Exmark Lazer Question (opinions please)

[chrisk]

I am ready to buy my first commercial ZTR.
I have decided for the Exmark Lazer or Lazer HP.

My yards are from 1/4 acre to 2 acres.
Most are 1/2 acre.

I need a little help deciding on which mower to purchase.
Help me guys!!!!!

52 Lazer HP with 20horse kohler(I think)
52 Lazer HP with 23horse Kawa

60 Lazer with 23horse Kawa
60 Lazer with 25horse Kohler with Donaldson filter.

Which one do I choose??????

I have a 6.5 x 16 ft trailor So space is fine.
I have no gates to worry about.

Thanks for the help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chris

[chrisk]

Also,,,

I have been told to stay away from Kohlers,,,, is that right???
Thanks
Chris

[swtolar]

I have just recently purchase an Exmark with a Kohler Engine and have had no problems. All my mowers have Kolher Engine. So I really think that its just a personal perference. For up to 2 acres I would go with a 52" mower, anything greater the 60".

[TLS]

I feel you should look into the 60" 26hp EFI Kohler EPS, or the 27hp LC Kawi. Both are more powerfull than any of your other choices, and really dont cost all that much more.

I'm a fan of bigger, better, faster, more!

[mickpeg]

I think it depends on what kind of terrain you're dealing with.

Are all your lawns flat or are they hilly and undulating?
Do you have to deal with long, wet grass?
Are there many obstacles? Trees, gardens etc.

If price isn't an issue and if there are any hills, I would stay away fom the HP.

My lawns are mostly uneven and hilly so I can only use a 52" deck or else I'll scalp areas.

Go with the horserpower and which ever deck suits your lawns depending on the layout and condition of your lawns.

Mickpeg

[Old Guy]

I have the 52" HP with a 23 Kawasaki. My lawns are mostly from 10,000 to 20,000 Sq Ft. Some are rolling and some have somewhat tight spaces to get into. The 52" has been great for my type of mowing.

[65hoss]

I have the 52" HP with 23 Kawi. After test driving a few z's with kohlers at Louisville, there is just no comparison. The kawi is much more powerful. 52" HP is a great all around mower. You can get into tight places and work easily in landscaped areas, or kick some grass in the wide open with the speed.

Matter of which one you like.

[awm]

ive owned good of kohler ,kaw,and briggs. the strongest engine ive ever owned is the command by kohler
on the machine out there rite now.
it really amazes me at times.
i can cut hay at a fairly good pace or a well kept lawn at just short of full speed.
i can cut it at full tilt ,but i hold it just off top speed to get it rite the first time.
my vote kohler. good luck in your looking.they really are both good solid motors from my experience.

[accuratelawn]

Lazer Z 60 25 Kohler

[PIG SOOEE]

If your wondering what engine ask yourself or dealer a couple of questions.
1. Who gives him the best technical support Kohler or
kawasaki?
-do they ever see reps from either company.

2. Who gives him the best parts support?
-can they get it next day
-can they get it at all

If were talking engines,the Kohler 25 with the Donaldson system will give you many good hours of mowing.

[SLS]

I have a 23 Kawasaki on a 60" Lazer Z.

725 hours with ZERO problems.

If you decide on this engine tell your dealer you want the canister-type air filter package...like the Kohlers have on them.

I've got a Kohler Command 16 hp on my riding tractor...roughly 1000 hours on it too. ZERO problems as well.

Both Kawasaki and Kohler should serve you well as long as they are properly maintained.

I'm with 65Hoss though...the 23 Kawi seems stronger than the 25 Kohler I demoed. Don't know why this is...but it obviously had more "oomph!!". Good luck and enjoy the new machine, chrisk. :)

[jrblawncare]

Chrisk,I have the 52 w/kaw. and love it .....We only have a few lawn where the 60 would be better.Who are you dealing with ....Central Equip. in Lexington ?

[John Gamba]

Go With The 60" Lazer Eps 26FI You Can Run Doubles Very Easy. It Comes With the Suspention Seat To. It Climebs Better than the Liquid Cooled And Get;s Great Milage.
Good Luck!:D

[chrisk]

Jrb Lawncare,,,,

No It's Joe Hill Tractor here in Bardstown. They have quoted me some great prices!!!!

I am still stuck here. Some said to go with the kawa, and some said Kohler.

Does anyone know about what a 26ef or liquid cooled runs price wise

Thanks for all the help guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chris

[TLS]

ChrisK,

In the Fall of 2000 , I bought my 2001 LC for $8495, I believe then the EFI was about a hundred more. Most of the guys with LC's paid approx the same if I can remember correctly.

[Alan Bechard]

sounds to me like you do not care that much one way or the other. In that case I would walk to the back and talk to the mechanic (not the salesman) that would be supporting your mower. Ask his opinion and go with it.

You really can't make a bad choice here, all the engines have their pro's and Con's but they all perform fairly well. Exmark will not tolerate a dog on their mower in my opinion.

I think the important thing is that you get the mower NOW, as you are running out of season to make money with it. Nothing will spoil the taste of a nice new mower as quick as looking at the payment book and the mower in the garage not making you any money.

Al B

[Oliver1850]

My Laser Z has a 25 Kohler and my Tiger Cub has the 23 Kaw and can easily say the Kaw is much stronger.

Another difference is that the Kaw is much quieter.

I personally feel the liquid cool is over kill, especially given the size of the yards you stated.

[Runner]

If you're going to go with a 60" deck, (that would be MY choice), do NOT go with anything under 25 hp. While the 23 cuts well in normal conditions, there is MUCH time in the spring when the grass is really growing, is tough, and is occasionally on the wet side. I've talked to too many owners of the 23's that say they wish they would have went with some more power. Also, when you get into the fall, with heavy leaves, that extra torque is nice, too. I think you'll find that with the price difference between the 25 and the 26 EFI, you'll PROBably opt for the 26 EFI. You are getting so much more than 1 hp and a suspension seat. (actually the hp rating is rated at 3 more usable hp for the EFI.) You will also be getting a trouble free, self diagnostic system that runs and starts well in any conditions, hot or cold, has a better throttle response than carbed engines, and when you hit the thick stuff, grass and leaves, this is where the EFI really shines. If I didn't own this machine already, it would certainly be the one I'd get. The only other I would be considering would be the 27 LC. Even then, make sure you get the suspension seat. You can't go wrong. Actually, that is much of what influenced me to get the EPS unit. I priced out a regular Lazer, and by the time I added the foot operated deck lift, the canister air filter (these were only optional on the units but standard on the EPS at that time) and then the price of the seat upgrade, it was then more feasible for me to just purchase the EPS and get the EFI. My mower was $9300 out the door at that time, and that was in 2000. I hope this helps, and good luck to you in your choice.;) Let us know what you end up with!

[Mid Rivers]

I like my 60", 23HP Liquid cooled Lazer.

:blob4: :blob3: :blob2: :eek: :angel:

[TLS]

Here is a rundown of torque values of various ZTR engine choices...

HP....Type....Man....lb/ft
23....AC....Koh....33
25....AC....Koh....40
23....AC....Kaw....41
23....LC....Kaw....41
25....AC....Kaw....42
26....AC....KohFI..41.6
27....LC....Kaw....43
27....LC....Daih....44 N/A Diesel
31....LC....Daih....51.6 Gas
31....LC....Daih....54.6 Turbo Diesel


Yes the 23 Kohler will do the job, but look how much more power is available in other engines...

[AltaLawnCare]

TLS made a great point about the torque curves (which IMHO is more important than HP)

The 25 has 7 more ftlbs than the 23,...which is what I have and it does well.:cool:

I mowed one yesterday at 3.25" ...the grass in places was over 6"; it pulled hard, but still gave a smooth cut - no double cutting.

I believe Exmark uses the pulley systems to make the most of getting the engine power to the deck. My dealer told me the full sized lazers put the power down to the blades better than the HP.

If mine ever wares out, I'll go with the 26efi.
;)

[John Gamba]

You Said It All.

[Guardian]

TLS -

EFI cost much more than $100 or so. Today I received a quote on a 60" w/ 25 KOH $8364.15 (out the door) and the 26 KOH EFI was $9534.39 .....$1170.24 more.

I believe the issue between these mowers is not power as much as its about longevity. The EFI will probably last longer. I sell my mowers every 2 to 3 yrs, so the 25 KOH will do fine.

[TLS]

Guardian,

When I bought mine 27HP LC KAWI for $8495, the EPS (EFI) wasn't much more. Maybe a $100 or so more. If your being quoted $8400 for a 25 Kohler, that seems quite high. I remember 25 Kohlers being around $7500, and 26 EFI's coming in under the $9000 mark.

[John Gamba]

April 2000 EPS 8550. april 2002 9300 with the striping Roller. these are connecticut Prices.

[TLS]

$9300 - minus the striping roller = $8800. So I was off by a bill or so! :D Still way off of guardians price. Both of his seem about $700 too high. $700 buys a nice blower and string trimmer.

Oh yeah the striping roller is worth every penny! Its not just for stripes!

[KerryB]

Most of my lawns are the same as yours. I have the 52" w/20hp Kohler. The best investment I ever made. It is fast and it mows great. I really like the canister type air filter and the deck is the right size. I have had zero problems.
Its small enough to get into those tight places and large enough to make quick work of the larger areas. It mows great, nice and clean.

[REO]

I am seeing alot of " Opinions " on this post and I will give you mine as well. I had a 60" LQ. kawi, a 72" EFI and now I have a 72" LQ Kawi & a 52" Kawi HP. I have to say that I mow anywhere from 15,000 sq. ft. - 11.5 acres. I have to say that I would stack up my 52" HP against " ANY " 60" and get around better than they will. My advice to you is to have your Dealer bring 2 different one's out for you to try and make up your own mind. After all, you are the one buying and using. Just my opinion!

[steve122]

We have 4 Lazers w/ 27 LC Kawasaki's and 2 w/ 25 Kohlers. Like the LC better for power and quiet, but the 25's are much better on hills because of the lower overall weight of the machines. We cut on some pretty steep slopes. Have a 25 hp Kohler on a 60" great dane and it's always seemed short on power to the deck. I think the(Dane) is using too much of the power to run the drive motors at a high ground speed. We demo'd the 26 EFI and had a used one for a loaner for several days while the dealer was working on another machine. Loved it except for the mechanics comments. The used machine was traded in by a golf course. The mechanic said they ran it thur standing water in the spring and got water in the EFI electronics, which are located at the lower part of the machine. The shop never could get it to run right again and Exmark wouldn't warranty the electonics. We run thru stnding water a lot in the spring and were afraind of having the same problems or we'd have some or all EFI's. All of our machines have 60" decks. I think the dealer makes or breaks most models and locally we've got an excellent Exmark dealer, WM. Nobbe and Co. in Waterloo, IL.

[Guardian]

I bought the LazerZ, 60" w/ 25KOH today. The price was $7819.95 plus tax. I believe it'll do the job well. Do you think I paid too much?

[KerryB]

Not sure if it is a good price or not. But just to give you a yardstick to measure by my Exmark 52" 20hp Kohler was $6,900.00.

[AltaLawnCare]

Originally posted by Guardian
I bought the LazerZ, 60" w/ 25KOH today. The price was $7819.95 plus tax. I believe it'll do the job well. Do you think I paid too much?

If thats the best price you could get in your area.........
No you didn't pay too much.

[brucec32]

Originally posted by chrisk
Also,,,

I have been told to stay away from Kohlers,,,, is that right???
Thanks
Chris

Unfortunately, there is a lot of unsubstantiated opinion being passed off as fact around here, as you will find on any internet bulletin board.

Just as Ford people say Chevy's are junk, and vice versa, a lot of people are biased towards what THEY chose, because it helps confirm they made the right decision.

Kohler would be out of business if their engines were so bad. I've had 5 mowers with them and only one failure in 10 years, and that was on a unit I bought used 7 years ago. It was about a $100 repair. Big whoop. There may be a certain model that is problematic out there, but the 12, 14, 15, and 18 hp units I've used have been great.

[Ricks Z28]

I have a 52" lazer hp & LQ 27hp and they both have Kawi's on them and I used to use Deere's. My vacuums on my Deeres had Kawi's and I had about 1800 hrs. on the vacuum engines and no problems so I guess thats why I chose kawi's for my eXmarks. No problems Yet.

[o-so-n-so]

I bought a Lazer Z-25hp Kohler Command--60" cut last March. I like it alot. Quality cut and plenty of power for maintained lawns. No problems at all. It was my 1st ZTR and have no regrets. $$$$$$$maker.

[lawncare3]

When I get un-broke I will plan on buying a lazer 52". :)

[Brieldo]

I'll be getting a 2003 28EFI EPS. I demo'd a 26EFI last year and I loved it...with more power, it's only goin to be better! :D