60" deck or 72"

[ealbertson]

What do you guys think of a 72" deck over a 60" deck? I have tried both. I am leaning toward the 72" but am worried about how it will do in comparison with the 60" deck on hills and semi rough ground. Are there any other things I should watch out for? The price for the 72" is only $500.00 more (It is a 2001 demo.). Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Ed

[Kent Lawns]

We use both.

The hillside handling of the machine is fine, but there is increased risk of scalping on undulating terrain.

If you've got some big, open, flat areas, obviously 72" is a time saver.

Most of our machines are 60".

[marc]

If you have a mixture of different size lawns, I would go with the 60 in., works much better on residential lawns. Also, as Kent Lawn said, uneven terrain will cause more scalping.

[stslawncare]

good point about the scalping, generally the bigger the better.

[rodfather]

I'm assuming you are comparing these two sizes on a ZTR. But if not (like on a WB or a rider) it won't matter a lot.

First of all, there is a great difference in productivity of a 72" deck over a 60"..I have 3, 72" mowers and 2, 61" mowers.

The 72's will scalp more...no questions asked. The 60's or 61's will leave a nicer stripe though.

$500 difference is nothing if you are only considering productivity of a 72" over a 60" deck...you will make that up in less than a year.

Hope that helps.

r

[Kent Lawns]

Agreed, the additional cost is immaterial.

The challange is to acertain whether a 72" is going to be better for your operation.

If he HAD a 60" already, I'd got for the 72". I feel you need a 60" Z as part of your staple production operation and therefore would probably buy that one first.

Again, only Ed knows his properties.

[little green guy]

the 72" decks definitly scalp alot easier than the 60" just like everyone else said. I demoed a 72" exmark xp desiel before I bought by 60" lc lazer. I thought that it was a very good machine but i didn't feel the need for a 72". We do some properties that are 7 acres plus but we also do some very small ones. The 60" works well on both big and small. to me it's a much more versitile machine than the 72". But it all depends on your properties.

oh yah, i don't know if i'd buy a demo though.

[Bladewielder]

You must stop and consider your present accounts. Choose a mower that you can realistically maneuver and operate efficiently on a day-to-day basis. You won't be saving any time with a 72 if you are crawling around trying not to scalp all the time. However, the 72 is the only way to go if all you do is mow huge areas. If you are buying your first ZTR I recommend starting small (deck-wise) and then later getting something bigger. Personally, I started with a 52" mid-mount and I am very glad I did so. That little thing can go places most people couldn't guess. We still have it and probably will always have one that size simply because it can get into so many places (like big back yards with small gates). I hope I have helped. I know from experience that buying the right mower the first time is very important.

[65hoss]

Evaluate your properties and see what would work best. If you get the wrong size it will not matter how good a deal you got.

[P&J Lawncare]

you also need to remember that you will have 12 more inches of grass to discharge out of this deck so if you do decide to get a 72 try to get a bigger engine on it to help with the discharge of grass it might not be as important in the summer but in the spring when the grass is the thickest it will make a world of difference. also you should also remember that once you lay lines with a 72 inch deck you cant use a smaller mower (61) because it will not match-up lines. I use all 61 inch mowers and was seriously thinking about buying a 72 last year but I was worried about what I would do if it broke down and I wasn't able to get it fixed immediately there would be no way to cut my 72 lines without screwing up my lines with a 61.

[David Haggerty]

On a ZTR the 72" will give a little better trimming because of the greater overhang. Most of the time larger decks will have more anti scalp rollers too.

If you've already demo'd this deck and you're still considering it, you should get it. You'll only get better and better operating it.

Dave

[Bladewielder]

P&J is right. The big decks take some muscle to turn. On my 61 I have a 25 hp Kohler. I would definitely not want any less power. With a 72" deck the extra torque of a diesel becomes a necessary thing. Consider it.