Bang for buck lawn tractor or zero turn...

[fordracing19]

Ferris and the higher end BadBoy is about the only suspension mower you will get. My mower has a suspension seat which is really nice

The Scag Cheetah has a suspension platform.

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[BigDumbRedneck]

I have a Bad Boy 60" ZT with a 27HP Kohler. The deck is ridiculously heavy duty as is everything else. It mows 3+ acres every time I crank it and has done so for the last 3 years. The only thing I have had to do to it is standard maintenance--oil changes, filters, grease, sharpen blades, etc. Bought it at Tractor Supply and thought the price was reasonable. I used to have a lawn tractor and the ZT is a much better solution for me.

[TX_92_Notch]

Now if you have 5+ acres, all the extra cash in the world, real steep grades, constantly mowing really tall grass, need a real bagger or other unique circumstance I could see it.

I fit a couple of those criteria.

I recently bought a Kubota ZD326 to handle the 5.5 acre property we just bought. It's 60" wide and leaves a super clean cut. You would have to jog fast to keep up with it.

It's the commercial model, not the homeowners model, so it wasn't cheap by any means but it saves me a ton of time every time I use it.

[shumpertdavid]

Gravely makes a great unit if you have a dealer nearby. Dennards Farm Store here in Whitesboro sells hundreds of units a year. I have a commercial 60" Husqvarna and 52" Gravely, both bought second hand from Dennards. If you don't have to have a new unit, Call and Talk to Robert to see if they have any trade ins currently. I mow my grandmothers places around me and my dad's old place. Combined I do 10-12 acres in 5 different locations. Lot's of trees, sections, obstacles, etc and there's no way I'd want to go back to a bush hog or conventional rider.

3\4 acre isn't much, a 42" cut ZTR will hands down smoke the time it takes on a 60" conventional rider. I wish I had a pair of 60's or a 60 and 72, but beggars can't be choosers.

[8mpg]

I fit a couple of those criteria.

I recently bought a Kubota ZD326 to handle the 5.5 acre property we just bought. It's 60" wide and leaves a super clean cut. You would have to jog fast to keep up with it.

It's the commercial model, not the homeowners model, so it wasn't cheap by any means but it saves me a ton of time every time I use it.

baller... I looked at the ZD but it was out of my budget.

[sdun]

I would rather have a used commercial ztr than a new consumer model. My Ferris is a beast for the price of a new ztr at Tractor Supply, Lowes, etc. The damn thing was over 12k new and I paid less than a third of that. 5 years old and 700hrs of mowing football fields. Kawasaki 1000 v-twin, 72 inch cut. They claim it will mow at 12mph.

[Buick355]

Most people do not need the value that a higher end mower provides. Lawns are relatively easy ride and so on. Also, find yourself a good and reasonably priced repair dude and you're set. When I buy my lawn equipment, I do not even care about the warranties since they are not worth anything. My lawn will be 3' high by the time any warranty work is done - IF it gets done.

Now if you have 5+ acres, all the extra cash in the world, real steep grades, constantly mowing really tall grass, need a real bagger or other unique circumstance I could see it.

My yard has steep grades and tons of crevices and rocky areas. It sucks to mow. I'm glad I didn't get a lesser mower, as my Gravely is taking a beating.

Your right about the manufacturers warranty, prob worthless, but the shop's name is on the line with a local outfit like Outdoor World. I haven't had any issues with mine yet, but Ive heard that they go above and beyond if a customer has issues.

[TX_92_Notch]

baller... I looked at the ZD but it was out of my budget.

A true baller would've stepped up to the 72" version. It was $3k more.

I have too many trees for the 72" though. It's a chore with the 60" in certain areas, but then I mow the open areas and I am happy to have the width.

[ceyko]

My yard has steep grades and tons of crevices and rocky areas. It sucks to mow. I'm glad I didn't get a lesser mower, as my Gravely is taking a beating.

Your right about the manufacturers warranty, prob worthless, but the shop's name is on the line with a local outfit like Outdoor World. I haven't had any issues with mine yet, but Ive heard that they go above and beyond if a customer has issues.

Yeah to clarify, I feel like when buying from HD/Lowes...etc the warranty is worthless. If I were buying from a real dealer, I'd expect them to follow through on their warranties.

[ceyko]

A true baller would've stepped up to the 72" version. It was $3k more.

I have too many trees for the 72" though. It's a chore with the 60" in certain areas, but then I mow the open areas and I am happy to have the width.

That's one thing people forget too when buying a mower - sometimes a smaller deck is MUCH nicer than the largest you can get/afford for getting into places.

[8mpg]

A true baller would've stepped up to the 72" version. It was $3k more.

I have too many trees for the 72" though. It's a chore with the 60" in certain areas, but then I mow the open areas and I am happy to have the width.

lol... 72" is huge. I have a 60" deck and the dealer tried to convince me that the 52" deck was better because it clears grass out faster. I wanted teh width because the mower deck sticks out past the rear tires. Im kinda thinking he was right but still very happy with my mower.

[Rreemo]

I bought a Gravely from the guys at Outdoor World.

http://www.0turn.com/

The zero turns that the home improvement stores sell are crap. Stamped decks, cheap components, and no support if there's problems. If you need warranty work, Home Depot won't work on it so and have to take it to a local mower shop, you'll get crappy service because you didn't buy it there.

I'd spend a few hundred more and get a nice one that will last a couple of decades.

I have a Gravely HD and it is a beast. I mow my acre in 30-45 minutes and I have some rough terrain. I run over shit, hit stumps, back down into crevices, push things around ect. Trailer hooks up just as easy also. My buddy has a Husqvarna with the stamped deck and there is a huge build quality difference. On the flip side he has used his for four or five years with no issues but his lawn is more manicured. I have owned mine four with no issues also so just depends. The way mine is built though I expect it to be around for a while. You can hop up and down on my deck and it wont budge. Step on his and the whole mower and deck leans.

I bought a Gravely from them as well. The owner is a great guy and knows what hes talking about. I got a proturn 460 which is overkill but it will last my lifetime as long as I treat it well. I highly recommend these guys as well. Gravely is a good product and has been around for 90 years or so.

Gravely makes a great unit if you have a dealer nearby. Dennards Farm Store here in Whitesboro sells hundreds of units a year. I have a commercial 60" Husqvarna and 52" Gravely, both bought second hand from Dennards. If you don't have to have a new unit, Call and Talk to Robert to see if they have any trade ins currently. I mow my grandmothers places around me and my dad's old place. Combined I do 10-12 acres in 5 different locations. Lot's of trees, sections, obstacles, etc and there's no way I'd want to go back to a bush hog or conventional rider.

3\4 acre isn't much, a 42" cut ZTR will hands down smoke the time it takes on a 60" conventional rider. I wish I had a pair of 60's or a 60 and 72, but beggars can't be choosers.

Another Gravely owner here....I bought a 148 Commercial from Outdoor World 5 years ago, and it has been one of the best purchases I've made. They cut me a good deal on it b/c it was the previous year's model at the time, but still brand new leftover in the showroom. I added the tow hitch and the mulching kit as well....not the generic mulcher/discharge cover, the actual Gravely brand kit with all the steel dividers, blades, etc.

When we bought our place I mowed the first 4 seasons with a Husqvarna (typical Lowes unit)...I bought it used with 170 hours on it, and it was okay at best, but I had to work on it a lot too...replaced belts, one spindle, starter, several issues with the carb, some issues with the tank vent, some welding on the deck, etc. The Gravely cut my mowing time to less than half what I used to do on that old orange mower....and the yard looks way better too....and all I've done is regular maintenance so far. What a lot of people don't get is that it isn't just about how much easier it is to go around trees, corners and such...you can also mow a lot faster in a straight line with these things. I'd never go back to a tractor style rider now.

[ceyko]

Okay, I'm going to counter myself a bit. I'm going to start looking at the more commercial grade mowers.

We use a mulching kit.

Between rain, sports/coaching, work and such sometimes it goes 1.5-2 weeks before I can get out there and mow and it has been taking FOREVER to mow my lawn and I think it's a bit too much wear and tear on this guy. Neighbor bought some higher end John Deere and was done in under an hour. Oh and half the lawn was mowed at the highest deck setting and still took forever.

[TX_92_Notch]

FYI - Kubota does up to 48 mos zero percent or 60 mos at 0.9%.

You're in Van Alstyne so the Sherman dealer is closest to you. I stopped in there and the salesman (older guy, initials for a name) couldn't have been less interested in selling me a zero turn mower and RTV. I went to Deen Implement in Forney and they were very friendly and answered all of my questions and I bought from them. My pops is now driving from the west side of Lake Texoma to Forney for service on his Kubota tractor when needed because the Sherman Kubota dealer has been treating him poorly as well.

I went all in and bought the ZD326. It's an absolute beast and I don't regret the purchase one bit. They've got cheaper models for sure. I spoke to a guy that represents several zero-turn manufacturers and asked him what he would buy if he were buying a zero turn for himself. He had nothing but positive words for the Kubota equipment (and I didn't mention Kubota before asking the question).

[ceyko]

FYI - Kubota does up to 48 mos zero percent or 60 mos at 0.9%.

You're in Van Alstyne so the Sherman dealer is closest to you. I stopped in there and the salesman (older guy, initials for a name) couldn't have been less interested in selling me a zero turn mower and RTV. I went to Deen Implement in Forney and they were very friendly and answered all of my questions and I bought from them. My pops is now driving from the west side of Lake Texoma to Forney for service on his Kubota tractor when needed because the Sherman Kubota dealer has been treating him poorly as well.

I went all in and bought the ZD326. It's an absolute beast and I don't regret the purchase one bit. They've got cheaper models for sure. I spoke to a guy that represents several zero-turn manufacturers and asked him what he would buy if he were buying a zero turn for himself. He had nothing but positive words for the Kubota equipment (and I didn't mention Kubota before asking the question).

Good info, I will keep that in mind for sure. Also going to research that model. Appreciate it.