3 Acres and $7K Budget...what mower?

LiamMulloy

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My advice, don't buy new. You can get an old craftsman Garden Tractor for under $600 and can put a pretty large deck on them, plus with 3 acres you know that there will be more to do than just mow. With a tractor you can plow, grade, till, hall, dump, and more.
 

Cirrus

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Not really interested in an actual tractor. My old man is a fabricator, so I'm sure whatever ZTR I buy will have a hitch made for it so I can pull a trailer if necessary. My father in law has an older JD 850 tractor that I can use at any time if I need.
 

Ric

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Anyone know what I could expect to pay for the Cub Cadet Tank LZ or SZ? Those seem to be the two Cub models that have the features that I want. I have a feeling they will be out of my budget though. But still interested in them.

The starting price on the LZ is $6999 The SZ is $7999. I'm going to look at the LZ and if I can get one with a Kohler It will be my next mower.
 

Cirrus

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$7K isn't bad depending on the motor. I went by my local Cub dealer today, but they didn't have a single Tank model. Bummer.
 

Ric

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$7K isn't bad depending on the motor. I went by my local Cub dealer today, but they didn't have a single Tank model. Bummer.

Now if I can get this right the SZ 60 has a Kawasaki FX Series 27hp. The LZ 60 Has a Kohler Command 27 Hp.
 

Cirrus

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Thanks Ric. Both are engines that I like, with maybe the Koehler by a little more. Do both models come with the cannister-style air filter?
 

lezell

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I'm in a similar situation. I am going to begin mowing 3 acres for my church that has some pretty steep slopes and will probably not be the smoothest ground. I've read the horror stories of a ZTR on slopes and I wonder if time savings will be worth the risk of an accident. I'm thinking about a JD x500 with a 54" deck. Is this a good decision?
 

Ric

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Thanks Ric. Both are engines that I like, with maybe the Koehler by a little more. Do both models come with the cannister-style air filter?

Yes they both come with the Heavy-duty canister air filter.
 

mullins87

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I'm in a similar situation. I am going to begin mowing 3 acres for my church that has some pretty steep slopes and will probably not be the smoothest ground. I've read the horror stories of a ZTR on slopes and I wonder if time savings will be worth the risk of an accident. I'm thinking about a JD x500 with a 54" deck. Is this a good decision?

That is an excellent mower. The diff lock will come in handy on the slopes.
 

machineryman

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Just bought a new house with a 3 acre yard. The house sits up on a hill and the yard gently slopes down to the road. Definitely not a high grade for cross mowing. Just gently sloping. I need some help on buying a mower though. I've read through all the various threads and been to all my local dealers. Each says that theirs is the best. I'm sure you know the story. The problem I'm running into is that I can't seem to find what I think I want for $7K.

Here are some of my preferences:
Koehler or Kawasaki engine with canister filter preferably
54" minimum deck

They dealers are all telling me I should go with a mower than uses "pump and wheel motors" as opposed to "transaxles", whatever that means. They also say I need grease able spindles. Is there any truth to either of these?

Really like the Grasshopper 223, but it's out of my budget. Liked the Hustler Fast Track Super Duty, but it has sealed spindles, transaxles, and felt like it sat really low to the ground. Like the Bad Boy CZT, but when I climbed on them, the seats all felt weak and they squeaked badly. Just didn't give me a good feeling of quality. And the CZT uses transaxles too. LOVE the Ferris 2000z, but they are way outside my budget. No Dixie or ExMark dealer within reasonable driving distance. Didn't care for the Scags in my price range either.

Is there something I'm missing or am I being too picky for my particular needs?

you would need a large zero turn for 3 acres...I would opt for a tractor with a finish mower on rear and use a rider or small zero turn around the house.
 
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