ZTR recommendations?

[jwk]

I have a yard thats a little under 2 acres, is completely flat, and has a ton of trees. From what I've read, it would seem a ZTR is ideal for me. However, I don't know what kind is durable and reliable. I don't want to get some cheap one that will only last 2 years. Any recommendations on what to avoid, what to look for, etc.?

 

[BTDT]

Hello John, welcome to TBN. I would look at what the lawncare guys down there are using. I think there are a lot of good choices, different hp, engines, etc. Seems that all the commercial mowers are going this route, I know up here around Dallas, rain or shine, those guys are getting with it. Might also look at what the city/county is using. Good luck with your search.

 

[workinallthetime]

dont know how much you want to spend but i am a commercial LCO and I use a kubota zd326 with a 60" deck but it was about 12 grand. you can get a good commercial gas burner for about 5-8k. If you plan on keeping it for a long time remember a commercial mower goes about 3000 hours and a home owner might make it to a 1000. this is what i have read from other forums, i have never owned a res. model but i love my zd.
if its bumpy you might think about ferris they have a full suspension one that rides like a ballon in the air

 

[BTDT]

These guys sell one of the best from what I hear. Might check in your area for a dealer that sells the same brand.

Four Brothers Outdoor Power 2324 E I-30 Royse City Tx. 75189 Phone 972-636-2963 Fax 972-635-2363

Click on the commercial button, it has several brands, one with suspension for a smoother ride.

 

[Turbys_1700]

With 2 acres I would look at a gasser in a Ferris. I'm really impressed with their suspension system. Depending on how many tress and obstacles you've got you may want to go with a 52" deck versus the 60". Let us know what you get. Good luck.

 

[koop]

I just completed the precess you are embarking on. I currently mow 2 1/2 acres with lots of trees and some hills and knew once I had machine I would start cutting more (neighbor, parents etc.) After researching for about four months, this is what I concluded.

I think any of the big name commercial level ZTRs are good (Scag, Ferris, Exmark, Hustler, Toro, Dixie Chopper, Everide, JD, Kubota, probably a couple more). One of your biggest directives should be a close dealer you like. Driving over an hour for a warranty item would not be fun. Not to mention parts and face to face advice. I liked the Ferris, Scag, Exmark and Kubota. My local Kubota dealer is close but not very helpful especially if your not buying $75,000 tractor. Ferris dealer is extremely nice and only ten minutes away. Scag and Exmark dealer was at the same place, but the one I like is 40 minutes instead of 25 minutes. After talking to local commercial cutters, I was warned even they had poor service problems with the closer dealer.

I then had demo on Ferris and Scag at the dealers. Neither was willing to bring demo to me. This seems to be a regional thing. Around here, dealers will not, but I have read where in other parts of the country they will. The Ferris 3100 rides like it is on air. The 1500 suspension was not as impressive IMHO.

At the Scag/Exmark dealer I rode the Scag. After seeing the two side by side I thought the Scag was a tougher machine. (It is probably like comparing Ford to Chevy, its just what you like.) The Scag was a rough rider, especially compared to the Ferris.

I then went back to the forums and read until I was blind. After a while, the same things kept popping up. Scag is built like a tank and rides like one but has a high quality cut. The Ferris has a nicer ride but questionable cut quality under certain conditions.

Once I found a solution for the rough ride, I knew it was going to be the Scag. A tire pressure between 10-12 PSI (this is what Scag calls for rather than the max tire pressure of 20 PSI) softens the ride a little. The big improvement was a suspension seat like a tractor has.

I am now the proud owner of a 61" Turf Tiger with a 27HP air-cooled Kohler motor. Dealer swapped the suspension seat in for an additional $200. The machine was delivered and a little more than hour later, very tall (had not been cut in over a month), very wet (had just stopped raining) grass was looking better than it ever has.

Hope all my rambling helps. Let us know what you get. By the way, the link to Four Brothers is a good one with good starting prices (most dealers will go down an additional 1-3%).

 

[dbear]

I might as well throw my two cents in...I can personally endorse the Dixie Chopper Silver Eagle LT2700-60. After a few months of research and fact finding, I recently purchased one because I felt it (1) met, actually when compared to competition exceeded, all my specifications (small frame w/min 23hp & 54" deck), (2) was the most bang for the buck ($6999) with great financing terms, (3) super local dealer both in pre and post sales support (they threw in a free hat!).

Although DC calls it their less expensive, entry level commercial model, there's really nothing cheap about it: 27 hp Generac engine with oil cooler, 60" heavy commercial deck with spindle cooling fans, individual hydro pumps and wheel motors with hydro cooler, operator controlled discharge chute... About the only thing a full commercial operator might want to add would be the suspension seat.

 

[coobie]

I have a yard thats a little under 2 acres, is completely flat, and has a ton of trees. From what I've read, it would seem a ZTR is ideal for me. However, I don't know what kind is durable and reliable. I don't want to get some cheap one that will only last 2 years. Any recommendations on what to avoid, what to look for, etc.?

I just bought a new ZTR two week ago.I looked at a few also,Kubota,ferris,scag to name a few.It came down to dealer support and price.I looked at the scag turf tiger 29 kaw.eng (gas)and 61 inch deck for $9,800 bucks and a Kubota pro 326 60 inch deck (diesel) for $10,700.I bought the Kubota for the diesel option plus I have 4 local dealers within a 50 mile radius.I did like the ride of the ferris mower over the Scag and Kubota ZTR,s.Check and see if the dealers will let you demo a unit on your property.coobie

 

[workinallthetime]

I just bought a new ZTR two week ago.I looked at a few also,Kubota,ferris,scag to name a few.It came down to dealer support and price.I looked at the scag turf tiger 29 kaw.eng (gas)and 61 inch deck for $9,800 bucks and a Kubota pro 326 60 inch deck (diesel) for $10,700.I bought the Kubota for the diesel option plus I have 4 local dealers within a 50 mile radius.I did like the ride of the ferris mower over the Scag and Kubota ZTR,s.Check and see if the dealers will let you demo a unit on your property.coobie

hey do me a favor, look at your paper work and see if you have a
ZD 326 P 60
OR A
ZD 326 S 60

I want to find someone with the S and find out whats different other than price

 

[Dargo]

Although 2 acres is too small to notice much, the difference between gas and diesel fuel costs was huge for me. I can go just a bit over twice as far on diesel than with gas. When I had a mowing service that made about a seven hundred dollars a month difference in fuel costs. I've owned no-name ZTR mowers, JD ZTR mowers, Scag ZTR mowers, Ferris ZTR mowers, Exmark ZTR mowers and Grasshopper ZTR mowers. All were commercial units. I really can't say that any stood out as being better or worse reliability wise. I can tell you that there is a tremendous difference in ride and cutting ability though.

With a mid mount (where the mower deck is under you) ZTR, you can mow about as fast as you can stand the ride; which is terrible. The stronger the mower, the worse they rode. A JD 777 would jar me so bad that it literally would blur my vision when I hit some ruts. Mid mount ZTR mowers are also very poor at mowing inside corners. They leave quite a bit of trimming to do if you have many inside corners. Because of their design, they cannot reach much into an inside corner. The Ferris unit I had was a 1500 IS. It rode far better than any other mid mount mower by a wide margin.

A front mount mower (the mower deck is completely seperate from the actual mowing machine and is out in front of you) rides better than even a mid mount mower with suspension. A front mount ZTR can also mow inside corners where a mid mount mower cannot reach. Front mount mowers are far superior for mowing around lakes as well. I've put plenty of each type into lakes, so I have mucho experience in that area. The drawback to front mount mowers is that you can only get two of them on a standard 16' utility trailer where you can get 3 mid mount mowers on the same trailer.

Now that I sold my mowing business I have two diesel powered front mount Grasshoppers. On the fuel use comparison I can give a direct comparison to the 27 hp gas Ferris mower compared to a 29 hp diesel Grasshopper. To mow my lawn once, it would take 9 gallons of gas with the 27 hp gas powered Ferris. To mow the exact same lawn with the 29 hp Grasshopper it takes just under 4 gallons. This is with the exact same deck width. Needless to say, in the long run I will end up saving quite a bit with diesel powered mowers in my particular situation. The diesel engines will last about three to four times as long as the gas engines and burn less than half the volume of fuel. With diesel (especially off road) being cheaper than unleaded, the difference is even greater.

Your needs are different than mine but I have had actual seat time and ownership experience with several commercial ZTR mowers. The difference between brands I mentioned is not worth mentioning. The only real difference is between gas and diesel and between mid mount and front mount. If you have a relatively small area to mow, like a couple of acres, and you don't have many inside corners, a mid mount gas powered unit may be the most cost effective solution. If your property isn't really smooth though, I'd lean towards the Ferris if I went mid mount. Otherwise, the mower will be able to mow much faster than you'll be able to mow. Good luck!

 

[Jason B]

Hi

I don't currently own a ZTR, but I have heared alot of great things about the Walker ZTR mower. With the walker, you can suck up all the grass clippings in one pass with it's onboard collector. Very popular mower, lots of commerical guys are using walkers in my area. Not to mention they make fall clean up a breeze so you don't spend a long time raking leafs. I would definately recommend a Walker. I myself am a commerical operator myself and the only reason I don't have one, is because the lawns I do don't require one. If a Walker dealer is close, I would check them out. Take Care Jason B

 

[PBinWA]

Thanks for the quick review Dargo! I'm thinking of checking out the Ferris 1500Z and Simplicity Citation soon. The suspension issue is big for me.
PB

 

[coobie]

hey do me a favor, look at your paper work and see if you have a
ZD 326 P 60
OR A
ZD 326 S 60

I want to find someone with the S and find out whats different other than price

From what the dealers told me,heavier front end with run flat tires and a more of a HD tranny on the 326 pro verses the 326s.I checked my paper work it states 326p.coobie.

 

[workinallthetime]

From what the dealers told me,heavier front end with run flat tires and a more of a HD tranny on the 326 pro verses the 326s.I checked my paper work it states 326p.coobie.

cool thanks, you got yours for about 800 less than mine, another reason i wont go back to that dealer.

 

[Dargo]

Thanks for the quick review Dargo! I'm thinking of checking out the Ferris 1500Z and Simplicity Citation soon. The suspension issue is big for me.
PB

It actually takes them about 50 hours or so for the suspension to "break in" from my experience. At first I thought the suspension was way too stiff even on the softer levels. It loosened up at about 50 hours to be just fine. The trouble is that if you test drive one that is brand new, it will feel really stiff. At about 200 hours the suspension seemed about right when set right in the middle settings with a 200 pound person on the machine. If you don't have many inside corners or bushes and pine trees to mow under, the Ferris would be my choice. Not that the others are poorly made or less reliable, as I commented earlier, but because I'm getting too old and the mowers are tougher than I am.

 

[coobie]

cool thanks, you got yours for about 800 less than mine, another reason i wont go back to that dealer.

Prices varied alot between 5 dealers that I checked with $11,400 to $10,700.From what I was told MSRP was $11,700 on the 326 pro model with 60 inch deck.coobie

 

[AlanB]

I saw the Bad Boy at TSC, for $5K it looks like a good deal, may be what we try next, or probably the hustler with the flex forks installed. But to save 3K ???

Anyway, we have run Gravely, Dixon, Cub Pro (tank) and Exmarks. So far Exmark has been the best, but it could be our particular machines, how do you really know.

That Bad Boy at TSC looks pretty good for the money and would be something I would strongly consider as a homeowner wanting a commercial grade of mower.

 

[PBinWA]

FYI - I just got two price quotes from different dealers on a Ferris 1500Z 25hp/52" at $7199.00 Not sure if that is a good deal but since I want suspension I'm probably going to go with it.

I think the 48" version was around $6500

 

[Oleozz]

My brother is going to test drive a Walker MB on his lawn this afternoon. It's a very well thought out mower and is cheap enough for a homeowner to have. It has a front mount deck and the deck flips up for easy cleaning and blade sharpening. It has a lot of overhang for good trimming capabilities and the engine and wheel motors and pumps are easily accessible for maintenance. It comes with an 18 hp B&S Vanguard engine. I know if the dealer would have sold these when I bought my Ferris 1500 I would be mowing with a Walker. BTY, I paid $5500 for my Ferris 2 years ago, it is 48".

 

[Oleozz]

Forgot to mention that the Walker is shaft drive to the deck, no belts to mess with.