whodunit68
Member
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2018
- Threads
- 2
- Messages
- 11
So, I live in north central Florida and about 1 year ago purchased my first single family home (I travel extensively for work so have lived in condos/townhomes).
We're on just short of 4 acres and are considering a neighboring lot of 1.8 acres for a total of <6.
I started looking and...holy cripes:
In town...
Ace Hardware
Craftsman (no ZTR that I know of)
Snapper
True Value
Bobcat
Dixie Chopper
Others within ~10 minutes:
Husqvarna
Hustler
Cub Cadet
Grasshopper
~30 mins
Kubota
Exmark
John Deere
Scag
Ferris
BadBoy
Ariens
Gravely
Swisher
I see some others like Big Dog. My buddy just bought an Exmark and he loves it. I visited the dealer and wasn't overwhelmed by the salesperson. I've even called twice in 3 days since to re-visit but no luck. I do not want to go to a big box store (rather support the little guys for service, etc, etc).
I've got mostly flat, sandy terrain with primarily Bahia grass that, in the summer, should realistically be cut every week as it grows FAST. I want to minimize the time spent as mentioned earlier I travel for work. It's got to be somewhat comfortable as the wife claims (though I'll believe it when it starts snowing here in Florida) that she will participate in the mowing.
I'm in the ~$6k range I think for a ZTR. I see options for Diesel, Propane, and gas. Should I care?
I'm thinking a 50-54" or a 60/61/62" will do the job for me (depending on model). I'm pretty sure I'll go lap-bar.
I've done quite a bit of reading/YouTube-ing/searching goodsearch.com. I'm not particularly interested in financing so those offers are great but I probably won't take advantage. Why do I mention that? Well, money always matters. I've seen people recommend brands over another because of promotions (and it's a valid reason when comparing similar models).
I'm not particularly handy so service is important (the reason I care about how far the dealer is).
I see that folks love and hate so many brands. I do see a lot of love for Scag and Exmark. I'm seeing some for Ferris. I've seen some for Hustler recently which caught me off guard (I don't know why it did but it did).
I think I like the idea of a Kawasaki motor (just based on my limited research). I'd be thrilled if it had a turbo and could do wheelies ....
So, I won't go so far as to ask you for your inputs on which one I should get (I'm very open to your suggestions) but I will ask...other than the obvious test drive (I honestly haven't seen enough in a 2-5 minute test drive to sway me), how on earth do I choose other than what I've been doing?
I prefer new for the reason mentioned earlier - I likely won't do my own maintenance yet - so, Craigslist is out for now.
Thanks all, appreciate your patience with my explanation and request.
We're on just short of 4 acres and are considering a neighboring lot of 1.8 acres for a total of <6.
I started looking and...holy cripes:
In town...
Ace Hardware
Craftsman (no ZTR that I know of)
Snapper
True Value
Bobcat
Dixie Chopper
Others within ~10 minutes:
Husqvarna
Hustler
Cub Cadet
Grasshopper
~30 mins
Kubota
Exmark
John Deere
Scag
Ferris
BadBoy
Ariens
Gravely
Swisher
I see some others like Big Dog. My buddy just bought an Exmark and he loves it. I visited the dealer and wasn't overwhelmed by the salesperson. I've even called twice in 3 days since to re-visit but no luck. I do not want to go to a big box store (rather support the little guys for service, etc, etc).
I've got mostly flat, sandy terrain with primarily Bahia grass that, in the summer, should realistically be cut every week as it grows FAST. I want to minimize the time spent as mentioned earlier I travel for work. It's got to be somewhat comfortable as the wife claims (though I'll believe it when it starts snowing here in Florida) that she will participate in the mowing.
I'm in the ~$6k range I think for a ZTR. I see options for Diesel, Propane, and gas. Should I care?
I'm thinking a 50-54" or a 60/61/62" will do the job for me (depending on model). I'm pretty sure I'll go lap-bar.
I've done quite a bit of reading/YouTube-ing/searching goodsearch.com. I'm not particularly interested in financing so those offers are great but I probably won't take advantage. Why do I mention that? Well, money always matters. I've seen people recommend brands over another because of promotions (and it's a valid reason when comparing similar models).
I'm not particularly handy so service is important (the reason I care about how far the dealer is).
I see that folks love and hate so many brands. I do see a lot of love for Scag and Exmark. I'm seeing some for Ferris. I've seen some for Hustler recently which caught me off guard (I don't know why it did but it did).
I think I like the idea of a Kawasaki motor (just based on my limited research). I'd be thrilled if it had a turbo and could do wheelies ....
So, I won't go so far as to ask you for your inputs on which one I should get (I'm very open to your suggestions) but I will ask...other than the obvious test drive (I honestly haven't seen enough in a 2-5 minute test drive to sway me), how on earth do I choose other than what I've been doing?
I prefer new for the reason mentioned earlier - I likely won't do my own maintenance yet - so, Craigslist is out for now.
Thanks all, appreciate your patience with my explanation and request.