First Z-Turn Mower?

[ncage30]

Hi everyone, when i first moved the my current house i had it in my mind that i wanted a Z-Turn. I changed my mind and just decided to buy a self-propelled honda mower. While awesome for a push mower its just taking me way to long to mow my grass. I have 1/3 of an acre. While the grass growing crazy right now i'm mowing twice a week. Its just to much of a time suck. I decided to get a z-turn because i have lots and lots of obstacles. Before i get started i just want to say i've made up my mind i don't/won't buy a used mower. Sure i know commercial mowers are built much better but i have to have the time or know how to know what is a good deal or if there is something major wrong with the mower (say a bad hydro). Also $3000 is the absolute maximum i'm willing to pay. Unfortunately the dealer story around my area is a mess. I went to the toro dealer awhile back and let me just say i will never go to them again. The exmark dealer is excellent but i don't want to spend that much money. Anyways i was initially looking at the 42in hustler but for the price difference why not get the 50in (unless i can't fit it in my shed).

Originally when i was reviewing the hustler raptors they were lot of clutch/pulley type of issues with them. Have most of those issues been ironed out or are the issues still really bad. To be honest right now these are the three mowers i'm looking at:
Troy-Bilt Mustang 42
Toro Timecutter SS5000
Hustler Raptor 50

Now the big advantage of the Hustler over the Toro is that the hustler has a fabed deck (which i see conflicting stories if thats a big deal or not). They both have the same engines (kawasaki). The troy-bilt would of course save me a lot of money and, as you can tell by the size of my yard, i really don't need a 50 in deck. The only thing it must have is mulch kit available for it (which i'm assuming all of them do).

I will most likely get an extended warranty for any mower i buy so for at least 3 years lowes/homedepot will have to send someone out to my residence to fix it if there are any issues.

 

[bertsmobile1]

How much time do you really think a 50" deck is going to save on 1/3 acre after you take out house , shed, paths, trees etc.

he blokes here who specialize in residential blocks use 24" to 36" decks because they can get around obstacles much much better than big decks. unless it is a vacant block or the house is built on the fence line in one corner you will be loosing time using a big deck.

 

[ncage30]

How much time do you really think a 50" deck is going to save on 1/3 acre after you take out house , shed, paths, trees etc.

he blokes here who specialize in residential blocks use 24" to 36" decks because they can get around obstacles much much better than big decks. unless it is a vacant block or the house is built on the fence line in one corner you will be loosing time using a big deck.

It has nothing to do with the amount of time it will save me. Yes a 30ish cut deck size would be big enough for my property but a lot of the z-turns really start out at 42.

The only reason i was looking at the 50 in the hustler is because a 42 was $2700 while the 50 was $3000.
The only reason i was looking at the 50 in the toro is because the 42 came with a kohler engine while the 50 had a Kawasaki engine.

There are a lot less choices when you go below 42. For example i was looking at a Toro MX3450 34in which was actually more money than the hustler 50 ($3300) and had a OEM branded toro engine (no thanks). If you can tell me about a 30ish cut deck z-turn mower with a decent engine that doesn't go above me budget then i'm all ears.

 

[Shughes717]

It has nothing to do with the amount of time it will save me. Yes a 30ish cut deck size would be big enough for my property but a lot of the z-turns really start out at 42.

The only reason i was looking at the 50 in the hustler is because a 42 was $2700 while the 50 was $3000.
The only reason i was looking at the 50 in the toro is because the 42 came with a kohler engine while the 50 had a Kawasaki engine.

There are a lot less choices when you go below 42. For example i was looking at a Toro MX3450 34in which was actually more money than the hustler 50 ($3300) and had a OEM branded toro engine (no thanks). If you can tell me about a 30ish cut deck z-turn mower with a decent engine that doesn't go above me budget then i'm all ears.

You are mowing 1/3 of an acre. You will mow your whole lawn in 20 minutes or less, so you won't put much stress on any ztr mower. You will put less than 25 hours a year or less on whatever machine you choose. I wouldn't worry as much about what engine. There are ztr mowers out there with decks under 42". Get the mower you like best. Any riding mower should last for a lawn that small. Don't over think it.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Obviously I can not help you with make model & price from down here but I can advise on mower size for yard size.
Whne I am snowed under I leave my customers a 24" push mower to make the lions & tigers visible .
About 1 in 5 buy the mower because they find the total mowing time was less using the push than using the line trimmer followed by the 18" to 21" Self propelled followed by the ride on.:thumbsup:
most of these yards are 1/2 acre or less and most owners have silly sized mowers incluging one with a 61" ex commercial convinced that they will be saving time by using the big mower.

For a domestic yard, look at domestic mowers There is the EZ 224 JD with the 42" close edged deck and the almost identical craftsman ( 2" shorter ) and the small Husky.
The Graverly stand behind is apparntly an excellent machine for small spaces as it is really small.
If you don't have anything against 2nd hand machines & the yard is fairly flat any of the Husky proriders will serve you really well.

 

[Ric]

Hi everyone, when i first moved the my current house i had it in my mind that i wanted a Z-Turn. I changed my mind and just decided to buy a self-propelled honda mower. While awesome for a push mower its just taking me way to long to mow my grass. I have 1/3 of an acre. While the grass growing crazy right now i'm mowing twice a week. Its just to much of a time suck. I decided to get a z-turn because i have lots and lots of obstacles. Before i get started i just want to say i've made up my mind i don't/won't buy a used mower. Sure i know commercial mowers are built much better but i have to have the time or know how to know what is a good deal or if there is something major wrong with the mower (say a bad hydro). Also $3000 is the absolute maximum i'm willing to pay. Unfortunately the dealer story around my area is a mess. I went to the toro dealer awhile back and let me just say i will never go to them again. The exmark dealer is excellent but i don't want to spend that much money. Anyways i was initially looking at the 42in hustler but for the price difference why not get the 50in (unless i can't fit it in my shed).

Originally when i was reviewing the hustler raptors they were lot of clutch/pulley type of issues with them. Have most of those issues been ironed out or are the issues still really bad. To be honest right now these are the three mowers i'm looking at:
Troy-Bilt Mustang 42
Toro Timecutter SS5000
Hustler Raptor 50

Now the big advantage of the Hustler over the Toro is that the hustler has a fabed deck (which i see conflicting stories if thats a big deal or not). They both have the same engines (kawasaki). The troy-bilt would of course save me a lot of money and, as you can tell by the size of my yard, i really don't need a 50 in deck. The only thing it must have is mulch kit available for it (which i'm assuming all of them do).

I will most likely get an extended warranty for any mower i buy so for at least 3 years lowes/homedepot will have to send someone out to my residence to fix it if there are any issues.

Well to begin with Lowes / Homedepot probably won't send someone out to your house to fix it because the last I knew they don't do mower repair. You take the mower back, they send it to a shop for repairs and you pick it up. If you should get lucky and have them send someone out you can bet it wont be covered by warranty.
As I see it about any riding mower should work for a lawn that small. Like a Cub Cadet XT1 42 from Home depot for less than $1500 or You could go back to the Exmark or Toro Dealer and spend $1700 for there commercial 30" which would give you a 40% time savings over the 21".

 

[ncage30]

Well to begin with Lowes / Homedepot probably won't send someone out to your house to fix it because the last I knew they don't do mower repair. You take the mower back, they send it to a shop for repairs and you pick it up. If you should get lucky and have them send someone out you can bet it wont be covered by warranty.
As I see it about any riding mower should work for a lawn that small. Like a Cub Cadet XT1 42 from Home depot for less than $1500 or You could go back to the Exmark or Toro Dealer and spend $1700 for there commercial 30" which would give you a 40% time savings over the 21".

Actually thats not true if you buy the extended warranty. They have to thought granted the extended warranty is probably some other company (not lowes). Here are the specifics:

4-Year Outdoor Power Equipment Extended Protection Plan ($2,000-$5,000)
Parts and labor are covered 100% on qualified repairs for the full 4 years
For products $800 and over, including riding mowers, we'll pick up, repair, and return the product
If we can't fix your riding mower within 14 days of initial service, we'll pay you a one-time payment of $50
35% reimbursement for select riding mower parts used for preventative maintenance, up to a maximum of $500
If your covered Outdoor Power Equipment requires a fourth repair for the same major failure within a 12-month period, we'll replace it
Lowe's Outdoor Power Equipment plans start the day you purchase them
Lowe's Protection Plans can be transferred with the product
No hassles, deductibles or hidden fees

This is exactly why i will definitely buy the 4-year extended warranty (since both already come with a standard 3 year warranty). I have heard about the horror stories of dealing with any of the manufacturers. For example the closest Hustler dealer is about 40 minutes away and most of the authorized dealers around here are going the route that if you don't buy from them then they won't touch it. Also take int account i don't have anything to haul a mower. So at least for 4 years it will be lowes/warranty companies problem and not me if anything goes wrong.

In the end i think i made up my mind. I went to lowes the morning and looked at the Troy-Bilt mustang 42 and thats probably what i'll end up getting. I think its built well enough for my needs. While the deck is definetly cheaper its probably built well enough for me and though troy-bilt doesn't have a fabed deck they do have a lifetime warranty on their deck. Luckily it does have the new consumer grade engine kohler has put out (7000). The were only two gripes. The biggest one is the amount of grass height adjustments. It went from 1-8in in 1 inch increments. It would have been nice if there would have been 1/4 or at least 1/2in increments. Maybe this is normal for the cheaper z-turns. I don't know. The second, which isn't that big of a deal, is mowing in reverse. I have heard two stories depending on what you read online. Either you absolutely can't mow in reverse or if you can your speed has to be VERY slow. I guess not that big of deal to me. The only thing i told them is i want to make SURE i didn't get the mower they had sitting outside. Its been sitting in the rain and i looked in the gas tank and there was about 2 in of rain in the tank. No thanks.

When you read most of the reviews of this mower online most of them are excellent (it was even at the top of consumer reports list). In the end the only reason i was looking at the hustler was because of the kaw engine and fabed deck. As stated above probably not needed for how little grass i have to mow. Also i found out the accessories for the hustler are a lot more money. I want to get the mulch kit. The mulch kit for the troy-bilt is $50 and the mulch kit for the hustler is $150.

I actually looked at the 30in push mowers when i bought my honda. It seems like no matter what if you get the commercial version (exmark or toro) or the consumer grade one the engine tends to be underpowered and people complain and how it deals with damp grass and is why i chose my honda.

 

[bertsmobile1]

I think you will find it goes from 1" to 4" in 1/2 " increments .
The height settings aer just numbered 1 to 8.
I am yet to see a mower with a cut height taller than 5" that was not a rear deck with a 3 point lift.
Cheapness dictates they do not specify which height the various settings are.
So you experiment and find your lawn cut height is a No5.

 

[Mike Hawk]

Since you've mentioned your time is valuable, have you looked into hiring a crew? I bet you could probably get 3-4 seasons for $3k.

 

[Shughes717]

Since you've mentioned your time is valuable, have you looked into hiring a crew? I bet you could probably get 3-4 seasons for $3k.

The op can purchase a riding mower for $2k that will last 10 to 15 years and save $6k over that time. Which makes more fiscal sense?