Advice needed on ZTR mowers

[Librarian]

I have looked briefly at the Cub Cadet zero turn riding mower, but I don't think I will be interested in one until I see how well they seem to work for those who have them. I don't think they will match ztr mowers for overall speed and convenience. I could be wrong, but I don't yet see how such a zero turn rider will compare favorably to a true ztr.

Don Williams a.k.a. Librarian

 

[ajm]

There is a dealer not too far north of you (on 68) that sells JD, Grasshopper, and Hustler ztrs. It might be a place to look to compare their models with what you have looked at thus far. I think Hustler makes some commercial grade smaller size ztrs? Not sure if any will fit your price range? Good luck!

 

[RickO]

If your picky about cut quality get a smaller sized commercial quality mower like a small exmark or Hustler fastrack. They will probably have a better quality cut and are made to last years.

My neighbor has a $2900 Cub Cad. Z from TSC and I am not stoked about the quality of cut. Maybe cause he cuts too short.

Don't forget to consider cut quality.
If your going to go dept. store type.. look at an Airens. I know nothing about them but have heard they are descent. Also, Huskavarna makes their own I think and they always had good chain saws. I am definately not a fan of craftsman (had a bad one) would NEVER buy another.

 

[Librarian]

There is a dealer not too far north of you (on 68) that sells JD, Grasshopper, and Hustler ztrs. It might be a place to look to compare their models with what you have looked at thus far. I think Hustler makes some commercial grade smaller size ztrs? Not sure if any will fit your price range? Good luck!

I am familiar with that dealer. There are several that sell JD and Grasshopper. Didn't know he sold Hustler though. I was in Hillsboro this evening and stopped by Moon Implements. They sell Toro and Exmark. They had a 48 inch Exmark Quest (residential model) with a tag on it that said 3999.00. They also had a 50 inch Toro Timecutter at 3299.00. The Quest has a 22 hp Briggs on it and I think it has izt 2800 hydro units on it. That is pretty much the same hydro units as the 07 Dixon residentials and the Cub Cadet Zforce models. However The Dixon had a 25 hp Briggs and the 50 inch Cub had a 25 hp Koehler Command. There are lots of choices. I am kind of waiting for a big auction over in Indiana. They have one there every other month. I went to the one in April and they sold literally hundreds of mowers. Some were tractor style and some were ztr. There were loads of JD, quite a few Dixies, and some exmarks. I didn't buy or even bid then as I had not yet done much research. I will be checking their web site for a list of items as soon as they post it. The list should be available in about 2 weeks.

Again, thanks to all of you for the advice and comments. I think forums are the best place to find out how real people get along with the products they buy.

Don Williams a.k.a. Librarian

 

[Oleozz]

Well Don, after doing the research and getting opinions what ZTR do you think you like the best? The reason I ask is my brothers Cub Cadet has just become history and he's going to be in the market for a new mower.

 

[Librarian]

Well Don, after doing the research and getting opinions what ZTR do you think you like the best? The reason I ask is my brothers Cub Cadet has just become history and he's going to be in the market for a new mower.

That's a good question and I'm not sure I can answer it yet. If money were no object at all, I think I would like a commercial grade Exmark Lazer model in 60 inch cut. HOWEVER, money is a big consideration for me and I think there are quite a few good choices. Right now, I think the best choices, for the money spent, are Dixon Ram 50 inch cut with Briggs ELS 26 hp motor for 5K, or the JD residential model 54 inch cut with similar sized motor for 4650.00. Also very close, in my opinion, is the Cub Cadet Zforce in 50 inch cut for 4K or the 60 inch model for 5K. Every one of these mowers has the Hydra Gear IZT 2800 drive units with resevoir. So does the Exmark Quest. I really want to like the Swisher, but I am afraid of it. There seem to be very few of them out there. There was a post on this forum not long ago by a guy who just bought one. He said he would be posting about how his mower is doing, but I don't think we've heard from him yet.

These are all residential units. I figure it will take me at least 7 or 8 years to put 300 hours on whatever I choose.

I checked on the Briggs web site and the ELS engine does have cast iron cylinder liners. It should be a pretty good engine. The 50 inch Cub has a Koehler command, which also has a good reputation.

BTW, what happened to your brother's cub. Did he just wear it out, or did it just have problems and he got rid of it?

Don Williams a.k.a. Librarian

 

[caddelma]

I was looking through those free Auto/RV/Truck/Tractor trader mags they have at the grocery and seems like one of the dealers near Lebanon/Wilmington was having some kind of sale here soon. I think it was JD Equipment (http://www.jdequipment.com), but will have to check at work tomorrow to see. I think they carry several different models, some Deere, but think they may carry others. Never been there, so do not know what they offer.

If you ever head near the Goshen/Milford area there is a smaller family owned dealer where I bought my Kubota. They carry several different brand z-mowers. It is Smith Custom Service (Smith Custom Service Inc.) and they were good to deal with and had good prices. In fact the VP and her husband live down the road from me (her father started the business and she, her brother and husband run it). My grandfather traded with them on many occasions too.

 

[Librarian]

I was looking through those free Auto/RV/Truck/Tractor trader mags they have at the grocery and seems like one of the dealers near Lebanon/Wilmington was having some kind of sale here soon. I think it was JD Equipment (http://www.jdequipment.com), but will have to check at work tomorrow to see. I think they carry several different models, some Deere, but think they may carry others. Never been there, so do not know what they offer.

If you ever head near the Goshen/Milford area there is a smaller family owned dealer where I bought my Kubota. They carry several different brand z-mowers. It is Smith Custom Service (Smith Custom Service Inc.) and they were good to deal with and had good prices. In fact the VP and her husband live down the road from me (her father started the business and she, her brother and husband run it). My grandfather traded with them on many occasions too.

I know about JD Equipment. They are a huge dealer network. They have the store that was mentioned in an earlier post on US 68 just outside Wilmington. They also have a store in Washington Courthouse. Their network of stores/dealerships stretches all the way into Michigan. I did some video work for a guy who works for them. He is now their regional parts manager. I have been to their auctions before. They sell a lot of lawn and garden stuff at their sales.

Thanks for the link to the other dealership down in Goshen. I drive a courier truck part time for my wife's company and pass through Goshen a couple of times a week. Maybe I'll get a chance to stop by and talk to them.

Don Williams a.k.a. Librarian

 

[wkpoor]

I live in Amanda and recently purchased the Land Pride72" Accu Z ( same as Hustler Super Z). Go drive one somewhere and your search will be over.

 

[Oleozz]

BTW, what happened to your brother's cub. Did he just wear it out, or did it just have problems and he got rid of it?

Don Williams a.k.a. Librarian

It has about 500 hrs on it, wheels keep falling off and now it's leaking motor oil. His lawn is his pride and joy so he wants something reliable that leaves a nice cut. Thanks for your reply, I will pass the info along to him.