Name this mower...please ;)

The numbers come up as Snapper Pro 52 on some sites but it doesn't have the Snapper Pro decals. A couple of parts dealers list it as a ZRider. Even I can see it isn't a ZRider. It's for sale. I read good things about Snapper Pro and bad things about ZRiders. It has a new Kawasaki engine and new spindles and blades. And a welded deck. I don't know about the hydros but the owner says it's all good. It's an hour drive away and I'm trying to decide if it's worth the drive all things considered. Any ideas?
Snapper 84949 - NZM21521KWV

Mike88se said:

The numbers come up as Snapper Pro 52 on some sites but it doesn't have the Snapper Pro decals. A couple of parts dealers list it as a ZRider. Even I can see it isn't a ZRider. It's for sale. I read good things about Snapper Pro and bad things about ZRiders. It has a new Kawasaki engine and new spindles and blades. And a welded deck. I don't know about the hydros but the owner says it's all good. It's an hour drive away and I'm trying to decide if it's worth the drive all things considered. Any ideas? Snapper 84949 - NZM21521KWV <img src="http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19737"/> <img src="http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19738"/>

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This is a snapper pro. Can see that without looking at the model numbers.

Carscw said:

This is a snapper pro. Can see that without looking at the model numbers.

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Guess its worth a looksee then. I can make out the serial# but I don't know how to find the year made from it. The owner says its 5 to 6 years old and he bought it new and he paid 6000. He wants 1700 but says we can talk about price. He has a husband & wife lawncare business kinda like you. So it's been used commercially. Seems like a decent guy. I'd have to get well quick and go out and hustle some new business but at least I'd be riding a lot of the time

Mike88se said:

Guess its worth a looksee then. I can make out the serial# but I don't know how to find the year made from it. The owner says its 5 to 6 years old and he bought it new and he paid 6000. He wants 1700 but says we can talk about price. He has a husband & wife lawncare business kinda like you. So it's been used commercially. Seems like a decent guy. I'd have to get well quick and go out and hustle some new business but at least I'd be riding a lot of the time

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I say go look at it and take it for a ride.
Try and cut some thick grass with it. Make it work hard.
The only thing I do not like about is it looks to clean like he is trying to hide something or make it look better then it is. Or he could just keep his stuff very clean.
I would offer him $1400 but would pay the $1700.

It is a good Machine you do not hear a lot about them because when people hear snapper they think RER

Carscw said:

I say go look at it and take it for a ride.
Try and cut some thick grass with it. Make it work hard.
The only thing I do not like about is it looks to clean like he is trying to hide something or make it look better then it is. Or he could just keep his stuff very clean.
I would offer him $1400 but would pay the $1700.

It is a good Machine you do not hear a lot about them because when people hear snapper they think RER

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I gotta admit I'm one of those people that clean things up before I sell something. Or at least before I take pics of it
It's mostly sales tactic but I do like to keep my stuff pretty clean.
I don't know how it works in other places but the way the market works here is that if something sold for $6000 5 or even 10 years ago it's still going to bring 25% to 40% of it's original price. It's a big market... there's so many people that your odds of finding someone who wants what you have and is willing to pay what you want are good. If it's in good condition and snapper pro is as good as I've heard then his original price of 1800 is good for this area. On the other hand I've run across a lot of people who aren't dead set on getting the highest price they can get for something.
Anyway if the weather cooperates I'd like to go see it. Got up with the pmonia kicking up again though and I'd just as soon go back to bed. I'm going to try to push through that though.
I found a nice little trailer for 500 too. Another hour drive in the opposite direction of the mower tho lol. And he can't get the tags til Monday. I feel like I'm going out on an iffy limb with all this since the pmonia and not having that much work. Kind of a leap of faith. Or chit or get off the pot like my old man would say it
If the sickness lingers on I could always resell the things. Getting tired of that though.

Oh just wanted to say I appreciate all the help and advice.

You snooze you lose....I lost. Oh well I probably would never have had a use for a 52" mower anyway. Still kind of disappointed.

Mike88se said:

You snooze you lose....I lost. Oh well I probably would never have had a use for a 52" mower anyway. Still kind of disappointed.

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Another deal another day.:thumbsup:

Mike88se said:

Guess its worth a looksee then. I can make out the serial# but I don't know how to find the year made from it. The owner says its 5 to 6 years old and he bought it new and he paid 6000. He wants 1700 but says we can talk about price. He has a husband & wife lawncare business kinda like you. So it's been used commercially. Seems like a decent guy. I'd have to get well quick and go out and hustle some new business but at least I'd be riding a lot of the time

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You'll have to pardon me but if that mower is 5 yrs old it has been beat to He**. Now considering it has what the owner claimed to be a engine, new spindles and blades ought to tell you how it has been treated. Look at the protective cage on the back of the engine, the seat is torn down the middle, I'll bet the engine isn't new considering it doesn't have any decals anywhere on it and by looking at the wheels you can tell it has been left outside in the elements and its been used commercially. The other thing you may want to consider with everything that has supposedly been replaced, What hasn't been replaced? Like maybe drive units etc.? I know Carscw said he would offer 1400 but I wouldn't have give half that, you didn't lose, that mower would have been a money pit.

wjjones said:

Another deal another day.:thumbsup:

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True. I'm looking at two in the same price range. One looks pretty rough but has the Kawi engine.


The other has a 21hp B&S Vanguard, states 500 hours, and lists a bunch of new parts.

Ric said:

You'll have to pardon me but if that mower is 5 yrs old it has been beat to He**. Now considering it has what the owner claimed to be a engine, new spindles and blades ought to tell you how it has been treated. Look at the protective cage on the back of the engine, the seat is torn down the middle, I'll bet the engine isn't new considering it doesn't have any decals anywhere on it and by looking at the wheels you can tell it has been left outside in the elements and its been used commercially. The other thing you may want to consider with everything that has supposedly been replaced, What hasn't been replaced? Like maybe drive units etc.? I know Carscw said he would offer 1400 but I wouldn't have give half that, you didn't lose, that mower would have been a money pit.

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It's hard to tell anything about a drive system without driving, listening, and looking closely. I'd have to rely on driving and listening since I don't have nearly enough experience to look and see anything not obvious. But hey...it's kinda like buying a used car... it may look, run, and drive great but it could still blow up the day after you buy it.
This is going to sound strange and it's tempting not to even say it but... I have this sort of sense about when something is a deal. It doesn't always work but almost always. I've avoided money pits so far with vehicles and equipment. If I step into a pit I'll let it be known.
At this point I have to go with the idea that anything I buy isn't going to be worked to death for a while and hope that if I do get to that point that by then I'll have the income from it to move up to a more sure thing.

Bad feeling about that first mower (and the owner) and the second guy won't budge off 1900. I think I'll keep looking