Buying new mower, and need help

outnumbered

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Hi,
I recently sold my new JD X500 because it just wasn't fast enough for my 3.5 acres. So I am now really considering the Husqvarna PZ6034FX--it looks like an absolute beast of a mower. At 12 mph, it should definitely mow my yard in fast enough time. However, the dealer (only 10 minutes from my house) also has Exmark. The Husky looks like a more durable machine, but I have read very positive reviews on the Exmark. Can anyone give me any feedback on the Husky, or how I might compare it to the Laser Z Exmark?

Thanks.
 

Jetblast

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Odds are you won't find too many people with personal experience with both, so I'll just throw this general idea out there.

This may be heretical by mower forum standards, but I don't think brand makes much difference, barring obvious things like widespread reports of customer service telling folks with issues to "go eat it". Model information is much more telling if you're able to obtain a large minimally-biased sample, but that's not too easy either. Nevertheless, every manufacturer has its star units and its duds. Always smart to Google for obvious duds, but in this case there's no real issue.

Given the small information sample we can request on forums or beat down through Google, the best we can do is to look at the price and the sum of the parts. You certainly don't "always get what you pay for", but with mowers I think you pretty much do. It all breaks down to hydros, engine, seat design/rider comfort, and deck design followed by frame configuration and general niceties. Listed order changes by price point.

The Husky you're looking at and the Ex-Mark Lazer Zs are solid on paper. Both have premium pumps/wheel motors for reliable high-speed mowing, both have EVC suspension seats (which is a bigger deal than I'd have suspected) which you'll need to make that speed usable, and both offer various forms of operator isolation which will also be important. The Husky has whole operator platform isolation and the Ex-Mark Lazer Z X-Series has something quite similar. Engines choices are similar. Overall design and geometry is similar, except with the Ex-Mark Lazer Z X-Series you're sitting on the fuel tank which might put you up higher. (Good for static comfort, but not as good for ride quality when pitching from side to side over terrain. How smooth is the lawn?) You're looking at a 1200-1300 lb. mower either way, so they'll both be fit for extreme duty.

Since they're both similar brand showpieces, I'd go by feel at this point. Send your dealer rep away to take a long coffee break and sit on each, alone, for a good while in the showroom and note how each fits your particular ergonomics. Walk around the machines and look for what you might consider points of lesser design vs. the other. Which one hits you best? You can hardly go wrong here.
 

outnumbered

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Thank you for a very thorough and "usable" response. I felt with each machine, that basically it would come down to preference; given they both offered similar features, but I didn't want to make a $10k mistake based on issues that I was unaware. I think--based on my online research, the 34hp Kawi on the Husky may be a bit much in regards to fuel consumption. So if anything, I may have learned that the 29hp Kawi might be a better fit.

More than anything I wanted to get personal experiences on both; which I actually got from of buddy of mine. Turns out he bought a similar model Husky 8 years ago, and other than the front tires, it's never been in the shop for any type of failure. So I'm going into this much more confident.

Thanks.
 

Jetblast

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The horsepower difference/fuel economy thing is a tough deal to discern. On a flat lawn that's always mowed on schedule the 29 HP engine is a no-brainer, but if there are grades of any significance and you don't always hit the grass at the correct time for the next mow, the more powerful engine could be as economical since it will be less likely to be slowed by less than optimal conditions. With my lawn and mowing habits, I'd probably lean toward the more powerful engine despite its greater thirst. Both are big and heavy mowers, so I'd have to think that more powerful engine would last longer too, assuming greater cubic inch displacement. Just my opinion, but I wouldn't sweat fuel economy unless operating the mower commercially to the tune of five or more lawns per day. For a homeowner, an extra gallon or two of gas per month is no big deal in "big picture" terms, so I'd probably go with the widest deck and the most powerful engine I could get on the machine I want.
 

KerryAll

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One good thing, since this dealer has both models, you don't have to shop for a mower AND a dealer. Sometimes the purchase is the easy part, then there's the years of service...
 
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