If you liked Dixie choppers you'll be happy with just about anything. No experience with kubota or spartan. Ferris has a lot of bang for your buck if you have a dealer close by.

 

Who is the better dealer. To some that is a high priority.

 

Well the Spartan is the local CAT dealer and they are great...I've also heard that the Kubota dealership will push you back if say a $50K tractor comes in they will fix it first and as y'all know downtime in this business is no bueno. I'm really thinking about giving Spartan a shot I just didn't know if anyone has heard any pros or cons on them

 

I run all Deere stuff, but my second choice would be Kubota for sure. They make great stuff!

 

I like Deere but the local dealer sucks.

 

The kubota. It has a hydraulic deck engagement clutch which is much better than a magnetic clutch. Much more of a robust agricultural design to the bota. Those Bota's are built to last. We had 2-3 on the farm as a kid and they ran like tanks

 

Some of the Kubotas have an electric (magnetic) PTO too.

 

A lot of this depends on which mower in each name brand you're referring to. Dealer is VERY important too. Demo if you can....what some like others don't. That's why there is a market for so many ZTR's.

 

Spartan certainly seems like the most exciting option, if thats a factor to you.

Dixie Chopper seems very old school, but their prices seem to be on point.

I would echo the poster above who mentioned the build quality of the Kubotas. They definetly appear to be very heavy duty.

Who seems to be the best dealer in your opinion?
Are they a "speed shop" or are they mechanics who know what they are selling?

 

I ran Older Dixies for about 5 years a decade ago. Solid build then, don't know how they've held up. Know nothing about Spartan other than they look like a sales gimmick, with their Nascar endorsement, believe they are designed by the bad boy guys? So mid level box brand stuff. Kubota is the most overbuilt machine I ever ran. Had to rent one to finish a day when a weld broke on my Wright. 3 cylinder inline motor, blades about half an inch thick. I was mowing in the dark trying to catch up on a lawn I know very well, but didn't see the metal fencepost the owner had knocked into the ground. Cut a steel post into 3 pieces without so much as nicking a blade. I would have felt comfortable brushcutting a forsithea hedge with that monster. But I would never put something that heavy on my lawns week after week. Almost twice the weight of my usual mower. I would give them a serious look though for a smaller machine, the build quality is there.

 

Agreed, Kubota makes a good machine. Do you have any experience with a Spartan to classify it as a mid level box brand stuff? Can you tell us a little bit about it?

 

No experience with spartan other than what I've read. I'm lumping it in with bad boy, as I believe they we're designed by the same guys. (again read that somewhere) Which can be ordered from my local Tractor Supply, but will put down a decent cut, but can't replicate a JD, Exmark, or you pick your favorite shade of commercial. I assume when they start putting on plastic accent pieces that serve no function, your getting away from a commercial machine.

 

Yet another uninformed "advisor".

 

What model number of kubota are you looking at? I have a zd326 and have put almost all 2500 hrs on it myself. If you are looking at the 1000 or 1200 series I can give you a pretty good idea of the maintenance and part costs. Also at hrs you will be replacing what.

 

Z724X-54 is the one I'm looking at.

 

This might help make your decision

 

I just got s Spartan, and though it was a rough start to it (bad experience with dealer and had to work out some quirks on the mower) I'm happy with it. My buddy runs all Exmark Lazer Z's and he was really surprised by my Spartan. Has him thinking about saving the $4k at the end of next year and picking a few of them up.

I can't see why Kubota wouldn't be the first choice as they are built really stout. But the price tag is steep. Couldn't afford one myself, even in the used market.

 

As you know Dixie is a simple straight forward design whose parts can be had at any automotive store.
But that was when art Evans owned and ran things, has textron changed any of that?
If no stay Dixie
Easy up time and more of it with Dixie.

 

As you know Dixie is a simple straight forward design whose parts can be had at any automotive store.
But that was when art Evans owned and ran things, has textron changed any of that?
If no stay Dixie
Easy up time and more of it with Dixie.

Imo when you get to super high end machines, parts become standard. On my kubota all the bearings, seals, bushings can be bought through auto parts or a good industrial supply store.

 

60" 2003 "classic" chopper still going strong, not the best on wet grass.....but bulletproof!!!