Sell me on a mower

[Lawn Dog2001]

For the last 4 years now I have used Exmark belt driven walk behinds and been pretty pleased.

This year I am in the market for another mower and have decided to go hydro.

I have read a lot of good things about your machines on this site, and I have a dealer not even 5min away from me here.

I already have a price from my Exmark dealer on a 48" turftracerHP 17Kaw. What can I expect to pay for a 48" Hustler Hydro walk with a 17 Kaw"? I tend to prefer Kohler engines, Do you also offer Kohler engine options on your machines?

How do your decks respond to adverse conditions. Here in PA the last two years, cutting conditions have been adverse to say the least. Very few dry days to cut, especially last year. This is one of the reasons I am considering change, as I was somewhat disappointed in my Exmarks last year.

Basicly I am asking you to sell me on this mower. Any info that could be helpfull in my decision making process would be appreciated.

[ScCo]

just go demo one and nobody here will need to sell you on it. It will sell itself to you

[Lawn Dog2001]

Originally posted by ScCo
just go demo one and nobody here will need to sell you on it. It will sell itself to you


Theres not going to be a demo. There is over a foot of snow on the ground here. What do you want me to do, put a plow on it and push snow around my yard?

Besides I am really looking to buy this month, and the weather isnt looking any better, judging by the forecast.

I would also like to know a little about your warranty, if you reply back to me.

[mowerconsultant]

I did not forget abut you Lawn Dog2001, I am playing catch up from not being in the office the last 2 weeks.

I will answer your post tonight.

Pj

[ScCo]

well, if you want a mower that cuts great, has a lot of potential speed for areas where you are able to use the speed, has really smooth hydraulics, is built like a tank, and has an awesome warranty...then buy a hustler.

Might be worth waiting until the weather allows for a demo to make sure it is what you want. As much as I like my super z and as awesome as I know it is, you should always try a machine before you buy it, even if it does require a bit of a wait (for the weather to improve).

Hustler makes great machines. I can't wait to put my new super z to work this season.

[mowerconsultant]

The MSRP on a 17 / 48 Hydro walkbehind is $5545.00, now you should be able to get a good sale price on this unit from your local dealer.
I am sorry we do not offer Kohler engine on our walks.
Who is your local dealer ?
Remember for this price you are getting H-Bar steering, a alternative to pistol grips.
You will not find a unit with a heavier built deck (lifetime warranty on the leading edge), this unit has cast iron spindles compared to aluminum in a Exmark.
This unit also has a very heavy duty tractor frame.
The Hustler walks are designed with a lower engine platform, this will keep the center of gravity down low for the best hill side handling walk behind on the market, and I know in your area you need this.
The frame also comes pre drilled to accept most aftermarket stand on sulky brackets, we even double plate that area for you, we know this is a weak point on a lot of non Hustler mowers out there.
Your question on the Hustler deck cutting in adverse conditions is a good one, we did see issues last season (as did every mfg) in the extreme wet conditions.
We had some customers that did not have a problem at all, and some that did, the key to the situation was to keep extra sharp blades on the unit, make sure the blade tip speed is up to the max factory settings (we are looking at speeding this up) and make sure you keep the deck as clean as possible.
In some cases we had to readjust deck pitch due to grass types, in different regions of the US.
I can tell you there is a member here on LS (gr8pyrs) that bought a unit last summer and is in the Pittsburgh area, maybe he will post to his experience with his unit in some of the same conditions you have.
As a added note, you really need to go drive a unit at your earliest convenience (maybe in a parking lot since we have snow on the ground) the H-Bar steering system is by far the smoothest most effortless system you can buy, this alone makes a lot of guys buy the Hustler WB.
There are several members on LS that have our walks and I am sure some will respond here.

Pj

[Lawn Dog2001]

Thanks for all the good info mower consultant. My local dealer is Wolf Metal Fab./Saxon Turf Equipment. I must drive past them at least twice a week. I just have never had the time to stop in and check out their mowers.

I plan on stopping in and taking closer look soon. Hopefully we will get some better weather here so I can get a chance to run one for a while.

[PaulJ]

I love mine!:D :D

48" Suoer
23hp

with bullrider
&
Accelerator.

[Lawn Dog2001]

Thanks for all the good info mowerconsultant. My dealer will be Wolfe Metal Fab/Saxon Turf Equip. here at 15068. I drive by the place at least 2 times aweek. But I have never had the time to stop in.

Hey is Hustler going to be at the Feb 23-25 Turf show here in Monroeville PA? I know many equip manufacturers our going to be there. It is a pretty big show. I plan on going so that would really give me a good oppurtunity to check one out close up, and speak with one of your reps.


PaulJ that is one kick ass setup!!

[mowerconsultant]

Yes, Hustler will be there.
We will be in our dealers booths.

Pj

[J.Gordon]

Lawn Dog2001 I purchased the 25/54 super walk-behind, and I have been very pleased with its cut. The H-bar is the best control system out there bar none! You can operate the machine safely with one hand, while still being in full control. The tires are big enough so you can run a lower tire pressure giving you better traction, smoother ride and a fast ground speed with less rutting. It has plenty of power to run doubles, which is the best I have found for my area. I would put it up against a Z with comparable decks as far as production in my area. As Pj said it has cast iron spindles with grease zerks! I have had mine apart already for preventative maintenance and I can tell you they are well built and would be very easy to repair. The quality Hustler has put into this machine is impressive to say the least. This is a world class machine!
If you purchase a machine like this you need a BullRider or equivalent to see the full potential. But I would highly recommend demonstrating any machine before investing that kind of money. Jeff

[gr8pyrs]

Lawn Dog,

I have a 54" SWB and love it.

Check out Krigger Equuipment too. They also handle Hustler here in PIT. Thats where I got mine. They've been good on the support side too.

Russ

[1MajorTom]

Originally posted by Lawn Dog2001

Hey is Hustler going to be at the Feb 23-25 Turf show here in Monroeville PA? I know many equip manufacturers our going to be there. It is a pretty big show. I plan on going so that would really give me a good oppurtunity to check one out close up, and speak with one of your reps.

And for anyone interested in meeting with the Hustler Reps, here is a link for more information.

http://www.paturf.org/western.htm