You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Export thread
Best ztr under 8000
#1
Akfugatt
Akfugatt
Looking for a new ztr under 8000, live in Southern Louisiana so it needs to be decent with mowing damp grass etc
I have 3 acres flat but tons of obstacles, need to be able to pull a yard trailer for yard work
will also be mowing some families yards
I have looked at Spartan rzhd, hustler xdx, scag freedom, snapper s120 pro, badboy elite
can’t find any grasshopper 124 or 125s to check out
i honestly feel more confused than ever after checking them all out lol
Any of them do you think I should cross off or add to the list?
I have 3 acres flat but tons of obstacles, need to be able to pull a yard trailer for yard work
will also be mowing some families yards
I have looked at Spartan rzhd, hustler xdx, scag freedom, snapper s120 pro, badboy elite
can’t find any grasshopper 124 or 125s to check out
i honestly feel more confused than ever after checking them all out lol
Any of them do you think I should cross off or add to the list?
#6
bkeller500
bkeller500
Part of the mystery in choosing a new ZTR is because there are not a lot of differences you can spot at first glance. They all have a motor, a deck, and a drive system. Sitting on one is not all that much different from another, if you are comparing entry level models to entry level models and mid-range to midrange and so on. Can a typical homeowner see difference in the decks? Would a typical home owner be able to differentiate the differences in a Briggs vs Kawasaki motor? What transaxles are best? Take away the pretty paint job and you may never know where any of them are made or what makes them better. You have to go take a test ride. Look at how the decks are mounted and look at how the deck leveling is accomplished. How difficult is it to remove and reinstall a deck for maintenance and cleaning? Can you change the fluids in the motor and transaxle easily? Is the seat comfortable? Is there a suspension system to smooth the ride? Typically, you get what you pay for. The differences from entry level to mid-range is more likely worth the additional investment if you are going to keep the unit for a long time and put it to good use. Entry level is fine for smaller residential plots with fairly flat mowing areas. Nothing wrong with them when used as they are designed for. All to often consumers try to purchase a less expensive unit to save money and find it has limitations that make it a poor choice. Don't get stuck on Brand Names. Talk to your dealers and ask them what makes their ZT better than the competition. Have them show you the differences if they can. Take a test ride and circle a few obstacles, climb a hill or drive thru a ditch to get a feel for traction. Look for lubrication points. Check out the tires. Don't get in hurry. You have a good start already. For me it was all about the look of the property after a fresh mow. I could live with everything else if the finished mow was flat, consistent, and had no windrowing and the discharge was evenly dispersed. Good luck!
#7
R
RayMcD
R
RayMcD
Sir, when you find one that like damp grass, let us all know..rLooking for a new ztr under 8000, live in Southern Louisiana so it needs to be decent with mowing damp grass etc
I have 3 acres flat but tons of obstacles, need to be able to pull a yard trailer for yard work
will also be mowing some families yards
I have looked at Spartan rzhd, hustler xdx, scag freedom, snapper s120 pro, badboy elite
can’t find any grasshopper 124 or 125s to check out
i honestly feel more confused than ever after checking them all out lol
Any of them do you think I should cross off or add to the list?
#8
R
RayMcD
R
RayMcD
Anyone got one that likes damp grass???Looking for a new ztr under 8000, live in Southern Louisiana so it needs to be decent with mowing damp grass etc
I have 3 acres flat but tons of obstacles, need to be able to pull a yard trailer for yard work
will also be mowing some families yards
I have looked at Spartan rzhd, hustler xdx, scag freedom, snapper s120 pro, badboy elite
can’t find any grasshopper 124 or 125s to check out
i honestly feel more confused than ever after checking them all out lol
Any of them do you think I should cross off or add to the list?
#9
B
bertsmobile1
B
bertsmobile1
I don't know any of the mowers listed but here are some general thoughts
1) go and sit in each & every one of them , get the feel
Remember you will be spending quite a few hours in each one of them so you have to be very comfortable
Ask the dealers about adjusting the handles to your arm height , check the leg length, the deck height changing mechanism.
Have a good look at the discharge chute and walk along the side as if you were a tree.
Some chutes can add 18" or more to the deck width
Some will flip up while other will tear off
Have a good look at the size of the discharge hole in the deck, bigger is better as it will resist clogging
Look at the price of service items, belts , blades , filters & TYRES , ask to see the owners manuals and note the service schedules so you can do a ball park running cost per year . Also check how many variations of blades are available, mulching, bagging, throwing low lift sand blades etc . Ignore any supposed mowing speeds, all of them are just the width of the deck multiplied by the max ground speed so while they advertise 2 acres / hr the reality will be closer to 1 acre / hour .
Look at space for junk you pick up off the lawn while mowing .
Look at how easy the parking brake is to engage & disengage , dose it fall to your hand easily ?
I loathe any sort of electronic management system because if one single switch fails then you are stuck with a dead mower, all of them are junk to cover the bum of the factory executives . ,
Check the retail price of the interlock ( or electric management ) modules, I just replaced one @ $ 480 and it failed again within a month so I spent a whole day rewiring the mower to bypass it while still retaining the basic safety features.
Keys are far better than any key pad & give you far less grief in the long run.
I replace them regularly because they are subject to weather & fail regularly .
Take the brouchures home with you then google ( name of interlock module ) failures eg Tiger Eye failures and see what pops up
Step up & down off them, some can be really awkward which is even worse after 4 hours of mowing .
ZTR's tear up the lawn so wider tyres are better than narrower ones but can get chopped up and are very expensive .
Decks with an extra high transport locked position make driving on & off trailers easier
Lift off spindle guards save hundreds of frustrating hours grabbing tools because the belt has jumped off the pulleys or some debris is stuck in there .
Check the tension arm for both the deck & hydros.
Some have square holes for breaker bars which make belt changing easy others are chop your fingers off material.
At $ 8000 you should be able to get a demo one to try out on your grass
Ask the sales person to show you how to replace both belts then ask to do it in the shop ( that will be easier than in your yard on an 80 deg day ) .
Spin off hydro filters are better than the screw in filters & get the sales person to show you how they are changed .
Remember they are looking at a commission of $ 200 or more so make them work for it .
Spartans have the best overall package, but they have just been bought out by Toro so could vanish in a couple of years along with parts specific to that mower
Donaldson type canister filters are a must ( the major difference between kawakasi FX & the FR or FS ) and one with 2 elements .
Because the engines are behind the deck, ZTR's & RER's cop a lot more dust than a tractor style mower
Check the operation of the bypass valves and try pushing the mower, again it will be easier in the showroom than on your grass and a lot of them require tools to be opened but there is no place for a tool box while other will burn your fingers / arms trying to get at them .
Basically you can ignore the specifications, they will all be so close to being the same that they become irrelevant but how the bits are put together makes the difference between the mower being a pleasure to use or a battle or wills
1) go and sit in each & every one of them , get the feel
Remember you will be spending quite a few hours in each one of them so you have to be very comfortable
Ask the dealers about adjusting the handles to your arm height , check the leg length, the deck height changing mechanism.
Have a good look at the discharge chute and walk along the side as if you were a tree.
Some chutes can add 18" or more to the deck width
Some will flip up while other will tear off
Have a good look at the size of the discharge hole in the deck, bigger is better as it will resist clogging
Look at the price of service items, belts , blades , filters & TYRES , ask to see the owners manuals and note the service schedules so you can do a ball park running cost per year . Also check how many variations of blades are available, mulching, bagging, throwing low lift sand blades etc . Ignore any supposed mowing speeds, all of them are just the width of the deck multiplied by the max ground speed so while they advertise 2 acres / hr the reality will be closer to 1 acre / hour .
Look at space for junk you pick up off the lawn while mowing .
Look at how easy the parking brake is to engage & disengage , dose it fall to your hand easily ?
I loathe any sort of electronic management system because if one single switch fails then you are stuck with a dead mower, all of them are junk to cover the bum of the factory executives . ,
Check the retail price of the interlock ( or electric management ) modules, I just replaced one @ $ 480 and it failed again within a month so I spent a whole day rewiring the mower to bypass it while still retaining the basic safety features.
Keys are far better than any key pad & give you far less grief in the long run.
I replace them regularly because they are subject to weather & fail regularly .
Take the brouchures home with you then google ( name of interlock module ) failures eg Tiger Eye failures and see what pops up
Step up & down off them, some can be really awkward which is even worse after 4 hours of mowing .
ZTR's tear up the lawn so wider tyres are better than narrower ones but can get chopped up and are very expensive .
Decks with an extra high transport locked position make driving on & off trailers easier
Lift off spindle guards save hundreds of frustrating hours grabbing tools because the belt has jumped off the pulleys or some debris is stuck in there .
Check the tension arm for both the deck & hydros.
Some have square holes for breaker bars which make belt changing easy others are chop your fingers off material.
At $ 8000 you should be able to get a demo one to try out on your grass
Ask the sales person to show you how to replace both belts then ask to do it in the shop ( that will be easier than in your yard on an 80 deg day ) .
Spin off hydro filters are better than the screw in filters & get the sales person to show you how they are changed .
Remember they are looking at a commission of $ 200 or more so make them work for it .
Spartans have the best overall package, but they have just been bought out by Toro so could vanish in a couple of years along with parts specific to that mower
Donaldson type canister filters are a must ( the major difference between kawakasi FX & the FR or FS ) and one with 2 elements .
Because the engines are behind the deck, ZTR's & RER's cop a lot more dust than a tractor style mower
Check the operation of the bypass valves and try pushing the mower, again it will be easier in the showroom than on your grass and a lot of them require tools to be opened but there is no place for a tool box while other will burn your fingers / arms trying to get at them .
Basically you can ignore the specifications, they will all be so close to being the same that they become irrelevant but how the bits are put together makes the difference between the mower being a pleasure to use or a battle or wills
#10
B
bertsmobile1
B
bertsmobile1
Yes but you can not get Greenfield FastCuts in the USAAnyone got one that likes damp grass???
#11
S
slomo
I'm still waiting on a 0-turn that doesn't rut up the yard like an M1 Abrams tank.
S
slomo
Nope.Anyone got one that likes damp grass???
I'm still waiting on a 0-turn that doesn't rut up the yard like an M1 Abrams tank.
#12
R
RayMcD
R
RayMcD
No ruts here, yard is so hard you can't drive a nail in it.. Never go the same way twice, it actually works,,, rNope.
I'm still waiting on a 0-turn that doesn't rut up the yard like an M1 Abrams tank.