Need advice on mower type and size

Hi, Im a fairly new member and this is my first thread.I started cutting commercialy 2 yrs ago when my neighbors lawn guy disappeared. Ive slowly built it up to 10 -11 accts since then, Im looking to buy my first commercial machine in the spring and need your expertise in getting the right machine and what size. M ost of my yards are small residential and gated the smallest gate being 37 in. the rest are larger and I am going to get a nice sized commercial acct when the current lcos contract runs out. I have a Lesco dealer within 10 mins. of my home and they seem to be nice people the guy said they have a local repair facility for warranty work I also have a toro and exmark dealer nearby they are small and very busy and a little pricey. My question is should i go with the lesco or bite the bullet and go to toro or exmark?, money is tight I have two kids in college thats what started me mowing. Also should I get a 32in. for the smaller yards or 36in in anticipation of the larger acct.?How much mowing time difference between the 36in. and 32in.Thanks for any info you can throw my way.

 

Are you looking for a ztr or a walk behind? Toro makes a 44" that is a good mower but it is not cheap. I dont know much about the Lesco but some folks on here like them and some dont (do a search). One of our sponsors(better outdoor products) sells a quick 36 hydro walkbehind for around 2295 that might suit your needs the best and Ive heard a lot of good about them. You can spend hours on here reading about different mowers and brands, pros and cons of all makes and models. Also Gravely makes a ztr with a 34" deck that sells for around 4400 here that might suit your needs and budget. Good luck and search away!

 

eXmark just unvailed the Phazer...its either a 34" or 44" deck...
more info at exmark website--> http://www.exmark.com/phazerspecs.htm

 

anyone got a price on the Phazer?

 

The 34" is going to be $5000-5200 and the 44" will be $5100-5400.

 

I think you should go for the Lesco 36' if you have a dealer that you like nearby. 36' will still not work too bad for smaller commercial accounts.

 

I picked up a exmark metro36 in august for 2000.00 that was my first exmark mower and i have no complaints. and if your smallest gate is 37 inches it will fit. when i flip up my discharge chute the mower is 36 inches wide.If you buy before the season kicks off you can probaly get a good deal im also looking at a quick 36

 

I own an Exmark 52" hyrdo walk behind...viking or something liek that they call it. its a great machine, exmark is known for its cut and all that. I also own a Lesco 48" zero turn rider, the only reason i bought the machine is because i got it used for cheap with only 100 hours. Lesco seems to be very expensive to me and mowers are not their specialty...their specialty is fertilizer products. my exmark 52" hyrdo was $4200 brand new....love the machine and they cut grass like a champ

 

do not buy from lesco! they change vendors all the time and then drop parts support for the old stuff. i would get the toro 32 as its a simple and rugged ultra reliable machine. you also know that its going to be able to go tru any gate size. there is almost no diff in time between a 32 and a 36. i have 2 pro32 and love them. the 32 is a great mulcher -this alone will save you time as you wont be waisting time trying to figure out what to do with the clippings

 

i got an exmark 48 in 19 hp. Get the 21 hp if this is your choice. Although the 19 hp one does fine as long as it is not too high