Buying House on 1.1 Acres. Need Zero-Turn Lawnmower and Weedeater/Blower Recommendations.

john_pifer

john_pifer

Joined
Jul 8, 2012
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Location
Dickson, TN.
Wife and I are buying our first house.

Thread here:

We're Buying our First House (and other happenings)! Exciting Times...

Some of y'all remember that we got married in April 2020, right in the midst of that thing we don't mention around here. Went from having a LOT of people invited to the wedding (mostly by her parents - I think they invited the whole town, LOL), to 10 total... And instead of flying to Costa Rica...
bobistheoilguy.com

So, with 1.1 acres, I’m going to need a lawnmower, string trimmer, leaf blower, and possibly a push mower.

So far, I know I want a zero-turn with a non-stamped-construction deck, and mulching capability (don’t think I want to bag grass).

Don’t want to spend more than around $3500 for the riding mower - and preferably less. Would consider looking at used, if there’s maintenance history and it was well taken care of.

Any particular brand/model that stands head and shoulders above the rest?

The back yard does have a gate…I’m waiting for word back from the owner of the width of the gate, which will affect what size I go with.
 
You'll get more mower for your money buying a regular rider than a zero-turn. I would look for a used high end John Deere with a Kohler Command or Kawasaki engine with lower hours. They should have an hour meter. Stay away from models sold at the box stores.
 
ripcord said:
You'll get more mower for your money buying a regular rider than a zero-turn. I would look for a used high end John Deere with a Kohler Command or Kawasaki engine with lower hours. They should have an hour meter. Stay away from models sold at the box stores.
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Thanks, but I’m already decided on a ZT.

Just looking for advice on why to go with one brand over another, since there are many OEMs making these.
 
The Ariens Ikon XD unit in 42" or 52" cut should work great for 1.1 acres as long as you opt for the Kawasaki engine. The 42" is currently out of stock at Lowes but may be available from a local outdoor power equipment dealer. Lowes may offer a 10% discount if you are military or a first responder. There are plenty of positive video reviews on YouTube.

Ariens IKON Zero Turn
 
#18FAN said:
Zero-turn with a fabricated deck less than 3500 dollars with decent pumps wheel motors good luck now days.
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I don’t know that I need commercial-grade components. This won’t really be subjected to hard use. Just mowing an acre every week. Not starting a lawn service.

Just from the very preliminary research I’ve done so far, there are many choices that fall within that price range…and even less. And many of the players are using the same hydrostatic transmission and one of a handful of Kohler, Kawasaki, or Briggs engines.

So it comes down to the other features the mower has, and the serviceability of the components. Also warranty…and the rep of the company. Will they stand behind the product if I have issues?

I don’t think I’m asking too much.
 
Go to an OPE store. Buy once , cry once. A trimmer get a 2 stroke Husky or Sthil or some commercial model. With the choice of a zero turn you don't need a super duper commercial duty but look at mowers that you change the hydrostat oil etc with relative ease. A bagging attachment is a possible good thing to have if there are trees to pick up the leaves in Fall. A push mower will probably be used for getting the edges and tight spots , something above the bottom of the line usually a midrange Honda engine will work well.. An acre is a huge area to mow. How many hours are you willing to spend on the mower during the cutting season. It is not that hard to make a bigger gate. Since this is BITOG the most important question ,,,, what oil are you planning on using? Jumping up a few steps from the big box level of equipment costs a bit more but over the equipments life will be a bargain.;)
 
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Nukeman7 said:
The Ariens Ikon XD unit in 42" or 52" cut should work great for 1.1 acres as long as you opt for the Kawasaki engine. The 42" is currently out of stock at Lowes but may be available from a local outdoor power equipment dealer. Lowes may offer a 10% discount if you are military or a first responder. There are plenty of positive video reviews on YouTube.

Ariens IKON Zero Turn
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I’ve heard that it’s a good idea to buy from a power equipment dealer due to support (big box stores won’t service). That makes sense to me.

I plan to shop dealers in the town where I’m moving.
 
john_pifer said:
I don’t know that I need commercial-grade components. This won’t really be subjected to hard use. Just mowing an acre every week. Not starting a lawn service.

Just from the very preliminary research I’ve done so far, there are many choices that fall within that price range…and even less. And many of the players are using the same hydrostatic transmission and one of a handful of Kohler, Kawasaki, or Briggs engines.

So it comes down to the other features the mower has, and the serviceability of the components. Also warranty…and the rep of the company. Will they stand behind the product if I have issues?

I don’t think I’m asking too much.
Click to expand...
Many do use same hydro units but at that price you are shopping for non serviceable units.
 
wpod said:
Go to an OPE store. Buy once , cry once. A trimmer get a 2 stroke Husky or Sthil or some commercial model. The zero turn you don't need a super duper commercial duty but look at mowers that you change the hydrostat oil etc with relative ease. A bagging attachment is a possible good thing to have is there are trees to pick up the leaves in Fall. A push mower will probably be used for getting the edges and tight spots , something above the bottom of the line usually a midrange Honda engine will work well.. An acre is a huge area to mow. How many hours are you willing to spend on the mower during the cutting season. It is not that hard to make a bigger gate. Since this is BITOG the most important question ,,,, what oil are you planning on using?;)
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Thanks. I thought about possibly expanding the gate to enable fitting a larger mower!

Good thoughts on bagging attachment for leaves.

Yard work is relaxing and satisfying, but I don’t want to spend more than 2-3 hrs per week on it.

Yes, an acre is a lot.
 
john_pifer said:
OK… Would a non-serviceable hydro unit be a no-go for you?

If so, why?

Obviously I need to research these hydrostatic drive/trans units.
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if you want a decent ZT I'd up your budget to 5500$
I prefer echo trimmers for their value and performance.
mower how much are you mowing 15-20min trim job?
find something on clearance now?
 
If you’ve got much of a slope I’d recommend a walk behind. It’ll last you 40 years mowing an acre a week and handle hills much better.

4A58F6E3-E2C7-46D6-A994-8999C7BA8A3E.jpeg
 
A less popular ZTR brand is Wright, made in Maryland. I bought a Sentar 52 inch in 2011 that's still running strong in my son's landscaping business. The Kawasaki motor was sweet. It may be a brand you can find used. There are Wright dealers in Nashville, Hendersonville and Mt. Juliet.
 
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For trimmer and leaf blower I'd go with an Echo or Husqvarna. Echos have a 5 year consumer warranty. For a zero-turn if you buy a commercial unit like a Exmark, Scag, Gravely, Ferris, etc, it will last for many years. The commercial machines also seem to have better parts availability.
 
john_pifer said:
I’ve heard that it’s a good idea to buy from a power equipment dealer due to support (big box stores won’t service). That makes sense to me.

I plan to shop dealers in the town where I’m moving.
Click to expand...
That may or may not be true. I thought the same thing when I purchased several pieces of Stihl pro-grade handheld equipment from the local OPE dealer with a large presence and customer base in my locale. The only time I needed warranty service on a commercial grade grass trimmer, it took 4+1/2 months to get it repaired under warranty. I took it in for repair in July and got it back at Thanksgiving after the mowing season was over! The owner was honest with me and said that his multi-thousand dollar commercial accounts had to get priority service for his business to survive.
 
john_pifer said:
OK… Would a non-serviceable hydro unit be a no-go for you?

If so, why?

Obviously I need to research these hydrostatic drive/trans units.
Click to expand...
Personally I wouldn’t look at one with EZT motors read way to many bd things on them. Above unit listed is built with them as many big box store units are ZT 2800 or 3100 or higher but that’s getting into commercial grade.
 
RhondaHonda said:
If you’ve got much of a slope I’d recommend a walk behind. It’ll last you 40 years mowing an acre a week and handle hills much better.

View attachment 115892
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I have a 1998 ExMark metro 48" walkbehind with 14hp Kawasaki. It is a tank. Very reliable, cut quality is great. Also have a single wheel stand-on sulky which is better on my back than sitting on a mower for hours.
 
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