Maybe I need a goat

[Bill Leonard]

I have a Snapper homeowners quality 42in zero turn mower that has less than 100 hours use over two cutting seasons. I've had the pleasure of replacing the motor, all four drive pulleys, and the drive belt since new. All under warranty. The warranty expires in May. I am seriously considering moving up to a commercial grade mower. Does anyone have any experience with the Ferris line of mowers? I've looked at Scag, Grasshopper, and Dixie Chopper as well. The Ferris seems to be the most bang for the buck, but I find little information other than manufactuers hype. Or as Mitchell Andrus says " Buy a goat".
I mow about 3 acres of level yard with many trees and shrubs, so the zero turn mower concept is ideal, but the goat would be good company for the Pit Bull and Lab, and probably more reliable than the Snapper. Plus, if I had to replace his motor. I'd just put him in the freezer.
Back to reality. Does anyone have any positive feedback on commercial zero turn mowers?

[Mitchell Andrus]

I Googled "zero turn radius goat"....

Nadda. You're on your own.
.

[Rich Stewart]

I knew a guy who tried that. The goat ate EVERYTHING. Turned his property into a moonscape. Also ate everything all the way up the side of the house for about six feet. I think that not only do they eat the grass, they eat the roots and all. This took all of three days.

[Paul Greathouse]

Bill, I can't speak to the Ferris brand but we have an Exmark commercial grade mower. It is highly reliable and built like a tank. Exmark is making a model now that is kind of a step down from the commercial but still looks to be head and shoulders above homeowners models, that may be the one of you. I think its in the $3000- $3500 price range. The full commercial grade like mine is in the $6000 - $7000 range, expensive but worth every penny to me.

We had the Snapper and the Gravely zero turn homeowner models before moving up to the Exmark, although I have seen feedback from several people that like their Snappers and Gravelys I didn't care for either of them. I had much the same experience that you did, constant repairs. They were just built too lightwieght for my needs.

[Zach England]

You can't get cheese and kebab meat from a lawnmower.

[Bill Leonard]

Bill, I can't speak to the Ferris brand but we have an Exmark commercial grade mower. It is highly reliable and built like a tank. Exmark is making a model now that is kind of a step down from the commercial but still looks to be head and shoulders above homeowners models, that may be the one of you. I think its in the $3000- $3500 price range. The full commercial grade like mine is in the $6000 - $7000 range, expensive but worth every penny to me.

We had the Snapper and the Gravely zero turn homeowner models before moving up to the Exmark, although I have seen feedback from several people that like their Snappers and Gravelys I didn't care for either of them. I had much the same experience that you did, constant repairs. They were just built too lightwieght for my needs.

Thanks for the input Paul. Leason learned here with respect to mowers. I buy the best tools I can afford when it comes to woodworking or anything else for that matter. I must of had a "rectal cranial inversion" when I purchased the Snapper. I equate it to a Crapsman RAS. Looks good but leaves a lot to be desired in long term performance. I have no problem dropping 6 grand for a quality mower if it is worth the money. That's why I am looking at the commercial grade mowers. I haven't seen an Exmark locally, but I'll add them to my mix. Thanks.
Bill

[Bill Leonard]

I Googled "zero turn radius goat"....

Nadda. You're on your own.
.
Mitchell, you are one unique individual. My kind of guy- twisted-. I bet we would get along fine with a cold beer, and a fishin' pole.
Bill

[Bill Leonard]

You can't get cheese and kebab meat from a lawnmower.


I don't know, Zach. The cheese I can agree with , but have you ever seen a road kill opossum hit with a ZTR set at 2 1/2 inches?

[Mike Cruz]

I have a John Deere 757 ZTR with 60" deck. I love it. Small issues are grass buildup on the air intakes. You have to manually clear them. Not a deal breaker for me. Some hate it. It cuts great. Has a LOT of power. Like the X-Mark, it too, runs a bit expensive, though. When I got mine 6 years ago, it was $100 more than the X-Mark. I went with the Deere. Oh, for the first 4 years of this mowers life, I mowed our horse pastures, the house yard, and along the driveway...a total of about 12 acres of mowing.

[Zach England]

I don't know, Zach. The cheese I can agree with , but have you ever seen a road kill opossum hit with a ZTR set at 2 1/2 inches?


No, but I have also never seen a possum kebab. I'll ask for one next time I am at my favorite Lebanese restaurant.

[Gerold Griffin]

Bill:
The Exmark mowers are real good and cannot say a bad word against them. Another brand of zero turn mowers is Hustler. Nope not the magazine! I own one with a 52" deck and love it. Only regrete is they did not have one in stock with a Honda engine so settled for one with a Briggs due to the time it took to get that one in. They also have a very heavy deck. If you can locate a dealer they would be worth checking out. Not flashy looking but built for use.

[Mitchell Andrus]

and a fishin' pole.
Bill


How did you know my dad's Polish and likes to fish?




Folks, I got a meeyin of 'em
.

[Paul Greathouse]

Maybe you can find a dealer close to you on their website. Exmark is one of the more popular zero turns among the local commercial cutters. I'm sure there are other brands that compare but Exmark is the only commercial machine I have owned.

[Van Huskey]

My next door neighbor runs a commercial landscaping business and has 20+ Dixie Choppers, he swears by them BUT part of his praise is due to how much money they make him with speed. He is an "anal" business type and can't imagine he hasn't looked at every penny in the equation but that doesn't mean it works as well for non-pro use.

[Dennis Peacock]

And don't forget the Arkansas made "Bad Boy" mower brand of ZTR's. :D

[Ed Griner]

Freedom Lawn: Don't cut it,just watch it grow.All the natural residents return.The last and present "Snapper" mower hasn't been used in five years.Sort of a green thing. Ed

[Scott T Smith]

I have a Scag Turf Tiger; have had it for 7 years w/o any problems. It is used and abused here on the farm.

When I purchased it, I evaluated all of the commercial ZTR mowers, and like the Scag the best. It struck me as being the best combination of strength, ease of maintenance and ease of operation.

When evaluating mowers, in addition to testing them all I also spoke with a lot of landscapers. None had anything bad to say about the Scag.

The John Deere 757 was my second choice. The Hustler is also not a bad option.

The Exmark's are nice, and have a great reputation, but they did not strike me as being as well engineered as the Scag.

I expect to get at least 30 years of service from the Scag; and even then it should still be in very good condition.

[Dave Lehnert]

I researched the heck out of Zero turn mowers before purchasing a Toro.
In my part of the world the Toro is a little better built and cost less than the Exmark. Exmark and Toro are the same company. Went with them because the dealer was close to home. And Toro has great turn around on ordered parts. I had an old Wheelhorse (Toro) and could get any part needed next day. The Hustler is also a good mower and at a good price but the dealer close to me did not impress so I did not look any further. Kinda wish a better dealer was close to home.

My brother runs a Pro grade Snapper at work and he thinks it's junk. He likes Exmark (Toro) and Kabuto.