Help me choose a new zero turn mower

[farmer steve]

I like my Ferris and mechanically been trouble free but. I went with a 48" deck due to a lot of tight spaces here. I only mow when it's bone dry. The deck needs cleaned after every use and that sucks. My buddy has one with a 72" deck and mows 7-8 acres. I asked him how often he cleans his deck and he said only at the end of summer. After some research I found that the under 50" decks require more cleaning.

 

[RCBS]

Judging from what is under the mowers in the photo, looks like you have quite hard soil in which case those chevron treaded agricultural tyres would be fine.
But on a soft soil or sandy soil they would be a disaster

Still it does look like a good machine with some suspension, decient footboards and ROPS
Flip up decks are a good idea which is one reason why I like the articulated mowers
However pressure washing decks is not a good idea as it can lead to water ingression into the spindle bearings
A good compressor & a 4' to 6' long air duster is the best thing to clean a mower with .

I have enough walnuts that every time I go to clean the deck in the fall, it's already done! lol

When the ground is moist I will admit that a little care need be taken. Y turns. The tires are actually on there due to one particular slope that I cut. Was seeking a Kubota F series when I found the 326. The deal was right, so I took it.

 

[bertfixessome]

Once upon a time in a far off land where honest sales reps inhabited mower shops that knew their products, the competitions products, the general weather conditions, the grasses that were grown in the shops footprint and the local topography these mythical creatures would direct you to the right mower for your yard.
What people fail to understand is the perfect mower for me can be a disaster for you.
So when a topic like this comes up, every one who is happy with their mower chimes in without considerations to the actual posters requirements .
Mind you a lot of posters have to be dragged screaming to give the forum members the minimum information needed to make an informed decision as to which mowers the poster should look at .
I like to go the other way & provide a list of current models to avoid and models that are totally wrong for the posters conditions .No mower will give a better cut than a Walker due mainly to the strong deck air flow and the massive overlap of the timed blades
But if you leave mowing for as long as possible ( can't find the dog any more ) then they are a disaster and similar story with very rough ground or very sandy soils .
Sandy soils need low lift low deck air flow decks and by prefference mulching blades or very low lift blades
While it is great to get feedback from people who are very happy with their current mower, the question is will the sam mower provide the same service to a different user in a different climatic condition cutting different grasses .
S if you want to sing the praises of your mower then please give a rough location so the poster can get an idea of your climate, a description of your yard , soil type & grasses .

 

[Duce]

Sandy soil here, so buy extra blades and will sharpen often. That's how it is here, son's property is farm land, good soil with heavy grass. He needs sharp blades with mower wide open going slower than I do. His yard is smooth, mine is not. I could use independent suspension with suspension seat, he does not need it.

 

[blades]

i have 3 acres I mow . little JD L120 lawn tractor 42" deck, also a MF 1230 4x4 diesel cut unit w/60" fabricated deck, belly mower , Time factor is the same between the 2 and I still have to do it twice if it gets to long before I get to it/ weather permitting . Belly mower on the cut has very little ability to float ( more of a finish mower) and is a side discharge, gets bound up by the long stuff easily. Keep the shoot open on the JD and I get very little bind up.
So here is a thought , lawn tractor whatever kind , and cut the deck open on the back side all the way across . This gives immediate discharge of the long stuff no binding and multiple grinding of the same material which is what causes the bind up, likely could be done to center mount zt and then have a plate to bolt back in to return to mulch or bagging mowing.
if you look at brush hog mowers that is how they are made wide open in the back.
Side discharge will always bind up just because one side is being fed into the other before discharge and the discharge side will always cut poorly just because of the extra material,
Tried different kinds of blades, makes very little difference between them. In long stuff the simpler the blade better off you are.
I understand that are those with acres of perfectly manicured lawns - But I am not willing to spend 2 days a week doing that or spending $$$ for some else to do it. Id rather be bucking firewood than having my backside beat to xxxx mowing lawn.

 

[EFSM]

What does your favorite dealer sell? You will thank yourself for buying what can be readily and cheaply repaired/serviced when that time comes. There are various brands you would be happy with. We sell Hustler and Ferris. Both make some nice machines that you would be happy with, but I would for sure go commercial no matter what you go with (Hustler Fastrak or Ferris IS2200 or up).