$5200 for a zero turn? WHY???
 

My brother's neighbor pissed off the guy he was paying to cut his grass, so he cut out and won't do it anymore! It sounds nuts but whatever.

I was trying to help my brother out by finding a decent mower. He really needs a garden tractor because he has like 1.5 acre land and a garden to plow. I even found him a good Wheel Horse garden tractor for $350.

But what did he do? He went to those crooks at the local lawn/garden shop (not Home Depot/Lowe's but a mom n pop shop) and they talked him into a Spartan brand 42in zero turn mower for $5200. They even included a trailer hitch and headlight!

I guess it's just my old skool-ness, but that price is very steep for the plot of land he has and what he needs it for? He could have gotten an older garden tractor for half the price? And parts/repairs would have been easier/cheaper?

Being a bit of a numbers nerd I always look at what it costs to own
something using the number of hours you run it. Just guessing if it
was run 20 hours a year for 10 years it would be over 20 dollars and
hour to mow your lawn. Plus gas and maintenance. Probably my
old school mindset as well. I am with you. But new can be fun for a while
till the computer on your lawnmower goes out.:BangPC:

Ken

How is he going to plow a garden w/a ZT?

Well, for My Primary Mowing machine I prefer to have a New Machine or a Later Model used myself, I Paid over $6,000 for My Cub SX54 in 2022. I don't spend Lavishly anywhere else. But I do love Outdoor Power equipment. Most of my tractor Have Been Bought used, or I inherited some of them, a few were bought new.
I have 14 Garden Tractor’s 1 Compact, 2 Rear engine riders & 1 Lawn Tractor

This time around, when the SX54 has issues to the Point it cost More to fix it. I'll trade it In for another Zero turn (hope they still be making steering wheel zero turns by then).

Some People Just don't want the headache of a Used Machine as their Primary Mower. They want something That they're Not going to have to fix as often, or they're Just not as Handy or the ergonomic are Not as Nice On an older Machine.

I don't Mow anymore with any Of my other Machines I have as of this year

Why does a new simple half-ton work pick-up cost at least $40,000?
Sometimes you need a replacement in a hurry and don't have the luxury of shopping for something used that has not had the snot beat out of it.
Dealers know that they have your a$$ exposed over a barrel and the pain is all in your behind.....er, I meant in your behalf.

On the bright side, I've read that the Spartans are American-made, well-built, competitively priced, and have good dealer support.
So maybe 10 years down the road, when the same unit costs $10,000 and is a Chinese clone, the dude that bought one today will look like a genius. Who knows?

I probably wouldn't have dumped that into a 42 ZTR from Spartan.

For yard mowing a ZTX1 would have sufficed.

I have more than that in my Ferris IS2100. But, I also mow about 5 acres and at my age comfort is more important for the amount of time spent mowing.
I consider my other GTs above mowing duty. :cub9:

I looked at Spartan but didn't choose them. They were a spin off of Bad Boy and just this year Toro purchased Intimidator Group which is the parent company of Spartan for $400 million.

Before I picked up my Scag, I joined the Spartan FakeBook group to see what actual owners were saying about them. A lot of owners love them but I think that some of their machines have cut quality issues. IIRC the difference in price to the Scag wasn't worth the risk.

Zero turn machines are so much nicer to mow with and they save so much time. You need to see if he will let you borrow it to mow your grass......maybe you will make the switch too.:biggrin2:

Well they don't Make a ZTX 1 But they do Make a ZT1 The Hydro-Gear EZT 2200 . The EZT has been Known for some Issues I have always been Leary of the Trans ever since they Used it In the Zero Turn Tractors I would rather Have a HG 2800(top of the Line residential Trans) or a HG3100(entry Level commercial Trans) which I have In MY SX54.

My yard is barely 1/4 acre it wouldn't even be worth the gas to bring It to me to try lol. I could really just use a push mower but I'm lazy so I got my 2155 lol.