Buying Advice Are the old bz series any good?

[Peterw]

Hi there,
First post. I have been offered a 120 hr BZ34 d , with a 61 inch deck and vanguard 3 cyl diesel on board.
Dealer is in france where i am located. They are still selling these things new in france, but from what i gather, they have been superceded by the PZ series.
It looks a great machine, but i have reservations based on the not too great reputation of the cheaper husq model zero turns.
Are the BZ commercials as good as the current PZ series? What were the problems if any of the bz series. What are the upgrades that you are missing on the bz that the pz has?
Hoping some of you users out there can give me a quick run down.
The dealer has the mower listed at 9750 euro and i have him down to 8000 euro. The recommended retail is 19,500 euro but they are discounting them new down to 15,000 euro.
Thanks

 

[KennyV]

WELCOME to LMF @ LawnWorld...
We do not have that model here in the states, The husqvarna commercial Diesel here is powered by a Kubota diesel rather than the Daihatsu/Briggs&Stratton. I have seen that engine on some things, it is an fair engine, Not one I would deliberately look to have on anything.
With the actual selling price being around 15,000 your price at 8,000 for a used Looks to be about right, it is close to Half price.
I would check if they changed the Hydraulic drive system And/Or the Diesel engine on the New PZ series.
WOW, When you consider the exchange rate in USD vs Euro, It would appear Commercial Zero Turns are Much more expensive in Europe than here.... :smile:KennyV

 

[Peterw]

WELCOME to LMF @ LawnWorld...
We do not have that model here in the states, The husqvarna commercial Diesel here is powered by a Kubota diesel rather than the Daihatsu/Briggs&Stratton. I have seen that engine on some things, it is an fair engine, Not one I would deliberately look to have on anything.
With the actual selling price being around 15,000 your price at 8,000 for a used Looks to be about right, it is close to Half price.
I would check if they changed the Hydraulic drive system And/Or the Diesel engine on the New PZ series.
WOW, When you consider the exchange rate in USD vs Euro, It would appear Commercial Zero Turns are Much more expensive in Europe than here.... :smile:KennyV

Yes you are correct, the prices in Europe are ridiculous. Its a symptomatic of their economy. Overprotected and overpriced. Its why the us economy will recover and why Europe wont until they change things.

So i get a sense that the hydraulic drive system is a problem on the old bz series? Also the spindle housing?
The pz series seems to be resurrecting the husq brand, from what i can tell. But how good/bad was the bz series, being the professional end of their lineup? I know that at the lower end there were real problems, but the bz series is not at the lower end.
I have always viewed husq equipment as on a par with stihl, in other areas eg saws so it is strange to think that their top end zero turns could be as bad as their lower end stuff.

 

[KennyV]

I don't think there commercial line is anything like the low end we also have here in the states. I Doubt they are even made by the same manufactures...
The hydraulic drives are generally the biggest point of problems, and it is usually by design they can not dump the heat that is generated... Having a large hydraulic reservoir will help any system run cooler...
I only mentioned that you might check if the drive system was changed. As that is a possible indication that there May have been problems in the older models...
What kind of warranty do you get over there? :smile:KennyV

 

[KennyV]

I would also expect the spindles on either to be a highest grade steel, preferably with replaceable and greaseable bearings, the husq brand has always had some outstanding equipment... BUT with today's economics there are a lot of cheap junk with brand names attached... 'There are quite a few Major Name Brands, that have tarnished their great reputations just trying to sell something that Looks like a mower. The scramble to sell the Lowest cost machine will tarnish all the great names.

:smile:KennyV