Best commercial mower under 8500

[Shughes717]

Well to begin with my Z M aster weighs 926lbs not 944lbs that's the 52" deck. The only difference between the a stander and a rider is where the person absorbs the shock, now true I do have a flex ride platform that helps but there both considered ZT mowers and you if have too mow for two or three hours with a ZTR I can cut that time a lot with a stander.
As far as drives go, the thing that most don't realize is there are better Hydrostatic drives than Hydro-Gear out there on the market like the Parker HT series which is a unitized system, it's a far better system than HG and easier to maintain and changing oil and no no hydraulic lines. As for spindles and bearings I don't worry to much about those because Toro has that covered with there sealed bearings, if a bearing goes down they replace it at no cost to me.

926 is less than 1107, so how does my explanation of weight help prove your claim that the 10 ga. Frame improves the ride? Some mowers do, In fact, utilize Parker systems. The hustler super z is one. Great mower as well, and if I had 12,000 to spend on a mower I would probably own one. Hydro gear is the most common system used in zero turns. The zt5400 is top of their line and is far better than their smaller drives. There is a reason manufacturers went away from separate pumps and motors. Hydrogear drives are very dependable. Maybe some day mower manufacturers will all switch to Parker systems, but for now hydrogear is the standard for commercial mowers. You are the one who keeps bringing up the size of the spindle plates like its so much better than all the other brands. The spindle assembly on all commercial decks are heavy duty. The deck is not usually the issue with any commercial zero turn. The most common problem you will find on this site is an engine malfunction. Occasionally someone has a transmission issue. Read on here about hydraulic lines leaking and ruining pumps or one wheel not pulling as well as the other, but engine trouble seems to dominate commercial mower issues.

 

[Shughes717]

I also can't see how a stander is going to cut my mowing time. 4.2 acres in 2 hours 15 minutes with my 48" s150xt. The grand stand is 2 mph slower. It may maneuver a little better around the trees on my slope, but in the straight away the s150xt will mow circles around the grand stand.

 

[Ric]

926 is less than 1107, so how does my explanation of weight help prove your claim that the 10 ga. Frame improves the ride? Some mowers do, In fact, utilize Parker systems. The hustler super z is one. Great mower as well. Hydro gear is the most common system used in zero turns. The zt5400 is top of their line and is far better than their smaller drives. There is a reason manufacturers went away from separate pumps and motors. Hydrogear drives are very dependable. Maybe some day mower manufacturers will all switch to Parker systems, but for now hydrogear is the standard for commercial mowers. You are the one who keeps bringing up the size of the spindle plates like its so much better than all the other brands. The spindle assembly on all commercial decks are heavy duty. The deck is not usually the issue with any commercial zero turn. The most common problem you will find on this site is an engine malfunction. Occasionally someone has a transmission issue. Read on here about hydraulic lines leaking and ruining pumps or one wheel not pulling as well as the other, but engine trouble seems to dominate commercial mower issues.

Your own words or explanation prove my claim, you said yourself Tire size, space between tires, weight, and suspension does improves the ride. I just figured seeing how a larger and heavier frame weighed more it contributed to the ride. I said it wasn't necessarily the case with all mowers using the GS as an example because it's exactly the opposite and it's one of the most productive mowers you can buy for doing lawns between 2000sq.ft and 2 acres. Using a Stander vs a ZTR with the same size deck you can improve your productivity like 30%

The big reason that Hydro-Gear is the most commonly used system in mowers is the fact there the cheapest. If you compare price of the Exmark Lazer Z 48" and My Z-Master you'll find a difference in price because it has the Parker HT series as one of the reasons.

The thing with hydraulic lines leaking and ruining pumps or one wheel not pulling as well as the other is very rare, maybe back when they started using them but the fact is the same thing can happen to the Hydro-Gear stuff too. The biggest reason those type of problems happen is because people are trying to service the units themselves and don't do things correctly like purging the systems.

 

[Ric]

I also can't see how a stander is going to cut my mowing time. 4.2 acres in 2 hours 15 minutes with my 48" s150xt. The grand stand is 2 mph slower. It may maneuver a little better around the trees on my slope, but in the straight away the s150xt will mow circles around the grand stand.

Well I'm talking about the Stander and it doesn't have to be a Grandstand, there are other standers that can be as fast as any ZTR ya know. lawns can be cut about 30% faster using a stand-on mower, particularly on intricate lawns (with flower beds, fences, and numerous trees). I can guarantee I can mow and go places on my stander you'll never see with a ztr.
The Stand-ons are also able to make U-turns more quickly than a riding mower. Stand-on mowers are also able to stop turning more quickly because of their low polar momentum. This also allows for better mowing on steep slopes, in addition to the fact that the rider is able to shift his or her body position to stay plum to gravity. Unlike a sitting riding mower, this permits the weight distribution on the mower wheels to remain fairly equal. This is valuable as an imbalance is what causes a mower to slide while on a slope. Also, the small footprint of the mower helps to keep the mower from hitting obstacles and helps to keep it agile. You also have a better field of vision and you can get on and off to remove debris without doing anything to the mower except starting the pto.

The problem with people and mowers is they have been so brain washed into thinking that a ZTR is the best thing since popcorn and are scared to death to take the plunge and Try or buy a stander. I know when I first saw a stander I thought no way that can't be as good as a ZTR but I found out differently, my productivity went way up over my 48" ztr I was able to do more lawns in less time and use less gas doing it and that effects my bottom line greatly. Even with the purchase of my ZM I still prefer the stander, only problem with that is I can't get the thing away from my wife to use and she refuses to use the ZTR lol.

 

[Shughes717]

Your own words or explanation prove my claim, you said yourself Tire size, space between tires, weight, and suspension does improves the ride. I just figured seeing how a larger and heavier frame weighed more it contributed to the ride. I said it wasn't necessarily the case with all mowers using the GS as an example because it's exactly the opposite and it's one of the most productive mowers you can buy for doing lawns between 2000sq.ft and 2 acres. Using a Stander vs a ZTR with the same size deck you can improve your productivity like 30%

The big reason that Hydro-Gear is the most commonly used system in mowers is the fact there the cheapest. If you compare price of the Exmark Lazer Z 48" and My Z-Master you'll find a difference in price because it has the Parker HT series as one of the reasons.

The thing with hydraulic lines leaking and ruining pumps or one wheel not pulling as well as the other is very rare, maybe back when they started using them but the fact is the same thing can happen to the Hydro-Gear stuff too. The biggest reason those type of problems happen is because people are trying to service the units themselves and don't do things correctly like purging the systems.

I still don't get how what I said supports your claim, because it DOESN'T weigh more. If it were heavier made it would be, well, heavier. Most of the commercial mowers out there use hydrogear drives and you don't read about many issues, so as I said they are dependable. I also mentioned in my post that if I had 12k to spend on a mower I would probably own a super z myself. You are trying to compare mowers that are way out of the op's budget to mowers that are in his budget. You are also still trying to compare the ride of a mower that you stand on to one that you sit on. I don't know if you have ever ridden 4 wheelers, dirt bikes, horses, etc but have you ever seen someone going over rough ground, or on a horse with a rough gate stand up? Why do you think they do that? Because their legs act as a suspension. As I mentioned earlier most people who have large lawns don't want to stand for hours to mow it. I know I wouldn't.

 

[Shughes717]

Well I'm talking about the Stander and it doesn't have to be a Grandstand, there are other standers that can be as fast as any ZTR ya know. lawns can be cut about 30% faster using a stand-on mower, particularly on intricate lawns (with flower beds, fences, and numerous trees). I can guarantee I can mow and go places on my stander you'll never see with a ztr.
The Stand-ons are also able to make U-turns more quickly than a riding mower. Stand-on mowers are also able to stop turning more quickly because of their low polar momentum. This also allows for better mowing on steep slopes, in addition to the fact that the rider is able to shift his or her body position to stay plum to gravity. Unlike a sitting riding mower, this permits the weight distribution on the mower wheels to remain fairly equal. This is valuable as an imbalance is what causes a mower to slide while on a slope. Also, the small footprint of the mower helps to keep the mower from hitting obstacles and helps to keep it agile. You also have a better field of vision and you can get on and off to remove debris without doing anything to the mower except starting the pto.

The problem with people and mowers is they have been so brain washed into thinking that a ZTR is the best thing since popcorn and are scared to death to take the plunge and Try or buy a stander. I know when I first saw a stander I thought no way that can't be as good as a ZTR but I found out differently, my productivity went way up over my 48" ztr I was able to do more lawns in less time and use less gas doing it and that effects my bottom line greatly. Even with the purchase of my ZM I still prefer the stander, only problem with that is I can't get the thing away from my wife to use and she refuses to use the ZTR lol.

I acknowledged that stand on mowers have their application. I don't see how they will increase productivity on large properties, but on smaller properties with slopes and numerous trees I could see them being quicker. If I mowed several properties that were under an acre I would probably look into one, but I have several acres to mow. A stand on won't save me any time. If you think the gs is so much better then why would you purchase a z master?

 

[Mad Mackie]

Hi Guys,
Not many standers of any make around my area. My local Scag dealer also sells Toro, Exmark, Simplicity, and several other low end riding mower lines and gave up Wright machines not long ago. They did have a Scag V Rider in their showroom last summer and I asked if I could demo it in their place, but they declined. Not long after, it was gone, probably to another dealer that had a live customer for it.
What I have noticed about all the standers that I have actually looked at and checked the spec on is that the deck cannot be easily raised up short term to get over an object that would contact the blades. To me this is a show stopper, in addition to not being able to have a sufficient collection system.
If the current standers models had been available 5-8 years ago, I probably would have bought one and made it into a permanent mulcher along with a ZTR with a collection system, which I can easily remove the blower and install the chute onto. The combination of all these would have given me max versatility and still fit into my 7' X 14' cargo trailer. At this point in time, I have given up 2/3 to 3/4 of my customer list and I am winding down, getting too old!!! Only in 2011 did I give up doing snow removal. The phone calls at 2 AM telling me that I had to get their driveways done before 6 AM so they could get out started wearing me down.
Mad Mackie in CT:laughing::biggrin::smile:

 

[Ric]

I acknowledged that stand on mowers have their application. I don't see how they will increase productivity on large properties, but on smaller properties with slopes and numerous trees I could see them being quicker. If I mowed several properties that were under an acre I would probably look into one, but I have several acres to mow. A stand on won't save me any time. If you think the gs is so much better then why would you purchase a z master?

That's what I was saying in the other post and your just an example, you like many others have been so brain washed into thinking that a ZTR is the best thing since popcorn. People are scared to death to take the plunge and Try or buy a stander and it's natural to shy away from things you don't understand or that are new, you've already made up your mind that what you have in a ztr is everything their is and it's the only way to go and your so wrong in your judgement. I can tell you this I'd rather be on my GS 8hrs a day than a ZTR for 4 hours because at the end of that 8 hours I'll step of the machine/GS and I wont hurt or be hurt.
I purchased the Z-Master because it was something I've always said I was going to have and seeing I already had the GS and I had the chance for the ZM I purchased it but in the near future don't be surprised if there's a 48" GS on the trailer, it's still on my list.

 

[Shughes717]

Hi Guys,
Not many standers of any make around my area. My local Scag dealer also sells Toro, Exmark, Simplicity, and several other low end riding mower lines and gave up Wright machines not long ago. They did have a Scag V Rider in their showroom last summer and I asked if I could demo it in their place, but they declined. Not long after, it was gone, probably to another dealer that had a live customer for it.
What I have noticed about all the standers that I have actually looked at and checked the spec on is that the deck cannot be easily raised up short term to get over an object that would contact the blades. To me this is a show stopper, in addition to not being able to have a sufficient collection system.
If the current standers models had been available 5-8 years ago, I probably would have bought one and made it into a permanent mulcher along with a ZTR with a collection system, which I can easily remove the blower and install the chute onto. The combination of all these would have given me max versatility and still fit into my 7' X 14' cargo trailer. At this point in time, I have given up 2/3 to 3/4 of my customer list and I am winding down, getting too old!!! Only in 2011 did I give up doing snow removal. The phone calls at 2 AM telling me that I had to get their driveways done before 6 AM so they could get out started wearing me down.
Mad Mackie in CT:laughing::biggrin::smile:

I have only had to deal with snow a few times in my life. I grew up and currently live in the country. Everyone in my family has a 4 wheel drive pick up, so we don't worry about snow on our driveways. :wink: I know I don't like standing in one place for much over an hour, so I just don't see myself enjoying a stander as much as I do my ztr.

 

[Shughes717]

That's what I was saying in the other post and your just an example, you like many others have been so brain washed into thinking that a ZTR is the best thing since popcorn. People are scared to death to take the plunge and Try or buy a stander and it's natural to shy away from things you don't understand or that are new, you've already made up your mind that what you have in a ztr is everything their is and it's the only way to go and your so wrong in your judgement. I can tell you this I'd rather be on my GS 8hrs a day than a ZTR for 4 hours because at the end of that 8 hours I'll step of the machine/GS and I wont hurt or be hurt.
I purchased the Z-Master because it was something I've always said I was going to have and seeing I already had the GS and I had the chance for the ZM I purchased it but in the near future don't be surprised if there's a 48" GS on the trailer, it's still on my list.

I would have no problem trying a stander if I were mowing a bunch of smaller lawns. I think my ztr is the best thing since popcorn because I have a ball mowing with it. Has nothing to do with anyone brain washing me. I have mowed large lawns since I was 10 years old. First mower I ever used was a rer snapper. After that it was mostly john deere tractors except for a few years where my brother and I used two 48" deck cub cadet tractors. I always hated mowing until going with the ztr. I actually look forward to mowing now and am disappointed when the grass dies at the end of the season. You should know enough about me by our clashes on here to know I'm too hard headed to be brain washed:laughing:.