Going to Buy a New ZTR Mower

[LakeRat1]

I mow about 4 ac with a JD 445 LT with 60 in cut & a JD LT 166 with a 46 in. cut, Most of the mowing is done by the 445, the JD 166 is needed in a couple place that the larger deck can't get to, Both mowers are over 10 years old. Plan to finish out this season with what i Have, Unless I would have some Bad Luck It takes me about 3 1/2 Hours to cut it now, Not Crying about That

Now I Plan to replace Both Mowers with a 52 in. ZTR Mower, we live in a sort of remolt area, no big towns near, 2 small towns with in 25 miles, The ZTR Mowers sold in these 2 towns are Ex Mark, Gravely, JD, & Scag,

JD is out, not because of What they have to offer in a ZTR, But Because the Plastic on both my old Mowers has cracked & broke all up a Long Time Ago, Tinker Toys made of Plastic last for ever, tell Me JD can't do any better, They should be ashame of Something Like That, Should Have been a Factory Recall on Them, The Sales Man said they still make them out of the same stuff, Good enough fot ME

So I have been Looking and Listing on this Form, Looks to me That I need either a High In Ex Mark Or a 200 or 400 series Gravley, I know i want a good ride, being that i will be mowing faster, so a Good Seat is a Must, I have done some checking on the Ex Mark Lazer S Series, would like to hear from You'll about this and any other Ex Mark or Gravely models,

I have noticed some of you talking about the Hyd Pumps & Motors vs. the Hydro-Gear Transaxles, I see all the Gravelys use a ZT 5400 unit, where the EX Mark Pioneer 52 in Mower uses a ZT 3100 unit, Do the larger Number mean a heavyer duty unit? I see once you go to the EX Mark Lazer I think they go to Hyd. Pumps & Motors, What is Your thinking of the ZT 5400 unit vs. the ZT 3100, I also want a Kawasaki Motor, ( That Leaves out The Pioneer S 52 IN. ) also it will have the Heavy Duty Canister air cleaner,
I also notice that they are getting away from Spindles that you can grease, I see that Ex says they have No Maintenance Spindles

Thanks for You input to my shopping needs, i will not pull the trigger on this until late this season or over the winter,

One more thing to keep in Mine ( I am 75 Years Young ) Dont want something that has to be worked on all the time other that Reg. Main.

 

[djdicetn]

I mow about 4 ac with a JD 445 LT with 60 in cut & a JD LT 166 with a 46 in. cut, Most of the mowing is done by the 445, the JD 166 is needed in a couple place that the larger deck can't get to, Both mowers are over 10 years old. Plan to finish out this season with what i Have, Unless I would have some Bad Luck It takes me about 3 1/2 Hours to cut it now, Not Crying about That

Now I Plan to replace Both Mowers with a 52 in. ZTR Mower, we live in a sort of remolt area, no big towns near, 2 small towns with in 25 miles, The ZTR Mowers sold in these 2 towns are Ex Mark, Gravely, JD, & Scag,

JD is out, not because of What they have to offer in a ZTR, But Because the Plastic on both my old Mowers has cracked & broke all up a Long Time Ago, Tinker Toys made of Plastic last for ever, tell Me JD can't do any better, They should be ashame of Something Like That, Should Have been a Factory Recall on Them, The Sales Man said they still make them out of the same stuff, Good enough fot ME

So I have been Looking and Listing on this Form, Looks to me That I need either a High In Ex Mark Or a 200 or 400 series Gravley, I know i want a good ride, being that i will be mowing faster, so a Good Seat is a Must, I have done some checking on the Ex Mark Lazer S Series, would like to hear from You'll about this and any other Ex Mark or Gravely models,

I have noticed some of you talking about the Hyd Pumps & Motors vs. the Hydro-Gear Transaxles, I see all the Gravelys use a ZT 5400 unit, where the EX Mark Pioneer 52 in Mower uses a ZT 3100 unit, Do the larger Number mean a heavyer duty unit? I see once you go to the EX Mark Lazer I think they go to Hyd. Pumps & Motors, What is Your thinking of the ZT 5400 unit vs. the ZT 3100, I also want a Kawasaki Motor, ( That Leaves out The Pioneer S 52 IN. ) also it will have the Heavy Duty Canister air cleaner,
I also notice that they are getting away from Spindles that you can grease, I see that Ex says they have No Maintenance Spindles

Thanks for You input to my shopping needs, i will not pull the trigger on this until late this season or over the winter,

One more thing to keep in Mine ( I am 75 Years Young ) Dont want something that has to be worked on all the time other that Reg. Main.

LakeRat1,
You're spot on about the HydroGear higher "numbers" meaning heavier duty/Commercial. But you really need to make sure you are comparing "apples to apples" across brand lines. I would think that the Exmark Pioneer series is a high-end Residential unit and would compare more with the Gravely ZT HD(which also have the ZT-3100). The ZT-2800 is the "lowest model of HydroGear trannies that are servicable(the EZT is a sealed unit with no filter for maintenance). For mowing 4 acres you need to steer clear of the EZT for sure(it won't hold up with that much use). I bought the Gravely Pro-Turn XDZ 100 series in a 52" and it has the ZT-3400 which the Pro-Turn XDZ 100 is the "entry level" Gravely Commercial and the ZT3400 is right between the ZT-3100 and ZT-5400. I, like you, am no longer a youngster(retiring in Oct. 2013 at 62 yrs old) and I wanted a "Commercial ZTR" for the same reason you mentioned(no post-retirement "expenses"). Of the dealers you mentioned, I recommend you compare the Ez-Mark, Gravely and Scags making sure the models have "similar features". I think you will find a lot more "bang for your buck" and overall quality/build/warranties with the Gravely's. I've never looked back after buying mine. Below is a link to the Gravely website if you want to compare some models and their features(you can also click on "Find A Dealer" and get the MSRP price quotes from a Dealer's website. FYI, I paid ~ $1,000 less out-the-door for my Gravely than the MSRP plus taxes for the 2012 model(and the 2013 same model went up $300 for 2013). I am VERY pleased with the deal I got and dealers WILL negotiate(especially in the fall just before the 2014's come out for 2013 stock on hand). Keep that in mind!!!

Pro-Turn 100 Zero Turn Mower

P.S.
If your pockets are deep enough for the Gravely Pro-Turn 200 and 400 series, you need to be comparing those to the higher-end Ex-Marks(I think the X series?). With the 200 & 400 with the ZT-5400 you are getting into a serious Commercial ZTR!!

 

[LakeRat1]

Thanks dj, Your input is just the kind of help I am looking for, by not buying now, i plan to save up a Nice piece
of Change to be ready to swing the deal when the time comes, i am hoping that I can get what I Need for 8000,
I will be looking very close at the ride, I know the bigger the tires that will help, plus a Good Seat set up, Glad to
hear the Info on the ZT Transaxles, I sure would not want one with out a filter, do those units us Motor Oil or Hyd
Oil?

Thanks

 

[djdicetn]

Thanks dj, Your input is just the kind of help I am looking for, by not buying now, i plan to save up a Nice piece
of Change to be ready to swing the deal when the time comes, i am hoping that I can get what I Need for 8000,
I will be looking very close at the ride, I know the bigger the tires that will help, plus a Good Seat set up, Glad to
hear the Info on the ZT Transaxles, I sure would not want one with out a filter, do those units us Motor Oil or Hyd
Oil?

Thanks

LakeRat1,
Although it is referred to as "hydraulic" oil, I believe that all of the HydroGear units specify 20w50 motor oil. After I ran my mower a couple of times the resevoirs for each tranny was a teenie bit low(probably safe, no doubt, but I'm anal about keeping oil levels at the "FULL" mark). With the trend in automotive applications going towards the lighter(5w30, etc.) oils I had to go to several parts stores before I found some 20w50. I've ALWAYS been a Pennzoil kind of guy(I've got a 1995 Chevy Silverado Z71 with 233K miles that's never seen anything else) and the first I found was Castrol(which is also a very good oil) so I kept looking and finally found Penzoil. When it comes time for maintenance I'm most likely going to let the dealer do it(first maintenance is at 75 hours and then every 400 hours thereafter.....so most likely I'll only need that done once or twice in "my lifetime:0) I'll ask the dealer what brand of oil they use/recommend, but if it's not Pennzoil I may provide the oil and just let them charge me for the filter & labor. If $8,000 is what you are looking to spend you may be able to get into the Pro-Turn XDZ 200 series 52" with the kawa(model#992200 on the Gravely dealer websites). I paid $6800 out-the door for mine and the MSRP was $7199(plus taxes). The 2013 Pro-Turn 252 shows a MSRP of $8599, so with a little wheeling and dealing you may get them to come down next fall to $8k out-the-door. Below is a link to the HydroGear website if you want to read a liitle more on those trannies(they are quickly dominating the ZTR industry except for the very high-end Commercial units that still have separate pumps & motors). The 200 has the same full suspension seat as mine and it is a nice ride!!!
P.S.
Ooops, almost forgot that HydroGear link:

http://www.hydro-gear.com/Main/

 

[LakeRat1]

Thanks dj, I have a long time to check and Listen to the input from Users like Your self, right now I am thinking
Strong about the Gravely 200 Series,

Thanks also for the Link you posted, I will check it out

Today i have been doing some real Work on my JD 445 LT, it was new back in 2000, I had to change the Fuel
filer, what a Bitch to get to, while i had it all pulled apart i went ahead & changed the Tran. filter & oil, so it will
be a long time before i have to do that again, I most likely will keep this mower when i get the ZTR, reason being
I have a Cyclone leaf rake that i use on it in the fall, we have 18 Pecans trees that i Vac. up the leaves so we can get to
the Pecans, it does a Great job, and does not suck up the pecans nuts

I dont know if i can adapt it to the Gravely, that is 1 of the reasons for wanting the ZT 5400 Tran Unit

Rat

 

[djdicetn]

Thanks dj, I have a long time to check and Listen to the input from Users like Your self, right now I am thinking
Strong about the Gravely 200 Series,

Thanks also for the Link you posted, I will check it out

Today i have been doing some real Work on my JD 445 LT, it was new back in 2000, I had to change the Fuel
filer, what a Bitch to get to, while i had it all pulled apart i went ahead & changed the Tran. filter & oil, so it will
be a long time before i have to do that again, I most likely will keep this mower when i get the ZTR, reason being
I have a Cyclone leaf rake that i use on it in the fall, we have 18 Pecans trees that i Vac. up the leaves so we can get to
the Pecans, it does a Great job, and does not suck up the pecans nuts

I dont know if i can adapt it to the Gravely, that is 1 of the reasons for wanting the ZT 5400 Tran Unit

Rat

LakeRat1,
I would think that the Gravely dealer could tell you if you can use the Cyclone leaf rake on the Pro-Turn 200.

 

[LakeRat1]

dj is your Z71 white? There are a Load of those Old Z71 still rolling, When i retired i had a 94 Z71 with just a tad over 100,000, I gave it to my Stepson, he is still rolling it with close to 200 on it now, never been into anything yet, I got a new 05 GMC Z71, it will last me the rest of my Life,

I am going to check with the Gravely dealer about what a 200 series can tow, i see that they offer a trailer hitch, that mounts up to the main fram

 

[djdicetn]

dj is your Z71 white? There are a Load of those Old Z71 still rolling, When i retired i had a 94 Z71 with just a tad over 100,000, I gave it to my Stepson, he is still rolling it with close to 200 on it now, never been into anything yet, I got a new 05 GMC Z71, it will last me the rest of my Life,

I am going to check with the Gravely dealer about what a 200 series can tow, i see that they offer a trailer hitch, that mounts up to the main fram

LakeRat1,
Nope, my Chevy is a Green/Silver stepside extended cab. Been garage-kept since I bought it and still looks "relatively new"(I get comments all the time from guys saying....nahhhh, that can't be a 1995:0) Yeah, Ford & Dodge can dog Chevy/GMC trucks all they want but we both know they ARE built "like a rock"!!! Just hope that's contagious and my Gravely picks it up by sharing the garage.