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well, Brian... my personal opinion on this subject was formed over fifteen years ago...
Prior to what I use now, I split the grass-grooming process between an IH Cub Cadet hydrostat tractor... either a 109 (10hp Kohler single) with 44" deck, or a 782 (17hp Kohler twin), and a Lawn Boy 2-stroke to hand mow between the trees, around the areas that were cumbersome to get with the tractors. I had just under an acre of riverfront lot, plenty of trees.
One day, I was gifted a Dixon 308... a 30" 8hp cone-clutch drive zero-turn, and even with smaller deck, much less power, it would mow the yard in under a quarter of the time, and use less gas. I eventually wore out the original 8hp, called around for a replacement, lo and behold, Dixon offered me best deal on a replacement engine... just under $300 got me a bolt-on direct fit. Opened the box, it was 17.5hp Briggs Intek OHV, used less fuel, had more power, and half the noise, started like a champ, and I loved it. Wife didn't like the fact that it was blue, and didn't have a steering wheel, so she wouldn't touch it, but I only needed 40 minutes to mow the whole yard, so I didn't care.
When I moved up here, my yard volume increased considerably, and while the 308 was just as happy... even with overgrown grass, that 17 slashed right through like it wasn't there. a larger deck was certainly in order, though. Ann helped out by using the Cub Cadets to mow the large open areas, I did around the trees, edges, and tight confines.
She happened on a fellow teacher-friend who summertimed as a small mowing contractor, he had one machine that'd easily survived it's depreciation, but threw a rod (Kawasaki 21hp) and had three flat tires, been sitting for a few years, but 60" deck... asked if we wanted it, I said ##ll Yes!, brought it home, applied a 27hp Kohler, four tires, three spindles, and two hydraulic dampers, two belts and an idler, and added 3500hours to the operating clock since then.
Now, she wouldn't run the Dixon, and swore never to touch the Bobcat, but came out yammerin' at me one day on account of an upcoming outdoor reception at our place, I was mowing as fast as I could, if she wanted it done faster, she'd hafta hop on and take over... lots of cussing and hydraulic noises ensued, and while I fired up the Dixon and started going round the edges, she banged and carried on a few passes... by the third pass she was cutting passes WFO as a brunette Weapon of Grass Destruction, as fast as I could trim the edges, she'd clear the opens. Nowdays, she STEALS the machine from me, and mows it ALL, with no worries. Puts on noise-reduction headgear with FM radio, and clears our 5 acres in less than 2 hours.
Go back to a tractor? Never.
Commercial zero-turn, or ROUNDUP.
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we were in the market for a new or newer mower, the old lady.....ooops...I mean the loving wife was like Kemps....didn't want no part of a ZT mower. I went ahead and bought a used grasshopper anyways. she %#&%^#@* me, but then finally got on it and played in the yard. next thing I knew she was looking for more places to mow! PffffT! we sold that one, really only thing wrong with it was it had a black seat like most do anymore, but it sat right above the engine, and it would cook yer butt! when looking for a new/newer one, came across a new Dixon ZTR with the kowasucki engine and a 54 inch deck. bought it, and we almost have a race to see who can mow with it next! I usually win since I can gits on it while she's at work! had it 3 years now, no problems yet (hope that didn't just jinx me). i'd buy another one just like it if I had to. they even have grease zerks on the spindles and other places that others expect you to buy at a fast pace when they wear out!
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