Advice/help on new equipment for lawn care business

[Gravedigger]

I want to start by introducing myself and saying hello!! I have always had high interest in landscaping and just getting the funds together to start my own business. I have been searching for reviews/comparisons on commercial zero turns which lead me to this forum. I have several questions and hoping to get some good advice. I understand most are opinions and I am open minded.
I have owned 2 ZT mowers for personal use.... Exmark Quest and Kubota Kommander ZG 123S. I have to say I like the Kubota but I also know the Exmark I had was their lower end.
For you experienced guys that have owned several different makes and models: what is your favorite mower and your likes/dislikes and what do you look for in a mower??
These are a couple that got my attention:
1) 2015 Bad Boy Outlaw
2) Exmark Lazer?
3) Scag (probably have to be used as my budget is $8000 and under.

I am also looking for a couple trimmers and blowers if anyone has input on some good ones!

Thanks in advance and I apologize for a question that has been asked numerous times!!

 

[Shughes717]

I want to start by introducing myself and saying hello!! I have always had high interest in landscaping and just getting the funds together to start my own business. I have been searching for reviews/comparisons on commercial zero turns which lead me to this forum. I have several questions and hoping to get some good advice. I understand most are opinions and I am open minded.
I have owned 2 ZT mowers for personal use.... Exmark Quest and Kubota Kommander ZG 123S. I have to say I like the Kubota but I also know the Exmark I had was their lower end.
For you experienced guys that have owned several different makes and models: what is your favorite mower and your likes/dislikes and what do you look for in a mower??
These are a couple that got my attention:
1) 2015 Bad Boy Outlaw
2) Exmark Lazer?
3) Scag (probably have to be used as my budget is $8000 and under.

I am also looking for a couple trimmers and blowers if anyone has input on some good ones!

Thanks in advance and I apologize for a question that has been asked numerous times!!

Hello Gravedigger, I do not mow commercially but have experience with several brands of commercial ztr mowers. I currently mow a 4.2 acre lawn and have mowed my dad's 9 acres for years. I have also mowed our county softball fields over the years as well (city doesn't mow, so coaches have to keep the fields up, 5 fields total). I have some ?s before I can give you much advice. How large are the lawns you will be mowing? What size mowing deck do you want? Need to be sure there will be no fences, or tight spaces preventing a larger deck mower from getting through. Are you looking for a stand on or a ztr mower? Where do you live in tennessee (what kind of terrain)? I am in Crockett County (west Tennessee) so the hills aren't as bad as the other districts. What brands are available in your area?

One thing you will learn when ztr mower shopping is that just about all of the major brands offer the same drive train options. Each will have different features you may like, such as suspension, flex forks, stand up decks, single joystick control, hydraulic deck lift, mulch on demand decks, etc. some brands will be more affordable than others that offer the same drive train options. Great dealer support should factor heavily in your decision. You need a dealer who will do whatever it takes to get you back going as soon as possible when something does break. There are plenty of great brands out there. Hustler, toro/exmark, kubota, scag, ferris/snapper pro, husqvarna, gravely, country clipper, etc. check and see how many of these brands have a dealer close. I would also suggest purchasing trimmers from the same dealer if possible. That way you only have one place to go for your maintenance needs.

As for the mowers you mentioned:

Bad boy doesn't have the dealer support in some areas ( mine for instance) there are a few dealers out there, and the outlaw would be the only mower in the bad boy line I would purchase. Built like a tank.

The exmark laser z is out of your price range. The pioneer s series would fit under your budget.

The scag tiger cat would fall in your $8k budget. It is a mid level commercial mower and a quality built machine.

There are many other options worth looking at for that budget. The hustler x one, the toro zmaster 2000, kubota z700 series, country clipper charger, snapper pro s200xt, ferris is700 (or is2100 for $9k), etc. These are all great mowers and each have features you may like.
As for trimmers, there may be people on here with more experience than me on that, but I like stihl husqvarna and Echo.

 

[Gravedigger]

Hello Gravedigger, I do not mow commercially but have experience with several brands of commercial ztr mowers. I currently mow a 4.2 acre lawn and have mowed my dad's 9 acres for years. I have also mowed our county softball fields over the years as well (city doesn't mow, so coaches have to keep the fields up, 5 fields total). I have some ?s before I can give you much advice. How large are the lawns you will be mowing? What size mowing deck do you want? Need to be sure there will be no fences, or tight spaces preventing a larger deck mower from getting through. Are you looking for a stand on or a ztr mower? Where do you live in tennessee (what kind of terrain)? I am in Crockett County (west Tennessee) so the hills aren't as bad as the other districts. What brands are available in your area?

One thing you will learn when ztr mower shopping is that just about all of the major brands offer the same drive train options. Each will have different features you may like, such as suspension, flex forks, stand up decks, single joystick control, hydraulic deck lift, mulch on demand decks, etc. some brands will be more affordable than others that offer the same drive train options. Great dealer support should factor heavily in your decision. You need a dealer who will do whatever it takes to get you back going as soon as possible when something does break. There are plenty of great brands out there. Hustler, toro/exmark, kubota, scag, ferris/snapper pro, husqvarna, gravely, country clipper, etc. check and see how many of these brands have a dealer close. I would also suggest purchasing trimmers from the same dealer if possible. That way you only have one place to go for your maintenance needs.

As for the mowers you mentioned:

Bad boy doesn't have the dealer support in some areas ( mine for instance) there are a few dealers out there, and the outlaw would be the only mower in the bad boy line I would purchase. Built like a tank.

The exmark laser z is out of your price range. The pioneer s series would fit under your budget.

The scag tiger cat would fall in your $8k budget. It is a mid level commercial mower and a quality built machine.

There are many other options worth looking at for that budget. The hustler x one, the toro zmaster 2000, kubota z700 series, country clipper charger, snapper pro s200xt, ferris is700 (or is2100 for $9k), etc. These are all great mowers and each have features you may like.
As for trimmers, there may be people on here with more experience than me on that, but I like stihl husqvarna and Echo.

Thanks for the response!
I live in Spring Hill area about 40-50 miles south of Nashville. I am leaning towards a 60" deck. Some of the properties will have fences but I plan to get a walk behind/push for those. The terrain is pretty level here.
There is a Bad Boy, Scag and Kubota within 5 miles from where I live and Exmark about 15 miles so those are all close. I know Lowes sells Hustler and I can actually get a 10% discount on those.
I think that answered your questions.

 

[Ric]

I want to start by introducing myself and saying hello!! I have always had high interest in landscaping and just getting the funds together to start my own business. I have been searching for reviews/comparisons on commercial zero turns which lead me to this forum. I have several questions and hoping to get some good advice. I understand most are opinions and I am open minded.
I have owned 2 ZT mowers for personal use.... Exmark Quest and Kubota Kommander ZG 123S. I have to say I like the Kubota but I also know the Exmark I had was their lower end.
For you experienced guys that have owned several different makes and models: what is your favorite mower and your likes/dislikes and what do you look for in a mower??
These are a couple that got my attention:
1) 2015 Bad Boy Outlaw
2) Exmark Lazer?
3) Scag (probably have to be used as my budget is $8000 and under.

I am also looking for a couple trimmers and blowers if anyone has input on some good ones!

Thanks in advance and I apologize for a question that has been asked numerous times!!

You said your budget is $8000 and under, if your serious about or looking at the Exmark Lazer you could get the Toro Z Master a little cheaper and it's the same mower. There both made buy Toro. If your looking for Blowers and Trimmers Stihl is the way to go IMO. The Stihl BR 600 is probably the best all around blower you can have on your trailer, it's big enough to get any job done and it's not overkill. For Trimmers the FS 90,100 and 110 4 mix units with 28 and 31 cc engines would be the choice, all have plenty of power to do any job you could run into. I've been running mine for almost 10 years and there still running strong.

 

[Shughes717]

Thanks for the response!
I live in Spring Hill area about 40-50 miles south of Nashville. I am leaning towards a 60" deck. Some of the properties will have fences but I plan to get a walk behind/push for those. The terrain is pretty level here.
There is a Bad Boy, Scag and Kubota within 5 miles from where I live and Exmark about 15 miles so those are all close. I know Lowes sells Hustler and I can actually get a 10% discount on those.
I think that answered your questions.

Your not going to get the mower you are looking for at a big box store. I mentioned a mower for each brand you just listed that will fall under your budget and suit your needs. See if any of your dealers will let you demo them. Btw, have you checked with SLE equipment? They are a big dealer near Nashville. No one can touch their prices. You can get a high end commercial mower right at your budget.

 

[Gravedigger]

Your not going to get the mower you are looking for at a big box store. I mentioned a mower for each brand you just listed that will fall under your budget and suit your needs. See if any of your dealers will let you demo them. Btw, have you checked with SLE equipment? They are a big dealer near Nashville. No one can touch their prices. You can get a high end commercial mower right at your budget.

Thanks for the info, I have not heard of SLE. They have some great packages on Husqvarna... Any input on the PZ and MZ models??

 

[Shughes717]

Thanks for the info, I have not heard of SLE. They have some great packages on Husqvarna... Any input on the PZ and MZ models??

The mz is their lower end of their commercial commercial line. MZT is their mid level commercial mower. The pz and pzt are their high end mowers. They also sell ferris mowers as well. The is2100 is one of my favorite mowers. Can't beat the ride. The snapper pro mowers they sell are the same mower as the ferris, just don't have the independent suspension. The s125xt has the same drive train as the mzt. The s200xt have similar drive trains as the pz and is2100. All are good mowers. Imo ferris is the best they sell. They all have the same engine/hydro options but the ferris has that great suspension. Snapper pro will give you the most bang for your buck (can get the high end engine/hydros combo for the least amount of cash). The husqvarna is close to the snapper pro in pricing.

 

[clpolcar]

When it comes to trimmers and blowers stihls are great. Br600 is nasty. I run fs90r trimmer and echo blowor and redmax blower.

 

[Ric]

Thanks for the info, I have not heard of SLE. They have some great packages on Husqvarna... Any input on the PZ and MZ models??

In your search have you checked with the local Lawncare guys to see what everyone else is running in your area? Another thing you need to do before you buy is too ask yourself how big a business are you intending to run or have? How many clients, because that could dictate how much or what quality of a mower and equipment you will need purchase.

 

[Shughes717]

Have you found what you have been looking for Gravedigger? If so let us know and post some pictures.