Gravely mowers.
As TP mentioned no Toro on list, nor was Gravely on list.

 

I second that as I really like my Gravely 672 with Kawi 38.5hp. My Toro 6000 was a good mower too.

 

theres no toro on the list so i said exmark, but the toro brand has superior options and price points

 

Exmark, but this is obviously subjective. Just leaves such a nice cut on our northern turf. I like a lot of brands though and own a Hustler.

 

Something about the cut quality of Wright mowers. Exmarks are good as well

 

John Deere.. but maybe the better question is, what dealer is close to you and provides great service? that may be the best mower for you.

 

Ferris. Best ride in the industry. Your back can thank me later.

 

100% agree. I owned Many Zero Turns and most comfortable is the Ferris, It well made the ISX 3300 , 60 inch deck , 40 HP, Big block with 500 hour oil changes . For a Year i been using a mulch kit. I like it alot and it does a great job. Demo a Ferris before you purchase another Zero Turn, you will be happy you did. Best to you. Mike Kaplan

 

I voted for Dixie Chopper only so I could see the poll numbers.
But no, I'd not ever buy one.

 

What if anything are we learning from a poll?

 

Zilch with a little nada on top

 

Maybe I should have phrased the poll “what commercial zero turn do you run?” but presumably if you bought it, you probably think it’s the best.

 

I bought the Exmark Staris...

 

I voted for Ferris. Back in '02 my first mower was an Exmark Viking for $4200.00. I bought it brand new. In '16, I sold the Exmark and bought a very lightly used Gravely hydro Prowalk (had only 82 hours on it) for $3999.00 with the balance of the factory warranty. Part of my reason for buying used was because a new mower would have ran me about $6200.00 and I couldn't justify spending nearly an extra $2200.00 to save a month's worth of commercial use.
The Exmark put down a better cut, but the Gravely is better built. In '16 I went to GIE and tried out a dozen different mower brands--Ferris was my favorite. If you look at the current specs of a Ferris FW45 vs. any other hydro walk-behind, you will see that it is the best value on the market dollar-for-dollar. It is the only hydro mower on the market running Hydrogear 3400-series transmissions (save B&S twins Snapper Pro, and now Stihl--walk behinds will likely be released in a year). I am currently debating repowering my Gravely with a new engine for $2000.00 vs. buying my dream mower, but that will be next spring. I will have to demo the Ferris for a few days on warm-season turf before I commit to making a purchase.

 

If you look at the current specs of a Ferris FW45 vs. any other hydro walk-behind, you will see that it is the best value on the market dollar-for-dollar. It is the only hydro mower on the market running Hydrogear 3400-series transmissions (save B&S twins Snapper Pro, and now Stihl--walk behinds will likely be released in a year).

If I wanted rock solid reliability in a hydro walk behind I'd go with the JD wXXr series, with separate pumps and motors, versus an integrated transmission.

Transmission	Two Hydro-Gear™, 0.73-cu in. (10-cc) hydraulic pumps and Danfoss 12 cu-in. (197-cc) wheel motors

 

Mulching Walker B27i is unbeatable. It's fast, doesn't make a mess, and is so light. Fuel efficient and time saving. Beautiful cut. Have no problem on heavier sod lawns. Any issues under the deck are fixed within minutes. The smooth control and agility is really impressive. Also, without the GHS, you cut underneath so much more and not worry about knocking into something with the bulky backside.

 

My only complaint with the Staris is the controls on steep hills sometimes give up sending you to the bottom. No one liked it from the get go and Exmark gave up on making it any better. 900 hours on the clock and its always finished every job and driven back on the trailer.

 

My only complaint with the Staris is the controls on steep hills sometimes give up sending you to the bottom.

This is more than a complaint.
If my mowers gave up controls on steep hills I would sell them asap. That's downright dangerous.

 

"Best Mower" ?

Hard to give a specific answer...

I can't imagine a more heavy-duty fabricated machine than a Scag Turf Tiger. By contrast, I can't imagine a more sophisticated design than an Exmark Lazer. Put the two side by side, and you'll see what I mean. And then we have Dixie-Chopper classic machine simplicity - certainly that has merit...

"Best Cut"? Do you want a manicured cut like carpet? Or do you mean best finish when removing near-bush hog territory growth in one pass? Best cut in the ideal dry conditions, or in the rain? Best cut when side-discharge, or is bagging an option?

Lots of things to consider. What is priority?

 

I have two zero turns...
An Everride Warrior 60" 25hp twin Kawasaki
And a Dixie Chopper 60" 25hp twin Generac

I didn't buy either one because they're the best.
I bought the first one because it was back when dealer support was important, also for $8600 it was hard to find better.
I bought the DC because it was the first decent used ZTR within 100 miles under 500 hours for $3000 I could find.

It is unlikely I will ever buy new again.
Used with low hours, or some sort of discontinued model maybe but it has to be heavily discounted.

 

I voted Exmark but only cause I have a 19 year old one and it has held up well. I think they all good, mostly same motors. Dealer and maybe deck type probably help you decide. I would probably get a Hustler if I needed a new one as thier is a great dealer in my area.

XB 2002

 

Voted Scag. I'm a one man show on top of a normal 40 hour schedule as a career environmental consultant. With a single v-ride 2 I mow, mulch absurd amounts of leaves, push snow with a mounted plow, and aerate lawns. The machine is always ready to go (knock on wood) and frankly shocks me with what it'll put up with. Despite it's dirty appearance it is very well maintained.

 

...Despite it's dirty appearance it is very well maintained.

It's almost that time of year, and this brought to mind Charlie Brown Christmas...

"Pigpin, you're the only guy I know that could raise a cloud of dust in a snowstorm."
"Despite my outward appearance, I shall keep a very tidy inn..."


My apologies for the hijack... LOL

 

Ed has mentioned that about several stand on mowers that have come out over the years. I would bet the vertex cuts better than the wright since it doesn't have a wright deck on it.

Deere should probably win this poll. If the question is "who makes the best mainstream commercial zero turn mower", then I must answer Deere.

 

The hill in question here gets mowed from the bottom and I can bail down hill anytime when needed. I always end up using my walkbehind to finish cutting the hill. I try to cut as much as I can with the staris since its bigger.

 

What are you going to replace it with?
Do you want another steep hill on the west side of Pokagama?
It's around 70' high 25° angle with a 4' drop at the bottom over a retaining wall. It's basically a giant half bowl.
I'm tired of dealing with it.

 

Do you charge a hefty premium for dealing with problem areas like that? Just release them to others

 

The mower that is "best" for one job is not necessarily best for other jobs or conditions. What is best for me mowing rough, rural areas will likely be different from what best serves those mowing golf courses, parks, or postage stamp size yards.

 

Walker b27i baby!! The light lesco fall/winter fert really kicked this one up a knotch, color wise.

 

Probably Toro as generic as that sounds. Exmark is owned by Toro, and they share a lot of the same parts, but it just seems like a Toro is engineered better.

 

I like the 40 HP because when cutting thick or little higher grass i do not want the engine to slow down. What is good about the Mulch kit is few things, no grass in your face and no piles of grass, lawn gets feed and i leave the cut grass on the lawn. Demo a Mulch kit from Ferris and let me know what you think. Ferris is made strong. I have Hustler Hyperdrive that is built like a tank but it's suspension is half as good as Ferris. For my money i go wit Ferris. Mike

 

I'm a big fan of mulching and am exploring getting a 36" stander. Thanks!

 

I bought my first Deere because of the dealer service and even though I'm retired, I bought my 7th one for the same reason.

 

I agree, once dealer support gave way for me I had less issue switching brands, although equipment familiarity and parts cross-referencing still goes a long ways towards brand loyalty.

 

Old guy here! I voted Scag because my 2001 STT 61 with liquid cooled Kawasaki has low hours 1,700 but has been great! New pto clutch and radiator is the only repairs. The high back seat is good, cut and control. I had several Lesco WB, 2 - 48’s, 52 and float deck 54. The 48’s had a great cut and light to pop over curbs. I had the 54 from 1999-2016 it was a tank, great cut and plenty of power! 2016 Toro grandstand 48 has efi Kohler and 2000ish hours now and it’s been great! New mower is a Bobcat 3500 with Kawasaki & 52 inch deck. Only 60 hours but the ride and cut are really good. It’s a lot lighter and touchy compared to the Turf Tiger but a good machine. I would vote sharp blades, clean deck and good maintenance for most mowers. And dealer support.