~60 inch commerical grade $12k mower recomendations for 3 acres residential use only?

[Mike Hawk]

Hey folks.

Current equipment is a Cub Cadet M48 Tank for my old place that was a flat 2 acres with 50+ trees (god bless glyphosate!) . For the most part I liked the Cadet other than thrown belts, busted clutch, and some hydros that are starting to get cantankerous. Took me ~1.5 hours to ride then another ~1.5 hours to finish with push mow, edge, blow, etc.

Anyhow enough of the history lesson. I'm moving into 3 acres that has some slight slopes, but way less trees. Also a stream that bisects the property, joy joy! (sarcasm). Terrain is about 85% flat. I'll probably have a landscape company come out with a dump truck or 3 of dirt and a blade to regrade everything to help make mowing a bit easier.

So here is what I'm thinking and my priority list:
#1 Priority, cut quick
#2 Priority, cut nice (has to be a mulcher though)
#3 Priority, comfort (I hate getting beat up and bounced around going over rough terrain!)

To achieve #1 I'm thinking a 60" mower would be a nice upgrade. Budget wise I'd love to only pay $8k, but I'm okay though with going up to $12ish. I know, complete overkill probably for my needs but I want to be one and done on this and have this mower last me for at least the next 15 years.

I've got buddies that can get me buddy price on JD, Gravely, and Big Dog but I'm not brand loyal. I'm pretty handy with a wrench and as long as there's a good YouTube or DIY manual on the net I will most likely be doing maintenance/repairs myself so Dealer Service / Proximity won't be a selling point to me. I live in Tulsa so there are all kinds of dealers around me.

Hit me up with some model #s to Google!

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Shughes717]

Hey folks.

Current equipment is a Cub Cadet M48 Tank for my old place that was a flat 2 acres with 50+ trees (god bless glyphosate!) . For the most part I liked the Cadet other than thrown belts, busted clutch, and some hydros that are starting to get cantankerous. Took me ~1.5 hours to ride then another ~1.5 hours to finish with push mow, edge, blow, etc.

Anyhow enough of the history lesson. I'm moving into 3 acres that has some slight slopes, but way less trees. Also a stream that bisects the property, joy joy! (sarcasm). Terrain is about 85% flat. I'll probably have a landscape company come out with a dump truck or 3 of dirt and a blade to regrade everything to help make mowing a bit easier.

So here is what I'm thinking and my priority list:
#1 Priority, cut quick
#2 Priority, cut nice (has to be a mulcher though)
#3 Priority, comfort (I hate getting beat up and bounced around going over rough terrain!)

To achieve #1 I'm thinking a 60" mower would be a nice upgrade. Budget wise I'd love to only pay $8k, but I'm okay though with going up to $12ish. I know, complete overkill probably for my needs but I want to be one and done on this and have this mower last me for at least the next 15 years.

I've got buddies that can get me buddy price on JD, Gravely, and Big Dog but I'm not brand loyal. I'm pretty handy with a wrench and as long as there's a good YouTube or DIY manual on the net I will most likely be doing maintenance/repairs myself so Dealer Service / Proximity won't be a selling point to me. I live in Tulsa so there are all kinds of dealers around me.


Hit me up with some model #s to Google!

Thanks,
Mike

Any brand you look at in that budget will do the job fast and cut well. As for comfort, I would suggest getting a suspension seat. Some models (hustler super z or big dog Diablo) offer flex forks to help with the ride. Ferris mowers will offer the most comfortable ride due to independent suspension (suggest looking at the is2100 or is3200). The exmark laser z or toro z master series would be fine choices as well. The country clipper defender offers single joystick control and a deck that easily stands up for cleaning and blade sharpening. The scag cheetah and turf tiger are also great options. Great cut quality and well built mowers. The snapper pro s200xt is less expensive than the ferris and is the same mower without the suspension. The John Deere 960 is expensive but a very good mower as well. The kubota z726x is also a great mower. The list goes on and on. The best advice that I can give you is test as many as you can and get the one you like. You don't have to spend that much to get a great mower, but if you can afford it and that is what you want then great.

 

[Mike Hawk]

Was pretty much sold on the Gravely 460 with the 33 HP EFI they sell (Model # 992248 ). However my buddy hookup suggested I should just buy from a local dealer to start building that relationship. So that deal is out.

I was sold on the air suspension seat the Pro 400 brings to the table but of course after reading countless reviews, some say it's not worth the premium, plus just another part to break.

Blarg, now I've started to see if I'll be happy with a $8k mower.

Still on the hunt for the best value with the most bells and whistles that'll make my mow a pleasure.

 

[Shughes717]

Was pretty much sold on the Gravely 460 with the 33 HP EFI they sell (Model # 992248 ). However my buddy hookup suggested I should just buy from a local dealer to start building that relationship. So that deal is out.

I was sold on the air suspension seat the Pro 400 brings to the table but of course after reading countless reviews, some say it's not worth the premium, plus just another part to break.

Blarg, now I've started to see if I'll be happy with a $8k mower.

Still on the hunt for the best value with the most bells and whistles that'll make my mow a pleasure.

$8k is plenty of budget for 3 acres. I mow 4.2 acres with a 48" snapper pro s150xt and it handles my lawn with ease. It cost me about $5500 in 2012 (a 52" runs about $7k now).Takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes. All of the major brands offer a great mower in that range and have similar drive train options. Hustler x one (big dog Diablo), scag tiger cat, toro zmaster 3000, snapper pro s150xt (s200xt in some places), husqvarna mzt (pzt in some places), gravely pro turn 100 series, ferris is700, kubota z700 series, and country clipper charger, etc. You can get a suspension seat with any of those brands to improve the ride. If you want the best ride then take a look at the ferris is2100. It is a little over the $8k budget ($9k range), but you can't beat the ride. What brands are available in your area?

 

[Mike Hawk]

Pretty much any brand is available round these parts (Tulsa). Some dealers are 10 min away, some are 30-45. I don't really care about dealer closeness though as I plan to do most of the maintenance myself other than warranty work (knock on wood: NONE! :smile: )

 

[Shughes717]

Pretty much any brand is available round these parts (Tulsa). Some dealers are 10 min away, some are 30-45. I don't really care about dealer closeness though as I plan to do most of the maintenance myself other than warranty work (knock on wood: NONE! :smile: )

The mowers I listed would all be great options for you, and any of them could handle your lawn in well under 2 hours. As you know most people are brand loyal. Like you, I don't fall into that line of thinking. They all offer a commercial deck and similar drive trains. After that you are paying for paint and some different features. My 3 personal favorites close to your budget are as follows.

Ferris is2100: independent suspension gives an awesome ride

Country clipper boss or charger: single joystick control is more comfortable than pushing two levers in front of you and the stand up deck is one of the best features out there. Makes changing blades and cleaning very easy.

Hustler xone/ big dog Diablo (never used big dog but appears to be same design): well built mowers with flex fork option to improve the ride some.

The next few are in no particular order but all great mowers.

Toro zmaster series/exmark pioneer s series: a little pricey for the drive train options you get but very well built machines with great dealer support. The laser z is one of the top mowers on the market (excellent mower just expensive).

Kubota z725 z726: the newest models in their line. Fast, well made, and also have great dealer support.

Snapper pro s150xt or s200xt: same mower as the ferris, just doesn't have the suspension. Good dealer support and gives you the most bang for your buck (for those of us on a set budget). Can get a vanguard or fx series Kawi engine with top of the line hydrogear zt5400 hydros for a price much lower than most other brands.

Scag tiger cat or cheetah: great cut quality, well made, the cheetah has a high range up to 16 mph for transport (won't mow that fast).

There are several other brands out there that would be worth looking at. Bobcat, bush hog, john Deere (very pricey), dixie chopper (solid mowers but their fastest mower in the world slogan is a lie), and of course gravely ( don't know much about them because there aren't any dealers close, but appear to be well made).

In truth every commercial ztr mower I have ever used is a quality, well built machine. With your budget, youwill get a great mower no matter what you go with.

 

[clpolcar]

Hustler super z is super fast. Cutes nice. Scags are fast too and cute nice. Exmarks have a gorgeous cute. Ferris mowershave a nice cut and good ride. Rely depends on what color of a mower you want lol. But I word get one with a Kawasaki engine on it.

 

[Shughes717]

Hustler super z is super fast. Cutes nice. Scags are fast too and cute nice. Exmarks have a gorgeous cute. Ferris mowershave a nice cut and good ride. Rely depends on what color of a mower you want lol. But I word get one with a Kawasaki engine on it.

The super z is one of my favorite mowers as well. It is one of the fastest mowers out there. Can't get one anywhere close to $8k though. The vanguard is every bit as good an engine as the Kawi. Can't go wrong with either of them.

 

[clpolcar]

The Briggs vanguard is the only Briggs I will own if I had to. I prefer Kawasaki tho. But when it comes down to price go with what can be afforded. I have a ferris with Kawasaki engine. Love it. Wish I could have afforded a mower with separate wheel motors and pumps.

 

[Shughes717]

The Briggs vanguard is the only Briggs I will own if I had to. I prefer Kawasaki tho. But when it comes down to price go with what can be afforded. I have a ferris with Kawasaki engine. Love it. Wish I could have afforded a mower with separate wheel motors and pumps.

Why? The zt3400 hydros and zt5400 hydros are great transmissions. Plenty of power, no hydraulic lines to leak, and durable. I know many lawn care people prefer separate motors and pumps, but the higher end hydrogear units are whats standard on most commercial brands now a days. As for the vanguard vs kawasaki, have you ever owned a mower with the vanguard? If you haven't how can you have an informed opinion as to which is best? I currently have an fx series Kawi on my mower, and my dad has the big block vanguard on his. Both are great engines. I can't say that one is better than the other. The vanguard is even priced a little better on many heavy duty commercial mowers out there.