Help Needed - Looking to buy my 1st ZTR

[djdicetn]

WOW.....i'm in the market for our 1st ZTR too .....and I didn't realize it was going to be so much work!!!!!
We have about a total of 4 acres. I'd like to stay with a 48 - 54 cut. My husband said something about a 60 cut in order to get bigger wheels.
Wonder if we can get bigger wheels on any model we buy???
My husband wants a BAD BOY, but i'm trying to research as many as I can.....and I had no idea there were so many.
I would love to hear more comments, what mowers people would buy and would NOT buy and why.
p.s....I LOVE cutting grass. I had a Snapper push mower for years that I LOVED...but that was years ago and I heard that the company may not be the same.

fry,

What's your budget....that's the main question? With 4 acres you should consider either high-end Residential or entry-level Commercial only. I made offers last fall on a 54" Bad Boy Outlaw(considered Commercial), 52" Dixon DX152(considered Commercial), 54" Hustler Fasttrak Super Duty(considered high-end Residential) and Gravely 52" Pro-Turn XDZ100(considered Commercial). Like you have found already.....all of those are good machines but the Gravely had more "Commercial bang" for my money(build, components and warranties). I also looked at Toro Titans(high-end Residential) and Toro Z-Master 2000 series(Commercial). It's not an easy decision to choose, but i love my Gravely and have not looked back.
P.S.
Usually it takes a more expensive "model" to get bigger wheels(they don't interchange them).

 

[Old Goat]

WOW.....i'm in the market for our 1st ZTR too .....and I didn't realize it was going to be so much work!!!!!
We have about a total of 4 acres. I'd like to stay with a 48 - 54 cut. My husband said something about a 60 cut in order to get bigger wheels.
Wonder if we can get bigger wheels on any model we buy???
My husband wants a BAD BOY, but i'm trying to research as many as I can.....and I had no idea there were so many.
I would love to hear more comments, what mowers people would buy and would NOT buy and why.
p.s....I LOVE cutting grass. I had a Snapper push mower for years that I LOVED...but that was years ago and I heard that the company may not be the same.

Seems no one knows about Big Dog!

You owe it to yourself to check them out. I got big wheels on a 54" cut for $4800. But you have to do your HOMEWORK.

Dealers in your state.
Residential and Commercial Zero Turn Radius Lawn Mowers and Tractors - Big Dog Mowers

 

[RSNovi]

fry,

What's your budget....that's the main question? With 4 acres you should consider either high-end Residential or entry-level Commercial only. I made offers last fall on a 54" Bad Boy Outlaw(considered Commercial), 52" Dixon DX152(considered Commercial), 54" Hustler Fasttrak Super Duty(considered high-end Residential) and Gravely 52" Pro-Turn XDZ100(considered Commercial). Like you have found already.....all of those are good machines but the Gravely had more "Commercial bang" for my money(build, components and warranties). I also looked at Toro Titans(high-end Residential) and Toro Z-Master 2000 series(Commercial). It's not an easy decision to choose, but i love my Gravely and have not looked back.
P.S.
Usually it takes a more expensive "model" to get bigger wheels(they don't interchange them).

I just purchased my first ztr. I went with a hustler fastrak after doing quite a bit of research and shopping. They also had a $750 rebate. I have mowed once so far so time will tell.

 

[RatRacer]

Seems no one knows about Big Dog!
You owe it to yourself to check them out. I got big wheels on a 54" cut for $4800. But you have to do your HOMEWORK.

Dealers in your state.
Residential and Commercial Zero Turn Radius Lawn Mowers and Tractors - Big Dog Mowers

Ha ha! Funny you should mention them. I'm looking to replace my JD with a ZTR, and I happened to notice that the hole in the wall tractor supply joint I pass every day to and from work has a Hustler sign on the door. I stopped to check them out, and they are also a Big Dog dealer. They are bringing by a 54" R series to for me to try in it's natural environment Saturday, and assess trade in value of my JD. Big Dog is a sub line of Hustler, and typically both not found at same location.

 

[fry]

Thank you all for all your informative replies!
Budget....can't beleive i'm even considering financing for a mower!
I really don't want to go over $5,000......and we go that much - I really want it to last.
Is there any place on the internet that compares a lot of them?...like the warranties, engines, etc.
I'm trying to take notes on paper from all that I've learned on this forum.....and it's been alot for just a few days!
I see a dealer close by is important - what do i punch in to see what dealers are close by?
We are in farm country - so i know we have JD dealers close.
In your all "expert" opinions, it sounds like I don't want to buy from Menards, HomeDepot, Lowes, or Rural King - am i correct?
My husband doesn't want to buy used - even tho I've seen quite a few on craigslist.
Thank you all again for all your help!:smile:

 

[Old Goat]

Ha ha! Funny you should mention them. I'm looking to replace my JD with a ZTR, and I happened to notice that the hole in the wall tractor supply joint I pass every day to and from work has a Hustler sign on the door. I stopped to check them out, and they are also a Big Dog dealer. They are bringing by a 54" R series to for me to try in it's natural environment Saturday, and assess trade in value of my JD. Big Dog is a sub line of Hustler, and typically both not found at same location.

That's the machine I bought. R754. BTW, Hustler was the first manufacturer of ZTR mower in 1966.
Please come back to let us know what you think about it.

 

[Old Goat]

Thank you all for all your informative replies!
Budget....can't beleive i'm even considering financing for a mower!
I really don't want to go over $5,000......and we go that much - I really want it to last.
Is there any place on the internet that compares a lot of them?...like the warranties, engines, etc.
I'm trying to take notes on paper from all that I've learned on this forum.....and it's been alot for just a few days!
I see a dealer close by is important - what do i punch in to see what dealers are close by?
We are in farm country - so i know we have JD dealers close.
In your all "expert" opinions, it sounds like I don't want to buy from Menards, HomeDepot, Lowes, or Rural King - am i correct?
My husband doesn't want to buy used - even tho I've seen quite a few on craigslist.Thank you all again for all your help!:smile:

Don't you just wish they were? Can you say Excel Spreadsheet? Two years of looking at these drove me batty! UH, battyer.

I sure agree with him! Pay a little extra from a dealer you can trust and get a lot extra down the road!

 

[imamolder]

Thank you all for all your informative replies!
Budget....can't beleive i'm even considering financing for a mower!
I really don't want to go over $5,000......and we go that much - I really want it to last.
Is there any place on the internet that compares a lot of them?...like the warranties, engines, etc.
I'm trying to take notes on paper from all that I've learned on this forum.....and it's been alot for just a few days!
I see a dealer close by is important - what do i punch in to see what dealers are close by?
We are in farm country - so i know we have JD dealers close.
In your all "expert" opinions, it sounds like I don't want to buy from Menards, HomeDepot, Lowes, or Rural King - am i correct?
My husband doesn't want to buy used - even tho I've seen quite a few on craigslist.
Thank you all again for all your help!:smile:

Fry, I am in the same boat as your husband. I started with a budget of 5k and then figured out that I had to raise it to the 6k range to get what I am wanting in a ztr mower. I started out saying I wanted a Bad Boy as well, and Bad Boy claims they give you more for your money but I have since found out that is not exactly the case. From all of my research (and I have been researching this until my eyes go crossed) I think I have it narrowed down to either Ferris or maybe Bad Boy. I have also been looking hard at Hustler and Dixon. I have ruled out Hustler based on the mower they have in my budget has the 3100 Hydro Drives and for the same money I can get the Bad Boy or Ferris with the 3400 Hydro Drives (the 3400 has 1.25" axles vs 1" on the 3100) also, the 3400's will give you more speed. I think I am going to rule out the Dixon because for my price range they only offer the Kohler Courage engine which from everything I have read is garbage. I would suggest that you go to each company's website and look at the specs and write them down or put them on a spread sheet to compare. Look at warranty, deck design & material thickness for the deck and frame, hydro drives, engine type, weight of the mower, etc... I can tell you for the 5500 to the 6k range they all have models that compete with each other and once you compare the things above you will see what you can get with the most options for the money. FYI, Ferris has the IS 600 and the IS 700 in the 5k to 6k range and they offer a suspension system for a superior ride that you will not find on the other brands.

 

[RatRacer]

Thank you all for all your informative replies!
Budget....can't beleive i'm even considering financing for a mower!
I really don't want to go over $5,000......and we go that much - I really want it to last.
Is there any place on the internet that compares a lot of them?...like the warranties, engines, etc.
I'm trying to take notes on paper from all that I've learned on this forum.....and it's been alot for just a few days!
I see a dealer close by is important - what do i punch in to see what dealers are close by?
We are in farm country - so i know we have JD dealers close.
In your all "expert" opinions, it sounds like I don't want to buy from Menards, HomeDepot, Lowes, or Rural King - am i correct?
My husband doesn't want to buy used - even tho I've seen quite a few on craigslist.
Thank you all again for all your help!:smile:

Most of the mfg's won't even advertise a MSRP on the interwebz for you to compare a price point for these non consumer pitched, upper versions.

Like OG says, list them on spread sheet to compare specs, or screen shot the spec page and save it to Word. Figure out what specs matter most to you

My new tactic has now switched from web to who has locally. What I wanted intially, nobody stocked. So now I am listing out all my local dealers as to who has what, and also researching them for their "service after the sale" ability (parts and repair). Face time with a dealer allows you to wheel and deal, and also to try the unit out to see if it suits you to whether you want to haggle at all. Then there's their leftover stuff and demo units they may have laying around that were never on your radar to begin with, that they want to move, and you being armed with desired specs can make an informed decision.

 

[RatRacer]

That's the machine I bought. R754. BTW, Hustler was the first manufacturer of ZTR mower in 1966.
Please come back to let us know what you think about it.

Well, this one is a bit different then your R754. Behold the the R Power Bar, KW FR691/ZT3100/8mph. This is a left over they had buried in their pole barn I spied when I asked to look at the "sequestered" fleet, and my wife likes it better than the lap bar model. So just for giggles, we are going to testdrive it on my yard tomorrow.