Good mowing machines?

[Raider 2]

I'm watching for a mower for a friend of mine. He's got a 416-hydro for mowing but has a few acres and it takes too long... If he finds a good replacement I get dibs on the 416. He wants something that mows faster than a garden tractor. Any ideas? Doesn't matter what color it is as long as it's American made.

[Rooster 191]

ZTR!

[Jake Kuhn 1,555]

Zero turn is what he needs. The simplicity or ferris brand make a very nice machine. They even have suspension that makes for a smooth ride. Jake

[DavidD 0]

Ferris brand was the one I was trying to think of. a friend has one, he has had 2 back and 2 neck surgeries.

He just loves his, that thing will fly. It will eat just about anything up to 1 to 1 1/2 diameter.

He says he can go about 2 hours or so on it without his back or neck hurting.

[bowtiebutler956 650]

Definitely a ZTR. I just recently picked up this Toro for $500. It needs a little fixing up, but it is supposed to be able to mow 2.5 acres an hour. I will probably have about $1000 in it when I'm done but thats cheap when you look at how fast it will get things done. Good luck on the search, and I hope you get the 416!

Matt :flags-texas:

[Wheel-N-It 2,969]

Got to be the ZTR. I have an Ariens. I keep it at the ladyfriends house, but I think it is a 1448. Anyway, it has a Briggs 20hp v-twin, and 48 inch mowing deck. I have owned it for 9years, and have had no problems with it. I have only done the proper maintence and changed belts. It has served me very well.

OK, now I get 2nd dibs on the 416 !

Van

[CRE1992 135]

I have a Dixie Chopper Zero Turn with a 72" deck that is rated to mow 4-5 acres per hour. As far as I am concerned a ztr it can't be beat when it comes to mowing. Exmark and scag are arguably the best mowers out there because of the quality of cut and resale value. Ferris's are great machines but resale value is very low. The Dixie is great for wide open area mowing. It also stripes great too. However it has not rained here in a long time so it has not striped as well as it normally does. I have mowed with a 520H with a 60" deck, and a 416H with a 42" deck, neither can compete when it came to just mowing except for hills which I don't really have anyways.

72" Stripes

[Raider 2]

Kind of what I figured, those can get pricey.. I was going to have a look at a Deere with a front mount mower, has a snowblower also. Are those any good?

[Raider 2]

[bowtiebutler956 650]

Those are a good machine. I had an F-510 years ago, and it worked great.

Matt :flags-texas:

[gwgdog66 23]

Definitely a ZTR. I just recently picked up this Toro for $500. It needs a little fixing up, but it is supposed to be able to mow 2.5 acres an hour. I will probably have about $1000 in it when I'm done but thats cheap when you look at how fast it will get things done. Good luck on the search, and I hope you get the 416!

Matt

That should cover some ground!

[Raider 2]

Found a pretty nice toro 522xi with 52" deck. Would that mow any faster than the 416? The xi has some nice features.

[CRE1992 135]

While I believe the 522xi may have a faster top speed, you can only mow so fast before you sacrifice quality of cut. Zero turns are the masters of cutting quickly, nicely, and efficiently. The John deere you posted above was one of the first zero turns to come out. I believe it is a late 80's and early 90's machine. Zero turn technology has come along way since then.

[Rooster 191]

Zero Turns have been around since the 60's.......

[IthacaJeff 151]

That Toro you bought looks like the "new fangled" out front mower we bought when I was working for

Parks and Rec during the summers in college. Before that we used Wheel Horses and Gravely walk

behinds (my intro to WHs). When the deck was in the raised position we could get the back wheels

off the ground in a hurry -- a lotta weight out front!

Jeff

[Raider 2]

How about those old Yazoos? I see them for sale now and then, funky looking mowers.

I imagine cutting fast means a deck with good airflow that follows the ground well and plenty of horsepower. Who makes better decks than Wheelhorse, fitting one under a 416should be possibe, could find a swept axle for it...

[decksetter 50]

If I remember right these have and engine and transmission that is all one unit, so if the engine or trans goes you have to replace both, and you can't just swap something else in place.

I know a guy with an old Yazoo, single rear wheel that's steerable. It's not a true zero turn but pretty close. He likes it but he said it doesn't have much ground speed.

[Terry M-(Moderator) 2,175]

Definitely a ZTR. I just recently picked up this Toro for $500. It needs a little fixing up, but it is supposed to be able to mow 2.5 acres an hour. I will probably have about $1000 in it when I'm done but thats cheap when you look at how fast it will get things done. Good luck on the search, and I hope you get the 416!

Matt

Matt, how much grass do you have to mow down there in texas? I take you have at least a few acres....?

[truckin88 104]

As alot of guys know I have gone through a bunch of machines, WH's ZTR's and other garden tractors. The best mowing machines I have dealt with for a home owner (not a landscaper) are the Deere 4x5 series. They are fast about 8mph forward, tough with shaft driven deck, and because they are GT's but wider and heavier than a WH, they go up a hill without even sliding/feeling it. ZTR's are great till you have major inclines, then they are scarey!!! I am selling one of these, but that is not why I am posting it, they really are fantastic, that is why they demand the $$$. The K92 on the rear is unbelievable. Plus you can still do snow duty, which can be crappy with a ZTR.

If he wants stripes.....nothing stripes like a simplicity...nothing

[Challenger 27]

Regarding the John Deere 4x5 series: How much do they weigh? What is their width? Are they actually able to achieve a superb cut at the full 8 mph? Does the K92 refer to the transmission?