I have been following the tractor post with a huge amount of interest do to the fact that my farm tractor is older than I am.I would love to upgrade to a newer more dependable tractor but I am afraid my 18yr old zero turn mower is due to be replaced first.
My zero turn mower is an Encore Z48 mower that has about 800hrs on it.I have replaced the each spindle atleast once due to broken mounting flanges,and spindle bearings probably 3 times.I replaced the electric clutch and all the safety switches last year.Have had the starter rebuilt twice and replaced once.It seems like I might have a drive motor that is starting to get weak so I feel like it might be time to upgrade mowers.
My yard area and barn lot are about 2 acres and I mow them weekly.I also mow my pond area and trails about twice a month which is probably an additional 1.5 acres.It usually takes me 2.5-3 hours to mow everything.My yard is hard clay,uneven and full of moles and tree roots.Needless to say my mower has had a rough life.I have several areas that stay wet for about a third of the summer so it is not uncommon for me to get the mower stuck!
First I would like to go to a wider mower deck probably either a 54" or 60" cut.I would like a suspension seat or suspension on the mower.I would like a mower that is durable and dependable with greasable spindles and is fairly easy to work on and service.. AND here comes the hard part!! I would like to stay under 7K if possible.
When I purchased the mower I have now there were not alot of options for zero turns now it seems like there are so many choices it can be overwhelming to compare them all.
How many hours can I expect to get out of the newer mowers?I see alot of used ones with over 1000 hrs.I would be elated if my next mower would last that long.I know some of the newer commercial mowers are heavy and I wonder if the will get hung up more often then the mower I have now?I appreciate any suggestions or guidance!
