Mower recommendations for 6 acres.

[Schneeky]

Hey fellas. We've got both houses under contract and gettin ready to do the deal on the new place (Sat image link below). The cat that bought this house wanted the old Gravely 250Z in on the deal so Momma sez I can get a new mower. The new house sits on the property high spot and there's a very subtle incline away from it in all directions. Prolly gonna have some "natural" areas and a decent size garden in the bottom so not really mowing the whole 6 acres. The Gravely was a great mower but it sure would rattler my teeth on this bumpy yard. So the ride is high on my priority list with the new rig.

Been reading posts here this morning and thinkin ~60" will cover me. I don't think there's any tight spots and I do this 3.5 acres in a coupla hours even havin to go slow for the bumps with the 50". Seems there's a good bit of favor to the Ferris line WRT ride and quality. Not sure I have a local dealer, tho'. We do have Gravely, Toro, Hustler, SCAG, Dixie Chopper and Bad Boy dealers that I know of.

I was also wondering if there's an option for a more "multi use" type mower setup. But that's really kinda secondary. Not really interested in putting a belly or finish mower on the Mahindra. Just don't care to hour it up like that. Budget is ~$6k-ish tops. Prefer serviceable hydro units, manual adjust decks, and grease-able spindles would be nice, but not required.
Thanks for any useful input! d:^) Jake..


https://www.bing.com/mapspreview?&cp=34.629555~-77.914397&lvl=19&style=h&osid=ee8cd048-ab21-4290-af58-f9df7121803a&v=2&sV=2&form=S00027

 

[Birdhunter1]

Grasshopper front deck; fully serviceable, manual or electric adjust deck and flip up to change blades, good ride on bumpy ground.

 

[Schneeky]

Grasshopper front deck; fully serviceable, manual or electric adjust deck and flip up to change blades, good ride on bumpy ground.

I hadn't really thought about those too much till I saw them, and a coupla other brands, mentioned in a few posts this morning. With the Bahia grass being so prolific down here on the coast I hafta sharpen/change blades every coupla few mowings. And that easy swap option would be nice. That style mower was kinda what I had in mind when I asked about a multi function unit. I dunno about those Raven rigs I saw. Kinda wonky. Coupla questions.
Does the deck easily detach from the main unit?
Is there anything can be done with the main unit if it is?
Seems I remember somebody on here had a front end mower and did other stuff with it. But I might be geezin'. d:^) Jake..

 

[gogojuice]

I was also looking into getting a new mower. A ZTR seemed to be the way to go. After my research I was left with the impression that Ferris gives the best ride. They have the suspension system in the frame. You can also add a suspension seat like the other mowers if you want it to feel like your grandmas cadillac.

I don't have all the other brads around me.... but I have heard good things about the build quality of scag.

Good luck on your hunt. Interested to see what you come up with.

Here is another good place to start looking at and asking questions. It's just about lawnmowers

http://www.lawnmowerforum.com

Cheers

 

[Birdhunter1]

Yes the deck comes away from the powered unit pretty easily and Grasshopper makes other attachments to mount up front. I have a blade for mine and it is very handy for snow as long as it isn't real deep or really wet. I have done 6" of really wet snow with it and it does well, it works well enough that I would rather use the Grasshopper vs. my 50 hp tractor and my driveway is 1/4 mile long. It also grades loose dirt and gravel fairly well.

Grasshopper makes other stuff but I would say it is more conducive to a commercial venue vs a homeowner, mainly because it is expensive. But nothing stops you from fabricating your own stuff.
I would recommend against using the powered unit for much without something up front, the machine could tip forward real easily without anything in the front. I have a trailer hitch on mine that serves more as a point to retrieve the machine when it is stuck but I have a little yard cart I pull behind it some.

 

[kthompson]

I have Ferris with full suspension and really really like it. I don't know much about the Grasshopper with the flip up deck but what little I do like it also.

One thing want you to think about and no idea how steep your yard will be but if very steep when it is wet a ztr is not the best machine on it. As the front wheels do no steering if you cut sideways you are always pushing it up the hill as the front end weight will want to travel down hill but the big issue is on wet slopes as you use the two rear wheels to drive it and steer it that means when turning you have affected the pulling of both rear wheels. We have I will guess a 15 to 20 degree grade that can get a lot of rain down it, I can cut down it and then not be able to run back up. kt

 

[Schneeky]

I'll check into those and see if I can demo one somewhere. The easy under deck access could be a really good thing. But after a few years with the current mower, this fat old man is ready for a comfy ride. I found a local Grasshopper dealer. As usual, no new prices listed. But the used GH's with >1000hrs were priced where the new zero turns I'm considering are. Ouch.

Gogo- Checking the link. Thanks.. d:^) Jake..

 

[Birdhunter1]

I bought mine with 400 something hours for $5600 I think, it was 5 years old.
Having had it for 5 years now I've had to replace a few items but if you are a decent at turning a wrench it isn't too bad. I also tend to rebuild things before they go bad, this winter I am going to go through everything in the deck and replace all the bearings just to be ahead of the game.

 

[Schneeky]

I have Ferris with full suspension and really really like it. I don't know much about the Grasshopper with the flip up deck but what little I do like it also. One thing want you to think about and no idea how steep your yard will be but if very steep... kt

Thanks for the comments. We're coastal here. Hills are pretty much non-existent. I've been in the flat so long my ears start popping in Rockingham! d:^) Jake..


The back yard of the new place.

 

[Schneeky]

I bought mine with 400 something hours for $5600 I think, it was 5 years old.
Having had it for 5 years now I've had to replace a few items but if you are a decent at turning a wrench it isn't too bad. I also tend to rebuild things before they go bad, this winter I am going to go through everything in the deck and replace all the bearings just to be ahead of the game.

What model is it? Linked below is the first thing I saw searching for a local dealer. d:^) Jake..
White Tractor Company, Inc. - Burgaw, NC - Used Inventory.

 

[Birdhunter1]

It is a 2005 723K with a 2005 model 3452 deck. (23 hp Kohler and a 52" cut). Diesel engines are nice, and I wish I had bought one but they fetch a premium. Since I've had mine the only engine related work I've had to do was the stator assembly shorted out and the fuel pump quit, dealer replaced the stator and the bill wasn't bad, the fuel pump was about $10 or so.

 

[Schneeky]

Well, we took off this morning to go put our butts in some seats and to hear the schpeils. Not a lotta in stock stuff to see this time of year. But got to check out Gravely, Hustler, SCAG, Toro, Kubota, Bad Boy and Dixie Chopper. The last place we ended up was the dealer I bought my tractor from. Turns out they have some schweet promos goin on right now and my accountant (Miz Kris) liked the rates and the fact that everything could come from one place.

So unless something convinces us otherwise, when we get closer to all the house shuffling coming to fruition here in the next coupla weeks we should be draggin home a Dixie Chopper Silver Eagle 2750EFI, a Mahindra 5' rotary cutter and a 20' trailer. Checking into a few things with the DC. I know I really like EFI better for boat motors. Easier to work on an pretty much trouble free if ya don't get schtoopit with the fuel. Wanna research that and the pros-n-cons of it on a Kohler lawn mower engine. Also wanna get info on upgrading to a suspension seat. I thought the stock offering was OK. I took it out in the test field and really cut a fool with it. I got jostled pretty good, but no back compressing jolts like my current Gravely. Kris sez with the financing it doesn't make much of a difference and if I want it I oughtta gourd head and get it.

Well, if I must. Who am I to argue with the accountant? d:^) Jake..

 

[4570Man]

I had a Dixie chopper silver eagle. It was as good as any other comparable mower. The frame is heavier than any other ZTRs that I have seen. It rode rough though. The Ferris IS2100 I test drove rode much smoother than my Dixie chopper did. The IS2100 is quite a bit above your budget though. The IS700 is priced about your budget, but isn't nearly the mower the IS2100 is. The Ferris seemed to do better on slopes than my Dixie chopper did, but since I only used it 4 hours I can't say for sure. My Dixie chopper went up and down slopes good, but didn't hold a side hill very well even when dry. If it was wet you couldn't run across any kind of a slope. It was dry the day I had the Ferris so I can't compare how it did on wet grass.

 

[Schneeky]

Ferris was the original unit I had a serious interest in. But the only local dealer for them closed out that line and concentrated on Exmark.
I reckon I'm gonna see what happens with the DC. If I do have problems, the dealer is in easy choking distance at <5 miles. d:^) Jake..

 

[stevem5215]

You should consider Simplicity if you like Ferris. I bought a ZT-2500 this spring as they had some clearance sales on them. This is the one I got. It's very nice. And the wife likes it even ! And uses it more than me ! They had it on sale at $3000 with a $400 mail in rebate even. A steal IMO.

Simplicity ZT 25 48" Zero Turn Mower

Steve

 

[Schneeky]

You should consider Simplicity if you like Ferris. Steve

I had read they were the same and checked into both Ferris and Simplicity.
But there's not a dealer within a reasonable distance (~2hrs). d:^) Jake..

 

[kthompson]

Thanks for the comments. We're coastal here. Hills are pretty much non-existent. I've been in the flat so long my ears start popping in Rockingham! d:^) Jake..

You in NC coastal? I am just a few miles (about 20) off the coast in SC.

 

[kthompson]

Think I have this about correct: Snapper, Ferris and Simplicity are owned by Briggs and Stratton. Looking at the Simplicity on the internet the one I saw had suspension that looked like Ferris'. I knew when I bought my Ferris the dealership I dealt with told me all that but a look on the history of Simplicity just shows the above. The Ferris dealership I dealt with is a real old Snapper Dealership and pointed out the decks were the same between the same grade of mowers it was the suspension system was what I understood was the difference. kt

 

[Schneeky]

You in NC coastal? I am just a few miles (about 20) off the coast in SC.

Yup. Currently in Southport down on that last l'il southern corner of NC.
But we're selling our places here and heading up t'wards Burgaw somewhere, I think.
I haven't been to, or on the water in at least 1.5 years.
Funny how that works when ya live here.

 

[Gary Fowler]

You should consider Simplicity if you like Ferris. I bought a ZT-2500 this spring as they had some clearance sales on them. This is the one I got. It's very nice. And the wife likes it even ! And uses it more than me ! They had it on sale at $3000 with a $400 mail in rebate even. A steal IMO.

Simplicity ZT 25 48" Zero Turn Mower

Steve

I took a look at that site and they now have a 61" Simplicity mower on sale for $5999 which is less than I paid for my 52" Ferris.
If you are looking for smooth ride, it would sure profit you to go ride on one of the Ferris or Simplicity mowers. I just had to mow my yard with my old Craftsman ZTR 6000 while I get a new starter on my Ferris and man did I take a beating from it.