Yeah Deere and Toro are both completely out. I'm also changing my mind. Kawasaki engines are now 100% set in stone. No Kawasaki, no buy.
My train of thought was thrown a massive curveball today. I went and looked at Spartan mowers... W-O-W. They are on the higher end of my 'budget' but these are easily the best mowers I've seen so far by a large margin. They are really doing amazing things. They do not play around when it comes to deck height and thickness either. Anyone that hasn't at least scoped one out needs to do so before their next purchase. Less than a week ago, I had never heard of them. Now they are a top 2 pick. The 12V port is a really nice touch. The deck height selector felt just as solid as the Bad Boy. My only reservation is the unavoidable keyless system. Instead of a key, you program a pin code. Nothing wrong with it, but I was told if it ever went bad it's "only" $250 to replace. That said, even though I'm hesitant, it's admittedly pretty cool, and packs a few bonus features (namely the unique
soft start feature). Here's the only pic I could find of it:
View attachment 34652
I was also able to go to a remote dealer that had some 2021 Hustlers. This was what I was waiting for...or so I thought. I went into the store with high expectations because I already knew what Hustlers are about. Wrong. Words cannot describe the disappointment I felt. Sure, they looked just as good as the pictures, and have made some improvements. But it's truly shocking how far the quality has fallen in the last 5-6 years. I first went to check out the Raptor X. No, it's not in my criteria, but it's the closest to what I've been using to get a decent comparison. I'll start with the good. The Big Bite tires are awesome (although I think
Spartan's radials are better). It's nice to see an hour meter standard even on the cheap models. The (I think) rubber covers over the seat springs were a nice touch to keep the noise/rattles down. The flip-up floor pan was nice, and the gas tank opening being on a 45 degree angle was a welcome touch I didn't previously think about. It would definitely be easier to pour fuel into. That's about the only good I saw. It seemed incredibly light. Too light. Also, this may be my personal ignorance, but I've never seen such a tiny battery on a mower. I don't even know what they're called, and after 10 minutes of searching the G machine,
this was the closest thing I could find that looked like it, had the same tiny dimensions, and the posts on the same side. If anyone knows what it is or if it's a pro or con versus the standard old $25 mower battery, please enlighten me. These batteries were even used on their XD. Moving on, the lap bar movement didn't have enough resistance. Way too easy to go from full forward to full backward. The 'park' to neutral movement was very cheap feeling also. But now my absolute biggest complaint...one that made me feel completely disgusted and was present on every model they had on the floor, even the more expensive ones. I hope a Hustler bean counter or engineer reads this:
Hustler - WHAT WERE YOU THINKING WHEN YOU MADE THOSE ARMRESTS?!?
I would expect that type of feel on a child's Power Wheels version of your mowers, not the real deal. In all seriousness, I truly felt like I was going to break them just by getting off of the mower. And sure, the easy answer would be to keep them in the upright position and never use them. Right? No. I'd still be afraid of them breaking off. They were absolutely terrible.
Moving on to the XD which is what I was assuming I'd buy, I was also unimpressed. Mainly the same complaints from above, but I discovered a weird quirk I didn't like. The XD has Hydro Gear ZT-2800s, which is the minimum I was after. But what was missing was the expansion tank (or two in most cases). No tank at all. They're essentially a sealed unit, but you are able to service them. To me, this says more hassle and shorter fluid life due to less fluid. I'm not eliminating the XD, but it definitely isn't at the top of my list anymore. Shame.
I don't know what to think at this point. Today was a rollercoaster. I need more time and experience to decide, but as of this second if I was forced to make an ordered list, here's what I think I'd go with:
1. Spartan RZ-HD
2. Cub Cadet Ultima ZT2
3. Cub Cadet Ultima ZT3
4.
2020 Hustler SDX 60" (*Only if I buy one of the last remaining ones for under $5100)
5. Gravely ZT-HD
6. 2021 Hustler XDX
7. 2021 Hustler XD
I'm literally making excel spreadsheets with color-coded pro and con comparisons... I think I need a break for the weekend to clear my brain and gather my thoughts.