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Which ZTR to Purchase for Residential Use? Suggestions Appreciated
#1
B
bob1953
B
bob1953
Trying to decide on which ZTR to purchase for yard. Have been using a Scotts Lawn Tractor with 42" deck, but is on it's last legs.
It has come down to the Hustler Raptor SD 48 Kawa, Gravely HD ZT 48 Kawa, Snapper Pro S50XT 48 Kawa and Toro Titan ZX4800 Kawa. I was going to go with the Snapper Pro until the dealer reneged on the discount....not proper business etiquette. The Toro was too far away for dealer support. So I was fortunate to find a dealer close by that offered both a 2015 Hustler Rator SD and 2014 Gravely ZT HD. I was focusing on the Raptor SD at $3899 until I was offered a sales price of $4400 for the Gravely ZT HD. All other local dealers where asking $5199 for the same model and were farther away. It looks like I might be going with the Gravely. Should I go for it?
Thanks
It has come down to the Hustler Raptor SD 48 Kawa, Gravely HD ZT 48 Kawa, Snapper Pro S50XT 48 Kawa and Toro Titan ZX4800 Kawa. I was going to go with the Snapper Pro until the dealer reneged on the discount....not proper business etiquette. The Toro was too far away for dealer support. So I was fortunate to find a dealer close by that offered both a 2015 Hustler Rator SD and 2014 Gravely ZT HD. I was focusing on the Raptor SD at $3899 until I was offered a sales price of $4400 for the Gravely ZT HD. All other local dealers where asking $5199 for the same model and were farther away. It looks like I might be going with the Gravely. Should I go for it?
Thanks
#2
S
Shughes717
All are very good mowers. How large is your lawn? The raptor sd and the zt hd offer the same drive train (fr series Kawi zt2800 hydros). Both have well made decks. Nothing wrong with the toro Titan either. It has larger hydros than the raptor or the zt hd (zt3100), and a great cutting deck. Of the mowers you listed the s50xt comes with the best drive train (fx series Kawi and zt3100 hydros), and offers the icd deck (also a great cut). All of those mowers could handle a 2 to 3 acre lawn with ease. You are going to get different opinions from everyone on this site. Try them and go with the one you like best. I can tell you that every mower you listed is a qaulity machine. The quality of the dealership should play into your decision as well.
S
Shughes717
Trying to decide on which ZTR to purchase for yard. Have been using a Scotts Lawn Tractor with 42" deck, but is on it's last legs.
It has come down to the Hustler Raptor SD 48 Kawa, Gravely HD ZT 48 Kawa, Snapper Pro S50XT 48 Kawa and Toro Titan ZX4800 Kawa. I was going to go with the Snapper Pro until the dealer reneged on the discount....not proper business etiquette. The Toro was too far away for dealer support. So I was fortunate to find a dealer close by that offered both a 2015 Hustler Rator SD and 2014 Gravely ZT HD. I was focusing on the Raptor SD at $3899 until I was offered a sales price of $4400 for the Gravely ZT HD. All other local dealers where asking $5199 for the same model and were farther away. It looks like I might be going with the Gravely. Should I go for it?
Thanks
All are very good mowers. How large is your lawn? The raptor sd and the zt hd offer the same drive train (fr series Kawi zt2800 hydros). Both have well made decks. Nothing wrong with the toro Titan either. It has larger hydros than the raptor or the zt hd (zt3100), and a great cutting deck. Of the mowers you listed the s50xt comes with the best drive train (fx series Kawi and zt3100 hydros), and offers the icd deck (also a great cut). All of those mowers could handle a 2 to 3 acre lawn with ease. You are going to get different opinions from everyone on this site. Try them and go with the one you like best. I can tell you that every mower you listed is a qaulity machine. The quality of the dealership should play into your decision as well.
#3
B
bob1953
Thank you for the advice. I'm mowing about 2 acres and lawn is pretty much flat. The Gravely ZT HD actually has the zt3100 hydros with 23hp Kawa FR so I believe it's more comparable to the Toro Titan zt3100 with 21hp Kawa FR. Dealer also has Hustler Fastrak SD with 54" deck and Kawa 23hp FS, but I don't believe I need that much mower.
B
bob1953
All are very good mowers. How large is your lawn? The raptor sd and the zt hd offer the same drive train (fr series Kawi zt2800 hydros). Both have well made decks. Nothing wrong with the toro Titan either. It has larger hydros than the raptor or the zt hd (zt3100), and a great cutting deck. Of the mowers you listed the s50xt comes with the best drive train (fx series Kawi and zt3100 hydros), and offers the icd deck (also a great cut). All of those mowers could handle a 2 to 3 acre lawn with ease. You are going to get different opinions from everyone on this site. Try them and go with the one you like best. I can tell you that every mower you listed is a qaulity machine. The quality of the dealership should play into your decision as well.
Thank you for the advice. I'm mowing about 2 acres and lawn is pretty much flat. The Gravely ZT HD actually has the zt3100 hydros with 23hp Kawa FR so I believe it's more comparable to the Toro Titan zt3100 with 21hp Kawa FR. Dealer also has Hustler Fastrak SD with 54" deck and Kawa 23hp FS, but I don't believe I need that much mower.
#4
S
Shughes717
Thanks for correcting me on the gravely. You are looking in the right line of mowers for your size lawn. Not to make your decision more difficult, but the kubota kommander is a good mower as well. You may want to look at the husqvarna mz. There are a lot of options out there. Just check the local dealers. All of those mowers are in the same ball park as far as quality. You may like the feel of one brand over the others. Im sure you are wanting to purchase a mower that you will be using for years to come. That's why you should try every one available in your area and go with the mower/dealer that impresses you the most.
S
Shughes717
Thank you for the advice. I'm mowing about 2 acres and lawn is pretty much flat. The Gravely ZT HD actually has the zt3100 hydros with 23hp Kawa FR so I believe it's more comparable to the Toro Titan zt3100 with 21hp Kawa FR. Dealer also has Hustler Fastrak SD with 54" deck and Kawa 23hp FS, but I don't believe I need that much mower.
Thanks for correcting me on the gravely. You are looking in the right line of mowers for your size lawn. Not to make your decision more difficult, but the kubota kommander is a good mower as well. You may want to look at the husqvarna mz. There are a lot of options out there. Just check the local dealers. All of those mowers are in the same ball park as far as quality. You may like the feel of one brand over the others. Im sure you are wanting to purchase a mower that you will be using for years to come. That's why you should try every one available in your area and go with the mower/dealer that impresses you the most.
#5
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Fisherman74
F
Fisherman74
I am in the middle of mower shopping myself.
If they offered that gravely hd for 4400, I would go for that quick, if the dealer seems good and there are not any catches. Those seem to be right around 5200 across the board. I like the Gravely, I just have other dealers closer.
I would stay away from that Raptor SD, as I had mentioned on a thread I had started right down from this one. That is just my thought on it.
If they offered that gravely hd for 4400, I would go for that quick, if the dealer seems good and there are not any catches. Those seem to be right around 5200 across the board. I like the Gravely, I just have other dealers closer.
I would stay away from that Raptor SD, as I had mentioned on a thread I had started right down from this one. That is just my thought on it.
#6
S
Shughes717
That is a good price for the zt hd. As I mentioned on your thread, the s50xt can be purchased for less than 5k. If you have a snapper pro/ferris dealer in your area you may want to check them out. I mentioned the husqvarna mzt to you, but forgot to mention the mz. That would also be a great option.
S
Shughes717
I am in the middle of mower shopping myself.
If they offered that gravely hd for 4400, I would go for that quick, if the dealer seems good and there are not any catches. Those seem to be right around 5200 across the board. I like the Gravely, I just have other dealers closer.
I would stay away from that Raptor SD, as I had mentioned on a thread I had started right down from this one. That is just my thought on it.
That is a good price for the zt hd. As I mentioned on your thread, the s50xt can be purchased for less than 5k. If you have a snapper pro/ferris dealer in your area you may want to check them out. I mentioned the husqvarna mzt to you, but forgot to mention the mz. That would also be a great option.
#7
Ric
That's where you and me differ. If it's me I walk out the door with the Raptor SD for $3500 tax included. No way do I spend 4K on a residential mower, that to me is just plain stupid when I go with a full commercial for a little more.
Ric
That is a good price for the zt hd. As I mentioned on your thread, the s50xt can be purchased for less than 5k. If you have a snapper pro/ferris dealer in your area you may want to check them out. I mentioned the husqvarna mzt to you, but forgot to mention the mz. That would also be a great option.
That's where you and me differ. If it's me I walk out the door with the Raptor SD for $3500 tax included. No way do I spend 4K on a residential mower, that to me is just plain stupid when I go with a full commercial for a little more.
#8
S
Shughes717
The s50xt is commercial. The others the op are looking at have some commercial components. The only prt of the zt hd that isn't considered commercial is the fr series engine. The same can be said for the toro titan. I do agree that the raptor sd is probably the best priced mower for the op's needs. But the others offer a step up in drive train.
S
Shughes717
That's where you and me differ. If it's me I walk out the door with the Raptor SD for $3500 tax included. No way do I spend 4K on a residential mower, that to me is just plain stupid when I go with a full commercial for a little more.
The s50xt is commercial. The others the op are looking at have some commercial components. The only prt of the zt hd that isn't considered commercial is the fr series engine. The same can be said for the toro titan. I do agree that the raptor sd is probably the best priced mower for the op's needs. But the others offer a step up in drive train.
#9
Ric
Well it's like I said that's where we differ. The OP said he is mowing about 2 acres and lawn is pretty much flat. The Raptor with the 2800 drives are more than sufficient for his needs so why spend money on larger drives which are really irrelevant for his use. The price tag for the Raptor is under 4K and if he talks a deal he should be able to come away like I said for like $3500 out the door and have a mower that would last him years.
Ric
The s50xt is commercial. The others the op are looking at have some commercial components. The only prt of the zt hd that isn't considered commercial is the fr series engine. The same can be said for the toro titan. I do agree that the raptor sd is probably the best priced mower for the op's needs. But the others offer a step up in drive train.
Well it's like I said that's where we differ. The OP said he is mowing about 2 acres and lawn is pretty much flat. The Raptor with the 2800 drives are more than sufficient for his needs so why spend money on larger drives which are really irrelevant for his use. The price tag for the Raptor is under 4K and if he talks a deal he should be able to come away like I said for like $3500 out the door and have a mower that would last him years.
#10
S
Shughes717
We are not disagreeing. I agree that is the most cost effective option. I also believe that mower would last the op for years. You mentioned that you would get a commercial mower if you were going to spend that much. I was just pointing out that the other mowers do have commercial components.
S
Shughes717
Well it's like I said that's where we differ. The OP said he is mowing about 2 acres and lawn is pretty much flat. The Raptor with the 2800 drives are more than sufficient for his needs so why spend money on larger drives which are really irrelevant for his use. The price tag for the Raptor is under 4K and if he talks a deal he should be able to come away like I said for like $3500 out the door and have a mower that would last him years.
We are not disagreeing. I agree that is the most cost effective option. I also believe that mower would last the op for years. You mentioned that you would get a commercial mower if you were going to spend that much. I was just pointing out that the other mowers do have commercial components.
#11
Ric
Just because they have a commercial component or two doesn't make them a commercial mower. The op can purchase the mower he wants it doesn't make any difference to me. I just don't believe in going over kill and I think a lot of these homeowners get shafted into buying mowers they don't need and spending a lot of money they don't need to spend.
Ric
We are not disagreeing. I agree that is the most cost effective option. I also believe that mower would last the op for years. You mentioned that you would get a commercial mower if you were going to spend that much. I was just pointing out that the other mowers do have commercial components.
Just because they have a commercial component or two doesn't make them a commercial mower. The op can purchase the mower he wants it doesn't make any difference to me. I just don't believe in going over kill and I think a lot of these homeowners get shafted into buying mowers they don't need and spending a lot of money they don't need to spend.
#12
S
Shughes717
Are you wanting me to argue with you today Ric? :laughing: I'm not going to on this one. I agree, that the mowers the op has been looking at is overkill for a 2 acre lawn. The mowers he is looking at are what I call semi commercial, but we have had that arguement in the past. The only parts of the mowers that aren't commercial are the fr series engines. The decks are fabricated commercial. The hydros are light duty commercial, and the frame is commercial. What else is there to a mower to differentiate between commercial and residential? If the op has a budget for a mower of that quality and wants one, then all we can do is give him some options to look at. At least it's a 2 acre lawn and not a 2/3 acre lawn.
S
Shughes717
Just because they have a commercial component or two doesn't make them a commercial mower. The op can purchase the mower he wants it doesn't make any difference to me. I just don't believe in going over kill and I think a lot of these homeowners get shafted into buying mowers they don't need and spending a lot of money they don't need to spend.
Are you wanting me to argue with you today Ric? :laughing: I'm not going to on this one. I agree, that the mowers the op has been looking at is overkill for a 2 acre lawn. The mowers he is looking at are what I call semi commercial, but we have had that arguement in the past. The only parts of the mowers that aren't commercial are the fr series engines. The decks are fabricated commercial. The hydros are light duty commercial, and the frame is commercial. What else is there to a mower to differentiate between commercial and residential? If the op has a budget for a mower of that quality and wants one, then all we can do is give him some options to look at. At least it's a 2 acre lawn and not a 2/3 acre lawn.
#13
D
DK35vince
D
DK35vince
I certainly don't believe any of these mowers are overkill for 2 acres.
I am a home owner mowing 7 acres of lawn with a 35 HP Super Z with a 72" cut and wouldn't want anything less.
My opinion is get the best/heaviest mower you can afford that will last 20 years and be done with it.
I am a home owner mowing 7 acres of lawn with a 35 HP Super Z with a 72" cut and wouldn't want anything less.
My opinion is get the best/heaviest mower you can afford that will last 20 years and be done with it.
#14
S
Shughes717
The super z is one of my two favorite mowers. It's not overkill for 7 acres. When I purchased my s150xt I only had about an acre to mow. It was overkill for the lawn I had. I sold my house and moved closer to where I work. Now I have over 4 acres to mow. Glad I purchased mine when I did. I paid about $5500 for it new in 2012. The same mower now would cost me almost 7k. You can make a residential mower last 15 years or more if you take care of it. I sold my 2002 42" Scott's mower in 2012 to a neighbor and he is still mowing with it.
S
Shughes717
I certainly don't believe any of these mowers are overkill for 2 acres.
I am a home owner mowing 7 acres of lawn with a 35 HP Super Z with a 72" cut and wouldn't want anything less.
My opinion is get the best/heaviest mower you can afford that will last 20 years and be done with it.
The super z is one of my two favorite mowers. It's not overkill for 7 acres. When I purchased my s150xt I only had about an acre to mow. It was overkill for the lawn I had. I sold my house and moved closer to where I work. Now I have over 4 acres to mow. Glad I purchased mine when I did. I paid about $5500 for it new in 2012. The same mower now would cost me almost 7k. You can make a residential mower last 15 years or more if you take care of it. I sold my 2002 42" Scott's mower in 2012 to a neighbor and he is still mowing with it.
#15
B
bob1953
Thank you all for the all the insightful and helpful advice. I've decided to go with the Gravely ZT HD since it is not that much more in price and has a seat that is adjustable. On the Raptor SD you have to deal with loosening 4 bolts which is quite primitive and inconvenient for a $4000 zero turn. This is a deal breaker on the Raptor since my wife will also be using the ZTR.
B
bob1953
Just because they have a commercial component or two doesn't make them a commercial mower. The op can purchase the mower he wants it doesn't make any difference to me. I just don't believe in going over kill and I think a lot of these homeowners get shafted into buying mowers they don't need and spending a lot of money they don't need to spend.
Thank you all for the all the insightful and helpful advice. I've decided to go with the Gravely ZT HD since it is not that much more in price and has a seat that is adjustable. On the Raptor SD you have to deal with loosening 4 bolts which is quite primitive and inconvenient for a $4000 zero turn. This is a deal breaker on the Raptor since my wife will also be using the ZTR.
#16
Z
zmister11
That's a nice mower. Congrats!
Z
zmister11
Thank you all for the all the insightful and helpful advice. I've decided to go with the Gravely ZT HD since it is not that much more in price and has a seat that is adjustable. On the Raptor SD you have to deal with loosening 4 bolts which is quite primitive and inconvenient for a $4000 zero turn. This is a deal breaker on the Raptor since my wife will also be using the ZTR.
That's a nice mower. Congrats!
#17
B
bob1953
Thank you! Temps finally expected to be in 60s tomorrow. Can't wait till the grass starts growing.
Happy mowing!!!!
B
bob1953
That's a nice mower. Congrats!
Thank you! Temps finally expected to be in 60s tomorrow. Can't wait till the grass starts growing.
Happy mowing!!!!
#18
Z
zmister11
No problem, you should take some pics when you get it out.
Z
zmister11
Thank you! Temps finally expected to be in 60s tomorrow. Can't wait till the grass starts growing.
Happy mowing!!!!
No problem, you should take some pics when you get it out.
#19
S
Shughes717
The zt hd is a good choice. It's built well enough to last you 20 years easily, as long as you take care of it.
S
Shughes717
Thank you all for the all the insightful and helpful advice. I've decided to go with the Gravely ZT HD since it is not that much more in price and has a seat that is adjustable. On the Raptor SD you have to deal with loosening 4 bolts which is quite primitive and inconvenient for a $4000 zero turn. This is a deal breaker on the Raptor since my wife will also be using the ZTR.
The zt hd is a good choice. It's built well enough to last you 20 years easily, as long as you take care of it.
#20
B
bertsmobile1
Except commercial mowers are designed to be used by professionals so require proper maintenance
Domestics are designed to be as maintanance free as possible because Joe Public has a problem working out which end of a screwdriver you open your beer with.
I have no phiosiphocal problems with domestic users running commercials till they bring them in with graunching spindles, broken blades & lop sided decks whinging because they bought the beast & it fell apart in the same time their last one did ( obviously for the same reason ).
Then we get the "mine is bigger than yours" problem so I have customers with a 52" ZTR + a 24" SP + a 18" PM + a weed wacker and complain it takes them too long when I can do the entire yard with a 30" tractor in 1/2 the time
B
bertsmobile1
I certainly don't believe any of these mowers are overkill for 2 acres.
I am a home owner mowing 7 acres of lawn with a 35 HP Super Z with a 72" cut and wouldn't want anything less.
My opinion is get the best/heaviest mower you can afford that will last 20 years and be done with it.
Except commercial mowers are designed to be used by professionals so require proper maintenance
Domestics are designed to be as maintanance free as possible because Joe Public has a problem working out which end of a screwdriver you open your beer with.
I have no phiosiphocal problems with domestic users running commercials till they bring them in with graunching spindles, broken blades & lop sided decks whinging because they bought the beast & it fell apart in the same time their last one did ( obviously for the same reason ).
Then we get the "mine is bigger than yours" problem so I have customers with a 52" ZTR + a 24" SP + a 18" PM + a weed wacker and complain it takes them too long when I can do the entire yard with a 30" tractor in 1/2 the time
#21
B
bertsmobile1
I still use 3 Rovers 1 x 1966, 2 x 1968.
Got a 1961 & 1976 Victa push and a 1972 & 1988 24" slasher
My loan mowers are all 30+ years old & still going strong.
These are all domestic mowers
All running original engines, just get regular maintenance and in particular regular blade changes.
B
bertsmobile1
The super z is one of my two favorite mowers. It's not overkill for 7 acres. When I purchased my s150xt I only had about an acre to mow. It was overkill for the lawn I had. I sold my house and moved closer to where I work. Now I have over 4 acres to mow. Glad I purchased mine when I did. I paid about $5500 for it new in 2012. The same mower now would cost me almost 7k. You can make a residential mower last 15 years or more if you take care of it. I sold my 2002 42" Scott's mower in 2012 to a neighbor and he is still mowing with it.
I still use 3 Rovers 1 x 1966, 2 x 1968.
Got a 1961 & 1976 Victa push and a 1972 & 1988 24" slasher
My loan mowers are all 30+ years old & still going strong.
These are all domestic mowers
All running original engines, just get regular maintenance and in particular regular blade changes.
#22
S
Shughes717
Residential Push mowers will generally last longer than residential riding mowers, because they don't have a transmission. I am aware that some are self propelled, but that's not the same thing. The deck doesn't take the punishment that a riding mower does either. Mowers in the 60s and 70s were built heavier than mowers built now a days. Just replace or repair the engine when needed and you stil have a good mower. I have never seen any of the mowers you mentioned. They must be brands mainly found in Australia.
S
Shughes717
I still use 3 Rovers 1 x 1966, 2 x 1968.
Got a 1961 & 1976 Victa push and a 1972 & 1988 24" slasher
My loan mowers are all 30+ years old & still going strong.
These are all domestic mowers
All running original engines, just get regular maintenance and in particular regular blade changes.
Residential Push mowers will generally last longer than residential riding mowers, because they don't have a transmission. I am aware that some are self propelled, but that's not the same thing. The deck doesn't take the punishment that a riding mower does either. Mowers in the 60s and 70s were built heavier than mowers built now a days. Just replace or repair the engine when needed and you stil have a good mower. I have never seen any of the mowers you mentioned. They must be brands mainly found in Australia.
#23
B
bertsmobile1
B
bertsmobile1
Rovers are all tractors B & S flat head engines Peerless 3,4 & 5 speed boxes solid axels no diff.
They are all over 40 years old.
Victa's are all push
We sold Victa Vortex's to the USA for 1 season then they got legislated out of the market.
Power torque ( 2 stroke ) engines are good for 30 -50 years between rebores.
I sell 30 year old ones and give 2 or 3 years warrantee
They are all over 40 years old.
Victa's are all push
We sold Victa Vortex's to the USA for 1 season then they got legislated out of the market.
Power torque ( 2 stroke ) engines are good for 30 -50 years between rebores.
I sell 30 year old ones and give 2 or 3 years warrantee
#24
1
1striper1
With all due respect to the number of posts you have, this comment is a big bunch of BS! Typical "highbrow" "I know more than you because I'm a LCO/LCP". But we both live in free countries so we can opine what we think.
1
1striper1
Except commercial mowers are designed to be used by professionals so require proper maintenance
Domestics are designed to be as maintanance free as possible because Joe Public has a problem working out which end of a screwdriver you open your beer with.
With all due respect to the number of posts you have, this comment is a big bunch of BS! Typical "highbrow" "I know more than you because I'm a LCO/LCP". But we both live in free countries so we can opine what we think.
#25
D
DK35vince
Complete BS.
D
DK35vince
I couldn't agree more.With all due respect to the number of posts you have, this comment is a big bunch of BS! Typical "highbrow" "I know more than you because I'm a LCO/LCP".
Complete BS.
#26
D
DK35vince
Its a lawn mower. Not a space shuttle.
I'm not a professional lawn care provider and I could tear my Super Z completely apart and put it back together .
D
DK35vince
Oh please.Except commercial mowers are designed to be used by professionals so require proper maintenance
Domestics are designed to be as maintanance free as possible because Joe Public has a problem working out which end of a screwdriver you open your beer with.
Its a lawn mower. Not a space shuttle.
I'm not a professional lawn care provider and I could tear my Super Z completely apart and put it back together .
#27
B
bertsmobile1
How many grease nipples on your domestic mower ?
Most have 4 all on the front wheels
How many grease nipples on a commercial ?
Most are around the 10 mark
Deck on a Time cutter non greasable spindles
Same deck on the Z Master, nipples on the spindles and on the tension arm pivot
Why the difference ?
Because most owners of time cutters are domestic and like the B & S No oil change motors are not interested in any way shape or form in maintaining their mower it is just a thing to cut the grass.
Where as most owners of Z masters will usually slip a shot of grease in at least weekly if not daily, sharpen blades & carry out other items of routine maintenance like checking the oil.
Was not meant to be aloof, just an observation with an attempt at a humourious delevery which obviously did the lead balloon bit.
B
bertsmobile1
With all due respect to the number of posts you have, this comment is a big bunch of BS! Typical "highbrow" "I know more than you because I'm a LCO/LCP". But we both live in free countries so we can opine what we think.
How many grease nipples on your domestic mower ?
Most have 4 all on the front wheels
How many grease nipples on a commercial ?
Most are around the 10 mark
Deck on a Time cutter non greasable spindles
Same deck on the Z Master, nipples on the spindles and on the tension arm pivot
Why the difference ?
Because most owners of time cutters are domestic and like the B & S No oil change motors are not interested in any way shape or form in maintaining their mower it is just a thing to cut the grass.
Where as most owners of Z masters will usually slip a shot of grease in at least weekly if not daily, sharpen blades & carry out other items of routine maintenance like checking the oil.
Was not meant to be aloof, just an observation with an attempt at a humourious delevery which obviously did the lead balloon bit.
#28
D
DK35vince
I wasn't aware lawn care providers went through specialized mechanical training to mow the grass
D
DK35vince
So only a lawn care provider knows how to run a grease gun ????How many grease nipples on your domestic mower ?
Most have 4 all on the front wheels
How many grease nipples on a commercial ?
Most are around the 10 mark
Deck on a Time cutter non greasable spindles
Same deck on the Z Master, nipples on the spindles and on the tension arm pivot
Why the difference ?
Because most owners of time cutters are domestic and like the B & S No oil change motors are not interested in any way shape or form in maintaining their mower it is just a thing to cut the grass.
Where as most owners of Z masters will usually slip a shot of grease in at least weekly if not daily, sharpen blades & carry out other items of routine maintenance like checking the oil.
Was not meant to be aloof, just an observation with an attempt at a humourious delevery which obviously did the lead balloon bit.
I wasn't aware lawn care providers went through specialized mechanical training to mow the grass
#29
Ric
Well I don't know who knows more or if letters before or after ones name makes a difference or not but the problem as I see with his statement that commercial mowers are being designed to be used by professionals so require proper maintenance I find a little off because I see more commercial mowers being used by the homeowner than ever before and commercial mowers are leaning more towards less maintenance than ever before with sealed bearings every where on the mowers where grease fitting used to be
I think my Z-Master has a total of one grease fitting and it's on the idler and has to be greased every 50 hrs.
Ric
Except commercial mowers are designed to be used by professionals so require proper maintenance
Domestics are designed to be as maintenance free as possible because Joe Public has a problem working out which end of a screwdriver you open your beer with.
With all due respect to the number of posts you have, this comment is a big bunch of BS! Typical "highbrow" "I know more than you because I'm a LCO/LCP". But we both live in free countries so we can opine what we think.
Well I don't know who knows more or if letters before or after ones name makes a difference or not but the problem as I see with his statement that commercial mowers are being designed to be used by professionals so require proper maintenance I find a little off because I see more commercial mowers being used by the homeowner than ever before and commercial mowers are leaning more towards less maintenance than ever before with sealed bearings every where on the mowers where grease fitting used to be
I think my Z-Master has a total of one grease fitting and it's on the idler and has to be greased every 50 hrs.
#30
S
Shughes717
I am not a lawn care professional, or a mechanic, but I have a large lawn and a commercial mower. I grease the casters and bearings on schedule, sharpen the blades every 4 to 5 times I mow, and change the oil every 50 hours. I am what you would consider a "domestic" owner. I can tell you that I know what a screw driver is used for, and it's not for opening beverages. I have never seen an engine that didn't require an oil change. That may be how things are done on the other side of the big pond, but around here people generally maintain their equipment. Those who don't, have to purchase another mower every 3 or 4 years.
A commercial mower is built heavier than a "domestic" mower because commercial mowers mow 30 hours a week or more, where as the domestic mower may be used 2 hours a week. There are a couple of reasons domestic mowers have fewer grease zerks. Ease of maintenance for owners who don't know how to service the mower is one reason. The other is that the bearings and parts used for a domestic mowers are lower quality so as to keep cost down and make the mower more attractive to the consumer. Consumers who look at price first want to spend as little as possible and don't think about the quality of the machine. That's why companies like husqvarna and John Deere make such low quality mowers (they have some great high end mowers). Implying that most people who purchase a mower for residential use doesn't know how to service a mower or even use a screw driver isn't going to go over well in this site because there are a lot of members on here that have high quality mowers for domestic use, and do their own maintenance.
S
Shughes717
How many grease nipples on your domestic mower ?
Most have 4 all on the front wheels
How many grease nipples on a commercial ?
Most are around the 10 mark
Deck on a Time cutter non greasable spindles
Same deck on the Z Master, nipples on the spindles and on the tension arm pivot
Why the difference ?
Because most owners of time cutters are domestic and like the B & S No oil change motors are not interested in any way shape or form in maintaining their mower it is just a thing to cut the grass.
Where as most owners of Z masters will usually slip a shot of grease in at least weekly if not daily, sharpen blades & carry out other items of routine maintenance like checking the oil.
Was not meant to be aloof, just an observation with an attempt at a humourious delevery which obviously did the lead balloon bit.
I am not a lawn care professional, or a mechanic, but I have a large lawn and a commercial mower. I grease the casters and bearings on schedule, sharpen the blades every 4 to 5 times I mow, and change the oil every 50 hours. I am what you would consider a "domestic" owner. I can tell you that I know what a screw driver is used for, and it's not for opening beverages. I have never seen an engine that didn't require an oil change. That may be how things are done on the other side of the big pond, but around here people generally maintain their equipment. Those who don't, have to purchase another mower every 3 or 4 years.
A commercial mower is built heavier than a "domestic" mower because commercial mowers mow 30 hours a week or more, where as the domestic mower may be used 2 hours a week. There are a couple of reasons domestic mowers have fewer grease zerks. Ease of maintenance for owners who don't know how to service the mower is one reason. The other is that the bearings and parts used for a domestic mowers are lower quality so as to keep cost down and make the mower more attractive to the consumer. Consumers who look at price first want to spend as little as possible and don't think about the quality of the machine. That's why companies like husqvarna and John Deere make such low quality mowers (they have some great high end mowers). Implying that most people who purchase a mower for residential use doesn't know how to service a mower or even use a screw driver isn't going to go over well in this site because there are a lot of members on here that have high quality mowers for domestic use, and do their own maintenance.
#31
B
bertsmobile1
B
bertsmobile1
Just serviced a 2014 Z master 3000.
Could be we get a slightly different version down here
Grease nipples on all 3 spindles and on tensioner arm.
Grease ports ( you have to fit your own nipples ) on the caster shafts.
Grease nipples on the caster wheels
Grease nipples on the 4 deck hangers
grease nipple on the drive tensioner arm
And not sure but I think there was nipples on the deck stays as well.
Did a Craftsman 42" residential ZTR last week
2 only grease points on the caster pivots
Sold 5 used engines this year to domestic customers who blew their engines because they did not check the oil and threw a rod.
Did one commercial repower this year because the mower was using too much oil. The owner had actually been keeping records and it ws at a lever where it could run out of oil in a week if the workers failed to do their DAILY CHECKS.
So no I am not calling you stupid and no you don't need tertiary qualifications to mow lawns or look after a mower.
But all of my commercial customers except 1 regularly maintain their mowers between my servicings.
Most of my domestic customers never so much as clean down their mowers let alone actually do any maintenance.
Some will but most don't.
Ask any repairer and you will get the same stories like getting a call out because the mower is cutting funny to find there is 2lb in one tyre.
Or the accumulated grass clipping have rotted through the deck so much the spindles are dragged inwards by the belt tension.
Or "my mower won't start" to find no oil so the oil switch earths out the coil.
Or no fuel in tank, or fuel tap turned off.
There is a YTH2648 in the shop at the moment for a service because it "won't drive"
The domestic owner, who runs a national supply chain so is not illiterate, never bothered to read the manual and has been mulching with cut height 1/2".
This causes a debris build up under the mower till it stops the brake pedal fully sitting on the dissengage stop so the clutch slips or in a previous case the brake did not disengage.
Both of these men are very intelligent, but they just don't give a toss about their mowers just so long as it cuts the grass and a YTH 2648 costs around $ 7,000 down here so they wern't cheap either.
Funny enough this sort of information gets back to the mower companies, who would have thought, a dealer's mechanic actually talking to a rep or an instructor at a service seminar.
So more & more the domestic mowers are going "maintenance free".
OTOH the lawn care operator needs his machine to be working because if it isn't working, he can't go & borrow his neighbours mower while his in in the shop.
Most lawncare operators go to the effort of reading the owners manual , cover to cover and make sure their equipment is maintained at least to the minimum level stipulated.
Some of them even buy the technical serice manuals because the machine is their livelihood, no mower = no money.
Could be we get a slightly different version down here
Grease nipples on all 3 spindles and on tensioner arm.
Grease ports ( you have to fit your own nipples ) on the caster shafts.
Grease nipples on the caster wheels
Grease nipples on the 4 deck hangers
grease nipple on the drive tensioner arm
And not sure but I think there was nipples on the deck stays as well.
Did a Craftsman 42" residential ZTR last week
2 only grease points on the caster pivots
Sold 5 used engines this year to domestic customers who blew their engines because they did not check the oil and threw a rod.
Did one commercial repower this year because the mower was using too much oil. The owner had actually been keeping records and it ws at a lever where it could run out of oil in a week if the workers failed to do their DAILY CHECKS.
So no I am not calling you stupid and no you don't need tertiary qualifications to mow lawns or look after a mower.
But all of my commercial customers except 1 regularly maintain their mowers between my servicings.
Most of my domestic customers never so much as clean down their mowers let alone actually do any maintenance.
Some will but most don't.
Ask any repairer and you will get the same stories like getting a call out because the mower is cutting funny to find there is 2lb in one tyre.
Or the accumulated grass clipping have rotted through the deck so much the spindles are dragged inwards by the belt tension.
Or "my mower won't start" to find no oil so the oil switch earths out the coil.
Or no fuel in tank, or fuel tap turned off.
There is a YTH2648 in the shop at the moment for a service because it "won't drive"
The domestic owner, who runs a national supply chain so is not illiterate, never bothered to read the manual and has been mulching with cut height 1/2".
This causes a debris build up under the mower till it stops the brake pedal fully sitting on the dissengage stop so the clutch slips or in a previous case the brake did not disengage.
Both of these men are very intelligent, but they just don't give a toss about their mowers just so long as it cuts the grass and a YTH 2648 costs around $ 7,000 down here so they wern't cheap either.
Funny enough this sort of information gets back to the mower companies, who would have thought, a dealer's mechanic actually talking to a rep or an instructor at a service seminar.
So more & more the domestic mowers are going "maintenance free".
OTOH the lawn care operator needs his machine to be working because if it isn't working, he can't go & borrow his neighbours mower while his in in the shop.
Most lawncare operators go to the effort of reading the owners manual , cover to cover and make sure their equipment is maintained at least to the minimum level stipulated.
Some of them even buy the technical serice manuals because the machine is their livelihood, no mower = no money.
#32
S
Shughes717
Culture is different in every country, and the use of the English language differs a little bit as well. It doesn't appear as though you intended to offend anyone, but your comments did come out a little offensive. You seem to have some knowledge about mowers, except for repeating the lie dixie chopper spreads about being the worlds fastest mower. If you truly service commercial mowers you would know that all of them have similar drive trains, and there are many brands that have mowers that can reach speeds of 16 mph. There are some consumers who never maintain their equipment, but I can tell you that most on this site care enough about their lawns and equipment to take proper care of their mowers. I don't think anyone would take the time to go on line and research before making a purchase is going to ignore required maintenance.
S
Shughes717
Just serviced a 2014 Z master 3000.
Could be we get a slightly different version down here
Grease nipples on all 3 spindles and on tensioner arm.
Grease ports ( you have to fit your own nipples ) on the caster shafts.
Grease nipples on the caster wheels
Grease nipples on the 4 deck hangers
grease nipple on the drive tensioner arm
And not sure but I think there was nipples on the deck stays as well.
Did a Craftsman 42" residential ZTR last week
2 only grease points on the caster pivots
Sold 5 used engines this year to domestic customers who blew their engines because they did not check the oil and threw a rod.
Did one commercial repower this year because the mower was using too much oil. The owner had actually been keeping records and it ws at a lever where it could run out of oil in a week if the workers failed to do their DAILY CHECKS.
So no I am not calling you stupid and no you don't need tertiary qualifications to mow lawns or look after a mower.
But all of my commercial customers except 1 regularly maintain their mowers between my servicings.
Most of my domestic customers never so much as clean down their mowers let alone actually do any maintenance.
Some will but most don't.
Ask any repairer and you will get the same stories like getting a call out because the mower is cutting funny to find there is 2lb in one tyre.
Or the accumulated grass clipping have rotted through the deck so much the spindles are dragged inwards by the belt tension.
Or "my mower won't start" to find no oil so the oil switch earths out the coil.
Or no fuel in tank, or fuel tap turned off.
There is a YTH2648 in the shop at the moment for a service because it "won't drive"
The domestic owner, who runs a national supply chain so is not illiterate, never bothered to read the manual and has been mulching with cut height 1/2".
This causes a debris build up under the mower till it stops the brake pedal fully sitting on the dissengage stop so the clutch slips or in a previous case the brake did not disengage.
Both of these men are very intelligent, but they just don't give a toss about their mowers just so long as it cuts the grass and a YTH 2648 costs around $ 7,000 down here so they wern't cheap either.
Funny enough this sort of information gets back to the mower companies, who would have thought, a dealer's mechanic actually talking to a rep or an instructor at a service seminar.
So more & more the domestic mowers are going "maintenance free".
OTOH the lawn care operator needs his machine to be working because if it isn't working, he can't go & borrow his neighbours mower while his in in the shop.
Most lawncare operators go to the effort of reading the owners manual , cover to cover and make sure their equipment is maintained at least to the minimum level stipulated.
Some of them even buy the technical serice manuals because the machine is their livelihood, no mower = no money.
Culture is different in every country, and the use of the English language differs a little bit as well. It doesn't appear as though you intended to offend anyone, but your comments did come out a little offensive. You seem to have some knowledge about mowers, except for repeating the lie dixie chopper spreads about being the worlds fastest mower. If you truly service commercial mowers you would know that all of them have similar drive trains, and there are many brands that have mowers that can reach speeds of 16 mph. There are some consumers who never maintain their equipment, but I can tell you that most on this site care enough about their lawns and equipment to take proper care of their mowers. I don't think anyone would take the time to go on line and research before making a purchase is going to ignore required maintenance.
#33
B
bertsmobile1
I can never see any value in trying to offend any one or any benefit in taking offence from some one.
I like every one else here am here to learn.
The business is headding into the 3rd year of my ownership so I am still to see the full client list It has been a very steep learing curve.
A lot of the machines mentioned in these pages I do not see.
Untill a few year ago JD had the commercial end in it's pocket but Toro had done a Honda on them and taken a large lump of the big end.
I have a lot ( around 70 ish) of commercial customers on the books, mainly because I give them the respect they deserve and drop what I am doing to get them back on the road where as the Glass Fronts make them wait.
Just like winning at Datona bumps up vehicle sales, Joe public sees a lot of professional riding on Toro's so the thing Toro's must be bees knees and go buy one regardless of weather it is suitable for their yard or not.
Honda did a similar trick a decade ago to take the SP market.
But I do look at things objectively and I would estimate about 10% of domestic customers do any maintenance on their mowers and about 3 to 4 % of those actually do it correctly.
Because I value my customers and do not run the busines on the "infinite market size" theory when I see a mower with a customer neglect problem , I make efforts to rectify the customers behaviour.
It became blatiently obvious very few never glanced at the instructions let alone read them and of those who did, fewer still understood what they read.
To most of my domestic customers, their mower is mearly a means to an end, many of these customes had to be shown how to tap out an air cleaner . They do not care about the actual mower, they just want to sit back and admire the expanse of green carpet up to the front door. The rest seem to see their mower as a status symbol, pop on their best silk check shirt and go mowing the verge admiring their reflection in the windows of parked cars.
Again I have no problem with this, whatever floats your boat is fine just so long as it does not torpedo some one else's.
Bob, the OP seems to have his head screwed on the right way, got his information and then the thread got taken over by others.
There were some aspects that I dissagreed with so I made my point mainly for the benefit of those who might read the thread latter .
Some others chose to disagree with what I said and a some what robust discussion followed which is exactly as it should be.
All of us are right in our own minds, till some one convinces us otherwise , hopefully with some proof.
I enjoyed Ric's video post proving that I had allowed marketers hype to distort my limited evaluations of larger ride ons.
all very worth while.
When it's all said & done, we are just electronic presences in cyber space and no one knows who we actually are or what our real qualifications / experiences are.
I could be a bored 5 year old with advanced computer skills or a bigoted cranky old woman with 3Phd's I can't use, it is up to the reader to evaluste the valadity or otherwise of my posts.
B
bertsmobile1
Culture is different in every country, and the use of the English language differs a little bit as well. It doesn't appear as though you intended to offend anyone, but your comments did come out a little offensive. You seem to have some knowledge about mowers, except for repeating the lie dixie chopper spreads about being the worlds fastest mower. If you truly service commercial mowers you would know that all of them have similar drive trains, and there are many brands that have mowers that can reach speeds of 16 mph. There are some consumers who never maintain their equipment, but I can tell you that most on this site care enough about their lawns and equipment to take proper care of their mowers. I don't think anyone would take the time to go on line and research before making a purchase is going to ignore required maintenance.
I can never see any value in trying to offend any one or any benefit in taking offence from some one.
I like every one else here am here to learn.
The business is headding into the 3rd year of my ownership so I am still to see the full client list It has been a very steep learing curve.
A lot of the machines mentioned in these pages I do not see.
Untill a few year ago JD had the commercial end in it's pocket but Toro had done a Honda on them and taken a large lump of the big end.
I have a lot ( around 70 ish) of commercial customers on the books, mainly because I give them the respect they deserve and drop what I am doing to get them back on the road where as the Glass Fronts make them wait.
Just like winning at Datona bumps up vehicle sales, Joe public sees a lot of professional riding on Toro's so the thing Toro's must be bees knees and go buy one regardless of weather it is suitable for their yard or not.
Honda did a similar trick a decade ago to take the SP market.
But I do look at things objectively and I would estimate about 10% of domestic customers do any maintenance on their mowers and about 3 to 4 % of those actually do it correctly.
Because I value my customers and do not run the busines on the "infinite market size" theory when I see a mower with a customer neglect problem , I make efforts to rectify the customers behaviour.
It became blatiently obvious very few never glanced at the instructions let alone read them and of those who did, fewer still understood what they read.
To most of my domestic customers, their mower is mearly a means to an end, many of these customes had to be shown how to tap out an air cleaner . They do not care about the actual mower, they just want to sit back and admire the expanse of green carpet up to the front door. The rest seem to see their mower as a status symbol, pop on their best silk check shirt and go mowing the verge admiring their reflection in the windows of parked cars.
Again I have no problem with this, whatever floats your boat is fine just so long as it does not torpedo some one else's.
Bob, the OP seems to have his head screwed on the right way, got his information and then the thread got taken over by others.
There were some aspects that I dissagreed with so I made my point mainly for the benefit of those who might read the thread latter .
Some others chose to disagree with what I said and a some what robust discussion followed which is exactly as it should be.
All of us are right in our own minds, till some one convinces us otherwise , hopefully with some proof.
I enjoyed Ric's video post proving that I had allowed marketers hype to distort my limited evaluations of larger ride ons.
all very worth while.
When it's all said & done, we are just electronic presences in cyber space and no one knows who we actually are or what our real qualifications / experiences are.
I could be a bored 5 year old with advanced computer skills or a bigoted cranky old woman with 3Phd's I can't use, it is up to the reader to evaluste the valadity or otherwise of my posts.
#34
1
1striper1
If you are referring to my name.....I had to find something with the name "striper" (which I like to leave behind) and many of the combinations of "striper" are taken.
I don't have the time nor desire to sit and type all my knowledge to amaze people (few would be amazed LOL!!) but how many homeowners buy Craftsman, MTD or similar mowers only to have them break after "low single digit" years of use then throw them away because they are too expensive to fix.
If you are a homeowner (me) buy a product built for commercial use with high grade components and HD construction and it will likely last you 15 years or more. Even if you grease it and change the engine and hydro oil 1X per year.
1
1striper1
Well I don't know who knows more or if letters before or after ones name makes a difference or not but the problem as I see with his statement that commercial mowers are being designed to be used by professionals so require proper maintenance I find a little off because I see more commercial mowers being used by the homeowner than ever before and commercial mowers are leaning more towards less maintenance than ever before with sealed bearings every where on the mowers where grease fitting used to be View attachment 25701 I think my Z-Master has a total of one grease fitting and it's on the idler and has to be greased every 50 hrs.
If you are referring to my name.....I had to find something with the name "striper" (which I like to leave behind) and many of the combinations of "striper" are taken.
I don't have the time nor desire to sit and type all my knowledge to amaze people (few would be amazed LOL!!) but how many homeowners buy Craftsman, MTD or similar mowers only to have them break after "low single digit" years of use then throw them away because they are too expensive to fix.
If you are a homeowner (me) buy a product built for commercial use with high grade components and HD construction and it will likely last you 15 years or more. Even if you grease it and change the engine and hydro oil 1X per year.
#35
Ric
No No I wasn't referring to your name. It's just something about certain people that has always bugged me and it's really not worth getting into. It would just start a
Ric
If you are referring to my name.....I had to find something with the name "striper" (which I like to leave behind) and many of the combinations of "striper" are taken.
I don't have the time nor desire to sit and type all my knowledge to amaze people (few would be amazed LOL!!) but how many homeowners buy Craftsman, MTD or similar mowers only to have them break after "low single digit" years of use then throw them away because they are too expensive to fix.
If you are a homeowner (me) buy a product built for commercial use with high grade components and HD construction and it will likely last you 15 years or more. Even if you grease it and change the engine and hydro oil 1X per year.
No No I wasn't referring to your name. It's just something about certain people that has always bugged me and it's really not worth getting into. It would just start a