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Hi, glad to be aboard this Forum, thanks for the add.
#1
G
Gilligan
G
Gilligan
I need help, I have 1.3 acres, flat in N. FL with many obstacles. I want a mower that will last, fab deck, Kawasaki, and I think better than ezt transaxles would be best, but I'm not rich. Any suggestions ? Width doesn't really matter with a zero turn of 1.3 acres in my book. Thank you, G
#2
D
Darryl G
D
Darryl G
Hi. I'd recommend purchasing from a servicing dealer nearby. What dealers do you have near you? It sounds like you're looking for something in the estate/light commercial category. What's your budget. And deck size does matter to a point, but bigger isn't always better. For 1.3 acres I'd go with a 48 or 52 inch machine. Scag Liberty, Exmark Quest, Bob-Cat CRZ are all nice machines that come to my mind but Exmark always seems to come at a premium and the Jury is still out on their proprietary engines in my opinion, even though everything I've heard is that they're good engines. Then there's Snapper, Ferris, Ariens, Gravely, Husqvarna.
Edit: And the all important question, what's your budget?
Edit: And the all important question, what's your budget?
#3
B
bertsmobile1
B
bertsmobile1
For a mow of 1.3 acres go look at used commercial mowers.
Commercial operators seem to go 2 ways
Roll over their mowers the instant they are finished getting tax deductions
flog it to death and squeeze every minute of life out of it.
So the trick is finding a mower from one of the first group.
Nowever the worst condition totally flogged out commercial mower is still better than most new domestic mowers.
For example I resell and service every Cub Cadet 2000 series tractor I can get my hands on.
All the customers who bought one are totally happy with their mowers and a couple are on 5 & 10 acre blocks
The 2000 was a full commercial mower that came out too late to be a big commercial success as pros were shifting to ZTR's.
It got replaced by the 3000 series but looks like running rings around then for durability.
A mower with a horizontal crankshaft engine will be 200% better than a mower with a vertical engine.
There was a thread a while back about a John Deere ZTrak F620.
When I double checked my answer before posting I came a site with a lot of them for sale from $ 2000 to $ 4000 which is dirt cheap for one of these.
And one of these will last forever particularly as JD will be supplying parts for 50 years.
Fabricated decks are good but not the be all & end all.
Many good pressed decks will outlive heavier fabricated ones.
Every year, technology advances and costs rise but mower prices do not.
The magic pudding was a children's fairy tale so some thing has to give and what is getting designed out is durability particularly from the domestic end of the market.
I also have a few customers with old Great Danes, one is pro & his is still running strong with 6,000 hours on the clock ( has a replacement engine ).
When it comes to hydros, go for one with a reseviour & a replaceable filter.
They are very sensitive to oil quality and dead hydros is the usual reason for retiring mowers round here.
Got a yard full of mowers for spares, perfectly good except the hydros are gone & replacements down here are more expensive than a new mower so the customers generally make the wrong decision & buy an inferiour mower rather than fix their old one.
Commercial operators seem to go 2 ways
Roll over their mowers the instant they are finished getting tax deductions
flog it to death and squeeze every minute of life out of it.
So the trick is finding a mower from one of the first group.
Nowever the worst condition totally flogged out commercial mower is still better than most new domestic mowers.
For example I resell and service every Cub Cadet 2000 series tractor I can get my hands on.
All the customers who bought one are totally happy with their mowers and a couple are on 5 & 10 acre blocks
The 2000 was a full commercial mower that came out too late to be a big commercial success as pros were shifting to ZTR's.
It got replaced by the 3000 series but looks like running rings around then for durability.
A mower with a horizontal crankshaft engine will be 200% better than a mower with a vertical engine.
There was a thread a while back about a John Deere ZTrak F620.
When I double checked my answer before posting I came a site with a lot of them for sale from $ 2000 to $ 4000 which is dirt cheap for one of these.
And one of these will last forever particularly as JD will be supplying parts for 50 years.
Fabricated decks are good but not the be all & end all.
Many good pressed decks will outlive heavier fabricated ones.
Every year, technology advances and costs rise but mower prices do not.
The magic pudding was a children's fairy tale so some thing has to give and what is getting designed out is durability particularly from the domestic end of the market.
I also have a few customers with old Great Danes, one is pro & his is still running strong with 6,000 hours on the clock ( has a replacement engine ).
When it comes to hydros, go for one with a reseviour & a replaceable filter.
They are very sensitive to oil quality and dead hydros is the usual reason for retiring mowers round here.
Got a yard full of mowers for spares, perfectly good except the hydros are gone & replacements down here are more expensive than a new mower so the customers generally make the wrong decision & buy an inferiour mower rather than fix their old one.
#4
G
Gilligan
The budget is as little as possible but with durability in mind. I hate to go over $3500 and that is with tax at 7% but I am willing to listen and learn. The dealers nearby are Gravely, Husquvarna, Deere, (no) Ex-Mark, Toro, Bad Boy, Hustler and even Kubota. I found a base Hustler with Kawasaki power 52" cut for $2500 new but there is no hour meter and they are ezt trans not the 2800 or better. Also found an Ariens Ikon X 42 for $2800 and a 52" with Kawi power for $3000. Both have fab decks but both also have the ezt transaxles. I am capable of servicing but I am no hydraulics mechanic. Thanks for the above, I neglected to put the budget out there. I am ready to get either an Ariens Ikon-X, XL, or Apex, I just really want the Kawasaki and I'd like more than basic axles for durability, no hills and no towing, just a yard, fairly flat with one ditch of about 150' with 4' of 20 degree slope on either side.
G
Gilligan
Hi. I'd recommend purchasing from a servicing dealer nearby. What dealers do you have near you? It sounds like you're looking for something in the estate/light commercial category. What's your budget. And deck size does matter to a point, but bigger isn't always better. For 1.3 acres I'd go with a 48 or 52 inch machine. Scag Liberty, Exmark Quest, Bob-Cat CRZ are all nice machines that come to my mind but Exmark always seems to come at a premium and the Jury is still out on their proprietary engines in my opinion, even though everything I've heard is that they're good engines. Then there's Snapper, Ferris, Ariens, Gravely, Husqvarna.
Edit: And the all important question, what's your budget?
The budget is as little as possible but with durability in mind. I hate to go over $3500 and that is with tax at 7% but I am willing to listen and learn. The dealers nearby are Gravely, Husquvarna, Deere, (no) Ex-Mark, Toro, Bad Boy, Hustler and even Kubota. I found a base Hustler with Kawasaki power 52" cut for $2500 new but there is no hour meter and they are ezt trans not the 2800 or better. Also found an Ariens Ikon X 42 for $2800 and a 52" with Kawi power for $3000. Both have fab decks but both also have the ezt transaxles. I am capable of servicing but I am no hydraulics mechanic. Thanks for the above, I neglected to put the budget out there. I am ready to get either an Ariens Ikon-X, XL, or Apex, I just really want the Kawasaki and I'd like more than basic axles for durability, no hills and no towing, just a yard, fairly flat with one ditch of about 150' with 4' of 20 degree slope on either side.
#5
G
Gilligan
G
Gilligan
Oh yes, and 52" would be about the max I would want to go for width due to obstacles as well as weight. I'd still like 3 blades to be spinning.
#6
Catherine
Catherine
:welcome:
Welcome to the forum!
I'm going to move this thread over to our mower and equipment buying and pricing section.
Welcome to the forum!
I'm going to move this thread over to our mower and equipment buying and pricing section.
#7
B
bertsmobile1
Just because you want a mower that has certain criteria and have a limited budget does not mean that some one has to make exactly what you want.
I know this is not what Americans are taught. The capatilist marketing system means whatever you want will be produced just because you want it.
Every year the cost of materials goes up, the costs of insurance goes up, the cost of employing people goes up ( not necessarily wages ) but people expect that the price of what they want will go down.
It can not happen, something has to give and what gives is durability.
Thus the mowers look pretty & strong & powerful which they all are but in 5 years most will be ready for the scrap bin & you will be doing this all over again .
I have only been repairing mowers for the past 5 years but even over that short a period I have seen a drastic drop in the quality & durability of what is on offer.
I suggest very strongly you go & haunt consumer complaint web sites & consumer review sites and look at all of the problems people are having with brand new mowers.
More & more new machines come in with low hours failed hydros.
Down here they must last 12 months by law but more than one has spent the majority of the 12 months in a workshop.
When locals ask my opinion they get told $10,000 is about the minimum to expect to pay for a long term durable mower ( in Aust monopoly money )
There is currently a YTH2648 in the workshop with 550 hours of easy residential lawn cutting on a 1 acre block with a totally worn out tranny.
To make life easy on his mower he fitted the 42" fabricated deck yet it still died at 550 hours and it will be a $ 2000 repair ( AUS)
BEfore you open your wallet, go read this rather long thread about EZT trannies https://www.lawnmowerforum.com/showthread.php/26680-HydroGear-EZT-Transaxle
Note that quite a few of them were failing in as little as 200 hours ( around 4 years on your property ) .
There is a reason that all the low price mowers fit EZT's, they are the cheapest locally made tranny you can get.
This of course does not preclude one lasting for 5000 hours but nless you believe in winning lotteries then EZT's are best avoided.
B
bertsmobile1
The budget is as little as possible but with durability in mind. I hate to go over $3500 and that is with tax at 7% but I am willing to listen and learn. The dealers nearby are Gravely, Husquvarna, Deere, (no) Ex-Mark, Toro, Bad Boy, Hustler and even Kubota. I found a base Hustler with Kawasaki power 52" cut for $2500 new but there is no hour meter and they are ezt trans not the 2800 or better. Also found an Ariens Ikon X 42 for $2800 and a 52" with Kawi power for $3000. Both have fab decks but both also have the ezt transaxles. I am capable of servicing but I am no hydraulics mechanic. Thanks for the above, I neglected to put the budget out there. I am ready to get either an Ariens Ikon-X, XL, or Apex, I just really want the Kawasaki and I'd like more than basic axles for durability, no hills and no towing, just a yard, fairly flat with one ditch of about 150' with 4' of 20 degree slope on either side.
Just because you want a mower that has certain criteria and have a limited budget does not mean that some one has to make exactly what you want.
I know this is not what Americans are taught. The capatilist marketing system means whatever you want will be produced just because you want it.
Every year the cost of materials goes up, the costs of insurance goes up, the cost of employing people goes up ( not necessarily wages ) but people expect that the price of what they want will go down.
It can not happen, something has to give and what gives is durability.
Thus the mowers look pretty & strong & powerful which they all are but in 5 years most will be ready for the scrap bin & you will be doing this all over again .
I have only been repairing mowers for the past 5 years but even over that short a period I have seen a drastic drop in the quality & durability of what is on offer.
I suggest very strongly you go & haunt consumer complaint web sites & consumer review sites and look at all of the problems people are having with brand new mowers.
More & more new machines come in with low hours failed hydros.
Down here they must last 12 months by law but more than one has spent the majority of the 12 months in a workshop.
When locals ask my opinion they get told $10,000 is about the minimum to expect to pay for a long term durable mower ( in Aust monopoly money )
There is currently a YTH2648 in the workshop with 550 hours of easy residential lawn cutting on a 1 acre block with a totally worn out tranny.
To make life easy on his mower he fitted the 42" fabricated deck yet it still died at 550 hours and it will be a $ 2000 repair ( AUS)
BEfore you open your wallet, go read this rather long thread about EZT trannies https://www.lawnmowerforum.com/showthread.php/26680-HydroGear-EZT-Transaxle
Note that quite a few of them were failing in as little as 200 hours ( around 4 years on your property ) .
There is a reason that all the low price mowers fit EZT's, they are the cheapest locally made tranny you can get.
This of course does not preclude one lasting for 5000 hours but nless you believe in winning lotteries then EZT's are best avoided.
#8
D
Darryl G
D
Darryl G
There are 2 ezt transmissions, right, the 2100 and 2200? I heard that the 2200s had a much lower failure rate and something about the shaft diameter of the 2100s being a huge issue. I also heard that heat generated during prolonged use was much of the culprit in their destruction. I'm no expert or mechanic. My machines either have the dual wheel pump & motor setup or the 3400 transmission and I've never had to perform any repairs on them other than a blown hose due to chaffing.
I'd recommend steeping up to the $4 or $5K range to get into a machine that will hold up with a lower likely hood that you'll end up calling it scrap in 4 or 5 years. You can often get free or very low % financing if you don't mind taking on some debt. I couldn't resist 4 year zero % on my Bob-Cat. Toro has some nice machines but I think all of them in your price range have their proprietary engines in them. I'll also ditto Bert's earlier comment about finding a used commercial machine with low hours that's been well cared for. You may even want to consider skipping a zero-turn all together and go with a used commercial walk-behind with a stand-on sulky...but I realize you may have ruled that out for personal reasons.
I'd recommend steeping up to the $4 or $5K range to get into a machine that will hold up with a lower likely hood that you'll end up calling it scrap in 4 or 5 years. You can often get free or very low % financing if you don't mind taking on some debt. I couldn't resist 4 year zero % on my Bob-Cat. Toro has some nice machines but I think all of them in your price range have their proprietary engines in them. I'll also ditto Bert's earlier comment about finding a used commercial machine with low hours that's been well cared for. You may even want to consider skipping a zero-turn all together and go with a used commercial walk-behind with a stand-on sulky...but I realize you may have ruled that out for personal reasons.
#9
D
dmenn
D
dmenn
Check out the new Cub Cadet Ultima series. The ZT2 models have the 2800 hydro's as well as a Kawasaki engine. The ZT2 50 is ~$3700 which is close to your price range.
I've been heavily researching zero turns over the past few months and I'm in a similar situation.. Go with the EZT's (Bad Boy MZ Magnum, Toro MX, Cub Cadet ZT1 - these are the ones in my area) or something that is serviceable like the 2800's or 3100's (Scag Liberty Z, Ferris 400S, Cub Cadet Ultima ZT2, Bad Boy ZT Elite, Toro Timecutter HD - these are the ones in my area).
Let us know what you end up choosing.. I'll do the same when I purchase within the next couple months.
I've been heavily researching zero turns over the past few months and I'm in a similar situation.. Go with the EZT's (Bad Boy MZ Magnum, Toro MX, Cub Cadet ZT1 - these are the ones in my area) or something that is serviceable like the 2800's or 3100's (Scag Liberty Z, Ferris 400S, Cub Cadet Ultima ZT2, Bad Boy ZT Elite, Toro Timecutter HD - these are the ones in my area).
Let us know what you end up choosing.. I'll do the same when I purchase within the next couple months.
#10
G
Gilligan
Yes, I know I'm cheap. I didn't mean someone had to make what I wanted, rather I wanted to know if anyone had a model or make that offered these items. I've talked to mower shops, big box stores etc... and I seem to get a different answer to each question, no you don't need those fancy transaxles, the ezt's are just fine. I don't want something for nothing, I'd just like to buy a mower one time. Hopefully it will outlast me. Thanks for the thread to tell me what is what on the trans axles. Thanks, G I appreciate all that everyone has posted for me and others, it really helps get through the "maze of mowers"
G
Gilligan
Just because you want a mower that has certain criteria and have a limited budget does not mean that some one has to make exactly what you want.
I know this is not what Americans are taught. The capatilist marketing system means whatever you want will be produced just because you want it.
Every year the cost of materials goes up, the costs of insurance goes up, the cost of employing people goes up ( not necessarily wages ) but people expect that the price of what they want will go down.
It can not happen, something has to give and what gives is durability.
Thus the mowers look pretty & strong & powerful which they all are but in 5 years most will be ready for the scrap bin & you will be doing this all over again .
I have only been repairing mowers for the past 5 years but even over that short a period I have seen a drastic drop in the quality & durability of what is on offer.
I suggest very strongly you go & haunt consumer complaint web sites & consumer review sites and look at all of the problems people are having with brand new mowers.
More & more new machines come in with low hours failed hydros.
Down here they must last 12 months by law but more than one has spent the majority of the 12 months in a workshop.
When locals ask my opinion they get told $10,000 is about the minimum to expect to pay for a long term durable mower ( in Aust monopoly money )
There is currently a YTH2648 in the workshop with 550 hours of easy residential lawn cutting on a 1 acre block with a totally worn out tranny.
To make life easy on his mower he fitted the 42" fabricated deck yet it still died at 550 hours and it will be a $ 2000 repair ( AUS)
BEfore you open your wallet, go read this rather long thread about EZT trannies https://www.lawnmowerforum.com/showthread.php/26680-HydroGear-EZT-Transaxle
Note that quite a few of them were failing in as little as 200 hours ( around 4 years on your property ) .
There is a reason that all the low price mowers fit EZT's, they are the cheapest locally made tranny you can get.
This of course does not preclude one lasting for 5000 hours but nless you believe in winning lotteries then EZT's are best avoided.
Yes, I know I'm cheap. I didn't mean someone had to make what I wanted, rather I wanted to know if anyone had a model or make that offered these items. I've talked to mower shops, big box stores etc... and I seem to get a different answer to each question, no you don't need those fancy transaxles, the ezt's are just fine. I don't want something for nothing, I'd just like to buy a mower one time. Hopefully it will outlast me. Thanks for the thread to tell me what is what on the trans axles. Thanks, G I appreciate all that everyone has posted for me and others, it really helps get through the "maze of mowers"
#11
B
bertsmobile1
B
bertsmobile1
Sorry if I sounded brutal but facts are facts.
The best information will come from independent mower repair shops.
We have no reason to stretch the truth.
Like the whinge sites, we only really know the ones that were bad because the good ones never come in for repairs.
I still doubt that any ZTR under $ 5000 (USA) will run for 10 years without major repairs.
We don't get the full US range of mowers down here but of what we do all of the cheapies are junk.
The only small ZTR I would recommend would be the JD 335. but it has the pressed Edge deck which is not all that good.
The Torros are good build wise but I am forever changing the brake modules which render the mower a big paperweight, cost a fortune, can not be repaired & fail regularly.
Nothing out of the AYP factory under $ 10,000 is not worth the freight let alone the purchase price.
Within your budget everything is throw away, just some will take longer to fall apart than others.
An example of built down to a price is hour meters.
They cost me about $ 30 ( Aus ) so wholesale in the USA you would be looking around $ 10. Really cheap & very necessary for home owners to keep track of operating hours for maintenance, yet not fitted.
Mowers not maintained according to schedule is a cop out for warranty repairs so you decide why they are not fitted to cheap mowers.
My backside has been out of my duds for most of my life so I know what working on a limited budget is like.
But looking for a brand new durable ride on mower within your budget is a fools errand, even more foolish if you do not have the technical skills to wade through the deliberately confusing rubbish that the factories publish about their mowers.
What is the no 1 thing owners want to know ?
How long can I expect this mower to last ?
Do any of them state 500 hours from this engine & 600 hours from that drive, no.
Any of them tell you how easy ( near impossible ) it is to change the drive belts , no
Any one tell you the actual service costs in either hours or time , no
In fact the maintenance schedule in most handbooks is a 1/2 page confusing table printed in fine type burried right down the back of the handbook.
So when you go to the dealers, ask to see the owners manual for every mower you are looking at or even download them from the factory web sites and do your comparing there.
Make a list of the replacement items, add a set of blades & belts then get a price for them. The lower the purchase price the more expensive the servicing.
When it comes to trannies, go to the Hydro Drive , Tuff Torque or General Trans web sites and look for information there.
All tranny spec sheets have load ratings ( how much weight they can pull ) if it is any less than 3 times the weight ( from the owners handbook ) of the mower then that mower will be lucky to outlast your 90 day warranty period.
The people at Mulligans have been really helpful to me and again brutally frank about the longevity , quality & cost of repair of the different trannies.
Even better there are several sections about upgrading to better trannies.
If a tranny retailer goes to that effort then it is safe to assume the old tranny must be giving a lot of people grief.
The best information will come from independent mower repair shops.
We have no reason to stretch the truth.
Like the whinge sites, we only really know the ones that were bad because the good ones never come in for repairs.
I still doubt that any ZTR under $ 5000 (USA) will run for 10 years without major repairs.
We don't get the full US range of mowers down here but of what we do all of the cheapies are junk.
The only small ZTR I would recommend would be the JD 335. but it has the pressed Edge deck which is not all that good.
The Torros are good build wise but I am forever changing the brake modules which render the mower a big paperweight, cost a fortune, can not be repaired & fail regularly.
Nothing out of the AYP factory under $ 10,000 is not worth the freight let alone the purchase price.
Within your budget everything is throw away, just some will take longer to fall apart than others.
An example of built down to a price is hour meters.
They cost me about $ 30 ( Aus ) so wholesale in the USA you would be looking around $ 10. Really cheap & very necessary for home owners to keep track of operating hours for maintenance, yet not fitted.
Mowers not maintained according to schedule is a cop out for warranty repairs so you decide why they are not fitted to cheap mowers.
My backside has been out of my duds for most of my life so I know what working on a limited budget is like.
But looking for a brand new durable ride on mower within your budget is a fools errand, even more foolish if you do not have the technical skills to wade through the deliberately confusing rubbish that the factories publish about their mowers.
What is the no 1 thing owners want to know ?
How long can I expect this mower to last ?
Do any of them state 500 hours from this engine & 600 hours from that drive, no.
Any of them tell you how easy ( near impossible ) it is to change the drive belts , no
Any one tell you the actual service costs in either hours or time , no
In fact the maintenance schedule in most handbooks is a 1/2 page confusing table printed in fine type burried right down the back of the handbook.
So when you go to the dealers, ask to see the owners manual for every mower you are looking at or even download them from the factory web sites and do your comparing there.
Make a list of the replacement items, add a set of blades & belts then get a price for them. The lower the purchase price the more expensive the servicing.
When it comes to trannies, go to the Hydro Drive , Tuff Torque or General Trans web sites and look for information there.
All tranny spec sheets have load ratings ( how much weight they can pull ) if it is any less than 3 times the weight ( from the owners handbook ) of the mower then that mower will be lucky to outlast your 90 day warranty period.
The people at Mulligans have been really helpful to me and again brutally frank about the longevity , quality & cost of repair of the different trannies.
Even better there are several sections about upgrading to better trannies.
If a tranny retailer goes to that effort then it is safe to assume the old tranny must be giving a lot of people grief.
#12
G
Gilligan
I really do appreciate honesty even if it is brutal. I didn't mean to come off that I wanted a mower for less than it cost, I think I understand economics. I just don't want to spend money twice if I don't have to and I'd also like to get a "fair" deal on it. I have been to mower shops and they have for the most part honest and fair. I am looking at the ones mentioned above and might just do it. Perhaps I should have said, I have 1.3 acres fairly flat and many obstacles, what is the best way to cut the grass short of hiring it out which I can't afford to do. I'd even driven push mower if it is cheaper than a zero turn and durable. I really like the formula of 3 times the weight of the mower for the drive units, brilliant. I will use this for sure.
G
Gilligan
Sorry if I sounded brutal but facts are facts.
The best information will come from independent mower repair shops.
We have no reason to stretch the truth.
Like the whinge sites, we only really know the ones that were bad because the good ones never come in for repairs.
I still doubt that any ZTR under $ 5000 (USA) will run for 10 years without major repairs.
We don't get the full US range of mowers down here but of what we do all of the cheapies are junk.
The only small ZTR I would recommend would be the JD 335. but it has the pressed Edge deck which is not all that good.
The Torros are good build wise but I am forever changing the brake modules which render the mower a big paperweight, cost a fortune, can not be repaired & fail regularly.
Nothing out of the AYP factory under $ 10,000 is not worth the freight let alone the purchase price.
Within your budget everything is throw away, just some will take longer to fall apart than others.
An example of built down to a price is hour meters.
They cost me about $ 30 ( Aus ) so wholesale in the USA you would be looking around $ 10. Really cheap & very necessary for home owners to keep track of operating hours for maintenance, yet not fitted.
Mowers not maintained according to schedule is a cop out for warranty repairs so you decide why they are not fitted to cheap mowers.
My backside has been out of my duds for most of my life so I know what working on a limited budget is like.
But looking for a brand new durable ride on mower within your budget is a fools errand, even more foolish if you do not have the technical skills to wade through the deliberately confusing rubbish that the factories publish about their mowers.
What is the no 1 thing owners want to know ?
How long can I expect this mower to last ?
Do any of them state 500 hours from this engine & 600 hours from that drive, no.
Any of them tell you how easy ( near impossible ) it is to change the drive belts , no
Any one tell you the actual service costs in either hours or time , no
In fact the maintenance schedule in most handbooks is a 1/2 page confusing table printed in fine type burried right down the back of the handbook.
So when you go to the dealers, ask to see the owners manual for every mower you are looking at or even download them from the factory web sites and do your comparing there.
Make a list of the replacement items, add a set of blades & belts then get a price for them. The lower the purchase price the more expensive the servicing.
When it comes to trannies, go to the Hydro Drive , Tuff Torque or General Trans web sites and look for information there.
All tranny spec sheets have load ratings ( how much weight they can pull ) if it is any less than 3 times the weight ( from the owners handbook ) of the mower then that mower will be lucky to outlast your 90 day warranty period.
The people at Mulligans have been really helpful to me and again brutally frank about the longevity , quality & cost of repair of the different trannies.
Even better there are several sections about upgrading to better trannies.
If a tranny retailer goes to that effort then it is safe to assume the old tranny must be giving a lot of people grief.
I really do appreciate honesty even if it is brutal. I didn't mean to come off that I wanted a mower for less than it cost, I think I understand economics. I just don't want to spend money twice if I don't have to and I'd also like to get a "fair" deal on it. I have been to mower shops and they have for the most part honest and fair. I am looking at the ones mentioned above and might just do it. Perhaps I should have said, I have 1.3 acres fairly flat and many obstacles, what is the best way to cut the grass short of hiring it out which I can't afford to do. I'd even driven push mower if it is cheaper than a zero turn and durable. I really like the formula of 3 times the weight of the mower for the drive units, brilliant. I will use this for sure.
#13
B
bertsmobile1
B
bertsmobile1
Getting sort of off track now but with a lot of things, spending a bit more will cost a lot less.
So when you talk to dealers be specific with questions like how many hours is the typical service life of the engine.
And the same for the tranny. If you get a wishy washy answer then walk away.
Lifetime guarrantees are great till you find out the "lifetime" is 100 hours.
Down here most domestic engines will do 500 hours which works out about 10 years but the EZT's are rated as 300-500 hour units..
Now they can not be exact because there is misuse & abuse , easy & difficult terrain to consider , same as for belts.
My local tranny man will rebuild worn EZT's for $ 400-$ 500 each ( remember there are 2 of them ) but repairs can easy go double that amount.
Down here Ariens brand their domestics as Ariens & the commercials as Gravely and there is not a single Ariens branded mower I would pay cash money for.
The domestic Husqvarnas , and most of the rest of the AYP made residential ZTR'S use an A section ( 1/2" ) blade belt and eat them like candy because they are way too thin for the job, they cost $ 80 + ( Aus) to replace.
This is why I suggested getting quotes on service parts and remember belts are not a warranty item .
Going for a fabricated deck adds a lot of cost and should be unnecessary for 1.3 acres unless you have a lot of rocks , intend to mow over thick branches or try to mulch 12" of grass.
A heavy duty pressed deck will give a better cut usually and last a very long time if blown down ( not washed ) after each mow.
A perfect condition fabricated deck will not add much value to a used mower with a dead tranny or a rod through the side of the crankcase.
So when you talk to dealers be specific with questions like how many hours is the typical service life of the engine.
And the same for the tranny. If you get a wishy washy answer then walk away.
Lifetime guarrantees are great till you find out the "lifetime" is 100 hours.
Down here most domestic engines will do 500 hours which works out about 10 years but the EZT's are rated as 300-500 hour units..
Now they can not be exact because there is misuse & abuse , easy & difficult terrain to consider , same as for belts.
My local tranny man will rebuild worn EZT's for $ 400-$ 500 each ( remember there are 2 of them ) but repairs can easy go double that amount.
Down here Ariens brand their domestics as Ariens & the commercials as Gravely and there is not a single Ariens branded mower I would pay cash money for.
The domestic Husqvarnas , and most of the rest of the AYP made residential ZTR'S use an A section ( 1/2" ) blade belt and eat them like candy because they are way too thin for the job, they cost $ 80 + ( Aus) to replace.
This is why I suggested getting quotes on service parts and remember belts are not a warranty item .
Going for a fabricated deck adds a lot of cost and should be unnecessary for 1.3 acres unless you have a lot of rocks , intend to mow over thick branches or try to mulch 12" of grass.
A heavy duty pressed deck will give a better cut usually and last a very long time if blown down ( not washed ) after each mow.
A perfect condition fabricated deck will not add much value to a used mower with a dead tranny or a rod through the side of the crankcase.