2 acres and a $5,000 budget for a new ZTR....looking for some wisdom

[denk]

not trying to get into a 'mower wars' contest here, but i did drive a ferris before upgrading to a hustler super Z. the handling of the hustler Z & SZ are superb. i can make both dance. i like grasshopper, but they cost too much for me. the ferris drove much like a tank and it was very expensive.

durability, ruggedness, and support (if you need it) are of utmost importance in buying most anything. but you want a 'best of breed' product, which means this one (best of breed) might not ever require any service!

i believe that hustler and grasshopper are best of breed. there are others, but i haven't tried them. the bad boy seems to have the ruggedness in construction. many of the components in the mowers - wheel motors & pumps are made by competitors or even the same company.

and he did say $5k, not $6k. so the ferris is out unless you will sell it for $5k. also the ferris is ONLY 48". the bad boy is 60". huge difference!

 

[denk]

If I had 5K in my pocket, I'd invest it and hire a lawn care service and dispense with the mowing all together. My buddy gets his lawn mowed and trimmed every week for 40 bucks. Let someone else maintain a machine, put gas in it and do the work.

if you calculate the cost: $5k vs $120/mow, it is easy to see that in 4 years $5k has been spent. it is more cost effective if you buy a mower & change the blades when needed.

 

[Darryl G]

Regarding deck size. In my opinion a 52 or 54 inch compact Z is more suitable for residential mowing than a 60 incher in general. They're more agile, fit more places, do less turf damage and provide a better cut.

 

[ukrkoz]

OP, I have Hustler SD 60 inch. If your property is FLAT - it'll do OK, but you will ahve to start replacing bolts in short mowing time. ANd re torque them about every other month. If you have even anything reminding of uneven or bumpy terrain, I'd rather - now, after 2 ZTRs - buy a good wide deck rider with hydros.
Here's a tip for you. When you look at mowers, go to the rear and look at the transmissions. You will be surprised how MANY you will see with plastic components on hydros. Do you really want that?
Don't buy anything that does not have tube frame. Simply don't.
Be prepared to have very bumpy ride on ZTRs. They have ZERO suspension. Your ars will get all of it and so will back. Hustler has memory foam seat thought, that it does. Also, 60 incher has totally dumb counter-intuitive deck height adjustment system, looks like borrowed from Toro ZTR. Just dumb. And you absolutely want to adjust deck height on a fly.
Btw, 54 inch ZTR will do your 2 acre in about an hr easy. Just don't even look at 54 inch Hustler, it's junk.
It seriously depends on quality of grading for your lawn. And how many mole mounds you have.
I'd rather get a nice rider, to be honest. Yeah, they mow a bit slower due to cornering but you will be more comfortable. Unless you have HILLS. ZTR does stellar on slopes.

 

[denk]

Regarding deck size. In my opinion a 52 or 54 inch compact Z is more suitable for residential mowing than a 60 incher in general. They're more agile, fit more places, do less turf damage and provide a better cut.

that's fine, but he said 2 acres. not typical residential.

 

[denk]

OP, I have Hustler SD 60 inch. If your property is FLAT - it'll do OK, but you will ahve to start replacing bolts in short mowing time. ANd re torque them about every other month. If you have even anything reminding of uneven or bumpy terrain, I'd rather - now, after 2 ZTRs - buy a good wide deck rider with hydros.
Here's a tip for you. When you look at mowers, go to the rear and look at the transmissions. You will be surprised how MANY you will see with plastic components on hydros. Do you really want that?
Don't buy anything that does not have tube frame. Simply don't.
Be prepared to have very bumpy ride on ZTRs. They have ZERO suspension. Your ars will get all of it and so will back. Hustler has memory foam seat thought, that it does. Also, 60 incher has totally dumb counter-intuitive deck height adjustment system, looks like borrowed from Toro ZTR. Just dumb. And you absolutely want to adjust deck height on a fly.
Btw, 54 inch ZTR will do your 2 acre in about an hr easy. Just don't even look at 54 inch Hustler, it's junk.
It seriously depends on quality of grading for your lawn. And how many mole mounds you have.
I'd rather get a nice rider, to be honest. Yeah, they mow a bit slower due to cornering but you will be more comfortable. Unless you have HILLS. ZTR does stellar on slopes.

he wants a mower for 2 acres.

the hustler sd is a 'home brew' version. the Z & SZ have few bolts with MANY welds. very sturdy. very commercial. my neighbor has used the hustler fastrak with few problems for several years now. my dogs dig holes in the yard & i hit some of them. nothing has broken yet on the SZ. i mow 8 acres.

the OP asked for opinions on a mower for 2 acres. he's probably not interested in these discussions.

please note i recommended the bad boy 60", not a hustler. he doesn't need a commercial mower for 2 acres. but the bad boy will cost $5k which is at the limit of his budget. and it is sturdily built. the deck is about as sturdy as the Z & SZ decks.

 

[Darryl G]

that's fine, but he said 2 acres. not typical residential.

It is where I am and that's what I run mowing commercially. Why would a homeowner need a bigger mower than I do?

 

[denk]

It is where I am and that's what I run mowing commercially. Why would a homeowner need a bigger mower than I do?

this discussion is NOT about you.

 

[Darryl G]

this discussion is NOT about you.

I stand by my comments and I never said anything about a "typical" residential property in my initial comments regarding deck size. My comments were made in light of the OP's particular situation. Residential properties, regardless of their total size, tend to have features which in my opinion make it clumsy to mow them with 60 inch mowers. I've got 18 years of experience mowing residential properties including my own 34 acres. Personally I'd rather zip around on a 52 inch mower than try to tiptoe around on a 60 incher. Bigger isn't always better! I think I'm allowed that opinion without being trolled about it. A 52 or 54 inch deck is plenty big for mowing 2 acres and has many benefits over a larger deck.

 

[cpurvis]

I agree with Darryl. You don't need a 60 inch mower for two acres.