A big mistake!!

[TiredOfWalking]

I had almost 4 acres I used to mow but decided not to mow over half of it and just get a tractor instead of a ZTR. Well....BIG mistake.

I hate having that field not mowed and besides that, using the small 38in/15HP Cub to mow the 1.5+ acres just absolutely sux!! My grass is very thick and I have many trees/obstacles so it takes me almost 2.5 hours to get all this done.

I'm just miserable and pissed that I made the wrong decision and now want to reverse gears and get back to a ZTR. I just hope I don't take too much of a beating on a Cub with only maybe 15 hours on it. And, I hope I don't go overboard on what I buy.

I originally wanted a Fastrak but now I've been looking at Ebay and the used ZTR market. I'd much rather get a commercial unit that will over power my grass. I'm thinking at least a 48in deck with over 20hp.

I keep reading and reading and am curious about the Everride Warrior. I see them listed on Ebay and heard I could get a 54in/25hp Kaw for under $7k. So, I've looked at their website and tried to get dealer info, but no luck. I contacted the distributer in my area (which they have listed on their website) but I received no response. I then contacted the company directly and again got not response.

Anyone know of a Everride dealer in the Buck County, PA area (Northern suburb of Phila)? I just want to check them out.

Also, any good recommendations of where to find a used ZTR. Scag, Hustler, Ferris, Exmark, Toro, Gravely, Great Dane, Everride, Dixie Chopper, etc.....


Thanks!

[JHE]

You can get a full size Hustler Z, 23hp/60" deck now for @$7,000. Hurry - the sale ends at the end of May. Drive down to Delaware and pick it up and you will not have to pay sales tax. I looked at used mowers but was concerned about the hours and maintenance. I simply did not want something that was run 10 hours a day and that I could not get any feel for how good maintenance was. Any ones with low hours were old or you did not get the warranty. The hustler sale also includes the Mini-Z and homeowner models. Good luck.

[JHE]

Also, look around for a leftover. They are few and far between but there is a dealer in my area with a 2003 Ferris 3000is that is selling far cheaper than the 2004's. 25hp Kaw and a 60" deck.

[dvmcmrhp52]

Originally posted by TiredOfWalking
I had almost 4 acres I used to mow but decided not to mow over half of it and just get a tractor instead of a ZTR. Well....BIG mistake.

I hate having that field not mowed and besides that, using the small 38in/15HP Cub to mow the 1.5+ acres just absolutely sux!! My grass is very thick and I have many trees/obstacles so it takes me almost 2.5 hours to get all this done.

I'm just miserable and pissed that I made the wrong decision and now want to reverse gears and get back to a ZTR. I just hope I don't take too much of a beating on a Cub with only maybe 15 hours on it. And, I hope I don't go overboard on what I buy.

I originally wanted a Fastrak but now I've been looking at Ebay and the used ZTR market. I'd much rather get a commercial unit that will over power my grass. I'm thinking at least a 48in deck with over 20hp.

I keep reading and reading and am curious about the Everride Warrior. I see them listed on Ebay and heard I could get a 54in/25hp Kaw for under $7k. So, I've looked at their website and tried to get dealer info, but no luck. I contacted the distributer in my area (which they have listed on their website) but I received no response. I then contacted the company directly and again got not response.

Anyone know of a Everride dealer in the Buck County, PA area (Northern suburb of Phila)? I just want to check them out.

Also, any good recommendations of where to find a used ZTR. Scag, Hustler, Ferris, Exmark, Toro, Gravely, Great Dane, Everride, Dixie Chopper, etc.....


Thanks!



Depends where you are in bucks...........
Neighbors home and garden in Hellertown is an exmark and john deere dealer,occasionally they have some worthwhile used equipment.
Of course they always have some nice shiny new exmarks as well!
LOL!

[TiredOfWalking]

I'm in the Lower Bucks area (Holland/Langhorne area)

It's odd that a company that is trying to break into the ZTR market wouldn't get back to me on where I can buy the Warrior.

[JHE]

What is your price range for a new mower - maybe that will help narrow down the field?

[moonkat]

TiredOfWalking:
I got my EverRide Warrior 60" from Benson OPE in Aston, PA.
Matt Pruett was good to work with and knowledgeable.
Do a search on EverRide here to learn more of experiences with mower and dealer.

By the way, the EverRide is serving me very well mowing my 8 acres of lawn and pasture fast. Had a weeks worth of mowing heavy growth lawn and pasture and did about 7 acres in three hours (1 hour/1acre lawn, 2 hours/6 acres pasture).

[mowhigh]

The ER Warrior would be overkill for 4 acres. I demoed a Country Clipper JAZee on the back section I had given up mowing 2 years ago. It was 3-4' tall with brush as thick as my thumb (way too much for the JD and CCadet residential riders I tried). The 19hp Kawi 48" heavy duty fabricated deck (flips-up for easy maintenance) and 19,000 fpm blade tip speed handled it surprisingly well (slow speed with discharge chute raised up). The JAZee was a little over $4k. If you still want something in the Warrior class, check out the new Charger (23hp/52" under $6k) at www.countryclipper.com Good luck!

[mow_man_MD]

Originally posted by JHE
You can get a full size Hustler Z, 23hp/60" deck now for @$7,000. Hurry - the sale ends at the end of May. Drive down to Delaware and pick it up and you will not have to pay sales tax. I looked at used mowers but was concerned about the hours and maintenance. I simply did not want something that was run 10 hours a day and that I could not get any feel for how good maintenance was. Any ones with low hours were old or you did not get the warranty. The hustler sale also includes the Mini-Z and homeowner models. Good luck.

can you recomend any delaware dealers???

thanks

bob

:blob2:

[JHE]

Mow_man_md - Jump on the sponsor web sites at the top of the main page (Hustler, Gravely, Ferris, Exmark, etc.) and do a dealer search. All of the manufacturer sites allow you to do this. Put in the zip of 19720 (That is New Castle DE) and it should bring up all of the manufacturers in New Castle County. I don't know any zip codes for Kent and Sussex Counties but if you are closer to those Counties get a zip for them and do the same thing.

[JHE]

Oops - I meant to add that the dealers I have been talking to are all about the same on price. You would need to put your own full court press on to see if you can get them down a little bit. Good Luck.

[TiredOfWalking]

Just an update......Everride did send me a brochure in the mail and they later sent me an email listing some of their distributors in my area. Star Lawnmower in Jamison is closest to me.

Someone asked how much I am looking to spend. Well, it's hard to say. I am looking for the best deal possible but would like to keep it under $5k. However, I know I can get a 20/52 Fastrak for under $5k, but I hear I can maybe get a 23/52 mini Z for maybe $1k (or possibly less than $1k) more than a Fastrak. Somehow, in my mind, it would be worht the extra money to get a much better machine.

Also, if I do end up going with a Fastrak, I've been debating about the 18/52 vs the 20/52. For a few bucks more I'd like the 20/52 but the dealer in my area keeps thrying to talk me out of it. He says the 18/52 is more than adequate. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks.

[J.Gordon]

I have a Hutler 25/54 SWB and would not even consider a 18/52. you have to live with your choices though.(more is better) when it comes to power! The dealer is selling the machine not using it! I wonder why he is pushing the 18 instead of the 20?

[JHE]

A couple of thoughts - the Hustler sale ends at the end of May so if you are thinking Hustler you better hurry. I would go with the mini - Z over the fastrack. The devil is in the details - do your homework and figure out what the difference between the mini and the fastrack are and determine whether that means anything to you. For me, much of my mowing is on a hill so I needed a mower that has a strong, responsive and smooth drive system for better control. A large part of my decision was which mower had the best hydraulic/pump set up at the wheels. In addition, having had one mower with a rusted out deck, I really paid attention to the deck - are they commercial spindles, how often do they need greaing, is the deck stamped or fabricated and what gage steel is it made out of. If you divide the extra $ over the time period you would have the machine as a homeowner (around 20+- years) it kinda puts it all into perspective. In other words you are going to have this thing 2-4 times longer than you keep a car. What do you do when you buy a car?

With respect to the horsepower it is all in what you you do with the mower. Everyone who is in this business seems to be getting more and more horsepower on their machines. Why, because time is $ and more horsepower means a faster and better cut. As a homeowner the only reason that you are looking at a Z is because you want to spend less time on your lawn and more time doing something else. More horsepower is going to help on a hill, through thick grass, through wet grass, if you are running different kinds of blades for mulching, etc. I have never heard of or read about one person saying they have too much horsepower on their mower.

[dvmcmrhp52]

Originally posted by TiredOfWalking
Just an update......Everride did send me a brochure in the mail and they later sent me an email listing some of their distributors in my area. Star Lawnmower in Jamison is closest to me.

Someone asked how much I am looking to spend. Well, it's hard to say. I am looking for the best deal possible but would like to keep it under $5k. However, I know I can get a 20/52 Fastrak for under $5k, but I hear I can maybe get a 23/52 mini Z for maybe $1k (or possibly less than $1k) more than a Fastrak. Somehow, in my mind, it would be worht the extra money to get a much better machine.

Also, if I do end up going with a Fastrak, I've been debating about the 18/52 vs the 20/52. For a few bucks more I'd like the 20/52 but the dealer in my area keeps thrying to talk me out of it. He says the 18/52 is more than adequate. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks.


I'd go with the 20 horsepower rather than the 18.

[mow_man_MD]

thanks for the info

Bob

[aporzondek]

I was so in the same boat... I bought a brand new John Deere L120 (48deck 20hp) for my new house. I have a little over an acre to cut. Figured I was making the right choice, then soon realized it was taking over 2 hours to cut. I cut it about 4 times.

I called Home Depot to see if I could return it. Would you believe they took it back with very little hassle!

I then headed to my local professional lawncare store Weingartz and picked up a brand new 2004 ExMark Laser CT (52deck 19hp Kaw). Talk about going from slow lane to the fast lane :D !

Granted, I dropped close to 4g more for the ExMark but it makes cutting the yard a pleasure. I also ordered the Turf Striping kit, just waiting for it to arrive!

Aaron

[JHE]

I am in the same boat. Just got my Hustler Z 25 Kawasaki and 60" deck and what a world of difference in both quality of cut and speed. I will NEVER go back to a regular tractor and the way this thing is built I may never need another mower. I am thinking about getting the quikchute because I want to run a open chute but my dogs, passing traffic, etc. are making me nervous.