60" Hustler vs 60" Dixie for 3.2 acres

[Zoso]

Well I've read here for hours and determined that I am leaning toward buying a 60" Hustler (Z or Super Z) or a Dixie Chopper 60" Coatesville Classic. I'm interested in any advice anyone would offer. Pertinant info is as follows:

* I will soon be building on a 3.2 acre lot. It is flat, currently with less than 15 trees. I expect it will be somewhat rough since it's only use has been for a cattle pasture over ten years ago. Now it is a vacant grass lot.

* My closest Hustler dealer (Reynolds Farm Equipment in Sheridan, Indiana) is 5 minutes away (a long established John Deer Dealer with full service and loaner/demo units). So far I am very impressed with the dealership rep. I will be demoing a Z and Super Z in a few days.

* My closest Dixie dealer (Carmel Welding in Carmel, Indiana) is 30 minutes away. They offer full service but I don't yet know much more than that. I've only spoken briefly so far with their rep.

* My desire is to obtain an extremely reliable 60" ZTR that will last for as long as possible and present minimum hassle in the event of breakdowns. Mowing has been a time consuming pain in the ass for me in the past due to cheap small equipment. I want to be able to mow my grass in a relatively short amount of time and enjoy it.

* Pricing seems to be in the $7000 neighborhood.

Any and all input would be appreciated. After writing this I'm off to talk to the Dixie rep some more.

[Mowingman]

Both are good mowers, but are way overkill for the mowing you have there. Save yourself a lot of money and look at their commercial mowers in a 48", or 52" size, with a smaller engine.
Those 60" machines can easily mow 3 acres/hr or more. How fast do you need to finish your mowing?

[65hoss]

I would tend to agree, scale it down to a 48" and save some dollars. You will still cut it after you are used to the machine and the layout in 1-1.5 hours. If you finish to fast you will be looking to cut the neighbors lawn because its a lot of fun on a Z.

By the way, of the 2 you mentioned, the Hustler would be my choice hands down.

[Cutter LLC]

I own a super mini z 52" and would choose this over a dc let alone a 60" super z. Demo both but my experiances with Carmel Welding haven't been that great (I bought my stihl equip there). They have a I don't care attitude. If you go to Reynolds ask for Guy and he'll take care of you.

Cutter LLC

[Tider6972]

Get a 60" Hustler ! You won't save much money by getting a smaller deck, but you will save a bunch of time over the next 10-15 years! The HustlerZ is plenty, but if your property is rough you may want the suspension seat, and by the time you add it to a regular HustlerZ you're almost paying for a Superz - THE finest mower available! If you are really gung ho, get the 28EFI. Now that's an amazing mo-chine!

[rough cut]

Do you have a Ferris dealer near? Take a look at the IS3000Z. Look at the Ferris web site and look into the spec on this model. With the rough, former pasture land, you may look into getting on a Ferris with its independent suspension. I cut 10 acres of former orange grove/pasture land with my IS5000z and love the ride. My neighbor has a Dixie chopper and complains about the harsh ride. You can get an aftermarket spring kit for the front end of the Dixies to help the ride. If you are pricing mowers in the 7k range you should be able to get something that will last until you can't get parts anymore.

[Zoso]

Thank you guys for the input.

Mowingman: "How fast do you need to finish your mowing?" To answer your question, if money were not a problem I wouldn't hesitate to buy the biggest fastest ZTR out there. Money is an issue but I am willing to spend it. Also, after thinking about your response, I realized that overkill IS what I want. I just have to justify the expense.

Cutter LLC: Thanks for the comments about Reynolds and Carmel Welding. I must say that a friend of mine with a DC just told me of a bad service experience at Reynolds. I'll email you the story if you're interested. Overall I feel comfortable with the dealership however, especially since I intend to do all the servicing myself if possible.

Rough Cut: I appreciate the tip which makes perfect sense. Unfortunately I checked for the closest Ferris dealer and they are not close.

[Travis Followell]

Both mowers are top notch machines. Out of the two I would go with the Dixie Chopper. They have some outstanding features that some other mowers don't have and thats what i'd go with if I was choosing between the two.

[Restrorob]

A trouble free unit you wan't ? Dixie Chopper, Hands Down !
The only time I see one back is at tune & service time.
They are a simple built unit with easy access to everything and most imporant no electric PTO clutch or wiring to worry about.

[Cutter LLC]

Go ahead and email me the story I'm at lintonindy@peoplepc.com. Did you mean Carmel Welding instead of Reynolds?

[True Cut Lawn Maintenance]

Hey ZOSO try Hendrens down in Franklin, really good dealer. Id put them up there with Reynolds, But i dont think anyone could be Reynolds at all.

also did you look at the Deere's?

[Zoso]

Joe's lawnmowing:

No, I did not look at the Deere's. I narrowed it down to DC and Hustler based on reputations here and from people I know. Plus, Reynolds seems focused on Hustler based on their inventory. This gives me confidence that they will continue to be a Hustler dealer many years. They only had one JD ZTR to look at versus many Hustlers (and Hustler demo's). Please clarify your comment " I don't think anyone could be Reynolds at all." Did you mean "beat"?


Everyone:

Carmel welding will let me demo a unit (DC) but I would have to transport it. I don't have transportation therefore I talked a friend into letting me demo his 5 year old 60" DC. I was impressed and experienced 10 mph mowing for the first time ever. Soon I will demo a 9 mph Hustler z and a 15 mph Hustler Super Z.

[True Cut Lawn Maintenance]

Yes i meant Beat, i live 100 miles from Indy and i got to the Reynolds at Fishers 2 or 3 times per year

you cant go wrong with that DC tho, if i had the money id have one in a heartbeat

[mowerconsultant]

FYI
Reynolds is one of the top dealers in the country for Hustler products, they have been for a few years now.

Pj