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Hey all,

I wanted your opinions on a decision I am looking to make. I have found an awesome dealer who sells Hustler, Husqvarna, and Big Dog.

We just bought a house and now I have about 2-3 acres of grass to cut. (versus 1/4 acre before! - old craftsman push aint cutting it! (Literally)). I also have about another acre or so of a couple small yards on the side. Not sure what kind of grass it is but not Bahia (hate that stuff)

This dealer had what seemed like a good offer on Husqvarna M-ZT52 with what looked like a good weed eater(Husqvarna 327 LDX w/ edger attachment) and blower (350 BT) - (I definitely need a new trimmer too). They didn't have this model to test drive but we did drive a MZ model (step down I believe). Out of curiosity, I also sat and drove on a Big Dog Diablo R754. The seat was very comfortable and I really liked how it drove. The Husqvarna combo was about 5.4k and I believe Diablo was about 6.4k.

I am looking for something I can buy, take care of, and not worry about again for at least 10-15 years (if possible). I feel like the M-ZT52 would be plenty adequate for my needs, but wonder if the Diablo might have features I'm unaware of that I might appreciate in the long run(I noticed it had kawa fx vs fs on M-ZT52). Like maybe it would be better to just get Diablo and a separate really good trimmer ( I could live without a blower for a while).

I did notice the Diablo weighs 400lbs more than M-ZT52. Is it better to have heavier or lighter machine?

I feel like I'm comparing apples to oranges, but wonder what others think. Likewise if there is another machine in 6kish range that just kills the competition, I'd like to hear about it too. Not very many dealers around here though. I don't mind paying more for something with extra features I'll appreciate but don't want to necessarily throw it away either.

Also what is your opinion of bagger for ZT? My wife is always "kindly suggesting" that I bag everything, but it seems like a lot of extra time and money to me. Finally I'd like to be able to occasionally pull a small cart behind- never more than 200lbs. Is this a bad idea? Rep at dealer said it would be no problem as long I remembered to not try zero turns with it attached :laughing:

i have the x diablo [1500 pounds ] and the r-754 [ not the diablo r ] and both are excellent mowers......i think the mzt would be a good mower and am looking at one because of the weight and the 10 mph......the package price is a big incentive on the mzt

I just bought a M-ZT52 and you would be hard pressed to find more machine for the money. I got mine shipped to my door for $5,500 from Mowers4less.com

Pondbound said:

Hey all,

I wanted your opinions on a decision I am looking to make. I have found an awesome dealer who sells Hustler, Husqvarna, and Big Dog.

We just bought a house and now I have about 2-3 acres of grass to cut. (versus 1/4 acre before! - old craftsman push aint cutting it! (Literally)). I also have about another acre or so of a couple small yards on the side. Not sure what kind of grass it is but not Bahia (hate that stuff)

This dealer had what seemed like a good offer on Husqvarna M-ZT52 with what looked like a good weed eater(Husqvarna 327 LDX w/ edger attachment) and blower (350 BT) - (I definitely need a new trimmer too). They didn't have this model to test drive but we did drive a MZ model (step down I believe). Out of curiosity, I also sat and drove on a Big Dog Diablo R754. The seat was very comfortable and I really liked how it drove. The Husqvarna combo was about 5.4k and I believe Diablo was about 6.4k.

I am looking for something I can buy, take care of, and not worry about again for at least 10-15 years (if possible). I feel like the M-ZT52 would be plenty adequate for my needs, but wonder if the Diablo might have features I'm unaware of that I might appreciate in the long run(I noticed it had kawa fx vs fs on M-ZT52). Like maybe it would be better to just get Diablo and a separate really good trimmer ( I could live without a blower for a while).

I did notice the Diablo weighs 400lbs more than M-ZT52. Is it better to have heavier or lighter machine?

I feel like I'm comparing apples to oranges, but wonder what others think. Likewise if there is another machine in 6kish range that just kills the competition, I'd like to hear about it too. Not very many dealers around here though. I don't mind paying more for something with extra features I'll appreciate but don't want to necessarily throw it away either.

Also what is your opinion of bagger for ZT? My wife is always "kindly suggesting" that I bag everything, but it seems like a lot of extra time and money to me. Finally I'd like to be able to occasionally pull a small cart behind- never more than 200lbs. Is this a bad idea? Rep at dealer said it would be no problem as long I remembered to not try zero turns with it attached :laughing:

Click to expand...

I would say that you are comparing apples to larger apples rather than apples to oranges. These are all high-end Residential ZTR's. You should note that both the Hustler and Big Dog are manufactured by Excel Industries and if you sat that Diablo R754 next to a Hustler FasTrak SD 54" you would be surprised at how identical they look. The anti-scalp wheel on the deck are a little different, but aside from that they are VERY similar. The Big Dog sports separate HydroGear pumps and Parker wheel motors where the Hustler has the unitized HydroGear ZT-3100 trannies. That may contribute to the additional weight on the Big Dog. However, the M-ZT 52 has the HydroGear ZT-3400 trannies which are also considered Commercial grade. Your "problem" is sorting out the features most important to you, because they all have some differences, and of course the price you are willing to pay. Some additional differences are that the M-ZT 52 has cast iron spindles(heavier duty) than the aluminum spindles on the Excel ZTR's. They all have 11 gauge decks but as you noticed the Hustler and Big Dog come with the FX series(Commercial) Kawa versus the M-ZT 52 having the FS series(Heavy Duty).

These are the kind of things you will have to sort out and prioritize and determine if the price difference is worth the better quality components on one or another. Add to that seats(comfort), gas tank capacities, wheel/tire sizes, deck suspension systems and type of electric clutches you will find more and more technical specs to compare and consider. The more ZTR's you compare, the more difficult that will become. I.E. if you threw the Gravely Pro-Turn 52", which is actually considered an entry-level Commercial ZTR, into the mix(on sale at my local dealer for $6,299...regularly $6,999) you would find the Kawa FS series engine, HydroGear ZT-3200 trannies, 10 gauge deck and cast iron spindles. Any of these 3 ZTR's would serve you well for many years if properly maintained but only you can determine the components most important to you and the price that you feel most comfortable paying. A reputable dealer that you trust and the warranty provided on the different ZTR's is also VERY important considerations.

On bagging....unless you have a lot of leaves in the Fall, I lean towards a mulch kit versus a bagger. I put one on my Gravely and have no grass clippings visible after mowing(if that is your main objective). This is my opinion and may not represent that of the management:0)

Welcome to the head-spinning world of ZTR shopping/comparisons:0)

edd said:

i have the x diablo [1500 pounds ] and the r-754 [ not the diablo r ] and both are excellent mowers......i think the mzt would be a good mower and am looking at one because of the weight and the 10 mph......the package price is a big incentive on the mzt

Click to expand...

So is lighter weight better? Or is this a "gray" question too?...like heavier = more traction but tears up grass easier?(taking a wild guess here)

Arnezie said:

I just bought a M-ZT52 and you would be hard pressed to find more machine for the money. I got mine shipped to my door for $5,500 from Mowers4less.com

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I am in agreement here. Esp with package coming with what looks like a good trimmer / blower for around that price at dealer here. When I went to test drive m-zt52, they were sold out and said it would be a few weeks until they get more.

djdicetn said:

. The Big Dog sports separate HydroGear pumps and Parker wheel motors where the Hustler has the unitized HydroGear ZT-3100 trannies. That may contribute to the additional weight on the Big Dog. However, the M-ZT 52 has the HydroGear ZT-3400 trannies which are also considered Commercial grade. Your "problem" is sorting out the features most important to you, because they all have some differences, and of course the price you are willing to pay. Some additional differences are that the M-ZT 52 has cast iron spindles(heavier duty) than the aluminum spindles on the Excel ZTR's. They all have 11 gauge decks but as you noticed the Hustler and Big Dog come with the FX series(Commercial) Kawa versus the M-ZT 52 having the FS series(Heavy Duty).

Welcome to the head-spinning world of ZTR shopping/comparisons:0)

Click to expand...

Indeed, as someone new to ZT, I have no idea what a zt-3400 vs a zt-3100 gets me while I'm out cutting or romping around. Part of the fun has been trying to figure it out. The mowers with the best everything cost too much :laughing:

Is there a advantage to hydrogear pump / parker wheel motor vs hydrogear 3400? (am I comparing these right?). Same for Kawa FS vs Kawa FX - I know the FX is "rated higher" but I don't know what that means from a practical standpoint. Seems like HP and speed is the same? Is there somewhere that maybe lists the different parts and what upgrades in each part gets you. Seems like a ton of it is way more gray than black and white as far as what's better. Especially given all the combinations.

I did find another dealer near here that sells gravely, ferris, and some others- I'll check that out too.

Thanks all for your help. Please keep advice and/or anything else you would like to share coming.

Pond if you are close to Huntsville Al you can come ride my MZT-52 to check it out.

Pondbound said:

So is lighter weight better? Or is this a "gray" question too?...like heavier = more traction but tears up grass easier?(taking a wild guess here)



I am in agreement here. Esp with package coming with what looks like a good trimmer / blower for around that price at dealer here. When I went to test drive m-zt52, they were sold out and said it would be a few weeks until they get more.



Indeed, as someone new to ZT, I have no idea what a zt-3400 vs a zt-3100 gets me while I'm out cutting or romping around. Part of the fun has been trying to figure it out. The mowers with the best everything cost too much :laughing:

Is there a advantage to hydrogear pump / parker wheel motor vs hydrogear 3400? (am I comparing these right?). Same for Kawa FS vs Kawa FX - I know the FX is "rated higher" but I don't know what that means from a practical standpoint. Seems like HP and speed is the same? Is there somewhere that maybe lists the different parts and what upgrades in each part gets you. Seems like a ton of it is way more gray than black and white as far as what's better. Especially given all the combinations.

I did find another dealer near here that sells gravely, ferris, and some others- I'll check that out too.

Thanks all for your help. Please keep advice and/or anything else you would like to share coming.

Click to expand...

On the trannies...the higher the number the heavier duty(and yes faster speeds) you get. Also, there is an EZT HydroGear that is the bottom of the line and "non-serviceable" meaning it is sealed and you cannot change the fluid and filter. None of the ZTR's you are considering should have EZT's. From good-to-best HydroGear has the ZT-2800, ZT-3100, ZT-3200, ZT-3400 and ZT-5400. The ZTR's with separate pumps & wheel motors are the "original" setup before HydroGear intoduced the unitized type tranny. The separates are good, but you need to consider each component's size, piston specs etc. and a "downside" is they have external hydraulic hoses that require extra maintenance and can develop leaks. Most of the time the ZTR will give the forward/reverse speed in the specs which is mostly relative to the tranny model.

On the KAWA engines....FR=Residential, FS=Heavy Duty and FX=Commercial. Again, good, better and best as far as performance and durability(they rate them at projected "hours of usage"). I have a FX691V on my Gravely and they are rated at 1,000 hours(simply put...they will last a very long time under hash conditions like mowing commercially) and it also has the commercial "canister type filter" versus a little flimsy paper filter.

On the weight...normally a heavier ZTR indicates a heavier/more durable build and components but the slight advantage of a heavier ZTR would be better traction on slopes. If turned correctly(that takes some practice moving the levers in opposite directions to keep both tires moving) none of them will tear up the grass(leave what we refer to as divets which are a result of one tire turning and one tire staying stationary).

Go to that Gravely dealer and check out the Pro-Turn 52....I think you will be impressed with the quality of everything for the price. It is commercial quality and would definitely last you 10-15 years if well maintained. Of course if you start comparing ZTR's like the Gravely Pro-Turn or Hustler FasTrak SD(ZTR's that cost $6k-$7k) to the M-ZT 52 you will begin getting into the apples-to-oranges. Usually, if two different ZTR's are within $500 of each other they will have similar build and components.

Hope some of this information we are giving you is helping. I, like you, knew very little in the summer of 2012 when I began considering a ZTR purchase. This forum helped tremendously because there are a lot of knowledgeable users who don't mind helping a newbie learn the ins & outs of ZTR technology(they are a completely different beast than a lawn tractor, wit a LOT of things to consider). It helped me make an educated purchase and hopefully it will help you too. If you have more questions ask them.....there's a lot to these machines!!!!

A bit of a necro post but thought I'd share what I ended up with

It took dealer a long time to get more in but I finally got a m-zt52...was able to configure the "package" around to get some more useful stuff. Ended up getting the mower, a chainsaw, a trimmer, and a couple attachments(hedger trimmer / pole saw). Also got a cart and a sweeper. Actually looking forward to yard work now!

I looked at other mowers. I have no doubt there are higher quality machines, but between being broke from just buying a house and the package deal for someone who needed everything, this seemed like the best fit. Maybe I can keep this bleepity bahia cut frequently enough to not deal with all those black specs now.

Thanks guys!

Awesome dude.
the mzt-52 is considered commercial on the Husqvarna website, so you did great.
Welcome to the fold. I just got off mine and still have a smile.

Pondbound said:

A bit of a necro post but thought I'd share what I ended up with

It took dealer a long time to get more in but I finally got a m-zt52...was able to configure the "package" around to get some more useful stuff. Ended up getting the mower, a chainsaw, a trimmer, and a couple attachments(hedger trimmer / pole saw). Also got a cart and a sweeper. Actually looking forward to yard work now!

I looked at other mowers. I have no doubt there are higher quality machines, but between being broke from just buying a house and the package deal for someone who needed everything, this seemed like the best fit. Maybe I can keep this bleepity bahia cut frequently enough to not deal with all those black specs now.

Thanks guys!

Click to expand...

You made a good choice in the m-zt52. Will handle everything you have to mow with ease. It will probably take you a little while to figure out how to make proper zero turns, but you will really enjoy mowing your lawn with your zero turn.

Dont bag !!!!!!!! get the mulch kit , 200.00 for the MZT but worth every penny . then use gator blades . you will never bag again .( I gave away my bagger ) looks like you bagged without the hassel .

Hey congrats on the m-zt52, they are top of the line residential zt and with the goodies you get with it sure sweetens the deal.

Finally had time for mowing the yard. back yard was about 1.5 acres of 2ft tall bahia:laughing:

Zipped through it with deck really high and thinned it out good. Thought around the pond would get me but turned out it was the farm fence. Was trying to mow between fence and a bush. The fence was leaned in some and I didn't realize it until it snagged on the pin for the ROPS...almost did a backflip :confused2: ....Yep the roll over protection bar almost got me rolled over. (I refuse to blame my own stupidity:ashamed. Scratched up paint good on the ROPS. Not 10 minutes and already had to stop an re-evaluate. Excellent reminder to be more careful. My advice to new owners...if you have to say "can I cut here"..probably best to just not until you get real real familiar with everything.

Pondbound said:

Finally had time for mowing the yard. back yard was about 1.5 acres of 2ft tall bahia:laughing:

Zipped through it with deck really high and thinned it out good. Thought around the pond would get me but turned out it was the farm fence. Was trying to mow between fence and a bush. The fence was leaned in some and I didn't realize it until it snagged on the pin for the ROPS...almost did a backflip :confused2: ....Yep the roll over protection bar almost got me rolled over. (I refuse to blame my own stupidity:ashamed. Scratched up paint good on the ROPS. Not 10 minutes and already had to stop an re-evaluate. Excellent reminder to be more careful. My advice to new owners...if you have to say "can I cut here"..probably best to just not until you get real real familiar with everything.

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Mowing with a zero turn definitely takes some getting used to. Isn't it a blast to mow with though? I used to hate mowing the lawn with my tractor mower. I look forward to mowing now.

Yea I did a wheelie also. Caught rops on a small tree and was looking at the sky.
Had the confused look also. I think there are those that have done it and those that are gonna do it.
I just looked a a Dixon DX260 for 6999.00 at Slee. What a machine. I mean I really really like my Mzt52 but
Wow, what a price.

serelaw said:

Yea I did a wheelie also. Caught rops on a small tree and was looking at the sky. Had the confused look also. I think there are those that have done it and those that are gonna do it. I just looked a a Dixon DX260 for 6999.00 at Slee. What a machine. I mean I really really like my Mzt52 but Wow, what a price.

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I saw that Dixon sale here locally as well. That's a nice engine , power train setup for sure.