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Another newbie here, with the same old question- Which mower should I buy? We have several acres of 'farm lawn', which is rough and has green stuff which I periodically mow. There's about 1/2 acre of actual lawn around the house; the rest is not too fancy. I've been mowing it with a 45 y/o Snapper 28, which finally died. Very tedious; I spent more time turning around than actually mowing. The property is hilly, but not steep. The front is probably 10% grade or less. Lots of obstacles and quirky little areas, so I'm looking around 48". Actual mowing area is probably less than an acre, but it's scattered all over. High risk of running over twigs and gravel, due to the dirt driveway. My budget is around $4K, with the 'stretch' being $4500. No financing, cash deal.

Here's what I've been considering- Husqvarna MZ48. ZT-3100 hydros. Fab deck. Seems pretty decent for the money. I can get one for $4K. Cheapest machine with ZT-3100's I've found.

Saw a Cub Cadet 48 L for only $3400. ZT-2800 hydros

BobCat CRZ 48 ZT-2800 hydros

Ferris 400S- ZT-2800 hydros. I like this because of the suspension. I'm in good shape, but 65 years old. As I said, my yard is rather rough.

Kubota Z122E- I have a friend with a Kubota, and it is impressive, but a much more expensive model.

Of course, I've looked at plenty of others. Scag, Bad Boy, Gravely, etc. The ZT-2800 is the minimum hydro I'll consider, due to the serviceability. I'm trying to decide if there's much difference (for me) in going to a better hydro. I figure about 20 hours a season, so it will take me a long time to wear out any of them. The rig will be kept in the garage, and I take good care of my stuff, so it should last. I'm most worried about the effects of the rough ground and hills.

Toro with the My Ride system would be the best for a rough yard.

The Toro HD with My Ride is $5300- out of my price range. The non-HD model uses the EZT hydros, which aren't really serviceable. After further reading, I think the Ferris 400S might be out of contention, too. Apparently, scalping is an issue when going cross slope. My yard is so irregular that avoiding cross slopes would be nearly impossible. I can't imagine ay of them would ride any worse than my old Snapper, a least as long as I keep the speed down.

I had EZT's and changed oil just fine. Sold my mower with lots of hours and zero problems with the drives. I could change the oil in about 45 min of actual work. I would leave them to drain for an hour. Then come back and fill them up then put them back on the mower. Simple easy job.

Cub Cadet just came out with the Ultima series. Check it out on their web site and look at some of the YouTube videos that have just been released. It looks really impressive. You can get the ZT2 50" model for ~$3700 and it has ZT-2800 hydro's and a Kawasaki engine. I'm waiting for one to come in at the local dealership to check it out in person.

MushCreek said:

Here's what I've been considering- Husqvarna MZ48. ZT-3100 hydros. Fab deck. Seems pretty decent for the money. I can get one for $4K. Cheapest machine with ZT-3100's I've found.

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That sounds like a good deal if you can get it for 4K. It's $4500 at Lowes, but you could get it for $450 less if you qualify for a 10% Veteran discount.
If a local dealer with a shop could sell it for $4k, that would be even better.

The price on the Husqvarna is an online dealer- $3750 + $250 shipping, no sales tax. Everyone else is at $4500 on that machine. I looked at a Bobcat CRZ 48 today- pretty beefy machine. I'd like to see that Husky in person to compare. The Bobcat XRZ is identical except for ZT-3100 hydros, bigger rear tires, and a fancier seat- for an additional $1600! I think the CRZ would do just fine. There seems to be a huge price jump in all of the different brands to get into the ZT-3100 hydros, except for the Husky. The Husky has 22" rear tires as well. One thing I like better on the Bobcat is the Kawasaki engine vs. a Kohler on the Husky. Any opinions on the Kohler?

I had a Husqvarna Z4217 for 13 seasons. Sold it last summer to buy a Hustler 54" Fastrak RD. That Husqvarna performed flawlessly for me, just too small and slow after I moved to this place. Used it here for 4.5 seasons. I also have a Cub Cadet with a 24 HP Kohler 7000 series. I have about 65 hours on it, and so far has never failed to start quickly, and no oil usage or any breakdowns. It's not a commercial engine, but neither is the Kawasaki on homeowner models.

John Fitzgerald said:

I had a Husqvarna Z4217 for 13 seasons. Sold it last summer to buy a Hustler 54" Fastrak RD. That Husqvarna performed flawlessly for me, just too small and slow after I moved to this place. Used it here for 4.5 seasons. I also have a Cub Cadet with a 24 HP Kohler 7000 series. I have about 65 hours on it, and so far has never failed to start quickly, and no oil usage or any breakdowns. It's not a commercial engine, but neither is the Kawasaki on homeowner models.

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I had the rz5424 with ezt trans. Purchased it new in 2007. Home owner mowing till 5 years then started using it to mow others yards. It was and still is a wonderful machine. Had the Kohlers engine and with proper maintenance never had a single problem that I did not create. I ran into a pole at full speed and spun me around lime a rag doll. I had to fix a few bent bars and fix the welds on the deck. I loved how it mowed. Lots like the fabed deck but you can not beat a stamped deck for cut quality. Looked like carpet when done. I run 2 machines an Exmark and Toro front deck. Both have a nice mow but nothing like the stamped deck. I had to work on the Kawasaki engine in my Exmark this winter and the build quality is not all that good. Intake manifold, heads, block and carb all had to be decked from manufacturing defects. Plus everything cost almost twice the price. But to each his or her own.

I looked at the Husqvarna M48 this morning. Seems every bit as good as other machines Ive looked at. It has the ZT-3100 hydros and 22" tires like the Bobcat XRZ, for about $1500 less. It has a Kohler engine, which is OK, I guess. The mechanic at the dealership owns one, which should tell you something. Of course, he also has access to parts and labor, too! Still need to get around to look at a few more machines before I pull the trigger.

I know a lot of mechanics and all they really get his free time and a little discount on their parts. That would be the number one reason for me to get it.

MushCreek said:

The price on the Husqvarna is an online dealer- $3750 + $250 shipping, no sales tax. Everyone else is at $4500 on that machine. I looked at a Bobcat CRZ 48 today- pretty beefy machine. I'd like to see that Husky in person to compare. The Bobcat XRZ is identical except for ZT-3100 hydros, bigger rear tires, and a fancier seat- for an additional $1600! I think the CRZ would do just fine. There seems to be a huge price jump in all of the different brands to get into the ZT-3100 hydros, except for the Husky. The Husky has 22" rear tires as well. One thing I like better on the Bobcat is the Kawasaki engine vs. a Kohler on the Husky. Any opinions on the Kohler?

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Bob-Cat makes nice machines and the CRZ is no exception. An issue with the size and weight machine you're looking at is traction and since you steer with your rear wheels, handling. I recommend that you upgrade to a more aggressive tire for your use, possibly a bar tread. I would not recommend the Zero-T tires Bob-Cat equips many if not all of their Z mowers with. I have them on my Bob-Cat and I hate them. They pack with mud and don't clear so it's like running on slicks. I'd also consider upgrading to a suspension seat or getting an after market suspension seat base.

BlazNT said:

I actually use these probiotics and know a lot of mechanics and all they really get his free time and a little discount on their parts. That would be the number one reason for me to get it.

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Does Bob-Cat allow you to choose a different tire when you're ordering a mower? What you described sounds dreadful indeed.

I don't have anywhere where I would pick up mud. If I did, it's red clay around here, and you can even turn ag tires into 'slicks. I've done it with my Ford 3000.

Today I looked at Husqvarna and Kubota side-by-side. I was prepared to like the Kubota more, but I'm leaning toward the Husky. It's beefier and simpler, in a way. The Kubota is flashier, and looks like it's going fast just sitting still. The Kubota has a 22" tire on a 14" rim, whereas the Husky has a 22" tire on a 10" rim. I know from my Miata that low profile tires ride harder, as there's less sidewall to give. The Kubota looks harder to service, too, as the gas tank is right over the hydros. The salesman told me that the hydros are sealed and not serviceable (he's wrong, they're ZT-3100's). I couldn't STAND the salesman, and had to get out of there. So far, the Husqvarna seems like the clear winner over the rigs I've looked at.

The thing is that you don't really need mud for the Zero-T tires to pack with mud; you just need moist conditions and thin turf areas. Here's a photo of them. They "bite" poorly compared to the Turfmaster tires that are common to many Zero-Turn mowers and like I mentioned earlier do not clear well once they do. They do hold well when traversing slopes sideways, but fail in all other areas in my opinion.

I pulled the trigger on the Husqvarna MZ48 today. There seems to be a price increase lurking; I was quoted $300 higher at one dealer on a 2019 vs. a 2018. I went to a local dealer who has a very good reputation, and they had the best price. I was tempted by a couple on-line dealers, but their reputation was awful based on reviews. The dealer is going to deliver it Monday (for free); now I just need to wait impatiently for the grass to start growing!

MushCreek said:

I pulled the trigger on the Husqvarna MZ48 today. There seems to be a price increase lurking; I was quoted $300 higher at one dealer on a 2019 vs. a 2018. I went to a local dealer who has a very good reputation, and they had the best price. I was tempted by a couple on-line dealers, but their reputation was awful based on reviews. The dealer is going to deliver it Monday (for free); now I just need to wait impatiently for the grass to start growing!

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I think you made a great choice.

The new machine was delivered last night. I took it out for a spin this afternoon to get the hang of it. Wow! Fast! It's going to take a while to get the hang of driving it slowly. I found it very easy to maneuver, and it went up my steepest hill easily. It was also fine going across the hill, something ZT's aren't supposed to do? Now I just have to wait for Spring.....

MushCreek said:

The new machine was delivered last night. I took it out for a spin this afternoon to get the hang of it. Wow! Fast! It's going to take a while to get the hang of driving it slowly. I found it very easy to maneuver, and it went up my steepest hill easily. It was also fine going across the hill, something ZT's aren't supposed to do? Now I just have to wait for Spring.....
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Congratulations. Coming down hills is where Z mowers have control issues because most of the weight is on the front wheels which you have no control of. I typically mow across slopes from top to bottom...keeps weight on the rear wheels.