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need advice on zero turn mower purchase


hemi1300

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so the wife and i are in the process of building a house with a 1.5 acre lot and i plan to buy a 48-52" zero turn mower.  House will not be ready for probably 6-7 months, so technically i would not be using the mower until next season.  After countless hours and hours of research  between all the top brands, i have settled on gravely pro turn 52" with kawasaki engine for $6200.  My dilemna, wife agreed i could purchase the mower within the next few weeks if i want to, get one big purchase out of the way that will definitely be needed.  We are staying with her mother in law during the house build and i could keep the mower there and even mow her grass with it all summer long.  I am ocd about things, and have not stopped thinking about a zero turn for the last 2 months even though, technically don't need it just yet.  What would you do, say hell with it and just buy it so it's done with, or wait until new house and oversized garage are done to buy?

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You might wait and see it if goes on sale in August or September.  Some stores even check the upcoming sales for me when I am looking at a big purchase and some can't.   They do not know a sale is coming until the ad comes out.  

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Yeah, suppose I could do that. When I get my head wrapped around something I will not sleep until I get it taken care of, and I have been researching zero turns every week for the past few months

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think i might go ahead and buy it soon though.  Was just thinking about it, if i decide to wait until house is ready to buy, will be buying it right about beginning of spring, maybe a bit before.  I imagine the prices might be a bit steeper with the new models out and everything at the beginning of mowing season, no?

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You might search the company and still how long this model has been out and ask the dealer how often they change models.  If a new model is coming, this one might go on sale earlier or for more off.  It's a crap shoot and nothing is guaranteed. .  

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you could hire a company to cut your grass and do all your landscaping for two years for the price of that mower.   my 899, 42" Lowes special does exactly what a lawn mower is supposed to do, cut grass and it even tows my 17'6 car trailer around my property like a boss!

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Depends on what you're after, some model zero turn for the full on commercial units easily exceed $10k. For what I'm looking for in a zero turn this gravely fits my needs perfectly. Don't want some box store crap that lasts a few years and doesn't mow for crap. The gravely is their entry level commercial unit so it would last for a very long time

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Will it do anything else but mow? For cheaper than that I'd rather have a DR brush hog AND the mower attachment. Then you could clear out up to like 2 1/2 in saplings plus mow. But I mow my roughly 1/2 acre plot with an old push mower that's not powered movement lol.

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I just bought one and love it!  Its a 60" zero turn from Grasshopper.  I was looking for new, but the local dealer got a pristine 2 year old model traded in and it was like half price of new.  so I went that route.  I have about 5 acres to do here soon so I went with a descent size one.  good luck, I'm sure if you research them you cant go wrong with many different brands.  I trusted my local dealer here and that was atleast half of my decision to buy that brand right there.

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Is a zero turn really needed?  How many items will you be mowing around that is not next to the house that you could knock out quickly with a push mower or weed whacker?  Zero turn are nice, but I am going on 12 years with a Craftman's ($1400) that has never given me problems.  I mow about an acre with several things to mow around.  

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Is a zero turn really needed?  How many items will you be mowing around that is not next to the house that you could knock out quickly with a push mower or weed whacker?  Zero turn are nice, but I am going on 12 years with a Craftman's ($1400) that has never given me problems.  I mow about an acre with several things to mow around.

 

have you checked your local craigslist for used ones?

 

$6200 is a BIG investment for 1.5 acres! 

 

what about a Deere? can't beat American Made!

I totally understand the logic of the above thought and 10 years ago would have argued the same thing. However, after my parents bought a Exmark ZTR and I got to use it... I starting using their mower whenever I could. Even without lots of obstacles a commercial ZTR will both ow at least 50% faster AND it will mow better. With a ZTR you begin to realize how much time is wasted with turns and the much higher blade tip speed is much faster allowing for faster ground speed.

 

Besides, arguing that another product is cheaper so it must be better doesn't hold up when talking about our detailing passion, does it? :-)

 

Getting a used commercial ZTR that was used by a one property owner would be a great way to save a few bucks and get a great machine. I haven't used Gravely but have used both Exmark and Dixie Chopper. Both of these are great machines and have differing strengths.

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Looked at scag for a while, and for the price range I am trying to stay in of $5 to $6k, the gravely just suits my needs better than the scag I was looking at in the same range. 100% agree wit daveVY, do I absolutely need a zero turn, probably not, but after using my dads commercial zero turn for years when I lived at the rents house, I will not go back to a normal riding mower. I love to buy nice power equipment and take good care of my machines, and the wife and I had planned on this purchase and already have the money set aside just for the mower

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Sounds like you don't need anyones advice. You've got your mind made up and you're not going to budge.Make the purchase and be done with it.  :)

 

Close thread..

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