Which zero turn mower to get??

[Cutting 4eva 21]

Hey guys, im new to the site and to the lawn care business.I always wanted to start my own just didn't think it could happen. Until recently me and a buddy of mine decided to go for it. So far so good we only have 10 yards but thats cause we both work full-time else where. To make a long story short im debating on a zero turn mower for the starting spring season and its between the hustler fast track w/ the 32inch deck or the john deere with the 38inch from home depot. Ive heard great things about the hustler mowers and then again im skeptical on buying a mower from home depot. I know that generally all the mowers there are for home use only any help and wisdom would be appreciated. Thanks...

[jbannick18]

If your going to buy a Z buy a commercial grade one. Its much more expensive but in the long run its worth it. Personally I would not use a 32 inch Z as in my opinion the cut quality will be poor and you might as well get a 36inch walk behind.

[Budget]

I agree, a good WB. will be more productive for you. Unless you are cutting a few acres at a time. Plus WB. are safer on hills.

[All_Toro_4ME]

Don't even consider the homeowner stuff from Home Depot. It wont hold up. You will have constant breakdowns, one right after the other. As others have said, get a 36" WB, maybe even with a sulky to make the job even easier.

[Herrick]

I've been using a Deere Z425 since May on my 11 yards and I love it. I would not reccomend buying one from Home Depot though... go to the dealer.

A used WB may be a better choice for you though. Look ahead to the future, not just today.

[weeble67]

As EVERYONE on here will tell you. If you spend the money
now, you will have the investment later. You will waste your
money if you buy anything but commercial equipment. Many
of us have tried, I lost thousands. Save your money and buy
a commercial wb if you are worried about the initial cost.

[Cutting 4eva 21]

Thanks for all the opinions, it has saved me from making a mistake. So far im just running an old encore pro model walk behind its a 32inch cut, I have a lot of customers with small fences and the walk behind fits perfect. For my bigger yards i got a 2004 craftsman riding mower for now. But from what everyone has been telling me from dealers to members i think im goin with the hustler mini "z" with the 42inch deck. Hustler has a really good warranty and replacement standard.

[stevenf]

If your looking for commercial grade entrance, I would consider home depot only for echo equipment. The SRM-230 trimmer (dont waste your money on the SRM-210). I would also get a handheld echo blower.

[NC Greenscaper]

Excellent advice on the walk behinds. Look don't rush out and spend 5-6 on a ZTR because all the rigs you see have them. Lots of LCOs running around with 10 - 20 yards and a $8,000 mower financed. Don't make sense to me. 1. Buy a good commercial mower sounds like you already have one. 2. Put money aside monthly for a future purchase. 3. decide on a level of business (# of accounts) where it benefits you to have more productivity (ZTR). 4. Go pay cash for it. 5. This way you don't over extend your self.

[Cutting 4eva 21]

It makes perfect sense, so as of right now just stick with the walk-behind and the riding mower? until business really picks up then make the purchase for what fits ur accounts and clients?

[daveintoledo]

If your looking for commercial grade entrance, I would consider home depot only for echo equipment. The SRM-230 trimmer (dont waste your money on the SRM-210). I would also get a handheld echo blower.

that is not commercial grade equipment, it is not the same echo as you will find at a dealer, and if used commercially will void the warrenty as will any other peice of homeowner equipment.....

if you waht any chance at all, dump the parnter now or you are just wasting your time..... do a search her on partnerships, many have tried, most all fail....

[Cutting 4eva 21]

As far as equipment goes so far i have this!!
Old encore pro model 32inch walk-behind w/ sulky
2004 Craftsman 42inch riding mower
stihl fs55r trimmer (2)
Shindaiwa eb501 commercial back pack
stihl chainsaw i thinks its the 204 model. does it sound like im on the right track?? and whats ur opinion on the shindaiwa back pack blowers? like the eb501?

[jbannick18]

Looks pretty good so far. I have a friend that has a big business and that is all he uses is shindaiwa so you should be good there. I'm not a fan of riding mowers, you would be better off with a zero or the 36 wb.

[creeper]

For 10 yards your spending a lot of money. When I started out, my partner and I bought 2 48" walk behind machines with Velke's. Which is about the cost of 1 decent ZTR . We cut approx. 30 accounts each saturday. Buy two good WB with Velke's and you'll be much more productive then 1 ztr.

Saved all the money as we were both working full time and started to build from there. By the end of the year we had purchased used rack body dump, 2nd trailer and more machines. The next year we had 80 accounts and ran two crews. Again, took no money out and expanded on the third year and we were both full time landscapers with more work that we could ever handle.

Now that I'm out of the business , I still won't buy any garbage from Home Depot. My wife still wonders why I'm going to spend 8k on a mower just to do our own home, when the Home Depot machines are 2K. She just doesn't understand spend the money once, right.

Save your money and buy the Hustlers, but move up in class. The Fas trak is a home owners machine.

[packey]

Hey I know you guys love beating up on home depot mowers, but unless you are like my brother and can tear up the indestructable it is a starting place for some. I originally started with a huskvarna 1742 zero turn the only real complaint is their is not enough weight over the rear so it tends to slide on you easily, but then so do entry level commercial ztr's. I still have this mower with 1200 hours on it same engine and same hydro pumps. the only repairs have been two spindles at 600 hours and a cracked deck at 1000 hours (help from my brother). I have since upgraded but this allowed me to enter into the market especially when I did not have the money for commercail equipment. If you can afford it go commercial if not maintain to the best of your ability the residential and get the best you can afford. My starting equipment list goes like this weed eater featherlight, featherlight blower, weadeater brand hedge trimmer( I still use it) Murray high wheel Pusch mower bagger, Yazoo Master cut 22 in mower (28 years old and still in service). Later I added the husvarna 1742 mower and used it 4 seasons. Last year I moved it to back up status when I upgraded to a exmark lazer z used of course. I quess my point is residential can and will work (not as well) but definately commerial grade us trully better equipment cut and hadleing. Just so some of you know while I was mowing for others I was also grounds for a school system so I used only commercial their so I do know the difference. I have 6000 plus hours of seat time on exmarks

[TPnTX]

I was at a dealership the other day. One of the biggest and best around. I was talking to one of the owners and he told me there is absolutely no difference between the echo at home depot and the echo he carries. Even the price is within a few dollars. Actually he said you do get a free thing of oil from home depot.

So I'm considering that myth busted!

As far as advice, if you keep looking a wb in real good shape will come along. Save up and when you see one that is like new, buy it. Then start saving up for a Z that has low hours.

I've got a scag 36 belt with jungle wheels that been a money maker. The other day I found toro 44" with 450 hours on it for $2500.00 Lucky...maybe but I've been making due for a while. I was really hoping something would come along for $3500.00 so I'm really pleased.

[jbannick18]

Why not look at better outdoor products? The quick 36. I've heard good things about them even though I wouldn't purchase them.

[TheKraftyOne]

I live in Kissimmee and will be looking to do some residential lawns in the development I live in as a part time business. I've seen all sorts of equipment being used from a 50" Dixie Chopper that looks like it could enter a monster truck meet to a guy that shows up with a 22" walk behind stashed in the trunk of his car. I bought a used Dixon SpeedZTR(it flies) for my own yard and I'm looking to buy a new ZTR to use as the main machine with the Dixon for backup or just alternate the two. I'm only looking to do this part time but I don't want to be caught with mechanical problems and lose accounts. I've been looking at lower end Toro Timecutters and more expensive Gravely 34Z models. For what I want to do anything more than the Toro would be overkill but I'm open to other machines if anyone has a suggestion on ones they like. Thanks in advance.

[topsites]

Excellent advice on the walk behinds. Look don't rush out and spend 5-6 on a ZTR because all the rigs you see have them. Lots of LCOs running around with 10 - 20 yards and a $8,000 mower financed. Don't make sense to me. 1. Buy a good commercial mower sounds like you already have one. 2. Put money aside monthly for a future purchase. 3. decide on a level of business (# of accounts) where it benefits you to have more productivity (ZTR). 4. Go pay cash for it. 5. This way you don't over extend your self.

See that's what I'm talking about, I ran for most of 5 years with no Z, all I had was Wb's and they are one of the most efficient machines out there... I also think a lot of folks make the mistake we look on other trailers and we see the Z so we assume we need one, but even now in my 6th year my Walk Behinds get used way more than the Z, most of what you see on my trailer is one Wb.

And I saved my money and it hurts bad at first but it gets easier with time, and it is so much better, if nothing else all your plans fail and nothing works out right so you never buy a Z then at least you still have the money, worst case scenario you owe nobody nothing.

That to me is the secret to long term survival, being able to save money, for one it helps us through the rough times and the droughts.
It gets easier as you keep doing it, have to get started somewhere, but deep pockets are the ticket to hold out for.

[AbsoluteH&L]

When I started years ago I had 2 used jd 52 wb's on a crap trailer. I sold the trailer for a few hundred, bought a used but good condition 10' Doolittle. Now i have a 6.5 x 12 steel deck w/ 61 Sentar & 36 jd wb, but I still have one of my original 52's as a back-up. It still cuts better than my Sentar too. There is a company near me that runs nothing but wb's, and he has numerous crews. It keeps the overhead low, why spend $8000 on a Z when you can spend less than half for a wb. If you buy commercial your equipment is always worth money. If you ride a harry homeowner around it will get used up and be worth crap.

[Mike Blevins]

That`s what is so great about Lawnsite. You can get so many different opinions on how to start a lawncare business. There are many diferent ways to get started. Also many different types of equipment to buy. You can save your money and use less expensive equipment or buy the "best" equipment and go in debt. I felt that for me it was best to go ahead and pass on the cheaper equipment and buy everything new. I got my Scag,trimmers,blowers,trailer,and all of the extras like blades,gas cans,trimmer line,air and oil filters, with one purchase. Sheffield finance and Scag was running 12 months same as cash on purchases. I waited till a few weeks before mowing season and purchased everything together. Knowing that you need to pay this off in 12 months motivates you to get accounts. I was able with good advertising and quality work to get some accounts and everything paid off and then some. If I didn't get it paid off I would pay what I could and refinance before the high interest with my bank and make payments. I had talked this over with my banker and he was good with it so i started my own business. A few years later I have upgraded equipment and sold equipment to better my services. But it was a good start and I wouldnt do it any other way looking back.

[jbannick18]

I would have to say Toro. I was at my local dealer today and was looking at the 52's and 60's and these things are built like a damn tank. Very impressive machine