ZTR for about $3500 - We read, we visited dealers, but are confused

jezbeliverson said:

Hello,

I appreciate your replies. We have upped our budget to about 5-6k, as it seems that is a sweet spot for most semi commercial ZTRs.

Given this, any thoughts on which brand/model we should opt for?

Is this a good time of the year to buy? Or does it really not matter?

Much appreciated,
Jezbel

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I think if your living up in the north country maybe it's a good time to buy but here in Florida maybe not so much and in Texas I couldn't really say. We mow most all year long so when they bring in the next years models is a crap shoot. As for your 5-6k budget goes you'll be a little better off but I think you'll still be looking at a glorified residential.

I'll stick to the first reply I made and say look at Craigslist. With 5-6K you should be able to buy a really good quality Commercial Mower and it will twice the mower that you'll get with a glorified residential.



For example here's a 2015 Exmark Pioneer 52" with 63 hours for $4800 I just looked at on the list. Has a 25hp Kohler.

If you want to step up to a 60" cut here's a 2016 eXmark Pioneer S-Series 60 inch Commercial zero turn mower 25hp Kohler power with only 51 hours . Mows and runs like the new zero turn it is. MSRP of 7499.00 + 699.00 seat + tax almost 9k new for $6400.

Hello Ric,

Thank you for your follow up

Where did you find those? Can you send me the details please?

Much appreciated,
Jezbel

jezbeliverson said:

Hello
Thank you for your follow up

Where did you find those? Can you send me the details please?

Much appreciated,
Jezbel

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They are on Craigslist here in Florida. I think those were in Sarasota. When I see mowers like that at those prices I have to wonder why anyone would mess with those glorified residential mowers. Those type deals are out there on craigslist especially this time of year. I think I can get you some contact information on either mower if you would like or you just go to craigslist and do a Tampa or Sarasota search.
.

My experience...
I bought a new commercial-grade Everride Warrior 60" 25hp Kawasaki V-twin in 2008 and have come to the conclusion, for the price I will never buy new again. $8,500

The cut quality, the ride (suspension seat), the power and speed (up to 13mph) are unbeatable.
Easy to change "dial" set cut height, lower or raise the deck with a foot pedal, careful with hitting a leg on that thing as it sticks out of the foot area.
Blades engage with an electronic clutch which has resulted in some spun belts over the years.
Has a ROPS and a retractable seat belt that I've had to replace a good number of times, the seat isn't the best quality thou fortunately they sell just the upholstery.
Otherwise some minimal maintenance, they did have issues with the spindle bearings which I've had to deal with, no other major repairs I can recall.
I really like the Warrior's front swiveling axle, no other Z in the industry has it, most Z's that I know have a solid frame and when you get into uneven ground they all jerk or "stutter" which I find rather annoying, although with practice this stuttering can be minimized.
Unfortunately Auburn Industries (the makers of the Everride) went out of business in 2009.
Gravely bought out / took over Auburn Industries, they do have a 260z or such that also has the front swiveling axle, the price unfortunately is near the $10k mark.

This year I pickup up a used Dixie Chopper Flatlander 60" 25hp Generac and absolutely love it, however I have 700 hours of Z riding experience as well.
Otherwise I may not be as fond of their VTC (Very Touchy Controls, they call it "Velvet Touch Controls") but with experience I'm all right with it.
$2,700 but about 3 thousand once I include the drive to-from and some initial maintenance.
The cut quality, the ride (non-suspension but very plush and thick cushion seat), the power and speed (up to 13mph) are unbeatable.
I am concerned there is no Roll-Over-Protection System but they do call it a Flatlander for a reason, I'd recommend it for yards that are not terribly hilly.
Great mower, pain in the butt to change the cut height (mostly to lower it) so select once and done.
Blades engage manually, allows for gradual engagement which makes the belt last a lot longer, careful with hitting a leg on the handle that sticks out of the foot area. Not too thrilled about the 10-gauge deck, would much prefer a 7-gauge steel but for the price I paid I would certainly buy another.

Over the years I have rented Toros and Exmarks on occasion (like when the Z is in the shop).
Not much impressed with the Toro's cut quality, the Exmark may be marginally better thou they're both made by the same company.
Otherwise good mowers, same jerk/stutter problem as every other one.

Personally...
If I had to recommend one, they're all about the same, differences come in the quality between commercial / residential models.
So long the hydraulics are in good condition and the engine isn't leaking oil, there is little in ways of maintenance that can go but so wrong. The only difference between used and new is the used one goes under full maintenance right away whereas with a new mower the first year or two is pretty easy in that regard.
I can definitely recommend a suspension / cushy seat, they're pricey but worth it.
I do like the front swiveling axle tons, but I'm not sure you'll find one as it's rare and the few mowers that sport one are pricey.
I like the 60" deck, also I keep my blades sharp and usually set the cut height near the maximum (Usually 5.75")
Also a minimum of 25hp for those size decks.

Last but not least I would definitely keep these mowers under cover when not in use, leaving them sit outside exposed to the weather will shorten the lifespan of the mower something terrible... Even if you just throw a tarp over it that will help considerably.

We get slightly different configurations down here and to complicate things even more a lot of them are rebranded.

However I can tell one brand to avoid like the plague.
World Lawn ,new or used.
I have never seen a worse built quality.
We call them mudguards down here, that would be fenders to you.
Pretty on the top and crap underneath.
The two I used to service ( I no longer touch any World Lawn product ) looked fanastic on the outside but when I got underneath shoddy welding, spindle holes off center and really rubbish.
Supposedly top shelf engines & hydros although I suspect they are fakes at worst or Chinese made under lisence at best .
When they spindle housing collapsed for the second time the local importer tried to tell me it was because of the bearings having insufficient grease from the factory . Really ?

As with the others, a used commercial is the way to go but pay close attention to the exterior condition.
A lot of commercial uses leave their mowers on their trailers out in the weather and I find that these people have a different attitude to maintenance and their mowers.
Also have a good look at auctions from your civic authorities.
Any mower sold by them is generally in good condition because most service them by the book to the letter.
Down here they go cheap because they have massive hours on them

bertsmobile1 said:

We get slightly different configurations down here and to complicate things even more a lot of them are rebranded.

As with the others, a used commercial is the way to go but pay close attention to the exterior condition.
A lot of commercial uses leave their mowers on their trailers out in the weather and I find that these people have a different attitude to maintenance and their mowers.
Also have a good look at auctions from your civic authorities.
Any mower sold by them is generally in good condition because most service them by the book to the letter.
Down here they go cheap because they have massive hours on them

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There is a lot of truth to what you say, I found both of the used mowers I bought through homeowners who at the time bought a commercially-rated model (and I say that because to me a 10-gauge deck doesn't warrant a commercial grade yet Dixie Chopper calls it commercial), but to find a gem in the haystack is a trick indeed. Not many homeowners out there will buy a commercial grade machine, and the few who do either keep it forever or when they sell it's highly sought after.
But you do find them, the secret is there is no secret, mostly it takes time and effort as I have found no matter how I cut it, I pay for the machine one way or another. A friend of mine used to describe it thusly: Once I have my money saved up I look in the classifieds every day, and I mean every single day.
I could not agree more, you have to have the money, cash, all of it. Then you start looking, and keep looking...
Because you have to educate yourself, reading articles / discussions such as these might come in handy...
It is rare you will find a good deal right off but even if you do, how will you know it's a good deal?
Just for example, did anyone catch that bit about 7-gauge vs 10-gauge steel?
Knowing details like these, what it means...
There is no one thing that separates good machines from bad, rather there are between several to many key factors that do, almost like with a car.

Then there are those machines that are a good deal but they need some work and sometimes that can run into the $100's just in parts...
Might not be so bad if the selling price is right, but do you know how to do it because paying someone else could get costly.
You have to educate yourself, one such way is start looking and keep looking.

So much so that by the time it's all said and done I find I've either invested quite a bit of my time and effort into getting a good deal...
Or I ran to the dealer and paid them the big money and done.
Either way I paid for it.

One other thing to consider, some dealers might have a 'demo' model or two they'd be willing to sell.
Demo models are machines the dealers allow potential buyers to test-drive, most are still really close to new.

bertsmobile1 said:

We call them mudguards down here, that would be fenders to you.

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...A man and his pet kangaroo walk into a bar. As the night goes on they move to mixed drinks, and then shooters, one after the other. Finally, the bartender says: "Last call." So, the man says, "One more for me... and one more for my kangaroo." The bartender sets them up and they shoot them back. Suddenly, the kangaroo falls over dead. The man throws some money on the bar, puts on his coat and starts to leave. The bartender, yells: "Hey buddy, you can't just leave that lyin' there." To which the man replies: "That's not a lion, that's a kangaroo."


...too funny!!!:laughing:

Hi,

Happy holidays!!

We are ready to buy the machine next week, and the Bobcat XRZ Pro looks good on paper however we have not tried it. It is about $6k for the 60 inch deck.

Some other, more expensive we want to consider are either the Grasshopper 125 V or the Bad Boy Maverick or Spartan for about $500 more than the Bobcat XRZ Pro, but it seems hard to justify it to my husband

Any thoughts on this please? Which one of these would you recommend?

Thanks,
xx

Jezbel

Happy New Year to you and your family!

Any thoughts please?