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Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

AWS vs Zero turn

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Jagalluzzo

02-04-2005 09:48:11




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I have nearly 5 acres which are hilly with A LOT of TREES. Have you heard of any problems with the all wheel steering? Which would you rather have an AWS or zero turn mower? and Why? We are looking at a JD 455 AWS vs a newer zero turn.

Thanks,
Jackie




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Dug

02-05-2005 07:47:34




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 Re: AWS vs Zero turn in reply to Jagalluzzo, 02-04-2005 09:48:11  
I spent last summer looking at all the mowing options available. Purchased a F935 and love it. I wanted a ZTR, but we have many, many cedar trees and the outfront mower allows for easier trimming around and "in" the trees without eating the branches. It turns on a dime and has cut my mowing time down by at least 50%. My only complaint is with the two wheel drive. Next time I will go with the F1145 and 4wheel drive.

Dug

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thejdman01

02-04-2005 17:04:53




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 Re: AWS vs Zero turn in reply to Jagalluzzo, 02-04-2005 09:48:11  
being a jd technician for many years i have to chime in. if you get a lexmark or another zero turn or even a deere max z or like the f 687z so i cant be yelled at for being biased youll shoot yourself. the problem with the deere max z is the front casters if your going straight up and down hills fine great work perfect but if your going sideways at all or trimming around trees on a hill them front dollys wont keep you where you want to go. also thats still a midmount mower so if your trying to get a deck that stick out front to trim under pines etc that wont help you. the 687 and such suck beccasue on a ditch hill that back end will flop all over. the 450 series aws (425 445 and 455 aws) early ones had some problems and were very very expensive to fix..... alot alot of happy people with pure 455's 60 inch deck. the 495's and 595's please veyr many pople too. i dont know your place set up needs etc but so so so much versitility with these models. i pusonally have a 455 w/a 47inch blower on it love it. yanmar motors very rugged. you can even get small loaders for them etc if your a horsey person. if you were looking for more the zero tern and a front mount to get under pine trees etc i highly recomment a f1145 f935's good too but i own a f1145 because of the 4 wheel drive and i tell you what it turns short 72 inch deck and has turning brakes and will turn true zero turn. i mow some steep steep steep ditches no joke. w/the 4 wheel in and the diff lock she stays planted doesnt slide down the ditch ive gone father on that mowre then ive tried w/other mowers and i went as far as when i was driving it the left side no joke was getting very light and starting to come up but she didnt slide down the ditch at all. also with the 2 speed transaxle shell really mow. i also have moved a 30 ft camping trailer around our shed with the mower and honest to god high side at idle and she didnt even know it had it. problem with the f1145 or the 1445 and such is they are very popular with landscapers etc and finding a used one in good shape is hard but can be done. i dont know what your price range is. you can again depending on where you look you can find some that were used on private estates on a yearly trade low hours good shape but the landscapers like to beat them silly. i challenge you to a price a set of blades for any other mower then go to deere and price them. for my 72 inch even w/o discount i can buy them for 60 bucks. next look how thick a deere blade is. also what the blades are made out of. i have seen simplicity lexmark alot of mowers come in on trade you hoenstly suprised me simplicity blades i feel are the worse. but thats another story soft and thin. also alot of companys incliding simplicity not to knock them but there commercial moweres arent that heavy but anyways the 2 outside blades are a different size then the center. deeres blades are at least all the same length so if you hit a post rock or something and tear a blade up terribly and you get another set you can keep the 2 other ones and can be used at alater date . a simpicity and some other companies simplicityjsut comes to mind cause recently working on one the 2 outside blades are one length and the center one was longer. also jd you have drive shaft drive to the deck which is very nice. personally from what ive seen the 455 series decks aer better then deeres new ones for cutting wet grass. alot deeper the old ones that is. the new ones do a decent job but i dont htink quite as good as the old ones did if you mow when its wet. the new ones 490 480's the new ones and if you have an older one have a new style blade you can put on its got sort of a twist to it supposed to help w/lift havent seen any in action to know if they do or not. i have seen gus with old ones w/steel tops not plastic make a small ramp and drive over there deck instead of sliding it out although not a big deal on a hard serface when you change the wheeels. but the dekc is darn near 300 lbs on the 60 inch. alother thing about deere they do have trans coolers which helps longer life and even down to the deck the caster wehels the "anti scalping wheels" even on a deere have bearings and can be greesed. alot of other just have plastic molded wheels. there throw away junk you keep a deeres greased shoudl last forever. theres alot of little things that make a deere a deere. you get what you pay for. as im looking around my shoulder somone comes out of the works and kills me for saying so. kubota makes a decent compact series and a tad cheaper then deere. always have been everytime deere lowers there price kubota does to theyve always been few hundred cheaper new alot cheaper used dont hold resale value. i do knwo honest there dealers arent nearly as many and parts network not as good honestly most parts if ordered by 3 today will be here next working day. thats my imput i really dont think youll be happy with a zero turn on hilly land unless you go with a 1445 or f1145. they new 495's 62 decks do turn pretty tight. if your seriuos im sure a dealer will let you try it out. honest your on the wrong end of it trying to buy a mower. right now is when you should be buying snowmobiles when evyerones getting rid of them. reason i say now is the bad time is everyone buys mowers in spring so selection down also in fall 1 yr trade ins so you can find slightly used ones still udner warrenty also in fall any new ones left over the dealer makes heck of a good deals to get rid of them for new models.

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JT

02-05-2005 10:47:47




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 Re: AWS vs Zero turn in reply to thejdman01, 02-04-2005 17:04:53  
Good Zero Turn $7000.00
F1145 John Deere- probably $15,000.00

As for price on blades, Dixie Blades are less than $40.00 per set. You can buy Oregon Outdoor blades for less than $45.00 for Deere and they do hold up better than Deere blades. As for not being happy with a zero turn on hilly ground, my Dixie Chopper is not 4wd and it will stay on any hill you want to go on, using common sense. My Dixie Chopper pulls my Farmall M with no trouble at all, usually at an idle. They have the capacity to pull 2000#. used to be JD tech at one time, and unless they have changed, I was not impressed with them. the PTo had studs, springs, washers, plate, bearings that with a lot of use, always had a lot of them parts in stock.

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Jaker

02-04-2005 17:54:19




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 hey jdman in reply to thejdman01, 02-04-2005 17:04:53  
thejdman_01,
You are absolutely correct. A front cut mower is by far the best type of mower out there. We have a 935 and a 1145 and run them side by side. My only complaint is the fuel consumption. They will drink twice the amount of fuel that an equal sized orange one, but there are darn good machines. I will give you a little hint, throw them jd blades away and go pick up a set for a f2100 kubota w/ a 72" deck. For some unknown reason they leave the cut grass in much better shepe than the jd blades ever could. I agree with you about mowing a hill side with the front cutters. I am not sure they won't roll over on there side but it would have to be really steep. Just keep the safety kill switch hooked up and you won't get in trouble. I have had ours in places that they shouldn't be and I weigh over 300lbs so I can do a little coaxing with my body weight. I have had one wheel off of the ground at least 12 inches, granted it feels unstable but she walks right along. Jake

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WiCraig

02-04-2005 15:39:06




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 Re: AWS vs Zero turn in reply to Jagalluzzo, 02-04-2005 09:48:11  
Without a doubt, zero degree. My kid has 2 Ferris's, cutting time down by at least 50% to 60%. Now problem going up a 45 degree hill, up & down that is. Look at spending over $7500 on something halfway decent. No Toro. Ferris in their better models come with front suspension. You decide. Good luck. Craig



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JT

02-04-2005 14:13:08




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 Re: AWS vs Zero turn in reply to Jagalluzzo, 02-04-2005 09:48:11  
If you get a good zero turn, you WILL NOT regret it. We used to take 14 hours, 2 tractors to mow 7 acres, trim around treeas and mow 2 miles of ditch banks, now do it in 3 hours with 2 zero turns, plus trim around a lot of trees. have not found a hill that mine will not handle, within reason. I use a Dixie Chopper and have found it to be the most stable on hills. Have used Toro, Exmark, Gravely, Scagg, Bobocat. And as for speed and reliabilty, it is second to none. what will take you 1 hour with a tractor is down to 30 minutes with a zero turn. I would never go back to a tractor unless I used it as a play toy.

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Rick Kr

02-04-2005 12:57:15




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 Re: AWS vs Zero turn in reply to Jagalluzzo, 02-04-2005 09:48:11  
My dad just bought a JD lawn tractor and skipped on the AWS. The JD dealer talked him out of it. The dealer had a ton of the AWS in replacing the rear steer. My dads JD turns pretty tight without the AWS.
If you get a zero turn, a commerical one goes about 12mph, where the residental grade goes about 6-7mph, same as a standard lawn tractor.
Most people I know all have commerical zero turns, but can't get the full speed due to the roughness of their lawns. But the manuverability of the zero turn is so much better you would have to drive one to believe it.

Just my observations and opinion.
Good Luck
Rick

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lucasss

02-04-2005 11:19:48




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 Re: AWS vs Zero turn in reply to Jagalluzzo, 02-04-2005 09:48:11  
the aws is nice for going around things. but i dont think it matches the speed ,comfort and manuverability of a good zero turn. you can get ag type tire on them that makem go good up a hill. and get the best seat with arm rests.. i would get at least a 5 foot cut if not more. true,you cant plow or disc with a zero turn,but for mowing they cant be beat. lucass



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wh

02-04-2005 09:54:09




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 Re: AWS vs Zero turn in reply to Jagalluzzo, 02-04-2005 09:48:11  
bought a jd 485 last spring with a 62" deck. regular steering and love it. if you have room to go between the trees i think regular steering with the 62" mower would work fine. had a 46" jd 240 mower and went to the 485 - went from mowing 3 1/2 hrs to 1 hr to 1 hr 15 max to mow same area.



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