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Post by Catscratch on Jul 17, 2018 15:59:14 GMT -6
Alright men, I need a new mower. Strongly considering a zero turn. I doubt I will pony up the cash for a Commercial grade but I'm looking at pretty decent brands: Hustler, Grasshopper, Bad Boy, etc. Anyone have anything to say about mowers in general, zero turns, or certain brands? My yard is bumpy and I also tend to use a mower for some plot work also. I would like to be able to steer it with one had so that I don't have to distract my beer hand from what's important.
I've also thought about trying to find a garden tractor or mini tractor of some sort to mow and maybe grade the driveway and various crap like that (instead of the zero turn). I'm a little hesitant because whenever I've tried to find something that's multi use it doesn't do anything well. Kind of like half assing everything.
What says you?
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Post by wiscwhip on Jul 17, 2018 16:23:54 GMT -6
Finding one that is adequate at "half assing everything" is still better than being without one or the other or ponying up for 2 new pieces of equipment.
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Post by Freeborn on Jul 17, 2018 20:04:59 GMT -6
Buy the tool for the job and you will be allot happier with the work you do and the tool.
My neighbor ran JD zero turns forever and recently got mad at JD for not dealing on a new unit. He purchased a Husqvarna zero turn and says good things about it.
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Post by MoBuckChaser on Jul 17, 2018 20:31:08 GMT -6
I have 2 54" Cub cadet zero turns. Bought the last one 2 years ago for $2,800 at TSC. Both have 24hp Kawasaki motors. Work great no problems. Other than the self inflicted ones the Barracuda has! LOL!
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Post by Reagan on Jul 17, 2018 20:33:13 GMT -6
My dad has this for mowing his yard and some the field around his barn. I’ve used to to pull the ATV disk and plot work. I love it. Of course I didn’t pay for it. It’s his. I’ve heard zero turn are a rough ride on rough ground but I’ve never used one.
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Post by kl9 on Jul 17, 2018 20:50:29 GMT -6
Ferris makes great zero turns. Prob considered commercial, but they are nice.
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Post by sd51555 on Jul 17, 2018 21:13:23 GMT -6
I’ve heard zero turn are a rough ride on rough ground but I’ve never used one. We've got Country Clipper zero turns at work for mowing about 6 acres of grass each week. They are beasts when it comes to power. You could mow first crop hay at full speed and not bog the thing down. But when the ground gets dry, you cannot go slow enough to mitigate the trauma on your spine. I mow two of those plants. One has old ruts from semis, and the other has a gopher problem. I can take about 3 hours of seat time and I'm ready for a pain killer. Makes me dream about pulling a light disc behind those mowers.
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Post by sd51555 on Jul 17, 2018 21:13:58 GMT -6
I’ve heard zero turn are a rough ride on rough ground but I’ve never used one. We've got Country Clipper zero turns at work for mowing about 6 acres of bulk plant grass each week. They are beasts when it comes to power. You could mow first crop hay at full speed and not bog the thing down. But when the ground gets dry, you cannot go slow enough to mitigate the trauma on your spine. I mow two of those plants. One has old ruts from semis, and the other has a gopher problem. I can take about 3 hours of seat time and I'm ready for a pain killer. Makes me dream about pulling a light disc behind those mowers.
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jflonll
Full Member
Posts: 185
Likes: 158
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Post by jflonll on Jul 17, 2018 21:43:16 GMT -6
I was able to find a used Ferris great machine.
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Post by daydreamer on Jul 18, 2018 6:48:28 GMT -6
Similar to what SD said my back hurts already just thinking about your bumpy ground and how dry you are down there...It's getting to be that time of year around my place as well where every bump seems to send shockwaves up my spine! I have a JD model zero turn and I'll be looking at a different brand next go round I believe. Good luck in your search.
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Post by Catscratch on Jul 18, 2018 7:32:15 GMT -6
I didn't even think about Cub Cadet Mo. That brand is somewhat common here, I'll have to look at their stats and compare them to the Hustlers.
SD - does that Country Clipper have a joystick control? I would love to have one that only took 1 hand to drive and CC does make one. Looks very similar to how a Case skidsteer is controlled. It would be second nature to drive one like that!
Bumpy is an issue. Our ground gets so hard and lumpy when it's dry that my normal mower beats the crap out of me. I've spent considerable time on zero turns before and they seem to amplify the bumps. Researching smooth mowers and I've found people have good things to say about anything with a front deck (instead of mid), Ferris suspension models, and also Hustler's flexible forks.
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Post by Catscratch on Jul 18, 2018 7:38:31 GMT -6
My dad has this for mowing his yard and some the field around his barn. I’ve used to to pull the ATV disk and plot work. I love it. Of course I didn’t pay for it. It’s his. I’ve heard zero turn are a rough ride on rough ground but I’ve never used one. There is a Kubota dealer in the next town over. I've been eyeing their sub-compact tractors and like them A LOT! A belly mower for the yard, a brushhog for the clover, and a blade for the driveway would kick ass! Not sure I'm there yet though, it would require me to pony up a lot of $$$$ when I can get an old Ford 9n and do all that for a fraction of the cost.
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Post by sd51555 on Jul 18, 2018 7:48:24 GMT -6
I didn't even think about Cub Cadet Mo. That brand is somewhat common here, I'll have to look at their stats and compare them to the Hustlers. SD - does that Country Clipper have a joystick control? I would love to have one that only took 1 hand to drive and CC does make one. Looks very similar to how a Case skidsteer is controlled. It would be second nature to drive one like that! Bumpy is an issue. Our ground gets so hard and lumpy when it's dry that my normal mower beats the crap out of me. I've spent considerable time on zero turns before and they seem to amplify the bumps. Researching smooth mowers and I've found people have good things to say about anything with a front deck (instead of mid), Ferris suspension models, and also Hustler's flexible forks. Yep.
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Post by Tooln on Jul 18, 2018 14:38:08 GMT -6
Has anyone ever thought of or tried lowering the air pressure in your tires for rough ground. If not give it a try, it helps.
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Post by Catscratch on Jul 18, 2018 14:45:26 GMT -6
Has anyone ever thought of or tried lowering the air pressure in your tires for rough ground. If not give it a try, it helps. Done it many times. I think most people put too much pressure in their mower tires.
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