Zero turn mower recommendations.
 

I am looking to buy a new zero turn mower. I mow about 4 acres, mostly straight and not around very many trees. Only reason I'm going with a zero turn, because they mow so much faster. Looking to spend less than $5000. What's the best out there?

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5G won't buy you much in terms of ZTR. Bad Boys/ Hustler are cheapest on the market. I'd get the biggest used one 5G will get you.

What do you think about the Kubota? They have a model for about $5500.

I'm about 4 billion miles from a dealer so you don't see much of them out here. I've seen a few tractors but nothing about the mowers.

Link?

Spend an extra 1500 and get a better quality mower. You won't regret that.

Bad boy mow with an attitude

Which one would you recommend for $1500 more?

You can get in a decent John Deere for 6500. My personal mower is a bad boy. I'm not thrilled with how it handles side hills but it's been great for 2 mowing seasons. I have a friend who does custom mowing who swears by commercial grade grasshopper mowers.

I'd just personally avoid the mowers from the box stores. Some family members have them and they don't hold up as well...a John Deere from lowes isn't a John Deere.

It's not how fast you mow. It's how well you mow fast.

Buy a herd of goats

You'll love the change for that size yard.

I used a couple of grasshoppers and they were both great, but they were in the $8-10k range. I don't know if they have a model near your price point of not.

Call the factory direct and ask about demo models.

Got a snapper I paid like 3500 for 2 years ago now and acre and a half at my house and 2 for my mom. Went with the upgraded Kawasaki "industrial" series

I'm not going to speak from personal experience, but I know the Husqvarna PZ series is well liked by some people I know (about a $12k mower) so maybe checking out their lower cost MZ series would be a worthwhile endeavor?

http://m.kubota.com/Product/Index/235/model

I'd ask about leasing options.

Was reading this a bit, just because I'm a curious person... alot of thumbs up for Kubota's. http://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cg...alk&th=1084900

Also, SCAG. The golf course next door to me uses SCAGs. I'd imagine they are in the $15k up range though. Might find one used.

Spent around $3k on an entry level Toro a couple years ago on a 3 year same as cash deal. Outside of big box stores selling Husqvarna and shit, where I got my Toro is the only authorized dealer in a 20 mile radius of where I live. It does the job. I couldn't imagine spending the kind of cash you guys are talking about for a mower unless I was starting a mowing business.

John Deere has several in your price range. Just make sure you get a real Moline built JD.

http://www.deere.com/en_US/products/...ers/z525e.page

Big boxes up here don't sell Husqvarna. Must be different down there. Interestin'.

I have a Dixon. My old man has a Walker. Love them both.

Great tractors, but maintenance on them is very expensive compared to say a Cub Cadet.

Cub Cadet..have 3..one for my yard one for my grandma's yard then my dad has one..they work great..we change oil in them like the manual says and I change belts every year because I just want to..I also wash the deck off after every time I use it to keep grass from building in the shields..they all have a spot that I hook a hose up with an adapter and wash underneath the deck with the blades on

But if you do that with any brand I would say you would have good luck..so I say buy whatever you have close to you so you have easy access to a dealer for any work you need to have done

Agree. I have had my cub for 4 years now. Mow my 2 acres plus 6 rental homes. No problems at all.

A Deere you buy from a Deere dealer isn't a Deere anymore either, but you're your right, it is a far different product than you get at the box stores. I wouldn't own one of those for anything.

I'll second the grasshopper suggestion, but I think they are significantly outside of his price range. We had a billion or so year old one and it was pretty solid.

Looks like a pretty decent rig for the price, presuming the deck isn't tiny. Just from the link, it looks like you may have to buy the deck separately.

For Deere's anyway, don't have a dealer work on them. If you can't hire someone to do the maintenance on them, find some third party small engine guy. The Deere shop here charges $105/hour. Accordingly, they aren't anxious to do work on mowers, anything beyond an oil change probably exceeds the cost of the mower.

And FWIW, just changing oil and belts won't necessarily buy you a long life. My parents have a Woods mower, and it will chew through the acres like nobody's business, but it is pretty expensive to keep and parts are epic expensive.

I bought a zero turn Deere 3 years ago and hate it. The discharge chute clogs continually. You have to shut it down and take it apart constantly to unclog it. the neighbors have heard many a cuss words while I'm mowing.

Big mow

http://www.n0kfb.org/mow/big_mow.jpg

Ban establishment mowers.

This is the mower that I grew up on and probably have the most time on. Ours was a far older and junkier version, but you get the point. AFAIK it was the first ZTR on the market.

http://media.discoverstuff.com/img/l...396446129.jpeg

Land Pride. Based in Salina, KS. Engineers from Gravely left to start it. Almost identical. Heavy gauge steel all around. VERY comfortable to ride.

I had a Cub garden tractor for 15 yrs. I paid 5-6k, ran it 15 yrs and still got 1k trade in. I wanted a zero turn. I tried the Cub side by side with the Land Pride. Hands down LP. Get the ZSR 54.

Updated: 3/18/2016 3:04:00 PM 2010 LAND PRIDE ZSR54
Stk #: ZSRWVDM; 2010 ZSR54 Land Pride zero turn, 24 hp Kaw, 54" deck, pivoting front axle option, Deluxe seat Transmission Type: Automatic, Cutting Width: 54...
Hours: 208
Drive: 2WD
Horsepower: 24
S/N: 626159
Price: US $3,595

Nebraska Equipment Inc.
SEWARD, Nebraska
Phone: (402) 625-7180

If you get a Hustler, the fastrak is the minimum model for 4 acres. I have a Raptor SD and they recommend it for up to 2 acres. The Raptor SD may work but since they don't recommend it for over two acres, there must be a reason. I have 1 acre and it used to take 2 hours with a 54" belly tractor and I mowed the whole thing in 1 hour with the hustler 54".

I'm sure hearing the pigs squeal with delight more than makes up for it

I have Farris Its a great mower, low maintenance, fast, and cuts great. Everything else I have is JD but Deere hasn't improved on their mower deck design since the 70's.

You can buy two Toros for that, and hope like hell at least one of them makes it past the first week.

I would buy that big mow again if I could find one.

I thought the Hustler fastrak was a good mower, ran one at the Church I went to for a good 4 years. In that time, only repair was a worn belt, it was around 8 years old and seemed to be very well made.

Anyone have any experience with a Dixie Chopper?

I wouldn't want one just because of the name.

Thanks for all the recommendations. I ended up getting the grasshopper.

Which model did you get? I predict you'll be happy with it.

Really? I figured they'd be out of your budget. Mind sharing the details? Dad's going to need to buy a new mower before too terrible long.

Exmark seems to be the most popular over here.

Good choice an old co-worker started a landscape business over 10 years ago andc very successful. I talked to him him recommended Grasshopper and Dixie Chopper.

I bought a smaller one bad boy about 4 years ago and have had no problems with it. I plan to upgrade to a larger one in the next year or two. I used to mow about 4-5 hours with my old john deere, now I can mow my whole place in 2-3 hours and I mow more ground now due to the speed of the bad boy. Hustlers are very nice but so is the price tag....I only paid about 3400 for my bad boy new so I'm very happy with it.

For what you have and only using it during the growing season once a week.I would buy a used Dixie Chopper. Fastest mower in the world. And cuts all the grass at high speed when the grass is high. The newer Koehler engines had a problem with the head gasket years back. Others to look at are ex mark and toro but they're pricey.

It is the 125. 61" deck, and only paid $6300. I had a 50" Cub Cadet lawn tractor and it would take me 4 hours to mow. I mowed with the Grasshopper yesterday and was done in 1-1/2 hours.

The Grasshopper came with a full 4 year warranty, 0% interest financing for 48 months. It has a completely welded deck, seems to be very heavy duty.

Yesterday morning I went to several dealerships (Kubota, John Deere, Badboy, Hustler, Dixie Chopper, and Gravely). After looking at all of them, the Grasshopper seemed like the best buy.

Is there a small zero turn mower that's highly maneuverable and can fit through a standard fence/gate opening? Lots of bird baths and other crap that you have to go around without destroying them.

I thought about getting a remote control mower but i didn't figure they would work very well.

My parents have a 30" dixon

I'll pass that on. Thanks.

I have an el toro and it is fine for me.... I can do the yard in half the time I used to

Dixon and Husqvarna make 30" ZT's and Toro has a 32" and 34", all would fit. Probably some more out there but those are just off the top of my head.

Or just install a double opening gate.

The gate isn't really the biggest problem. There's a pond,trees and a bunch of yard decorations that make it hard to maneuver in their backyard.

Pops still mows but pretty soon i'd rather him have a riding one. I have nightmares of him falling down or having a heart attack while mowing the yard or something. :(

I thought maybe one of those standup ZTRs might have a small enough foot print to use for his yard.

I pay a couple of immigrants. Hard workers and my place looks real nice.

Do they move slow enough to be able to control it?

I watch those company guys use them and it looks like they are driving about 30 m.p.h. ... just flying around.

I dont know about Dixon and Husqvarna but I have a Toro and they have 2 speed settings. The lowest speed setting makes it so that when you have the sticks pushed all the way forward the maximum speed you can go is 4 mph. The higher speed I believe is 10 mph.

the harder you push the sticks the faster they go

They usually weed eat around objects while the mower gets it on