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Moving to a 3.5ish acre property, mostly open and flat, few obstacles. Looking for advice for good zero turn mower that is fast, stripes well and can deal with leaves in fall. Looking to spend under 10k if possible. Thanks for the advice!

A 60” deck.
A minimum transaxle: Hydro-Gear ZT3100
Look at entry level commercial units

Simplicity Courier XT.........stripes well.........fairly fast..........3100 trans pumps.......large tires...........shock absorbers............Clone of Ferris commercial unit. Worth a look?!

I'm not knocking Simplicity but I would say do a lot of research about what engine is available to you on the machine no matter what Brand you purchase, it's the most expensive part of the unit..

Big Dog Stout MP 60
Gravely Pro Turn 160 Kawasaki or Kohler power.
Hustler FasTrak SDX 60
Toro Titan Max 60
Scag Patriot 61
Bad Boy Outlaw Rebel 61 Kohler power
Ferris ISX800 61”
NOTE: DO NOT BUY ANY MOWER WITH A YAMAHA ENGINE
Also: EFI engines can be costly to repair.

MParr said:

Big Dog Stout MP 60
Gravely Pro Turn 160 Kawasaki or Kohler power.
Hustler FasTrak SDX 60
Toro Titan Max 60
Scag Patriot 61
Bad Boy Outlaw Rebel 61 Kohler power
Ferris ISX800 61”
NOTE: DO NOT BUY ANY MOWER WITH A YAMAHA ENGINE
Also: EFI engines can be costly to repair.

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I have yet to see a mower with a Yamaha engine but do tell what is wrong with them. Is it lack of support?

Big Dog Stout MP is a good mower the Diablo is a great mower.

hlw49 said:

I have yet to see a mower with a Yamaha engine but do tell what is wrong with them. Is it lack of support?

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My opinion is that they are not ready for prime time. They are very close to the old Subaru Industrial engines. Myself and the Gravely dealer and Gravely representative never could figure out what was wrong with the one in my former Pro Turn 160. The Gravely representative was in contact with Yamaha and they were stumped. The spark plugs were carbon fouled and there was oil on the spark plug threads. I got rid of that turd at 87 hours. My Gravely dealer gave me a full refund on the mower.

hlw49 said:

I have yet to see a mower with a Yamaha engine but do tell what is wrong with them. Is it lack of support?

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I would add BobCat to this list...

Z06mark said:

Moving to a 3.5ish acre property, mostly open and flat, few obstacles. Looking for advice for good zero turn mower that is fast, stripes well and can deal with leaves in fall. Looking to spend under 10k if possible. Thanks for the advice!

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The one thing nobody has mentioned yet, no matter what brand you buy is....one of the most important things about buying a piece of equipment is, ....buy from a Dealership (not a box store) that is close to you. Equipment needs maintenance and regular service to last. So if you can't perform that maintenance yourself, or if you need warranty work done, you'll need the Dealership to do it......so the closer, the better!

hlw49 said:

I have yet to see a mower with a Yamaha engine but do tell what is wrong with them. Is it lack of support?

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The Yamaha engines are so good, Bad Boy are not even using them anymore. Look at their catalog. There are no longer any Yamaha engine options. Bad Boy is using Kawasaki, Kohler, Briggs Vanguard and Honda.

I love Dixie Choppers but unfortunately they are no longer in business. My 2004 Dixie Chopper Silver Eagle is still going strong. If you can find a descent used one I would get it. I have repowered mine with a 25hp Kohler engine and it is very efficient and fast.

Z06mark said:

Moving to a 3.5ish acre property, mostly open and flat, few obstacles. Looking for advice for good zero turn mower that is fast, stripes well and can deal with leaves in fall. Looking to spend under 10k if possible. Thanks for the advice!

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This will exceed $10K, but a Grasshopper front mount with a 52” deck is a great machine. Get the water-cooled version and it will last a very long time.

I'd recommend Kubota Z726x 60" if a dealership is nearby. I've owned Simplicity and Pro Craftsman and looked at the others and you need a strong frame and good motor (Kohler). I'm sick of cheap mowers and will not consider anything else. The thing about it is you want to have a unit that holds its value well and Kubota is the one that does. I agree with the above poster about the big box stores. You get what you pay for. Not buying quality is too expensive after a couple of years...

strohmoose said:

I love Dixie Choppers but unfortunately they are no longer in business. My 2004 Dixie Chopper Silver Eagle is still going strong. If you can find a descent used one I would get it. I have repowered mine with a 25hp Kohler engine and it is very efficient and fast.

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Dixie Chopper is still in business and operating under The Alamo Group umbrella.

mower king said:

The one thing nobody has mentioned yet, no matter what brand you buy is....one of the most important things about buying a piece of equipment is, ....buy from a Dealership (not a box store) that is close to you. Equipment needs maintenance and regular service to last. So if you can't perform that maintenance yourself, or if you need warranty work done, you'll need the Dealership to do it......so the closer, the better!

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Adding to that. The machines at box stores are branded by paint alone. They are usually made by MTD. If you have a large acreage to mow avoid them. If you are mowing a large lawn and price is an issue find a low hour commercial. I mow a 6 acre lawn. Years ago I picked up a Bobcat three wheeler. I used it for many years. Regular cleaning and oil changes, one belt. After that I picked up a Ferris for $2500 with about 400 hrs. I am still using that one. I added an engine oil cooler other than simple maintenance. Bulletproof.

John Deere Z-Trak . An entry level commercial (Green Deck) , with a 54" Deck would serve you well . A used (but not abused) unit (1000 Hrs. or less) will last you a long time . They are 3000 Hr. machines and will do your 3.5 acres , in about two hours . John Deere has the best parts stream in the industry , and the most dealers !

Z06mark said:

Moving to a 3.5ish acre property, mostly open and flat, few obstacles. Looking for advice for good zero turn mower that is fast, stripes well and can deal with leaves in fall. Looking to spend under 10k if possible. Thanks for the advice!

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Ferris - I have had one cutting 4 acres for about 5 years with no problems. I have done my own service.

I have a Scag Turf Tiger and a Big Dog Diablo MP. Both 60" deck. The tiger is EFI and water cooled. The Big Dog has a 1000 Kawasaki. We mow large rural properties day after day 8 to 10 hrs per day.
Never any problem with either one.

MParr said:

Dixie Chopper is still in business and operating under The Alamo Group umbrella.

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That's good to know. Do you have their web address?

strohmoose said:

That's good to know. Do you have their web address?

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I looked under their umbrella but could not find a listing for Dixie Chopper. ???

Bad Boy line of zero turn make in usa

strohmoose said:

I looked under their umbrella but could not find a listing for Dixie Chopper. ???

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strohmoose said:

I love Dixie Choppers but unfortunately they are no longer in business. My 2004 Dixie Chopper Silver Eagle is still going strong. If you can find a descent used one I would get it. I have repowered mine with a 25hp Kohler engine and it is very efficient and fast.

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Wrong Dixie Chopper is still in business. They have been bought by Rhino Ag. and sold under the Alamo Group. IF they don't price themselves out of the market prices have really gone up.