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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?

Maybe a use ag tractor with a 6 foot bushog and then a finish mower for around the house

The dealers that are recommending pumps and wheel motors and greaseable deck spindles are giving you information based on their service experience and this is good info.
There are some good machines that have Hydro Gear hydrostatic drive units and I suggest that you do some research on these drive units to be better informed about them when you make a decision on a machine. Hydro Gear has a nice website and some info about their products.
The few folk that I have chatted with that have purchased BadBoyz machines have not been happy with them.
Some basic guidelines that I recommend:
If you are not capable of servicing the machine yourself, then think about a machine from a local quality servicing dealer.
Larger diameter rear wheels are better for ride quality and minimal turf damage while turning around.
A foot operated deck lift for quick raising of the deck to get over obstacles that can cause blade damage.
A canister type air filter on the engine.
A sizable fuel tank(s) so you don't need to refuel as often.
A comfortable seat and control position.
More HP is better than not enough particularly with collection systems installed.
Possibility of collection system, some machines are better setup to accomodate collection systems.
Just some of my thoughts!!

Cirrus said:

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?

Click to expand...

You can go with the pump and wheel motors but you really don't need those, there more for a commercial application, and grease able spindles IMO are a must .Any mower with the 2800 or larger Dual Hydro-Gear Transmissions are more than enough for a three acre yard. Have you checked out the Cub Cadet Z- Force, you can buy the 54" for $4799
Cub Cadet - Zero Turn Riding Mowers - Z-Force Riders
I run the 44 and 48" in the business and I can tell you for the money you can't beat the mower

redfish9 said:

Maybe a use ag tractor with a 6 foot bushog and then a finish mower for around the house

Click to expand...

Garage space is at a premium, so multiple pieces of equipment for the same job is not a good option. Plus, I like nice straight lines in my yard. I want to be able to spin around on the end and go back in the opposite direction. Difficult and time-consuming to do with an actual tractor. Especially if there is no power steering on the tractor. This would not be a good option for what I'm looking for.

Mad Mackie said:

The dealers that are recommending pumps and wheel motors and greaseable deck spindles are giving you information based on their service experience and this is good info.
There are some good machines that have Hydro Gear hydrostatic drive units and I suggest that you do some research on these drive units to be better informed about them when you make a decision on a machine. Hydro Gear has a nice website and some info about their products.
The few folk that I have chatted with that have purchased BadBoyz machines have not been happy with them.
Some basic guidelines that I recommend:
If you are not capable of servicing the machine yourself, then think about a machine from a local quality servicing dealer.
Larger diameter rear wheels are better for ride quality and minimal turf damage while turning around.
A foot operated deck lift for quick raising of the deck to get over obstacles that can cause blade damage.
A canister type air filter on the engine.
A sizable fuel tank(s) so you don't need to refuel as often.
A comfortable seat and control position.
More HP is better than not enough particularly with collection systems installed.
Possibility of collection system, some machines are better setup to accomodate collection systems.
Just some of my thoughts!!

Click to expand...

Canister air filter is important to me also. I won't be running a collection system, so that's a non-issue for me. I definitely plan on buying from a local dealer. I can do the regular maintenance service, but want the option of having a knowledgeable dealer handy in case something more series needs to be addressed.

I was going to suggest a John Deere X540. It has a 24-26hp liquid cooled Kawasaki motor, hydraulic power steering, hydraulic lift on a 54" deck and I think tilt steering. The MSRP on that mower is $7,699. But, I see you're leaning towards the z-turns. The only mower I can suggest that I have real longterm experience with is the Kubota. My father has the ZD28 with a 72" deck. New it is way out of your price range, but a nice used one should be fairly affordable.

Ric said:

You can go with the pump and wheel motors but you really don't need those, there more for a commercial application, and grease able spindles IMO are a must .Any mower with the 2800 or larger Dual Hydro-Gear Transmissions are more than enough for a three acre yard. Have you checked out the Cub Cadet Z- Force, you can buy the 54" for $4799
Cub Cadet - Zero Turn Riding Mowers - Z-Force Riders
I run the 44 and 48" in the business and I can tell you for the money you can't beat the mower

Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion. I'd really prefer to have a mower with at least a 58" cut and 60" would be better. I don't mind spending the money to buying a higher quality mower if it will pay off in the long run.

My ideal mower would be the Grasshopper 223. The 54" deck is selling for $7900 and the 61" deck is selling for $8200. A lot more than I'd want to spend, but I know I'd be buying a true commercial mower with a great engine, pump and wheel motors, and a solid reputation. I may try to keep an eye on Craigslist, but I doubt I will find one with relatively low hours.

you might be surprised about craigslist... I used list-alert.com (a craigslist aggregator) and found a bunch of used mowers that I would have been fine with. I ended up buying a country clipper used off CL and I am extremely pleased with it. I bought the country clipper for the heavy duty easily serviced deck design. I would also listen to these guys... they have so much experience and are very happy to share it. I mow much less that what you are mowing, but your still not mowing anything near what these guys do ... so I feel comfortable in their recommendations. I had specific needs, wanted the largest deck that could get and still go through one of my gates, a deck design that made it easy to replace blades, belts or spindles... and a joystick! I have arthritis in my shoulders and while the levers give finer control than the joystick designs, I have no issues using the joystick and it leaves my other hand free to move low hanging branches or a beer! I bought my mower for 1300-1400 less than the current year model and it only had 27 hours on it. I almost bought the cub cadet RTZ S with a 50 inch deck, but decided the deck looked too flimsy, the z force version someone else recommended has a much better deck and I would not hesitate to believe it would meet your needs. I ended up paying less for the country clipper albeit with a smaller deck(but every bit as heavy duty as the other manufacturers fabricated decks) because it really met my needs and thats pretty much all anyone can ask for.

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.

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.

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.

Cirrus said:

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.

Click to expand...

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.

$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.

Cirrus said:

$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.

Click to expand...

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.

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?

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?

Cirrus said:

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?

Click to expand...

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

lezell said:

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?

Click to expand...

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

Cirrus said:

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?

Click to expand...

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.

machineryman said:

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.

Click to expand...

Sometimes we need to read the previous post before replying. The OP clearly stated he wasn't he didn't want a tractor and that he didn't have room for multiple pcs of equipment in his garage. He has also made it fairly clear he wants a zero turn mower.


I mow 2 acres with plenty of trees with a 48" Husqvarna commercial ZTR in about 1.5 hours, I'm sure a 54" or 60" would meet his needs and he'd be very satisfied.

I understand your desire for a canister and grease-able spindles but at 3 acres of easy cutting, you may be throwing lots of moeney and perhaps over buying. I had 2 acres of lawn to cut which led to four acres. I had an old White, 18hp 42"deck which would take me the better part of the weekend to cut, every weekend. I was spending every second of down time taking care of the lawn. Don't get me wrong - I love taking care of it but EVERY weekend and ALL weekend?

Point is, I think we were in the same boat. I started looking at zero turns and wanted one due to the power, speed, and the ability to get very good quality (commercial grade.) Problem was I didn't want a 1-trick pony. I needed something that would cut fast but still pull an aerator, broadcast spreader, garden cart.

Where I ended was with a Craftsman PGT9000 - for these reasons. Close (kinda) to a zero turn. It's 50% faster, 50% more power and 25% more cutting, (54"deck) than what I had. The other big reason is Sears Essentials was going out of business and I got the tractor and a triple bagger for $2864. I will NOT dispute what the reviews state about this tractor because by and large, they're all true but for 3 acres of manicured lawn for your purposes please consider higher end garden tractors. As you stated, garage space is a concern. Me, I'd love to have the PGT9000 for the fields and a zero turn for the manicured lawns but as you said, I wouldn't be able to store that many goodies either.

I will also share that this PGT is as fast as some zero turns, (I've seen ranges from 7 - 12mph.) This PGT does 7.6mph and it flies through the cutting. It literally more than halfed my time. I'm not trying to sell you on mine because I think there's better, but more suggesting you look at garden (vs lawn) tractors more before ruling them out. I thinks you'll get more versatility.

Just my opinions here meaning to help. Either way, you seem to be doing good research. Look forward to hearing what you decide on.

RickO

Someplace, some where I saw a new product. It was like a cross between a lawn tractor, a generator and a mini-vehicle, (like a very small ATV.)

It got me thinking. Why not? Why are there no cross bred ATV's and Lawn Tractors? The unit having an onboard generator doesn't do much for me but I have to say- I love that someone is reinventing the concept. In a perfect world, I'd like to see a tractor with HIGH clearance, 4x4, removable (finish) cutting deck, rear platform that would accept ATV tools, (broadcast sprayer...) and a rugged trailer hitch so I could remove the finish deck a pull a 54-60 inch rough cut mower so I could do the fields...

I may be insane but I'd like to see the product.

RickO said:

Someplace, some where I saw a new product. It was like a cross between a lawn tractor, a generator and a mini-vehicle, (like a very small ATV.)

It got me thinking. Why not? Why are there no cross bred ATV's and Lawn Tractors? The unit having an onboard generator doesn't do much for me but I have to say- I love that someone is reinventing the concept. In a perfect world, I'd like to see a tractor with HIGH clearance, 4x4, removable (finish) cutting deck, rear platform that would accept ATV tools, (broadcast sprayer...) and a rugged trailer hitch so I could remove the finish deck a pull a 54-60 inch rough cut mower so I could do the fields...

I may be insane but I'd like to see the product.

Click to expand...

Yes, it is called the Raven available at Lowes. See the following links for more info:

• Shop Raven 46-in Hybrid Riding Lawn Mower at Lowes.com
• http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/general-mower-discussion/14015-raven-46-hybrid-riding-lawn-mower.html
• http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/front-porch/13884-check-out.html
• http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/electric-battery-operated/14079-raven-electric-mower.html

Yes...!!! This is what I saw. (Thanks.) From my perspective, I'd like to see all the manufactures consider this and develop their own version. My dream would be 75% ATV with a rear PTO, rugged frame, high clearance and a detachable mid-mount finish deck. I hope this new design takes off and some great ideas come out. I have to now finish cut 5 acres and field cut 15 acres. I REALLY do not want to go out and buy a 40K Kubota. (Ouch.)

Based on my problems mowing 2 acres with an Intek 24 powered craftsman 3 bagger stay away from Briggs. Got a lemon? Maybe I did. Without any reason other than proven engine tech in motorcycles I'd go Kawasaki. Bad vibes on this forum for current Kohlers? And consumers mag is not recommending Cub Cadet due to problems ( buyer surveys). Also notice a big ad campaign by Cub Cadet. Should that scare us?

motoman said:

Based on my problems mowing 2 acres with an Intek 24 powered craftsman 3 bagger stay away from Briggs. Got a lemon? Maybe I did. Without any reason other than proven engine tech in motorcycles I'd go Kawasaki. Bad vibes on this forum for current Kohlers? And consumers mag is not recommending Cub Cadet due to problems ( buyer surveys). Also notice a big ad campaign by Cub Cadet. Should that scare us?

Click to expand...

motoman,
Nope, not an isolated "lemon" case with that B & S!! I had a 2006 Craftsman 52" YS4500 that had the same 24hp Intek. A real piece of junk. On the other hand, I had a 1993 True Value 46" Lawn Chief lawn tractor(that was FINALLY retired last year) that had a 16hp B & S Vanguard that was a GREAT engine and still ran like brand new when the tractor & deck fell out from around it after 19 years. That Vanguard still didn't use a drop of oil between seasonal oil changes and out-mowed that 24hp Intek hands-down. B & S lost sight of the small engine designs from years gone by and have lost a lot of consumer confidence along the way. They are no longer a first pick for me that's for sure as I'm sure you will agree. I hated to go "Japanese", but the Kawasaki's are the dominant small engine for reliability now. The Kohler Courage was a big mistake for that company as well!!!

Cirrus said:

$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.

Click to expand...

Cirrus,
Most of us here on the forums will recommend the mower brands that we own which is understandable(especially if we are happy with them). User Ric has had very good service from his Cubs and those LZ & SZ mowers are fine machines. But like I said earlier, I am a very happy Gravely ZTR owner, so I would encourage you to see if there is a local dealer where you can compare the Gravely's to others you are considering. The entry level Commercial Gravely Pro-Turn XDZ 100 that I bought(the 52") has a Kawasaki FX691V and the 60" in that series has the FX730V. Both are right down your alley(cannister filters) and both have a full suspension seat and a WEALTH of Commercial grade features and Warranties. The 52" has a MSRP of $7499 and the 60" $7799. Below is a link to the Gravely website and you can locate a dealer and check online MSRP pricing from there. I think you will be impressed with the Gravely which won my money(I also made offers on a Hustler Fastrak Super Duty, Bad Boy Outlaw and Dixon DX100...but the Gravely was my overall favorite). Good luck finding he ZTR that is the best fit for you!!!

Pro-Turn 100 Zero Turn Mower

Have you look at the Ferris? Just got the IS700Z.Greasable spindles,front axels and commercial drives.