Mower thoughts? Scag, Dixie, Hustler

Well my 2007 Dixie chopper apparently threw a rod and slammed the piston into the spark plug. So looking for new mower. Local dealer has 3 options I am considering... Scag tiger cat ii, Dixie chopper classic from new production facility, and Hustler x-one. I have 8 acres in the Midwest but 3 is Pasture conversion from cornfield in progress so I don’t now every week. The terrain has some little hills, sloppy areas, lots of trees and stumps and real bumpy and rough. Mowing is a workout rather than a leisurely ride with a beer. Any recommendations or personal preference that anyone could share? They all are fairly similar from cost, motor and features. The color and style of the Dixie has my heart but maybe the Scag or Hustler are the smarter choice? Opinions welcome. Dealer has a demo of the Scag but not the other two so hard to make a real comparison. The next closest dealer carries Bad Boy and Ferris but that opens a whole new decision....

 

We have a Hustler dealer right down the road and everybody in the neighborhood with a yard large enough to justify it, have one...including me (but I bought mine used) and I have heard of no complaints.
We bought a new Hustler Diesel Z 72" at work last year and love it! We looked at all the commercial brands before buying and decided that the Hustler was the most bang for the buck. It has the flex forks on the front, and a really nice suspension seat, we have been impressed with the ride, especially considering how rough the yard is in many places (we tried out a Ferris too)

 

bocefus78 can probably add some good input on the other brands you mentioned...

 

I don’t know if you have a tractor or not, but a finish mower may be a good choice if you have a tractor or even a 4 wheeler that could handle one. The cut would be closer to lawn, but the tractor/4 wheeler would handle the bumps better...the next step up would be a flail mower attachment. Either way, the blades are more on the heavy duty side and I think might be a good choice for rough pasture that you’re converting? Good luck, keep us posted on the route you go!

 

Re-powering it is not an option?

 

JMHO, with the terrain you have describe I wouldn't want to be riding a zero-turn mower, it's a brain rattler. My area is similar and I use a LandPride rear mount on the tractor. No tractor? I may opt to go with a commercial garden style tractor.

 

Good point. $3200 for full motor replace. The issue is that hydraulics were a bit rough before and I just struggle with paying $3200 on a 13yr old mower. Plus my wife wasn't interested in that option as well..

 

Good point. On the old Dixie, it certainly beats the crap out of me. I was hoping the new ones with spring forks and cushioned seat would be an improvement. I debated on this when I bought the house, but then just bought the Dixie from the previous homeowner as a bridge and that worked out well for 4 years. I don't have a tractor and there are a lot of trees to go around and a fence and a hillside that I was worried about with a tractor. But it is a good point, I would love to have a tractor and attachment and could use the loader all the stinking time..... just people said that. mowing around trees and around the house, barn, etc would be a huge pain.. additional thoughts on that welcome. Hard to tell what it would be like until you get it home, 15-25k poorer and then it doesn't work well.. .

 

Turn the trees into firewood. That would solve one issue!!

 

I have not used Hustler, but they are comparable with Scag. It seems they are a dependable machine. When I worked lawncare Dixie was the fastest. It did not give the best cut nor was it the most reliable, but it was fast. With your terrain I would look into Ferris. Good cut and you can get suspension on it!!!!!

 

It is...the difference is huge. My personal Hustler is rigid (2006 Mini-Z 52") and my lawn is not rough...the Diesel Z at work has the flex forks and suspension seat, and the yard is super rough in places, but the ride is almost as good as mowing my smooth lawn with my rigid.
We tried out a Ferris before buying and surprisingly felt that the ride was not that much improved over simple flex forks and a good suspension seat...plus there is a TON of moving parts on the Ferris...I could see that being a nightmare after it gets some age on it. The salesman said that's why they have a 5 year warranty on the suspension...but we keep mowers much longer than that, and once the 5 years is up, then you are still left to deal with a mower with sacked out suspension (a little bit of slop in many pivot points equals a lot of slop)
The final nail in the coffin was when the service manager (a friend) said he would not recommend the diesel Ferris...of the 3 they have sold, they all have been back in for too much warranty work...we were only looking at diesel mowers, so Ferris was out then.

 

What engine is in it? You could probably throw in a 22 hp predator v twin for well under 1k. If you do it yourself.

 

Good money after bad if the hydraulics are failing...might make it worth something to sell or trade if the hydros have some life left though...

 

I've heard good things about Skag and Ferris, but I love my Gravely.

 

Can't speak much about the new machines but back in the 90's I worked as a mechanic at a mower shop that sold the brands you mentioned and a few others. They sold more Scags than the others combined and we worked on them less. Things surely could have changed since then though.

I've got a Kubota BX2200 with a 60" deck and it does a decent job trimming around trees and everything else I've done with it. Bought it with the deck and a loader with 1000 hours on the clock for $7500. It handles the bumps ok but it can still jar you a bit if you're going too fast.

 

Hustler is a good brand. We have a '13 model BadBoy CZT and it handles everything we throw at it. Even have one customer that gets his Bahia grass yard cut 1/month when his check comes in, yes we have to double cut it, but he says it looks like a ball field when we finish. Newer models have great suspension and seats on them.

 

Thanks all. I think I have settled on the Scag tiger cat II with the 32hp Briggs vanguard. Plan on finalizing this tomorrow and getting delivered Monday/Tuesday. The style of the Dixie still has my heart but the scag is a nice machine and seems to be the safest option from a quality standpoint. And the lower center probably better on hillsides than others.

 

Hillsides are not the greatest for zero turns, but this isn't some homeowner unit.

 

True. My Dixie did just fine. Also I live in Indiana so hill is a stretch...

 

I know people like to see what was actually bought after advice was given. Sorry for the delay. 20 hours on her already. Been happy with it so far. I got the 32hp carb engine upgrade for a coupe hundred bucks which sealed the deal. Cuts really nicely. It does blow quite a bit of grass and dust around but the grass doesn’t clump as bad. Ok trade off so far.