Pro/sumer Lawn Mowers

[jhendric]

I've been thinking about upping my mower game. I'm looking at entry-level-pro zero turn mowers. If I were to buy right now I'd probably get a Bad Boy Magnum with the Kawasaki engine ($4,500ish). This being said I've always only owned push mowers ($300ish) and most of those were powered by Briggs and Stratton engines. My last push mower was bought at Lowes and lasted 20 years, the deck rusted away but the BS engine was still strong. In fact I removed the engine and kept it for no good reason.

I am a true GJ member and as such I know that overkill is always good. That being said, how much overkill is too much? Is the only benefit of a pro mower durability? I have 15k square feet of grass, would a Husqvarna riding mower from Lowe's last me 20 years for 1/3 the price?

 

[Firebrick43]

You don’t need a pro mower for that area, and I wouldn’t classify the bad boy as a pro or prosumer mower.

The decks on some of the pro mowers are not only super heavy duty but the blade tip speed is allowed by the government to be higher and the have a lot more air flow thru them.

My first exmark was so so on wet grass mulching but if the chute was flipped up it cut and discharged so nice with out clumps or windrowing even if long and wet. With a mulching kit it would shrewd leaves so fine in the fall the disappeared even if they were a foot thick.

My newer one with an advantage 3 deck is even nicer of a cut and mulches so well, even in the rain, I have never taken the mulching kit off.

My Ferris cuts nice compared to say my neighbor JD 425 but is nothing like the exmark and it tips over in the turns because of the suspension and leaves uneven overlaps.

 

[Terra Nova]

I've been thinking about upping my mower game. I'm looking at entry-level-pro zero turn mowers. If I were to buy right now I'd probably get a Bad Boy Magnum with the Kawasaki engine ($4,500ish). This being said I've always only owned push mowers ($300ish) and most of those were powered by Briggs and Stratton engines. My last push mower was bought at Lowes and lasted 20 years, the deck rusted away but the BS engine was still strong. In fact I removed the engine and kept it for no good reason.

I am a true GJ member and as such I know that overkill is always good. That being said, how much overkill is too much? Is the only benefit of a pro mower durability? I have 15k square feet of grass, would a Husqvarna riding mower from Lowe's last me 20 years for 1/3 the price?

I would think a residential mower from the box store would last 15-20 years if your yard is pretty flat and all you do is mow. It comes down to the hours in that time frame. I ran a Simplicity Regent with a B&S on it for 12 years mowing an acre and put 550 hours on it. While not a big box store mower the mechanical components were big box store esque. It was mostly trouble free but starting to burn some oil and had to repair the deck a couple times.

That said, in true garage journal fashion I have a entry-level-commercial ZTR for that same 1 acre of grass (Scag Patriot). Literally cut my mowing time in half so it should last a while.

I wouldn't look at a ZTR with anything less than ZT2800 drives in that price range. True commercial engines from Kawasaki, Brigg & Stratton / Vanguard, and Kohler Command Pro are excellent and will serve you well.

 

[Packard V8]

FWIW, a big box store is the last place I'd shop for a mower.

Much of what they carry is a special-cheapened-up version to meet their price point.

FWIW, I've had reasonably good homeowner service from a Toro Timecutter 42" ZT. Not a pro mower, but decent at the price.

jack vines

 

[mike93lx]

I was going to post giving you a little **** for thinking about spending that much on a small yard, then realized that my yard isn't a ton bigger and I almost pulled the trigger on a 6k electric zero turn, but decided to hire it out instead.

Do you have a lot of obstacles to deal with?

 

[jhendric]

Ha, My yard does have lots of bends, curves and corners plus some hills.

 

[P0234]

If you don't abuse it, a residential box store rider will easily last 20 years. I just sold a 20 year old JD L130 that had plenty of life left in it because I needed a FEL and 3 point. If you don't have a lot of obstacles, a traditional rider is great. A zero turn is nice, but not worth paying 2-3x.

 

[D.Gribble]

I have a similar sized lawn and a Bad Boy 54" Maverick with the FS730V Kawasaki. Very happy with it. Got a good deal on it from a coworker. Had about 20 hours on it. If the deal had not come up, I was planning on picking up a Wright 48" Stander B.

From my research, the three biggest features to keep an eye out on are the hydros, engine and deck thickness.

 

[JeepYJ]

Serviceable hydros with replaceable filters are the biggest difference as you work up the scale of better lawnmowers. Suspension seat and Tweels and Z-Glide front suspension are all nice too but not necessary in your case of a small yard.
But since this is GJ a diesel powered ZT with minimum of 72” deck is a good starter mower for you. I like the Deere mowers but the other brands would be ok too.

 

[MileHighRover]

If you don't get a zero turn with batwing mowers and a 144" cutting width, you're doing it wrong.

 

[Caa311]

Toro proline walk behind. Sitting down is for sissies.

 

[mike93lx]

If you don't get a zero turn with batwing mowers and a 144" cutting width, you're doing it wrong.

8 minutes of mowing glory

 

[Dakotadadv8]

My Toro 22 inch recycler walk behind mower from Home Depot works fine. Change the plugs and filter annually and you are good to go. Now for chainsaws and leaf blower professional Stihls model are the way to go.

 

[AEAdam]

I think I’d look for a used Exmark Lazer Z

i bought mine for $1500 with a bad engine I thought I could fix. $5000 later I had a completely rebuilt mower. Family laughed at me, but it was probably a wise financial move.

 

[gungatim]

My Toro 22 inch recycler walk behind mower from Home Depot works fine. Change the plugs and filter annually and you are good to go. Now for chainsaws and leaf blower professional Stihls model are the way to go.

You change your spark plugs annually? On a lawnmower?

 

[mike93lx]

You change your spark plugs annually? On a lawnmower?

It is 1964, right?

 

[jives]

14K sq ft is about 1/3 ac. Nearly all name brand walk-behinds with ~42" deck will suit the situation nicely and be, at least, "prosumer", but that would be a lot of cash for 30 min of mowing per week.

If you are set on a zturn, get an Ariens or Toro and be done with it. Quality consumer brands.

 

[Dakotadadv8]

You change your spark plugs annually? On a lawnmower?

Probably don’t need to but easy to start. Sharpen or replace blades annually, fresh gas 93 octane. Always busy with home and vehicle maintenance as well. Who needs a vacation.

 

[428PI]

But since this is GJ a diesel powered ZT with minimum of 72” deck is a good starter mower for you

Don't get me started. I maintain my neighbor's Super Z diesel. Cat diesel, 72 inch deck. Worst problems over the years is starters because of running it out of fuel and plugged fuel filter, belts, overheating from cooling fans not working and plugged radiator fins. She did have to take it in to have hydraulic pump replaced since it's a hydraulic drive for the mower deck and the blades weren't turning enough speed. Built like a tank. I did replace the bearings on deck a few years ago. Now there's a bent blade shaft assy from hitting something.

 

[JeepYJ]

Worst problems over the years is starters because of

I was waiting for you to say it had the auto start/stop stuff like the newfangled new cars

 

[428PI]

I was waiting for you to say it had the auto start/stop stuff like the newfangled new cars

My Grasshopper has that problem. I get off the seat and the engine quits. I have a bad micro switch on one of the control arms.

 

[reader2580]

Don't get me started. I maintain my neighbor's Super Z diesel. Cat diesel, 72 inch deck. Worst problems over the years is starters because of running it out of fuel and plugged fuel filter, belts, overheating from cooling fans not working and plugged radiator fins. She did have to take it in to have hydraulic pump replaced since it's a hydraulic drive for the mower deck and the blades weren't turning enough speed. Built like a tank. I did replace the bearings on deck a few years ago. Now there's a bent blade shaft assy from hitting something.

I have a Grasshopper diesel mower. One of big things is keeping the radiator screen and the radiator itself clean. I have to blow out the radiator screen and radiator every time I cut the grass. It is common to have the radiator on a liquid cooled riding mower right behind the operator which means it clogs up with grass clippings.

 

[428PI]

have a Grasshopper diesel mower. One of big things is keeping the radiator screen and the radiator itself clean. I have to blow out the radiator screen and radiator every time I cut the grass. It is common to have the radiator on a liquid cooled riding mower which means it clogs up with grass clippings.

Originally the Diesel Super Z fans were supposed to run in reverse direction for a few seconds when the engine is started but I think they ran into problems and did away with that and just went to running the fans all the time in the same direction. There are extremely heavy radiator screens that can be pulled out to clean. I've found I need to run water eventually through fins to keep it clean. The machine is about a mile away and have to road it to my place to clean it. Try to do it once a year. Replaced the fans last year. Excel wanted 380 bucks a fan (2 of them). I found the same thing from an off road Jeep dealer for a little over 100 apiece.

 

[JeepYJ]

Radiator Genie for keeping your radiator clear https://radiatorgenie.com/

 

[428PI]

i bought mine for $1500 with a bad engine I thought I could fix. $5000 later I had a completely rebuilt mower. Family laughed at me, but it was probably a wise financial move.

My Grasshopper was like that. I think I paid 500 bucks with a blown Kohler motor. Grasshopper made a kit to convert to B&S for 500 bucks or so. My brother had a motor built up on a gocart so bought the motor from him. Worked out great.

 

[reader2580]

Originally the Diesel Super Z fans were supposed to run in reverse direction for a few seconds when the engine is started but I think they ran into problems and did away with that and just went to running the fans all the time in the same direction. There are extremely heavy radiator screens that can be pulled out to clean. I've found I need to run water eventually through fins to keep it clean. The machine is about a mile away and have to road it to my place to clean it. Try to do it once a year. Replaced the fans last year. Excel wanted 380 bucks a fan (2 of them). I found the same thing from an off road Jeep dealer for a little over 100 apiece.

I have owned or operated a number of liquid cooled riding mowers. They all just ran the fan from the crankshaft. No electric fans.

Getting off track for the OP as there is zero need for a liquid cooled riding mower for 1/3 acre of grass. Personally, I would be looking at a 42" electric zero turn if a self propelled push mower is not an option. Cub Cadet, Ego, and Ryobi make less expensive models. John Deere and Toro make a little beefier models with heavy duty decks, but they are about $2,000 more. My father just got the Toro electric zero turn. He has gotten it stuck, but his yard also has some very muddy spots he probably shouldn't be mowing with a riding mower.

 

[redragoon]

Husqvarna is more than adequate. If you speak to a dealer instead of the box store, you can spec a Kawasaki motor.
They also may have old new stock and better deals. I picked up one several years ago and it has run great ever since.
Stick to the Hydrostat instead of the CVT models. Not as fast, but much more durable.

Another benefit if you care about USA made is Husqvarna mowers are usually made here in SC.

 

[mike93lx]

I have owned or operated a number of liquid cooled riding mowers. They all just ran the fan from the crankshaft. No electric fans.

Getting off track for the OP as there is zero need for a liquid cooled riding mower for 1/3 acre of grass. Personally, I would be looking at a 42" electric zero turn if a self propelled push mower is not an option. Cub Cadet, Ego, and Ryobi make less expensive models. John Deere and Toro make a little beefier models with heavy duty decks, but they are about $2,000 more. My father just got the Toro electric zero turn. He has gotten it stuck, but his yard also has some very muddy spots he probably shouldn't be mowing with a riding mower.

This. The only liquid cooler mower needed for a 1/3 acre is the one your lawn guy is using

 

[Caa311]

14K sq ft is about 1/3 ac. Nearly all name brand walk-behinds with ~42" deck will suit the situation nicely and be, at least, "prosumer", but that would be a lot of cash for 30 min of mowing per week.

If you are set on a zturn, get an Ariens or Toro and be done with it. Quality consumer brands.

I have a 1988 model toro proline with the original kawasaki motor. We used them exclusively when we were teenagers cutting commercially. Very agile mower if you have obstacles. Sthil for everything else.

 

[bassJAM]

I don't consider the bad boy a "pro-sumer" mower. Those EZT hydro's aren't made to be serviceable, like someone else said I'd be looking at ZT2800 or higher for a true pro-sumer model. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a pro-sumer zero turn for under $5500-$6000 right now.

Really though, for 1/3rd of an acre I'd be looking at a good push or commercial walk behind. A 36" commercial walk behind would make short work of that yard and last for decades. Going belt drive instead of hydro will save some money (although there are some small downsides to belt drive). Or I wouldn't be afraid to buy used. Honestly, even a 30" Toro Timemaster would be a great fit.

 

[Steve_P]

Agree that .3 acres is fine with even a 21" walk behind if you're in decent shape; this should take about an hour. I mow about 0.5 acre of grass with a 21" push mower, and it takes about 1:45 mowing time with one or two short breaks to drink some water. I'll admit that I'm fit, and that amount of mowing is pushing (ha) the limit for what anyone sane would do with a 21" push mower. But .3 acres should be ok to push if you're fit.

Saying that, OP asked about ZTRs, so.... I was just reading Consumer Reports at lunch and they had mower reviews; their top rated ZTRs were, in order:
John Deere Z530M, Z515E, Z330R-54
Bad Boy MZ Magnum
Kubota Z231KW-42
Cub cadet Ultima ZT2-50 fab and ZT1-50

 

[Caa311]

Mine has a 44" deck, I find the 36" is bouncy if you don't have a smooth lawn and the 52" is a handful to handle and easy to scalp around aprons, mailboxes and uneven ground. I would not get the Kohler. Also you can add a wheel to stand on if you don't want the exercise.

 

[Caa311]

I could do that yard in probably 20 minutes with a walk behind dry or raining. Just depends on how much time you want to be out there. I would hire someone before I used a 20" mower.

 

[zendriver]

I have a cheap no oil change b&s self propelled Menards special mower, work awesome for seven years now

The plastic wheels are hanging in there and the pieplate- Thick deck is probably it’s weakest link so I’m taking special care to make sure it’s cleaned well after each use.

If you want something bigger go for it but it sounds like a push mower has lasted you pretty well

Upgrading to “keep up or get ahead of/with the Joneses” is kind of lame imo but I know it’s quite common

Push mowing is still good exercise

 

[will335i]

I have a hustler raptor sd that I got new in 2016. IIRC it is at the top of their consumer line right below the fastrack which is a pro model. I really like my hustler and my dad has a fastrack which is nice too. I have noticed that some of the things mine came with are no longer available or you have to purchase separately. Mine came with a Kawasaki motor and engine protection guard.

At the size of your yard and I think you mentioned lots of things to mow around, I would not expect to see a big drop in mowing time. You may also have more edging to do depending on how tight some corners are.

 

[IRQVET]

I work for a government agency that maintains alot of parks and campgrounds, so we utilize a ton of machine and especially zero turns. We’re government, and with purchase contracts the way they are, we never get the same brand of anything. I was cruising one of the shops and noticed a ton of Bad Boy mowers were tagged out for repair. So I asked one of the guys why so many of the Bad Boys were tagged out. He told me out of all the mowers they use, Grasshoppers, John Deere, Toro, Xmark, Cub Cadet, etc. The Bad Boys were (by far) the highest rate of repair out of any manufacturer they use. I didn’t ask specifically what was going wrong with them, but I found the conversation interesting from a dude who cuts grass all day. But I’m sure they are pretty hard on their equipment.

At the house I have a 2020 Ariens IKON-XD52 with the upgraded Kawasaki motor, and its been bullet proof for my 1.5 acre property. Its about as close to a professional machine as your going to get for the price. Think I paid $3,200 for mine, but that was 2020 pricing.

I was considering the Cub Cadet, as I had a Cub Cadet lawn tractor that I really liked, but then I came across this video:

 

[jhendric]

Thanks for all the advice guys. The sheer number of good options is crazy with such a small lawn, I'm afraid I'm stuck in analysis paralysis. My present push mower is fine and I'm in good enough shape to push it. I will say I have a .5m driveway that I cut +/- 4 strips on the side of, it's 100% hill. I'm a bit tired of that. It takes me somewhere around an hour to cut now.

I started mowing with a push mower when I was 14. I cut grass for the neighbors and by the time I was 16 I was cutting all of the lawns in my neighborhood, I got up to 3 a day in the peak season. Historically all my mowing has been with a used consumer grade pusher. After 31 years I feel like I've got consumer grade push mowing mastered.

I'm not getting any younger and I'd like to take my walks when I want, not when my grass demands it. I want to buy a mower now that will still be cutting, still repairable, and have parts available when I'm 75.

 

[KSJeff]

Pro machines will have a longer mainenance window. Nobody is putting 2000 hours a season on a Bad Boy mower. A pro grade toro/exmark will run you about $15K. For your size lawn, I'd take a hard look at a consumer electric rider.

If you really want a pro machine, check around at the end of the mowing season and see what pops up on facebook/craigslist or on the side of the road by large landscaping companies.

I mow about 4 acres with a 2004 Toro Zmaster 60" I bought in 2008. Put on a PTO clutch, three belts (never buy a cheap belt), one spindle (hit a rock, my fault) and a few blade changes. Leaks a little oil, but oil is cheap. I have a Kohler CH23, but a lot of folks like the Kawasaki better.

Toro/Exmark parts are everywhere including the dealer, ebay, amazon and several of the big mower supply companies.

 

[IRQVET]

The Toro Timecutter is getting really great reviews as well.

 

[Snapped-off]

I picked up a 2010 diesel grasshopper for 4k. Build quality is excellent.

Go big. It's GJ.