which is the biggest selling point but which also holds me back. The Vanguard 37 with the oil sump and oil change at 500 hrs is something I really like as well.
The Scag was definitely slung more closely to the ground so it would likely be a bit more stable, although I don稚 have much unstable riding land. The relative simplicity and heavy build were certainly points in its favor. The regular oil changes at 50hrs is more of a downside, given the Ferris alternative. But I can't imagine putting more than 100 hrs a year on it anyway.
The question I have is, given my needs, do you have a recommendation.
I would choose the Ferris for ride alone, but I'm a little uncertain of reliability given the suspension. The Scag did what I needed, but the ride was much rougher. Is the Lexmark different enough from these two to warrant a demo?
(Just went to my local eXmark dealer, and they don't have a demo in the machine I'd likely get. The salesman, who I trust pretty well, I've worked with him for several years on several things, said, given my situation, he'd go with the Ferris. The eXmark is about $2K more, so he isn't upselling me.)
I tried the Ferris last summer and it worked great. The ride was great and I had no issues.
I tried the Scag today. It ate through some heavy grass like it was nothing.
I haven't tried the Lexmark yet.
The ride of the Ferris is a winning point. But the overall machine is a lot more complex given the suspension, which is the biggest selling point but which also holds me back. The Vanguard 37 with the oil sump and oil change at 500 hrs is something I really like as well.
The Scag was definitely slung more closely to the ground so it would likely be a bit more stable, although I don稚 have much unstable riding land. The relative simplicity and heavy build were certainly points in its favor. The regular oil changes at 50hrs is more of a downside, given the Ferris alternative. But I can't imagine putting more than 100 hrs a year on it anyway.
The question I have is, given my needs, do you have a recommendation.
I would choose the Ferris for ride alone, but I'm a little uncertain of reliability given the suspension. The Scag did what I needed, but the ride was much rougher. Is the Lexmark different enough from these two to warrant a demo?
(Just went to my local eXmark dealer, and they don't have a demo in the machine I'd likely get. The salesman, who I trust pretty well, I've worked with him for several years on several things, said, given my situation, he'd go with the Ferris. The eXmark is about $2K more, so he isn't upselling me.)
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