Should I buy Commercial or a Homeowner mower for 4+ Acres

[Ric]

Humm, Lets see shouldn't that be you get what you're stupid enough to pay for??

I Kinda look at buying mowers like buying coffee, you can buy Kopi Luwak for like $80 per lb or you can buy Folgers or Maxwell House for 3.95 per lb and guess what when there made they both come out black and can you actually taste any difference, especially when you screw them both up with cream and sugar.

I look at mowers the same way, you can go out and buy a ZTR and spend 10 or 12K, buy the Name, buy the Gimmicks, and the bragging rights or spend 4 to 5k on a good commercial ZTR and in the end guess what? they both just cut grass.

I really don't care what anyone buys for a mower and really not here to be called stupid. Go buy what ever you want and leave me out of it because I could care less. I am not bragging to anyone and not on this forum to disagree only to help. I drink Folgers coffee if you want to know.

Well to begin with nobody called anybody stupid and I surely didn't say you were bragging, I simply rephrased the saying You get what you pay for. The point I was trying to make is that to many people pay for things that they have no use for. A mower is a mower is a mower, the end result is they all cut grass the same way. Buying a mower should be based on How and What you're going to be using it for, not gimmicks and bells and whistles that amount to extra cost and that have no functionality.

 

[Grass ala Mowed]

Nice thing about coffee is a pound only lasts a week or so around here, so you're only out a few dollars and can try a differant brand next week. A mower should be a long term investment and besides price there is feel and convenience. What I like and am comfortable using may not suit you. Easy to perform maintenance makes it more likely that the maintenance will be done, but again some people are sticklers for maintenance and will overcome small obstacles, some won't. In the end, it's your money and your decision. Shop carefully. It took me six months to buy my last mower and I haven't regretted it.

 

[Parkmower]

Mmm coffee

 

[ibbuckshot]

It always pays to do your homework. It also depends on how much you can afford, what is available- don't forget parts on down the road. Quality - Quality- Quality. A lot like buying real estate - location-location - location. We only have 2.5 flat acres with trees. After 40 years of great Wheel Horse quality I updated to a Z turn Scag Wildcat 60 inch cut with a 27 hp Kohler. Buying this as an investment has cut my mowing time in half. There for the machine will have one half the working hours over what I use to have with the Wheel Horse. I like the Scag very much. Have had it for about six years. Aside from grease, oil and filters I have not had to buy anything except for the battery I am about to replace in about an hour. Good luck - hope this helps.
Have Fun,
buckshot

 

[KennyV]

lawnhero take your spam back to that site....

 

[Fracture]

Hi everyone,
I have a similar mowing scenario, ~5 rolling acres, and not happy w/ my 54" big box version "JD" mower. If one was willing to go for the $5K, where could one do reliable research without having to drive to all the dealers. I'm somewhat rural and don't want to spend several days driving to dealers just to figure out what's available (features/price/etc.) and that wouldn't get me the users experience either. If I could at least pare it down to 2 (or 3) dealers to get 'hands on', that would be a GIANT help.

Thanx,
gino

 

[Willyvon]

On the off chance you decide to go with a homeowner mower( with that many acres I really can't imagine why) here's a quiet ultimately simple option. Were I in the market for a new mower to replace my 7 y/o Neuton EM-4.1 (direct ancestor to their CE 5.4) to mow my 60' x 120' lot, I'd probably get theirs shown in the 2nd link. I mean, simpler is almost always more reliable, right? How much simpler is battery electric than internal combustion power?
Recharge Mower - Recharge Mower G2 Riding Mower
Recharge Mower - Recharege Ultralite Push Mower

 

[reynoldston]

Hi everyone,
I have a similar mowing scenario, ~5 rolling acres, and not happy w/ my 54" big box version "JD" mower. If one was willing to go for the $5K, where could one do reliable research without having to drive to all the dealers. I'm somewhat rural and don't want to spend several days driving to dealers just to figure out what's available (features/price/etc.) and that wouldn't get me the users experience either. If I could at least pare it down to 2 (or 3) dealers to get 'hands on', that would be a GIANT help.

Thanx,
gino

I see in a earlier post by Ric on this trend a ZTR rider for 5000 dollars. Don't know the brand or size. My advice for that kind of money do your research and check the dealers. I know it is a pain to do but you sure don't want to end up with another mower you don't like. Seeing you have a mower you should be able to take your time looking. Also a good place to look at them is a little later in the summer if they have any farm or home owner shows around by you. Who knows maybe you will put another 5000 dollars with the first 5000 and get a Ferris.

 

[honestblades]

Always buy a commercial grade mower to do large properties. I learned this a few years ago. I purchased a brand new top of the line craftsman riding mower from sears and used it to cut 5.6 acres once a week. When I got halfway through the second cut the motor was already burning oil. Corporate America is greedy.... that's why they build cheap residential mowers that break quickly,because they know that you will either keep forking out $1500 to replace a rider,or else you will go all out and drop alot of money on a commercial grade mower.

I see people on here posting about commercial mowers costing $10,000 and up. While this is true,that doesn't mean that they all cost that much. Heck,you can buy a new kubota with a diesel engine for $10-12k.
Four years ago I purchased a bobcat commercial grade 48" mower new. I paid $5600 plus tax for it. The price on them has now gone up,however you can still pick one up for around $6500. I picked the bobcat for a couple of reasons. One of the reasons is the fact that it has about the thickest deck and chassis that I have ever seen (just like a kubota). The second reason was the warranty. Bobcat gives you two different warranty options. You can choose either a 5 year 500 hour warranty,or a two year 2000 hour warranty. The bobcats have kawasaki motors of them (not my favorite now) but it cuts grass. With only 18 hours on it it was burning oil due to a vent of some sort missing from inside the engine (factory error) I had to fight on the phone with kawasaki and the dealer for a year and a half or so,and finally they put a new engine on it 3 days before the original warranty expired. It runs great now. It's a well built mower that is durable,and it costs less than the others. Also I have noticed that during the fall,my local dealer sells demo models with 20 hours or so on them for around $3500 WITH a warranty.... so keep that in mind.

 

[Willyvon]

On the off chance you decide to go with a homeowner mower( with that many acres I really can't imagine why) here's a quiet ultimately simple option. Were I in the market for a new mower to replace my 7 y/o Neuton EM-4.1 (direct ancestor to their CE 5.4) to mow my 60' x 120' lot, I'd probably get theirs shown in the 2nd link. I mean, simpler is almost always more reliable, right? How much simpler is battery electric than internal combustion power?
Recharge Mower - Recharge Mower G2 Riding Mower
Recharge Mower - Recharege Ultralite Push Mower

Better yet, let most of it grow in taller grasses, thereby providing support for more life and security for the shoreline with it's way deeper root systems. Periodically get some serious physical/ aerobic and quiet mental conditioning by mowing the taller stuff with this. Mow the classically groomed shorter stuff with the Rechargemower rider.
Oh, and for the shorter stuff get the grass seed listed also. It grows slower, uses way less fertilizer and water(probably due to 4'-6' deep roots). I've been using it exclusively for my Chicago area suburban lawn for over a decade. I watered once all year in most of the last 5-6 years. The price of all grass seed has risen to where it's price is no longer a premium at just a few $ more than even cheap seed. It bears a root dwelling fungus (endophyte) that infuses a substance into the plant, concentrating at soil level that kills plant eating insects and grubs. Not for grazing animals. It can make them sick. The neighborhood rabbits no longer feed on my lawn.They've learned better. I'm < 400 yds from Cook County Forrest Preserves.

Traditional Austrian Scythe - Lee Valley Tools

Turf Alive! Grass Seed Mixtures