- Thread starter JDBRIDER
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Stephen Newell
Well-known Member
I asked that question a week or so ago. Expect to have nearly every brand recommended. The consensus I got from it was whatever brand you get be sure to get a commercially rated mower.
john *.?-!.* cub owner
Well-known Member
Get one that the deck extends about 3 or so inches beyond the rear wheels. It makes dutting around trees, etc. easier than if wheels are at same place as outer edge of deck.
john *.?-!.* cub owner
Well-known Member
utting = cutting.
Steve@Advance
Well-known Member
No particular brand to recommend, but you get what you pay for.
If this is for residential use, and you or your family will be operating it, with reasonable care and maintenance, a residential duty model will last many years.
One thing to look for is the deck design. If it is a stamped deck, rounded corners, irregular shapes stamped in for rigidity in a light gauge steel, it will eventually fail and be very difficult to repair. A welded deck, flat top, curved flat strap welded around the perimeter, heavier gauge steel, will last longer and when it does fail can easily be repaired.
Parts and service support are also important. Go to some mower shops, ask questions, feel them out. If they are knowledgeable and willing to talk, it will be worth paying a little more for their product.
If they are uninterested in answering your questions for a sale, they will be even less interested in service, leave!
Buying at the big box store will save some money, but you are on your own. No service, no parts, no help.
If you want to go commercial, get ready to spend a lot of money! And just because it is advertised as commercial, doesn't mean it is. The price tells the true story.
Finding a good used commercial is not going to be easy. Very likely you will be buying something that is used up, patched up for sale to the unsuspecting.
If this is for residential use, and you or your family will be operating it, with reasonable care and maintenance, a residential duty model will last many years.
One thing to look for is the deck design. If it is a stamped deck, rounded corners, irregular shapes stamped in for rigidity in a light gauge steel, it will eventually fail and be very difficult to repair. A welded deck, flat top, curved flat strap welded around the perimeter, heavier gauge steel, will last longer and when it does fail can easily be repaired.
Parts and service support are also important. Go to some mower shops, ask questions, feel them out. If they are knowledgeable and willing to talk, it will be worth paying a little more for their product.
If they are uninterested in answering your questions for a sale, they will be even less interested in service, leave!
Buying at the big box store will save some money, but you are on your own. No service, no parts, no help.
If you want to go commercial, get ready to spend a lot of money! And just because it is advertised as commercial, doesn't mean it is. The price tells the true story.
Finding a good used commercial is not going to be easy. Very likely you will be buying something that is used up, patched up for sale to the unsuspecting.
right or wrong; my plan has been thru 3 mowers, is to buy a new JD ztr mower from a dealer with 4 yr warrenty. run it 4 years and sell it privately. I've never had one last 24hrs when advertised. i deduct $300 per year for the 4yrs ownership. then i replace it with another new JD. always under warrenty. other then blades and oil changes; the dealer does any repairs. like i said 'rite or wrong' thats the plan i use. the dealers either will not trade or steal it. so be prepared to use a sales site like CL, which has always worked well for me. I mow alot but the ZTR mowers get a lot done in a short amount of time. mine will always mow as fast as i can stand to ride it!
Bob Bancroft
Well-known Member
- Location
- Aurora NY
Buy one which has dealer back up for parts and labor.
I have no idea where you are, and assume not near me. I could recommend a good dealer/brand if you were nearby.
I have no idea where you are, and assume not near me. I could recommend a good dealer/brand if you were nearby.
Russ from MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Bemidji MN
My wife bought a 42 inch JD from Home Depot last summer, and the JD dealer from 70 miles away delivered it, but he wasn't very happy about it, what a screw job for him! I did order some oil and filters from him so he made a little on it. We are happy with it other that we wish we would've gotten a 48, the 42 doesn't go around trees very well, the rear wheel width is the same, would be nice to have a little wider deck. Also the deck does not float over rough ground as well as out old Husqvarna. Otherwise we are happy with it, it was inexpensive, but I suppose you get what you pay for.
Couple suggestions
One if you have many trees to mow under get one with a deck out front.
That said dealer support was a major factor when I bought a Grasshopper a couple years ago.
Have liked the look of Walker also but 1 didn't want to deal with a "timed deck" and there is only one active dealer in my area that is another 40 miles down the road.
Didn't buy Deere partially no ZTR with a out front deck and local dealer is really a Ag store so no real shop support. Only one consumer products Deere dealer in my area and once again it is much further.
jm2cw
jt
One if you have many trees to mow under get one with a deck out front.
That said dealer support was a major factor when I bought a Grasshopper a couple years ago.
Have liked the look of Walker also but 1 didn't want to deal with a "timed deck" and there is only one active dealer in my area that is another 40 miles down the road.
Didn't buy Deere partially no ZTR with a out front deck and local dealer is really a Ag store so no real shop support. Only one consumer products Deere dealer in my area and once again it is much further.
jm2cw
jt
Goose
Well-known Member
This is a subject where there are infinite opinions and answers.
Four years ago, we bought a new previous year's left over Toro, 50" deck, 23hp Kawasaki engine for roughly half price. After sales discounts, military discount, etc. we paid $1700. My wife has run the hell out of over about 4 acres since and nary a complaint.
Four years ago, we bought a new previous year's left over Toro, 50" deck, 23hp Kawasaki engine for roughly half price. After sales discounts, military discount, etc. we paid $1700. My wife has run the hell out of over about 4 acres since and nary a complaint.
rustyfarmall
Well-known Member
3 years ago I bought a "Country-Clipper" 42" cut, joystick steering. Makes quick work of mowing around trees and flower beds. I absolutely love it.
when you say trees are these low branch units or like evergreen trees.the decks you are looking at do not have much trim allowance,you will be rubbing gas tank major of time,54" and 60" really help with that.otherwise deck out front is cats meow if you have the room to turn between cause they are longer units but really nice and another option is deck raise up in vertical position for service. ferris 800 is really nice unit that has deck out front in gas or diesel.. are you wanting brand new or 50hrs of less unit. if close come drive any thats here. personally i am ferris and big dog brand, and heavy husqvarna units. ferris has the ride period. just remember what powers the unit and makes it go is same in ALL brands. get color you like,seat and ride are the deciding factors far as i concerned and dealer for servic and parts. whats your dollar range because had tremendous good luck with 54" units for 2995.00 these same units are mowing cemetery also.
Destroked 450
Well-known Member
- Location
- Harned, Ky
Dealer support is the most important part in purchasing a mower, just like buying a farm tractor, if the dealer is a long way off or doesn't stand behind their product well, then don't buy that brand.
Not many ag dealers have a good lawn mower service dept and I don't buy at HD or Lowes as most of them have no service depts.
The last few mowers I've bought came from lawn mower dealers, I've gotten good service and no hassles with warranty work because mowers is what they specialize in.
That said the best mower dealer in my area sells Gravely, Snapper and Ferris.
I really liked Kabota's smaller zero turns but they where $1500 higher than the Gravely ZT HD48 we bought five years ago. Just traded it at the same dealer for a new Gravely ZT HD52 last week.
Nothing wrong with old mower, 17 models have larger tires and better seat for smoother ride along with available ROPS and canopy.
ZT HD is one step under commercial grade with many commercial grade features but still has residential warranty.
Before the Gravely we had a front mount Grass Hopper, the front deck was ok but smaller tires and low ground clearance was always getting it stuck in soft spots or wet ditch lines, the wide 61" deck didn't work well on our rolling ground and multiple ditch lines around the poultry barns, front mounts have less ground pressure on the drive tires than mid mounts.
Lots of good brands out there but most of the entry level models don't hold up well to large lawns or heavier operators.
I recommend spending a little more and stepping up to one of the better residential models.
Russ from MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Bemidji MN
I guess I don't worry too much about dealer support, we research it well before buying and I would not take it back to a
dealer unless it was a warrantee problem, I have had better luck with belts and blades that we buy online than what I have
bought locally, and that is all we have needed for many years.
dealer unless it was a warrantee problem, I have had better luck with belts and blades that we buy online than what I have
bought locally, and that is all we have needed for many years.
Pajamafied John
Member
i bought a Scag Tiger Cub 48" cut with 19hp Kawasaki engine about 10 years ago. No troubles at all. Get the Kawasaki or Honda engine
Fullers Farmalls
Member
Country Clipper is the best on the market. And has joy stick controls. This allows you to enjoy a beverage while you mow. Thats a big plus for me.
Fullers Farmalls
Member
Best mowers on the market.
flying belgian
Well-known Member
If you have small trees(2" dia.) you do not want a zero turn. If you have large trees you do not need a zero turn. Think about it with small trees. The privet point for turning is the back wheel. So set the back wheel next to small tree and go around it and you leave a 8" circle of uncut grass. What you have to do instead is put the deck side next to it and kind of walk your way around it back and forth. I got an all-wheel-steer. That's the cats meow for going around small trees.
flying belgian
Well-known Member
If you have small trees(2" dia.) you do not want a zero turn. If you have large trees you do not need a zero turn. Think about it with small trees. The privet point for turning is the back wheel. So set the back wheel next to small tree and go around it and you leave a 8" circle of uncut grass. What you have to do instead is put the deck side next to it and kind of walk your way around it back and forth. I got an all-wheel-steer. That's the cats meow for going around small trees. Also you cannot cut steep side hills and ditches with zero-turn. They keep falling down hill. Don' know if that's an application for you or not but it was for me.
Destroked 450
Well-known Member
- Location
- Harned, Ky
Never heard of Country Clipper before so I looked them up, nice looking mowers, don't know why they didn't go with industry standard and put the joy stick on the left side.
Most joy stick controlled machines are driven with the left stick and the right stick operates blade, bucket ,lift, ect.
I can see mowing for a while and then jumping on my skid steer to do some grade work or rock spreading, don't think it would end well.
That and the nearest dealer being 90 miles away I'd have to pass.
Destroked 450
Well-known Member
- Location
- Harned, Ky
Trees and flower beds as well as ditch lines is the reason we got a zero turn, with our old Cub lawn tractor if you mowed by the tree and turned as sharp as you could it was hard to make less than a 8 ft circle.
Mowing around the house with that Cub (46" deck) took 1 1/2 hours and six hours at the poultry barns with all of the ditch lines between the buildings.
With 48" zero turn around the house is 40 minutes and 3 1/3 hours at the poultry barns.
Destroked 450
Well-known Member
- Location
- Harned, Ky
Never heard of Country Clipper before so I looked them up, nice looking mowers, don't know why they didn't go with industry standard and put the joy stick on the left side.
Most joy stick controlled machines are driven with the left stick and the right stick operates blade, bucket ,lift, ect.
I can see mowing for a while and then jumping on my skid steer to do some grade work or rock spreading, don't think it would end well.
That and the nearest dealer being 90 miles away I'd have to pass.
I have 4 commercial exmark Ztr mowers, last summer I worked on my friends golf course, I was told to start mowing the wood roughs, they are the area next to the fairways with hundreds of trees to mow around, so I thought I was supposed to use the z, they said no use the cushman, after using that I wouldent want to use the z around that many trees. You can also nose the deck in under low tree limbs like evergreens. They also have a toro 360 which I never tried out.
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