Well, the POS mower has died

[tbird]

   The Kubota 1105 Diesel is a good engine.  One of he things I like about Kubotas is the 1105 engine.  I have worked on those engines from Welder/Generators (Hobart), mowers and small skid steers.  Great engine.  In fact my cousin has one in a Kubota tractor and it is tough as nails.

   The Exmarks with the Kawasaki engines are very easy on gas.  The Exmarks with Kohlers are gas hogs.

  The ZD21s I work on are actually well maintained by the grounds crews.  These guys have maintained mowers and verti-cutters by Toro, John Deere and Ransomme (Jacobsen) for over 15 years and many of them are still running great.  Especially the 5400 Toros with 1105 Kubota engines.  The Kubotas they own are just maintenance hogs compared to other Pro Equipment.  I am called in to repair wiring, drive train and hydraulic problems.  They do all belt, blade and PM work.  They have had some Xmission problems over the years.  Actually the best equipment I see when it comes to performance versus trouble is Jacobsen.  They run longer and work harder for the money spent on repair and operation.  One club is only purchasing Jacobsen from now on from mowers to aerators.  Parts are readily available, reasonable and well made.  The worst in getting Pro parts is Toro.  They try to protect their dealers parts markets at the expense of their customers.  Although a lot of the courses I know of use Toro,  they are becoming more and more aggravated at the parts problems and high service fees.  They are losing ground.   

[Lake Erie]

T-Bird........ Thanx for the summary....... In my area Kubota marine engines are also popular..... I had a couple M-series ( M4700 & M4900 ) Kubota tractors with their 5 cyl diesel engine in them....... That is a great engine too.......

In earlier writings you were a proponent of Bad Boy zero turns............ How do they stack up against the ones you have just mentioned?

Brent

[tbird]

  I like the Commercial models of Bad Boy ZTRs.  The Kawasaki 27HP engine on them is fantastic.  I like the design, ease of maintenance, parts availability and prices.  My only problem with recommending them at this time is I have no real experience with using them and not enough people I know who's judgment I trust have enough time with them either.  So as I think they could turn out to be one of the most fantastic deals on a strong, fast and durable mower,  I will wait until I can recommend from a point of surety rather than wishful hoping.   


  If I don't like a piece of equipment it is because I have had enough recurring problems with it, its' engine or its' dealers so I  steer away from them.  I don't care what color it is, who's name is on it, where it is made or what it costs.  If equipment gives you a good deal of work for the dollar overall, is easy on parts, has some sort of parts support and doesn't let you down then it is good equipment even if you can't pronounce its' name.     

  My experience with Kubota equipment ranges from Industrial Earth moving wheel loaders in the 40 ton range down to small diesels engines.  Next to CAT I rate Kubota at the top and when it comes to Excavators I like them best. Some people here probably figure I am anti-Kubota,  but that is definitely NOT the case. They are a good company with good engineering and a quality product.  I do have concerns with some of their mowers.  It is almost like they farmed out the design of those instead of keeping it "in-house"  When I work on a Kubota mower they just seem a bit alien to most Kubota design features.  Like one Kubota mechanic told me about the ZD21.  He said, "Anytime a piece of equipment has a built in jack,  you can expect trouble."  I thought that was pretty funny. 

  I have worked on my share of Kubota, Gravely, Exmark and Ariens commercial mowers.  From that I decided the Exmarks seem to perform best.  They cut the same grass courses just as well but much faster with less downtime and expense.  That is what commercial equipment is supposed to be about.  When a mower is used to cut hundreds and hundreds of acres a year,  it had better be at the top of its' game.

[AllisCA]

From that I decided the Exmarks seem to perform best.  They cut the same grass courses just as well but much faster with less downtime and expense.  That is what commercial equipment is supposed to be about.  When a mower is used to cut hundreds and hundreds of acres a year,  it had better be at the top of its' game.

I remeber well when Exmark came to town, or at least the midwest in my area. Everybody had one and it was the one to have. You basically just didn't see a landscape trailer without one. Then like everything else somebody else showed up and the game was on. Hustler has pretty much taken over the market up here along with some Landpride sprinkled in there. They upped the ainy with beefier stronger decks, better frames, and smoother hydros. Where Exmark was on every show room floor then Hustler is on most now. Right now its the only major brand sold at multiple locations everywhere. Toro/Exmark, Scagg, Grasshopper, Randsome/Bobcat I would have to do a google search to find out where they are sold now. Even the JD dealer is promoting Hustler over the Deere. Tomorrow it will just be somebody else.

[Ohioboy]

I realize that I am late to the dance.
Misplaced Texan,

If you have not made a purchase I would consider one of these

It is a John Deere f912 series. They can be picked up used. and are pretty stout mowers.  They are not zero turn but pretty close, they come with suspension seat have a water cooled yanmar engine(secret to longevity) and are dirt simple to run.
 
The four wheels on the motor portion spread the shock of bumps out and the floating deck will hop around as necessary and you don't feel it.

I purchased this mower from the church I used to be employed by as a groundskeeper it was new in 1980 and has only had one engine rebuild. That was because a later employee let it run low on oil.

Ohioboy

[AllisCA]

I realize that I am late to the dance.
Misplaced Texan,

If you have not made a purchase I would consider one of these

It is a John Deere f912 series. They can be picked up used. and are pretty stout mowers.  They are not zero turn but pretty close, they come with suspension seat have a water cooled yanmar engine(secret to longevity) and are dirt simple to run.
 
The four wheels on the motor portion spread the shock of bumps out and the floating deck will hop around as necessary and you don't feel it.
Those do look very practical. Can get under pine trees and god for wide open spaces.
I purchased this mower from the church I used to be employed by as a groundskeeper it was new in 1980 and has only had one engine rebuild. That was because a later employee let it run low on oil.

Ohioboy

[Misplaced Texan]

Thanks to all who offered info for our mower purchase.  Zero down and 0% is hard to resist.  We bought a Kubota ZG327.  It has a 60" deck and suspension seat and is fabulous.  The only drawback is it is a dust blowing machine when you cross areas without full grass cover.  17,000 RPMs on those blades are like a hurricane.

Gail

[LakeRat1]

I was reading this thread about mowers and wondering why no one was talking about X MARK, untin I saw tbird Give them a Good Mark, i dont have a ZTR mower, i am still running old DJ mowers cutting about 4 ac., 1 is a JD 445 Mower, 60 in. cut (it is a grass cutting HOG), the other is a JG LT 166, 46 in. cut, they are both 11 or 12 years old, the big mower gets about 60 hr. a year, The main Bitch i have with these mowers is the Plastic that the hood & such is made with, JD shoud be ashame of their Self to have made some that would not out last the mower it self, i think they must have fixed this problem, as i dont see any of the newer ones with cracked up hoods, or no hood at all, if there was a after market hood shaped like A BIG LEMMON I would PUT ONE on EACH OF MINE<> Look at all The TONKA TOYS that we see around the are 20 or more years OLD STILL GOING, anyway back to the ZTRs, My brother has a 3 yr. old big Kabota 60 in cut and loves it, he cuts about 4 ac. its a gas model, but there are a lot of the Lawn People that you see running nothing but XMARKS, If my big JD mower ever gives up i will look at a ZTR mower, Just want be a JD, one should check to see how hard it is to get at the service points, I see that the JD ZTR oil filter is hard to get at,

LakeRat1

[wally lyon]

The shocks on the ferris are adjustable. One of my coworkers has one. Tis a pretty good ride, Wally

[Mr. Scruffy]

Nobody has mentioned Dixie Chopper. Mine was used when I got it. It is 20+ years old and will still out cut anything around. I mow 6 acres once a week during the summer, in SE Texas that is about 10 months a year, and I wouldn't own anything else.
 Gail, I think you mentioned some bare spots causing a big dust cloud. Be sure to keep a good eye out on your cutter blades. That sand/grit will eat up the blades really fast. I do think you will be happy with your 'bota and I hope it lasts you a long time.

[ffemt1271]

i've got 4 exmarks.they are not too bad on gas usage. i have 3 riders a 10 yr old that i still use daily 23hp 60'' cut and it uses just a tad over 1.1 gal/hr, and a 2 yr old 29hp 60'' cut that uses 1.4 gph, but is more efficient & a 7 yr old 31hp 72'' cut that uses 1.9 gph.

i have only used ex,ark since i started 10 years ago, but as you can see--they are tough--still running after 10 years of commercial usage.

[LakeRat1]

As i was going through all the read about mowers i was wondering to my self Why am i not Seeing EXMark, I know of some areas where there are a lot of EXMark being used, if i were in the Market for a new Mower & i were thinking ZTRs that is 1 of the mowers i would have on my look list, I have Heard a lot of Bad things about the JD ZTRs, i am still running 2 Old JD mowers, The Plastic on these things are a peace of GARBAGE< TheY should be ashame of selling something that can not last, anyway the old JD 445 w 60" cut, will last a long time yet, its over 10 years old and still going strong, IT now has about 700 hr. i also have a Old JD LT 166, 46" cut over 10 years old, we use it mostly just for triming, and i have a spray tank on the back for weed eating, i use Liquide Weed eater, I will never Buy another JD Mower Just for The Reason of the SORRY Plastic that they were using back some number of years, They May be Still using the same Crap, I Dont Know>< with a Name like JD has theY should have went around and up graded all the sorry stuff they sold, I see TONKA Toys that are over 20 years old that are still not all cracked up, SHAME SHAME on The Big GREEN BOY >< JD

LakeRat1

PS: That is one thing that i have Noticed over the Years about True JD blooded people
They some times hide the thing that are short comings of JD,

If You see a Mower running,/ cutting grass with No Hood, It Most Likely is a JD that all the Plastic has Cracked & split and fell OFF, 

[ffemt1271]

one reaso you may not see exmark on here a lot is because of the price. I got a lazer X series with a mulch kit and it was right at $11,000. there are a lot of others out there that would suit a home/estate owner for 1/2 the price. I have run them for 10 years and when i need a new mower, i dont shop brands i just get another exmark. also every one i have purchased is still being used today, including one thats 10 years old.Actually mowed 27 yards with it this week.

[bigboberta]

I bought a 50" exmark Quest yesterday.  I have to get used to using it, have never done the ZTR thing before, and I am not too good at it.

Bob

[ffemt1271]

When you mow with it, make a couple of loops then cut back and forth in straight lines from one side to the other and you will be surprised at the time it saves.