Just a word of caution. If you've never run ztr's before slope's can be wicked. Do able but very easy to spinout and find youself at the bottom with 30 ft skidmarks. Got to learn the crab.
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If your budget is 5-7k you can find some real nice used ztr's or even brand new models. Snapper, gravely, there are a couple others as well.

If you are buying mowers with 2000 hours on it, expect a breakdown or two. Those mowers are usually towards the end of their useful life.

 

I have the same amount of grass (6 acres) and I bought a Hustler Super Z HD 72" and have no regrets whatsoever. I even use it to mow my additional 5 acres of rough grass. It has the best hydraulics in the industry and the best warranty as well on the drive system. My 2¢ as another homeowner with acreage . . . :waving:

 

The kubota zd21 is a solid machine. If you can find a machine without too many hours, it will be definitely reliable

 

If you want reliability, buy a good NEW commercial mower. It's not worth the savings to buy used IMO. If your used mower goes down you are sol until you get it fixed. New mower goes down, a loaner is on the way.
Looks like you are in MN so you have some time to shop over the winter. You should be able to fine a great mower for around $9-10k. Since you only have six acres, you will probably put about 80-100 hours per year on the machine and if you take care of it , it will last for a long time.
Look at the major brands and pick what best suits your needs.

 

Then again considering your name, how about the plug in model? You know the overpriced model, the one with the 500' electrical cord?

 

I feel the need to clarify. I have driven z turns. Helped mow the family farm with my uncles zd21. I was looking at these but was scared away by transmission horror stories.

Looks like Im gonna try and find something that has less than 1000 hrs and budget for repairs.

Thanks guys.

 

I feel the need to clarify. I have driven z turns. Helped mow the family farm with my uncles zd21. I was looking at these but was scared away by transmission horror stories.

Looks like Im gonna try and find something that has less than 1000 hrs and budget for repairs.

Thanks guys.

Where have you heard about transmission issues? My grandfather has one and its got over 1k hrs and he's never had any issues other than a hydraulic deck lift hose that went.

 

Well I just did a bit of a search on google. Found a lot of information about these trans failures. Wow, never heard of it before now.

 

For a 7k budget,buy new. Warranty means no worries about buying somebody else problems that they may not disclose. For that amount I think you can get a Bad Boy or a few different floor / demo models.
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scag is good

 

DO NOT BUY USED UNLESS IT IS DEALER CERTIFIED WITH SOME KIND OF WARRANTY. I know John Deere dealers sell used ZTR's that were trade in's that have been given a once over and put back out for sale. The JD dealer by me sells certified used JD's and Scags. Ask for a 1 year homeowners warranty. If your going to spend $5k+ on a used mower then get it home and 30 minutes later have a hydro failure or grenade the engine it will cost you another couple grand to fix it. $7k-$8k can easily get you a nice decent commercial grade mower, especially this time of year. JD has some great mowers that wont break the bank. Just about every manufacturer has something in that price range. It just wont have all the bells and whistles, or run 15-16mph.

I have 2 Kubota tractors, a Cub garden tractor and a Hustler Super Z. I've owed JD in the past. I can tell you that the Kubota's are by far the most expensive across the board. They were expensive when bought new, are expensive to maintain, and very expensive to repair. I demo'ed a a couple of Kubota's ZTR's and I was not impressed at all with the gas engine units. The Diesels were nice but they just didnt feel anywhere near as commercial grade as the other ZTR's I demoed. Even my tractors feel like they are designed much better then there ZTR's. I felt like Kubota got into the ZTR market just to jump on the bandwagon. I would not recommend aKubota ZTR if asked today.

 

SnapperPro makes a great mower.. Really great bang for your buck..

 

Hustler Super Z Or Scag Turf Tiger Both are good mowers and forget the 60 and get a 72
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I feel the need to clarify. I have driven z turns. Helped mow the family farm with my uncles zd21. I was looking at these but was scared away by transmission horror stories.

Looks like Im gonna try and find something that has less than 1000 hrs and budget for repairs.

Thanks guys.

If one is willing to spend some time on line checking Craig's list, Ebay, etc. there are deals to be had, especially around this time of year. It is not uncommon to find a one year old unit with relatively low hours for sale at about 50% of new. Just have to know what you want and be ready to jump on it immediately.

Good luck with your search.

 

I have a Kubota ZD31 I use at work. I'm very happy with it. 3 years and no problems. Other than fuel, filters, and motor oil (for changes) it hasn't cost a penny.
The transmission problems mentioned earlier have been corrected with better hydraulic cooling.

 

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Can't go wrong with a tiger cub/cat. Tough,simple machines to maintain.
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Have you thought about some of the higher end/heavy duty residential mowers? They usually range from $4500-$6000 NEW. If your only going to be mowing your property you may not need a commercial?
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If you have a hill more than 15 degrees, I would go with a stander. The stander is safer on hills. And I would look for something with little use, such as this, that Crystal Creek is selling

http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?t=447937

Good price $2400 off with 40 hours.

 

Bob-Cat Pro-cats are good mowers and can often be bought new in the mid/upper $7k range.

Hustler Super Z's are far and away the most popular commercial mowers in Louisville area with Scag runner up. Southern Indiana Equipment is the strongest dealer in the metro area and Hustler is their main brand along with Bob-Cat, Big Dog, Grasshopper, Snapper Pro and probably a couple brands I forgot. Great dealership and are close by so I stop in fairly regular and have bought several trade in mowers from them that I flip on Craigslist. Gives an old retired guy something to do.

Bang for the buck, I am impressed with Snapper Pro. This summer SIE had a SPro 61" with Vanguard big block for under $7k.

I'd look used first and you've got time. I'm a homeowner that's in the real estate business and cut anywhere from 3 acres lawn a week to bush hog type field cuts. My main mower is a Bob-Cat Predator Pro 61" that I bought it new and I've gone thru above the knee weeds pretty easy with it. The Kaw DFI is thirsty but it does have plenty of power.

This fall I picked up a 2011 Hustler One 54" with 640 hours for a back up/flip. Great shape paid $3700. I'm lusting for a Super Z high velocity mower with the luxury seat. I played with one at GIE and it was a blast so I'll probably try to trade my Pred-Pro for one of them and at age 64 that will be the last new mower I'll ever need. I've said that a couple times before. :laugh:

 

With that much acreage to mow and maintain, I think I'd go with a CUT. More attachment options, great resale value, winter plowing, and a big deck would get the mowing done. Plus better on the slope. A big ZTwill exhaust you after a few hours and you must be skilled to one hand drive. A ZT would be faster, but anything that is not nice and smooth, more than 8-9 mph will feel like a bucking bronco. ZT's are great for production, but will beat you up over time.

 

The brands you mentioned are all quality brands. We use Exmarks and Walkers. The Exmark Lazer 60 is as much of an industry standard as you can get where I'm from, and for good reason. Excellent quality of cut and they are very tough. I strongly recommend them. Whatever you choose, make sure you have a convenient servicing dealer with whom you like to work. Whether for routine maintenance or repairs, like any machine it inevitably will have to go to the shop, so ensure you have that resource available.

As for the new vs used debate, I almost always buy used, low-time mowers. Any savings you may realize from warranty coverage is, in my opinion and experience, far, far outweighed by the difference in acquisition cost. An Exmark 60 with less than 800 hrs that appears to have been taken care of should be well within your price range and will give you years of excellent service. Now is the right time of year to buy.

BTW, I'm a big fan of efi motors -- no worrying about gummed up carbs.