We’ve been running Grasshopper since 1987. Currently have 3 - 325 Grasshopper w/Kubota Diesel 60in Duramax Decks and 3 - Grasshopper 325 w/Kubota Diesel 72in Duramax decks. We trade two in every two years with an avg of about 2,000 hrs on them and still have plenty of life left with great resale. We’ve always been satisfied with customer support and our local rep and dealer are great. Great cut, amazing handling and build quality.
Had a Dixie Chopper with 50" deck (mostly for some cemeteries), then I dropped the cemeteries and did only lawns and got the Dixie Chopper Silver Eagle with 60" deck. I liked the power and speed, esp. with the Silver Eagle. When I traded next, I got a Ferris 2300. I LOVE the smooth ride of the Ferris. Great power, comfortable seat, air suspension, 61" deck and .....it's fuel injected. Very strong for me here in Indiana. I'm retired, and my back got sore on the Dixie Choppers. Not so with the Ferris. I can mow all day and not get sore.
Ride is everything. I did 7 acres in the summer on the weekends, for two years on a Hustler, and it was an amazing, tough mower. Built like a tank. But man, it tore my back up. No suspension seat, or suspension frame anywhere. Next zero turn I do, suspension something is a must.
I'm a field manager for a company in NC. All we run is Deers. Ztrak 60's, 72's, stand on, and walk behinds. I've been with the company for 10 years and I've seen 3200 plus hours on the 60s I've had over the years. They are run for hours and hours from spring through early fall. Our contracts are primarily apartment complexes.
I have owned or demoed nearly every brand starting with my Dixie chopper 23 years ago. After working as a heavy duty truck/diesel mechanic for 45 years I feel that scag is the best engineered an constructed mowers available. Bought my first scag in 2003. Since then I have bought an sold other brands but keep coming back to scag. I now own 5 including the 2003 that I sold once an bought back a year later. Love my scags.
well no offense but u ain't ever been on a grasshopper then. they make scag build quality look like something out of india. one other note everyone i've known that's owned a scag that had problems said the dealer reps treated them like 2nd rate citizens.
Bo Talks I know all about grass hoppers an their problems. Their caster bearings are a joke, aluminum spindles with ball bearing like scag uses on their home owner mowers. Mule drive belt system that's a constant pain. Some of my friends have grass hoppers so I hear their grips.
I'm in the military so I cut on the weekends (weekend warrior). I use a Big Dog mower. They are a sister company of Hustler made by Excel Industries and have a great entry level price point. They have a fantastic warranty and even offer military and first responder discounts. They put Kawasaki on everything except their lowest tier, which has Briggs.
Entering my second year in business. Did a lot of research and landed on the Ferris Z2 52 in. Kawi. It is all I know, but I can't imagine a more perfect mower. A nimble beast.
I mow alone part time after work and for me the best overall mower that does everything and fits everywhere is my walker t25i.Excellent cut and great for leaf cleanups.If you can only have 1 thats what i recommend.
I do have the Cub Cadet 972hd zero turn steering wheel with dual rear tires. I use it to cut steep dams and hills. The warranty is legit. Service is good, comfortable mower. Doesn't get stuck around wet areas.
I have a 2019 Scag Liberty Z 52 in. It’s an amazing mower! Very fast and operates so nicely. Also very easy to get to everything on it for maintenance. Got it at the end of last summer when I got my house so I only have 8 hours on it but I love it so far!!!!! Absolutely no issues!
5 years ago I rarely saw guys running the walkers, but the company I was with did. I absolutely love them. Today 90 percent of the trucks I see are packed with Walker's, and the exmarks are becoming rare.
We use John Deere. Great striping and great discharge (no clumps even on wet grass in reverse). We are in Western New York State (an 1.5 hours from Canada). They were a close dealer and John Deere offers Zero-Stop (free loaner) if mower goes to the shop. I wanted this when I only had one mower 3 years ago. Will be getting our 5th mower this Spring. We pay extra for the faster speed transmission (12 mph), suspension seat & tweels for a smoother ride at full speed. John Deere's stand-on mowers (old generation Wright mower) are great too, but you can tell that they are not as awesome. I wish they'd put the sit-down mowers 7-iron deck on them! I'm going to demo a Wright stand-on next month, but the dealer is a bit farther. Thanks Brian!!!
I used the ferris zero turn for my work, had the briggs and Stratton motor, you could beat the crap out of them 8hrs a day in hot weather, they can climb hills nicely, I went over extremely bumpy fields and it handled it with ease. I honestly recommend, nothing but good things to say.
Country clipper is Amazing. Flip up mower deck, Contour DTS system, joystick control. All steel no plastic on commercial models. Low center of gravity and visibility all around the unit. None of the other mower's are like Country clipper.
Grasshopper 400d here. Awesome mower paired with a kubota diesel. Hydros and the ride are super smooth. Hope to add a 325d down the road. I wish grasshopper would get into the stander market.
Located in central MN and run lawn care biz as sole proprietor with part time help as needed. I run the prosumer Ferris models, the Ferris 800s and 700s. They cut well with the ICD decks, and ride great over rough ground with the independent wheel suspension on all four corners (especially the newer 800s). They have the 27 hp Briggs Commercial motors and start at around 7k with the 52 inch deck, and around 8k with the 60inch. (PS. Johnny Mow, rates the Ferris ICD deck in the top 3, along with the XMark, and the Torro turbo force, for northern blue grass, tall and lush.) Blessings to all for a great 2020.
2014 Kubota ZG227 with 60in deck. Solid mower, runs great, and I love the grease fittings on the spindles, driveshaft, front wheels, etc. If you take care of your mower maintenance wise, it will take care of you.
I have two Toro z masters love both 52 and 60 . They are the best cutting mower I have used. Both use the Kawasaki motors and I have never had any issues. My 52 is 12 years old and the 60 is two years. The Xmark was made to offer a more affordable Toro. They do share similar features and engines. The mow decks are also similar. Both Toro and Xmark are well made and take a beating while providing a outstanding cut quality and ride comfort.
What is something I could try to find and buy used or whatever?. Brand? Toro? used that's *powerful enough* for... like. Floriduh grass? lots of Grass/No grass sand. Gate's? I like Toro. I got the push mower that I'll mow 4 acres with. Lol. Self propelled.
I’ve run hustler all over the spectrum, 2k + hours on an x-one. 2600 hours on a super z (still in current use) and 2k + hours on a hyperdrive now sold. I sold the hyperdrive due to unhappiness with cut quality. The super z isn’t any better but the hours don’t justify selling. I purchased a John Deere 950m as a lead mower and now have 200 hours this season so far, I will be purchasing another. The vx4 has some of the poorest cut quality when you deal with turf type fescue or grass over 3.5”. The 7 iron has been around forever and that compared to majority of mowers I’ve seen in 12+ years of experience has been top notch. I hope you get a chance to demo and open your mind. Great content!! Keep up the great work!!!!
I still think Grasshopper mowers are not talked about in the lawn care world enough 😒. I prefer the front mount mowers but I am a c6 quadriplegic so it is a huge help cutting down on follow up trimming that’s needed I mow both big and large yards and as bulky as they seem with 3 -4ft of mower behind you on top of the deck in front they are very maneuverable many attachments to make it very versatile and with a folding deck blade changing and deck maintenance is SOO easy. Just my thought. Very heavy built machines and I never hear anything about them from anyone. I have a 2015 725k and an very old 1990 woods mow’n machine which is the same thing. Cheers
Brian's Lawn Maintenance if your ever around one sometime just check out how they are built I’m not as familiar with all the other brands but these frames are very thick and heavy I’ve wanted one since the first time I saw one about 10 years ago last year I was able to make that happen after starting up my lawn business again hoping the next one I’m able to purchase will be brand new
@@BriansLawnMaintenance I second what Scott Gleason is saying about grasshopper mowers. In my part of the country here in Missouri they are very popular. Mine is the front mount which allows me to easily take blades on and off using the hydraulic lift.
I've owned and or run them all, my personal rankings of commercial mowers and the reason why, #1 JD, 2 Hustler, 3 Scag. The bottom of the list, Snapperpro, Gravely, Bobcat, Kubota. The JD and Scag cut all grasses the best. The Hustler is one tough, reliable piece of equipment!
The Company I work for just purchased(it's mid-April 2023!!)7 brand new 72" Xmark Lazers with the new oil guard system(change oil every 500+ hours now!) Lots of power & very comfortable seating for a large zero-turn mower!!
I'm from southeast Michigan and own a law care company. Your completely right about bagging grass, especially after all of this rain and fertilizer. And the with the shut down made it a nightmare
2018 Hustler Super Z Huperdrive w/Vanguard 37HP EFI with the 60" deck and flex forks in DFW area. I run it with the mulching kit all the time and works great.
8:01 - Decks: VelocityPlus vs UltraCut - equal but different. The UltraCut gives a slightly better after cut appearance, while the SCAG reduces the need for recut. Finished product vs productivity... and both are very capable, with only a slight edge in either direction. As for the whole unit... in short, you'll benefit from the SCAG when going gets tough. You'll benefit from the EXmark on every well maintained property you cut. There is a reason why eXmark is the most popular commercial mower in the industry. Their users have the best business card on the face of the planet... finished product. The lighter weight is more efficient, easier on hydros, easier on turf, easier on tires, and handles better.
In the south east, it seems like Walker for manicured lawns (which doesn’t have to be bagged, just swap decks) since it simply smokes every other mower for cut quality and striping. Grasshopper for rough / large production mowing. Both Walker and Grasshopper are expensive, but 5k hours is not uncommon. No one runs Exmark, unless they want a throw away mower.
I have a gravely ZT hd 52 inch and it cuts great , just took it through a lawn with weeds and grass over a foot tall and it cur it smoother than any machine I've used in my 20 yrs doing this . And I got it for 6k.
Gravely 2022 ZT HD 60 update I’ve got a lake house that was just built and the acre plus it sits on in Central Florida has some really tough lakeside weeds and cattails and the grass/weeds grows so quick with all this summer rain. I’ve got 4 hours so far on it but the first cut the yard was overgrown and about two feet plus and it chopped through it like butter at 2.5 inches and left very few stragglers from only the thickest patches of dense lake side grass. It’s running like a champ and the build quality is top notch. The X factor 3 deck seems to be a good step up from the previous model from what I’ve researched. I’m looking forward to decades of reliable use that Gravely is known for.
I use the John 🦌 deer it’s just a rideing mower 48” cut and cub cadet 50” cut zero turn . They work great no bad things happen just putting parts on when needed. And about 5 riding lawnmowers I don’t use different but good old lawnmowers . Well have a good one see y’all next time see ya bye.
I run a Kubota z421 with a 54 inch deck. The call it a pro-sumer model. Just one step below commercial. Has the Kawasaki motor. This thing doesn’t bog down and does a really nice job of laying the grass out. Stripes decent as well. Love my “Bota”
Walker 48” GHS Montana. For mulching the B line up can handle hills and the speed is wonderful. Hydro’s tend to go quickly and are a few hundred bucks to replace. Ending on the a positive note, the stripes are beautiful.
We run the Gravely ProTurn 452 w/mulch kit and Gravely ProStance 36 w/ mulch kit. They are tough! Decent cut quality, but it does miss some stragglers from time to time if its just cutting weeds. They cut some Zoysia and Bermuda really nice though! I highly recommend. Thanks Brian for another great video!
I just bought the mean green stalker stand on actually just got it home a few days ago. And all I can say is wow it was well worth the 17k most definitely.
NW Florida. I started my business with a Hustler Raptor 42" (Kohler 7000) 5 years ago. I have a number of properties I still use that mower on. Big Hustler fan here.
Grasshopper is the way to go. The only thing that I've ever used. I have one that is 11 years old mowing 329b mid mount but as strong as the first day I bought.
I bought my first zero turn as a new small lawn care business. As I couldn't afford the big brand expensive mowers and didnt want to finance, I bought a residential edition spartan mower. I am very very pleased with it thus far. Would love to see you review a srt 61 from spartan.
Hey Jones, I'm trying to get started this year. This was a great segment on The ZT's, but after studying so many factors in start up, I've decided it's in my best interest to go with a walk behind. A little more affordable, if you don't like the wheeled sulky there's always the slide. You don't have to walk behind a walk behind. They are very versatile, efficient and is a great mower even with different styled mower additions to come later. What do you think?
@@garrisonfamilyalbum3901 I also have a walk behind, nothing fancy from cub cadet. I bought my zero to facilitate larger properties I was turning down last year. Better to turn clients down to to many than not proper equipment. Exmark makes a great walker for like 5k.
I started with my push mower from my garage (5 years ago) to make a few extra dollars, BUT BUT BUT if you can get customers, you'll want to go commercial as soon as possible, if not immediately (our smallest mowing deck is 60", our slowest mower is 10 mph). High quality, fast and efficient. Even with lacking credit, you may still be able to finance at 0%, but may need to put down $1,000 for 1st mower. That's what I had to do at John Deere 3 years ago for my 1st commercial mower and with 0% interest (they are always running this offer). Plus if you need something fixed, they'll give you a free loaner. We'll be getting our 5th mower this Spring (we had over 200 weekly customers last year & over $250,000 in revenue). After our 1st commercial mower, I've never put any more money down (a year later, we 0% financed 2 more mowers). Maybe you can do this with other brands too. Would be great if you can hold on to your money and let your mowing pay for your mowers. You'll want to get a faster more comfortable mower to be more efficient which usually costs more. Good luck!!! www.Pahuta.com
@@mattpahuta thanks for that. Very encouraging to this from multiple guys. I do work a full-time job at USF Holland Freight lines. But I'm so looking forward to getting out of this business. 30 years is enough. my knees can't handle a whole lot of push walking so pushing is not an option. I do love to walk and am dog gone healthy at 55 but I'll not be pushing a mower. I only view my full-time job now as keeping my bills paid and a tool to build a Solo lawn business. Heck! I'm even considering driving a school bus first couple of years if need be. Thanks for your input guys 👍 All of your help is so appreciate.
John Deere. The last one I had had right at 4000 hrs and still had original clutch, deck spindles, I did replace bearings on discharge spindle because of it running my catching system blower. And blades are so much stronger than exmark and some other brands. I do run an exmark navigator and it’s been a good mower. And John Deere’s are so quiet and smooth operating. They mow wet grass good and they stripe good too.
Oh no! Well let’s see I had a 2006 737 that had 1900 hrs, no hydro or clutch or bearing problems I had a 915b with almost 4000 hrs, that’s the one I described in comment, I have a 2019 930 with 1700 hrs on it now and the only issue is oil burning which I hate but Deere says with those Kawasaki engines they can burn 1/2 oz oil per hr per cylinder. Other than that no issues. I have a 2006 757 I have as a back up mower I bought used with 700 hrs. It seems just a tad weak on left wheel but new neutral valves helped. 500 hrs is way too soon to be leaking UNLESS you had what I had happen once a rock flew backwards and put a tiny hole in a hydro housing. Warranty covered it. Doubtful that happened if both are leaking.
@@Sandridge-w3l right I chewed them and tuff torq out they was putting a plastic plug seal on top well after time they Crack they now have a updated part to metal its sad this should have been a recall issue I fixed it myself but you have to pull both hydroa and the plastic plug is under the pulley and it is a job 30 bucks in parts. other than that I like it its rough though
Wow the difference is grass must really make a difference. The Gravley really cuts the south grass good. I've had the exmark and Gravley. In my area they cut about the same. Demo's are a must for sure. Love your content keep it going. I like then both.
John Deere 7iron Pro Deck and Scag Velocity decks are the best for cutting in the southeast. Exmark cuts Bermuda and Zoysia good, but cannot handle tall Bahia grass! Doesn’t matter what blades, what height what deck pitch cuts horrible. I’ve found JD to be the best design and far superior cut quality over the rest!
Justin Elder I agree on you with the Scag . I have a turf tiger 2 and let me tell you when I cut a 2-3 feet height of Bahia it does not lose any power or hesitate.
I had my spartan for 2 years it great had 2 grasshopper before the spartan had to work on grasshopper all the time gear box suck I remove them my self sill around $1000.00 to repair this was almost every year my age now 78 years old I check lots mower before the spartan for the price it is great I had to drive 60 miles each way to Dealer I do it again only thing if you need to know anything about the Spartan the company will not talk to you they tell you to call the Dealer I do not like that some people might have a Dealer that suck mine was not I paid for upgrade seat I had my back work on 2 years ago Doctor told me riding a mower was over I told not it not I enjoy cutting my grass I have about 5 acres take me about 1 to 2 hrs at half speed I have middle model 52in cut cost around $6000.00 seat was $500.00 i do not have tohave my mower Red are Green
@@clayayers9527 We have had people come from different states to get a Spartan. Hundreds of miles away! We are in the northeast, and are the farthest north dealer in the country. I will tell you, they've been a great mower!
I believe the only difference between the Exmark and Toro Mowers is the deck Toros deck is a little bit thicker metal for cut quality I'd have to see them compared to each other but I do have a Toro and it does cut nice as long as you keep blade Sharp but that stands for every mower
Alright guys, what’s your mower of choice for 2020?! Admittedly we haven’t tried every mower yet, but here’s a quick review and guide on the ones we have! What’s your guys experience and opinion BadBoy, Mean Green, Bobcat or Grasshopper mowers? Do you guys run these brands by you? Love to hear your guys thoughts and have you help me round out the line up!
Lazer z 60 and Lazer z 52 combo... I have 25hp and 23hp E series but man do they cut I live in south Louisiana so very thick wet grass... 60 inch ultra cut stripes better than any other deck I've tried. Turf tiger is a close second.
Just purchased a Grasshopper 52' 226V-G4 - the only mower brand that has a 26hp Vanguard / ZT4400 combo under 1K weight (I researched 22 manufacturers). Not the flashiest in terms of pop - but certainly over-engineered in most respects! High water table property dictated these restraints and Grasshopper came through as the best choice!
Nice setup! I run Scag myself. Dealer support and cut quality won me over. Exmark is great too, but the price is too high for my liking. Keep hustling brother.
I bought a 2019 Scag patriot for my business and a toro time master. I started about a year ago. I have 20 accounts and hoping to get more. And bro you inspired me to go out there and crush it! Keep on striping and be safe.
Hey Brian its Rocco from R & J landscaping here in Connecticut another great video as always we run all scags Turf tigers and walk behind hydros worst winter for us ever . No snow at all in January once February nothing and March nothing so far who wants it now. Be good my friend thanks your friend Rocco from Connecticut
My family's landscaping business runs just Scag! Its been a brand we've been able to throw out in field and it always comes back home with us when we come home at the end of the day. Not something we've been able to say about Toro or Exmark. In the Northeast we need a mower that can handle big properties with side hills and steep hills. Scag mowers are the best bagging mowers out there. In Vermont we bag from 2nd week of October till 2nd week of November. Unless it snows early. I'll list what all we run in terms of scag mowers. Last year we also bought the first scag windstorm in the northeast. That blower is game changer in terms of spring and fall clean ups. We know it'll also make quick work of debris from thunderstorms in the summer. 2015 Scag Cheetah 61in 31hp Kohler 2018 Scag Turf Tiger II 61in 37hp Briggs 2018 Scag Turf Tiger II 61in 37hp Briggs 2019 Scag Windstorm 37hp Briggs 2020 Scag V Ride II 29hp Kohler
Just found your channel, great continent so far and I appreciate all the great videos, I bought a 60 inch Dixie chopper in 1998 and it had a 22 horse Kohler, the Kohler motor finally gave out in 2020. The last 14 years we were mowing our church property around 9 acres and the Dixie chopper gave us great service but the motor finally gave out, I was definitely surprised that to 22 horse Kohler lasted that long.
I have 5 Exmark Lazer Z X-Series and 3 Toro Z Master 6000 Series. I like the UltraCut Series 6 decks on the Exmarks, but the TurboForce deck in my opinion is significantly better. It cuts dewy or wet grass much better than the Exmarks. We are actually selling 4 of our 2015 Exmarks and getting new Toros this year to replace them. I will say, though, replacing a deck belt on an Exmark is significantly easier than a Toro, for whatever thats worth.
My father-in-law and I run 2 Hustlers, a Super Z 72” Kawasaki gasser and a 25hp Shibaura diesel 60”. They are both animals, they have worked awesome for us for years. Especially since we got them at a lawn care auction for a sweet deal.
Wish the Exmark’s were available in the U.K. it’s all scag here. No one imports the Exmark’s which is a shame as I’d love to try one out. We use all scag walk behind’s cos of the very steep banks we cut and turf tigers 2’s. There’s nothing zero turn wise to compare to with the scag really as nothing else is imported from USA. Love the channel Brian and now I’m listening to the podcast whilst mowing.
Gravely 42 inch , this will be my 2nd year , I had my dealer( that I bought it from may of 2019) to do maintenance which all they did sharp blades, oil change, they didn't chang air filter and charged me 117.00 , I will take care of it myself next year .the entire Kawasaki kit including oil, air filter, oil filter, fuel filter...is 37 to 50 .
Brian's Lawn Maintenance I have a Grasshopper 725DT - It has a 25hp. Kubota Diesel. To me that motor is not enough power - You get some wet grass or even a little high it really bogs down. I like the mower with the front power fold deck but under powered for sure.
Dave, you should have gotten the 329b or the 335. The Briggs big blocks are not shy on power. The Kubota diesel is definitely underpowered especially when you his high or wet grass. I had a 329b put 300 hours on it without an issue. I cut 10 acres a week with it of Bahia and it didn’t miss a beat.
I have a 2018 toro time cutter mx with myride 50 inch deck and bagger with the toro engien it cuts good and drive good and never had problems with the toro engien
I have exmarks twin @worldlawn king cobra. Exmarks engineer works for worldlawn, thats why they look the same almost. 7 gauge triple laminated deck, zt5400 transmissions, borgs Warner pto, Kawasaki 801v or bigger engine, 12mph or flip the switch on the transmission and your at 16mph. They're new 72 in python is insane. Automatic lift deck, articulating front suspension, just a beast, and the venom stand on...
No doubt the manufacturer's, engineers, and design teams are listening to you--keep up the good work! These types of videos are priceless; good straight forward input from the field. Plus they are able to ready your comments below to gain additional input--truly priceless.
Brian Good to the day!! Used four ExMark LaserZ - 60, Kohler Command; one Bushhog - 61" Kawasaki 26hp, and one John Deere 60" 7iron for 16 years of local public cutting of a nearly 40-acre campus around 20+ county buildings. Centipede, Bahia, and Bermuda were the turfs we maintained. The Bushhog was the lesser of these well maintained publicly funded beasts. The one Deere spun the heaviest, most durable blades. Budget constraints led to privatization of grounds maintenance.
Brian, just happened across your review of ZTR mowers. I have Grasshopper 725D. I do believe the mower to compete with that one must still be somewhere in the future - not sure it's even on the drawing board yet. Yep, I like my mower. However, it does have an advantage over most of the ones in your review. The deck is out front rather than under foot which in my experience provides traction the under foot decks just can't even pretend to think about. That's the biggest reason I have it. Other ZTR's I have used on my yard would take you where you did not want to go a lot faster than you wanted to get there - like down into the woods, briers, whatever was down hill from where you are. Admittedly, some of my hills are sort of steep. My 725D has never failed to stop and come right back up the hill. An under foot model is very good on flat and level - just don't get close to a slope. The dealer said the 725 would come back up the slope & let me demo his 721D for a couple of days. Needless to say, the demo sold me. Another reason I really like the 725D - you can literally mow hay with it. Seriously, I have had it many times around the barn and mowed about an acre in grass, weeds, tree shoots, etc. waist high, and wah-lah, it gets rid of the debris & doesn't bog down. I've had it in thick heavy grass (not the hay field) and absolutely no problem. I know you said you don't bag your grass in Michigan, but if miss a couple of mowing's, I do have a PowerVac for my Grasshopper. It does a fantastic job, but it does keep you busy dumping. The Grasshopper does have a whole closet full of other attachments you can use year around. One more plus for the front deck mowers, try mowing under low hanging shrubs, etc. with the deck under your feet. Probably not happening. A Stiener Turf or Ventrac may be able to compete with the 725D, but then they're not ZTR mowers. Take an opportunity and use a Grasshopper for a month and put it to the test in some regular yard and also take on some way over grown yards. I would really like your analysis. Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth. I appreciate your review & will subscribe to your channel. If you do review the Grasshopper and can, please let know so I can be sure to tune in. Have a great day!
One brand that you didn't mention that I was able to demo is Kubota. I ran the z781i which is a 60" with a Kawasaki motor and was pretty impressed with the cut and technology they have.
I have a toro 3000. Absolutely love it. The build quality it top notch. But I just bought a scag. I’ve seen the cut quality in the wet grass with it and that is why I got that. I will be running both. From what I see the toro and the exmark are the same except the deck.
I have a 2020 exmark radius x series and just added the hand control OCD chute also I have a country yard with hills and stumps this mower has handled it great i'm impressed. I wish I had bought this mower when they first came out. my cutting time is down 30/40 minutes from my old mower.
Snapper, Simplicity and Ferris are the same, owned Briggs and Stratton, I have a ZX 1500 Ferris with a 28 HP B&S big block and 61" cut . Heavier and better built than Exmark with lots of grease points, at least in 2009. I really like the suspension, rides a lot better than the Kees I traded in. I'm in southeast Michigan. I agree with your comment of demo, demo, demo!
YES, YES and YES we would like to hear your comments and opinions on STAND-ON mowers. Also, would be nice to see a video on trailer and equipment security. LOCKS, GPS trackers, Storage tips......Documenting all equipment (video taping your inventory too). I added up the cost of all of the equipment in my trailer today and including the trailer it was close to 50K. We need to get the message out on how we need to protect our investments. I use hidden GPS trackers (TILE) on all of my mowers and my trailers. I would like to hear what you and others do to prevent theft and reclaim stolen items. Great video Brian. God Bless. Kevin
Dixie Chopper is my favorite rider mower I believe their biggest mower is the Excaliber 74 inch. I have a Scag Cheetah 72 inch and I use it a lot on my lawn and neighbors lawns
I have a hustler raptor sd I know it is more of a residential to prosumer but I use it for my 3.5 acre yard however I feel I have had nothing but problems with it. About once in every 10 engine hours the hydrostatic belt pops off or break. The Kohler engine has an "auto choke" that quit working so I have to manually choke it every time I start it. And the deck the grass chute plugs up about once every 3 or 4 cuts. And the deck gets packed with stuff and I have to scrape it out once a month.
A friend of mine is moving to a place where he no longer needs a big mower and didn't want to move it so I bought my first zero turn mower yesterday. Bad Boy 54 inch Maverick with the Kawasaki V-Twin with 151 hours on it. He had just serviced the hydrostats and put on a new set of blades. Been kept inside and looks new. $4,500. How did I do? He said with the options it was $7.000 new but all I see are running around $6,300 new. It does have the electric deck lift, which I like, as long as it works. It's cold here so my test drive was short but it seemed to do what it's made for. From the people I've talked to whatever brand they run is the best one made. LOL.
Lowes big box store has hustler raptor for $2300 + tax... I'm just getting started and this mower is hard to not buy it... what's y'all's thoughts... one man crew with a blower ,weed wacker and self propelled lawnmower.. right now I'm using a troy-bilt 42" tractor
I'd love to see you host a whole segmentn on walk-behind mowers. All makes models and sizes. Pros and cons. Sulky and slide options. Property types and the benefits for starting a business with a walk behind. ,
@@fredsmith5925 except from the ones in the UK as we have a few different options. We get the four wheeled mowers like the ones sold in the USA but we also have other types of pedestrian mowers like rotary mowers with a rear roller fitted instead of wheels and cylinder/reel mowers. I have seen the British company Dennis are starting to sell their mowers in the USA now and I would recommend them if you have to mower stadiums or sports fields.
@@BriansLawnMaintenance Brian I have not operated all of them. So I can't say that they're all the same. In fact I'm just trying to get a business started, and I've yet to operated a commercial mower at all. I'm looking forward to see the reviews grow and hope to do one myself before the years out. Brian you did an excellent short video on the Turf Tracer. After about five months of dissing the walk behind, I've come to realize it's the best mower I could start with. Considering my area, cost and versatility of the machine itself. It will always have its place as my business grows. I know it would take some time and research for you to put together a half hour look at the walk behinds, but if anyone can do a great job at it - You Can 👍
I demoed a spartan srt xd wow it felt like I was on a slow moving boat so smooth. My point is I might be switching from exmark to spartan i feel like they are a growing company but love what they are doing
Cub cadet has been in commercial mowers for the past year or 2? I have been running commercial Cubs since 2000. The tank series has been awesome for us. We have had everything and keep going back to cub for the quality and ruggedness.
In my area WI and MN the most used mowers are in order Exmark, Toro, Scag, Ferris, John Deere, Gravely, Grass Hopper for commercial use. Exmark and Toro have probably 70-80% of the commercial market share.
Hey, Brian I currently have a riding mower and looking at getting a zero turn mower. I think I narrowed it down to one of these two. What are your thoughts? 50" Toro TimeCutter (75750) or Ariens IKON XD 52 KAWASAKI (915267). Thanks
Travis F78 hands down no matter what mower you choose, the Kawasaki power plant is the key. Depending on you acreage will determine what size cut. I would however recommend and commercial deck over a stamped. In my opinion, everything else would be luxury items.
I just bought the hustler Raptor and the new 2021 version is a very nice mower. Is it the best? I don't know enough to say but I can say I really like it.
I'm a homeowner located in southeast with about 5 acres to mow. About an acre is smooth the rest a little rough and 1 1/2 on a manageable hill. I am leaning towards a Scag TCII 61" . Not sure which motor or hp I should go with. Also If anyone has info on what I can expect to pay out the door and what can I expect during the purchase process would be helpful . Thanks in Advance.
Joel Harris I am in similar situation as you. I have 5 acres we are building on, but the land is fairly flat and not too many trees. My cousin uses the Scag TT2 for his personal and commercial mowing & recommended it to me. 10-12k i believe is what he told me.
@@PanchoPringles Thanks for your reply. I went with the TT2. 52" deck w/26hp Kohler EFI Command Pro Engine. Your Cousin's recommendation is spot on. Great deal, 10K on a new last years model. This mower is an awesome beast. Thanks again.
I honestly took it off, I didn’t use it as much as I thought as I would’ve. It’s the jungle jims unit. It’s good, I just didn’t end up using it as much as I thought.
I have 5 acres and a Gravely XTHD 60. With 27 horsepower Kawasaki. About 200 hours on it. I love it. But I do want to order the upgraded seat. My property is rough. Plus Grain Valley outdoor equipment is my great dealership.
We’ve been running Grasshopper since 1987. Currently have 3 - 325 Grasshopper w/Kubota Diesel 60in Duramax Decks and 3 - Grasshopper 325 w/Kubota Diesel 72in Duramax decks. We trade two in every two years with an avg of about 2,000 hrs on them and still have plenty of life left with great resale. We’ve always been satisfied with customer support and our local rep and dealer are great. Great cut, amazing handling and build quality.
Had a Dixie Chopper with 50" deck (mostly for some cemeteries), then I dropped the cemeteries and did only lawns and got the Dixie Chopper Silver Eagle with 60" deck. I liked the power and speed, esp. with the Silver Eagle. When I traded next, I got a Ferris 2300. I LOVE the smooth ride of the Ferris. Great power, comfortable seat, air suspension, 61" deck and .....it's fuel injected. Very strong for me here in Indiana. I'm retired, and my back got sore on the Dixie Choppers. Not so with the Ferris. I can mow all day and not get sore.
Ride is everything. I did 7 acres in the summer on the weekends, for two years on a Hustler, and it was an amazing, tough mower. Built like a tank.
But man, it tore my back up. No suspension seat, or suspension frame anywhere.
Next zero turn I do, suspension something is a must.
I have a Ferris 3200. This is my second Ferris. Absolutely outstanding mower. To me the suspension was everything.
I've owned a Ferris now for about 3years and I'm 100% satisfied with it.
I'm a field manager for a company in NC. All we run is Deers. Ztrak 60's, 72's, stand on, and walk behinds. I've been with the company for 10 years and I've seen 3200 plus hours on the 60s I've had over the years. They are run for hours and hours from spring through early fall. Our contracts are primarily apartment complexes.
I have owned or demoed nearly every brand starting with my Dixie chopper 23 years ago. After working as a heavy duty truck/diesel mechanic for 45 years I feel that scag is the best engineered an constructed mowers available. Bought my first scag in 2003. Since then I have bought an sold other brands but keep coming back to scag. I now own 5 including the 2003 that I sold once an bought back a year later. Love my scags.
well no offense but u ain't ever been on a grasshopper then. they make scag build quality look like something out of india. one other note everyone i've known that's owned a scag that had problems said the dealer reps treated them like 2nd rate citizens.
Bo Talks I know all about grass hoppers an their problems. Their caster bearings are a joke, aluminum spindles with ball bearing like scag uses on their home owner mowers. Mule drive belt system that's a constant pain. Some of my friends have grass hoppers so I hear their grips.
I'm in the military so I cut on the weekends (weekend warrior). I use a Big Dog mower. They are a sister company of Hustler made by Excel Industries and have a great entry level price point. They have a fantastic warranty and even offer military and first responder discounts. They put Kawasaki on everything except their lowest tier, which has Briggs.
Entering my second year in business. Did a lot of research and landed on the Ferris Z2 52 in. Kawi. It is all I know, but I can't imagine a more perfect mower. A nimble beast.
I mow alone part time after work and for me the best overall mower that does everything and fits everywhere is my walker t25i.Excellent cut and great for leaf cleanups.If you can only have 1 thats what i recommend.
Man the Walker is my favorite mower on the market but boy oh boy do you pay for them! You are correct about leaf cleanups and overall dependable.
I do have the Cub Cadet 972hd zero turn steering wheel with dual rear tires. I use it to cut steep dams and hills. The warranty is legit. Service is good, comfortable mower. Doesn't get stuck around wet areas.
I have a 2019 Scag Liberty Z 52 in. It’s an amazing mower! Very fast and operates so nicely. Also very easy to get to everything on it for maintenance. Got it at the end of last summer when I got my house so I only have 8 hours on it but I love it so far!!!!! Absolutely no issues!
Hows the ride tho?
Vincent Ramirez it’s pretty good considering the bumpy yard I have! I find the seat to be real comfortable, too.
5 years ago I rarely saw guys running the walkers, but the company I was with did. I absolutely love them. Today 90 percent of the trucks I see are packed with Walker's, and the exmarks are becoming rare.
We use John Deere. Great striping and great discharge (no clumps even on wet grass in reverse). We are in Western New York State (an 1.5 hours from Canada). They were a close dealer and John Deere offers Zero-Stop (free loaner) if mower goes to the shop. I wanted this when I only had one mower 3 years ago. Will be getting our 5th mower this Spring. We pay extra for the faster speed transmission (12 mph), suspension seat & tweels for a smoother ride at full speed. John Deere's stand-on mowers (old generation Wright mower) are great too, but you can tell that they are not as awesome. I wish they'd put the sit-down mowers 7-iron deck on them! I'm going to demo a Wright stand-on next month, but the dealer is a bit farther. Thanks Brian!!!
Matt Pahuta k
Which model do u have
@@bradmason8334 Z950R's. We actually got 2 more for 4 total (Z950's with 60" decks) plus 2 stand-on mowers (661R's with 61" decks). ;-)
I used the ferris zero turn for my work, had the briggs and Stratton motor, you could beat the crap out of them 8hrs a day in hot weather, they can climb hills nicely, I went over extremely bumpy fields and it handled it with ease. I honestly recommend, nothing but good things to say.
Country clipper is Amazing. Flip up mower deck, Contour DTS system, joystick control. All steel no plastic on commercial models. Low center of gravity and visibility all around the unit. None of the other mower's are like Country clipper.
Grasshopper 400d here. Awesome mower paired with a kubota diesel. Hydros and the ride are super smooth. Hope to add a 325d down the road. I wish grasshopper would get into the stander market.
Located in central MN and run lawn care biz as sole proprietor with part time help as needed. I run the prosumer Ferris models, the Ferris 800s and 700s. They cut well with the ICD decks, and ride great over rough ground with the independent wheel suspension on all four corners (especially the newer 800s). They have the 27 hp Briggs Commercial motors and start at around 7k with the 52 inch deck, and around 8k with the 60inch. (PS. Johnny Mow, rates the Ferris ICD deck in the top 3, along with the XMark, and the Torro turbo force, for northern blue grass, tall and lush.) Blessings to all for a great 2020.
2014 Kubota ZG227 with 60in deck. Solid mower, runs great, and I love the grease fittings on the spindles, driveshaft, front wheels, etc. If you take care of your mower maintenance wise, it will take care of you.
I have two Toro z masters love both 52 and 60 . They are the best cutting mower I have used. Both use the Kawasaki motors and I have never had any issues. My 52 is 12 years old and the 60 is two years. The Xmark was made to offer a more affordable Toro. They do share similar features and engines. The mow decks are also similar. Both Toro and Xmark are well made and take a beating while providing a outstanding cut quality and ride comfort.
What is something I could try to find and buy used or whatever?. Brand? Toro? used that's *powerful enough* for... like. Floriduh grass? lots of Grass/No grass sand. Gate's? I like Toro. I got the push mower that I'll mow 4 acres with. Lol. Self propelled.
Have a 1993 grasshopper 725 and a 2000 928D2 diesel. Took good care of them and they still rock.
I love my Scag, have had it for 12 years and have had no problems. Very good quality mower.
I’ve run hustler all over the spectrum, 2k + hours on an x-one. 2600 hours on a super z (still in current use) and 2k + hours on a hyperdrive now sold. I sold the hyperdrive due to unhappiness with cut quality. The super z isn’t any better but the hours don’t justify selling. I purchased a John Deere 950m as a lead mower and now have 200 hours this season so far, I will be purchasing another. The vx4 has some of the poorest cut quality when you deal with turf type fescue or grass over 3.5”. The 7 iron has been around forever and that compared to majority of mowers I’ve seen in 12+ years of experience has been top notch. I hope you get a chance to demo and open your mind. Great content!! Keep up the great work!!!!
I still think Grasshopper mowers are not talked about in the lawn care world enough 😒. I prefer the front mount mowers but I am a c6 quadriplegic so it is a huge help cutting down on follow up trimming that’s needed I mow both big and large yards and as bulky as they seem with 3 -4ft of mower behind you on top of the deck in front they are very maneuverable many attachments to make it very versatile and with a folding deck blade changing and deck maintenance is SOO easy. Just my thought. Very heavy built machines and I never hear anything about them from anyone. I have a 2015 725k and an very old 1990 woods mow’n machine which is the same thing. Cheers
Scott Gleason It’s funny I see so many of their old school units around town by us. They do seem to be a reliable brand and create solid mowers.
Brian's Lawn Maintenance if your ever around one sometime just check out how they are built I’m not as familiar with all the other brands but these frames are very thick and heavy I’ve wanted one since the first time I saw one about 10 years ago last year I was able to make that happen after starting up my lawn business again hoping the next one I’m able to purchase will be brand new
@@BriansLawnMaintenance I second what Scott Gleason is saying about grasshopper mowers. In my part of the country here in Missouri they are very popular. Mine is the front mount which allows me to easily take blades on and off using the hydraulic lift.
I have a 725k, but is a 2003 model...
I've owned and or run them all, my personal rankings of commercial mowers and the reason why, #1 JD, 2 Hustler, 3 Scag. The bottom of the list, Snapperpro, Gravely, Bobcat, Kubota. The JD and Scag cut all grasses the best. The Hustler is one tough, reliable piece of equipment!
The Company I work for just purchased(it's mid-April 2023!!)7 brand new 72" Xmark Lazers with the new oil guard system(change oil every 500+ hours now!) Lots of power & very comfortable seating for a large zero-turn mower!!
I'm from southeast Michigan and own a law care company. Your completely right about bagging grass, especially after all of this rain and fertilizer. And the with the shut down made it a nightmare
2018 Hustler Super Z Huperdrive w/Vanguard 37HP EFI with the 60" deck and flex forks in DFW area. I run it with the mulching kit all the time and works great.
8:01 - Decks: VelocityPlus vs UltraCut - equal but different. The UltraCut gives a slightly better after cut appearance, while the SCAG reduces the need for recut. Finished product vs productivity... and both are very capable, with only a slight edge in either direction.
As for the whole unit... in short, you'll benefit from the SCAG when going gets tough. You'll benefit from the EXmark on every well maintained property you cut.
There is a reason why eXmark is the most popular commercial mower in the industry. Their users have the best business card on the face of the planet... finished product. The lighter weight is more efficient, easier on hydros, easier on turf, easier on tires, and handles better.
I’m running a early 2000 exmark with the original Kohler engine. Love it.
In the south east, it seems like Walker for manicured lawns (which doesn’t have to be bagged, just swap decks) since it simply smokes every other mower for cut quality and striping. Grasshopper for rough / large production mowing. Both Walker and Grasshopper are expensive, but 5k hours is not uncommon. No one runs Exmark, unless they want a throw away mower.
That’s true here in Alabama all I see is walker, scag, and John Deere.
Jeff Smith LoL, every other trailer here has Exmark on it,,, SC location
I see tons of husqvarna,bad boy,and exmark here in central Alabama
I have a gravely ZT hd 52 inch and it cuts great , just took it through a lawn with weeds and grass over a foot tall and it cur it smoother than any machine I've used in my 20 yrs doing this . And I got it for 6k.
Gravely 2022 ZT HD 60 update I’ve got a lake house that was just built and the acre plus it sits on in Central Florida has some really tough lakeside weeds and cattails and the grass/weeds grows so quick with all this summer rain. I’ve got 4 hours so far on it but the first cut the yard was overgrown and about two feet plus and it chopped through it like butter at 2.5 inches and left very few stragglers from only the thickest patches of dense lake side grass. It’s running like a champ and the build quality is top notch. The X factor 3 deck seems to be a good step up from the previous model from what I’ve researched. I’m looking forward to decades of reliable use that Gravely is known for.
I use the John 🦌 deer it’s just a rideing mower 48” cut and cub cadet 50” cut zero turn . They work great no bad things happen just putting parts on when needed. And about 5 riding lawnmowers I don’t use different but good old lawnmowers . Well have a good one see y’all next time see ya bye.
I run a Kubota z421 with a 54 inch deck. The call it a pro-sumer model. Just one step below commercial. Has the Kawasaki motor. This thing doesn’t bog down and does a really nice job of laying the grass out. Stripes decent as well. Love my “Bota”
I run Kubota as well
Husqvarna 54", Toro 36" and Gravely 260 here. All have been solid performers with no issues.
Would like to see you guys demo a kubota
Scag uses really thick gauge steel for the decks and are known for being long lasting. I like my vride 52 alot.
Walker 48” GHS Montana. For mulching the B line up can handle hills and the speed is wonderful. Hydro’s tend to go quickly and are a few hundred bucks to replace. Ending on the a positive note, the stripes are beautiful.
We run the Gravely ProTurn 452 w/mulch kit and Gravely ProStance 36 w/ mulch kit. They are tough! Decent cut quality, but it does miss some stragglers from time to time if its just cutting weeds. They cut some Zoysia and Bermuda really nice though! I highly recommend. Thanks Brian for another great video!
I run Scag because that's what the best dealer in my area sells. I am really happy with it
I just bought the mean green stalker stand on actually just got it home a few days ago. And all I can say is wow it was well worth the 17k most definitely.
Best mower hands down is the one that cuts grass and doesnt break down and easy to maintain and last a long time
I agree 👍🏻
Yes!!! Which one is that?
NW Florida. I started my business with a Hustler Raptor 42" (Kohler 7000) 5 years ago. I have a number of properties I still use that mower on. Big Hustler fan here.
Grasshopper is the way to go. The only thing that I've ever used. I have one that is 11 years old mowing 329b mid mount but as strong as the first day I bought.
Still rocking the self propelled push mower, but shes sturdy as ever. Toro 22" Recycler. Watching this video to daydream about my first zero turn!
I bought my first zero turn as a new small lawn care business. As I couldn't afford the big brand expensive mowers and didnt want to finance, I bought a residential edition spartan mower. I am very very pleased with it thus far. Would love to see you review a srt 61 from spartan.
Hey Jones,
I'm trying to get started this year.
This was a great segment on The ZT's, but after studying so many factors in start up, I've decided it's in my best interest to go with a walk behind.
A little more affordable, if you don't like the wheeled sulky there's always the slide.
You don't have to walk behind a walk behind.
They are very versatile, efficient and is a great mower even with different styled mower additions to come later.
What do you think?
@@garrisonfamilyalbum3901 I also have a walk behind, nothing fancy from cub cadet. I bought my zero to facilitate larger properties I was turning down last year. Better to turn clients down to to many than not proper equipment. Exmark makes a great walker for like 5k.
I started with my push mower from my garage (5 years ago) to make a few extra dollars, BUT BUT BUT if you can get customers, you'll want to go commercial as soon as possible, if not immediately (our smallest mowing deck is 60", our slowest mower is 10 mph). High quality, fast and efficient. Even with lacking credit, you may still be able to finance at 0%, but may need to put down $1,000 for 1st mower. That's what I had to do at John Deere 3 years ago for my 1st commercial mower and with 0% interest (they are always running this offer). Plus if you need something fixed, they'll give you a free loaner. We'll be getting our 5th mower this Spring (we had over 200 weekly customers last year & over $250,000 in revenue). After our 1st commercial mower, I've never put any more money down (a year later, we 0% financed 2 more mowers). Maybe you can do this with other brands too. Would be great if you can hold on to your money and let your mowing pay for your mowers. You'll want to get a faster more comfortable mower to be more efficient which usually costs more. Good luck!!! www.Pahuta.com
@@mattpahuta thanks for that. Very encouraging to this from multiple guys.
I do work a full-time job at USF Holland Freight lines. But I'm so looking forward to getting out of this business. 30 years is enough. my knees can't handle a whole lot of push walking so pushing is not an option.
I do love to walk and am dog gone healthy at 55 but I'll not be pushing a mower.
I only view my full-time job now as keeping my bills paid and a tool to build a Solo lawn business.
Heck! I'm even considering driving a school bus first couple of years if need be.
Thanks for your input guys 👍 All of your help is so appreciate.
John Deere. The last one I had had right at 4000 hrs and still had original clutch, deck spindles, I did replace bearings on discharge spindle because of it running my catching system blower. And blades are so much stronger than exmark and some other brands. I do run an exmark navigator and it’s been a good mower. And John Deere’s are so quiet and smooth operating. They mow wet grass good and they stripe good too.
what deere you have I have 15 930 both hydro leaking 500 hours
Oh no! Well let’s see I had a 2006 737 that had 1900 hrs, no hydro or clutch or bearing problems I had a 915b with almost 4000 hrs, that’s the one I described in comment, I have a 2019 930 with 1700 hrs on it now and the only issue is oil burning which I hate but Deere says with those Kawasaki engines they can burn 1/2 oz oil per hr per cylinder. Other than that no issues. I have a 2006 757 I have as a back up mower I bought used with 700 hrs. It seems just a tad weak on left wheel but new neutral valves helped. 500 hrs is way too soon to be leaking UNLESS you had what I had happen once a rock flew backwards and put a tiny hole in a hydro housing. Warranty covered it. Doubtful that happened if both are leaking.
@@Sandridge-w3l right I chewed them and tuff torq out they was putting a plastic plug seal on top well after time they Crack they now have a updated part to metal its sad this should have been a recall issue I fixed it myself but you have to pull both hydroa and the plastic plug is under the pulley and it is a job 30 bucks in parts. other than that I like it its rough though
Wow the difference is grass must really make a difference. The Gravley really cuts the south grass good. I've had the exmark and Gravley. In my area they cut about the same. Demo's are a must for sure. Love your content keep it going.
I like then both.
I run gravely as well.. love the cut. The new Mach one deck for gravely should be way better for south grass warm weather
Hustler Super Z 60" had it for 8 years no issues. Kawasaki FX 850 31hp.
John Deere 7iron Pro Deck and Scag Velocity decks are the best for cutting in the southeast. Exmark cuts Bermuda and Zoysia good, but cannot handle tall Bahia grass! Doesn’t matter what blades, what height what deck pitch cuts horrible. I’ve found JD to be the best design and far superior cut quality over the rest!
Justin Elder I agree on you with the Scag . I have a turf tiger 2 and let me tell you when I cut a 2-3 feet height of Bahia it does not lose any power or hesitate.
👆 JD for the win
Agreed
Tell us your thoughts in the Spartan brand. Have you demoed yet? Bought one last summer, absolutely love it. Would love to hear!
I haven’t!
Would also love to hear about the Spartan
I had my spartan for 2 years it great had 2 grasshopper before the spartan had to work on grasshopper all the time gear box suck I remove them my self sill around $1000.00 to repair this was almost every year my age now 78 years old I check lots mower before the spartan for the price it is great I had to drive 60 miles each way to Dealer I do it again only thing if you need to know anything about the Spartan the company will not talk to you they tell you to call the Dealer I do not like that some people might have a Dealer that suck mine was not I paid for upgrade seat I had my back work on 2 years ago Doctor told me riding a mower was over I told not it not I enjoy cutting my grass I have about 5 acres take me about 1 to 2 hrs at half speed I have middle model 52in cut cost around $6000.00 seat was $500.00 i do not have tohave my mower Red are Green
@@clayayers9527 We have had people come from different states to get a Spartan. Hundreds of miles away! We are in the northeast, and are the farthest north dealer in the country. I will tell you, they've been a great mower!
Ferris 2100 52" 26hp Kawasaki, it's a beast, stripes with the best but rides like a couch, great for us with back issues. CT
Grasshopper 329b for me. Would like reviews of stand on's
I believe the only difference between the Exmark and Toro Mowers is the deck Toros deck is a little bit thicker metal for cut quality I'd have to see them compared to each other but I do have a Toro and it does cut nice as long as you keep blade Sharp but that stands for every mower
I've had 12 Hustler Commercial Mowers over the years and I LOVE them.
Alright guys, what’s your mower of choice for 2020?! Admittedly we haven’t tried every mower yet, but here’s a quick review and guide on the ones we have!
What’s your guys experience and opinion BadBoy, Mean Green, Bobcat or Grasshopper mowers? Do you guys run these brands by you?
Love to hear your guys thoughts and have you help me round out the line up!
Toro Titans with Toro motors
Lazer z 60 and Lazer z 52 combo... I have 25hp and 23hp E series but man do they cut I live in south Louisiana so very thick wet grass... 60 inch ultra cut stripes better than any other deck I've tried. Turf tiger is a close second.
Just purchased a Grasshopper 52' 226V-G4 - the only mower brand that has a 26hp Vanguard / ZT4400 combo under 1K weight (I researched 22 manufacturers). Not the flashiest in terms of pop - but certainly over-engineered in most respects! High water table property dictated these restraints and Grasshopper came through as the best choice!
Check out the Husqvarna Z500 line
@@ronda33 u aint kiddin bub them grasshoppers built like brick $hithouse
Nice setup! I run Scag myself. Dealer support and cut quality won me over. Exmark is great too, but the price is too high for my liking. Keep hustling brother.
I run Kubota 700 series straight beast. Well built zero turn and tractor for decades.
I’ll be interested in seeing you demo one of the mean green mowers. Those look pretty cool.
I have a John Deere Z915b 60” mower, best mower I’ve used thus far. I’ve used scags, Honda.
I bought a 2019 Scag patriot for my business and a toro time master.
I started about a year ago. I have 20 accounts and hoping to get more. And bro you inspired me to go out there and crush it!
Keep on striping and be safe.
Hey Brian its Rocco from R & J landscaping here in Connecticut another great video as always we run all scags Turf tigers and walk behind hydros worst winter for us ever . No snow at all in January once February nothing and March nothing so far who wants it now. Be good my friend thanks your friend Rocco from Connecticut
My family's landscaping business runs just Scag! Its been a brand we've been able to throw out in field and it always comes back home with us when we come home at the end of the day. Not something we've been able to say about Toro or Exmark. In the Northeast we need a mower that can handle big properties with side hills and steep hills. Scag mowers are the best bagging mowers out there. In Vermont we bag from 2nd week of October till 2nd week of November. Unless it snows early. I'll list what all we run in terms of scag mowers. Last year we also bought the first scag windstorm in the northeast. That blower is game changer in terms of spring and fall clean ups. We know it'll also make quick work of debris from thunderstorms in the summer.
2015 Scag Cheetah 61in 31hp Kohler
2018 Scag Turf Tiger II 61in 37hp Briggs
2018 Scag Turf Tiger II 61in 37hp Briggs
2019 Scag Windstorm 37hp Briggs
2020 Scag V Ride II 29hp Kohler
The windstorm looks like a beast 👊
if they such great mowers why oldest one in your fleet 5 years old?
@@凸̀_́凸-x2b Because were expanding our company
Just found your channel, great continent so far and I appreciate all the great videos, I bought a 60 inch Dixie chopper in 1998 and it had a 22 horse Kohler, the Kohler motor finally gave out in 2020. The last 14 years we were mowing our church property around 9 acres and the Dixie chopper gave us great service but the motor finally gave out, I was definitely surprised that to 22 horse Kohler lasted that long.
I have 5 Exmark Lazer Z X-Series and 3 Toro Z Master 6000 Series. I like the UltraCut Series 6 decks on the Exmarks, but the TurboForce deck in my opinion is significantly better. It cuts dewy or wet grass much better than the Exmarks. We are actually selling 4 of our 2015 Exmarks and getting new Toros this year to replace them. I will say, though, replacing a deck belt on an Exmark is significantly easier than a Toro, for whatever thats worth.
My father-in-law and I run 2 Hustlers, a Super Z 72” Kawasaki gasser and a 25hp Shibaura diesel 60”. They are both animals, they have worked awesome for us for years. Especially since we got them at a lawn care auction for a sweet deal.
What auction, when and where??
This is my first year in the business. I am going to be running a Cub Cadet Pro Z 560.
Wish the Exmark’s were available in the U.K. it’s all scag here. No one imports the Exmark’s which is a shame as I’d love to try one out. We use all scag walk behind’s cos of the very steep banks we cut and turf tigers 2’s. There’s nothing zero turn wise to compare to with the scag really as nothing else is imported from USA. Love the channel Brian and now I’m listening to the podcast whilst mowing.
How do you feel about Grasshopper front mount deck?
Haven’t got to use them much!
Gravely 42 inch , this will be my 2nd year , I had my dealer( that I bought it from may of 2019) to do maintenance which all they did sharp blades, oil change, they didn't chang air filter and charged me 117.00 , I will take care of it myself next year .the entire Kawasaki kit including oil, air filter, oil filter, fuel filter...is 37 to 50 .
Brian's Lawn Maintenance
I have a Grasshopper 725DT - It has a 25hp. Kubota Diesel. To me that motor is not enough power - You get some wet grass or even a little high it really bogs down. I like the mower with the front power fold deck but under powered for sure.
Dave, you should have gotten the 329b or the 335. The Briggs big blocks are not shy on power. The Kubota diesel is definitely underpowered especially when you his high or wet grass. I had a 329b put 300 hours on it without an issue. I cut 10 acres a week with it of Bahia and it didn’t miss a beat.
I have a 2018 toro time cutter mx with myride 50 inch deck and bagger with the toro engien it cuts good and drive good and never had problems with the toro engien
I have exmarks twin @worldlawn king cobra. Exmarks engineer works for worldlawn, thats why they look the same almost. 7 gauge triple laminated deck, zt5400 transmissions, borgs Warner pto, Kawasaki 801v or bigger engine, 12mph or flip the switch on the transmission and your at 16mph. They're new 72 in python is insane. Automatic lift deck, articulating front suspension, just a beast, and the venom stand on...
No doubt the manufacturer's, engineers, and design teams are listening to you--keep up the good work! These types of videos are priceless; good straight forward input from the field. Plus they are able to ready your comments below to gain additional input--truly priceless.
They do listen to comments! Never know who’s reading and watching 👀
I use a 52 in bobcat love it rides and cuts very smooth
Brian
Good to the day!! Used four ExMark LaserZ - 60, Kohler Command; one Bushhog - 61" Kawasaki 26hp, and one John Deere 60" 7iron for 16 years of local public cutting of a nearly 40-acre campus around 20+ county buildings. Centipede, Bahia, and Bermuda were the turfs we maintained. The Bushhog was the lesser of these well maintained publicly funded beasts. The one Deere spun the heaviest, most durable blades. Budget constraints led to privatization of grounds maintenance.
Brian, just happened across your review of ZTR mowers. I have Grasshopper 725D. I do believe the mower to compete with that one must still be somewhere in the future - not sure it's even on the drawing board yet. Yep, I like my mower. However, it does have an advantage over most of the ones in your review. The deck is out front rather than under foot which in my experience provides traction the under foot decks just can't even pretend to think about. That's the biggest reason I have it. Other ZTR's I have used on my yard would take you where you did not want to go a lot faster than you wanted to get there - like down into the woods, briers, whatever was down hill from where you are. Admittedly, some of my hills are sort of steep. My 725D has never failed to stop and come right back up the hill. An under foot model is very good on flat and level - just don't get close to a slope. The dealer said the 725 would come back up the slope & let me demo his 721D for a couple of days. Needless to say, the demo sold me. Another reason I really like the 725D - you can literally mow hay with it. Seriously, I have had it many times around the barn and mowed about an acre in grass, weeds, tree shoots, etc. waist high, and wah-lah, it gets rid of the debris & doesn't bog down. I've had it in thick heavy grass (not the hay field) and absolutely no problem. I know you said you don't bag your grass in Michigan, but if miss a couple of mowing's, I do have a PowerVac for my Grasshopper. It does a fantastic job, but it does keep you busy dumping. The Grasshopper does have a whole closet full of other attachments you can use year around. One more plus for the front deck mowers, try mowing under low hanging shrubs, etc. with the deck under your feet. Probably not happening. A Stiener Turf or Ventrac may be able to compete with the 725D, but then they're not ZTR mowers. Take an opportunity and use a Grasshopper for a month and put it to the test in some regular yard and also take on some way over grown yards. I would really like your analysis. Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth. I appreciate your review & will subscribe to your channel. If you do review the Grasshopper and can, please let know so I can be sure to tune in. Have a great day!
Thanks Gene! I'll have to check them out!
One brand that you didn't mention that I was able to demo is Kubota. I ran the z781i which is a 60" with a Kawasaki motor and was pretty impressed with the cut and technology they have.
Darn it, I totally forgot about Kubota. We don’t see much of them here for zero turns but I know they’re popular in other markets. Good catch!
I have a toro 3000. Absolutely love it. The build quality it top notch. But I just bought a scag. I’ve seen the cut quality in the wet grass with it and that is why I got that. I will be running both. From what I see the toro and the exmark are the same except the deck.
I have a 2020 exmark radius x series and just added the hand control OCD chute also I have a country yard with hills and stumps this mower has handled it great i'm impressed. I wish I had bought this mower when they first came out. my cutting time is down 30/40 minutes from my old mower.
Snapper, Simplicity and Ferris are the same, owned Briggs and Stratton, I have a ZX 1500 Ferris with a 28 HP B&S big block and 61" cut . Heavier and better built than Exmark with lots of grease points, at least in 2009. I really like the suspension, rides a lot better than the Kees I traded in. I'm in southeast Michigan. I agree with your comment of demo, demo, demo!
YES, YES and YES we would like to hear your comments and opinions on STAND-ON mowers. Also, would be nice to see a video on trailer and equipment security. LOCKS, GPS trackers, Storage tips......Documenting all equipment (video taping your inventory too). I added up the cost of all of the equipment in my trailer today and including the trailer it was close to 50K. We need to get the message out on how we need to protect our investments. I use hidden GPS trackers (TILE) on all of my mowers and my trailers. I would like to hear what you and others do to prevent theft and reclaim stolen items. Great video Brian. God Bless. Kevin
Dixie Chopper is my favorite rider mower I believe their biggest mower is the Excaliber 74 inch.
I have a Scag Cheetah 72 inch and I use it a lot on my lawn and neighbors lawns
I have a hustler raptor sd I know it is more of a residential to prosumer but I use it for my 3.5 acre yard however I feel I have had nothing but problems with it.
About once in every 10 engine hours the hydrostatic belt pops off or break.
The Kohler engine has an "auto choke" that quit working so I have to manually choke it every time I start it.
And the deck the grass chute plugs up about once every 3 or 4 cuts. And the deck gets packed with stuff and I have to scrape it out once a month.
Hey there we use Exmark Radius E-Series 52 inch and a Exmark Metro Gear Drive Walk 48 inch.
What do you recommend for a homeowner with bumpy lawn and hills 1 Acre plus
A friend of mine is moving to a place where he no longer needs a big mower and didn't want to move it so I bought my first zero turn mower yesterday. Bad Boy 54 inch Maverick with the Kawasaki V-Twin with 151 hours on it. He had just serviced the hydrostats and put on a new set of blades. Been kept inside and looks new. $4,500. How did I do? He said with the options it was $7.000 new but all I see are running around $6,300 new. It does have the electric deck lift, which I like, as long as it works. It's cold here so my test drive was short but it seemed to do what it's made for. From the people I've talked to whatever brand they run is the best one made. LOL.
Lowes big box store has hustler raptor for $2300 + tax... I'm just getting started and this mower is hard to not buy it... what's y'all's thoughts... one man crew with a blower ,weed wacker and self propelled lawnmower.. right now I'm using a troy-bilt 42" tractor
Buy a used commercial mower. That raptor is residential only and will not last.
I'd love to see you host a whole segmentn on walk-behind mowers.
All makes models and sizes. Pros and cons.
Sulky and slide options.
Property types and the benefits for starting a business with a walk behind.
,
Do one on worldlawn walk behind too .
They’re anything but lol
@@fredsmith5925 except from the ones in the UK as we have a few different options. We get the four wheeled mowers like the ones sold in the USA but we also have other types of pedestrian mowers like rotary mowers with a rear roller fitted instead of wheels and cylinder/reel mowers. I have seen the British company Dennis are starting to sell their mowers in the USA now and I would recommend them if you have to mower stadiums or sports fields.
@@BriansLawnMaintenance
Brian
I have not operated all of them. So I can't say that they're all the same.
In fact I'm just trying to get a business started, and I've yet to operated a commercial mower at all.
I'm looking forward to see the reviews grow and hope to do one myself before the years out.
Brian you did an excellent short video on the Turf Tracer.
After about five months of dissing the walk behind, I've come to realize it's the best mower I could start with. Considering my area, cost and versatility of the machine itself.
It will always have its place as my business grows.
I know it would take some time and research for you to put together a half hour look at the walk behinds, but if anyone can do a great job at it - You Can 👍
I demoed a spartan srt xd wow it felt like I was on a slow moving boat so smooth. My point is I might be switching from exmark to spartan i feel like they are a growing company but love what they are doing
Update: I ended up getting a 2020 Exmark Lazer Z 52 inch. I might get a spartan just to mow our property with next year
Cub cadet has been in commercial mowers for the past year or 2? I have been running commercial Cubs since 2000. The tank series has been awesome for us. We have had everything and keep going back to cub for the quality and ruggedness.
In my area WI and MN the most used mowers are in order Exmark, Toro, Scag, Ferris, John Deere, Gravely, Grass Hopper for commercial use. Exmark and Toro have probably 70-80% of the commercial market share.
Love my Hustler it’s a little 54” with a 25hp Kohler pro with 335hrs on it. Looking forward to trying the Super S this summer.
Here i thought 42 was considered little
I have Grasshopper mowers, love them.
Hey, Brian I currently have a riding mower and looking at getting a zero turn mower. I think I narrowed it down to one of these two. What are your thoughts? 50" Toro TimeCutter (75750) or Ariens IKON XD 52 KAWASAKI (915267). Thanks
Travis F78 hands down no matter what mower you choose, the Kawasaki power plant is the key. Depending on you acreage will determine what size cut. I would however recommend and commercial deck over a stamped. In my opinion, everything else would be luxury items.
I just bought the hustler Raptor and the new 2021 version is a very nice mower. Is it the best? I don't know enough to say but I can say I really like it.
I have a 1998 grasshopper 616 front mount mower and I love it !😀
I'm a homeowner located in southeast with about 5 acres to mow. About an acre is smooth the rest a little rough and 1 1/2 on a manageable hill. I am leaning towards a Scag TCII 61" . Not sure which motor or hp I should go with. Also If anyone has info on what I can expect to pay out the door and what can I expect during the purchase process would be helpful . Thanks in Advance.
Joel Harris I am in similar situation as you. I have 5 acres we are building on, but the land is fairly flat and not too many trees. My cousin uses the Scag TT2 for his personal and commercial mowing & recommended it to me. 10-12k i believe is what he told me.
@@PanchoPringles Thanks for your reply. I went with the TT2. 52" deck w/26hp Kohler EFI Command Pro Engine. Your Cousin's recommendation is spot on. Great deal, 10K on a new last years model. This mower is an awesome beast. Thanks again.
Brian, notic you have weedeater rack on your Xmarks, but don't carry weedeater. Do you find them safety issue? Do you recommend using them?
I honestly took it off, I didn’t use it as much as I thought as I would’ve. It’s the jungle jims unit. It’s good, I just didn’t end up using it as much as I thought.
@@BriansLawnMaintenance Thank you for your time and keep making your videos.
I have 5 acres and a Gravely XTHD 60. With 27 horsepower Kawasaki. About 200 hours on it. I love it. But I do want to order the upgraded seat. My property is rough. Plus Grain Valley outdoor equipment is my great dealership.