Which to chose (zero turn)? Ariens, Bad Boy, Gravely, Husqvarna, John Deere, Scags, Walker, Woods, orther?

[chowee21]

In the market for a new Zero Turnand need help selecting a new one! Any recommendations are welcomed!

Current Mower: 2011 Cub Cadet 54" Z-Force S 24HP Kohler SV725 Courage (current Chair height is around 23" from ground to seat & ~42" to top of seat)
Current Mow time: I have two - 3 Acre plots and take around 1.5-2 hours of mowing each... moderate # of trees & obstacles, fairly level, some minor hills/inclines

Requirements of a replacement mower:
-Speed: 8+ MPH (i like i want to be in the 9-10 range)
-Deck: between 52"-60" (54" is about the sweet spot)
-Price: Prefer to be <$5000 but will consider <$7000
-Lower seating height (I have trees with lower branches... my old Walker made this really easy on me)
-New or used


Bonus Questions:
-Which brands have lower clearance heights for the chair? (i.e. besides walker)
-Kawasaki vs Kohler?
-Hydrogear minimum size recommendation? (>2800?)
-What is considered low hours for a mower i'd want to keep for 8-10 years? (for example, for cars, I would not consider buying a car with over 50,000 miles... what would be equivalent for hours? )

 

[Romore]

They are all good but dealer service is more important than brand. Are the people friendly and knowledgeable? Do they have a neat wwell equipped service area and a well stocked parts room? Or would you wait two days while they order a belt or oil filter? As far as engines go, the one in your list I would pass on is the Chinese built Kohler Courage. The Command is solid as is the Kawi but they ain't cheap. You are looking used for a quality mower in your price range, condition is really important. Does the seller have detailed maintenance records? Is the machine reasonably clean or appear rode hard and put up wet? Does it start easily without a lot of smoke? Do the hydros work smoothly without unusual noises.

 

[cruzenmike]

There is a lot to dissect in your post, but I will help give you some guidance with a few simple statements:

Your mowing speed is not determined by the ground speed of the machine so much as it is the grass being cut, the terrain being navigated and your own ability to control that machine. Having something that travels at 10 mph does not guarantee that you will be able to cut any faster than a machine that only travels 7 mph with moderate obstacles, overgrowth or bumpy terrain.

You have the potential to mow 750 - 1000 hours over a 10 year period assuming that you mow each lawn 1x week, 26 weeks of the year. This is no small amount, so you have to be sure that you invest your money wisely, both into the machine and into proper maintenance.

With hydrostatic transmissions, you want ones that are serviceable and that have charge pumps. This will provide you greater durability over time. You will find that the 2800 and up will typically be 8 mph or more, but the benefit of larger transmissions usually comes in the form of greater torque which is needed for larger machines. (Example, my Exmark has 2800s, weighs in at 880 lbs and travels at 8.5 mph. My Step Dad's Ferris has 4400s, weighs in at 1400 lbs and travels at only 10 mph)

There are many great machines in your price range, and you will find that many will offer up suggestions for what they know best. I have had two Exmarks and both exceeded my expectations, but it is the most "premium" machine out there. And by that I mean that you pay more for less features typically. Why? Excellent cut quality, good warranty, terrific dealer network and so on.

In simply looking at what you have listed, I would consider the Cub Cadet ZTX5 54", that is if you are okay with staying with the Cub brand. And while it goes against what I have just said regarding the engines in particular, the new Toro Titan series with the 24.5 hp engine and commercial air filtration is a nice machine. I just saw one at the dealer the other day and it is basically the same machine as my Exmark Radius E for about $1000 less. The only thing that I could see that really made them different was some slightly thinner steel on the deck lift assist and knowing that it has a shorter warranty. Otherwise, they have the same engine, same transmissions, very similar deck designs and so on.