Lawn mower opinions?

[catscratch]

Lol, the wife will get to drive it as soon as I get one that's half way safe to operate (the safety switches and whatnot have all been removed from the old one... the blades never stop turning even when you get off it.) and she is always offering to mow anyway. Now with that said... me tell her to "go mow the yard" isn't going to happen. No popcorn needed for that!

Here is the deal about the zero-turn appeal. My yard is nothing but circles, triangles, and obstacles. I get tired of looping over already mowed grass to get turned back into cutting. The yard just isn't square enough to keep a wide turning machine in the cut.

I looked at: Hustler, Kubota, and John Deere today. Kubota was pretty high priced compared to the other two. Hustler had pretty much anything you could want in stock (even a 36" zero-turn) and $500 off everything. The green one's were about the same price as Hustler and looked to be about the same machine. I did get to drive the 4-wheel steer mower that JD has. Price isn't bad but it was much slower than the equivalent zero-turn and not any smoother to drive. Still an appealing machine though.

 

[catscratch]

Question (and I might start a pole thread if there isn't much interest here): All things being equal, do you go with... Kawasaki, Kohler, or the new Briggs engine?

 

[Drycreek]

Question (and I might start a pole thread if there isn't much interest here): All things being equal, do you go with... Kawasaki, Kohler, or the new Briggs engine?

I know nothing about the new Briggs, but the Kohler engine is a good one. I had an old Craftsman mower with a Kohler engine that far outlasted the mower. Only Kawasaki that I've owned is in my current Hustler, and it's proven itself to me.

You know, I really ain't much help am I !

 

[Nebraskaz71]

Had a lot of zero turns, my personal opinion stay far away from the lower model cub cadets. I only buy commercial mowrs now. My previous mower was a john deere z950a, great mower but ate oil like crazy. I now have a JDz960m, good mower to, few complaints but overall good mowers.

 

[catscratch]

Had a lot of zero turns, my personal opinion stay far away from the lower model cub cadets. I only buy commercial mowrs now. My previous mower was a john deere z950a, great mower but ate oil like crazy. I now have a JDz960m, good mower to, few complaints but overall good mowers.

T-max brought up the Hustler SD earlier. Is the SD considered commercial grade? Does anyone make smaller commercial grade machines? I really would be fine with a 42"-48" cut, as long as it had power and would power through stuff fairly quick.

 

[dogghr]

Lmao Cat, I forgot about all your boulders. I see plenty of those reconfigured, gravel thrown from driveway, a dent in the barn, and a possible decapitation by the power pole guy wire. Hope you took note of the JD 4 wheel steer had a cup/can holder,. All those engines are good but Kawasaki typically a little more of a horse. Course I use to race their stuff so am a bit biased. Good luck, I want video of first speed mow on the zero turn . Please.

 

[catscratch]

Lmao Cat, I forgot about all your boulders. I see plenty of those reconfigured, gravel thrown from driveway, a dent in the barn, and a possible decapitation by the power pole guy wire. Hope you took note of the JD 4 wheel steer had a cup/can holder,. All those engines are good but Kawasaki typically a little more of a horse. Course I use to race their stuff so am a bit biased. Good luck, I want video of first speed mow on the zero turn . Please.

I actually did take notice of the cup holder, but unfortunately my salesman wasn't nice enough to bring me a frosty barley pop for the test drive. I also did notice it took two hands AND a foot to drive it... the zero-turns only need two hands to drive. The boulders don't reconfigure, it's the mower that changes when they collide! Some of them are still where they lay from when the giant trackhoe flipped them out. I can't move them even with tracks on the skidsteer.

 

[buckdeer1]

I have bought 2 hustlers right over at Dexter. The first one just wasn't tough enough and we had to fix several parts. So the last one was a commercial 54inch and we mow up to 6 yards a week and haven;t had any issues

 

[catscratch]

I have bought 2 hustlers right over at Dexter. The first one just wasn't tough enough and we had to fix several parts. So the last one was a commercial 54inch and we mow up to 6 yards a week and haven;t had any issues

I visited the Dexter shop today. What two models did you buy? Which one did you end up liking?

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[MattJK]

T-max brought up the Hustler SD earlier. Is the SD considered commercial grade? Does anyone make smaller commercial grade machines? I really would be fine with a 42"-48" cut, as long as it had power and would power through stuff fairly quick.

I have a Toro 4220 if I remember right. I needed the 42" to fit an existing trailer and am surprised I am still much faster than a 48" garden tractor or 59" three pt on a 3120 Deere. I did get the highest hp and am glad for that. Not quite commercial quality but definitely not commercial cost.

As for beer, if you aren't shaking all the carbonation out, you are either chugging beer or mowing too slow!

 

[j-bird]

Cat....your yard is one of nightmares from a mowing perspective...at least to me! I "complain" (I cleaned up my word choice) every time my wife wants to put or plant something in the yard as it's just more "stuff" for me to have to mow around! Seeing what your working with tells me your leaning toward a zero turn. As far as engines go - I have had best luck with Kohler and Briggs motors. It's just like anything else. The original purchase is only part of it.....where your going to get parts and service is another. My opinion......buy some goats, some dog chain and some T posts! The goats will give them boys something else to torment, and the goats will love the rocks, and you get a trimmed yard with free fertilizer! Just move the goats every few days!

 

[Turkish]

If you're planning on cutting lawn every week of the growing season then I'd do my best to pony up with one of the zero turn commercial grade units. Make sure you get a nice seat - suspension type. Otherwise it will jar your teeth out on bumpy ground. Bigger tires in back the better. You're gonna have to attach a floating beer can holder cause you'll need both hands on the levers but man...are the zero turns one bad cutting machine. Ours doubles for both farm and son's place so it gets a whole lot of use. It's a Bobcat commercial brand but I didn't plop the cash down for the suspension seat and I now regret it.

I just installed an aftermarket suspension seat on my Kubota Z725. It was $140 from Seat warehouse, I think. They’re online and on eBay. It was a little painful to install, but it made a noticeable improvement in ride comfort. Not miraculous, but I’d say it’s worth the money. Doesn’t really help with ease of beer consumption, either, sadly. You have to drink em pretty fast — the bumps make em flat pretty quick.

I also think the OP needs a ztr, to stay on topic. I have the Kohler but am under the impression the the Kawasakis are a touch more respected in that market.

 

[Jeff H]

Lol, the wife will get to drive it as soon as I get one that's half way safe to operate (the safety switches and whatnot have all been removed from the old one... the blades never stop turning even when you get off it.) and she is always offering to mow anyway. Now with that said... me tell her to "go mow the yard" isn't going to happen. No popcorn needed for that!

Here is the deal about the zero-turn appeal. My yard is nothing but circles, triangles, and obstacles. I get tired of looping over already mowed grass to get turned back into cutting. The yard just isn't square enough to keep a wide turning machine in the cut.

I looked at: Hustler, Kubota, and John Deere today. Kubota was pretty high priced compared to the other two. Hustler had pretty much anything you could want in stock (even a 36" zero-turn) and $500 off everything. The green one's were about the same price as Hustler and looked to be about the same machine. I did get to drive the 4-wheel steer mower that JD has. Price isn't bad but it was much slower than the equivalent zero-turn and not any smoother to drive. Still an appealing machine though.

Off topic but Sweet Ford ! 53 ?

 

[catscratch]

I drove a Country Clipper yesterday and I like it! Single joystick control (which leaves your left hand free for moving low limbs and keeping them from slapping you in the face... or holding your beer) and flip up deck for very easy access to blades. No plastic, not a lot of wires for mice to chew through, very easy to get to everything for maintenance, etc. Nice machine! I think I've narrowed it down to this one or the Hustler. I need to compare stats between the two and also consider that the Hustler dealership is 45 minutes closer.

 

[catscratch]

Off topic but Sweet Ford ! 53 ?

Thanks! It's a 55...

 

[Jeff H]

Thanks! It's a 55...

I do love those old Fords!

 

[Tap]

I've had a commercial Gravely zero turn for about ~8 years. When I bought it, I tried several other brands looking mostly for a smooth ride because my yard is bumpy, too. The Gravely rode the best, but I'm sure there are improvements available these days. My neighbor bought a zero turn Cub Cadet and it's torture to drive. It'll loosen your fillings.

I'm not crazy about the deck design of the Gravely. I wish it floated better and the front deck wheels don't pivot, so on tight turns, they will sometimes rip the sod if they go across a hump.

Mine has a Kawasaki engine. Runs good, but it drinks gas.

Zero turns suck on slopes. There are places on hills that I would never attempt to mow. My nephew asked me if I could cut his steep lawn. One part was a steep side-slope that ended at a 5 foot retaining wall around the in-ground pool. No way I'd try to take a ZT across that slope. In fact, a pro lawn care guy once went over that wall with a ZT. If you have slopes, try a ZT on YOUR place before you buy it.

 

[Nebraskaz71]

Slopes in a zero turn take a lot of getting use to, I put the michelin tweels on my deere and its a heavy mower anyways, definitely gotta point the front up hill or you will find the bottom very fast lol

 

[catscratch]

I borrowed my parents Hustler to see what mowing MY yard is like with a zero. I mowed the yard, more than a mile of running trails, some clover, a little pasture (dad told me he likes it better than brushhogging and to try it), and the cabin down the road that I help take care of. It kicked ass! Handled everything great... even the few hills I have (wet grass would have been a different story though) and did it in a fraction of the time my old mower would have.

The Hustler's deck was 12" wider than my old one, but the real time savings was in being able to turn and make short work of odd shapes and just plain old speed. It was bumpy, but I truly think that is a function of speed rather than machine design. When you go fast bumps are hard, it was quite comfortable on bumpy ground when I slowed down.

Zero turn is the way to go for me but there were two drawbacks. Needing two hands to steer was cumbersome around low hanging limbs. Having a hand free without the risk of going off course to keep limbs out of my face would be nice (a free hand would be nice for holding a drink too). And when I was done I went to top off the tank and sharpen the blades (always take things back better than you got them) and it was a huge pain to get to the blades. Country Clipper address both of these concerns with their joystick control and flip-up deck. I'm not sold on them yet but things are pointing that direction.

 

[catscratch]

One other thing that I liked about this mower is that it didn't suck up rocks into the blades like my old one did. I think this is due to the welded deck instead of stamped. I know suction is good to get grass up, but I cringe at every baseball sized rock that I see while mowing. Not bouncing rocks around the yard was really nice.