My new toy w/pics

[hi_speedreed]

So I have wanted a new mower for a while but said I would use what I had until it broke. My timecutter broke a couple weeks ago and my 33" cub bit the dust the other day so I said its time to buy a real mower. I wrote all my properties down on a piece of paper and beside it wrote the size mower that would best suit that property. I came to the conclusion I did not need a ztr. I settled on 36". I know I have said before that 32" would work best for me but I will just have to use a 21 on the few properties that the 36" won't work.

I chose Hustler because I did not want a fixed deck and I wanted to easily change the deck height. It was down to the Ferris comfort control and the Hustler Trimstar and the Hustler won out because of the controls and the ease of deck height change.

Here are pics of the machine. I was mowing the grass at my house. It was around 10" tall and I only made one pass.

[BaxtersEssentialLawnCare]

Nice I was looking at one at my dealer the other day. Someone had bought two I think I one.

[Planet-Landscape]

Very nice. Nothing like a new toy. I still get that feeling years later.

[hi_speedreed]

I forgot to put the pic up of the Made in U.S.A sticker. Richard Martin would be proud. Kidding aside it is amazing. After mowing all day with the 33" cub I would come home wore out cause you have to manhandle that thing. This mower does all the work for you. The controls took me longer than they would a person who has never rode a motorcycle. Motorcycle you roll the throttle back to go forward and this you roll forward to go forward. I don't know why it gave me trouble but I had it outta my system after playing in my yard for about 30min. I told my mom (who is 48 shhhh, don't tell her I told) I bet I could put her on this machine and she would be mowing perfect in no time.

My only complaint is it's a little light in the front. Roll that throttle to fast and the front pops up and when going up a slope you have to take it easy to keep it from popping. It could be just me though and not entirely used to the controls. I know when I first sat on a ztr, I musta looked like a monkey humpin a football to anybody watching. I'm sure with more practice this mower will be like an extension of my body. I'll know exactly how to feather the controls to make it move the way I want.

[superdog1]

Looks like a nice mower. I am really getting tired of fighting with the ECS controls on my Exmark Viking and this looks like a great alternative?

[Hawkshot99]

Originally Posted by superdog1

Looks like a nice mower. I am really getting tired of fighting with the ECS controls on my Exmark Viking and this looks like a great alternative?

Fighting with? Its pretty easy to me.

[hi_speedreed]

I got it yesterday and played in the yard. I mowed my accounts from Thursday today and I can see it is really gonna save me time. I cut everything in about the same time today and I was still a little awkward. Like I said though, I know with practice it will be second nature. I noticed as the day wore on I was getting way better. I also have the Velke X2 for it. The dealer gave it to me and installed it at no additional cost which I thought was awesome. I took it off cause I walked every yard today and it kept banging my shins hanging there. Once I took it off I noticed I was running the machine better. I'll probably only use the Velke on one yard. I like to walk and the Velke was hard on my knees and feet but you can go faster unless you want to jog behind the mower.

This is my first hydro walk-behind. Maybe you guys can shed some light on this for me. With the Hustler I got instant reverse I just roll the handle back. After thinking about it this mower is very similar in how it is controlled to a ztr. push the sticks forward go forward let go of the sticks they go to neutral pull the sticks back you go back push the left stick forward you turn right push the right stick forward you turn left. When I looked at an Exmark with the ECS controls it looked like you set it at the speed you want then used braking or slowing of that drive wheel to turn. What do you do when you are in a tight area and need to go up and back only a few feet? I'm not trying to start anything. I really want to know.

[Hawkshot99]

Originally Posted by hi_speedreed

When I looked at an Exmark with the ECS controls it looked like you set it at the speed you want then used braking or slowing of that drive wheel to turn. What do you do when you are in a tight area and need to go up and back only a few feet? I'm not trying to start anything. I really want to know.

All Hydro walk behinds have a "neutral zone" with the controls where nothing happens with the hydros. On yours you twist the grips either forward or back from that zone to Control forward/reverse/turns. On the ECS the "neutral zone" is when the control levers are about 1/2" away from the grips. The farther forward you set the speed setting the farther the levers can go forward. But the Neutral is always in the same spot, and you squeeze tighter from neutral to go in reverse. I would say yours may be a bit easier on the hands at slow speeds(not always having to be squeezing the controls), but ECS is better when you can open it up a little. You set the top speed and release the controls, allows straighter lines.

[Tharrell]

I just got a Super Z and was wondering about the Trimstar.
I have a bunch of other walks and some places I use them they have to be man handled because of the terrain, that's why I use them there.
I just wonder if I could man handle them like I do my Scag SWZ or my Bob-Cats?
I mean, climbing out of ditches and climbing the side of a steep hill covered with lush clover.
I get myself into some tight spots sometimes and have to wrestle the machine to get out.

[Richard Martin]

Originally Posted by hi_speedreed

I forgot to put the pic up of the Made in U.S.A sticker. Richard Martin would be proud.