dixie choppers

[MATTHEW]

ok, let's hear from you dixie chopper owners and pervious
owners. I am using a toro 44" w/a velkie and I am somewhat
satisfied. 15hp kohler. But, I am really feeling the pinch
in time spent. OK, are these dixie choppers able to get a
good clean cut and get them done in record time?????

[Fine Lines Lawn]

Hi Matthew,
Welcome to LawnSite :)
I have been mowing with Dixies for a few years now and love them, but anything I say will be biased, so I recommend you demo one and see what you think. I think you'll be pleased.

[John DiMartino]

I have a 2000 Dixie,xw 2500.it'll cut clean dry with single blades,if its wet you need double blades to cut clean.IMO the machine has a lot of shortcomings that need to be addressed asap,and the build quality is very poor,and inconsistant.there is no attention to detail,or refinement at all,just pure speed mowing,which it does do well.My machine was delivered so out of wack that it still isnt right over a year later.The dealers dont seem to know much about there own machines,Buy the honda engine if you get one,and look it over real good.

[MATTHEW]

I WILL ACCEPT A BIASED OPINION. I USED A TURF TRCKER FOR YEARS.
IT IS BASICALLY A DIXIE CHOPPER SET UP FOR LAWN APPLICATIONS.
SO MY MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ARE-DOES IT DO WELL MOWING AT 2
TO 2 1/2". i HAVE BEEN TOLD IT IS GREAT AT 3" BUT NO LOWER.
ALSO, HOW EASY IS IT TO CHANGE THE BLADES? MY TORO IS A PAIN
IN THE REAR END. I DO ABOUT $30-35.00 AN HOUR NOW. I NEED TO
KNOW IF I CAN DOUBLE THAT TO JUSTIFY THE EXPENSE.

[lawrence stone]

Originally posted by MATTHEW
ok, let's hear from you dixie chopper owners and pervious
owners. I am using a toro 44" w/a velkie and I am somewhat
satisfied. 15hp kohler. But, I am really feeling the pinch
in time spent. OK, are these dixie choppers able to get a
good clean cut and get them done in record time?????

Turfquip.com has a brand new 52" Toro walk behind deck and carrier for sale for $795.

Buy this b/4 you spend $8k on new mower.

Even if you do buy a ztr in the future the 52" deck is a big improvement. Since the 52" front castors are wider than the 44" it holds hills much better.

[Eric ELM]

I see several brands of mowers working in the areas we mow and I feel my Choppers mow as good or better than any of them. If you are mowing fairly smooth lawns, you can mow at 2.5" OK, but if it is very uneven, 3" or more is better. I agree with Fine Lines, go demo one and see if it will work for you.

BTW, my oldest Chopper broke down today. :(
The low oil pressure buzzer quit today after 3,400 hours. I checked and it is getting power to it, so I guess I need a new buzzer. I think it has gotten to much water in it over the years. :)

[John DiMartino]

Mathew,forget mowing at 2"-never ,ever.2 1/2" you will still scalp on uneven ground.The Dixie scalps easier than most mowers IMO.I really feel its realistic lowest height is about 2-3/4-3",and thats with the spacers removed.With the spacers out,and the height low,you must be very careful turning,the frnot rollers dig in very easy.My Steiner 420 has a 60" deck and will cut at 1 1/2" all day without scalping.If you want a ZTR that cuts low,Id get an exmark,then buy the full width roller from York sheetmetal,its probably the best ZTR for what you want to do.it wil be able to cut at 2" much better than the Dixie.

[Evan528]

Eric, is that going to be the excuse to get the new chopper with the honda? ;)

[Eric ELM]

Evan, it is the best excuse I have to get one. :)
The 2002 will be out in a couple weeks, so I have to wait til then at least. ;)

[SLS]

I must agree with John DiMartino about the Exmark.

I have a new Lazer Z with a 60" ultra-cut deck and I cut lots of bumpy, uneven lawns at 2 1/2" with nary a scalp. Even at 2" I hardly ever have to ride the deck assist pedal on the swells and berms. I cut mostly fescue, bermuda, and zoysia.

Still, you have to keep an eye on the front anti-scalp wheels when turning (especially in reverse motion) as they will dig....the foot assist pedal takes care of this problem for me though.

[David Gretzmier]

I have heard great things about lots of mowers, but the pendulum tends to swing toward choppers and exmarks. choppers seem to run faster, laser's tend to cut better at lower heights. with a ztr on most medium ( $ 50 ) and up size yards you should "do" $50+ per hour by yourself. if you are currently making 25-35, you will see the biggest improvement on your larger properties and little improvement on the smaller ones. big machines tend to make the biggest money on the big yards, assuming they were bid properly. Dave g

[Richard Martin]

I cut all of my yards at 2-1/2" and don't have any problems scalping. Scalping isn't really a problem as long as you know the property. DCs come with a handy foot operated deck lift and you can easily lift the deck when you get to a problem area. The cut my Chopper leaves is unbelievable. I already ran it next to a Gravely PM260Z and it whipped the Gravely. This Thursday my buddy is getting a brand new 60" Lazer w 23 Kaw and we will side by side test them in tall grass that day. Pics are coming soon of the stripes my DC and Exmark leave in grass as well as equiptment and rig setup pics.

[allabout]

I just bought a used dixie chopper 2002 50" last week , used it for 1 week while it was wet saved lots of time on big yards no diffrence on small ones . I love this mower! what is the easy way to change the blades & clean the deck. thanks.

[Davis TLC]

allabout,

I just pull my DC up on the tailgate of my trailer with one front wheel on the tailgate and the other off the side, and set the brake and turn off the engine. I can change 2 of the blades and scrape the deck from that position. Then I do the reverse on the opposite side of the trailer to get to the other blade. You can get to all 3 blades from one side but I like a little more clearance so I don't knock all the skin off my knuckles. I can change out a set of blades in about 5 minutes this way.

[Eric ELM]

I agree with you Richard, I cut all lawns at 2.5" in the spring and fall and some lawns at 2.5 all season long. I have no problems scalping since I know my lawns and I have the same foot lift eveyone else has. If you know how to operate a mower, you won't have problems scalping. I can make any mower scalp if lawns are rough enough or I can make any mower not scalp. My JD 430 has a 60" floating deck with adjustable wheels, anti scalp rollers all over it and if I really want to, I can scalp with it, but I choose not to. ;)

[awm]

okay here is input from someone who did what you are talking about,
a ztr just made me able to double the work output.
i can trim closer with the left side than any machine ive owned.
youll be glad you did it. later ps i might look at used fist though,
you might get lucky like i did. excellent lazer w 6-12 trailer for 3000 . good luck

[Nick]

Easiest way to change blades is with a Jungle Jack, made by the makers of the JUngle Wheels. Cost about a $125

[dhicks]

The Jungle Jack is a dandy piece of equipment but for me the Toro Z stand is better. The Z stand is always with me and something that I never forget to pack.

[MATTHEW]

ok, guys, i get it. i do alot of smaller lawns anyway, so
upgrading to a rider may not make alot of difference.
it is not worth the big money and maintenance to add an
extra $5.00 an hour. i am trying to phase out of mowing
anyway. i do alot of lawncare treatments. that is where
the big money is. if i bust a nut for 12 hrs i may make\$400.00
but if i put in 12 hrs doing lawn apps, i will make about $1,000
i used to work for chemlawn for 10 years-i made $250,000 for
them each year. just give me 1/2 of that, and i'll be happy!!!!
all you need is a licence, insurance,and about $3,000 in equip.
you can start at 6:00 am (not after it dries with mowing)and get
done early.let us all get a service going and put the big
old trugreen/chemlawn machine to pasture!

[David Gretzmier]

you outa check out the pesticide forum... Dave g

[BladeRunna]

nobody calling you a scalper are they buddy heh heh - peace out