Hello from Ky!

As you can probably tell by my username I'm new to the zero turn market.

A little bit about myself. I'm about to close on a new house sitting on .8 of an acre and joined this forum so I can try and decide the best bang for my buck but also want something reliable and user friendly. Price range is somewhere in the 5k dollar range. Also, want a mower that cuts good so I can get those nice stripes in my lawn 

I welcome anybody's opinion and look forward to being a part of this forum.

:welcome:

Welcome to the forum.

You've come to a good place for info.
We can talk your ear off about zero turns :wink:

:welcome::welcome:

Welcome aboard. So many Z's to choose from. What are the local lawn mower crews using for mowers ? Around me it is Toros.

What Mower Dealers are close to your new place. These are things to consider also.

Catherine said:

:welcome:

Welcome to the forum.

You've come to a good place for info.
We can talk your ear off about zero turns :wink:

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Thanks! Glad I found this place?

7394 said:

Welcome aboard. So many Z's to choose from. What are the local lawn mower crews using for mowers ? Around me it is Toros.

What Mower Dealers are close to your new place. These are things to consider also.

Click to expand...

You are so right so many Z's to choose from!!

To answer your question about the dealers around me there is John Deere, Huskuvara, Skag, Kubota, Cub Cadet and Gravely and Spartan to name a few! So I have a wide array of choices to deal with.

I like the looks of the Spartan mower but since they haven't been around very long it's hard for me to spend that kind of money on something that's not really established IMO.

John Deere is more than likely out of my price range but man those machines was really nice!

My buddy has a 48" Husky and seems to like it.

I've heard nothing but good things about the Skag brand but heard it takes like 3 hours to change the blades.

I haven't really heard anything about Cub Cadet or Kubota I guess there just not as popular as the other brands. And I actually drove a Gravely and it seemed like for the price and features it was the best bang for the buck so to speak.

So that lead me hear to see what all the members of this forum had to say about the different brands. After my research and listening to dealers it seems like the Kawasaki motor is hands down the best motors for ZTRS!! and as far as cut I'd like to be around 52" or so.

Thanks for all the responses and I look forward to doing some more research before I make my decision.

New2ZTRS said:

As you can probably tell by my username I'm new to the zero turn market.

A little bit about myself. I'm about to close on a new house sitting on .8 of an acre and joined this forum so I can try and decide the best bang for my buck but also want something reliable and user friendly. Price range is somewhere in the 5k dollar range. Also, want a mower that cuts good so I can get those nice stripes in my lawn 

I welcome anybody's opinion and look forward to being a part of this forum.

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Lets spend all of your money on an Exmark Radius E 48" mower. This machine has an excellent cutting deck, 4 year warranty, plenty of power and can move at around 8mph. There are many other good machines at that price point, such as the Ferris 400S, there are some Scags, Bob Cats and others that will take you right up to $5K, but you could spend a little less with a Cub Cadet ZT2 and still have somewhat premium features. I am also a big fan of the Toro Timecutter HD 48". it does not have quite as much power as the Exmark Radius E, but it does have better hydrostatics. It also includes the adjustable speed settings via a separate speed selector so that you can have both handles pushed forward and be limited to a travel speed that is comfortable. Once big challenge for some ZTR owners is being able to track straight as ground speed increases. This is easiest when the handles are both pushed as far forward as possible so long as the drives are properly adjusted and you do not have a grade to deal with.

Just some thoughts. And before a ton of people tell you start buying used commercial units, consider that only a new mower has a warranty and if you are not the type of person who wants to get dirty the first few years potentially fixing issues, then new is the way to go. At $5K you will have a nice machine regardless, and if taken care of should last you far beyond the warranty period anyway.

Just my opinions of course . . .

I'd suggest trying to 'test drive' as many as possible. And see how the Dealer responds to all your questions.