ZTR required and in need of some opinions.

[KD0UTE]

I have moved from suburbia Denver, CO to old country Nebraska and am loving it. We are in need of a ZTR mower though as we have quite a few trees to manuever around and the 9N with brush buster isn't quite cut out for that type of job. The rest of the area is tall grass and weeds which I am trying to get under control. I will be mowing with the ZTR anywhere from 6-12 acres plus some smaller residential lots for family.

Anyways, I am leaning towards the 725D GrassHopper as I like the idea of fueling less and having the torque for plowing/blowing operations in the winter with a .5 mile driveway. The only thing is the cost of the GH is much more which I am willing to pay for or I can get a cheaper mower like a Hustler and use the savings on an Arctic cat 500 4 wheeler for other operations around the acreage.

Any thoughts and opinions would be greatly appreciated on which option I should do.

 

[Shughes717]

I have moved from suburbia Denver, CO to old country Nebraska and am loving it. We are in need of a ZTR mower though as we have quite a few trees to manuever around and the 9N with brush buster isn't quite cut out for that type of job. The rest of the area is tall grass and weeds which I am trying to get under control. I will be mowing with the ZTR anywhere from 6-12 acres plus some smaller residential lots for family.

Anyways, I am leaning towards the 725D GrassHopper as I like the idea of fueling less and having the torque for plowing/blowing operations in the winter with a .5 mile driveway. The only thing is the cost of the GH is much more which I am willing to pay for or I can get a cheaper mower like a Hustler and use the savings on an Arctic cat 500 4 wheeler for other operations around the acreage.

Any thoughts and opinions would be greatly appreciated on which option I should do.

Have you thought about looking into a ventrac mower? I know it's pricey, but it would be cheaper than buying a mower and a 4 wheeler. There are also all kinds of attachments for them, including a plow and a snow blower. The implements can be attached and detached without leaving your seat. They are 4 wheel drive, they articulate, and you can even get one with a cab. There are several low hour used ones for sale in tractor house in the $10k to $11k range.

 

[KD0UTE]

Those Ventracs look awesome! Only issue is the nearest dealer is 260 miles. I see on tractorhouse like you said they are running around 10k for lowish hours. Will definitely keep it in mind.

 

[Shughes717]

Those Ventracs look awesome! Only issue is the nearest dealer is 260 miles. I see on tractorhouse like you said they are running around 10k for lowish hours. Will definitely keep it in mind.

Dealer support may be an issue, but it would suit your needs perfectly. If you purchased one you would have to make any repairs needed yourself, but it could do everything. The bucket attachment with the thumb is sweet.

 

[1striper1]

Shughes knows his stuff! Not that I need one but I need to look at a Ventrac.

I like the option of having a wheeler around for other chores including moving snow. As I have learned, a wheeler with a plow has it's limitations when it comes to pushing snow.

Before I add more about the snow moving, how big is your driveway and other areas that need snow pushed around on them?

 

[zmister11]

Before I add more about the snow moving, how big is your driveway and other areas that need snow pushed around on them?[/QUOTE]


His driveway is a half a mile. That's a long driveway lol

 

[1striper1]

Before I add more about the snow moving, how big is your driveway and other areas that need snow pushed around on them?

His driveway is a half a mile. That's a long driveway lol[/QUOTE]

Thanks zmister. I reread his post (stoopid me!) and saw the .5 mile d'way.

(IMO) You aren't gonna want to plow a 1/2 mile driveway of Nebraska snow with a wheeler. I've got 125' and I don't like doing THAT with a wheeler.

If it's an open 1/2 mile think about the drifting you're going to experience.

My opinion is that you're going to need two pieces of equipment or if the Ventrac with a blower can handle the d'way...one piece with different attachments. That .5 d'way tosses a wrench into the works.

Doesn't Deere make something similar to a Ventrac?

 

[Shughes717]

His driveway is a half a mile. That's a long driveway lol

Thanks zmister. I reread his post (stoopid me!) and saw the .5 mile d'way.

(IMO) You aren't gonna want to plow a 1/2 mile driveway of Nebraska snow with a wheeler. I've got 125' and I don't like doing THAT with a wheeler.

If it's an open 1/2 mile think about the drifting you're going to experience.

My opinion is that you're going to need two pieces of equipment or if the Ventrac with a blower can handle the d'way...one piece with different attachments. That .5 d'way tosses a wrench into the works.

Doesn't Deere make something similar to a Ventrac?[/QUOTE]

That is a good ?. I have never seen one, but Deere makes a lot of equipment that may be common in some regions and not seen in others. It does appear that there are plow attachments and blower attachments for the front of their lawn tractors. My experience with John Deere has been that special attachments will usually cost more than most other companys. Pay extra for the deer emblem and green/yellow paint.

 

[KD0UTE]

I demoed the hustler raptor SD and it does a good job at high speed, but the mid mount prevented me from getting near our fruit trees. Going to demo grasshopper next week. What was nice though was the 4,000 for the hustler. It did go through gas quickly though. I don't think I will be able to afford the ventrac PLUS the attachments.

Our driveway is gravel not sure how snowblower will do on it. Also it does have a northern wind break to help against drifting but sometimes it makes it worse. So still up in the air at this point.

 

[Shughes717]

I demoed the hustler raptor SD and it does a good job at high speed, but the mid mount prevented me from getting near our fruit trees. Going to demo grasshopper next week. What was nice though was the 4,000 for the hustler. It did go through gas quickly though. I don't think I will be able to afford the ventrac PLUS the attachments.

Our driveway is gravel not sure how snowblower will do on it. Also it does have a northern wind break to help against drifting but sometimes it makes it worse. So still up in the air at this point.

If you are going to look into a ztr mower for 6 to 12 acres the fastrack sd would be the lowest end of the hustler line I would go. It's much faster than the raptor sd, holds more fuel, and is made heavier. The ideal hustler mower for an area that big would be the x one or super z, but you would be looking at $8k to $12k for mowers in that range. Grass hopper is a good brand as well. What other brands do you have available in your area?