Home Zero Turn Advice :p

[NewYorkrookie]

Hi all,

I have a half acre, and quite frankly Im tired of mowing it for an hour and a half with my 21" Craftsman push mower. My yard is heavily landscaped, and I would like to drastically cut the time in half (or more). Having recently joined the ranks of the living dead (homeownership), I have given up all my toys.....boats, cars, etc and would like to have fun while I mow. I also have size requirements to consider; my largest gate opening is 47".
From what I can gather, any mower worth its weight is in the prosumer-commercial class.....from what Im told the CONsumer models dont hold up (even for my half acre).
The makes that I have been looking into recently through going to dealerships and looking online are the following:

Ariens, Toro, Husqvarna, Dixon, Cub Cadet, and Gravely. I know there are alot more, but these are the only ones that I have had the opportunity to look at recently.

So far I like the Gravely commercial PM34Z best, for its heavy, durable construction and most of all can fit through 36" openings (but at 4900$....ouch!). On the pro-sumer side I liked the Dixon Speedster ZTR 44 and RAM ZTR 42 (not as durable, but seemed pretty tough).

I guess what Im looking for from you guys are some suggestions for some zero turns that I havent mentioned, and possibly some input on the ones I have.

The three things that are most important to me are:
1) price...under $4500
2) durability
3) under 47" overall (the less the better).

And one last thing.....your thoughts on the higher end consumer (non-commercial) zero turns.

Sorry for the dissertation,

Bill

[Cutter LLC]

My dad has about 1/2 acre and has had a dixon for the last 7 years or so. I started with a 5023 wich is not that far off from the larger dixon you mentioned. Great for homeowner. So so for a commercial cutter. I have a super mini z now and my dad trys to ride it every chance he gets.

I would look into a hustler fastrack or mini fastrack. I also think the gavely or dixon would suit your needs. Stay clear of ztr's at non dealers. Do you have a trailer? What is your dealer like for these units? Will they pick up and drop off for a reasonable price? What kind of waranty do they offer?

The other avenue you can venture into is getting something used. Be very careful though. Look for low hours and a dealer that will support you. With that kind of money you can pick up a pretty good, used, fully commercial unit and then your in a whole new ball game.

Good luck,
Cutter LLC

[True Cut Lawn Maintenance]

Gravely makes a ZTR 1434, 14HP 34 inch cut almost bought it myself, had a chance to take it for a spin at the dealer very very nice peice of equipment, sells for around 2100 i beleive

[Baseballer1100]

We bought a Landpride 44" zero turn had no problems with it. Works great and i belive it was either 4 grand or under. Its a great little lawnmower.

[wushaw]

Scag makes a 36" and a 42" true commercial ZTR and I priced the 36" at 4500.00.
The Hustler Mini fastraks 36" and 42" models have consumer hydro units rated for 800hrs.

scag (http://www.scag.com/index2.html)

[carb454]

Rookie, I don't think you would be making a mistake with any of the aforementioned ZTR's Hustler fastrack or mini Z , Gravely also has a new residential line that could see commercial duty (2148xl) but that might be too big at 48",and I haven't looked at the 1434 model so I can't speak about it.

The toro line seems to be an option as well but I don't have any real knowledge on them either.... When buying a Z try to find one that is using good pumps like parker,that seems to be the pump others are judged buy...

[arborist-28]

alot of the consumer (non-commercial) zero turns are not equipped with the same engines as the commercial models ..

[shop22]

you might try simplicity. they make a 18hp 44" at around 4000.00. commercial grade pumps and wheel motors.

[nmurph]

imo. hustler minifasttrak.!!!!!!!! 17hp/42 in. it will fit through the gate, has an excellent cut, a reputation for durability and great factory support. you should be albe to find one for about $3200. as cited in a previous post, the pumps are rated for 800 hrs. it has a 3 yr warranty on the machine for residential use (it even has a commercial warranty) it will mow your half acre in less than hr., probably more like 30 mins. i have 1/3 acre and i takes me about 25 mins with a good bit of landscaping. i looked at the ariens/gravely 17/40's, the cc and husq at lowe's, snappers, and dixon and liked the mft. my dad has dixon (15/40(?)). it just isn't in the same league with the hustler. my cousin owns a dixon dealership. the best he would do was $300 more for 38" with a 15hp b&s.
the best advice is to demo as many as you can. everyone has their opinion and want to feel that what they have was the best purchase. put me in that category as well.

[fourseasonlawns]

If you are already used to walking behind a 21", walk behinds are half price the zero turns. Put a sulky behind it and ride if you have to. Sure, the zero turns are nice, but at what price? Money's no issue? More power to you.

[Sitnduck]

Just bought a used Gravely PM34Z. Built tough and very fast.
I've seen several units sell on E-Bay up north at a discount. Winter is coming!
New in this area they are $4499. Shop around by phone and see if any of your area dealers are ready to clear stock. Just like car sales.. no one wants to be holding last years model come winter.
I'm mowing 1.3 acres in about an hour. I have 30+ big oaks and numerous smaller obstacles. Unit is very easy to operate and only problem I'm having is getting to where I don't spin the tires on fast manuevers.
I only have 2+ hours experience mowing with this unit. I just get done too quickly. :D

[MBDiagMan]

Yes, it should be no problem to get $500 off list on a Gravely. I believe you would have a better mower if you got the basic 144Z, manual lift. It has much tougher pumps and motors.

The main thing to avoid is a ZTR that has integrated drives. Make sure you get one with individual pumps and wheel motors.

The Bad Boy Pup Mini Z is a lot of mower for the money and is commercial built through and through. See www.badboymowers.com. Go to the online store for pricing and if there is a dealer near you he will give you $500 off those numbers.

Good luck,
Doc

[mcwlandscaping]

For just 1/2 acre, get a WB. Get a sulky for it and you will be all set.

[nmurph]

nyrookie, imo you do not need a commercial mower for .5 ac. seperate pumps and motors are a necessity for hundreds of hrs per year. you should be able to mow your yard in 30-45 mins. i don't know how long your growing season last, but even if its six mons. and assume that it will take you an hour to cut your yard, that is 26 hrs/yr. again i point you to the hustler mini fasttrak. the pumps are rated for 800 hrs. thats almost 32 yrs. if you have the money or just have to have a commercial mower, then have at it. i understand. there are things that i don't really need that i buy just b/c i can. i'm just trying to save you a little money so you can buy another boat, or bike, or to take that cruise.

[NewYorkrookie]

nyrookie, imo you do not need a commercial mower for .5 ac. seperate pumps and motors are a necessity for hundreds of hrs per year. you should be able to mow your yard in 30-45 mins. i don't know how long your growing season last, but even if its six mons. and assume that it will take you an hour to cut your yard, that is 26 hrs/yr. again i point you to the hustler mini fasttrak. the pumps are rated for 800 hrs. thats almost 32 yrs. if you have the money or just have to have a commercial mower, then have at it. i understand. there are things that i don't really need that i buy just b/c i can. i'm just trying to save you a little money so you can buy another boat, or bike, or to take that cruise.


Thanks for the advise all......

I ended up buying the Gravely PM34Z.....great little machine. Quite impressed with the amount of power it has.....almost overkill (9mph on a 34"?!?!). Dug up the lawn quite a bit too until I let a ton of air out of the tires....One thing I wish it did have was anti scalp rollers (I cut at 3"....have some uneven portions in the lawn :p )

[MBDiagMan]

I think you made a great choice.

To prevent "digging up the yard" be SMOOTH on the levers and try not to reverse one of the wheels while the mower is still moving forward. It is very tempting to just yank the levers in opposite directions to spin around, but if the mower is moving, one of those wheels is quickly reversing and will spin.

You'll get the hang of it.

Enjoy,
Doc