DK Firearms

Zero-turn riding mower recos?

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  • Dad_Roman

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    Just personal preference but I much prefer a twin. They tend to self balance if its designed into them. Just a lot smoother engine in dealing with reciprocating mass. Way worth 400 bucks!
    Hurley's Gold
     

    STXdevilsquid

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    Feb 14, 2013
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    Live Oak
    I went with the Hustler. It was the best mower for the money. My net no object i would have gone scag.
    The big reason i went Hustler was the smart choke, wife likes to mow and our last mower didn’t last as long getting run full bore with the choke still on, lots of times.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    BRD@66

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    Liberty Hill
    Warranty? Time you have to spend on the project vs mower width vs price of fuel? - a wiiiide mower is less maneuverable in corners & on slopes & between trees.
     

    F350-6

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    I've had a hustler for almost 10 years. It's the pro version, not the cheaper homeowners one, but the only problem I've had with it was an o-ring on the hydraulic drive. Dealer had it in stock for about $1.

    We fold the ROPS bar down so we can go under trees. Not sure how much we mow with it, probably a couple of acres combined. I've seen the wife mow a 5 acre pasture with it before.
     

    Shady

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    Bad boys may be a good mower but as a supplier to them for parts they burned the company I work for a large chunk of change.

    I would not do business with them.

    I'd like to keep it under $3k

    The Bad Boy MZ looks good, great warranty.
    But a few hundy more gets me their MZ Magnum with a larger engine.
    Decisions, decisions...

    https://www.badboymowers.com/bad-boy-shop/zero-turn-mowers

    It's tough finding prices on this stuff.
     

    Shotgun Jeremy

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    Jul 8, 2012
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    Central Texas
    I maintain a fleet of 9 Hustlers, 3 Ferris, and have done research in Skag and Bobcat. My grounds dept uses these to maintain a large college campus.

    I will never go Skag simply due to their reputation of being a horror to work on. They complicated even changing out a belt.

    Ferris's suspension does ride smooth, but if that's your go-to factor....go elsewhere. There's a reason nobody else does full suspension mowers - as the suspension moves up and down, so does your cut. We're looking at getting rid of ours. Also, parts are slow to get in.

    Hustler - all of ours are the commercial type. Most of them are X-One. Very simple to work on, parts come in pretty quick, and they hold up well with proper maintenance. One minor problem we get a lot - on the carb, a welch plug tends to pop out on them. It's a cheap part (under $1???), and all you do to fix the issue is coat the edges of the new one with red locktite and pop it in. In regards to your ride - the seats are nice - but the upgraded seat will really do a lot to smooth out your ride. Hustler has a proprietary deck and drive system - both perform phenomenally.

    Bobcat - were looking at replacing those ferris mowers and took a serious look at these. We REALLY liked what we saw and pricing was within range of a Hustler when you compare apples to apples. They have a proprietary "wishbone" tire that they say improves grip, but also doesn't dig into the grass when you zero turn. I've never had that problem, so I can't say either way. But these machines are built well in all the right places.

    Things to look for in a mower that will last you 15+ years -

    Parts availability - does your supplier have a monopoly on parts, or can you shop around? One nice thing about hustler is parts can be found at several places. Our Ferris - not so much. This comes in to play if your local dealer ever goes out of business or changes ownership. Keep this in mind - NAPA sells a lot of common mower parts such as spindles, pulleys, switches, etc.


    Build quality - AVOID PLASTIC. The more metal, the better. The only plastic you wanna see on a ZTR is the engine cover and fuel tanks.

    Easy Maintenance - Where's your grease points? Do you need a jack to get to your spindle grease points? Is pulling your oil filter going to be a huge mess *coughFERRIS-BOBCATcough*? Or is there a nice hole in your engine deck to let oil pass *coughHUSTLERcough*. How easy is it to change your belts?

    Deck-every ZTR I've seen that means business has a vacuum built into the deck. What I mean by this is it sucks the grass up to make it stand, and then your blades cut it - all simultaneous. You can hear the difference. If you can swing it - you'll thank yourself. YouTube Hustlers deck videos put out by Hustler. Even if you don't go with Hustler, they'll teach you a thing or two. Also keep in mind deck width. Make sure it can fit through your side gates. If I recall correctly, most "52(?) decks will fit through a gate.

    Accessories - One of bobcats points of pride is its outlet that lets you plug in lights, a fan, your phone, etc. When you're mowing, bumping along - the last thing you need is a wire bouncing around in your drivers area. If you want lights or a fan - have it installed professionally. Hell, call me and I'll do it affordably if you're close enough. Do not just plug it into an outlet. I installed lights for our entire fleet - proper mount, fuse, switch, eBay light that's lasted great at 1/4 the cost. Speaking of which - you can save money on all accessories by out sourcing.


    A few tips - run your PSI a little on the low side. ZTRs by nature are bouncy. This will help keep your cut even. If you plan on doing your own work, Kubota makes an AWESOME mower jack. It's basically a motorcycle jack with wheel supports. I highly recommend it.


    If you need any help in research or identify poor design, feel free to let me know.

    Sent from my VS996 using Tapatalk
     

    Txhillbilly

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    Aug 2, 2008
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    I've had a Ferris 61" cut for 5-6 years,and it's been an excellent mower. I mow 2.5 acres with it.
    Getting parts has never been an issue with me,I have always found them easy/cheap on ebay. Other than replacement blades,the only thing that has ever broken on mine was a safety switch and the blade engagement switch.
    The grease fittings are easy to get to on mine,and changing the oil and filter is easy and not messy.

    As far as the cost goes,it was the best $8k I ever spent on a mower.
     

    Jakashh

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    Sugar Land
    latest?cb=20080626094528.jpg
     

    Ole Cowboy

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    17 Oaks Ranch
    Our new place is an acre, with a ton of grass that I'll need to cut.
    I'm sorta looking forward to cruising around on a riding mower.

    Other than a cupholder, do you guys have any suggestions on what to look for?
    Good brands and models?
    I know literally nothing about them.

    What do you think I'll be spending on a decent one that's built to last?

    Been researching this for over 2 years as I clear land around the old ranch house, I need to mow about 4 acre.

    Ascertain what you NEED: Locking differential, fabbed (welded) mower deck, commercial grade transmission, cost under $5k.

    After looking at everything I could find I picked this as it meets my criteria: https://www.husqvarna.com/us/products/riding-lawn-mowers/ts348xd/960430242/

    IF you land is flat and mine is NOT then the zero turn will work for you, but it won't work on my place
     

    Shotgun Jeremy

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    Central Texas
    I've had a Ferris 61" cut for 5-6 years,and it's been an excellent mower. I mow 2.5 acres with it.
    Getting parts has never been an issue with me,I have always found them easy/cheap on ebay. Other than replacement blades,the only thing that has ever broken on mine was a safety switch and the blade engagement switch.
    The grease fittings are easy to get to on mine,and changing the oil and filter is easy and not messy.

    As far as the cost goes,it was the best $8k I ever spent on a mower.
    Ahhh - eBay. Not an option for us. Does yours have a hole in the deck under the oil filter? Ours don't, do when my guys pull their oil filters they get a bit of a mess.

    Sent from my VS996 using Tapatalk
     

    avvidclif

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    Van Zandt County
    I bought a slightly used (<100hrs) Kubota BX2230D with a 60" deck. It does a good job but it also has a front end loader which is like a pocket on a shirt. Added a 42" tiller and several other pieces. My place is too rough for a ZTR, you would spend more time in the air than in the seat.
     

    gdr_11

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    My two cents....

    If you have two acres or less go with a decent lawn tractor...not the cheap low end ones from Home Depot or Lowe's, but buy the models with the larger engines and a wider cut. I can do my 2 acre lot with a 42" tractor in about one hour and forty five minutes; the lot is level so, other than around the buildings and trees, I put it in 5th gear and go. I am going to replace my Craftsman soon and will probably go with a mid range 46" Husqvarna for about $2,000; a lot better then $5,000 for anything decent in a zero turn. A large motor tractor can also tow, pull spray rigs, and do a lot of other helpful tasks around the yard.
     

    pronstar

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    Jul 2, 2017
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    Dallas
    I’ve got a lot of trees and obstacles so it has to be a zero turn.

    And also looking at used commercial grade mowers.

    We don’t move until the end of June so lots of time to research


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    sucker76

    Don't let the username fool you
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    Nov 15, 2015
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    Lake Jackson
    I'm getting a lot of good info from you guys. One question, how do ZTR's do with ditches? I've heard they are no good on slopes but I think the comment was made about hills. I have 2.5 acres with many trees and a drainage ditch on the road and an easement that runs the long length about 400 feet. The ditch isn't too deep. Will I be better off with a tractor or zero turn?
     

    Ole Cowboy

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    May 23, 2013
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    17 Oaks Ranch
    I’ve got a lot of trees and obstacles so it has to be a zero turn.

    And also looking at used commercial grade mowers.

    We don’t move until the end of June so lots of time to research


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
    The Husq that I gave the link to is in there Husq commercial line, friend of mine has this model and he owns 29 rental homes and he uses it to mow the yards with, many of his rentals are rural property and he loves it. It is available at Lowes and you can get a add on 3 year warranty. It is not a stock item but special order and Lowes backs up their stuff.

    https://www.lowes.com/pd/Husqvarna-...ing-Capability-Kit-Sold-Separately/1000368443
     

    Dad_Roman

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    Apr 1, 2018
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    Teague
    They dont do well lengthwise on a gradient. The deck or the tractor either one. If you mow a ditch lengthwise a ZTR has to fly "crabbing" so to speak like a plane landing into a crosswind. Hard to do. I been doin it for years and still find it very challenging to end up with decent results. The wider decks also tend to scalp in on the sides when your not payin attention.
    However.....if your ditch is wide with reasonable slopes a ZTR will do a great job running side-to-side. IE: down one slope - across the bottom - and up the other slope. With all the weight over the back wheels they pull great uphill if you keep it evenly pointed straight up.

    ZTR's do fine on a general open field slope....its the wider deck's that come on ZTR's that will give you trouble.

    Garden Tractors get on enough of a slope and the uphill wheel gets no traction and the wheel just spins till ya shift yer ass over it. ZTR's dont do that.
    But on a nice slope they are rock solid when mowing lengthwise.
     
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