This mower is new...does anyone have any experience with it?

 

I looked at the Z5035, but wasn't impressed with the stamped deck.....otherwise a very nice machine.

 

I agree...after looking at a few fabricated decks now, I can see the difference.

Especially the "Top Discharge" setup (has a rib along the bottom of the discharge port)...that seems like a cheesy way to add some strength using thinner metal. That seems like a clog point and a great place to make clumps.

I think the Cub Cadet RZT 50 has the same setup with the thinner stamped deck.

I'm only looking at fab'ed decks now. The Gravely XL 54 is on top of my list for overall value in my application, but I've also been convinced to look at a Hustler FastTrac 54.

 

I bought a Toro ZX5450 a few months ago and love it! Fabbed deck, Kohler engine and priced around $4600.

 

Islander10,

I looked at everything you are considering and bought the Scag Freedom Z 52" with Kawasaki 19 hp engine. Excellent mower and cut my mowing time from about 4 hours to less than 2 hours. My dealer is only 8 miles from my house. Also Scag really takes care of their customers! I paid 5250.00 for mine.

Good luck!!!

 

I agree...after looking at a few fabricated decks now, I can see the difference.

Especially the "Top Discharge" setup (has a rib along the bottom of the discharge port)...that seems like a cheesy way to add some strength using thinner metal. That seems like a clog point and a great place to make clumps.

I think the Cub Cadet RZT 50 has the same setup with the thinner stamped deck.

I'm only looking at fab'ed decks now. The Gravely XL 54 is on top of my list for overall value in my application, but I've also been convinced to look at a Hustler FastTrac 54.

The Toro Titan starts in a 48" Fab deck for $4599 promo pricing.

 

I ended up with a Gravely 48 XL.

48" fab deck, 24HP Kawasaki FR, ZT2800 transaxles, Foot lift deck. It has 20" tires with 8" wheels, which I think adds some cushion to the ride.

Its not too big and not too small for my property. Nice and nimble, and cuts very well. I mowed the corners of my hay field that didn't get cut, and it just plowed through it.

At $3800 from a local dealer, it was the best deal I could find for a "step up from the big box" mower. Happy so far...

 

I ended up with a Gravely 48 XL.

48" fab deck, 24HP Kawasaki FR, ZT2800 transaxles, Foot lift deck. It has 20" tires with 8" wheels, which I think adds some cushion to the ride.

Its not too big and not too small for my property. Nice and nimble, and cuts very well. I mowed the corners of my hay field that didn't get cut, and it just plowed through it.

At $3800 from a local dealer, it was the best deal I could find for a "step up from the big box" mower. Happy so far...

sorry, still a "big box" mower. http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...51&productId=202045444&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&MERCH=REC-_-product-1-_-ariens

Same mower, but with the Gravely sticker on yours.

 

True...the Ariens version is the same mower and is available at Home Depot. They also sell the Ariens/Gravely HD series, which is a light-commercial class mower. For that matter, Tractor Supply sells a 60" Bad Boy that none of us would say is a Big Box mower...

I should have said "Big Box Class" mowers. By that I mean, typically:

Stamped deck
EZT drives
18" tires
Hand-operated deck
Most people would say these are entry level mowers with limited lifetime.

These are the ones you see lined up at Home Depot and Lowes...Toro Timecutter, Cub Cadet EZT, John Deere EZtrac 200, Troy-Built, etc.

The Gravely/Ariens XL series is in what I would call "Step Up Residential" class, which means, typically:

Fabricated deck (10-12 gauge usually)
ZT2800 drives
20" tires
Foot-operated deck
Better build quality, but still not a commercial-class mower by any means.

Others discussed here fall into that class...Toro Titan, Cub Cadet Z-Force, Husqvarna MZ, ExMark Quest, etc.

Among this Step-Up class, the Gravely/Ariens XL series is a good value in terms of bang for the buck. I needed to stay below $4000 by CFO mandate, and the XL fits the bill.

My initial impressions after 13 hours are that this mower fits my needs very well. I don't need a big heavy commercial-class mower for my property. My mower is usually sitting in my garage, not out mowing all over every day.

What I wanted was a sturdy built ZTR that will last 10-15 years, delivers a reasonable quality of cut with some occasional slashing around my hay field, is tame enough for my wife to enjoy using, and is faster and more fun than my Toro riding tractor was...because it is still a $4000 lawn mower.

I was just noting this weekend how smooth this Gravely mower is. Between the damping cylinders on the drive sticks, and the response of the ZT2800 drives, it's just a pleasure to operate.

It also cuts very will. I just mowed a section of my property that didn't get much attention this summer, and wasn't touched in 2 weeks. It has plenty of power to get through taller grass, and still provides a good cut. It does make some clippings, but they are small enough to be gone after a good rain. I just ordered some Gator Hi Lift blades from Baileys, so we'll see if that's better for chopping them up, and also for the leaves, for which in my experience, they do much better than stock blades.

I had one hesitation before buying this mower. The deck is about an inch shallower than similar mowers. I've been pleasantly surprised that, after 13 hours with no cleaning under the deck, it is virtually spotless. The only buildup under the deck is a couple small spots near the spindle housings. The area around the blade perimeter is perfectly clean, with the red paint of the deck still clearly visible.

I used to swear at my Toro Recycler deck because I'd spend a 1/2 hour scraping pounds of grass buildup from under there. Sometimes it was over an inch thick.

This Gravely deck seems like it will be much better for buildup, and I haven't seen where the deck gets "full" to capacity, even when slashing down 3" hay in a few spots around the edge of my field. I think the shallower deck keeps the air velocity up, so everything gets discharged. I bet the Gator blades will be even better, since they are probably a higher lift blade than the stock one that came with it...

Also I bought the dealer to some extent. I got it from a small OPE dealer, which was real friendly and helpful, and I think will provide good service if I need it. I also didn't have too many options as most of the dealers up here are sold out for the season for any ZTR's in this class....

Overall happy with my "big box" mower so far...

 

Islander10,

Congrats on the Gravely. Now lets see some pictures!!!

Gravely really seems to offer a lot for the money.

Enjoy!!