Zero turn shopping is a real mental drain.....

I forgot to ask the seller of this mower if it still has the factory engine oil in it. It showed no signs of being changed but figured I'd ask. He responded back that the dealer told him it didn't need serviced for 500 hours. I think he would have blown it up for sure. I saved it's life.

 

I think you will like that seat! I sure like mine.......even though the dial doesn't go high enough.

 

It is nice.

 

Looks nice!
A friend just told me last Sunday that he bought a new Maverick last week to replace his old Landpride that caught fire/burnt up last fall.

 

That dealer obviously would rather sell new ones than fix anything.... 500 hours!?!?!

 

This was part of my day today...using the Ventrac to try to close up some ruts I made with the backhoe when fishing EAB ash out of the creek last week.
Before

During

After




All done...at least until it dries out more.
If you enlarge the last photo, and can see the large tan building on the other side of that patch of trees straight ahead...that's the Ventrac factory.

 

Right?!
Even diesels with 500 hour drain intervals aren't supposed to go that long on the first one!

 

Nice work Brendy!

 

Truth. First mower wife and I bought 14 years ago was a low use JD box store model lawn tractor. It still works but it did not hold up like a professional machine would have.

 

Now I have to sell the old mower from the property and it's gonna suck. It was my dad's mower and toward the end of his life he was not all there.

He would try to start the mower with the parking brake off, immediately assume the battery was dead, then proceed to leave the key in the on position for days or weeks at a time... almost every week. As a result the hour meter on this mower shows over 3000...when it really only has between 150 and 200.

Anybody who's ever seen a mower with 3000 hours knows that's not right, but the FBM crowd shopping for a residential ZTR assumes this thing is scrap metal.

Fun times. I might just find a place to donate it to.

 

Nice machine! I was thinking of going with something like that, but I'm working on buying a new motorcycle, and the price I got the 'bota for was too good to walk away from.

 

Jack@ss neighbor recently bought a new box store 1 series JD lawn mower and the engine had major issues and was out of commission for weeks last year. It was only 2 years old. He had to pay a lawn service to mow due that time frame . Couldn't have happened to a nicer, more deserving guy. Not sure what happened but it's got no hood on it and hasn't since that time.

I think if you explain the key on brain off thing, people would understand. Or just make the hourmeter inoperable and it running will get it the money it deserves.

 

Had to look at where you’re from, because it’s the same thing up here.

This spring I’ve been called repeatedly by my local dealer to schedule spring services on my two tractors, or to trade them in for a new one. Always let them go to voicemail, and I’ve always done my own services.

 

I’ve always done my own maintenance since my 5420 was new. Fortunately no repairs other than replacing a sensor or two along the way. Tractor is IIRC a 2004.
Also all maintenance on my X720 and the 214 I restored prior to it.

 

I mowed about an acre with the new mower. Compared to the 2008 model Bad Boy I have:

Pro's:

1. Cut quality is night and day better.
2. Ride is smooth. Seat makes a huge difference.

Con's:

1. Miss the HP of the FX850 in the taller/thicker grass. On paper there's only a few HP difference, but the grass dyno doesn't agree.
2. Slower top speed.
3. The new mower just feels less beefy. Hard to explain, but feels like difference between a 3/4 ton and 1/2 ton truck.

I'm strongly considering keeping the new mower at the house and the old one at the property. We'll see.

 

You could get a replacement hour meter and if you believe it has 200 hrs on it hook it up and let it count to say 300 hrs and install it with good conscience.
Personally I'd keep it to remember dad