What ZTR do I buy?

[71gearhead]

Originally Posted by saw n mow

From your list, all you need for your yard size is the Hustler Sport...what you want could be different . I have a Bad Boy MZ48 (which is very similar to the Sport) and about a 1/2 acre of mowable grass...perfect for me.

Kevin

+1 on that. You have a very small yard and the Sport will fit the bill fine, DO NOT BUY ANY KOHLER ENGINE with it.

But if you want to knock it out in about 15 minutes, here is your answer. 2011 Fastrak 52" with the 24hp v-twin kaw.

[saw n mow]

Originally Posted by saw n mow

I called BadBoy, told them which mower I had, and they said full throttle for blade engagement. I'll still try at half throttle for grins.

Kevin

With the engine running for a few minutes (not cold, but not hot either), throttle a little below halfway, the blades engaged no problem. Briggs Pro 26hp twin, 48" deck. Just to report what I found.

Kevin

[Dominick]

Decided to mow my own lawn

I have just under and acre
So I went out to Lowes ( I know I'll catch grief for that here) but I had a 10% off coupon

Bought a John Deere Z225 - was on sale for $2300 and with the coupon came to $2070
also bought the Echo PAS split boom system with Trimmer, edger and pole Pruner - Just about $600 with the attachments and discounts

Mowed my lawn in 20 min!!!

[Capemay Eagle]

Originally Posted by Dominick

Decided to mow my own lawn

I have just under and acre
So I went out to Lowes ( I know I'll catch grief for that here) but I had a 10% off coupon

Bought a John Deere Z225 - was on sale for $2300 and with the coupon came to $2070
also bought the Echo PAS split boom system with Trimmer, edger and pole Pruner - Just about $600 with the attachments and discounts

Mowed my lawn in 20 min!!!

You will not catch grief for it. You bought what you wanted and maybe with in your budget. That is probably the better of the box store mowers and should be good for you needs. I see no reason why you could not get 5-10 years out of that machine? I imagine that you have about a half acre if you did it in 20 minutes? Just be sure to winterize properly, keep you air filter clean and most importantly keep your fuel fresh! Good luck with your mower and share some pics in the Homeowner picture page, I think it is floating around on the 1st or 2nd page in this forum. Someone just posted pics the other day.

[saw n mow]

Dominick,

If the mower works for you and you're happy with it, that's all that matters. It's nice to get opinions and advice, but it comes down to you as an individual. Enjoy the quickness and maneuverability of a ZTR mower.

Kevin

[Dominick]

Thank you for the feedback. So far the mower works great. I really like the desk wash system. It seems to release the majority of the grass off the deck, and the 42" deck fits nicely through my gate.!!

I just purchased the Mulch plug with blades and the hitch to pull my thatcher and aerator

My neighbor just asked me if I want to mow his lawn!!

Between the $40 a week I'm saving by cutting my own property and the $40 I'll be getting from him each week, looks like i'll be close to break even on the mower this year.

Plus I got a free Dump Cart from JD when I bought the mower

[Dominick]

Here she is!!

[saw n mow]

Originally Posted by Dominick

Thank you for the feedback. So far the mower works great. I really like the desk wash system. It seems to release the majority of the grass off the deck, and the 42" deck fits nicely through my gate.!!

I just purchased the Mulch plug with blades and the hitch to pull my thatcher and aerator

My neighbor just asked me if I want to mow his lawn!!

Between the $40 a week I'm saving by cutting my own property and the $40 I'll be getting from him each week, looks like i'll be close to break even on the mower this year.

Plus I got a free Dump Cart from JD when I bought the mower

Glad to hear that the mower is working out for you, and now you'll be earning some cash with it. Good deal!

Kevin

[Capemay Eagle]

Originally Posted by Dominick

Here she is!!

Looking good! I have always liked that JD green and yellow! THe good thing about picking up the work is that when you get your first ZTR, you want to cut all the neighbors lawns, getting paid is a bonus! I had the girl accross from ask my wife if I would do her lawn. I declined the offer however, it was fun at first with the new machine, but the luster does wear off.

[71gearhead]

Originally Posted by Dominick

Here she is!!

Nice! There's nothing to be ashamed of with that choice. The only flak you may run into is the various consipracy theorists claim the big box John Deere mowers are different than the ones at the JD store. Both my JD dealer and a JD rep on this forum have said that's not true.

It's a super choice for a homeowner because you got big box store availability (pricing is not so much different from the dealer) AND you also have a mower that has a wide dealer network with experience in equipment repair.

Regarding the build, it might not be "near commercial" but it will have thought put into it by people with a lot of experience building equipment, it should be well thought out.