endover Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 My 8 year old Yard Machine lawn tractor is expected to bite the dust in very short order and when you live in Florida during the summer time, you can't afford to be without a mower for more than 2 weeks. The jungle will take over. I've been on the lookout now for the last couple of months for a good used commercial zero turn mower. Preferably a 44" to 52" deck (nothing smaller or larger). I hear tell that a commercial mower is good for about 3500 hours while a great residential mower is only good for about 300 hours so commercial it is for me. Anyone have any recommedations or NON-recommendations? I've got just under an acre and about $3K to spend. I've been watching the mowers on craigslist and Ebay that have no more than 1000 hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 i have a 52 scag tiger cub that i bought new in 05 for $ 7500 to give you an idea of what they cost and what everybody uses in my neck of the woods is either a scag or an exmark for commercial use. how many months do you cut in florida. lets do some math. if you cut your acre with a commercial mower 4 times a month at 2 hours per month for 9 months = 18 hours per year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 I have an Exmark LaserZ, but it's about twice that budget. I love the build quality, comfort, and quality of cut. One gripe is that it's nearly impossible to get the three blades off the deck, and yanking the deck out from under the beast is very complex. It's important to be able to sharpen the blades, I think they've remedied this but whatever the brand you get, check this feature out. Get an hour meter. Don't scrimp on the gauge of metal in the deck, on most ZTR's the quality cut is gotten by having very high tip speed on the blades. Should you throw a rock or God forbid a blade, you want enough metal there to stop it. Wide tires help keep you afloat on the turf instead of digging in as you turn. Check any fence openings and make sure you can get your new mower to all lawn areas safely. With 25 horsies and 60 inch cut, I can do my two acres in less than an hour. But it's the funnest hour of my week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomad02rider Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 I bought a Hustler Fastrack used with about 35 hours on it for around 3500. Had it shipped from Alabama for about 300. I can't think of the dealer I bought it from but would highly recommend them. If you did a dealer search from their site I'm sure something would turn up. Hustler is the oldest Z.T. Mfg in the US. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 I have had two Dixons and now on a Cub Cadet 50"RZT. The Dixons rode like a Sherman tank. Maiintenance about average. The Cub Cadet has the split front axle which made the ride over 4" roots almost pleasurable. Problem is the roots push the front tubless tires off the rims. So I had to install tubes in them and so also with the back tires to lower the air pressure for a smoother ride. (My back hurts) It has a Kowasoki 22 hp engine. I added a custom hitch for the back and purchased the bagger for another 500 bucks. You get the special high kick blades with the bagger kit and the bagger does work very well. I also added a throttle guard so that bushes wouldn't shut off the engine on a tight turn. Also added another 3/8" fine adjuster lock nut on the hydrostat levers to remove some of the lost motion. The hydrostats tend to lock too quickly on a tight turn and turff the grass so you have to be nice to it. I was impressed with the simplistic design of this mower and have really formed an attactment to it. The bagger works well even with wet leaves and sticks. I later changed the rear tires to knobbies (same size) and quadrupled the pulling power. I have a cart that I load up with approximately 1200 lbs of rocks and it pulls this up hill pretty good. I also made an additional cover for the deck to keep the leaves away from the belts. The bagger high kick blades will last about two years before destruction. New ones $93.00 for three. Mower $3000.00 out the door. It also has grease fittings and the motor has an oil filter. Haven't had any belt problems or bearing problems. If your picky about turfing get the conventional zero steering model for the same price. No turfy with that one. Uses regular gas. I believe Toro has a look alike model to compete. Don't waste your money on the commercial models. You will pay double for no reason. JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted September 25, 2008 Moderators Share Posted September 25, 2008 All good advice, their are many brands of ZT out there now, no matter what brand you get make sure it has full pressure lubrication and a oil filter. If it does not have that pass, your engine life will greatly decrease without it. It's something a cheaper model may not have but very important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klipsch4life Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 I too had an Exmark when I lived in Memphis-27 hp 52" cut. It was great. I paid about $7500 for it and gave it away for $3500 when I moved to Hot Springs. Great mower, and like Michael, it was actually fun to mow the yard! I had 2 1/3 acres, so it was a fun couple of hours... Can't go wrong with a commercial model-built to last. KG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSamuel Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 Everyone I know that has one swears by Exmark. Most owners claim they'll cut better at full speed than other mowers at half speed. I've seen that at our high school which uses large John Deere's - leave quite a few clumps with reasonably thick grass. Same grass mowed by the Exmark at what looks to be twice the speed left a much better cut and no clumps. Our AD owned a field services business before becoming AD that I think he's since sold - something about a conflict of interest.... Mowed some of our your soccer leagues game fields for us when the school got behind, just flew over the fields, very nice clean cut FAST. I think higher grade equipment is worth the extra money. Works better, lasts longer, easier to repair. We use a Cub Cadet lawn tractor 20? HP 2 cylinder with 48" deck we bought used for about 1/2 what a comparable new one would've cost around 8 years ago now. Still going strong. Parts readily available. To replace the 1970 8 HP John Deere 110 with 42" deck we got as a hand me down. Had no trouble getting parts but it was getting old and did require some work. Decided to replac the cylinder head after blowing 2 or 3 head gaskets - figured the old head had probably been planed down enough. Threw the piston rod. Thought about trying to rebuild it but we had +- 2/3 an acre to mow... sold it to a neighbor's friend for $100. Probably still going strong assuming he rebuilt it as he had planned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endover Posted September 26, 2008 Author Share Posted September 26, 2008 All good info... I'm currently watching for Dixie, Exmark, Hustler, Scag or maybe a Great Dane. If I'm buying used...how many hours is too many hours(800, 1000, 1200????). I don't want to have to get into maintenance (more than normal). This is for home use and the point is to buy a mower that saves me time not waste it. Mowing season in FL is about 9 months and you'll mow once a month for the other three. That makes for about 30 hours a year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 I've owned mine 6 years and have 220 hours on it. I don't know what the life expenctancy is, perhaps the manufacturers or groundkeeping journals might have info on that. I think my schedule calls for oil and minor maintenance at 100 hr intervals but I change oil annually. I'd bet they get used commercially 1000 hours a season around here. Total hours per season might be a better indicator of how hard it's been run than just total hours. I bought a demo at end of season from a dealer and saved probably $1000. Now might be the time to score a new or gently used trade in from a dealer (at least up north). Inventory reduction for winter season. Around here the hardware stores are getting snowblowers in already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twistedcrankcammer Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 All good info... I'm currently watching for Dixie, Exmark, Hustler, Scag or maybe a Great Dane. If I'm buying used...how many hours is too many hours(800, 1000, 1200????). I don't want to have to get into maintenance (more than normal). This is for home use and the point is to buy a mower that saves me time not waste it. Mowing season in FL is about 9 months and you'll mow once a month for the other three. That makes for about 30 hours a year! You've been talking to someone better informed than what I've seen posted so far!! NOTHING!!!!, but noyhing, compares to a Dixie Chopper!!! No Exmark, nothing!! My mom has a 60" Dixie Chopper, my buddy has the Suburban Turban 72" Dixie Chopper with the 50 horsepower turbocharged Diesel engine, and another buddy has a comercial lawn mowing service with nothing but choppers, but at anywhere near $3,000 you are talking a well used 52" As for paying extra and only getting a comercial name, that is true for Dixons, but the guys that earn a living off of cutting grass sure as h@ll don't use a home model and there is a reason for that. I am in Ohio, and more of the commercial guys arround here use Choppers than anything else. My mom was going to get the 52" and I talked her into the 60", and she is very glad she got the 60" chopper. You have to figgure that time is money, that extra 8 inches saves 8 inches of time with every swipe, that is time of your life that has a set number of minutes, that you could spend with family, that is time on the mower, engine hours, belt time, bearing time, etc., etc. The 60" is built alot heavier, my mom has owned hers for 8 years and it has used nothing but belts, oil, blades, plugs and airfilters. mom mowes about 3 acres of yard. Cub Caddet sucks!! I have owned 3. I presently own a 2072 with a 60 inch deck and I put a 25 horsepower Kohler Command in it after the orriginal magnum blew up. My brother in law has the zero turn Cub, and I have used it as well, so I speak from experience on this. I mow 3 acres, and it takes me 3 hours to ride it with my cub 60" tractor be cause I have 3 barns and many trees. That is 3 hours to ride, no trim work, my mom has brought her Chop over when the Cub breaks and mows the whole thing in about 1 hour 20 minutes!! Her Chopper leaves less dandylion whipps standing when she mows at 10 miles per hour, than mine does mowing at 3 mph with fresh blades, and her deck throws the grass twice as far, plus you have the drop down cover on the deck output so you can keep from throwing stones on cars or sliding glass doors, or basement windows as you pass, then just lift it back up!! I am a gear head, I own two big block mustang, two 427 ford engines, one of which is a 427 SOHC hemi, and I am building an aftermarket all aluminum SOHC 528" engine now. I rebuilt my Cub Cadet from the ground up, powder coated the frame, deck, and every piece, and I corrected alot of design flaws built into that tractor, it still wont mow as nice or as fast as moms chopper!! As a gear head, I am as passionette about this stuff as I am about my stereo, so I really study stuff. Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMays Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 Doing some catch up on posts here. I just traded in my Dixie Chopper 2760 for a Dixie Chopper 3366 Excaliber. This machine is super sweet! I absolutely enjoy mowing with it.....it's a little pricey at $11,400, but we now have 14.5 acres and I will be mowing about 12 of those, so for me it was a no brainer. I've also had a 72" Simplicity mower in the past that I loved as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endover Posted October 20, 2008 Author Share Posted October 20, 2008 Since your catching up on the old topics, I'll fill you in. I found a 2007 Hustler Mini Z, 42inch cut, with just over 100 hours on it on Craigslist. Still under factory waranty. I got it for $3500. WHAT A MACHINE!!!!!!! We've had so much rain in my area that I've only been able to mow twice with it and I'm just now getting the hang of it. It used to take about an hour on my lawn tractor but on my second mowing with the Hustler, I've got it down to 38 minutes. With a little more practice, I'd like to break the 30 minute barrier. The Hustler mini is the smallest commercial machine they make and it's built like a small tank. Top speed is 8mph which is fine for my 1 acre of property. It's so much fun that I'm looking for opportunities to mow now!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomad02rider Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 I think you did very well. You will receive many years of reliable service. What size engine did you get? There is a Huslter Turf forum, the moderator works for Hustler. Lots of good info there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endover Posted October 24, 2008 Author Share Posted October 24, 2008 It's a 19 HP Kawasaki. Thanks for the info on the Turf Forum. I've been catching up for a while now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Now here is a nice model, will cut your lawn in a breeze. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 I would have to find some sucker to crank that baby. JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customsteve01 Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 I think the wife might be a little upset with the tire marks it would leave in the lawn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomad02rider Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 I have the 18 hp honda on mine. Both very good engines, but I believe the kawi is a tad better. Good luck and enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 Twistedcrankcammer: I never heard of anyone roaching out a Kohler engine. Run it out of oil? Lead foot? Modified it? JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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