When I bought my old house in NC it came with 2 acres . I got a 54” zero turn Husqvarna with the Koehler engine. Sweet deal. They delivered it to a friend who has a loading dock and he stored it for two months before we moved in. He’s a car nut and even put the blades on it and bagger for me! BTW the mower was the same model they sell in Lowes and Home Depot but had the better deck.

https://www.mowersdirect.com/H...wn-Mower/p81511.html

I bought an extra set of blades and using my jack and a block of wood I could swap blades in ten minutes.

The ONLY DRAWBACK is you can’t drink a beer while mowing as it takes both hands.

If I ever get a big yard again I will definitely use mowers direct
https://www.mowersdirect.com/

Took me an hour to mow and edge those 2 acres.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
$5,500 for the 42" EGO
Haven't priced the gas comparables too know if that's crazy high or not.

That's actually not too bad. I have't looked at one that small. 42" for a ZT is kinda pointless unless you have a fence or something to get through. They are so maneuverable that I think 48" is the minimum I would ever go and the electrics really seem to jump up in price after a certain size. I suppose without belts you need another motor for another blade.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:

The ONLY DRAWBACK is you can’t drink a beer while mowing as it takes both hands.

Once you get good on them you can easily drink whatever. Once you make a turn and are going straight you can grab both handles with one hand and keep it straight since not much input is needed.

Really the biggest drawback is that they are not very good on hills since the front wheels free wheel. You need to go up and down instead of across which isn't always possible.

quote:

The ONLY DRAWBACK is you can’t drink a beer while mowing as it takes both hands.

quote:

Originally posted by a1abdj:
What I have is larger than you need, but you should consider the same theory as I had.

I run a 72" Ferris with a big block Vangaurd, but I mow 6 acres. My theory was that a commercial mower is designed to be used and abused, and is much better built than a consumer version. For as little use as your yard will see a commercial unit should last you the rest of your life, and probably could be passed down to the next generation. This would also hold true for a used unit that was well cared for.

Having a suspension would be nice and being commercial grade would be nice. A Ferris with a 52" or 61" deck and Kawasaki motor would be ideal.

P250 lives nearby me, and there is a Ferris dealer (Landsdowne Moody on I-45 near Conroe) 15 minutes away.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
^ Skimmed the POA docs for the potential new house.
Seems they're good with some non-business AG use. Goats could work, but they'd likely eventually end up in the pool...

You cook in your pool?!?!?!? That's kind of taking sous vide to an extreme.

WRT the original question, yes, look at commercial units first. A commercial mower does more work in one season than a homeowner unit does in its life.

WRT to "borrowing" your dad's mower, he'll be a lot happier about this if you "pay the rent" by mowing his yard too.

I have a commercial Kubota diesel w/ 72" deck, and I like it...

BUT, it's operation pales in comparison to smaller Cub Cadet's with steering wheels.
They have 4-wheel steering, and it makes mowing on slopes/hills a breeze.

I would tell anyone to take a good hard look at them, and to demo one, if possible. Definitely the most pleasurable mowing experience that I have had.

We mow about 5 acres in NW Florida where the grass grows fast. We had a commercial zero turn John Deere with a 60" deck and 31hp gas engine for several years. We gave that mower to our son who has about 2 acres and it continues to give good service. We replaced the John Deere with a commercial Kubota zero turn with 60" deck and 30 hp diesel. We really like the ride and the performance of the diesel Kubota. And it came with a cup holder!

Thanks gents, lots to research if this moves forward.

Only other thing to consider is if having something that has 'accessories' is worth the extra.
For things like a bucket/ grapple, etc.
Not sure how often that stuff would get used & might be easier to just rent as needed in those cases.

I have a Dixie Chopper, 61” and 26? Horse. I think you’d be fine with a smaller deck. Less scalping if lawn isn’t really flat. I would recommend you look for something with a fabricated deck. They’re heavier and typically last longer.

No more than you have to mow, you could save some money by going with a lawn tractor. However, if you want maneuverability and speed, go with a 48-54” deck ZT and don’t look back. I can’t really recommend JD with all the problems mine has had. Exmark, Dixie Chopper and Toro are the ones I hear mostly positive remarks about so I’d go that route if I were in the market.

A Wright Stander but they may be more than you want to spend. 52”

quote:

Originally posted by Leemur:
No more than you have to mow, you could save some money by going with a lawn tractor. However, if you want maneuverability and speed, go with a 48-54” deck ZT and don’t look back. I can’t really recommend JD with all the problems mine has had. Exmark, Dixie Chopper and Toro are the ones I hear mostly positive remarks about so I’d go that route if I were in the market.

Last mowing season here was early March through mid-January (unusual, but early March to Thanksgiving is normal) so the total mowing season hours really rack up.

Depends, did you enjoy mowing grass before? For an acre and a half, I'd consider a commercial hydraulic walk behind with either a 36" or 52" deck. I enjoy cutting grass and really take pride in nice stripes. If you just want to cut the grass and be done then a commercial grade ztr or stander with either a 52" or 60"deck would be better.

Ive been mowing just over 3 acres for 5 years now with an exmark 60" radius x-series. It wasn't cheap but I expect to get twenty years out of the mower. Commercial grade mowers have better motors, stronger decks and better/faster hydro units.

Toro, Exmark, Wright, Ferris all make good units. Some good advice I got here years ago was look at what brands are on the trucks and trailers of the guys who mow professionally. They'll know who has good support in the area.

Scag Liberty Z. Great smaller zero turn , built real well

50 in 27 horse Dixie Chopper Silver Eagle here, I maintain 10 acres, usually mow about 3 acres weekly in summer. Cant beat a commercial mower, I usually go through a set of blades annually. which reminds me i need to order a set..

quote:

Originally posted by kyoung:
50 in 27 horse Dixie Chopper Silver Eagle here, ...

For the Dixie Chopper get the cross blade kit and the stripe kit.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
The ONLY DRAWBACK is you can’t drink a beer while mowing as it takes both hands.

Quitter. You aren't trying hard enough.

I have a 48" Hustler fastrak for 1.8acres. It's a tank & I drive it like one. I maintain it like I stole it & it hasn't missed a beat for 10yrs. 54" would be nice, but the 48 is plenty. Friend got a can't turn down deal on a 60" JD & it's almost too big for his 1.4acres with hills.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
Only other thing to consider is if having something that has 'accessories' is worth the extra.
For things like a bucket/ grapple, etc.
Not sure how often that stuff would get used & might be easier to just rent as needed in those cases.

If you get up to a couple acres or so I think a subcompact like a Kubota BX 1870 with a 54" deck and quick detach loader could be ideal. In addition to the QA 48" bucket I'd include a set of light weight pallet forks which are handy for all kinds of chores. It won't mow as fast as a ZTR but it'll be way more versatile. And so it takes a little longer to mow, more tractor time isn't necessarily a bad thing.
I'd say you'll be around $17-18K with mower deck, front loader with bucket and pallet forks but taken care of it could be the last mower you ever have to buy. https://www.kubotausa.com/prod...ub-compact/bx-series

Checked out the place this morning.
Grass is a softer variety than we have at our current house. Doesn't seem super dense.

Not sure what the current owners use, as the tool shed was locked.

Guessing something of the smaller deck variety would work. Still need to look between ZT or traditional riding mower.

We're sorting pro/con on the place, as it's a lot smaller house that will need some expansion to suit us fully.

Love the property, quiet, moderately wooded. 1.5ac, house situated about 1/3 back from the road.