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Commercial Zero Turn

Discussion in 'General' started by SmokeSignalRT, Aug 16, 2022.

  1. ducnut

    ducnut Well-Known Member

    Not really. It’s basically manufacturers moving the same components around and calling them “all new” models. Creating “affordable” commercial lineups out of estate mowers, resulting in increased failures. Mower models that shouldn’t even exist, because the manufacturer want to slice their pie into even smaller pieces.

    To answer your question: •Don’t touch a Spartan.
    •The Toro is a nice mower, with a fantastic cutting deck.

    When people mention Exmark, it’s a Toro chassis with an Exmark deck. The Toro deck cuts nicer, so stick with it.

    Which Toro 4000 model are you looking at?

    Do you have a Toro dealer you’re working with?

    Do you have any other mower dealers close by?

    What size and type of property are you mowing?
     
  2. zertrider

    zertrider Waiting for snow. Or sun.

    If the property is at all rough, go with a Ferris. Have an IS 500 with 60in deck and 27hp Briggs. Not one single issue in 8yrs cutting a rough 2 acres. Brother bought a new ISX800 2 years ago after hurting his back, and that thing rides like a cadillac in comparison to mine. And the difference between that one and the Gravely he also his is boggling
     
  3. Buell1965

    Buell1965 Well-Known Member

    Good Gosh can mowing season get over with , this time of year allways leaves me tired of mowing . While i love my small expanse it haunts my dreams just knowing it needs to be done .
     
  4. SmokeSignalRT

    SmokeSignalRT Fat Member

    Toro 74054 or 74055 still on the fence. There is a dealer in Augusta I'd probably buy from even though its a couple hour trip and there is a dealer 10 min from me. I have about 14 acres Id use it on. Mixture of yard and rolling pasture. The rest of my property I cut with a bush hog.
     
  5. R Acree

    R Acree Banned

    Which one?
     
  6. SmokeSignalRT

    SmokeSignalRT Fat Member

    Harry's Saw Shop
     
  7. rcarson15

    rcarson15 Well-Known Member

    For that price race, you should consider looking into the Cub Cadet Pro line (I know, I lol'd when I heard about it too).. My dad picked one up (Pro Z 960 - 35hp Kawi motor) because he couldn't get a new Scag - GOOD LORD is that solid. It made all of his old commercial Scags seem like residential mowers, been on them for decades. Everything was so well built with so many quality of life and common sense improvements over the Scags, it's unreal. From the seat adjustability, to the cup holder, to the throttle and choke being on opposite sides for starting, to the deck not locking in place when you lift it up to not scalp something, to the roll cage being lower than the seat when down (so it doesnt catch on branches), to the deck height adjustments... Someone really put some thought into that mower and it's awesome. Head and shoulders above the Scag commercial mowers (and way cheaper too).
     
  8. R Acree

    R Acree Banned

    Good place. I go to them and to Laurelwood Equipment in North Augusta. Then again, my selections are NOT commercial grade.
     
  9. ducnut

    ducnut Well-Known Member

    Whew! A serious piece of property.

    Between those two mowers, you’ll want the 74054. That is plenty of engine for the job. The triple 9 is just overkill for a 60” deck and it chugs the fuel, like emptying the tanks in 5-6hrs.

    If it were my money, on the 4000 platform, I’d be looking at the 74035. I’ve had that engine on a Hustler. With its EFI, there’s almost zero bog/pull down, when hitting heavier growth. On a laptop, you can see where it’ll drop a few rpm and the injection is immediately responding with more fuel. A carb has a governor system that’s reliant on the airflow off the flywheel, that pulls a rod, actuating the carb, and the vacuum finally sucking the fuel from the float bowls. It’s such an archaic system, compared to EFI. Furthermore, that engine sips the fuel, with 8-9hrs of run time on a fill-up. It’s an overachiever.

    You might cross-shop the Hustler X-ONE. I’ve owned two Hustlers, including the 1st generation of one of these. You can get Kawasaki EFI or Kohler EFI, for power. The VX deck is actually a variation of the XR7 deck, which has been around for years. Plus, I REALLY like their integrated levers that engage the parking stops, as you move the levers outward. Most mowers have a separate lever or pedal, to engage the parking stops.

    Also, have a look at Scag Tiger Cat (Kaw EFI) and Altoz XP (Kaw EFI) mowers. They’re both great mowers, as well.
     
  10. ducnut

    ducnut Well-Known Member

    Scag have been updating their stuff, from those days. Personally, I’m not a fan of their user interface. However, there are many who swear by them. They’re a solid mower, either way.
     
  11. Dan Dubeau

    Dan Dubeau Well-Known Member

    Look into the Kubota F series mowers. They're great on hills, and you can ditch the bush hog. I have an old f2400 that I cut the main 3 acres of grass with and it does a great job. I also have a flail mower for it that can do the trails and other stuff I used to cut with the bush behind the tractor. The flail is nice, but to be honest the 60" regular deck does a good job in the thick stuff too. They really are beasts of a mower. 4wd also if your property is hilly like mine.

    The front deck is also good for reaching under trees etc without also jamming your whole self into the tree too :D.
    [​IMG]
     
    SmokeSignalRT likes this.
  12. SmokeSignalRT

    SmokeSignalRT Fat Member

    Thanks for the input, I'll take a look at the mowers you mentioned. Is the myride system legit or just a sales gimmick?
     
  13. t11ravis

    t11ravis huge carbon footprint

    I have a lightly used Cub Cadet. I got scammed by the original owner but it runs fine now.
     
  14. SmokeSignalRT

    SmokeSignalRT Fat Member

    Yeah I remember when you bought it, I told you the guy was an asshole and the mower was a piece of shit. Maybe next time you'll listen.
     
    t11ravis likes this.
  15. ducnut

    ducnut Well-Known Member

    I would definitely consider a model with it. Demo one and see how you like it. If your dealer has some vacant property around the shop, you could potentially just run the mower around there and see the benefit of it.

    Unfortunately, Toro has an unusual matrix of features, offering MyRIDE on what appears to be only a single engine option per platform. To avoid the triple 9 on a 4000/74055 platform, one would have to go down to a 3000/72936 (852cc/Kawi/carb) or up to a 5000/72951 (747cc/Kohler/EFI). That seems ridiculous. Never seen that before, as most companies offer small and big block options for each platform. I know from experience, an EFI small block is the best engine for a 60” deck. And, 60” is as large of a deck possible, to still maintain cut quality and versatility.

    Their site doesn’t list prices on every model. Probably need to see your dealer for exact numbers.

    I’d go to your dealer and seek advice on the platform differences and which best fits your usage. Toro doesn’t state what exact model of drives each platform uses. With many manufacturers using integrated pump and wheel motors, that’s a big deal and something you and your dealer need to discuss. You want to work big drives lightly versus small drives heavy. Ditches and side hills kill drives.

    Scag has had a suspended operator platform, for many years, on the Cheetah. It’s very effective at isolating the operator from getting beat up. I considered one, but, didn’t like the operator interface. Personally, I think it’s better than Ferris’ suspension system, because the Scag chassis maintains its attitude, which ensures the quality of cut. Adding a suspension to the chassis will result in a sacrifice in cut quality, as the chassis absorbs the bumps. Most won’t notice that, but, someone in the industry can easily see it, which is why the industry hasn’t adopted it. It’s fine for rough cutting, but, not great for finish mowing. Also, the Ferris uses cheap shocks and bushings, which quickly wear in a commercial/high usage scenario. Back when I was in the biz, one of my peers tried one, but, fairly quickly sold it.
     
  16. Alex_V

    Alex_V Dump the diesel

    What do you guys think about Kubota Z231kw-42. We don't have acres to cut, just a bit more than a self-propelled mower can easily handle.
     
  17. SmokeSignalRT

    SmokeSignalRT Fat Member

    More great information. I'm headed to the dealer next week and hope to find someone who wants to sell me the right machine for my needs and not just what they have in stock. I have a mower now so waiting for what I need isn't a big deal. My current zero turn is a toro residential model and just overworked. I have about 100 yards of ditch I mow. Its not super steep but my current mower won't hold it. Is there a minimum drive size you wouldn't want to be under?
     
  18. SmokeSignalRT

    SmokeSignalRT Fat Member

    I don't know anything about that model but we do have a B2150 that we have literally beat the shit out of for over 25 years. I know they make great stuff. I have this Toro model https://www.toro.com/en/homeowner/riding-mowers/timecutter-75750 and have been happy with it. Not sure that helps but I'd buy it again for your size yard.
     
  19. ducnut

    ducnut Well-Known Member

    Already having a mower puts you in the best position, because you can wait for what you want.

    The mower you have is a really nice, residential mower. I started commercial mowing with a Hustler equivalent, then, moved up to a commercial mower. But, I kept the small machine for around home and as a backup. If you have the room, I’d put it on a Battery Tender, Sea Foam in the tanks, and keep it around. You just never know if you might need it.

    I’d try and stay above 3600’s…3800’s if you can. 3400’s would be borderline, IMO. Since you’re the owner-operator, 3400’s might last a good while. However, if one fails, you’d want to replace both and that’s a good chunk of money. You could’ve initially used that same money to move into a larger platform and had a better mower all along.

    It’s very important to keep drives serviced. Because I had a lot of slopes and side hills, I changed the drive oil at 50% of recommended interval, as cheap insurance.

    When you move up into commercial platforms, the mower’s stance is much wider and the weight much heavier. That’ll give you better stability on slopes and ditches. It’ll make it so much easier and you’ll be telling yourself “I should’ve done this sooner.”. Haha. However, if the ditch is soft or has water in it, avoid it. It’ll take a pickup or tractor to free a 1300# mower from being stuck. If you regularly deal with steep slopes or ditches and/or water, you really need to be looking at an Altoz TRX.

    Don’t ever buy a rear-discharge mower. They cut like shit, because there’s no airflow/vacuum through the deck.
     
    SmokeSignalRT likes this.
  20. Alex_V

    Alex_V Dump the diesel

    How do Toro compare to Kubota, or others? Lowes has a bunch of 42"movers with Kawi engines also.

    Kubot has 0% financing, and I like the idea of free money for 24 months. Same with Lowes.
     
    Last edited: Aug 20, 2022

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