Mower suggestions please

[Moon]

Bob has you on the right trac if you have hills like his.

Steiner and Power Trac also make articulated mowers. All are great on slopes. Last i checked Power Trac 435 would be in the price range of the Ventrac but the Steiner was a few k more expensive.

If your hills are not as severe as Bob's you might get by with a ZTR. Most ZTR's have turf tires, but I have seen AG type tires on some of the landscaping companies ZTR's ....so I know that is an option.

Talk to the dealers in your area. With a little luck you can get them to come out and demo one on your hills. That's the best way to be sure you are buying the right solution for you.

Good luck with your shoppin,

Moon of Ohio

 

[bontai_Joe]

Have you considered one of the 48" or wider self propelled walk behind mowers? Some can be equiped with a small sulky that allows you to stand on a platform equipped with wheels. It would offer the lowest possible center of gravity, and be within your aprox $5000 budget you mentioned.

 

[JohnSr]

I must say that I would really like to own one of those articulating units because they are without a question the best tool for the job. However, I cant justify having a specialty machine like that if it would be major overkill for the majority of my cutting.

At this point I am leaning towards the idea of trading up for a bigger tractor like the GT or maybe an x series if I can get a deal. I will still demo a ZTR and compare the cost difference.

Thanks for the input...

 

[JohnSr]

Actually, a walk-behind was my first inclination because I knew I could do the hills with it without any worry. I just assumed that ZTR's couldnt handle hills until I started doing my research. Although the sulky would make the WB less of a workout, if I start doing a lot of properties it would take a toll on me. I am starting to... well I am actually there, at the age where I cant do things the way I used to! So with that in mind I was hoping a ZTR would suffice.

Thusfar, upgrading the JD seems like the best idea for my current needs. Now its a battle over what makes the most sense vs. what I really want! Those ZTR's sure do look like a blast! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

John, if the Ventrac is out of the budget range, then take a strong look at the Power Trac PT-180. It is very flexible in what it is capable of doing, lots of attachments, and while fairly small could easily replace a sub-cut tractor and a garden tractor/ztr.

EDIT :: Here is a link to the PT180, it has a base price under $5000. Power Trac PT180

 

[Nasty135]

JohnSr, Well your inclination in the walk behind may end-up being the best choice , ZTR's for all there speed and turning ability are not suited for hills, because they don't want to turn very well on downhill slopes, side to side isn't bad at all but if your going downhill and need to turn either direction,you will more than likely have to come to a stop and back up while making your turn then proceed forward again. While thats not a problem for me you may end-up gouging the lawn a little bit even after you master the controls. If thats not a problem for you get a test drive...

Now this depends on how much lawn your going to be mowing ,walking is great exercise but there is a fine line between health and abuse of the body.(You mention doing other properties.)

Ztr's are quick and you can be careful with them driving, maybe enough not to harm your lawn (thinking that perhaps a residential unit would be more forgiving being lighter in weight)??? But then you would want a commercial unit (for mentioned properties)which is going to be heavier.... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif What to do /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Well at the least this is food for thought, at best it might help point in a direction for at least a test drive or two /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

After reading all this let us know what you've decided because now I'm confused /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[slammer]

I would definately look at the Power Trac. I have similar hills and demo'ed a Kubota GR2000 (20hp, 48" deck). It is 4wd with glide steer. (the glide steer system enables the tractor to turn VERY sharply without tearing up the turf. It disengages the inside rear wheel when turning. The glide steer combined with 70 degrees of front wheel turn let's the tractor turn in almost ZTR'ish fashion) I was almost sold on this 6K unit until I demo'ed a used Power trac 180. I can get a new PT-180, 45" finish mower, and a 48" brush cutter for $6800 delivered. I feel it's a much better value for me. Your mileage may vary! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Nasty135]

Wow, After looking at Bob's PT-180 suggestion ,although the base price doesn't include a mower , the implement options are endless /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif I would need a big BIG shed...

Very nice unit ,only possible draw back might be the size of the unit compared to walk behind or ZTR or rider... But if size doesn't matter /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif(hate to hear that phrase /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif) Looks like a nice unit , I wonder about its durability, lots of hydro action in that baby,hoses everywhere. Anybody had one for awhile?Mossroad...

 

[JohnSr]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Wow, After looking at Bob's PT-180 suggestion ,although the base price doesn't include a mower , the implement options are endless /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif I would need a big BIG shed...

Very nice unit ,only possible draw back might be the size of the unit compared to walk behind or ZTR or rider... But if size doesn't matter /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif(hate to hear that phrase /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif) Looks like a nice unit , I wonder about its durability, lots of hydro action in that baby,hoses everywhere. Anybody had one for awhile?Mossroad... )</font>

Another point would be that I prefer to deal w/ someone local on a machine like this. A dealer w/ a good rep for service and parts availability.

Again, if I did a lot more hills than just the two I have I would seriously look at these specialty machines since they are clearly made for some serious slope mowing! If I went w/ one of those it would be great for my two hills but not so great for everywhere else? Not to mention that if I moved from here in a year, which is a distinct possibility, I wouldn't need this type of machine. I thank Bob for the suggestions though.

What makes me think I might be able to get by without a slope cutter is the fact that I have cut these hills for years w/ old Cub Cadets and more recently w/ a little JD LT133. When I was much younger I would do some serious "body english" (?), practically laying on the fender and the mower deck while cutting horizontally! I know, it was stupid... but up and down would take me for a ride and I was young and... well, stupid! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Now I'm older and... less stupid!

Considering that I can gitter-dun now (although a little difficult and dangerous) w/ that LT133, I dont think I need a unit specially designed for slopes. I also dont need a unit that takes attachments because I have a Kubota B2910 w/ almost too many attachments (running out of space!). So I basically had it narrowed down to trying out a ZTR and a Hydro Walk behind. Now I am throwing in a bigger Deere to test as well.

Its going to be wet here for a few days so it probably wont be a good time to get a demo out here. Of course I will try anyway since I would like to know what they would be like in adverse conditions. I will definitely post my results and include some pics...

Thanks again to everyone for the input... I value the opinions and experiences of the people on this forum way more than any salesmans input! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

The PT-180 is not a specialty slope mower, in fact it is not even slope rated. However, it will handle your slopes far better than any traditional fixed frame mower could dream of. As for service, any independant lawn mower shop can fix a PT's engine. PT uses standard brands of engines with service and parts available everywhere. The hydraulics are reliable to the extreme, in fact when you consider a typical tractor, how often do you hear about a loader hydraulic failure? But again, a local hydraulic shop can fix these things. While I don't own a Power Trac, I've had a PT 422 out to the property, it is an amazing little tractor. I venture to say that if I knew about Power Trac years ago I probably wouldn't have any use for either the New Holland or the Kubota, and maybe not even the Ventrac.