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

[Mike Hawk]

Well I had settled on the Ferris IS2100z with the Vanguard 810cc EFI as SLE had a volume price @ $8,350. I was hopeful my local dealer would be close. Nah, appears they're charging full MSRP @ $9,599. After 5.4% tax we're talking $10,118 OTD. Yeah, no thanks. Only reason I was looking at the Ferris was for it's value priced comfort.

Guess I'll be looking again at the Outlaw XP.

The saga continues. I think I've gotta be the record holder for taking his time deciding on pulling the trigger. Sigh.

 

[Shughes717]

Well I had settled on the Ferris IS2100z with the Vanguard 810cc EFI as SLE had a volume price @ $8,350. I was hopeful my local dealer would be close. Nah, appears they're charging full MSRP @ $9,599. After 5.4% tax we're talking $10,118 OTD. Yeah, no thanks. Only reason I was looking at the Ferris was for it's value priced comfort.

Guess I'll be looking again at the Outlaw XP.

The saga continues. I think I've gotta be the record holder for taking his time deciding on pulling the trigger. Sigh.

SLE has the best prices I have seen on ferris mowers. Too bad your local dealer wouldn't come down. Good luck with your continued search, and keep us posted.

 

[Mad Mackie]

Mike Hawk,
The longer you drag this out, the more unhappy you will be with your final decision.
it's just a lawn mower!!!!
However it is more looking like a dollars decision and not a particular make and model!!!
So set a dollar limit and buy the most for the money.

 

[jekjr]

Tiger Cat Scags are less than $9K and we are having excellent results with the two we are running. One is close to 400 hours now and the other is close to 200. No problems at all. Much of the cutting has been brutal.

 

[neighborbill]

I've owned a Scags since 2001. It's a 23 hp Kawasaki Tiger model This thing is a tank. I'm 240 pounds and it carries me and my 15 acres of grass cutting beautiful.. I had to replace both pumps (drive) do to leakage, but I'm not complaining. It was pretty much straight forward. Belts, blades filters the usual. I'd buy another at the drop of a hat.

Keep away from Grass Hoppers (not the bugs).

Once I tested the Scags, there was no need to shop around anymore.

 

[jekjr]

I've owned a Scags since 2001. It's a 23 hp Kawasaki Tiger model This thing is a tank. I'm 240 pounds and it carries me and my 15 acres of grass cutting beautiful.. I had to replace both pumps (drive) do to leakage, but I'm not complaining. It was pretty much straight forward. Belts, blades filters the usual. I'd buy another at the drop of a hat. Keep away from Grass Hoppers (not the bugs). Once I tested the Scags, there was no need to shop around anymore.

I had a ZD 326 Kubota 60". It had around 700 hours on it. I bought a Tiger Cat Scag last Summer. It was doing so much better job for me that I traded the 326 in and bought another Tiger Cat. The Velocity deck cuts stemmed grass like Pensacola Bahia better than any mower I personally have ever witnessed.

We took our two Tiger Cats this past Friday and cut 2 Acres of Bahia in one pass that there is absolutely no way that the Kubotas or anything else I have seen work would have cut as clean in one pass. We would honestly have not got as good of cut in two,passes with the Kubota mowers.

I still have a ZG 222 Kubota and will probably sell it next year and get a third Tiger Cat. They are awesome little mowers.

 

[UN 1263]

Tiger Cat Scags are less than $9K and we are having excellent results with the two we are running. One is close to 400 hours now and the other is close to 200. No problems at all. Much of the cutting has been brutal.

Same here.

The OP reminds me of me in 2005 when I walked into my Scag dealer and said I need a high 20-something HP mower w 60" deck. The store owner said for what? Do you cut 20 football fields per day? I said I have 5 acres of which 3.5 gets cut.

He just laughed and sold me 19/48 Kawi Tiger Cub. My front yard is two acres with 30 trees and it takes 41-45 minutes to cut that. Fast enough.

I have 470 hrs on said mower and its been flawless. I purchased another home and when my old home sells, the new owner is buying the Scag only because I have new mower fever.

FYI- 61" deck is HUGE unless you have a super flat piece of land to cut. If not, you're going to be scalping in uneven terrain.

 

[Mike Hawk]

OP here.

John Deere Z930M 60" with the Kohler 26.5hp EFI and JD's version of the Michigan High Back suspension seat is on order. Hope to take possession of it sometime in early July.

Reason I went with the JD is I have a buddy that works at the local dealer so I can get the hookup on parts/service. Also reading reviews that the 7 Iron Pro deck is the shiznit in cut quality was also a huge selling point. Haven't read much on comfort with the Ztraks so hopefully the suspension seat will be enough.

And yes, I fully realize a $5k mower would be sufficient. But I'd rather just pay a bit more for the premo upgrades the real commercial mowers bring and the piece of mind. Will I notice a difference? Who knows.... I never "my yard" demoed anything.