Ok ...my craftsman 42" mower ain't cutting it any more.... looking far a zero-turn mower at least 52" min ....getting older don't want to spending as much time cutting grass...I need some input as to what's good and what to stay away from....been out of the loop for too long and I'm looking for help and any input into a new mower...Thanks for any and all help
Need new mower for 3 acres
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dcs13
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You will LOVE a big zero turn . Will save you so much time. I had great luck with Husqvarana 52 inch cut.. Take care of it and it will run for many years.
larry4406
Well-known member
My wife bought a Ferris IS700Z and loves it for our 3 acres. I think it’s 54-57” range. 23hp Kawasaki.
I think it’s great as all I have to do is keep gas on hand and sharp blades. She mows.
Have a 54” MTD riding mower with 24HP that was replaced by the Ferris.
Smooth ride with independent suspension.
I think it’s great as all I have to do is keep gas on hand and sharp blades. She mows.
Have a 54” MTD riding mower with 24HP that was replaced by the Ferris.
Smooth ride with independent suspension.
vpd66
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Try to buy one with a diesel engine. It will use less fuel and you can buy off road diesel that doesn't have the road tax added. Also Diesel engines have a longer service life.
greenskeeper
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IMO the "advantage" to diesel powered equipment is dead due to a higher initial cost and higher cost of fuel (with or without tax) and the advances in oil tech that has given longer life to gas powered equipment
MileHighRover
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Ferris full suspension - nice! There's a company that makes an air conditioned cab for some of the Ferris mowers. Growing up in Florida I would have killed to have that setup.
MileHighRover
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With 3 acres I'd definitely be looking at commercial mowers. And definitely get the largest deck you can. My father has almost 3.5 acres and is on his second mower in 8 years. Still didn't get a commercial unit. 
blazemaster83
Well-known member
I have 5 acres and use a 42", I know what you are saying about sick of mowing the grass so damn much. I have been looking at a 72" toro groundsmaster. I hate the position the dinky riding mowers put you in, it feels like I'm all hunched over and I'm only 5'10". Terrible for my bad back. The toro puts you sitting much more upright.
zkdiesel
Well-known member
For what he is doing a diesel is a waste and way to much added expense
A gas commercial 60” will outlast him if taken care of.
Fuel usage on a lawnmower just moving 50 hours a season isn’t even on the table for cost cutting
oilfieldtrash4
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I have 2 gravely zt hd 60 inch deck. My wife rides one and I ride the other. We have 8 acres and get it done in around 2 hours ish total. It's a low end commercial unit. I think new they are around $5k. They sell the same mower at Lowe's under the ariens brand. Ariens Apex mower. I think the warranty is a little less for the ariens. Looks exactly the same as my gravely. Just a different color. Good solid mower. One of these would handle 3 acres like a champ. 3 acres is low end commercial territory imo. Definitely don't need a $10k full commercial for that small of a yard.
greg13
Well-known member
Keep an eye out for auctions. I was at Golf course auction last week, the most expensive mower went for $1500. Most were between $600-$1000. 72" Jacobson went for $1000
Dzlpete
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Scag 52" zero turn.
That sounds like a tick farm. No thanks. Buy a zero turn or a sub compact tractor with at least a 60" deck.
harley jim
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Jagmandave
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I agree, a zero turn is what you want. Your terrain will dictate the best one for your use......if you have a lot of trees to get under a front mount mower is the ticket - easier to get the blades on and off to sharpen them too.
I also agree with getting a commercial version. If you plan to use it a good long time it's worth the extra upfront cost.
Your location might give us some more clues as to the best one for your environment - for example, some can be easily equipped with snow blades.
I don't agree that they have no traction on hills, my property is very hilly and the whole reason I bought a ZTR, both because it's quicker but also the very low center of gravity made it very stable on hill sides.
I also agree with getting a commercial version. If you plan to use it a good long time it's worth the extra upfront cost.
Your location might give us some more clues as to the best one for your environment - for example, some can be easily equipped with snow blades.
I don't agree that they have no traction on hills, my property is very hilly and the whole reason I bought a ZTR, both because it's quicker but also the very low center of gravity made it very stable on hill sides.
jkeyser14
Well-known member
Zero turns can be VERY unsafe on hills. If you lose traction on a single wheel you will be headed downhill with no steering. Plenty of people have been killed that way when they roll, hit trees, fall into ponds, etc.
It's the reason why specialty zero turns like the Altoz TRX and the Cub Cadet Pro 960 exist.
tros
Well-known member
YOU need a jd x500 with a 62c mower deck. I have one for 6 acres and for winter a 48 inch snowblower
zkdiesel
Well-known member
Hell with that. My 997 will run circles around you mowing All day
QUIKSVT
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At least a 60”
JimH74
Well-known member
I agree, it most likely will be a zero turn if you value your time. As far as the width of cut, is your land flat or uneven? Wide deck on flat land is great. Wide deck on land that is not flat can result in great cuts in some areas, scalping in others, and poor cutting in others. Also consider your trees and bushes as someone else mentioned. If they are far apart, wide deck. If closer together a less wide deck may be best. I have 3 acres of rocky and uneven ground. A suspension seat helps with rough ground. Every year I try to "harvest" a few more rocks, but they seem to multiply. I have used a lower end, but professional series, Scag Tiger Cat for 11 seasons now. 48 inch width. Upgraded front tires to solid instead of pneumatic tires. Runs about 50 to 60 hours a year mowing. Much faster than a 48 in JD riding lawn mower. I think I paid close to 7G for the Scag 11 years ago. Be aware that although front end costs are higher, with proper maintenance a mower like this will last a very long time.
56Mark
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Bought the exact Ferris last year to mow 2 acres. So far, so good. Only problem so far was it had a defective hour meter, which they replaced.
James-W
Well-known member
I agree that you don't need a high end commercial mower, but if you were to get one you will probably not need to replace it for at least 25-30 years.
In my opinion buying a used golf course mower is not a good idea unless you know the story behind the mower. All golf course lawn mowing equipment see an awful lot of use and depending on how "maintenance orientated" the golf course workers are, they may not take the best care of the equipment. You may get a really good deal, or you may get a really bad deal, it is a **** shoot so you just lay your money down and take your chances.
If you buy something new, it has a warranty and you can take good care of it. With proper care a commercial mower will last you a VERY long time. Even a regular mower will last a long time if you take good care of it and pull regular maintenance on it.
In my opinion buying a used golf course mower is not a good idea unless you know the story behind the mower. All golf course lawn mowing equipment see an awful lot of use and depending on how "maintenance orientated" the golf course workers are, they may not take the best care of the equipment. You may get a really good deal, or you may get a really bad deal, it is a **** shoot so you just lay your money down and take your chances.
If you buy something new, it has a warranty and you can take good care of it. With proper care a commercial mower will last you a VERY long time. Even a regular mower will last a long time if you take good care of it and pull regular maintenance on it.
mcj115
Well-known member
What is the land like? Flat rolling, hilly? is it all a nicely mowed yard or is some a field?
I have a John Deere sub-compact with a 62" deck for ~2 acres. I can cut my yard in ~50 min if I am moving and don't care about quality of cut...in 1:15 I can do a beautiful job.
I went larger than I needed. I have a hill that would not be friendly to z turn so I went traditional. I got diesel and 4wd that is much heaver than I'll need. I added a snowblade and am probably set for life. The tractor has ~550 hours on it now and it should last ~2000 hours. I only put on about 25 hour a year so it will last.
If you want to go Z turn...I say look towards a used Grasshopper/ferris/exmark etc. Generally speaking I see these brands using brass bushings, common belt and bearings, and top of the line motors. The mechanics of these brands are rather simple with two hydraulic valves and motors. So generally anyone with mechanical understanding can fix and source parts. When you go Deere/Kubota/Husky etc you generally get sucked into that brands dealer and parts network.
I have a John Deere sub-compact with a 62" deck for ~2 acres. I can cut my yard in ~50 min if I am moving and don't care about quality of cut...in 1:15 I can do a beautiful job.
I went larger than I needed. I have a hill that would not be friendly to z turn so I went traditional. I got diesel and 4wd that is much heaver than I'll need. I added a snowblade and am probably set for life. The tractor has ~550 hours on it now and it should last ~2000 hours. I only put on about 25 hour a year so it will last.
If you want to go Z turn...I say look towards a used Grasshopper/ferris/exmark etc. Generally speaking I see these brands using brass bushings, common belt and bearings, and top of the line motors. The mechanics of these brands are rather simple with two hydraulic valves and motors. So generally anyone with mechanical understanding can fix and source parts. When you go Deere/Kubota/Husky etc you generally get sucked into that brands dealer and parts network.
Jagmandave
Well-known member
Nonsense, they have ROPs for the rollover possibility, and you have to be doing something really stupid to get one that out of shape. And how the heck do you lose control with one wheel in the air? You sound like someone who's never driven one before....
I've had mine for almost 20 years, and my property has lots of hills, I've mowed after rains and so on, never had any issues on hills or otherwise.
Firebrick43
Well-known member
Some are recommending sub compacts and unless it completely open I would say no. A neighbor was mowing about 5 acres with quite a number of trees (30+) and spending 7 1/2 hours with their 2325 John Deere’s/72” deck. When they went on vacation I mowed it in under 2 1/2 with my 48” Emark turf tracer w/sulky. They could believe it so I did it again and the next week they had a grasshopper 722. Same for another neighbor with a 425jd and 60” deck, he now has a scag cheetah.
I also own a Ferris. Bought it for mom and she moved in last spring to the addition we put on for her. I don’t care for it nor does my wife. The suspension does not help hardly at all, I thing the grasshopper rides the best and mowers with a suspension seat do just as well also the suspension makes for a wider mower and is a pain to work on the engine due to the rear shocks. Also I can not make it stop leaving lines when turning. The left edge of the deck especially wants to dip and you turn I assume due to the suspension. My wheels are set right, wheels inflated, and shock even set to the highest setting which helped some but still leaves lines.
I also own a Ferris. Bought it for mom and she moved in last spring to the addition we put on for her. I don’t care for it nor does my wife. The suspension does not help hardly at all, I thing the grasshopper rides the best and mowers with a suspension seat do just as well also the suspension makes for a wider mower and is a pain to work on the engine due to the rear shocks. Also I can not make it stop leaving lines when turning. The left edge of the deck especially wants to dip and you turn I assume due to the suspension. My wheels are set right, wheels inflated, and shock even set to the highest setting which helped some but still leaves lines.
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southalabama
Well-known member
Welded deck. No stamped decks.
Firebrick43
Well-known member
Actually the John Deere 7 iron stamped decks are probably superior. They are the only manufacture however that has a press big enough to deep draw stamp a 7 gauge steel deck so everyone else fabricates them.
cvairwerks
Well-known member
I’m running a Gravely ZT HD 60, cutting an acre at one house and 1/3rd acre at the other. Went with the Gravely as it was the least expensive of the bunch that had ROPS. Having survived a rollover accident while unloading a Cub Cadet from the truck, ROPS is mandatory for me.
BTW, the 1 acre has 23 huge pecan trees, a few hundred feet of fencing and 3 buildings and I mow it in about 25 minutes normally. With all the ran we’ve had and are forecast to get this month, that will probably double the next time I can mow.
BTW, the 1 acre has 23 huge pecan trees, a few hundred feet of fencing and 3 buildings and I mow it in about 25 minutes normally. With all the ran we’ve had and are forecast to get this month, that will probably double the next time I can mow.
Firebrick43
Well-known member
Cvairwerks post jogged my memory some
His mower has a zt3100 hydrogear transmission (actually two of them) every one is going to them and it use to be unitized transmissions were looked down upon and individual pumps and motors were a sign of “commercial” mowers. Now the hero gear 3100 is considered the line of demarcation. They have cut or fully machined teeth on the gear. The zt2800 and below have stamped steel gears and should be avoided.
Many brands are capitalizing on their brand name and bringing mowers that are down graded to meet price point.(exmark quest). Gravelys like cvairwerk owns and bigger are good mowers but lower models are a little light for acreage. Also skip Woods at mowers. Gravely makes them and paints them a different color and Woods charges outrageous prices for identical parts.
His mower has a zt3100 hydrogear transmission (actually two of them) every one is going to them and it use to be unitized transmissions were looked down upon and individual pumps and motors were a sign of “commercial” mowers. Now the hero gear 3100 is considered the line of demarcation. They have cut or fully machined teeth on the gear. The zt2800 and below have stamped steel gears and should be avoided.
Many brands are capitalizing on their brand name and bringing mowers that are down graded to meet price point.(exmark quest). Gravelys like cvairwerk owns and bigger are good mowers but lower models are a little light for acreage. Also skip Woods at mowers. Gravely makes them and paints them a different color and Woods charges outrageous prices for identical parts.
jkeyser14
Well-known member
First of all, most residential grade zero turns don't have a ROPs. Secondly, a ROPs won't help if you roll into a fence post or a tree. Lastly, tell me what happens if you are mowing a side slope and your down-hill rear wheel loses traction? That's it, one wheel loses traction and you spin and go downhill. 20 years of mowing and you haven't learned a damn thing about safety. Google about it if you don't believe me.
Edit: Here is a good read to save you from trying to argue with me:
https://www.lawnsite.com/threads/help-zero-turn-on-slopes.191599/
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MushCreek
Well-known member
There are a lot of variables- terrain, obstacles, and budget. I mow a couple acres, but it's very chopped up, with lots of obstacles. One short, steep hill. It's rather lumpy, too. I bought a Husqvarna MZ48 for a bit over $4K. It has serviceable HydroGear 3100 drive motors, a big step up from the sealed homeowner units. It has plenty of power and speed. You can't mow at 8 MPH on anything but a smooth, flat lawn. Last season, I put less than 10 hours on it, so I suspect it will outlast me by a wide margin. It scoots right up my steep hill, but trying to go down the hill, it looses steering and slides sideways. There's definitely a learning curve running a ZT.
Johnno
Well-known member
I have a Scag Freedom Z Pro 52" it is now called he Patriot. this will be my 5th season with it. It has been a great machine I have just under 3 acres that is one big slope. I haven't had any problems with it and would def buy it again if needed. I did also buy 2 extra sets of blades since I do swap the blades often and it nice to always have a spare sharp set waiting for a quick blade change.
Notgrownup
Well-known member
Just make sure that what you get can be supported by a great parts and service Dept. Get the best machine you can afford. I didn’t see where you are located so sometimes that helps as well and the type of grass you have.
My gas engine has been in service for 5 years and the oil is still yellow.
Racy2
Active member
I would agree. I have over 2 acres of steep hills. I also have a 4 wheel drive tractor and does not compare to the 0 turn mower
58Yeoman
Well-known member
Sounds like you should go out and spend $15,000 at least to cut your acreage. We bought a zt and I hate it. Should've kept the tractor style. We have a hill that the mower always slides on, but the tractor didn't. A broad ditch out by the road that I have to cut with a push mower, because the zt can't handle it.
Would be cheaper to have someone else cut it for you.
Would be cheaper to have someone else cut it for you.
Paying someone to do something repetitively for you is never cheaper.