Zero turns Which brand do you have?

What brand and model of Zero turn mower do you have? Are you satisfied with it?
I just may be buying a new mower. This mowing for 3 hours and repairing for 2 hours is getting to be a crock of chit. I am coming real close to throwing down the tools and going to town to purchase a new mower. Kind of want to do my research before I get that discussed and make an ill rational purchase.
I have a TroyBilt. Mechanically it has served me well for 7 years, but the deck has been the main problem. I'll admit it has been abused a bit. At first the 2 ply tires were always going flat. 4 ply tires with tubes solved that problem.
I heard once that the box store mowers are all made by MTD. TroyBilt, JD, Cub Cadet, and Husky. Any truth to this? I had an MTD mower and it made 2 trips around the lawn before it locked up. I got the "M" and a chain out and drug it back up to the shop. Dealer gave me a bunch crap and said, "Me dragging it was what caused the problem? Just don't want to support MTD on a new purchase.

 

I have a Hustler...I've been happy with it...and yeah, don't buy big box mowers if you want it to last...I'm saying it's gonna be tough to find one worth having (new) under $5k...maybe 6.
Do your research on a good motor...get a fabricated deck, and if the hydro drive doesn't have oil that can be changed (and filter) move on...

 

I Hear really good things about Exmark from dealers. Look at tons of JD machines, same model at Home Depot is in the dealers. Kubota, the pricier machines seem good, I've seen some of the entry level ones with issues. MTD builds machines under a ton of names and Cub Cadet was bought out years ago by them. I have a 2006 Cub and short of deck spindles have never had a problem and I mow 3 acres. There again Cub makes homeowner machines and Commercial machines. Most of it is you get what you pay for, homeowner mowers won't last me 2 years doing what I'm doing. I don't believe Husky is MTD. Husky also has a new Redmax line, don't recall but I think Redmax is the homeowner line. I've heard stay away from Gravely products. Ferris, I've heard good and bad. Walker, if you really want to spend some cash, good reputation and nice job when done, but expensive to buy and expensive for repairs and they break easily. Toro and Ariens mowers I also have heard mixed results, Ariens and Gravely are sister companies.

 

How much do you mow, what’s the terrain like(Slopes and hills or flat), and do you need to bag?
I am on my 4th ExMark Lazer Z 60” mower at work but we now about 25 - 30 acres each week. Gets the job done in about 14 hours of actual time on the machine each week. They handle about any abuse we throw at them, and bag and side discharge when convenient.

At home, I have an 05 Dixon ram 44” and now my little half acre in about 30 minutes. It’s a tough machine also. I’m a firm believer in a nice used commercial machine instead of a cheaper home owner mower. Ferris, ExMark, Hustler, Deere, and GrassHopper are all popular around here. Tons of other options and I’ve blabbered on enough.


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Exmark for the best cut quality. Weakest points are pulleys which are cheap and easy as hell to fix. I would've said the same thing even before I started getting paid to sell them. It's what I've owned for over a decade.

Lazer with a kaw. Nuff said.

Gravely isn't bad. Their zt hd model with a kaw is a great machine with a great price point. Of course, I sell these too, but nobody builds a better 50+" machine for $5k new. Not even exmark.

Last but not least.....do NOT buy an efi kohler on any branded machine whatever you do. Lots of serious failures at low low hours. I will revoke your cfg card if you do Feel free to pm me for more details.

 

I have a John Deere Z trac... JD equipment had them $1500 less than the competition last year in Ohio for some reason.

There are sooo many good commercial mowers I don't want to answer your question and yes many lower end mowers are all made by MTD including zero turn ones now...

If you can find a low hour, priced right, home owner commercial one that might be the ticket!

 

I would like to spend under 5k but could go up to 6k

I am presently mowing around 2 acres. I was mowing 6 but let the neighbor make hay out of the other 4. Land is mainly level and does not have any steep banking.

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I got on this kick last year and looked at Exmark on the internet and they running in the 7k+ price range. I would like to be in for 5k or less. My max is going to be 6k. I will have to check out my local Gravely dealer.

My present mower is a 52" cut. Since I am not mowing the other 4 acres I don't think I really need a 52" cut.

 

That sounds interesting...Dixon used to have a model or two that sounds similar...seemed like a lot of machine for $5k or so.
I guess that brand is gone now though.

Me too...that's how I got my Hustler...bought it 3 years ago with 375 hrs on it...was a homeowner owned machine (2006 Mini Z 52"...which was considered a smaller commercial duty machine back then) IIRC I paid $3250 for it...and it had a wheel motor leak that was supposed to be a 10 minute and $2 fix...ended up being a several hour and $40 repair...all good since then. I only put about 50 hours per year on, so it should last me a loooong time! If it does need repairs, it is a machine worth fixing...my old Toro timecutterZ was 14 years old and the hydros were no longer available for it...and I did have some issues with them (remember earlier when I said to get one that has serviceable hydros? Yeah, I found out the hard way why that matters ) so when I found out that parts were being phased out already for the old Toro, down the road she went!
The White brand hydros on my Hustler are very heavy duty, so should not need rebuilt if serviced properly, but if they do, they are used on other equipment too...so should be able to come up with parts.

 

I’ve got a Hustler raptor 52” which I like well enough. This will be my 3rd season with it. A couple flat tires but no mechanical issues yet. But the bagger system leaves much to be desired. IIRC I paid $3500 for it. You can mow pretty fast with it if you’re not bagging. & the place I work has had a Walker for better than 10 years. It has been used pretty roughly, including being substituted for a go cart for the owners grandkids. It’s been pretty reliable, but they don’t handle much of a slope at all. They will almost back straight up a mountain but who mows backward? And they’re waaay more than you are wanting to spend. I think the current model equivalent is around 18-19k. I didn’t give that much for my first house.

 

I've got a ferris but I mow an old horse property. 9% grades everywhere angles hills and holes. I wasn't looking for perfect Cuts I was looking for being able to walk when I was done.
My uncle who runs a landscaping company swears by the Lexmark.
But when it came up for me to try it here, I was test driving a ferris.. He said buy it.
Spend extra money on better hydro pumps and spindles.

 

I also have a hustler raptor, 54” cutting deck, Kawasaki Engine no complaints. I’m going on my third season with it with no issues. It came with my house when I bought it, I believe the previous owner had it for two years prior if I remember correctly.

I’m almost embarrassed to say this but I really don’t know much about it, it’s actually one of the few things I own that I don’t do my own maintenance on. The OPE shop it was bought from comes out every spring and picks it up, services it and brings it back a few days later.


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We just bought a used JD Z with 240hrs for half the cost of new. The Briggs engine has me a little nervous, but the next door neighbor is using nearly the same mower in a small part time business and has been very pleased with his.

 

I have a Grasshopper. It gets serviced annually and hasn’t let me down yet. They City and County also mow on Grasshoppers in my area-

 

Gravely here... I have a thread on here before I found mine. Seems pretty good but it's got to be 6-8 yrs old now and new models have a lot of improvements. Neighbor just bought a new one, nice machine and he financed at either 0% or very low rate. I bought mine used cash for $4k with a a bagger and 250 hrs.

 

We have a BadBoy 54" cut. Heavy deck, built like a tank, got the Kawasaki engine, have had it 5 yes. Cuts everything from centipede to knee high Bahia looking like a hay field. Just my 2¢ worth.

 

Just a repeat of what everyone else has said but a used commercial unit, fall is best time to buy. I’m running an Exmark Lazer Z with a Kawasaki picked it up used with 850-900 hours and a bagger for $3500, same machine new is 14-18k. Has served me very well mowing just under 3 acres for last 4 years.

 

The Kubota Kommander Z400 is a very nice machine for its price point. You can get one for $6k.

 

We have a Bobcat 60in deck with a 25hp maybe 27hp kaw motor. It is a very nice residential mower, it’s held up very well. A friend of mine has a Scag diesel mower and that thing is on a whole different level. It is made for pure commercial use and is heavy duty.

 

I bought my ExMark Pioneer May 2013. It is one step down from a Lazer Z. Has a 60 inch fabed deck.
I do a few lawns commerically just to earn a bit of extra Jingle. It has a 747 Kolher engine.
It is getting close to 500 hours on it now. I have only changed the oil filter, Hydros every 150 hours and the air cleaners on it. Bought a extra set of blades (3) for it and sharpen them and change them out every week.













The blades spin at 18000 FPS so I get a great finish cut even at a 9MPH travel speed.

I had went to buy a Skag but once I saw the deck lift system was a cable I oped out of that one.
I really liked the simplicity with the springs and shocks but the dealer was a 10 mile farther drive IF and WHEN I ever needed a part, like the air filters.
Yes it rode gawd awful rough the first time I used it. Since then I have reduced the air pressure in the rear tires down to 5 pounds so they flex a bit to soften the ride.

Would I buy the same mower or brand again. I sure would I am very happy with it. I am not happy with the dealer how ever so I suggest you talk to others who own the brand your thinking of putting your hard erned money into.

Dealer I bought it from would not make an appointment to do a recall. told me to bring the mower in and they would call when it was finished.

I called ExMark and they told me to take it to a different dealer east of me. I called them and was told to bring it right in they could do the recall right on my trailer.
Walked in when I got there and guy said just a minute i need to get the pig tail and my electric wireing tools.

Climbed up on the trailer and pulled up a section of the wire harness sniped a wire two spliced in a fuse holder with fuse, soldered the two joints slide the heat shrink over the two joints and shrunk them.
Climbed on the mower started it and double checked every safty switch.
Took him maybe a 20 minutes and that was includeing the time he took talking to me about the safety switch checks and what the new fuse protected a Hrydro lock up.

I do recommed a fab deck, Recommend a big deck so you can get a lot finished with a wide deck and speed.

OH in the winter I store it with preiuem fuel and Stabil. Start it about once a month to charge the battery and it has always started.

Always have The ROPS folded down. First time I didn't I snagged a power pole guy wire, About stood the machine on its tail thru off my drink cup that promply got chopped up when the mower came back down. I also Lost a pair of hand pruners I carried on the running board, been several years and still have not found them.

Second time was another power pole guy wire, this time it shook the pole so hard it triped the transformer switch. It was my house so some one was home to call the power company.
Now the ROPS is folded and I have red flags hanging from the guy wires below what the ROPS can't clear.


Al