CRE1992 135 #1 Posted October 19, 2011 Well being I am 19 years old, I have come up with a decision. I decided that it would be more in my favor to get a zero turn and mow some lawns about 10 including my own. To have another income. But this would require me to sell my wheel horses. As much as I love them, I am only 19, I have the rest of my life to have others. I have surely appreciated you guys for lending a helping hand or advice when I needed it. I do expect myself to still come on here and help as much as I can. I am not certain on this yet... However does anyone have any recommendations on a zero turn? I do not want some home cheapo piece of junk. I want a commercial machine. I have looked at the toro g3's but they seem quite a bit out of my price range.. 4000-5000 for a machine. I would not mind picking up a used one if it was in great shape. Thanks to all who read this, and to all who have helped me in the past Thanks, -Charles :wh: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
whfan74 2,015 #2 Posted October 19, 2011 I am a big believer in the Exmark brand...........again you might have to find a one owner that wasn't used by a mowing company in the used department to fit your needs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DoctorHfuhruhurr 132 #3 Posted October 19, 2011 If you mow on hills or near ponds you may want to consider an aftermarket front braking system from www.tedbrakes.com. I guess there were some deaths where people weren't able to stop and ended having the mower flip and pin them under water, etc. Personally I'd try to get a diesel because I believe the fuel savings will be substantial over time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WheelHorseSteve 48 #4 Posted October 19, 2011 I mow with w/ a 61" Scag hydro walk-behind from my friend who owns a landscaping company. I got it with ~1,400 hours on the Kawasaki engine... it was his extra back-up machine and I fell in love with it having used it for a season w/o having to buy it from him. Of course, I then bought it from him and haven't regretted it since... there really is no contest in terms of speed and IMHO cut quality. New it's a $7,000 mower that I got for $2,000. If you look at eBay you will find people selling walk-behinds and riders (e.g. Scag Turf Tigers) with a huge range of price / age / condition. I've seen many w/ over 2,500 hours on their original engine... that said, I believe many commercial users cycle them out around 1,500. If you have just one machine for starters, you should consider a walk-behind w/ a sulky. The riders are awesome... but the walk-behinds are significantly cheaper and can actually mow places that the riders cannot (steep hills, for example). Always try to mow sideways on steep hills when using a walk-behind... the concern isn't so much flipping over (they have a very low center of gravity)... it more the thought that you lose your footing and slide underneath the machine. Which again... is a good reason to have a sulky. Suffice to say but with a used machine you could pay for it in a fraction of a season... building up cash for a replacement and other things you want to buy. Some of the related services (core aeration, Fall cleanup, etc.) can be pretty lucrative in themselves and are worth considering. Perhaps somebody that actively landscapes can chime in here. Good luck with your decision & subsequent purchases! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CRE1992 135 #5 Posted October 21, 2011 Thanks for the advice! Still awaiting more responses, btw that is a great price for a scag hydro walk behind regardless of the hours... Btw if any one is interested in my tractors, let me know. I will probably have one or two on ebay within the next couple weeks or so... I would be listing it on their because they typically bring more money... Thanks, -Charles Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigd 0 #6 Posted October 22, 2011 scag turf tiger only way to go Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bitten 133 #7 Posted October 22, 2011 The walk behinds give a nice cut and would be good for small yards but why mow 10 yards with a walk behind when you can mow 20 with a rider? I have a Ferris and it is able to mow in a straight line at 10MPH. I have 5 acres and with the buildings, trees and other things Im not sure how much I mow but it takes me a little over an hour to mow it. Before that I had a Yazoo hydro with a 60" deck and it would take me over two hours to mow. I would hate to think how long it would take me with one of my Wheel Horse's. I guess what Im tryings to say is there is more to conceder then just a price ( although that is one of the most contributing factors). Take your time and do your homework. The mowing season is just about over so you have some time to make a decision. And if at all possible keep your Horse's. Good Luck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HorseFixer 2,012 #8 Posted October 22, 2011 Well there goes another member and brother of the 520 Club That I enjoy Heckeling... And prolly gonna leave us Selling a horse Jeesh Charles, I thought we taught you better than that! Well sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do I guess <_< Anyways good luck pal? Cheers ~Duke :thanks: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CasualObserver 3,406 #9 Posted October 22, 2011 Charles, you'll get a hundred different opinions about zero turns, especially when you're looking for a good one. Believe me, I searched too. Everyone thinks theirs is the best. I love mine, but I know it's not the best. I went with the best for me that I could get for what I could afford... if that makes sense. I'm happy to see that you've set a realistic price range for what you're looking for, that's important. You'll always hear about someone getting a great deal for a great mower really cheap, but the reality is that those deals aren't there when you're looking for them. Good brands in my opinion... Bunton, Scag, Hustler, Gravely, Kubota, Exmark, Country Clipper, Bad Boy and Ferris. One of the biggest factors for me was the proximity of dealer service. I'd love to have a Scag, but the nearest dealer is about an hour away. Not practical if you're responsible for more lawns that your own. Time is always of the essence. So since the Hustler dealer in my town went under and closed up, my nearest quality option was Gravely in the next town over (4 miles). In my opinion, for what you're looking for, (10 lawns) in the Gravely line, you wouldn't need to go to the full commercial . You would likely get by nicely with the ZT HD series. It's a step below the full Pro-Turn commercial line (and full commercial prices) I went with the next step down myself (just the ZT XL) and I love it. In the future though when I trade it in, I'll step up to the ZT HD. My Brother-in-law mows with a Bunton and a Gravely Pro-Turn. He favors the Gravely for the comfort and speed over the Bunton, but has never had a problem with the Bunton either. He used a Cub Cadet Commercial for a while, but never really liked it. My father in law also has a Gravely Pro-Turn for his Christmas tree farm. I've used it there... and it rides and cuts like a dream. Hope you find something nice, and get many years or service out of it. Good luck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jake Kuhn 1,547 #10 Posted October 22, 2011 My dad has had really good luck with the simplicity/ferris brand. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
can whlvr 991 #11 Posted October 23, 2011 i have used both exmark and and kobota and both were amazing and felt professional,but they are probally well past your price range,i think casual hit on the nose,service when you are in buisness is every thing,i love my horses but could never relie on the dealer to get me parts fast enough when lawns would be needing cut,and people are fussy about when there lawn gets done,ive heard of guys losing contracts because the lawn wasnt cut for their partie or something,our exmark dealer here rents a few so if you buy a new one you can use one of the rentals if yours is broke,means alot when people are waiting for service,i dont actually mow for a living but have family that does,he uses ariens pro models because thats all he can afford,and the lawns he does arent really big Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FarmerJim 5 #12 Posted October 23, 2011 Gotta throw my .02 in here. I worked for a Cub dealer for awhile that also carried Dixie Chopper and Hustler. I would recommend Hustler for a whole lot of reasons, simplicity of design and operation among others. Dixie's are flashy and expensive and do a pretty good job, however in my experience it takes about 6 months to get a Dixie to mow right and they are supposed to be ready to mow from the factory I had been a Cub fan for years till MTD ruined them- really no durable zero turns there :wh: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chesbaycruiser 82 #13 Posted October 23, 2011 Charles, it appears that my experience may differ from others here. In 2007 I purchased a new residential model Toro Timecutter Z4200, which runs on a 19hp single cylinder Kohler, for about $2500. (I purchased the 42" model over the 50" so I could get it through fence gates.) Since then, I've used it to regularly cut 5 or more yards ranging in in size from about a quarter acre to 1.5 and 2+ acres. Aside from regular maintenance and having to replace a muffler (twice, covered under the warranty), I've had no trouble at all. It's fast, cuts great, it's comfortable, and I have no complaints. I purchased this model from a Toro/Wheel Horse dealer, but it is the same model sold in the box stores. Compared to similar priced units (Cub, JD), I found the deck to be much more substantial, and I can take it off in under a minute, and put it back on in about the same. I love it. (I also purchased the bagging unit, which works well, although these days when I need to get up much clippings or leaves I use the WH and the TracVac) My friend and fellow WH enthusiast has a Toro Zmaster 54" commercial grade unit that is significantly older than mine which also has performed above expectations with no significant issues. Based on your description, I think the Toro Titan line might represent a good value for what you are talking about. One of our local dealers has all three lines on display: Timecutter, Titan and Zmaster, and from what I've seen it's a really nice unit for the money. Obviously, the Dixie and Skag (etc) are monsters, but it's all about getting what you need. I like the Red. Plus, at a lower price point, maybe you don't have to get rid of ALL your Wheel Horses? I mean....you'll still want something to push snow with, right? Just my opinion, and you know what they say about those. Good luck.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CRE1992 135 #14 Posted October 31, 2011 Well there goes another member and brother of the 520 Club That I enjoy Heckeling... And prolly gonna leave us Selling a horse Jeesh Charles, I thought we taught you better than that! Well sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do I guess <_< Anyways good luck pal? Cheers ~Duke Don't worry Duke, I plan on owning another wheel horse in the future! Also, I may be able to keep one if i can get a certain deal worked out. My 416H is on ebay now... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CRE1992 135 #15 Posted October 31, 2011 I would love to keep one of my wheel horses, but I also have a JD790 with 4wd for the snow that has a front end loader, and rear blade. I am considering buying either of the following once I get money: a toro zmaster that has a 29hp liquid cooled Kawasaki engine and 60" deck, a walker mower with a Kubota diesel engine and a 62" sd deck, or a walker 26hp kohler efi and a 48" deck with rear hopper. I need something with a large deck because I plan on mowing my own property 3-5 acres. As well as 2 other properties, one with 3.5 acres, and another with 1.4 acres. -Charles Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rollerman 290 #16 Posted October 31, 2011 My FIL has a 60" Bad Boy ZTR & is very happy with it. I've used it & it feels pretty rugged, but I'm a fan of streering wheels I guess. :dunno: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CRE1992 135 #17 Posted November 19, 2011 Well guys... I sold my 520H... and I on Friday I am going to pick up my zero turn that I just bought. It is a monster. I will not disclose any more info before I properly take pictures of it and give it its own thread in the other brands section =D -Charles Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CRE1992 135 #18 Posted November 25, 2011 Well guys here is the link to my new Z-turn http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=32925 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
specialwheelhorse 174 #19 Posted March 19, 2012 I do hope you keep your medical up to date for you will have back problems the rest of your life with a Z-turn. Get back to us in a couple years. I wouldn't want you so stove you cant ride RED. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
