Anyone have experience with the Country Cutters with joystick control? The local small-engine shop sells them.
If you are referring to Country Clipper, yes I have owned one since 2015. I have the Edge XLT with the joystick, 60" deck, pivoting front axle and the Kawasaki 24 hp. It has right at 510 hrs. on the clock.
I changed rear tires to ATV type tires after the first season (Sedona Bazooka) and I added a Trac-Seat suspension under my stock seat a few years ago.
Those tires I use aren't bar type, they have "X" shaped **** and my machine will go where you aim it and don't slip on the hills, wet or dry.
The stock seat has excellent foam in it and a good cover and that seat suspension made it all possible to cut at speed - I cut right at 5 ac. each time of basically undeveloped, hilly pasture (my yard).
The joystick is the highlight of my mower, I'll never understand why anyone would rather have the twin bars on a ZT. Your right arm stays on the armrest and you use 2 fingers to operate the mower, plain & simple. Your left hand is free to move tree/bush branches, put your hat back on, take a drink of water or whatever ...
Country Clipper also has the stand-up deck. Being a retired mechanic and always big on maintenance this was a no-brainer just like the joystick. I clean under the deck after EVERY mow - always at least a little moisture-holding dirt/grass to remove, sometimes ALOT of it and I want that surely expensive deck to last me. That 60" deck on that 850 lb mower isn't easy to stand up but I used the FEL on my tractor for a few years before finding I could use a 6' rock bar stuck in the front center anti-scalp roller and put her on up by hand.
I've only replaced the belts once now in over 500 hrs, did have to replace 2 of the idler pulleys on the deck a few years ago. The spindles are non-greasable but ARE iron and the bearings ARE replaceable when the time comes.
I paid $5300 in 2015 (with my wife's employee discount) at our local Co-op. The tires cost me I think $100 a piece, the TracSeat suspension was $159 shipped. The Kawasaki has been flawless so far, uses not a drop of oil all season - I change it once a year with the Kawasaki 30w and the Kawasaki oil filter. The 2800 series HydroGear units have been stellar, have changed oil & filters twice since new and have never had to adjust the joystick controls. I blow the whole thing off with air hose after every mow, keep it in an open-weather shed, wash it once a year before storing for the winter and remove the battery.
Just my personal experience with the brand, others may differ.
. I then do the hilly/uneven/parts with trees.
