Encore

[BerksLawn]

Ok i have searched for about the last half hour. Figured i would bring this up to see if some new guys have experience with them. Well the dealer I use just got Encore, they got rid of Yazoo/Kees because he didn't like their ztr's. They also sell Snapper and Bobcat. Well we were in there yesterday and the Encore Z's look really nice. Anyone have any feedback on them, most of what I have read was they suck but things change over time. If so how do they compare to Bobcat and others.

Thanks,
Steve

[eslawns]

Look here.


http://www.lawnsite.com/search.php?action=showresults&searchid=80537&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending

[awm]

the ones ive seen didnt look near as sturdy as the bob cat.
course ive only seen a few.but they were setting beside bobcats and danes,and didnt grab my attention.

[65hoss]

I'd take a snapper or bobcat over an encore any day. Mine is a 1999 model that was used 1 full season and that's it. Backup since. I think I put maybe 10 hours on it last year. Mainly that came from me loaning it out to a couple of people when their mower was down. I used it for a bushhog a time or two in my garden.

Not a very well built machine.

[Richard Martin]

My impression of Encore machines is that they are not a bad mower. I don't think that they are a true commercial grade mower however and fall between a homeowner grade and a commercial grade mower. I kinda think of them as the Sutech of ZTRs. Encore mowers were at one time engineered by the same guys who started Exmark.

[Barker's Lawn Care]

Sorry but your e-mail isn't available

in an earlier post u said u have some yazoo/kees walk-behinds. i'm looking at buying 1 this winter are they alright

[ADMowing]

We just got our Encore Z34 three months ago and use it mainly for getting inside backyards with small gate entrances. It is VERY slow compared to our larger ZTRs, but that is a given. The steering is jerky, but there is less of a center, so that is somewhat understandable. While mulching, it blows stuff all over you because of the super fast blade speed. We bagged some pine needles and my husband ended up in a cloud of dust the whole time. Mind you, we are having a drought. We might be using the bagger on some regular turf that gets watered all the time next week. If we do, I'll let you know how it does.

All in all it was a good purchase, but it is not our main piece of equipment. It has a special purpose because of how narrow it is... The steering sticks are not sitting even either, which drives my husband nuts. And.... to tell you the truth, when I use it, I can't wait to get back to my regular larger ZTR (61" Bunton 25HP). Smoother steering and much less dust. I'm TOTALLY spoiled!!! :)

Another feature is that it sits low to the ground and you can get under trees and stuff nicely. We've had a hard time getting used to how high up your legs sit on the leg rest. But we do like the seat. It seems very comfortable.

This is our input of some of the pros and cons for you to weigh out for yourself.

The dealer where we got ours can't seem to keep them in stock. It is a nice addition to a service who wants easy access to fenced backyards without having to always ask potential customers, "How wide are your gates?" 99.9% of the time we can use the Encore to get into the backyard!