buying a new 50 to 60 in. zero turn under 4000 advise please

beavercleaver

Twelve Pointer
sold my house that had 1/3 acre and have moved into our new house with 3 acres semi open with trees and roots.. looking at hustler raptor sd or 500 series john deere ...any advise, thoughts, or OMG dont buy that brand
 

Mike Noles aka conman

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Check out Bad Boy mowers, also. I've had one for about 4 summers and cut about the same amount of yard. No problems and tough as nails. Got mine at Tractor Supply.
 

bigten

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Many variables will come into play. Is the property you now will now mow smooth enough to mow comfortably? Do you have any back issues? How forgiving are you to a mower that just "doesn't feel right"? How much time are you willing to spend mowing on a weekly basis? There are lots of mowers out there that will fit in your price point, but answers to the above questions may alter and really thin down your choices. I would recommend trying any that may interest you prior to buying, while running it through the type area you will spend your time on. I have back issues and have found most zero turns to be abusive to me....... until I tried a Ferris. Although they are outside your price parameter, the commercial units with 4 wheel suspension are a pleasure to use. We now have two, a 72" diesel and a 61" Vanguard Oilguard gas.
Try as many as you can that interest you.
 
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double

Twelve Pointer
I have a husqvarna residential mower and it has been great. From what I have seen they all are pretty decent and will do anything a homeowner needs. Lots of people will says you need a commercial grade or all welded deck etc. remember its just a lawn mower and generally just cuts grass. Its not a bush bog out mowing brush and tall this weeds.


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ncscrubmaster

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
I have a bobcat for work and it’s a beast. My dad bought the small bobcat that would be in you price range. He really likes it. It seems great. The one I know to stay away from is the John Deere from Lowe’s. They are very cheaply made. My friend has one and has had all sorts of problems. The Bad Boys are good for the money. I know a guy that has one and he’s rough on it and it works fine. I always have had good luck with the Kawasaki motors. The welded deck will last longer than a stamped deck. I have seen the stamped ones warp at the spindle if you hit something hard like a root. They can be bent back but takes less and less every time to bend them.
 
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Ambush

Twelve Pointer
I've had a bobcat with the welded deck for about 6 or 7 years. I've been rough with it cutting around chicken houses, but it's held up well. That Ferris brand that bigten posted would be better for my back.
 

darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
I just traded my MZT 52 husquvarna in yesterday for JD 590x. I’ll never own another zero turn. They are awesome if you got flat land, but I don’t and I got tired of sliding down hills and zero traction. Not to mention getting beat to death on rough(ish) ground. I’m Not knocking zero turns at all. If all I had was flat land, I’d still have mine, but I got tired of the constant fighting to go down the slightest hill and spinning on small hills.
 

Higgins

Ten Pointer
I've got stuck a few time cutting the ditch bank,most of the time I could square if off and get out but some I had to get pulled out. To me it's gets stuck more often on inclined areas.
 

DCD77

Four Pointer
Had a 48” Snapper Pro for 16 years. Never had to do anything but change oil, belts and battery. I was mowing about 2 1/2 acres. Just added 2 more acres so I upgraded to a Bobcat 60”. So far it is awesome too. The Snapper is still going strong. Both have Kawasaki motors.
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I think zero turns get stuck more in soft stuff. I've pulled mine out with the tractor 10 times. You just don't have much warning. I'm mowing along and all of a sudden the side near the ditch/pond begins to lag, and you're stuck. You've got about 1 second to make a correction. And mowing the pond dam with one is like a rodeo. But, for all of that, you can mow fast and you can turn tight.

Flat and dry, and it's a dream. Hilly and/or wet, and you'll be frustrated. Depends on how much of each you've got.
 

appmtnhntr

Twelve Pointer
I may be weird. I have a kubota z122 42” and wouldnt want more than that for my 4ac of mixed woods and yard.
My place is hilly, with a creek through the middle and that smaller kubtoa was a lot more nimble than some of the bigger models.

Bigger may not be better in your case, and you could afford a more premium mower of smaller size?

Can’t say enough about that Z122. Only on 60hrs after 3 summers though.
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
When I was researching zero-turns for my yard the salesman told me to look at the wheelbase and make sure that the mower deck didn't exceed the wheelbase by more than 2 inches for yards with uneven ground or hills. He said that's a big part of the reason for scalping and sliding is due to excessive mower deck on some models.
I went with a tractor-style instead since there's nothing flat or even in my whole yard. Same deal though, watch the deck/wheel base ratio.
 

6mm250

Eight Pointer
I bought a 48" Cub Cadet Z-Force L , this is the beginning of it's 5th year cutting 3.3 acres. I cut around a lot of trees , bushes and other obstacles , not open lawn , so 48" is good.
The only drawback to the zero-turn for me is ditch banks , if the down hill wheel starts to spin then the uphill wheel will steer you right into the bottom of the ditch.
The Z-turn has cut my mowing time in half over the tractor type mower I had before'
I'll never go back to a tractor type mower.

Mike
 

dc bigdaddy

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
they all use about the same hydraulics and same motors. look at the deck construction and spindles and then the frame. I bought a Dixon, think they are Johnses Red now. It's served me well. Big Boy or Bad Dog is the same as Hustler. Bad Boy is a good mower and so is the Bobcats. I bought local with a service department.
 

beavercleaver

Twelve Pointer
leaning twards hustler 54 in sd it is light commercial and is sold at reputable local dealer, land and coats, cheaper than lowes for same unit with cash purchase
 

Inshore duck

Eight Pointer
leaning twards hustler 54 in sd it is light commercial and is sold at reputable local dealer, land and coats, cheaper than lowes for same unit with cash purchase

Terrible mower but good warranty. I have had over 30 parts replaced under warranty in 3 years on my Raptor SD. Only the engine Kawasaki is original. Only 139 hours. Even replaced the entire deck last year as it was rusted out. Dealer said hustler sent out a lot of rusted decks and just painted over them. My next mower will be green.
 

30/06

Twelve Pointer
I hate my cub cadet commercial. Had lots of electrical issues, right now the Selenoid is shot and I think they built the mower around the selenoid. Real PITA to get to. Also had it start making oil on me last year, somehow gas was blowing by into the oil. I bought it used so it may have been abused prior to my purchase.
 

Papa_Smurf

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Pops has a john deere 915b 54" and it has been awesome. Cuts good and fast and does well on hills too. Easy maintenance. This is coming from someone who is not really a deere fan, but I would recommend that mower. May be out of your price range though.

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