Which mower would you pick?

[dougcj7]

Ok first off Thanks guys and gals for giving your professional opinions, I greatly respect you all and what you do this is why I'm asking you and not a dealer. I have a half acre lawn that I want to keep perfectly manicured and I currently have a John Deere X475 with the 54" deck. I plan on having another acre when the property next to mine is available. I also plan on mowing a couple of my neighbors lawns on my street. I want a nicer cut then I get from the JD so I have a couple of questions.

1. Would you suggest a walk behind or a ztr?
2. If walk behind, hydro or belt? Floating deck?
3. If ztr, ferris, exmark, dixie chopper, hustler or?
4. Just for giggles, give your pick if money wasn't an issue.
Keep in mind I want something that will last me for years and not have to be taken to the dealer for servicing since I don't have a way to get it there. Also, I can't enforce it enough how badly I want a PERFECT cut and it would be nice to have the option to give a nice strip job. Thanks for all your suggestions, I really appreciate it.

[DA Quality Lawn & YS]

doug - first off watch your typing, you just said you want the option of a 'nice strip job' - I can't give you that I'm afraid:)

For you, as a homeowner, I really don't think you need a commercial machine for the amount of mowing you will do. But, if you want a better quality cut, then you may have to go that route. I am very high on Better Outdoor Products and their line of walk behinds, they will give you the high, high quality cut you are looking for at a much better price than a Scag, Toro, etc. One caveat: they are sold manufacturer direct, so if you value a dealer relationship then so be it. The Quick line is VERY easy to do maintenance on yourself however, if you have basic mechanical skills. And customer service over the phone is top notch.

I am torn over whether you may need a Z or if a WB would suffice. WB's would save you quite a bit of $$ over a Z, and you can get sizes up to around 52".

One thing I would say, is you DO NOT need a fancy commercial machine for bookoo bucks. You just wont use it enough to warrant it. Get a basic commercial machine (if you value the cut quality) and you wont go wrong. Like the Quick line per above, or a belt drive walk behind.

[Green Team Landscaping]

eXmark would get my vote. Scag also, as long as you dont mind the color orange, and as long as you keep up with it, and always keep it clean, because they show use/wear easily. And Scag probably has the best striping kit out there, but it rattles around a ton. Kubota(if you are willing to fork up the $) had a very nice striping kit also. eXmark is the best natural striper out there though. If I were you, I would look into Wright Standers. it's a different type of mower, and i think you either love it or hate it.

[captn]

Commercial mowers are waaaay overkill bud.

But......you do plan on mowing quite a bit, so I would say go with the Z and find a residential model made by the commercial companies. Exmark is pretty expensive, but Scag, BadBoy, Toro, and Hustler make nice commercial "lite" machines that offer precision cut with a beefier frame. I personally like the floating welded deck.

Cap

[Az Gardener]

Nobody wants to know what kind of turf it is before making a suggestion?

[captn]

This guy is in FL. His grass types are pretty limited to Bermuda grass, buffalo grass, zoysia or St. Augustine grass. My opinion is based on the cutting ability of the Z's I mentioned compared to any walk behind I've seen. This guy claims to cut more than the average residential homeowner, so I say ride in style...and have fun with the Z's precision cut decks on some of the Commercial built, res models.

Cap

[retrodog]

If money was no option, and you wanted the best cut, I would recommend a Walker GHS (but they are high). Other than that any mainstream brand would be good Scag, Hustler, (no Dixie), or of course Bad Boy. With bb you would get alot more mower for your money, and from what I hear, they are starting to pop up everywhere down there. Alot of homeowners that want a nice machine get the lightning series (4 wheel easy ride system, michigan suspension seat, 26hp liquid cooled kawasaki, and the best part its in the 7 thousand range).

[Az Gardener]

Hybrid Bermudas and St Augustine both look better and are more likely to keep the weed population down when cut at 1"-1.5" and while you all like your z's they don't cut that low.

He may have 419 and no way you take a Z to that. He states he wants to keep it perfectly manicured. Mowing with a Z is one step above bushogging.

He may want to consider gang reels. It just struck me as typical that everyone jumps in with what they know and use without even knowing something as critical as the type of turf. JMHO

[dougcj7]

Thanks for all the tips, to be honest I'm not sure what type grass I have. I bought this home in April and the first thing I noticed about the lawn was that the grass is actually nice and thick blade type grass that grows nice and tall and green, unlike most of the lawns I see in FL that look like a sideways growing weed that goes on forever when you pull on it. I like to keep my length around 4". Why does everyone pick belt over hydro when it comes to walk behinds? Can I get the cut I'm looking for out of a wb? Who makes the best cutting wb? Thanks again for everything.

[Az Gardener]

It sounds to me like a Fescue. I have a 36" Ferris for about a year and just recieved our BOP Samuri 44 yesterday. The cut on the BOP is better and it is much faster but we are also cutting Bermuda low.

[Green Team Landscaping]

Thanks for all the tips, to be honest I'm not sure what type grass I have. I bought this home in April and the first thing I noticed about the lawn was that the grass is actually nice and thick blade type grass that grows nice and tall and green, unlike most of the lawns I see in FL that look like a sideways growing weed that goes on forever when you pull on it. I like to keep my length around 4". Why does everyone pick belt over hydro when it comes to walk behinds? Can I get the cut I'm looking for out of a wb? Who makes the best cutting wb? Thanks again for everything.
They are a lot cheaper than hydros. I have no experience with a hydro, but I have a belt mower, and it works fine; No complaints. With a 1/2 acre lawn, you would be fine with either. If you suck up the leaves with your mower in the fall time, the Z turns have a bigger capacity for leaves and grass, but if you were willing to spend the $, you could get a custom bagger on your w/b(if thats what you choose). It would be an empty trash barrel on the deck, with a helper vac that connects fro the deck to the top of the barrel by just regular tube. The only thing that I just thought of with belts(idk if the hyrdo w/b's do this) but they can't turn on a dime, or else you will tear up the lawn. SO you'll end up having to go around the edges ofyour lawn twice so you wont tear up your lawn, or leave little triangles.

[captn]

He states he wants to keep it perfectly manicured. Mowing with a Z is one step above bushogging.

Both amusing and incorrect. But you're right, people offer their own opinion on what they are comfortable with.

For residential, the Z is more fun, faster, and most likely, even a perfectionist homeowner won't be able to see the difference.

[dsm]

Both amusing and incorrect. But you're right, people offer their own opinion on what they are comfortable with.

For residential, the Z is more fun, faster, and most likely, even a perfectionist homeowner won't be able to see the difference. that is funny i thought a ZTR did make the yard look a touch better when i used it.
but if he want's it golf course nice, then yeah a real type would be the way now wouldn't it.
guess it matters on his true meaing of 'manicured'
i won't even mentioned how much nicer my lawn looked after one cut with the neighbors Dixie, since i am starting to see a trend on this site against them...:)
guess i better be looking around this winter to make my choice.

[getthenet]

I can't believe no one mentions Kubota. I run Kubota ztr s and they seem to last forever. I mow mostly burmuda though. So not much experience with stripes. A stock Kubota does not stripe very well but I know they make striping kits and higher lift blades for alot of mowers. The diesel 331 is bullet proof to me. I think the 331 is too large just for what you are wanting to do, but a smaller Kubota should be fine. If I was just doing a small area all the time, I would definetly go with a stander. John Deere makes a really nice one and several others mentioned on here. Try a stand up in your area and see what you think. Someone should let you demo one. Hope this helps. Donnie