commercial lawn mower advice / trailer setup

[cupidstoy]

hi all! got an off-topic for ya.

i've got an opportunity to bid on a lawn mowing gig for a nursing home/assisted living. 1 main building and 5 duplex cottages with about 10 acres. it pays about $270 per mow, so i think i can cover a decent payment and pay it off during the spring/summer months. here's where i am:

i'd like to buy a lawn mower used or new that can do this size spread in a decent amount of time (2-3 hours) and still be good for smaller yards. i'm thinking a ztr with 48" - 60" deck. i like the idea of having enough power to tow a small trailer or spreader or also add some attachements like snow blower, aerator, etc. (the grasshopper does this) and i also like the idea of being comfortable while doing it so a suspension system like on the ferris machines is interesting to me.

i also need to decide between gas and diesel and motor size. i'm in kansas and the terrain isn't too demanding so i think maybe 18 - 25 hp is sufficient. i'm leaning toward gas since doen't have a lot of experience with diesel and don't think the price difference is going to be worth that much right now.

also need a trailer and am thinking tandem wheel, possibly boxed in so i can store the gear in the trailer and not worry too much about theft.

i already have a good stihl trimmer, blower, chain saw, hedge trimmer and some spreading equipment.

another option would be to buy a smaller hydrostaric drive 42" lawn tractor and tow a finish mower with it's own engine for the wide open spots. i like this option because i can use the smaller tractor to do up close finish work but really cover a lot of ground in the open spaces with the tow behind.


john deere L111 42" hydrostatic drive: $1800 home depot
used trailer: $1500
tow behind finish mower: $1500
snapper ztr: $4000 new (don't know used prices or availability)
grasshopper or ferris ztr with removable attachements: $6-8000 new(don't know used)

anybody care to share thoughts/experiences/advice on what kind of setup i need? i figure i can spend 4-5 grand and pay it off this year based on this one account. thanks in advance!

[DJ]

Been there, done that.

Three rules:

ZTR. There is no comparison in speed, comfort, convenience, or ease of use.

Quality. There is no substitute. Also, this gig might not pan out, long term. If you buy quality, it will have value when the gig is done. If you buy cheap, it won't.

Maintenance. There is no substitute. Break it in properly, maintain it properly, warm it up before each use, and keep it in good order. It's easier and cheaper to maintain than it is to repair.

That being said, I bought a new Scag Tiger Cub a year ago. Man, what a machine. It's built the way I would design it, with heavy steel, tapered roller bearings, a Kawasaki 2-cylinder 4-cycle 19 HP gas engine, 3 blades, 48" cut, grease zerks for all bearings and pivots, and it will cut well at over 10 mph. It was over $6,000, but it'll be worth a lot even after 20 or 30 years.

My neighbor bought a Cub Cadet, an $1,800 ZTR wonder machine from Home Depot. It's been back for numerous repairs and it's only a year old. What's fun is to listen to it run -- as he rolls along, the engine keeps running but the blade clutch disengages. There is no apparent reason for it -- it just quits and then, a few seconds later, re-engages.

So, spend some effort on the choice. It'll make the difference between the gig being a good idea and a bad idea.