Any reason not to get this mower?

Geez what goes inside a 204,000 sqft building anways.

 

I have a couple of customers that store their products in it currently. I used to store and transport empty glass bottle to Jack Daniels which is 15 miles away. When I got out of trucking Jack took the bottle business to another warehouse. Now I just lease to different companies and don't have to deal with day to day operations. My customers have their own staff. All I do is cut the grass

 

"And cause I was a Gazillionaire, and I liked doin' it so much, I cut that grass for free."
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

ROTFLMAO Beats the hell out of having to go to the office every day. Not quite a Gazillionaire though

 

Doc: Think E-Friendly. Get one of these
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I had a commercial scag 36 with the sulky for three years. Sold it and got a John Deere GT225 with a 48" deck. the JD was twice as fast and 10 times easier to start. I sold the JD a few years ago and hired a crew for $155 per month (a little over 2 acres). They do a much better job than I ever did, and the lawn looks happier for the change. But for many people doing their own lawn is like therapy, so if it makes you happy, go for it!

BT

 

A good way to get a good idea of what works well in your area is just look at what's on the landscape trailers you always see going here and there. Those guys cut grass for a living so you’d think they’d get it right. Around here it's exmark 50+% or the time, the ferris (4 wheel independent suspension, how can you not like that ) maybe 30% and the balance everybody else.

I almost bought a simplicity. They bought ferris and now sell a couple of the ferris models for a little less money, the best price I could get on a 61” machine was $8500 which was most than I want to spend but I was almost ready to do it when I found the left over Husky for $6500.

 

so true, why you cutting the grass? give them a push mower and they'll learn the words "hard work"

I think I was mowing at 6, and dad showed me once how to unclog the part from the blades to the bag, said" if you cut off your fingers, you won't be doing it again"

 

have you looked at the cub cadet? their commercial zero clearance is outstanding.

 

I have a Kubota ZD21-60. I have right at 2.5 acres to mow and when we first built the house, I bought a 26HP lawn tractor. I quickly learned it took a lot of gas, a lot of time (4-4.5 hours) and the deck design was junk for anything but the most dry conditions. If I watered the lawn within 48 hours previous to cutting it would clog he deck constantly. I decided to try a zero turn from Honda Depot (Troy Built I think). It was quicker, but not built very well and needed bearings in the deck and other service items in the first year. I finally decided to look into commercial grade mowers. My thought process was this: They cost 2-3 times what a normal homeowner quaility mower costs, but last forever when subjected to the low stress environment of a single lawn. So far (7 years) it has needed nothing but oil/filter and hydrostatic oil changes, but I think the original battery is finally giving up on me now. I can cut the lawn in less than an hour and I use less than half the fuel I was using before.
Kubota builds the ZD series to a much higher standard than the normal stuff you will find at the local lawn and garden/home improvement stores. I considered some other commercial brands, but the diesels (John Deere uses Yanmar engines and everyone else seems to use Kubota) were much more expensive and did not have as many features even at that price (suspension seat, one crank full tilt deck, pivoting front axle, hydraulic deck lift, etc.). The exmarks were nice, but for the same money as the Kubota, you got a Briggs gas motor found in the average Sears mowers, and the belt drive from the motor to the deck looked like a potential weak area compared to Kubota's shaft drive. I like some of the others, but have been extremely happy with the ZD.

 

^what he said

pay a lil more now to get the best
it'lllast you 10+ years and get done faster, better, easier and make you much happier

its worth the extra $100 a year or so it'lll cost ya



when you get it narrowed down let me know, I can help you some with options that you should get with it or differences with engines etc


oh, and alot of dealers will let you demo them too
maybe pick your favorite 3 or so and call a dealer or two or three and have them drop them all off for you to use them back to back and see what you're most comfortable with

 

Have you decided on a mower yet Uro?

 

Uro- buy the 330GTC that you have long been hankering for, and get a mower attachment for that. When people ask you what you are doing, driving your ferrari around on the lawn while cutting your grass, you could answer:

 

Kubotas have their good points and bad points I have learned in last 2 years. Their commercial decks cut great and are built like a tank. I don't have any experience with the gasoline engines but if they are half as reliable as the diesel then you not going to go wrong there. Now for they come with turf tires which is great for flat terrain and slight hills. The turf tires get slick with even the slightest moisture and if you have any steep banks or hills you will be sliding to the bottom. I have gotten caught in fences on hill sides many a time and had to get my ATV to winch me out. Good thing is after a few times you start thinking ahead and I hardly ever get it stuck now.

Truthfully if you are going the Gasoline route I would look into Dixie Choppers the guy I used to get cut my warehouse lawns had them. I watched his guys cut some pretty steep grade banks with them. The tires they use have cleats like a drive tire on a tractor just much smaller. So they maintain pretty good grip even in wet conditions. Problem is if you do a complete zero turn you will dig up the lawn pretty easy. You will learn what to do and not pretty quick. They are also built like tanks. I have a guy that helps me on the farm and warehouse and am looking to add a second mower for him too. Dixie Chopper is what I am looking to add.

Oh yeah and do not ever think of getting a 72 inch deck unless you have a very flat and open yard. Again on any steep grade the deck tends the dig into the ground on the low side of the grade because the deck sticks out about 9 or 10 inches further then the wheels. Again with a deck that size you think ahead and realize what it can and can not do without leaving big gouge marks in the lawn.

60 inches is plenty unless you are planning to mow a couple of acres every week.

 

Have you looked at a Hustler mower? If you haven't, you might want to. I wouldn't trade mine for anything.


http://www.hustlerturf.com/Web-content/Index.html

 

Dude, get yourself a used SCAG or something like that.

I bought a 1992 SCAG Super Z for $500!!! It has a 52" deck and it's a dream - I cut 1 acre, I am done in 20-30 minutes. The thing is a horse.

Only thing you have to worry about with used is the hours on the motor. I bought mine from a landscaper, but the motor had been replaced. I have it 4 years now, and it's more than paid for itself.

 

Uro,
Be very very carefull on any 0 turn radius mower. They have no brakes and are widowmakers if you have any slope on your property. They are great if your lot is flat. They go uphill OK downhill and you risk your life. They also don't go across slopes very well. I have 2.5 acres to mow, Had a 4 wheel drive Kubota which was great. sold it because the local dealer had lousy service. Got a JD 0 turn radius mower. I almost went over a retaining wall the first time i used it. Once it brakes loose you can't stop it. Traded for a 4 wheel drive JD mower with 4 wheel steering. Works much better on a sloped lot. Also spend the extra bucks and get a diesel

 

A couple of hrs. The EZ turn zero radius would be faster but I have a lot of slopes on my lot, and like I said those mowers don't do well if you have any slope. My tractor is 4 wheel drive and 4 wheel steer, It has a three point hitch on the back and a small hydrolic lift on the front for a dozer blade. It has a gas engine which I regret. Should have spent the extra and gotten the diesel, has a lot more torque and works better on hills. You'll find that some of the attachments seem silly untill you start to use them. The Guy across the street has the same tractor without the four wheel steer, but has a front end loader. Is using it all the time to move stuff around. WHen you get your deck it's easy to go bigger, look at your lot and make sure the deck you get will fit between trees, flower beds etc.

 

Is your name Dan C, by chance?