Export thread

I want to buy a ZTR for my commercial lawn care company any suggestions a walk behid is an option to my price range is 9000

Lohman mows lawns said:

I want to buy a ZTR for my commercial lawn care company any suggestions a walk behid is an option to my price range is 9000

Click to expand...

Gravely Pro-Turn 200 series

Lohman mows lawns said:

I want to buy a ZTR for my commercial lawn care company any suggestions a walk behid is an option to my price range is 9000

Click to expand...

Just a suggestion but for that money you may want to look at something like the Toro Grandstand. You have the ZTR with the option of the walk behind in the same mower.

Ric said:

Just a suggestion but for that money you may want to look at something like the Toro Grandstand. You have the ZTR with the option of the walk behind in the same mower.

Click to expand...

The Grandstand is a very nice mower. But they use a Kawasaki FS series. I'd look into the Gravely Pro-Stance series. They use the Kawasaki FX series engine. Also, the redesigned mower is awesome.

ghessler26 said:

The Grandstand is a very nice mower. But they use a Kawasaki FS series. I'd look into the Gravely Pro-Stance series. They use the Kawasaki FX series engine. Also, the redesigned mower is awesome.

Click to expand...

ghessler,
I hear you, with a budget of $9K the OP can get into several high-end standers(including the Gravely 61" with a floating deck) as well as other choices like Wright(makes excellent standers and ZTR's in that price range), Ex-mark, Scag, Grasshopper and other commercial ZTR's. If I had been able to spend an additional $2K over my Pro-Turn 152, i would have been even more confused about what to pick than I was(based upon the deal my dealer gave me I may even have gotten into a Pro-Turn 452 for around $9K). Then again for that much money I would have to be like the OP and looking at starting a lawn care business(I bought my 152 for personal use only on a 1.5 acre home lawn).
P.S.
As far as a "walk behind", he could get in a Gravely 61" Pro-Walk Hydro Drive and have a $2K left over.

I think any of the mowers suggested would be good, but I agree with Ric....I would look into the Toro Grandstand. As for a walk-behind, like djdicetn said, you could get one and have money left over. I would look at any of the top mower brands for walk-behind mowers (Exmark, Scag, Toro, Gravely, etc.). You could also get a sulky for it.
Maybe if you go the walk-behind mower route you could use the leftover money to buy a straight-shaft trimmer and a blower....and maybe an edger! :thumbsup:
Good luck and let us know what you decide! :smile:

ghessler26 said:

The Grandstand is a very nice mower. But they use a Kawasaki FS series. I'd look into the Gravely Pro-Stance series. They use the Kawasaki FX series engine. Also, the redesigned mower is awesome.

Click to expand...

Mine runs the FS541. Plenty of power to spare and it's a strong running engine. I haven't found anything it wouldn't cut and I've put nearly 200hrs on since July. The GS has a 5 year 1200 hour warranty and a 3 year warranty on the engine from Kawasaki. The GS warranty is better than anything else I've found. That was the biggest reason I purchased it as well as it being two mowers in one.

lawn mower fanatic said:

I think any of the mowers suggested would be good, but I agree with Ric....I would look into the Toro Grandstand. As for a walk-behind, like djdicetn said, you could get one and have money left over. I would look at any of the top mower brands for walk-behind mowers (Exmark, Scag, Toro, Gravely, etc.). You could also get a sulky for it.
Maybe if you go the walk-behind mower route you could use the leftover money to buy a straight-shaft trimmer and a blower....and maybe an edger! :thumbsup:
Good luck and let us know what you decide! :smile:

Click to expand...

I actually thought about and looked into your suggestion about the top mower brands for walk-behind mowers and it's a good suggestion but the problem I found is if you buy the ones with the Hydrostatic drives they cost as much and some of them more than the GS.

Ric said:

Mine runs the FS541. Plenty of power to spare and it's a strong running engine. I haven't found anything it wouldn't cut and I've put nearly 200hrs on since July. The GS has a 5 year 1200 hour warranty and a 3 year warranty on the engine from Kawasaki. The GS warranty is better than anything else I've found. That was the biggest reason I purchased it as well as it being two mowers in one.

Click to expand...

Yes that is a good point...the GS can be like a walk-behind mower also....so I would buy one if I was in your (Lohman mows lawns) situation.

(http://media.toro.com/PublishingIma...in1Versatilitylcb2001_gs74534_caloc_59-54.jpg)

(http://media.toro.com/PublishingIma...ngSuspensiongs_stand_on_flexride_platform.jpg)

Personally I agree with Lawn Mower Fanatic. I dont like the look of zero turn cuts though. Get yourself a nice echo/stihl backpack blower, straightshaft trimmer, echo edger and a husqvarna chainsaw and widen your business opportunities. Cut and split firewood, stack it, you have a john deere. slap a trailer on it and do it. also get a plow and some chains and plow snow in the winter(depending on where you live and how much snow you will get)

Ric said:

Mine runs the FS541. Plenty of power to spare and it's a strong running engine. I haven't found anything it wouldn't cut and I've put nearly 200hrs on since July. The GS has a 5 year 1200 hour warranty and a 3 year warranty on the engine from Kawasaki. The GS warranty is better than anything else I've found. That was the biggest reason I purchased it as well as it being two mowers in one.

Click to expand...

That 5-year 1,200-hour warranty will be hard to beat. And the Kawa FS series may not be "commerical" designated(like the FX) but is rated as heavy duty and will probably outlast any Kohler or Briggs & Stratton that cost the same. I can't argue very much with Toro commercial mower owners because from what I saw they are top-quality machines(and as pointed out "reasonably" priced for what you are getting).

djdicetn said:

That 5-year 1,200-hour warranty will be hard to beat. And the Kawa FS series may not be "commerical" designated(like the FX) but is rated as heavy duty and will probably outlast any Kohler or Briggs & Stratton that cost the same. I can't argue very much with Toro commercial mower owners because from what I saw they are top-quality machines(and as pointed out "reasonably" priced for what you are getting).

Click to expand...

I think am am going to buy a cub cadet cc 760 pull start for $1399.00 at my dealer it has a 33 inch deck is it any good

Lohman mows lawns said:

I think am am going to buy a cub cadet cc 760 pull start for $1399.00 at my dealer it has a 33 inch deck is it any good

Click to expand...

Now I'm a Cub Cadet fan and I think they make a pretty good mower but I wouldn't waste the money on that on that 760 personally. For a Commercial Business it won't last long.

Plus it also looks like it is gear driven, which wouldn't be as maneuverable as a hydro, and it seems to be the the mower that I see from sears and places, the Craftsman/troybilt/cub cadet mower made by mtd. If you have 9000 dollars to spend, look into a cheaper commercial maybe around 5000

Like others said, I would NOT buy the Cub Cadet. In the spring when I was in the market for a larger walk-behind mower, the dealer said that the low-end walk-behind would be the Cub Cadet. Then it would be the Billy Goat HomePro, and then the best buys would be the Exmark Metro and Scag walk-behinds. That makes sense since the last 2 mentioned are commercial. If you have that much money to spend I would get something better than the Cub Cadet. Just my opinion. And this is about walk-behinds...it might be a better investment to get a stander.

:thumbdown: Cub Cadet--not recommended:
:thumbdown: Billy Goat--I didn't like it:
:thumbsup: Exmark--something to think about:
:thumbsup: Scag--something to think about:
:thumbsup::thumbsup: Stander--best investment:

I think the best thing to buy would be a stander. They are much more maneuverable then a walkbehind.

The thing you may want to do if you don't want to speed a bunch of money would be to look into a good used Commercial mower. Check the Craigslist listings, it's the end of season and you may be able to pick something up with low hours at a good price. I'm like the others I think a Hydro stander would be the best way to go. As D2hornets58 said they are much more maneuverable then a walk behind with a sulky. I can tell you from experience the belt drive walk behinds although a good mower aren't as easy to operate as people would lead you to believe and backing the things up can be a pita. Regardless they all have a learning curve.

Ric said:

The thing you may want to do if you don't want to speed a bunch of money would be to look into a good used Commercial mower. Check the Craigslist listings, it's the end of season and you may be able to pick something up with low hours at a good price. I'm like the others I think a Hydro stander would be the best way to go. As D2hornets58 said they are much more maneuverable then a walk behind with a sulky. I can tell you from experience the belt drive walk behinds although a good mower aren't as easy to operate as people would lead you to believe and backing the things up can be a pita. Regardless they all have a learning curve.

Click to expand...

I need a mower with a 30-36" deck as a back up and to mow inside gates

Ric said:

The thing you may want to do if you don't want to speed a bunch of money would be to look into a good used Commercial mower. Check the Craigslist listings, it's the end of season and you may be able to pick something up with low hours at a good price. I'm like the others I think a Hydro stander would be the best way to go. As D2hornets58 said they are much more maneuverable then a walk behind with a sulky. I can tell you from experience the belt drive walk behinds although a good mower aren't as easy to operate as people would lead you to believe and backing the things up can be a pita. Regardless they all have a learning curve.

Click to expand...

Ya i mostly use a belt driven walkbehind with a sulky. I have gotten used to using it and I dont mind using it but I do like using standers much better. Like Ric said it can be tough to back them p. I try not to use reverse at all on the walkbehind unless I absolutely need to. On a stander you can go into tight spots and just back out. With the walkbehind its much more difficult.

D2hornets58 said:

Ya i mostly use a belt driven walkbehind with a sulky. I have gotten used to using it and I dont mind using it but I do like using standers much better. Like Ric said it can be tough to back them p. I try not to use reverse at all on the walkbehind unless I absolutely need to. On a stander you can go into tight spots and just back out. With the walkbehind its much more difficult.

Click to expand...

Do you have the shift on the fly or do you have stop every time you want to shift?

Ric said:

Do you have the shift on the fly or do you have stop every time you want to shift?

Click to expand...

I have to stop to shift. I uaually just leave it in 4th or 5th gear the whole time. But on mine the reverse is very weak. It backs up very slowly and is meant for you to do most of the work.

D2hornets58 said:

I have to stop to shift. I uaually just leave it in 4th or 5th gear the whole time. But on mine the reverse is very weak. It backs up very slowly and is meant for you to do most of the work.

Click to expand...

Yea that's the way mine worked also, Other than the reverse it was a kicka** mower, that's the reason I went to the GS with the Hydros. The GS as the walkbehind works real well.

toros just got a recall for lighting on fire all the time

metz12 said:

toros just got a recall for lighting on fire all the time

Click to expand...

Yea I know I posted the Recall yesterday and it was for there Z master 2000 series. It's posted in the General Discussion area.

Ric said:

Yea that's the way mine worked also, Other than the reverse it was a kicka** mower, that's the reason I went to the GS with the Hydros. The GS as the walkbehind works real well.

Click to expand...

Ya my mower is a great mower other then the reverse. It just makes it tough in tight spots. i uassually will end up using a push mower in some spots that I wouldnt be able to turn around in. Also my sulky will keep jackknifing so i have to keep picking that up to straighten it out. But for the most part the mower works out great for me.

D2hornets58 said:

Ya my mower is a great mower other then the reverse. It just makes it tough in tight spots. i uassually will end up using a push mower in some spots that I wouldnt be able to turn around in. Also my sulky will keep jackknifing so i have to keep picking that up to straighten it out. But for the most part the mower works out great for me.

Click to expand...

How old is your Wright mower?

lawn mower fanatic said:

How old is your Wright mower?

Click to expand...

It is a 2008.

D2hornets58 said:

It is a 2008.

Click to expand...

OK cool! :thumbsup:

Here is pics of the three walk behinds I'm looking at

Lohman mows lawns said:

Here is pics of the three walk behinds I'm looking at

Click to expand...

I would go with one of the Ariens over the Cub Cadet.

Lohman mows lawns said:

Here is pics of the three walk behinds I'm looking at

Click to expand...

Do you plan on using a sulky. I would definatly recommend using one. I use mine for just about every lawn and its much faster then walking behind it.

D2hornets58 said:

Do you plan on using a sulky. I would definatly recommend using one. I use mine for just about every lawn and its much faster then walking behind it.

Click to expand...

Yes I
Plan to use one

Lohman mows lawns said:

Yes I
Plan to use one

Click to expand...

So are you leaning towards the Ariens over the Cub Cadet?

lawn mower fanatic said:

So are you leaning towards the Ariens over the Cub Cadet?

Click to expand...

Ariens 36 incj

Lohman mows lawns said:

Ariens 36 incj

Click to expand...

Nice! :thumbsup:

Lohman mows lawns said:

Here is pics of the three walk behinds I'm looking at

Click to expand...

Lohman mows lawns,

Those Ariens are gear drive and you can also get the walk-behinds with a Hydro-Drive(but not in the Ariens line I don't think). I don't know enough about walk-behinds to understand the pros & cons of the gear-drive versus hydro-drive(which are a lot more expensive). Since you were talking like you had a $9,000 budget for your new lawn equipment you could check out Arien's "big brother" the Gravely's(made by the same parent company, but are more of a commercial line where Ariens are more of a residential line). And the Gravely 36" Gear-Drive is only a couple hundred bucks more than the Ariens you showed a picture of. I think you can easily see a lot of difference in the Gravely Pro-Walk series versus the Ariens. Here's a link if you want to check them out:

Walk behind lawn mowers

Yea for a peerless drive system WB, for a 36" the price is generally around $2300, the Ariens is way over priced. You can buy H 1536 15hp Kaw, 36"cut with 10 cc pumps and Parker wheel motors for $3995. The H1748 the same as the1536 only 17hp is $4299.

Cub Cadet H1536 - $3,995.00



Cub Cadet H1536 - $3,995.00 Details


Price
$3,995.00
Make
Cub Cadet
Model
H1536
Engine
KAWASAKI
Horse Power
15
New
New
Serial Number
OC198Z30013
Description
NEW COMMERCIAL WALK BEHIND MOWER. 36" CUT. FABRICATED DECK. 15HP KAWASAKI V-TWIN ENGINE. DUAL HYDROSTATIC MOTORS. MULCH KIT.


H1748 COMMERCIAL WALK BEHIND MOWER
H1748





ENGINE Engine Type 17 HP Kawasaki® V-Twin OHV Engine Start Electric Engine Lubrication Full-pressure w/spin-on oil filter Fuel Capacity 5-gallon tank

DRIVE SYSTEM Transmission Dual Hydro-Gear™ 10 cc pumps and Parker® wheel motors Ground Speed (max.) 7 mph Controls Dual hydro pistol grip Handle 1-1/4" outer diameter Brakes Internal drum

TIRES Front Tires 9" x 3.5"-4", no flat Front Bearings Bronze bushing, greasable Rear Tires 16" x 6.5"-8" Rear Bearings In wheel motors

MOWING DECK Deck PTO Manual Deck Size/Type 48" Deck Style Fixed, fabricated Deck Construction 10-gauge Deck Drive Belt drive Kevlar® Deck Blades (3) 16.5" Cutting Height Adjustment 2" - 4" Blade Spindle Tapered-roller spindle bearing

Ric:
Do they still make those? I am just wondering because it looks like a great mower but I can't find much about them online...like a Cub Cadet Commercial website or something?

It would be hard to beat the price on those Cub Cadet walk-behinds. The comparable Gravely's are $5,199 & $6,199. Even though they have 7 gauge decks and anti-scalp wheels I don't know whether those features would be worth the extra money.

djdicetn said:

It would be hard to beat the price on those Cub Cadet walk-behinds. The comparable Gravely's are $5,199 & $6,199. Even though they have 7 gauge decks and anti-scalp wheels I don't know whether those features would be worth the extra money.

Click to expand...

I guess it depends how heavily you use it, but it's maybe not worth $2000 more!

lawn mower fanatic said:

Ric:
Do they still make those? I am just wondering because it looks like a great mower but I can't find much about them online...like a Cub Cadet Commercial website or something?

Click to expand...

Yes the Cub cadet dealer I use can get them. here's a link to another,
R.F. Houtz & Son, Inc. - Catalog
they make 3 gear drives and 3 Hydro model up to the 19hp 52"
http://www.rfhoutzandson.com/Catalo...9340&sub=74f36065-59f4-4c92-ae74-e1b25cf6f2dd

Ric said:

Yes the Cub cadet dealer I use can get them. here's a link to another,
R.F. Houtz & Son, Inc. - Catalog
they make 3 gear drives and 3 Hydro model up to the 19hp 52"
http://www.rfhoutzandson.com/Catalo...9340&sub=74f36065-59f4-4c92-ae74-e1b25cf6f2dd

Click to expand...

OK thanks! :smile:

aRE YOU STILL LOOKING FOR A ztr? i HAVE A jd ztr tRIM mOWER IN EXCELLENT CONDITION i AM WANTING TO SELL.

car209 said:

aRE YOU STILL LOOKING FOR A ztr? i HAVE A jd ztr tRIM mOWER IN EXCELLENT CONDITION i AM WANTING TO SELL.

Click to expand...

There is a button on your keyboard called caps lock its the difference from looking like a ransom note

exotion said:

There is a button on your keyboard called caps lock its the difference from looking like a ransom note

Click to expand...

That's funny.....

car209 said:

aRE YOU STILL LOOKING FOR A ztr? i HAVE A jd ztr tRIM mOWER IN EXCELLENT CONDITION i AM WANTING TO SELL.

Click to expand...

Yes I am can i c some pics please

I got a Silver Eagle Dixie Chopper for $9k this season. Good mower, fast, nice cut, comfortable ride that has saved me monthly trips to the chiro. Good luck