Should I buy Commercial or a Homeowner mower for 4+ Acres

[KennyV]

I have been an electric power proponent for some time...
I would Never consider electric for "5 rolling acres"...
If you can, get a Diesel powered mower. Get the best you can afford, You will not be replacing it for decades If you buy enough mower.

There are good battery powered riders available, Hustler has an exceptional electric ZTR...
Hustler Turf Products - Electric Mowers - ZEON
But no one would recommend it for 5 acres...

There are a Lot of Great internal combustion powered Tractors & Z's that will keep your 5 acres clipped and looking great... Good Used industrial or commercial equipment is worth looking into...
Happy Mowing. :smile:KennyV

 

[reynoldston]

The person that started this thread wants a mower for 6 acres of lake front property. Where I live a person that owns 6 acres of lake front property can well afford a 10,000 dollar + commercial mower. I don't think I could even afford the taxes on a peace of property like that. They should get the best because it will last them forever. Fracture on the other hand was looking for a 5000 dollar mower. I may be wrong but isn't that on the low side for the cost of a commercial mower and I would make a bet you wouldn't touch a new diesel for that or are prices a lot higher where I live?

 

[KennyV]

Your right...
$5k isn't going to find a New diesel worth having ... But if your patient and do not have to find it in a short while, you can find Good Used equipment... That will last & will be worth repairing as the decades roll by...

Using light weight or even mid grade equipment on large jobs that are going to continue year after year... just makes no sense to me.. There are a lot of folks that try to do it but they will spend more over the years replacing... should go for the best they can justify spending to start with... Used or New... :smile:KennyV

 

[Ric]

I see in a earlier post by Ric on this trend a ZTR rider for 5000 dollars. Don't know the brand or size. My advice for that kind of money do your research and check the dealers. I know it is a pain to do but you sure don't want to end up with another mower you don't like. Seeing you have a mower you should be able to take your time looking. Also a good place to look at them is a little later in the summer if they have any farm or home owner shows around by you. Who knows maybe you will put another 5000 dollars with the first 5000 and get a Ferris.

Yes you can spend 4 to 5k on a good commercial or pro performance ZTR and that's the point, why pay more for a mower with all these bells and whistles when all they do is cut grass.
I guess one could say gee I got chrome wheels on my mower, only cost me 2k extra? I've got a scoop over the top of my engine, makes it look fast :thumbsup: and only cost this much extra? and the list goes on and on. :thumbdown: Now do all the extras help your mower mow lawns better, I think not, but you can sure look cool doing it.:laughing: As my Dad would say, ( a fool and his money are soon parted)

Buying a mower is a lot like buying a car, the more crap you add the more it cost and 99% of the stuff never gets used and it all amounts to a fart in a whirlwind. People really should be name and color blind when buying a mower as someone else said.

 

[reynoldston]

Come on Ric I don't see the name or size of this commercial mower for 4000 dollars? No chrome or hood scoops on the commercial mower that I am talking about. They put that type of thing on the cheap mowers so they sell. I am talking about a mower that gets used every day and gets over a 1000 hrs a year. I don't go around and price mower because I don't have a reason to, and last summer a striped down Ferris ran close to the 10,000 dollar mark at a farm show I went to. The only thing this mower was made for was a person making a living mowing and sure not to impress anyone. This was for a three wheel 61 in. hydro drive rider commercial Ferris mower. You are out there pricing mowers and know a lot more then I do on this?? OK where are you getting your prices and for what?? You are not giving any facts but ZTR??

 

[Ric]

Name is what I'm talking about, what's in a name besides price. Lets take the Scag 36" WB vs the Cub Cadet 36" WB, Both commercial, both run the Kawasaki Motors, both run the same Peerless drives, they have the same pulleys, they even have the same gas tanks and you pay anywhere from $800 to $1000 difference in price for the Scag, WHY? NAME.
You can do the same thing or make the same comparison with Ztr's.

Check the Spec's on this mower, it's a Commercial or Pro Performance mower and cost $4199 The Kohler is a commercial grade motor.

ENGINE
Engine Type 22 HP* Kohler Courager V-Twin, 725cc
Engine Fuel Gas
Ignition Transistor controlled
Lubrication/Filter Full pressure w/spin-on oil filter
Cooling System Air
Air Cleaner Replaceable/dual element
Alternator/Battery 12V-15 amp. regulated/275 cca
Wiring Automotive-style
Fuel Capacity/Pod Single 4.25-gallon tank
DRIVE SYSTEM
Transmission Dual Hydro-Gear&trade ZT-2800 w/oil reservoir and filter
Hydraulic Fluid Capacity 5.0 qt. (2.5 qt. per side including filter) including expansion tank
Hydraulic Oil Filter Standard
Braking/Parking Brake Mechanical lever
STEERING
Controls 3-way adjustable lap bars
Lap Bar Dampers Standard
Caster Wheel Pivot Bearings Composite bushing
Front Axle Pivoting, steel
CHASSIS
Frame Fully welded steel 1.5" x 2.0" tubular section
TIRES
Front Tire Size 13" x 5.0" - 6.0" (rib)
Rear Tire Size 20" x 8" - 10" (turf)
DIMENSIONS
Weight (approx.) 722 lbs.
MOWER & DECK DESIGN
Safety Operator presence
Deck Size 48"
Deck Blades Triple
Deck Construction 11-gauge fabricated deck, w/7-gauge reinforced top plate
Deck Style/System Floating
Deck Drive Belt driven, Kevlar
Deck Wash Patented SmartJet high-pressure deck washing system
Deck Lift Foot-pedal, spring assisted
Deck Height Adjustment 1.0" - 4.0" (in .25" increments)
Blade Spindle Construction Cast aluminum with tapered roller bearings
Greasable Spindle Bearings Standard
Blade Length 17"
Blade Brake Clutch Ogura GT-1
Front Anti-Scalping Roller Adjustable nose roller and 2 greasable anti-scalp wheels
Rear Anti-Scalping Rollers/Striper 4 striping
Deck PTO Electronic fingertip engagement
ADDITIONAL SPECIFICATIONS
Monitor/Hour Meter Standard
Seat Type/Arm Rest High-back w/arm rests and gel suspension
Rear Hitch Optional
Front Platform Design Extruded steel

 

[reynoldston]

Without physically going out and looking at them it's something that I can't give any fair answers on. But just looking on the net you can buy a cub and a Ferris both ZT61in cut commercial mowers for around the same price of 7000 dollars. A new three wheel Ferris mower I was talking about goes for 9000 on E-bay. That is less then at the farm show price. I also see the Z model cub for a little over 4000 dollars. Like I said I am not out pricing mower so I am a very poor person to give advice on prices. This pass summer I went with my neighbor who was looking for a new mower and found that from dealer to dealer prices can change for what different dealers will discount for.

 

[Ric]

Without physically going out and looking at them it's something that I can't give any fair answers on. But just looking on the net you can buy a cub and a Ferris both ZT61in cut commercial mowers for around the same price of 7000 dollars. A new three wheel Ferris mower I was talking about goes for 9000 on E-bay. That is less then at the farm show price. I also see the Z model cub for a little over 4000 dollars. Like I said I am not out pricing mower so I am a very poor person to give advice on prices. This pass summer I went with my neighbor who was looking for a new mower and found that from dealer to dealer prices can change for what different dealers will discount for.

The Z force 48 is $4199 and is sold as a pro performance. I just came from the CC shop and I can buy the Tank for $5999 out the door and that's about as commercial as you can get and either one of those Cubs will last you a lifetime.
That's my point, you don't have to spend 10 to 14K to have a good mower. Just stay away from the names, gimmicks like ours runs 18mph or ours has shocks and rides like a caddy and bells and whistles they all come with and get back to the basics of what you're trying to do and that's mow lawns.

 

[reynoldston]

I have a small repair shop that I get a lot of differant brand and type equment to work on. For some reason I work on a lot of John Deeres and Wheel horses because I think a lot of them have been sold aroud my me. I only have one customer with a Cub Cadet. The outfit looks to be built as good as any non-commerical mower. The biggest problim he has with his cub is breaking off the mower deck wheels.

 

[KennyV]

The question of how much mower to buy is likely always going to be around...
The low end mowers have the meaningless extras... those things are aimed at the consumer who will not take the time to find out what the difference is between a lawn mower and a garden tractor is...

A commercial or industrial grade mower will also be vastly different than a consumer residential grade..

The simplest answer to the post question is: buy the Most mower you can afford or justify... You will not be able to buy a machine that is too Good. It is very easy to buy one that is Not good enough.
This all goes back to the question, How long do you expect your mower to last...
There are some out there that will last more than the purchasers lifetime.
I don't mind working on my own equipment. I would rather do any repair than have just anyone at a dealers shop tinker with it... Even during a 'warranty period'... I know how much I want things done right & I have seen how motivated service managers are to do things.
I look for the Best equipment, It is generally going to last longer & be easier to service and repair...

Once you get past engine type & make, Drive system and suspension... the Type and Thickness of steel, Quality of welding and fabrication of components... There will be differences..

A simpler way to look at it...
Do you see having the mower you are buying today still doing what you want in 10 years? 15 or 20 ?
I have a Lawn Tractor that I got in the early 70's... Still able to do everything it did new, it's near 40 years old.
My ZTR is 14 years old now... I know it will still be able to do everything it does today after Another 14 years...
There are a lot of brands to choose from... Many good mowers.. How Long do you Want to keep the one you are going to buy? :smile:KennyV