Mowing 4x 1/4 acre lots

[RSKY]

$6000 to mow four 1/4 acre lots once a week? That's nuts. Remember, a 1/4 acre lot is NOT 1/4 acre of grass. You have to subtract the house, garage, driveway, sidewalks, etc... and it usually ends up less than 3/16ths of an acre of grass at best. So in total, unless there are no structures on these 1/4 acre lots, were talking about 12/16ths of an acre of grass.... that's only 3/4 of an acre. $6000??? Zero Turns??? Good grief!

$900.00! It'll last 10-15 years easily. You can mow each lot in 15 minutes. Get the $39.00 mulching plug and a $39.00 mulching blade, and you're out the door for under $1000. Even if it only lasts 8 years, you can replace it SEVEN TIMES before you hit $6000 or 56 years, whichever comes first.

Welcome to Sears.com - Sears

View attachment 539706

I also agree. A smooth 1/4 acre lot does not need a $6000 mower. A $2000-$2500 would be the most I would pay. That is unless I had the money to burn. A guy around the corner from me has the biggest gas engine Bad Boy mower made. It even has a spoiler on the back and a 60+" deck. And he mows less than 3/4 acre.

He also inherited a sihtpot full of money a few years ago. Right before his old Murray mower wore out.

Not a good use of resources.

But he may be like me. A $5000 mower for an acre lot BUT I also, sometimes, mow several other yards depending who is working overtime, on vacation, or has a breakdown. Everybody in the family knows I have a ZTR and a trailer. So I may only mow one yard, or I may mow mine and five others. Just depends.

For the OP's purposes anything over $2500 would just be stupid.

My mother is on her second Husqvarna tractor type in twelve years or so. She mows about four acres weekly plus once or twice a month she mows to the back side of a 69-acre pond and around her pond so she can fish. That adds about an acre to her total. Her first would still be going but SHE tore a wheel off, tore all the wiring out, shredded a couple tires, and used the sorry thing to drag limbs and small trees around the farm. I felt sorry for that old mower. So don't tell me the cheaper tractor types are not very tough.

RSKY

 

[Michael Aos]

I'm going to start watching Craigslist.

 

[Code54]

Heck for 1500-2000 you can get a nice used commercial mower that will last just shy of forever with that use and provide a better and faster cut

 

[prichard]

Around here used commercial machines with thousands of hours on them machines are 60-80% the cost of new. $1500 - $2000 Is a parts machine.

 

[MossRoad]

I'm going to start watching Craigslist.

View attachment 539917

I like the performance gear decals...

 

[Code54]

Around here used commercial machines with thousands of hours on them machines are 60-80% the cost of new. $1500 - $2000 Is a parts machine.

Wow - for 2k here you can get a nice walk behind unit with sulky in the mid to high 100's of hrs (36-48") (new are around $4000) not the 72" diesel Bad Boy now, but a nice Hustler, Toro, etc.
A 36" walk behind with sulky can mow those small yards in NO time and without any real effort. That is what they are designed and built for!

Something like this:
Used Ferris 32″ Hydrocut Commercial Walk Behind – Financing Available! – Caldwell Equipment

or even a new lighter duty but still well built machine (Cost about the same as the Kubota deck and is a much quicker way to mow)
Hustler mowers | Great prices. We deliver.

 

[Michael Aos]

Revisiting this. Mowing 4 yards, roughly once a week (although slightly more or less often lately with all the rain). .2 acre, .26 acre, .25 acre, and .17 acre.

Each has a small house and shed. Small driveway. Front and back yard.

I noticed Home Depot has a Toro TimeMaster 30" for $900 w/coupon right now.

Also a Toro TimeCutter 42".
zero-turn for $2400 w/coupon. That might be too big though.

I'm not finding anything on Craigslist.

 

[texas42]

Check out a Toro SS 3200 - 32" cut zero turn - around $2,500 new.

 

[Michael Aos]

That one definitely caught my eye. ~$2400 @ Home Depot.

I went and looked at an ExMark Commercial 30 walk-behind today. Pretty nice, but $2K!

Check out a Toro SS 3200 - 32" cut zero turn - around $2,500 new.

 

[Code54]

Lot of guys are using the Bradley line of mowers. Not super cheap but well built and commercial grade for just slightly more than Residential quality Toro.
Bradley 36" Hydro Walk-Behind Mower T Bar Briggs - Bradley Mowers