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I have to say something about the above.

In the Tri-state area (PA, NJ, DE) home depot DOES have a repair center where units are taken. It is located in Pensauken NJ. I have a buddy that works there.

Many of the local dealers recieve the return and problem machines from Lowes and those that are worth repairing (meaning they are not seized up or have bent crankshafts etc) are repaired and then either returned to the customer or sold as a close-out or used machine at a pretty good discount.

Also, anybody ever go to home depot and see a peice of equipment with an orange spray paint mark on it? If it has that marking, theres a 90% chance it was taken to that repair center and returned to the store. (I know it is that way around here, but I can't speak for the whole country)
I was referring to in store service I have two 21in. mowers that I bought from the home depot returns. What Im trying to say if you go there and buy a Home owner rated Z and it breaks down on you How long do you think the turn around time is gonna be. Can you wait a week or two for it to come back? Im not trying to turn this discussion into a cat fight Im trying to point out If everyone started buying MAJOR EQUIPMENT at the local homie depot whats gonna happen to the local landscaper supply?:confused:
 
Discussion starter · #42 ·
Wow, I can't believe the response to this thread.

I didn't want this thread to be aimed at Home Depot or Lowes.
That was not the point.

You could purchase these at a normal lawn mower shop that was a John Deere dealer. I would never purchase a new rider mower from Lowes or Home Depot, I would go do the dealer that would be servicing it.

As far as the sweet smell of cheap price compared to the bitter taste of poor quality. It would all depend how you are using this mower. If you are running a mower 8 hours a day 5 days a week than you would never purchase this mower in a million years. However if you were cutting 10-20 lawns a week on the side and you know you aren't going to beat on the mower because of your operating experience, then why spend $4000+ more for a mower?

As for me, I'll stick with my Exmark HP and Wright Stander, and if I ever had to choose between a new $4000 John Deere and a used $4000 Exmark, Scag, Bobcat etc... I would stop to think.
 
The Deere website says they have a single kanzani pump and two Parker motors. I have no idea if this is good or bad or how it compares to the Deere commercials. If anyone knows, how would it compare to the integrated units on the Phazer?
 
The Deere website says they have a single kanzani pump and two Parker motors. I have no idea if this is good or bad or how it compares to the Deere commercials. If anyone knows, how would it compare to the integrated units on the Phazer?
The Deere commercial units use the same setup now.
There may be some cc differences though.

The way it goes is that they use parker motors similar to everyone else, but instead of two pumps, they use a single integrated Kanzani pump. It's basically two pumps in one housing with a nice big fan.

That's the good part. The bad part is that this is 'typical-Deere' in that they gotta use something oddball and special... and they also gotta make sure it costs a fortune when it breaks. One side goes out on an integrated unit... now what do you do????...... see what I mean.

The bigger EZtraks have this setup. The smaller ones have the twin IZT transaxle setup similar to the eXmark Phazer.

*******************************************************

On a side note, believe it or not I actually left the house today... LOL... and I saw what was either a EZtrak 425 or 445... and again I gotta say it looked dang good as I passed by it at 55 mph.

Deere did a sneaky job of making them in the image of the 757 Z-Trak's.
It's like the 757's mini-me.
 
be smart, spend the extra money, buy a real mower. its not going to leave you stranded in a lawn like a fool
 
be smart, spend the extra money, buy a real mower. its not going to leave you stranded in a lawn like a fool. also, if your going to do this for a living find a good dealer, not a chain store, and build a real relationship so when things go wrong, you stay in business
 
hi daricek I was going to buy a eastrack from my local dear dealer any ways he services his people befor the lowes and home chepo gang there are 2 other machines I like the hustler fast track and the gizmow mower I got a quote from my local walker dealer $11000.00 is out my reach the price of a good used car lol
 
I may buy one im part time
If you do, at least buy it from a dealer and not from Home Depot. I was just in one of our Home Depots, and the EZ Trac had a sticker on it that said it was assembled and supplied by our Local John Deere Dealer with his Business Name, Address and Phone Number on it.
 
I went to my home depot to nite thay are not going to sell the one I want the 445 thay are going to sell the 2 smaller one 425 and the 225 thay also got in one of them new cubs conventional zeros I like it sat on it open the hood kick the tires that kind of thing lol
 
Their usually equivalent to a www.simplicitymfg.com a ztr for home owner use mostly is the champion 20/21hp models. Im looking at a citation commercial/home owner for the spring for my smaller yards. The champion is still 4k+ even and no its not commercial. I doubt anything under 4k is commercial

Engine $1500+
Twin hydros $400 ea
twin wheel motors $250+ ea
two drive wheels $200
two front caster wheels $80

theres about 3grand right there and that doesnt include the warranty, frame, belts, every bolt, design or assembly..:) anything commercial pretty much starts at 5k. I got my basic ferris 27hp kohler/61" deck for $6900 a year ago before they went all suspension, my simplicity 48" deck citation will be suspension for my smaller yards, ill be happy.:weightlifter:
 
anything bought not from a dealer basically the warranty is useless.

Come April-September, your mowing lawns daily/weekly. when one little $100 thing breaks, take it to home de-pot and theyll tell you take it to some authoized service center in middle of no where, 2 weeks later your machine will be back with a boatload of pissed off customers:)
 
anything bought not from a dealer basically the warranty is useless.

Come April-September, your mowing lawns daily/weekly. when one little $100 thing breaks, take it to home de-pot and theyll tell you take it to some authoized service center in middle of no where, 2 weeks later your machine will be back with a boatload of pissed off customers:)
That's very very very true ^ !!!!!

With that said, buy one of these units if you want.
I see zero wrong with you experienced and/or part time guys doing so...

Just patronize your local John Deere dealer if you have a good one...
And if you don't... buy something else... there are other $4,000 ZTR's.

By the way....
The 425 or 445 I saw the other day... that was at a Dealer.

Also, I have a friend who is a Deere tech....
Want me to ask him his professional opinion of the EZtrak's?
 
I saw that JD 425 Lowes and liked the looks of it. Big 13” tires on the front and 22” on the rear. Also ¼ height adjustment holes with a kind of smart key type pin so it doesn't slip out (Actually I think its stupid to have to hold up the deck with one hand while sliding in a horizontal pin with the other but at least they made the best of it). Underneath it the hydros looked like big IZT type drives with the motors and pump all in one, but I'd have to look again to see if there was a separate pump or pumps. I also like the light weight. The Specs say 650lbs, and it was easy to pick up the front end, which might mean whimpy but also might mean light turf impression on the pivot wheels.
 
I to looked at these mowers at HD. Here in north Alabama we have a lot of JD dealers so I got prices from most of them. One of the dealers quoted me the larger of the two consumer mowers for 3600 out the door, tax included vs HD at 3999 + tax. So if you are going to buy one of these you may be better served by going to the dealer. The larger one has hydraulic motors on the back wheels and not a hydrostatic transaxle. By the way I bought an exmark 46" lazer z hp new for 6120 out the door.
 
Do you guys realize how cheap used quality machines are going for? I saw a 72" diesel exmark Z only a few yrs old with under 500hrs go for $4000 on ebay. I even went and tested it before the auction ended but decided on something else. I'm convinced that I could get a nice commercial Hustler/Gravely/Exmark/JD for around $4000 with under 500hrs and a 60" deck. Some of the deals I've seen have made me wonder why I bought new.
 
Hell, I am a homeowner and won't touch it.....enough said. Gotta pay to play boys if I was in it for a living there is no way I'd risk my income on a commercial knock off. If you are looking to save a buck go with one of the cheaper full commercial units. There are plenty of options out there.
 
New to LS but I was looking at the JD 425 from Lowes....part timer so I thought it would work....talked to a deere dealer.. now a proud owner of 717A. Take a look at the deck hangers!@ on the 425 also if you mow anything commercial...90 day warrenty. That says it all.
 
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