Lawn Mowin Diesels - Question

[Cooker]

The BTS is there but they got NO torque. The deck is deep enough and the hydro drive is tight and all, but THERES NO TORQUE!

Last I checked, regarding gas motors, all manufactures use pretty much the same engines.



So now I guess to "know what I am doing" I need to own diesel mowers as well?

You ever see a truck and trailer full of grass clippings when a 'commercial contractor' drives by? There's barely enough room for the Exmark mowers "cause his trailer is FULL OF GRASS CLIPPINGS! You ask yourself two questions, one, wheres he going with all that money? And two, WHY is he putting all those clippings in his trailer?



Oh. He's uses Exmarks.

Your kidding right? I guess you had a bad experience with Exmark, but your comments on the clippings pretty obsurd.



Maybe the "mouth breather's" in your neck of the woods do not know how to mow or operate a mower properly? I'm glad to see at least they are buying a machine with a quality cut.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

I'll tell you what, the bagging systems on those Exmarks are STURDY! I saw a guy STANDING on the clippings to pack 'em down in the bags while they were still HANGING ON THE MOWER!



Like I said, I like the Exmark Z, I just don't like the choice of mill they put in it. Put a 3 cyl turbo diesel in it... ...



Exmark/Toro, Great Dane/John Deere, Gravely, Hustler, Walker, Grasshopper or Dixie are all good decks.....



But only ONE has the stones to run double hilifts! Sounds like a Blackhawk sittin' on the pad! WWWHHHHOOOOOOSSSHHHHHH!!!!



It's the only mower I own, I'm not a contractor, I just use it on the ole homestead. It's got an Amsoil Bypass oil filter and a LHAF on it!

 

[Cooker]

Like I said, I like the Exmark Z, I just don't like the choice of mill they put in it. Put a 3 cyl turbo diesel in it

Exmark does put a 3cyl Daihatsu diesel engine on a Lazer but it does not have a turbo.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

Daihatsu huh?



My best friend's older brother, he let's us on weekends play around with some of his accounts while he fishes. One account is a lady with a couple of horses and he don't like to do that one! That property is HUGE! I'll take my Dixie and with his, too, we knock that yard down.



He's got a 1996 2500 club cab 12v, he's the guy who turned me on to CTDs. That truck is still pullin' that big trailer. Must have 200,000 on the clock by now.



I wonder if theres a turbo kit for that bad oscar. That would make the Exmark the HP king!



About time for leaf clean-up :{ I'm switchin' to Gators!

 

[TrqMonster]

I not telling you you own junk. I'm sayin EVERYTHING out of the Exmark factory is junk.



Except, of course, your personal equipment. That lone mower they got right.



Just because someone is a 'commercial contractor' does not mean they know what they are doing. Any mouth breather can become a professinal lawn mower. And they ALL own Exmarks because it was the first machine they were lied to about. The BTS is there but they got NO torque. The deck is deep enough and the hydro drive is tight and all, but THERES NO TORQUE!



Want to know about torque? (How's the commercial go?) Torque is what drives you out of a ditch. Torque is what pulls you and your trailer over a mountain with a load of lumber. Torque will call your wife and tell her your'e gonna be late because you and torque are pullin' stumps outta the ground!



You ever see a truck and trailer full of grass clippings when a 'commercial contractor' drives by? There's barely enough room for the Exmark mowers "cause his trailer is FULL OF GRASS CLIPPINGS! You ask yourself two questions, one, wheres he going with all that money? And two, WHY is he putting all those clippings in his trailer?



Oh. He's uses Exmarks.



Well, theres the answer to question number one.

After six years of lawn and landscape maintanence I think I can give an honest opinion, especially considering I have owned more than one brand and operated several others. You are not even a contractor so dont tell me I dont know what I am talking about. That is BS. Fortunately I can think for myself and bought something other than what everyone is buying. Everyone buys Dixie because they are cheaper and fast. I dont get paid to be fast, I get paid to do high qualtiy work. Thats what I do everyday of the week, not just on weekends and after work, I do it all the time. Thats why I paid more for what I personally consider to be higher quality.



I have owned 3 exmarks, all high quality, no down time machines. Maybe I should start playing the lottery since I got so lucky when others are getting such junk. In upstate New York where my uncle is a contractor, lots of people use Deere, Exmark and Ferris. They tried to sell Dixies but no one wanted them because they thought they were junk. We all have our opinions but you really dont have a right to tell me I dont know what I am talking about.



This thread was started when someone asked about diesel mowers, not to trash brands. I think they all have plusses and minuses. You just said exmark was junk and dixies are great. What about Exmark do you think is so wrong? Thats what you should have posted, not just called something junk.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

Whooaaa!



You gave your opinion and I gave mine. I am not a 'contractor', I'm a trucker. The diesel Dixie is one of my toys. I USED to own a Lazer but thank God somebody bought that greasefire from me. Then I bought a little 36" walkbehind with a Kawasaki block in it! (I know, I'm stupid)



Sold THAT one, too.



Then I pulled my head out and ponied up the cash for a used diesel Dixie with a 90 inch cutting deck and a tiny little turbocharger... ... I have a big yard.



But just because I think Exmark is trash is no big deal. You don't, so that's good... . ?



Right?

 

[MD500E]

I have a grasshopper 721 diesel. Great mower, but way low on power. This spring I threw on a turbo, added some fuel, and now it is one serious cutting machine. I can lay down foot tall field grass at full speed without slowing. It will also lay out some smoke!! It started out as 21 horse and now I would guess it is about 30-34hp Darn little Kubota's are tough!

 

[SRadke]

The best small mower I've ever used was a Kubota GF1800. Not a ZTR but it steers with the back tires and will turn sharp enough to mow around any object.



-Scott

 

[Ncostello]

I'm not brand loyal. Personally I think the Hustler Diesel Z is pretty tough with the "Cat" diesel.



I ended up with a used 2000 year Dixie Diesel. Its the City Slicker 72" with the 26HP Yanmar non-turbo. 1600 hours and runs perfectly. The model is XXWD2600-72... which is the extra wide model. Seems to do well for what I need. I may play around with a turbo someday. Perhaps I could get 30HP.



All it needs is a little TLC, some touch up paint on the deck (black) and some new tires. I've heard stories of the little Yanmar going 4000-6000 hours and still running fine. So we'll see. Good part is I got it for $2500. So no matter what brand you like... thats a heck of a deal in my book. Maybe someday I'll trade it in on a 50HP turbo diesel or who knows.

 

[TrqMonster]

Has anyone ever used the Hustler Z. I have seen them in my Pro magazines for several years and they look pretty solid. They started selling them in Terre Haute and while I do like my Exmarks as you can tell from previous posts, I may need to change brands because they stopped selling Exmark in Terre Haute. Like I said, everyone wants a Dixie.



Found it on their site, looks pretty nice.



http://www.hustlerturfequipment.com/pdf/SZ Diesel Flyer.pdf

 

[Dieselnut59]

I have a grasshopper 721 diesel. Great mower, but way low on power. This spring I threw on a turbo, added some fuel, and now it is one serious cutting machine. I can lay down foot tall field grass at full speed without slowing. It will also lay out some smoke!! It started out as 21 horse and now I would guess it is about 30-34hp Darn little Kubota's are tough!

Where did you get a turbo for that thing? I have the D722 Kubota engine on my TG1860 rider. I added fuel but would love a turbo or maybe to turbocharge a ZD25 if I get one...

 

[Cooker]

Has anyone ever used the Hustler Z. I have seen them in my Pro magazines for several years and they look pretty solid. They started selling them in Terre Haute and while I do like my Exmarks as you can tell from previous posts, I may need to change brands because they stopped selling Exmark in Terre Haute. Like I said, everyone wants a Dixie.



Found it on their site, looks pretty nice.



http://www.hustlerturfequipment.com/pdf/SZ Diesel Flyer.pdf

I can't help with the Hustler but I can't believe they stopped selling Exmarks in your area. As I said Exmark and Toro are pretty much the only thing sold around here. I don't even know of a Dixie dealer in my area.

 

[AHire]

The hustler z is good for a person that has residential and small commercial contracts. I completely destroyed one in three 4 months. The majority of our mowing is very rough ground, a lot of rocks. The deck is not heavy enough to take being bumped into sidewalks, buildings, etc.

 

[TrqMonster]

I can't help with the Hustler but I can't believe they stopped selling Exmarks in your area. As I said Exmark and Toro are pretty much the only thing sold around here. I don't even know of a Dixie dealer in my area.

To many choppers. The city/parks dept still has some Exmarks and a few other small timers but the major companies all run Dixies. I think most people just get them because they are fast.



Has anyone used a Ferris with the IS (independent Suspension)? It also has an available 31 HP Cat engine. From what little I can tell it looks pretty solid, fabricated deck sounds solid. They look like good mowers, but I have never actually seen or used one.

 

[Ncostello]

The big Hustlers are build like tanks. My neighbor has an older Ferris prior to the whole independent suspension thing. Its a nice mower. If I had the money and was buying a gas mower... I'd have to go with a Scag-Kawasaki Fuel Injected 29HP mower. They too are built like tanks and their deck lift setup is bullet proof and easy to use.



Nonetheless... when Horsepower matters, Dixie's 50HP is tough to beat. Like the little sticker on the back of new Dixie Diesels says: "Torque... not Talk".



Around here the lawns are usually too rough for extreme speed. So a Dixie isn't a huge advantage if speed is the only thing they have. I like mine cause it was used and cheap!