Dixon 0 turn mower

[Sled Puller]

Dealership is 5 miles down the road. They have a 1995 42" mower(non-commercial)
Mechanical steering clutches.
$1800.

Anyone know these mowers? Good? bad? ugly?

Thanks,
Gene

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1997 Cummins Dodge 4x4 "One Piece At A Time" Bombed & Amsoiled. Amsoil Premiere Direct Jobber, Member of: NRA Business Alliance, GLTDR, WANTED: Wrecked Dodges.
www.awdist.com

 

[Alan Reagan]

Everyone (four people) I know that owns a Dixon really likes it.

 

[GeneA]

I've had one for about six years now and really like it. I put on chains and a snow plow in the winter ( take off the mower deck) the only maintenance has been annual oil change, clean the air filter and sharpen the mower blade.

 

[Sled Puller]

Had a little input from the Ford site:

"I have had a Dixon 3014 for two years, and have had nothing but problems with it. There is a reason that only Dixon has that mechanical clutch hemisphere thingie. No one else would touch it. Impossible to equalize the power to the four drive positions for any reasonable time. Mine sometimes will turn over the starter, and sometimes it will not, which is why it is in the shop now.
On the positive side, it is a good size if you don't have more than a couple of acres, and if you ever go to a zero turn radius mower, you'll never go back, which is the reason I'm looking at the high priced spread to replace my Dixon. "

Another guy had bad luck with the non-commercial model, upgraded to commercial and loves it.
I may be leaning towards the commercial model with hydrostat turning system.
We have at least 4 acres, pretty rough.
So, 3 happy, 1 not so happy.
Great information!
Gene

 

[BCFAST]

Save your money. If you have a yard big enough to warrant a 42" mower, buy a Dixie Chopper. Have a buddy in the business (40 employees) wont own anything else based on performance, maintanence and parts availability. BTW, I own a Deere with a Kawasaki motor and love the front deck!

 

[Sled Puller]

Dixie Chopper? What is it?

 

[R.E. Miller]

Hey Gene, don't even think of buying a Zero Turn machine with clutches, not a good idea. FWIW, I cut lawns commercially here in MD, and have to deal with this stuff daily for about 6-7 months out of the year. E-mail me if you need more ideas, but you need to consider the ground that you need to cut per week, and the condition of the terrain your traveling on.
Look At
Deck Construction: Stamped steel or welded 7gauge
Engine Choice: Kohler, Briggs, Kawi, or oh yeah, the new Briggs Daihatsu 31hp turbo diesel #ad

Manufacturer: there are tons, IMHO, I run SCAG for... maintanence, cut quality, parts interchange and all the rest.

Dixie Choppers are over-built, I demoed the one with twin engines, fuel hog, bullet proof, machine that has an underdesigned mower-deck, the lift mechanism is not great, you hit a bump, and down it goes #ad
scalp.

Do look at everything, you never know what you might find that you like!
Later

Forgot, a $400 suspension seat is one of the best options, that or a cheap kidney belt #ad

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1992 W-350 Club Cab Dually 3. 5" Jardine, Swiss cheese air box
1992 W-350 8' contractors dump with 3. 5"BD exhaust, 16cm^2 housing, DI pyro&boost
Russell

[This message has been edited by R. E. Miller (edited 04-12-2001). ]

 

[Sled Puller]

I'm lookin to get out of the 77 Cub cadet.

I hate to mow grass, I hate to work on mowers. Cub= constant repair.
I have about 3-4 acres, rough, hilly, costantly being tore up by equipment.
Looking for used, price is a factor. This guy has been in business for years, seems to have good luck with the Dixons. he works on mowers,and there is a LARGE colorful assortment of all brands being worked on, but very few Dixons.
I know they are not the top of the line, but my wallet is not either!

 

[merryman]

I have a Dixon that I bought in 1986. Before I got the Dixon, I had a good 16 horse power garden tractor with belly mount 42 inch mower. With the tractor mowing time was 6 to 8 hours for yard and both sides of a 1000' driveway that was ROUGH--it had not been bladed or smothed-just started mowing after the driveway was done. With the Dixon, mowing time was cut to under 3 hours due to zero turning radias (sp).
I mowed that place with the Dixon till Nov. 1995 when we moved to the present location, where my mowing time is about 40 min, but my son next door mowes about 1/3 acre, which again was not really smothed after putting in utilities etc.
So far other than periodic oil changes and air filter cleanings, the mower has required a grand total maintanence of two belts----period. It has never been in for repain or service.
The local equipment rental shop has them for rentals, and they tell me they would not consider any other mower for the rental business because of the low maint. required.
The mower works as well today as when I brought it home in 1986. It seems unbreakable.
BTW, mine is the mechanical cone stearing.
Vaughn

[This message has been edited by merryman (edited 04-12-2001). ]

 

[illflem]

I'm waiting for the new generation of mowers to come on the market. No blades, they cut with a laser beam, read about them in Popular Science.

 

[JSchooley]

A few years ago we modified an X-Mark with remote control. The X-Mark is probably a little pricey but it worked very well. It has a Kohler engine and hydraulic drive.

Remote controlling it was a challenge but a lot of fun. Worked out pretty good. You can sit back and run the h**l out of it with no training. Don't ask the price though, it was a government funded project.

 

[Bad340fish]

Hey You can get the Dixie chopper with a Turbo deisel lol. Hiperf360 works for a large landscaping company. I drove the chopper and it was a blast. I wasn't mowing just f#cking off in the parking lot. It help up to the thrashing i put it trough. And Jon BOMBed it the other day by pulling of the wastegate line LOL. No this post did not help you choose a mower but I figured you would like to know you can Bomb a Suburb'n Turb'n(Dixie Chopper) It also has a picture of a standard front engine mower crossed out lol. Wierd guy makes those things.
Clark

 

[groundpounder]

MGM hit the nail on the head. We sold Dixon for 2 years then had to stop for the reasons MGM just described. We had the mowers more then the customers did. As for Dixie Chopper we sell them to and they are an excellent mower if you can afford them. Our mower of choice and in our opinion the best out there is the Ferris. I can't find a better walk behind mower that compares to the qaulity and price that Ferris offers. There are others out there that are excellent however I can't say that Dixon is a mower for a large job. Always remember that maintenance is the key!!!!

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99 Dodge 4x4 Quad Diesel NV241HD auto. K&N, 4" JRE, 5" chrome tip, matched 275 Bosch injectors, 2. 5" Skyjacker leveling kit, B. F. Goodrich Mud Terrains 35/12. 50-16. 5, Eagle 589's 16. 5x9. 75, silencer ring MIA. (more to come)

 

[Sled Puller]

This is as bad as a Dodge/Chevy/Ford discussion.

I passed on the original one I was looking at. There is another one coming in, older, but bigger. I'll check it out.
No other dealers of anything close by that I would give a nickel to if they were starving.

Thanks for the input.
Gene

 

[yogibear]

I've got a 48" Dienes "Marty J" w/18hp Kohler and a 52" Grasshopper w/21hp water cooled Kubota 3 banger, both are ZTR w/front deck and both are real dependable. I really like the front deck, before with a tractor type mower always had to trim with a push mower, now with the front deck I can get right up under the trees etc. , only need a spin trimmer in some places.
I read somewhere, I think, that Dixon bought out Dixie Chopper.
Larry

 

[Skydiver]

What do y'all know about Swisher ZTR?Made in Missouri. Been around a long time. Extremely simple design. No brakes. No reverse. One wheel drive. I am not kidding. Last time I checked price was starting at $1200.
When I find the web site I will post it. These riding mowers are neat.
I really am NOT kidding.
Tim

 

[Skydiver]

www.swisherinc.com

 

[HDH]

My Mower Doesnt use Blades or Gas, Its the Best Mower around!, I Mow my 1/3 acre once a year with RoundUp. #ad

Doug.