My Z spray review

[Rayholio]

Hey gents.. I want to say 1st that I'm not writing this to prop up, or tear down LT Rich... I've had MULTIPLE people PM'ing me, asking how I like my Z, and if I would recommend it..

Usually I can find good, and bad in EVERY tool that I use.. I lack the ability to 'bandwagon up' with name brands, or products.. the Z is no different.

I ALWAYS read others reviews before buying.. The sharing of this kind of info is why LAWN SITE is so great!... But most people either omit the good, OR the bad from their reviews.. This is not one of those slanted tales.

I have the Z spray Jr.. mine was a demo model and was built with a 4 stroke engine. I have a standard 50ft hose, 17 gal tank, and all of the other BASIC features.. I have around 50 hours on the hour meter, and there were about 3 on it when I uncrated it.

#1 question.. "How is it on hills?" everyone asks this... big question, with a big answer.. gimmie a couple paragraphs... It CAN go on hills that will blow your mind.. It also SUCKS on them.. here's the break down: slight hills are NEVER a problem.. moderate hills can be done with some confidence after practice. REAL hills are scary, and are often done better with a push spreader, MAJOR hills can be climbed, but not applied on very well.

The WHOLE issue is that the majority of the weight (usually the VAST majority) is in front of the drive tires. when going up a hill, most weight is ON the drive tires, giving near perfect traction. When Going down a hill most weight is on the caster wheels.. which will ALWAYS turn and go directly down hill. So, the trick with this design is to NEVER allow the machine to get 'nose-low' on a hill.. even just a slight turn to the down side of a hill WILL result in total loss of traction. Yes.. Even just a SLIGHT downward turn.. say 5 degrees or less. so if your on my z, going sideways across a moderate hill, you MUST keep it nose high, or epic fail.

Forget about the locking casters.. they help on the side of some hills, but if you're using them as a crutch, they will get you hurt. When I was 1st starting, I was on a moderate hill.. hit a bump, foot slipped off the caster locking pedal.. the casters instantly turned down hill, and there was nothing to do other than pray as I slid down the hill, leaving rutts behind me. I no longer use the locks.. If I can't stick to the side of a hill w/o them, than I don't go there.

Closing the hill thing.. I know I'll get a lot of comments sayin' "NO! Z's are GREAT on hills.. you just don't know how to drive it!" I have been using ZTRs my whole life.. This is the tippiest on hills I've ever seen.. That said.. I AM confident on most hills with my Z. but the true question is if it is cost justified.. On hills I don't think so. I say this because I could use a push spreader on a 10-20k moderate - major hill a LOT faster, and a LOT safer. Over 20k of hill side.. maybe the extra time spent turning is worth it.

Now that that's out of the way.. The machine is built well. This is a high grade stainless steel item.. the welds are immaculate, and I couldn't be happier with the hydro stat and 4 cycle engine.. I literally run this machine at 1/3 throttle.. 5mph and only have to fill it up when my truck needs filled.. about once a week.. It's dang near free to operate in that regard, and I'm still poppin' wheelys on flat terrain on accident!

My gripes about the build of the machine are function related.. not quality related.. The foot platform sucks. It is too close to the machine for me.. I feel like my knees want to lock up, because I can't bend them as much as I'd like. The platform is a little slippery at times.. it's not wide enough. Sometimes going around corners, or hitting bumps will dang near throw me from the machine.. I have the bruises to proove it. The locking caster pedal is also in the wrong place, too close to the middle of the machine to be used on a moderate hill.. (which is why my foot slipped off above) the foot switch for spraying feels like it's in the wrong place, and using it makes my left leg hurt, from trying to stay on the button over moderate bumps.. The standard DASH on/off switch for the spray system is too far from the controls to use 'on the fly' The hydro-driven spreader impeller can not be turned off.. The GPS requires batteries.. ALL THE TIME.. like once a day. I think I spend more on batteries than gas. Minor I know.. but I would GREATLY appriciate strap hooks, or eyes.. there currently are none. Of course I despise the high center of gravity, AND weight location in relation to the drive tires. which could only be fixed with a TOTAL redesign. My STANDARD Jr tires are rounded.. which aggervates the hill problem. and finally, I wish the spray wand had its own pump, so it could be better calibrated with the boom, and more importantly so that I wouldn't have to turn valves on and off constantly to use it. But.. other than that.. it's great.. LOL

So, How do I like it? Some days it's great! Other days, I'd rather pull a hose.. It hurts my back a bit.. after years of running ZTRs, this Z actually hurts my back... every day it's sore. I hate pulling a trailer everywhere. I hate that a 10k lawn takes 20 minutes, and a 30k lawn takes 25 minutes. and it's not the load up time.. with a tilt trailer, I am probably only about 2 minutes slower per job than before Z. The time seems to be lost in turning, and edging in around homes etc. and before the Z... BOTH my spraying jobs AND my spreading jobs went faster (30k lawns or less) And I spend a lot of time at the truck refilling my baby 17 gallon tank :/

The thing is though.. before the Z I hired someone else to push the spreader, and pull the hose.. it was worth it to me. Now it's not. I do all my jobs myself.. The Z doesn't get 'tired' after an acre, and it ALWAYS shows up for work.. That employee I laid off.. the cost of his TAXES alone will pay for this machine in a year.

The Z is a LOT better for granular than liquid. Mainly because it can spread upto 25ft wide, and upto 8mph. I did 2 acres with granular in about 25 minutes today.. AWESOME. liquid is 8 ft wide before any overlap loss.. It's pretty much always at 5mph or less, because you want to put down SOME water with your ai. :) and I'm having mixed results with the Z killing weeds. maybe there's a learning curve there.

Bottom line.. Yes. I like it.. Would I buy another one tomorrow? probably. I STILL think this is the best mechanized applicatoin machine on the market. (FOR MY NEEDS, AND WANTS)

The real problem is that the market is made up of a bunch of near copy cat products.. They're all stand on rear wheel drive high center of gravity machines.. I think we need a fresh take on this product.. and I sincerly hope that LT Rich is the one to come out with my 'dream machine' because They've been BEYOND great to deal with.. from sales, to service and support.. I've never felt like a number, and these people GENUINELY care about me, and the product they produced.. GREAT company. :weightlifter:

I could go on.. but I've allready typed a novel :)

[rcreech]

Rayholio,

Appreciate your review...but I think you are being pretty hard on the Z considering it is still one of the best machines (IMO) on the market.

Is it perfect...probably not, but what is? LT will continue to improve on it as they have since they started. No machine will ever be perfect as one can always tear something apart.

I was talking to Ted today and the best analogy I could give is the Z is like a lazyboy and getting on my PG is like an old wooden chair.

What I focus on is the positives that totally out weigh any of the small negatives.

Tank/spreader capacity
Speed
Agility
AI tips
Transport speed
Multiple tanks
Spray hose (100')
etc.

As far as the hills, I have had VERY good luck with it. Taking it places I would have never with my PG.

[Rayholio]

I can't comapare the Z to a PG.. never used a pg. I can compare it to a front mount grasshopper mower.. with the center of weight ON the main drive tires, and center of gravity at about 7 inches high, I can go anywhere, and do anything at ANY speed... and I can do it sitting down without back problems and without being afraid of sking down a hill.. can ANY ride on do that yet? no.

The reason that I'm kinda hard on it is full disclosure.. Pleople want my opinion on the machine, and I'm not gonna tell them that it's all rainbows and lollypops.. They'll buy one based on my advice, and then wonder why they slid down a hill into a tree on their 2nd hill...

but again.. I have to agree with you.. the Z IS the best I've seen on the market. and it is easy to cost justify.. I'm glad I baught mine... just wish there was a better option. I also thought that a few of my little gripes would have been cleared up by this point in the production.. the foot platform is so many kinds of wrong..

[RABBITMAN11]

Given that you have so little time on this machine, and comments made show me that you still have no Idea how to run this machine. There is not a small or large yard this machine can't handle. There is no small, or large hill this machine can't handle. With almost 1000 hours on this machine I can speak with true experience. I have ran all the machines out there there is nothinggggg that compares to quality, reliability, and productivity. You give yourself sometime and you will be sing a different tune.

[James Cormier]

Great review!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/badpudding/applause.gif

Im close...real close!

[br549oicu8]

It was a lengthy review for sure, but overall good. I like that you took the time to go in depth with your opinion. Choices...remember that word....
The Z is not the choice for everyone. Nothing mechanical is without some fault. We are human and fit right into that same category.
With all that said....a persons reaction, size, ailments, etc...can all figure into comfort and ease review. A really tall guy might have to lean over a bit and get a backache. A shorter dude like me might just fit it perfectly. It is going to vary tremendously per individual.
We all love Wright Standers..but I have a tall friend that gets a backache within a few minutes on one. Is it the fault of Wright? No...it's just not the "choice" for him.
The bottom line is for each to research to find the "fit" for them. My son uses the Intermediate and Max on a hill I can't hardly stand on with ease.
Give the Z some time...say 6 months..and do another review. Be honest then as you are now and it'll be interesting to see what, if any, changes you make to your evaluation.
Good Luck!

[Volman]

Agree with most everthing Rayholio said, i'm on my second machine. The locking caster is great but the pedal needed to be placed different, & Rabbitman11, yes it is the best machine on the market, but it can't get on every hill. I've got just a handful of accounts that have hills that have to be done by hand. Trust me, i've put the z to it's limits & a little beyond

[Rayholio]

I realize that not everyone will agree with what I say.. I have a different machine than some.. and my experience with other machines differs.. I've also not had years to get used to the deficiencies. and it's not a matter of experience, because if you can't put any reasonably responsible employee on a machine, and have them run it without fear in two weeks, then that speaks to a problem with the machine, not the person. Bottom line, I'd have a problem putting an unexceptional employee on one of these long term.. too much judgement required in operation.

At any rate.. Thanks a ton for your comments.. if any prospective buyers have questions... I'd be happy to answer them, best I could..

[sclawndr]

Ray

If you'd ever run a PG, you'd know how good the Z really is. It's night and day different. I ran PGs for 10 years before my Z this year and the Z is better in every aspect.

You're right about the platform - I don't know why they stuck it so close to the machine. It should be bigger.

I run at 4mph and am easily doing 10k sf in 10 minutes, including cleanup. You'll get faster with more hours. There is almost no wasted motion. The Z has to be the fastest machine going.

Turn the gps off - the only useful thing it does it measure speed and you only need to do that when you're calibrating.

[a plus bob]

Ray glad you were honest about your review not every body likes every part of their machine.There is always room for improvement just look at the pics of the original Z-SPRAYS nothing like today's machine.I get bumped and bruised from time to time but sure beats dragging a hose.I would not trade my Z for any other ride on.The Z spray guys are probably working on a new improvements as we speak.I don't think Tom will be totally happy with his machines even after building the perfect dream machine!

[turfsolutions]

1. You should have bought an intermediate which is much better on hills.

2. No machine is good on scary steep hills. Of course you need to pull out the push spreader every once in a while.

3. The hydro impeller can be turned off. You need to adjust the knob.

4. You are doing something very wrong if a 10K lawn takes you 20 min.

When you become an expert operator of the Z spray, which takes at least one season under your belt, then post your review. I have been using a z for 8 seasons now and wouldn't even consider another machine, especially a hose sprayer.

[RABBITMAN11]

I agree...........

[chrisby316]

We are on our second z spray and couldn't be happier. I went to the GIE this past October before we bought our second one just to see what the other machines were like. After testing them all we decided that there was no other choice than the z spray.

It normally takes me 30 seconds per thousand on a large lawn and it gets higher on smaller lawns where there are a lot of turns. our first one was a junior which is about 5 years old and running like a champ. have had some issues with it though. The impeller control box failed and had to replace the brake system on it, but the brakes were from an new tech tightening them down too much and driving half the day without taking the e-brake off.

Our new intermediate rides like a Cadillac compared to the old one. with the new "suspension" on the foot plate it takes a lot of the pain out of my back and knees during the day but could still use a little tweaking. I agree that the caster lock lever could have been put in a better place as last week my foot slipped off of it and i ended up in a swamp. nothing i couldn't see coming. Haven't used the spray system yet and am a little wary because the handles are in different spots than on my other Z but I'm sure that i will get used to it.

The larger hopper is a life saver if you have to apply any serious amount of lime to a property. I crammed 8 forty pound bags in the hopper the other day. Didn't steer worth crap but with 6 bags it definitely held its own. saves trips back to the truck to reload cutting down on time spent at a stop. Had to get used to the new emergency brake and not smashing my fingers between it and the main tank, but it hold the machine still much better than the old disk style brake.

Better clearance, handling, performance, and durability than any of the machines i have tried. Will be buying another Z in two years when i retire the old one.

Sorry so long just feel very strongly about this machine. :o :o

[americanlawn]

Rayholio -- Thanks very much for your input. We only tested Z-Sprays for 2 1/2 hours (at the factory), but our concerns were EXACTLY the same as yours. Nice report bud.

They were very fun to drive, The zero-turn tranny worked as good as a Wright stand-on mower - very responsive and easy to steer. Our main concerns were turning on slopes while applying -- as well as transporting the Z. Nuther thing we experienced - our knees kept hitting the unit, and we felt like we were leaning forward all the time (causing lower back pain). When my guy tried the deflector shield, he had to stop the Z and walk around to put the deflector down. Tall guys with long arms would be able to reach in front without walking around, but it still means stopping the unit instead of operating on the fly.

Our 2 cents.

[chrisby316]

I agree about the deflector but then again I have never met a deflector I did like. Normally just take them off. I find its easier to turn down the impeller speed on the fly to control the spread. Although the speed control is opposite of my old z. Never even hooked up the gps unit on my new one.

[RABBITMAN11]

Here is a little about the T-3000, Painted metal ( stupid choice rust magnet) Why would you use paint on a fert machine? This on the undercarriage. Steering wheel control with optional nut buster, And horrible turning ability. Why would anyone choose this over a perma green. The only thing I did like about it was the deflector, But I rarely use the because I use the impeller control. But who cares anymore buy whatever you want. Everyone has a favorite. Cool thing is no more pulling hose!

[TurfRyder]

I've got over 300 hrs on my intermediate and think its a great machine. Tackling steep hills is quite a bit easier with plenty of weight placed into the back trays. I use iron weights instead of bags of fert. You also don't want to have more than 2 bags in the hopper or nose diving becomes an issue.

You can have your Turfco with its steering wheel and all but you won't be able to keep up with me and my Z. The hand sprayer also works great on ditches. As far as the deflector shield I probably use mine once or twice a year.

[ted putnam]

I've got over 300 hrs on my intermediate and think its a great machine. Tackling steep hills is quite a bit easier with plenty of weight placed into the back trays. I use iron weights instead of bags of fert. You also don't want to have more than 2 bags in the hopper or nose diving becomes an issue.

You can have your Turfco with its steering wheel and all but you won't be able to keep up with me and my Z. The hand sprayer also works great on ditches. As far as the deflector shield I probably use mine once or twice a year.

I've thought of doing something along the same lines. I don't need the extra fert in the trays(I have the intermediate hopper on my Jr.), so capacity is not a problem. I also don't like the thought of possibly snagging a bush or something and leaving a trail of fert behind me. My thought was to buy a tire tube, cut in half and tie off the ends and fill with sand for weights. I have been on some fairly steep hills with it(empty trays) and the "pucker factor" has been high. I'm thinking the extra weight will help. The hose reel has been very helpful on a couple of steep sided ravine/ditches. I used the machine on a 2+ acre property that was rough as a corn cob and my shins had bruises on them the next day. However, on normal lawns it rides like a cadillac. I say this because I also still have my PG Ultra and switch back and forth between them through the week depending on my laborers schedules. There is absolutely no comparison.The PG will rattle your teeth out of your head. A night and day difference. Is the Z perfect? NO. but what machine is. Is it awesome? HELL YEA. I know I will get better with it as I get more experience on it. And like any other piece of equipment...with experience comes confidence.
Ray, you wrote an excellent review. I like the fact that you voiced what you saw as the good and the bad without it turning into a slanted "sales pitch". Excellent post.

[Rayholio]

Thanks for all the input guys! I think this is actually a productive thread... All these posts and it hasn't broken down to Z vs T3K yet.. LOL Congrats!!

On the time per lawn issue..

I use a clock in the truck.. timer starts when I pull up on the job, timer stops AFTER I finish the paperwork.. and start the truck.. 2 people and a push spreader can do a 10k job in about 6 minutes.. I estimate that if I had someone else to do paperwork / cleanup/ flag and invoice posting/ chatting with customer (if home) that I could use the Z in about 12 minutes.. which falls in line with your times.. by myself.. truck stop til truck start is about 20 min..

Look.. I'm not saying te Z is a bad machine.. It's quite literally saving me hundreds.. and I feel it's more reliable and better suited to my needs than the competing products.. it's just that the best design is not here yet..

[cod8825]

Alright I have a question that Ray posted on the first post in the thread. He stated concern about the weed control. As it stands now I only have a push spreader and Hose from a tank. I get great results. I also know from talking to those individuals with more experience that everybody talks about how great boom apps work and the control that they get. The magical # 10' at 1/4 gallon per K at 40psi spraying at 5mph. What is your concern Ray and from those who have Z's what will I do to ensure I get it right the first time. I buy and treat with higher end products and surfactants because I do not want to go back and respray a lawn period. Help me out is because this is what I am planning on buying at the end of the season hoping to get a good deal purchasing out of season.

Matt

[Rayholio]

I have been using cool power at the high rate.. and getting VERY poor results.. because temps are higher, I've now switched to vessel.. no word yet on those results..

Thing is that weather here has been pretty wet until this week, and weeds have been worse than ever..

Spraying Pre-M and iron seems to have been effective, as the agitation is sufficiant.

[grassman177]

rayholio, u are not mixing correctly or ap rate is off. that is the only way you will get poor results with the machine. the weed control works, so it is operator error at fault here. check everything with water again and calibrate. i run mine at 35 psi, 5.5-6 mph and get right on with correct rate applied. machines will vary and you have to find that sweet spot

[Rayholio]

I track gallons and AI per 1k sq ft on every job.. and the paperwork shows rates are right on... so as I say, I suspect the weather may be playing a role in my sickly -but not dead- weeds..

[grassman177]

missed that part, hmm. using speed zone may help, never let me down

[Rayholio]

Ok.. time for the 2nd half of the review..

Why? Too many people think that I've been 'unfair' in only pointing out the bad with my machine.. Gotten everything from PMs to phone calls.. LT rich even offered to work with me to take the machine off my hands... (Now, THAT's service.)

People hear the good about the Z all the time from others, and I wanted to spend my time pointing out what people don't hear about... but from my point of view, the good still out weighs the bad...

When it comes to hills (again) the Z CAN get on nearly any hill.. there is a learning curve... but other machines seem like they would fail on the SIDE of a hill, where the Z does ok.. Both the PG & the turfco machine are too narrow, and seem like they might topple on the side of the hill.. Even the smaller Jr that I have never feels like it's going to topple.. it would slide down the hill 1st.. then there's that crazy turf tracker stealth.. it sprays in the rear.. and looks clumbsey.. so The Z wins here..

The good things I enjoy... GPS speed monitoring is great.. wish my push spreader had this.. Spray coverage is even.. many parts are available in the farm store, and others are used redundantly on the machine.. for example the main drive belt tension spring is the same as used on the booms.. very handy in a field breakdown. the machine is FAST.. had mine up to 9mph, and I'm sure with adjustment it could go faster.. Infinate adjustments on the spreader... if you like to spread 9 ft wide at 2mph.. no problem.. 25 ft wide at 8 mph.. no problem.. 5 ft wide at 5 mph.. you get the point.. and after your calibration, you know you're on target due to the GPS speed, and hydrostatic propeller. The one hole spreader is excellent.. extra fert bag holders are great. 50ft hose reel is a MUST HAVE.. saves me so much time. the spray manifold is quick and easy access.. ALL of the user input controls are build to last.. Really, sturdyness is the crown jewel of this machine.. Stainless with a strong, accurate hydrostat, and very few useless bells and whistles to break down. the hand break actually works! (1st machine I've ever seen with that) The booms fold up easily, and stay in place. The deflector shield works great.. and is adjustable.. ( I CAN reach it while on the machine) all of the grease points are easy to access, the tank is allready yellow, so pre-m stains won't be seen.. Pump filters can be accessed while on the machine.. easy. oversized front casters hop curbs super easy, the wheely bars work.. even on a steep hill.. (saved my butt a couple times) And it's a ZTR.. other than that.. it sucks. LOL

Again.. The machine has flaws.. it's not perfect.. and it's ok to admit that.. LT rich WANTS to know what people are having issues with so that they can continue to evolve their product.. I can't imagine what life was like before suspension on the foot platform..

But for me.. it's simple economics.. The machine makes money, saves time because there is NO fatigue element, Break downs will be minimal and feild repairable mostly.. maintenance will take very little time.. (about what it takes on my push spreader).. and it replaced an unreliable employee.. So.. AM I going to work with lt rich to get rid of my machine?? Hell no.. I love it in compairison to my push spreader and other currently available ride ons.

Some things I have been suggested to try: I might replace my rounded stock tires with the intermediate wheels and tires... they'll make my machine about 4 inches wider.. but it sounds like it impoves the hill performance greatly, as they are FLAT tred tires.. (wish I would have known to order them like this to begin with.... I might also fill my tires with ballast.. IF I use the locking casters in the future, I will try using my UP HILL foot on the switch... that should help with bouncing off it.. I'm going to move my foot switch up to the speed bar, so I can use it with my thumb.. I'm going to leave the propeller turning slowly on -0- setting just because it's supposed to be good for the hydro pump..

Z supporters & Z bashers will probably both hate this, because it should strike nerves on both sides.. The truely open minded (probably those looking to buy, or upgrade) will see this for what it is.. an open minded account of the Good, and the bad.. They're BOTH here.. yes.. I'm a newer user with 50 hrs on my machine.. but I contend that this is where most new buyers are looking for their reviews.. not from the branded 50,000 hr users who will fail to see the bad.

So there ya go.. Call it a review.. Call it a buyers guide.. I don't care.. but I'm calling it done...

Cheers!

[heathbar0]

http://www.lawnsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=141699&stc=1&d=1238174774

This was #1 (2002) one of the first z-sprays made.
On # 8 now.

It's all about experience.
The more you drive it, the better you get.

[a plus bob]

http://www.lawnsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=141699&stc=1&d=1238174774

This was #1 (2002) one of the first z-sprays made.
On # 8 now.

It's all about experience.
The more you drive it, the better you get.

Talk about old skool !!! Lots of improvements over the years.

[Rayholio]

Hmm.... wonder if I can get those OLD tires on my NEW Z?? I love traction tires..

[turfsolutions]

Thanks for all the input guys! I think this is actually a productive thread... All these posts and it hasn't broken down to Z vs T3K yet.. LOL Congrats!!

On the time per lawn issue..

I use a clock in the truck.. timer starts when I pull up on the job, timer stops AFTER I finish the paperwork.. and start the truck.. 2 people and a push spreader can do a 10k job in about 6 minutes.. I estimate that if I had someone else to do paperwork / cleanup/ flag and invoice posting/ chatting with customer (if home) that I could use the Z in about 12 minutes.. which falls in line with your times.. by myself.. truck stop til truck start is about 20 min..

Look.. I'm not saying te Z is a bad machine.. It's quite literally saving me hundreds.. and I feel it's more reliable and better suited to my needs than the competing products.. it's just that the best design is not here yet..

Did you adjust your impeller speed knob yet so it doesn't turn when set to zero?

[Rayholio]

Did you adjust your impeller speed knob yet so it doesn't turn when set to zero?

no.. I was advised against that.. It's good for the hydro-pump to be moving that fluid thru there.. So, it turns when set to -o- but just a little bit..

[lifetree]

Rayholio -- Good comments, thanks !!

[drobin]

Rayholio- I do appreciate your review and couldn't agree more with L T Rich wanting to know concerns. There customer service is outstanding. I call them once a week asking questions and they are more than happy to talk about there machine. In terms of modifications, if I hear you correctly ordering larger tires would be wise. Are you personally changing the foot pedal location? Ray do you think you could make the platform a little larger to help with comfort? I know your probably tired of talking about it but the modifications you would make interest me thanks Ray-Dave

[spray master]

Yes you can I have them on my Z-plug they gave the option for that tire when I bought it, So I'm sure they carry them.


Hmm.... wonder if I can get those OLD tires on my NEW Z?? I love traction tires..

[ted putnam]

I track gallons and AI per 1k sq ft on every job.. and the paperwork shows rates are right on... so as I say, I suspect the weather may be playing a role in my sickly -but not dead- weeds..

Years ago when I worked for Chemlawn we used Coolpower one Spring. We sprayed with a chemlawn gun@4gpm. We had more service calls that Spring for un-dead weeds(especially Dandelions.) The experience I had with it was not good. I've had better luck "spiking" my 3-way/Trimec mix with Triclopyr if I felt like I needed a little extra "oomph".

[Rayholio]

Rayholio- I do appreciate your review and couldn't agree more with L T Rich wanting to know concerns. There customer service is outstanding. I call them once a week asking questions and they are more than happy to talk about there machine. In terms of modifications, if I hear you correctly ordering larger tires would be wise. Are you personally changing the foot pedal location? Ray do you think you could make the platform a little larger to help with comfort? I know your probably tired of talking about it but the modifications you would make interest me thanks Ray-Dave

No problem bro.. I started this just to answer questions that I was getting in PMs and such.. Keep the questions comin'

AS LONG AS YOU CAN FIT THRU GATES, I would go with the intermediate tires.. I've been told that the Jr w/ intermediate tires is their best hill machine.. and that makes sense to me.. I will probably order those tires and wheels soon.. but they're pricy.. like $80 each I think..

And yes.. the mods I've mentioned will be carried out by me.. moving buttons and such will be no problem.. and LT Rich has indicated that they would provide support on how to do that..

Later I'm going to lower it, and put neon lights underneith.. I was also thinking about a shag carpet knee board.. (PIMP WAGON!)

I'm a little apprehensive about messing with the foot platform.. not real sure how I could 'hook up' to it to make it bigger... I think that's just one of those things I'm gonna have to learn to live with unless LT rich comes out with an upgrade for me..

[gqnine44]

rayholio, u are not mixing correctly or ap rate is off. that is the only way you will get poor results with the machine. the weed control works, so it is operator error at fault here. check everything with water again and calibrate. i run mine at 35 psi, 5.5-6 mph and get right on with correct rate applied. machines will vary and you have to find that sweet spot

Are you using the lavender tips? When you say correct rate applied you are tripling the rate (oz per gal or K) on the label right? I am asking for my benefit as I am still learning using the Z as a sprayer and have struggled with control. I know it is my fault just trying to iron out the wrinkles.

[Rayholio]

Lavender tips.. product x 3 x # of gallons in the tank @ 5mph is the rule of thumb...

but do your own math.. If you have a product that is applied at a rate of 1 oz per 1 k, and you have 3 oz. per gallon in the mix.. at the end of a 10k lawn you should have used about 3+ gallons.. and a 17 gallon tank should do 51k sq ft Remember that your pressure has a lot to do with this, and that it puts out different amounts of product from the uncalibrated hose, or if you're only using one or two sections of the boom.. or of course if your speed is not exact..

Still a lot more accurate than draggin' a hose though :)

[drobin]

thanks ray for the quick response, ill look into doing those modifications-dave

[EVM]

And yes.. the mods I've mentioned will be carried out by me.. moving buttons and such will be no problem.. and LT Rich has indicated that they would provide support on how to do that..

Any luck with the button moving mod? Pictures?

Thanks