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I currently have a 2013 Dixie Chopper Zee 2 with a 42 inch deck. At the end of this year I want to buy a new mower that's more commercial grade.
( $7,000.00 price range )

I own,and operate my own a small lawn business. I don't mow more than 20 yards per week. My dixie chopper has been very dependable so far,but I'm ready to upgrade.

I am so confused right now!

I'm reading about so many cutting problems with the scag tiger cat, and the hustler X-One / X-One I . Those were originally my top choices.

Now I am looking at the Wright ZTO 48 inch deck , Snapper S150XT 48, Gravely Compact Pro 44 .

My head is spinning!!!!!! Help!!!! LOL!!!

wdrdoctor said:

I currently have a 2013 Dixie Chopper Zee 2 with a 42 inch deck. At the end of this year I want to buy a new mower that's more commercial grade.
( $7,000.00 price range )

I own,and operate my own a small lawn business. I don't mow more than 20 yards per week. My dixie chopper has been very dependable so far,but I'm ready to upgrade.

I am so confused right now!

I'm reading about so many cutting problems with the scag tiger cat, and the hustler X-One / X-One I . Those were originally my top choices.

Now I am looking at the Wright ZTO 48 inch deck , Snapper S150XT 48, Gravely Compact Pro 44 .

My head is spinning!!!!!! Help!!!! LOL!!!

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All three of those machines are nice, but for commercial use I would recommend you consider the Gravely 48" Pro-Turn 100XDZ with the Kawasaki. It'll run you more like $7,499(current sale price at my local dealer...regular MSRP is $8,299).

Those are good. But I agree with previous poster about more options for commercial use. You are in the right place for help, advice, and opinions. If you have a dealer, I suggest a strong look at an Exmark. Either pioneer s series or laser series for an upgrade to commercial or semi commercial. Like other post of mine, feel they are long the best for durability, power, cut, etc. for the money compared to others at this level.

Exmark Mobile: Home Page
Exmark Mobile: Home Page

Vanousb said:

Those re good. You are in the right place for help, advice, and opinions. If you have a dealer, I suggest a strong look at an Exmark. Either pioneer s series or laser series for an upgrade to commercial or semi commercial. Like other post of mine, feel they are long the best for durability, power, cut, etc. for the money compared to others at this level.

Exmark Mobile: Home Page
Exmark Mobile: Home Page

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The Exmark Lazer Z X-Series are very popular with lawn maintenance professionals in my area, but are quite pricey. The Lazer E-Series or S-Series may be worth considering if you want full commercial. It still may be difficult to get a Lazer Z for $7,000-$7,500 though:0(

What kind of obstacles do you have to mow around? Any steep hills or ponds? Any low areas that may stay wet? Are the lawns you mow fairly smooth or rough? Which brand offers the best support network for your area? All of the brands you named have their strengths. The snapper pro s150xt offers the high end components for the best price. Simple heavy built rugged mower that covers ground pretty fast. If the lawns are rough you may want to look at ferris. Same mower as snapper pro but with a suspension. Will cost more for the same components though (such as fx series Kawi engines and zt5400 drives). Can get a ferris is700 for a price close to the s150xt. Is700 is offered with commercial zt3400 drives and the fs series engine ( same as offered in the one x). If I were mowing pond banks or steep hills I would prefer the zt5400 drives. Scag has a reputation of cutting wet grass well. Hustler offers flex forks to improve the ride and help the deck stay on uneven ground. Hustler is a little faster than some of the others as well. I bought the snapper pro s150xt. I wanted a mower that was built with the best commercial drive train I could afford and snapper pro offered that for less than 6000. I like exmark, but they were a little out of my price range. The pioneer is thrown out there a lot as a mower to look at, but it doesn't offer the drive train that some of the other brands do. If I am going to spend that kind of money and if I had a lawn care business with lawns I could mow at full speed I would want a mower that was a little quicker. Laser z is a well built machine though. I have no input on the wright. Don't have a dealer near my area.

Shughes717, You made a very interesting point to me. You said that Scag mowers are known to cut really well in wet grass. I live in central florida,and we get a lot of rain in the busy season. If I could confirm for a fact that this is true about scag then this may help me out a whole lot! My local dealer doesn't carry scag,but he does carry snapper pro,hustler,and wright. My closest scag dealer is about a 35 minute one way drive away. My snapper pro dealer is less than 5 minutes away from my house.

wdrdoctor said:

Shughes717, You made a very interesting point to me. You said that Scag mowers are known to cut really well in wet grass. I live in central florida,and we get a lot of rain in the busy season. If I could confirm for a fact that this is true about scag then this may help me out a whole lot! My local dealer doesn't carry scag,but he does carry snapper pro,hustler,and wright. My closest scag dealer is about a 35 minute one way drive away. My snapper pro dealer is less than 5 minutes away from my house.

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You said you are in central Florida, Where? You say you own and operate my own a small lawn business. What type of lawns are you mowing, Sub-Divisions or what? If you live here in central Florida chances are your cutting St. Augustine and Bahia grass and 2/3rds of the time wet grass. With a $7000 budget you can afford the best of two worlds. Check The Toro Grandstand. It's the best wet mower you'll find for this area. You don't have to worry about what drives to get because there not Hydro-gear whatever, the mower is sperate pump and wheel motors that are twice as nice as any hydro gear. They are quicker and more responsive than the hydro's. the mower is more maneuverable than a ZTR. Throw a set of G6 gator blades on it and you have the ultimate mower/ztr and you can flip up the flex ride platform and you also have a wide area walk behind. I use the 36" cut and it's the most productive mower I've ever used and you can't beat the 5 year 1200 hour warranty.

I'll pass on the Stander mowers at this time. Does anyone out there mow st augustine grass with a snapper pro ?
My dealer tells me that the snapper pro is known to cut tall thick bahia grass really well. All of my customers with st augustine grass are super picky about the cut quality.

I have never mowed st. Augustine with my snapper pro, but the lawn at my old house is zoysia. My snapper pro left a great cut on it. My wife loved to walk bare foot in the lawn because it was so soft. Several of my neighbors came to me and asked if they could take some plugs from my lawn so they could sprig theirs. The lawn at my new home is mainly Bermuda and has been neglected for years. Had clover, nutt grass, and crab grass in it in large areas. Got rid of most of the clover. Now I'm working on the other two.

wdrdoctor said:

I'll pass on the Stander mowers at this time. Does anyone out there mow st augustine grass with a snapper pro ?
My dealer tells me that the snapper pro is known to cut tall thick bahia grass really well. All of my customers with st augustine grass are super picky about the cut quality.

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Most people who have St Augustine are picky about there lawns and that's because it takes a lot to maintain St Augustine and everybody who owns property here has St.Augustine Front and both sides with bahia in the back. Most everyone here mows with Toro and Exmark. You can cut Augustine with about any make of mower as long as you have the BTS and a good sharp set of blades.

Shughes717 said:

I have never mowed st. Augustine with my snapper pro, but the lawn at my old house is zoysia. My snapper pro left a great cut on it. My wife loved to walk bare foot in the lawn because it was so soft. Several of my neighbors came to me and asked if they could take some plugs from my lawn so they could sprig theirs. The lawn at my new home is mainly Bermuda and has been neglected for years. Had clover, nutt grass, and crab grass in it in large areas. Got rid of most of the clover. Now I'm working on the other two.

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Everybody that I know that cuts for a living always cuts Bermuda grass with a rotary mower when actually it should be done with a reel mower. Bermuda is good grass for some areas, it's pretty much drought resistant and they use the stuff over on the coast because there's not much shade and it's supposed to be salt tolerant. The big problem with cutting the stuff is it really can eat up a set of blades on a rotary mower because of the height of the cut.

Not very economical for me to mow my lawn with a reel mower. I could not afford one that would be large enough to mow it. 4.2 acres with numerous trees, hills, and obstacles. The only reel mowers I see around here are used on golf courses or ball fields. I wish I could have brought my zoysia lawn with me to my new home. Lol

Shughes717 said:

Not very economical for me to mow my lawn with a reel mower. I could not afford one that would be large enough to mow it. 4.2 acres with numerous trees, hills, and obstacles. The only reel mowers I see around here are used on golf courses or ball fields. I wish I could have brought my zoysia lawn with me to my new home. Lol

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No it's not very economical that's why everybody uses a rotary mower. There just isn't enough Bermuda lawns around to invest in a reel mower. If you have 4.2 acres with numerous trees, hills, and obstacles your best bet would be a ZTR or a Stander of some type.

That's why I have a commercial ztr. Glad I found this site. There seem to be a lot of people on here with a good deal of knowledge. Had I found this site earlier it may not have taken me 6 months of research before I purchased. Probably would have still purchased the same mower but I think it would have helped me make my mind up earlier.

wdrdoctor said:

I currently have a 2013 Dixie Chopper Zee 2 with a 42 inch deck. At the end of this year I want to buy a new mower that's more commercial grade. ( $7,000.00 price range ) I own,and operate my own a small lawn business. I don't mow more than 20 yards per week. My dixie chopper has been very dependable so far,but I'm ready to upgrade. I am so confused right now! I'm reading about so many cutting problems with the scag tiger cat, and the hustler X-One / X-One I . Those were originally my top choices. Now I am looking at the Wright ZTO 48 inch deck , Snapper S150XT 48, Gravely Compact Pro 44 . My head is spinning!!!!!! Help!!!! LOL!!!

Click to expand...

Before you buy give Kubota a try. They are hard to beat.

wdrdoctor said:

I currently have a 2013 Dixie Chopper Zee 2 with a 42 inch deck. At the end of this year I want to buy a new mower that's more commercial grade.
( $7,000.00 price range )

I own,and operate my own a small lawn business. I don't mow more than 20 yards per week. My dixie chopper has been very dependable so far,but I'm ready to upgrade.

I am so confused right now!

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Why are you not considering one of the heavier duty Choppers?

Dixie Chopper decks need design improvements. I will leave it at that.

wdrdoctor said:

Dixie Chopper decks need design improvements. I will leave it at that.

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Have you given any more thought to(or demoed) a Gravely? The Compact Pro or Pro-Turn XDZ series would fit your needs nicely and you'd be in your targeted budget range. What did you like about the Compact Pro 44? I looked at it(because it was a little less money than my 100XDZ) but it seemed........well....too "compact":0) And I think the larger frame width on the Pro-Turn XDZ's felt more sturdy, more stable on a grade and had a smoother ride. Keep us updated on your opinion of the ZTR's you're looking at and what you finally decide on.

I did a live chat with Gravely last week. They could not provide me with a picture of the compact pro 44 deck. I want to see underneath the deck and look at the design,etc. There isn't a picture to be found anywhere online,or by gravely. I did visit my local gravely dealer,and he had a compact pro 44 in stock. I sat on the mower,and it was quite impressive. My dealer really pissed me off a few visits back,so I def. will not be doing business with him.

At this time I'm actually extremely impressed with the Wright ZTO. This mower has a 14.5 gallon fuel tank,and that's a very big deal to me. The design of the aero core deck is visually appealing. I have yet to demo a Wright ZTO. I will be pulling the trigger,and making my mower purchase in November. This gives me time to do all the research I need to do,and hear from many different people here on this forum. According to the specs on the Wright ZTO, the blade tip speed is 19,000!

wdrdoctor said:

I did a live chat with Gravely last week. They could not provide me with a picture of the compact pro 44 deck. I want to see underneath the deck and look at the design,etc. There isn't a picture to be found anywhere online,or by gravely. I did visit my local gravely dealer,and he had a compact pro 44 in stock. I sat on the mower,and it was quite impressive. My dealer really pissed me off a few visits back,so I def. will not be doing business with him.

At this time I'm actually extremely impressed with the Wright ZTO. This mower has a 14.5 gallon fuel tank,and that's a very big deal to me. The design of the aero core deck is visually appealing. I have yet to demo a Wright ZTO. I will be pulling the trigger,and making my mower purchase in November. This gives me time to do all the research I need to do,and hear from many different people here on this forum. According to the specs on the Wright ZTO, the blade tip speed is 19,000!

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I looked at the Wright's, but thought they were a bit out of my price range. They are indeed very impressive machines(especially that Aero Core deck). If you can get a deal on one and can afford it I don't think you would regret it.

You do know about the Wright Seasonal Buying Program that offers a 17% discount if you buy between 10/22/14 and 12/09/14(see link below). Too bad about the Gravely dealer not working harder to get your business. Here' that link to the discount coupon(I tried to pull up the Discount Pricing Chart from their FAQ's but got an error:0(


http://www.wrightmfg.com/download/BUY A MOWER/Seasonal_Buying_Coupon_02_19_14.pdf

Yes, I found out several weeks ago about the seasonal pricing via the wright website. My local Wright dealer is 5 minutes from my house,which is also a plus for me.

Do any of you know of someone who owns a newer wright zto with the aero core deck? In the area where I live I see wright standers all over the place,but not the zto model. If I could at least here from people who own a new wright stander with the aero core deck would be great! I'm interested in knowing how superior the cut quality is,and also know how it does mowing in somewhat wet grass. I assume different deck designs can affect how much buildup occurs under the deck. Mowing in the summer time here in florida isn't the greatest. Here in central florida this is our big rainy season for sure!

I assume with all the newer wright standers I see lawn guys using,that must be a positive sign as to the quality of these mowers.

Will your local wright dealer not let you demo one at your home?

I haven't asked yet. I hate to ask because I am saving money ,and waiting until november to make a purchase.

The best way to choose a mower is by using one. If you wait till November you won't be able to test the mowers. If the dealer wants your business they will let you demo their product. Everyone on here that owns a zero turn are going to push their brand, but in the end it will come down to your personal experience as to which one you choose. I would demo as many as I could. My dad bought a snapper pro s200xt before I bought mine so I mowed with his before I made my purchase.

Yes, I will def. demo the wright zto. I just haven't done so yet.

Shughes717 said:

The best way to choose a mower is by using one. If you wait till November you won't be able to test the mowers. If the dealer wants your business they will let you demo their product. Everyone on here that owns a zero turn are going to push their brand, but in the end it will come down to your personal experience as to which one you choose. I would demo as many as I could. My dad bought a snapper pro s200xt before I bought mine so I mowed with his before I made my purchase.

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User wdrdoctor is doing a wise thing waiting until after 10/22 to get the Wright 17% off-season pricing. Mid-September through Thanksgiving is the very best time to get a deal on any ZTR a dealer has in stock. They get their next year models after Thanksgiving and they want to "get rid" of all the ZTR's they currently have in stock. The Wright deal is even sweeter because most "good deals" that time of year are "on hand inventory" only, but I think you can actually order an out-of-stock Wright through their discount plan and still get the 17% off. I bought my Gravely in Mid-September 2012 and I saved $1,300 off the MSRP plus tax for a new 2013. That was about the same discount(16.5%)as the OP will get and is worth waiting until the end of the season for.

Wasn't suggesting that he buy now. Was suggesting he demo mowers now. He can buy when he is ready. My point is that there will be no grass to mow in November. Test them now buy in November.

I will be demoing a new wright zto in the next week ,or so. I will let you know my opinions.

wdrdoctor said:

I will be demoing a new wright zto in the next week ,or so. I will let you know my opinions.

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Which wright mower will you be demoing?

Wright ZTO .

wdrdoctor said:

Wright ZTO .

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Sorry, missed that in your earlier post,lol. Good luck.

I did a 1 hour demo on a new wright zto yesterday,and I was overall very impressed! This mower had a 52 inch deck,and if I buy one it will be a 48 inch deck.
My local dealer didn't have access to a demo in a 48 inch deck,which wasn't a big deal to me. My local dealer is also a hustler dealer, but the hustler x one in a 48 inch deck is out of my price range.

wdrdoctor said:

I did a 1 hour demo on a new wright zto yesterday,and I was overall very impressed! This mower had a 52 inch deck,and if I buy one it will be a 48 inch deck.
My local dealer didn't have access to a demo in a 48 inch deck,which wasn't a big deal to me. My local dealer is also a hustler dealer, but the hustler x one in a 48 inch deck is out of my price range.

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Sounds like you have found your mower.

Hmmm maybe. It is so frustrating that I can't find any reviews from people on the wright zto.

wdrdoctor said:

Hmmm maybe. It is so frustrating that I can't find any reviews from people on the wright zto.

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I have no experience with wright mowers but the specs look great on them. All of the commercial mowers offer basically the same components. Kawi engines are great. The zt3400 hydros are commercial and is what is on most of the mowers that other brands offer in its class. The deck looks to be sturdy and the blade tip speed is 19000 fpm. As long as the controls and deck height settings are comfortable to you, and the price is right then it should fit your needs.

You also have plenty of time to look around if you still plan on waiting till November. Check out some other brands and compare.