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Outfront rotary vs zero turn

4 posts
  1. David Brandenburg
    David Brandenburg avatar
    3 posts
    8/9/2011 10:08 AM
    We need a new rotary mower for tee banks and trimming. The commercial zero turn units that landscapers use are almost half the price of commercial outfront mowers. They seem to go anywhere, they must be well built for the abuse they get from mowing landscapes, going over curbs and being trailered.

    As a disadvantage they are not as easy to drive because you need both hands all the time eliminating the cup of coffee in the other hand. They also do not hang over a pond back or bunker edge but that is not what we are using this mower for anyway.

    Has anyone made this switch and how has it worked on the golf course?



  2. Wahlin Scott B
    Wahlin Scott B avatar
    8/9/2011 10:08 AM
    These seem to be the most popular ones for landscapers around here. I looked it up and there are quite a few dealers in your area.

    http://www.dixiechopper.com/



  3. Andy Jorgensen
    Andy Jorgensen avatar
    1 posts
    8/9/2011 10:08 AM
    We have three of the Toro 7210 ZTR mowers for the course, 18 72" Grasshoppers, and four of the commercial landscaper style Toro ZTR's for our landscape guys. Our Toro's here on the course do circles around the other two and are much more solid of a machine. Transport speed on the 7210's is awesome, and makes it very quick to drive out to where you left off in the morning. We have had two of the 7210's for about 4 years now, and other than the occasional spindle going out, haven't had any other issues. And, the reason why we got those, they were cheaper by about $2,500 than the Toro 328 outfront rotary mowers. I can also tell you that our 7210's are borrowed weekly to mow hillsides that the other two can't stay on.

    That all being said, I have considered and looked into the Kubota ZTR's for our next purchase. At about $3,500 cheaper than the Toro's they offer bigger engines and are built like a beat as well. I'd like to hear back on anyone that runs those to see how they like them.



  4. Keith Lamb
    Keith Lamb avatar
    3 posts
    8/9/2011 11:08 AM
    We went with a Dixie Chopper 6 years ago because of cost. It was good for going around trees and flat areas, but that was it. Hills and lake banks it was useless. In then second year the governor went out. In the third year we started having more engine issues.... Air filter mount broke, burning oil, etc... First part of the fourth year a connecting rod broke and that's all she wrote. Best we could figure is landscapers do not run them for hours upon end like we do on the golf course. It just didn't seem like they were built to put up with the rigors of golf course operation. Now maybe if you went with the diesel powered model you may be better off, but we ended up finding a off lease low hours JD 1445 and that thing has been great for the last 2 years. What I really wanted was a Toro 3500D sidewinder, but I couldn't find one in my price range.



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