Which Mower? Another question

[JLB611]

I am still trying to decide which mower is best for me. I have near an acre to mow, 1/4 of the yard is at a 20 to 25 degree slope at the steepest point. the rest is mainly flat. By what I have been told so far a zero turn may not be the best choice. My next question is maybe a rider a better choice. I have looked at some John Deeres and Cub Cadets. I am just not sure if one of them is the best choice and which model. Thanks for all of the responses last time about the zero turns. This is the most helpful site I have found.

[bobcat175]

I have a similar setup. My hill at the steepest is 23 degrees. I currently use a 48" hydro WB and can cut the hill anyway I want. I'm considering a Wright Stander right now. They have a very similar weight setup to the WB. The safest mower would be a hydro WB. I think you would have trouble with any rider at 25 degrees.

My advice for whatever you decide is to demo or borrow the same machine and try it out. That's the ONLY way you will know for sure if you are comfortable with it on the hill. For example, I wanted a Walker and after borrowing one realized that it couldn't do my hill. Now I know that it's not the right machine for my yard and I didn't spend a dime to find out.

[upidstay]

I'd get a hydro walk behind. That's to steep of a hill for a rider. Any rider. Get a sulkie attachment if you don';t want to walk it all.

[BareFeet]

whatever you do stay away from the deere and the Cadet

[brbolin]

For what it's worth...I have a Deere L120 (actually...now it's just a lawn ornament) that I was using. Picked it up at Home Depot, because the local dealership that supplies them to "The Depot" were currently out and I NEEDED to mow ASAP.
Well, long story short...mine could've been a "lemon", but my yard pretty much ate it up. The deck brackets broke to where I was mowing at a "0" level...even lower than the "1", the transmission got to where it would completely stop after about 1.5 hours of mowing, and now...it just completely went out.
Granted, my 2.5 acres were probably too much for the Deere, but man...when one spends $2000 on a riding mower, especially with the "Deere" name, one expects a little more than what I got. I've only had it about three years. Now looking at something a little more "solid" than the Deere.
Again, it could've been a "lemon", but from what I've read, the L120's have transmission issues. Take your time in deciding and don't just jump at the first "great deal" you see. I made that mistake and regret it.

[Raven386]

like everyone else says.... Hydro w/b.... if you dont want to shell out the extra $$ you can get a belt driven w/b. but its like night and day on hills. the hydro is so easy to manuveur and turn and everything else, the belt just takes some time getting used to. i was doing a lawn that had probably a 25 degree slope, the belt would do ok, but the tires would slide and turning was out of the question.then we tried the 52" we had just gotten a day or so before maybe 3 hours on it and i took it on the hill without any problem i was going pretty quick too. like i said... night and day... JMO

[benmc]

ck out the better outdoor products quick 36. I purchased one and a church property I mow has some steep angles and the machine works fine and since you only have an acre to do , one of their machines would work fine also as far as service issues most anyone will fix the machine if something goes wrong you pay out of your pocket to pick up machine and then better reimburses you... I had a belt engagement clutch bearing go out called gary and he shipped out the part to my local shop then after I picked up my mower I got my check within 4 days. also the variable resistance of the hydro transaxle makes the machine easy to handle on hills..... good luck

[LarryF]

ck out the better outdoor products quick 36. I purchased one and a church property I mow has some steep angles and the machine works fine .......................... the variable resistance of the hydro transaxle makes the machine easy to handle on hills..... good luck

benmc,

Regarding your statements about the performance of the Quick 36 on hills! Please compare the hills you have mowed with those in the attached pictures, which are on my lot. Are yours as steep as mine? I had sent those same pictures to Gary, and he wasn't confident a Q36 would be able to handle them. But to tell you the truth, I'm in such a dilemma because of these hills, I might buy a Q36 for them anyway if I could find someone with good experience with that machine on slopes similar to mine. I've been trying to find such a person, but so far I've been striking out; however, you sound really enthusiastic about your history in this regard. So tell me, what do you think? Could your Quick 36 mow these hills without a problem? The 21" mower shown in my photos is a Bob-Cat self propelled, by the way, and it has flipped over on me a few times when on one of those hills. I recently sold it, but I have another which is similar but a different brand. It's more nimble than the Bob-Cat, but still not very good for my hills, so I need something better. Will one of the Better products meet that need, in your opinion.

[dfischer]

An L120 for 2.5 acres so rough it broke off the deck brackets? Well, I suppose a tough lesson in buying the right size tool for the job.

Guys, green paint or no, if you don't invest in the right tool for the job blame the guy in the mirror for the bad decision. Deere does make a mower for the "frugal" market that want a 2K mower, but come on, to expect a riding mower that competes with MTD and crapsman price points to do the job of the real machines Deere makes is simply unrealistic. Lxxx is the cheapest, weakest riding MOWER deere makes. It ain't a lawn tractor. Ask a decent Deere dealer the difference.

My 17 year old Deere 265 lawn tractor (not a riding mower) was sold this summer for more then you would pay for a new L120. but it was built right and will probably still be running 10 years from now. Now I use a Deere Z-trak 757. I've no worries about it's quality either. Rather a lot of machine for my simple 1 acre lot, but it will probably last forever.

The point? Green paint isn't the issue. Buy the right class machine for what you expect, maybe even more machine then you need, and rest easy.

And of course, if the investment decision is done right, AND it's green, well, like those of us that own them, you'll get a great value over a life-time of use and still have great resale value.

[Accu-cut Lawn Care]

Sir,
Get yourself a hustler z. With my Hustlers, I could eat that hill for breakfast.

[LarryF]

Sir,
Get yourself a hustler z. With my Hustlers, I could eat that hill for breakfast.

Thanks, but I wouldn't attempt to use a ZTR on the steepest parts of those hills. I can and have used my 52" Lazer Z near the top and bottom of each where it is not too steep, but in the middle it got a bit scary. I could feel the machine sliding when I ventured to do so, and I chickened out. I'm a bit skeptical that a Hustler could really do things on my hills that my Exmark Lazer Z cannot, but even if it can, I'm unwilling to try. If the mower starts to slide or tip over, I don't want to be on it, and that's why I want a walk-behind for the hills, preferably one with hydrostatic drive. The 21" W-Bs I have used in the past have been belt driven and underpowered, so that's why I'm looking for an answer from benmc. I had mentioned the following in other posts on this topic, but one of my hills continues on my neighbor's lot, but his is not as steep as mine. He has had several different LCOs over the years, and none of them have taken a ZTR on the hill. It's always been mowed with a walk behind, and the current guy is using a 36" Toro. It must be pretty heavy because it slides a lot and leaves tire ruts and kills the grass. If those pros won't go on that hill with a ZTR, I'm not very inclined to do so on mine.

Nonetheless, I sincerely appreciate the advice you offered.

[nmurph]

i agree with accu-cut. i have a ditch like that in front of my house. i take my Hustler Mini-Fasttrak all over it. yesterday i was pulling my yard sweeper. up, down, across. it makes no difference. my problem with the ditch is when it does what ditches do, hold water.
to mow that slope that you have i would slow down. i would not worry about tipping. if you slow down you shouldn't have much problem with slippage, either.

[LarryF]

i agree with accu-cut. i have a ditch like that in front of my house. i take my Hustler Mini-Fasttrak all over it. yesterday i was pulling my yard sweeper. up, down, across. it makes no difference. my problem with the ditch is when it does what ditches do, hold water.
to mow that slope that you have i would slow down. i would not worry about tipping. if you slow down you shouldn't have much problem with slippage, either.

Well, nmurph, I appreciate your comments as well, but after reading them I just went out and measured the slope at what appears to be the area with the steepest pitch. It's 42 degrees. Maybe the photos I provided didn't show that, but pictures can be deceiving. Or it may be that the Hustler Operator's Manual states that the Mini-Fasttrack can be safely used to mow across the face of a 42-degree slope, but the one for my Exmark limits the slope to only 15 degrees. I suspect I've probably violated that rule sometimes and used it on about 20- or maybe even 25-degree inclines near the top of the hills, but there's no way I'll try it where the slope is 42 degrees. If anyone in or near Monmouth County, NJ wants to come by and show me how it's done, I'm willing to watch and learn. As I had mentioned a couple of times before, the 21-inch WB mowers I've been using for those hills have flipped over on me more than once, which is what led me to where I made the slope measurement. I doubt if my ZTR would also flip while on the hill because of its wide track and low center of gravity, but I certainly would expect it to slide down the hill. And if it did, it might then turn over when the wheels hit the roadside curbing at the bottom. I wouldn't want to be on the machine if that were to happen.

[davidcalhoun]

There is a ZTR sponser on here who can handle the hills. GIZMOW.

Yes, GIZMOW. Their ZTR is built just as heavy duty as the other commercial mowers. The difference is in the way they also use the front castors to help steer. This unique steering system will allow it to hold a hill better than other ZTRs.

[LarryF]

There is a ZTR sponser on here who can handle the hills. GIZMOW.

Yes, GIZMOW. Their ZTR is built just as heavy duty as the other commercial mowers. The difference is in the way they also use the front castors to help steer. This unique steering system will allow it to hold a hill better than other ZTRs.
I hadn't been aware of the GIZMOW before, Dave, so thanks for bringing it to my attention. A ZTR with a steering wheel, WOW! The video looks impressive, but I don't think as a homeowner that I'm ready to get rid of an almost new (hour wise) commercial ZTR to get another. It would be too much of a financial penalty for me. Besides, I didn't see an Operator's Manual on their web site, so I'm not even sure the hills the GIZMOW can handle include those with a 42-degree slope. But some LCOs have discussed this same hill-mowing problem at length in other threads, however, and they might be interested ith that product.

[LarryF]

ck out the better outdoor products quick 36. I purchased one and a church property I mow has some steep angles and the machine works fine and since you only have an acre to do , one of their machines would work fine also as far as service issues most anyone will fix the machine if something goes wrong you pay out of your pocket to pick up machine and then better reimburses you... I had a belt engagement clutch bearing go out called gary and he shipped out the part to my local shop then after I picked up my mower I got my check within 4 days. also the variable resistance of the hydro transaxle makes the machine easy to handle on hills..... good luck


benmc,

Regarding your statements about the performance of the Quick 36 on hills! Please compare the hills you have mowed with those in the attached pictures, which are on my lot. Are yours as steep as mine? I had sent those same pictures to Gary, and he wasn't confident a Q36 would be able to handle them. But to tell you the truth, I'm in such a dilemma because of these hills, I might buy a Q36 for them anyway if I could find someone with good experience with that machine on slopes similar to mine. I've been trying to find such a person, but so far I've been striking out; however, you sound really enthusiastic about your history in this regard. So tell me, what do you think? Could your Quick 36 mow these hills without a problem? The 21" mower shown in my photos is a Bob-Cat self propelled, by the way, and it has flipped over on me a few times when on one of those hills. I recently sold it, but I have another which is similar but a different brand. It's more nimble than the Bob-Cat, but still not very good for my hills, so I need something better. Will one of the Better products meet that need, in your opinion.

Well benmc, it's been several days since my question to you. Are you going to provide an opinion, or should I just interpret no answer from you to mean you now think the Quick 36 may not be the solution to my particular hill-mowing problem after all? I've definitely disregarded the recommendations that a ZTR could do the job, but I haven't yet done that for a 36" walk-behind hydrostatic mower even though I've gotten advice from others that I should. But before I make a decision, I would like to hear what you have to say.

[JLB611]

I ended up buying a Hydro Walkbehind. I have used it once and was amazed with what it would do. Using a 21" push mower it took around an hour and a half, now less than 30 minutes. Thanks everyone for the help.

[LarryF]

I ended up buying a Hydro Walkbehind. I have used it once and was amazed with what it would do. Using a 21" push mower it took around an hour and a half, now less than 30 minutes. Thanks everyone for the help.

What brand did you get and how does it handle the hills?

[bobcat175]

I ended up buying a Hydro Walkbehind. I have used it once and was amazed with what it would do. Using a 21" push mower it took around an hour and a half, now less than 30 minutes. Thanks everyone for the help.

Full specs please.....what did you get?

[LarryF]

Thanks everyone for the help.

JBL611,

If you are really serious about your expressed "Thanks", perhaps you will answer the questions that bobcat175 and I had asked. I am especially interested in knowing if the Hydro Walkbehind you got was a Quick 36 and if so, how it handles the hills. Time is running out on the Quick 36 sale, and although I would like to get one, the only reason would be for the hills on my lot. But if I don't get some definite assurance from someone successfully using one for similar hills, it's unlikely I'll take that chance.

[JLB611]

I got the Snapper Pro Hydro, it has a 48" deck with a 14hp Kohler. The mower has the accutrac. The mower works really well on the hill, with the accutrack all I had to do is turn the lever towards the upside of the hill and it will mow strait. I was really impressed with what I would do on the hill, I believe it is one of the best investments I have made. The reason that I got this mower was because I ended up buying it used from my father in laws friend. I am sorry I didnt get the quick 36 to tell you how it worked but if it works as good as the snapper it will be well worth the money. Thanks again for all the help, sorry for the slow response I was unable to get to a computer yesterday.

[LarryF]

I got the Snapper Pro Hydro, it has a 48" deck with a 14hp Kohler. The mower has the accutrac. The mower works really well on the hill, with the accutrack all I had to do is turn the lever towards the upside of the hill and it will mow strait. I was really impressed with what I would do on the hill, I believe it is one of the best investments I have made. The reason that I got this mower was because I ended up buying it used from my father in laws friend. I am sorry I didnt get the quick 36 to tell you how it worked but if it works as good as the snapper it will be well worth the money. Thanks again for all the help, sorry for the slow response I was unable to get to a computer yesterday.

Thanks! I appreciate the feedback.

[JLB611]

Have you decided on the Quick 36 yet?

[LarryF]

Have you decided on the Quick 36 yet?
No, not yet. I wish benmc had answered my question as to whether the hills on the church property he mows are as steep as mine, but he hasn't and it looks like he won't be doing that. As I had mentioned, the head guy at Better Outdoor Products, Gary, isn't very confident that the Q36 will do them, so I've balked at spending a couple of thousand with the risk that in the end I'll find out that he was right and I still don't have a good way to mow my hills, just a brand new Q36 that I have no use for. It seems to me that I need a demo Q36 or some strong assurance from someone who has mowed comparable hills with one, but neither of those have been available to me. So I'm not sure what I'll do. I have a high-quality ZTR and have tried to mow the hills with it, and I know that's too dangerous.

[JLB611]

I hope you can find someone who will let you demo one. By what I have found out when I was trying to decide what to buy there is no like mower and no like hill, so you are having to decide which mower is best for your own use.