Posted: 6/28/2025 9:36:29 AM EDT
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Been looking at 42" - 48" mowers that local dealers have and not big box stuff. So far the best ones I've found are a Gravely ZT HD 44" and a Kubota 48". Both are similar with Kawaski engines and 3100 hydro's. They are basically top end homeowners/light commercial mowers and are about $7000. Been told I'm overbuying for my yard, which is about 1/2 acre, but I don't want any junk. |
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Just me but if I only had to mow 1/2 ac I would not spend 7k on a mower. I might suggest you take about $2000 to $3000 to the big box store and buy whatever looks best. Take reasonable care of it with timely oil changes . belts and grease and clean the air filter . With a little luck it should hold together with minor repairs for 12 or 15 seasons. I was once told by a good mechanic that most people kill their air cooled mowers by running them at a slower engine speed which overheats them , air cooled stuff is happiest when you run the engine at 3/4 or more throttle. I have been mowing 3/4ac for 49 years and am 3 years into my third big box riding mower with no major complaints |
| I have a Kubota Z422 (same as Z421 but with suspension seat) it’s a 54” deck and so far, after 3 seasons, ai love it. Can’t speak to the Gravely except fpr this…when I was mowing commercially with an Exmark Lazer Z, a neighbor of one of my clients approached me and asked me why his Gravely walk behind didn’t produce the same cut quality that my Exmark did? Told him “no idea” but that left a bad impression with me about Gravely products. |
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There are always a boat load of used commercial machines on Craigslist, Facebook, etc. Sure, they've been run hard. But find one that looks halfway decent and blow a few hundred on some PM (belts, fluids, tires, blades, etc.). In residential service it will last you the rest of your life and you'll have saved a boatload of cash over buying a new machine. I had about 3/4 of an acre to cut at my old house. There's no kill like overkill and I got a used, commercial, Toro 52" walk-behind for a measly $1K. I loved that machine, and it ran for 10 years needing nothing special. I sold it for $600, and I bought a used JD Z425 with power grass collection. It's now over 15 years old and it's needed nothing special. |
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Originally Posted By nhsport: Just me but if I only had to mow 1/2 ac I would not spend 7k on a mower. I might suggest you take about $2000 to $3000 to the big box store and buy whatever looks best. Take reasonable care of it with timely oil changes . belts and grease and clean the air filter . With a little luck it should hold together with minor repairs for 12 or 15 seasons. I was once told by a good mechanic that most people kill their air cooled mowers by running them at a slower engine speed which overheats them , air cooled stuff is happiest when you run the engine at 3/4 or more throttle. I have been mowing 3/4ac for 49 years and am 3 years into my third big box riding mower with no major complaints I do not know if the mechanic is correct or not. The Toro manual does say to throttle up after starting. Originally Posted By Hillcountry: I have a Kubota Z422 (same as Z421 but with suspension seat) it’s a 54” deck and so far, after 3 seasons, ai love it. Can’t speak to the Gravely except fpr this…when I was mowing commercially with an Exmark Lazer Z, a neighbor of one of my clients approached me and asked me why his Gravely walk behind didn’t produce the same cut quality that my Exmark did? Told him “no idea” but that left a bad impression with me about Gravely products. Blades and or balance. At the pure basic level, they are ALL rotating a metal knife (or three) on an axis. Knife is sharp and axis is true, it’ll make a good cut no matter whose name painted on the side. |
Words fall from your mouth like shit from ass.
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If you are happy to spend that much....go for it. You'll like the quality. I'd look at Skag too. |
"It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things."
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
| If cost is no object (even the used ones are pricey), go for a Walker or a Grasshopper front-mount zero-turn. They have flip-up decks that make cleaning and blade sharpening a million times easier than on a mid-mount. Plus it can be a lot easier to mow closer to things because you can see the deck better and you can poke your nose into tight spots. |