Bradley stander

 

Never even heard of them . I'll look em up

 

is mulching a mandatory requirement?

 

A couple customers preferred it and since it's better for the lawn I would like to mulch if there was anything that was decent at it in my price range

 

I was going to suggest the Toro MX5025 but it was absolutely AWFUL at mulching grass.

Took the kit off after 4 passes and returned it and went back to stock where it cuts great.

 

I was going to suggest the Toro MX5025 but it was absolutely AWFUL at mulching grass.

Took the kit off after 4 passes and returned it and went back to stock where it cuts great.

I'm starting to think maybe just all homeowner models do . I mean I can side discharge and just blow the clippings around like I had been doing

 

For 4k your just gonna get another crappy homeowner ztr.
Either the Bradley stander https://www.bradleymowers.com/t/stand-on-mowers
Or you need to switch to a walkbehind. But even here 4k isn't going to go far.

 

That's what I was afraid of . I looked up Bradley . Closest dealer I'd like 300 miles away

 

I imagine the 4k price range are all small deck machines. I have never had a 48" zero turn handle hills or provide any traction on the slightest inclines. You can buy a 61" commercial mower (such as a Turf Tiger) with 800-1,200 hours for $3,500-4,000 if you look hard enough.

I think a lot of these issues are related to tire size and how light the small machines are. I have since sold my last 48" Bobcat Fastcat Pro and bought a hydrostatic 48" walk behind and ditched my gear driven one. I also bought a 61" commercial zero turn. The final straw for me was when the front wheels turned and I slid about 100' down a hill and jumped over a rock wall.

I do not have any regrets.

 

What's the advantage of hydrostatic vs gear dive? I'm sure stance and weight has a lot to do with it

 

The Bradly Standers near me were all >$5k.

The cheapest new "quality" machine around is the Bradley Hydro walk behind at ~$3800 shipped (for a 52)

And one of their sulkies for ~$250-$300

 

Ferris IS400Z Light commercial duty.
My local dealer is right at $4k.
Getting very positive reviews...

44' or 48" (48 has aftermarket blade options, 44 is work in progress)
ZT2800 hydros
Suspension
25HP Briggs Cyclonic or Kawasaki 21.5HP FR651

Wont find much that compares.

 

There’s a few used toro’s in my price range but they all have the SFS deck which doesn’t seem to have a good rep. Is it really that bad ? I’m sure it’s gotta be better than what I got?

 

you can get a deere z915b around $6k. $4k is residential mower prices unless you look at walkbehinds.

 

$4k is residential mower prices unless you look at walkbehinds.

Not really. Unless you are finding a small belt drive that's been sitting in the dealers way.

 

yeah you can get 0% interest for 4 years on new commercial mowers. pay as you go. no need to drop all that money at once.

 

I appreciate all the replies , I forgot to mention that this is just a part time gig . I might be putting on 15 hours a week at best on a zero turn . None the less I understand what you guys are saying about just getting a commercial one . I’ve found a few used older toro’s with SFS deck in my price range and a couple older EXMARK Lazer z hp’s . There’s one Deere 950a that’s a $1500 more than I’m looking to spend but I considering it

 

I appreciate all the replies , I forgot to mention that this is just a part time gig . I might be putting on 15 hours a week at best on a zero turn . None the less I understand what you guys are saying about just getting a commercial one . I've found a few used older toro's with SFS deck in my price range and a couple older EXMARK Lazer z hp's . There's one Deere 950a that's a $1500 more than I'm looking to spend but I considering it

THis would help my case about getting a semi commercial unit like a hustler raptor SD. It will take you years to run out of the warranty. They also leave a very good cut and are solid units for what they are. I ran one for 2 seasons, ran a timecutter before that which wasn't nearly as heavy. I had 25 lawns at the time.

If he already owned it I would agree with you. But dropping $4k on a machine that is not designed for the task is not a smart game plan.
Getting by with what you have is great, investing in inadequate equipment is setting yourself up for failure.

This is simply not true.

Dropping 4k on a machine with a 3 year 3 hour or similar warranty is smart. My raptor has a kawi fr691v engine that has proven itself on previous equipment. You don't dive head in, you have support for at leas 2, more likely 3 seasons given his work load. I have not failed, I started with a timecutter, went to a raptor SD 54", and now I run 2 mowers, with 45 clients, some commercial. My 2 mowers are a Wright 32" stander for the small fenced areas, and a raptor SD 54" that has been more than effective at servicing, not only that but it leaves a nice cut. Now if your'e doing huge properties that take half day or whole day, sure you'll wear it out, but for my situation, where i'm doing 8-10 lawns a day, that raptor SD is nearly perfect, and I have yet to see a single issue with it.

I have a problem when people tell me I can't be successful with what has worked so well for me.

 

Buy new or very low hours, otherwise you risk buying someone elses problem. Avg residential puts on 50 hrs / year. That's 3 weeks in your space. If the budget is $4k, what is the reserve or back up plan when older used unit goes down. I believe in risk avoidance and getting something that has a decent warranty. I bought leftover at discount (discount) and still have two years left on warranty. I also went 4 year 0% which helped with cash flow to buy all the other stuff. Trailer, trailer build out, handhelds, etc, etc. I set up auto draft which was a comfortable number but 20% over what the minimum payment was. I have a good month I throw a few more dollars at it. I am way ahead of the 4 year term and have a mower that I know and is protected with dealer support.

 

I'll keep my other mowers for back up . I believe in having two of everything and that's what I'll have

 

I did the same thing on mine. Had a 3 year 0% loan, paid it off in the first season, no penalties for early pay off.

 

Might add I was able to claim the mower along with all the other stuff on taxes as well. That effectively offset the startup cost of a lot of it.

 

Might add I was able to claim the mower along with all the other stuff on taxes as well. That effectively offset the startup cost of a lot of it.[/QUOTE....

 

...

 

I found a 915b with 500 hours for $3500 . That’s the best deal on a used commercial one I could find . You guys think this machine will do what I want for the next couple years

 

I found a 915b with 500 hours for $3500 . That's the best deal on a used commercial one I could find . You guys think this machine will do what I want for the next couple years

A brand new Bradley stander sounds better. I paid $3700 for mine. (Total with delivery)

 

That machine will work great for you. And with such a good frame you should be able to just replace things like the hydros, enigne, deck, and things like those.