Hi all,
I am looking to purchase a 48" dual hydro walk behind mower to replace my aging Byers Gold. I've had the Byers for 8 or so years and was extremely happy with it's performance and reliability.
As Byers no longer exists I have been scouring the net and making phone calls for well over a week and have narrowed my selection to one of a few brands in the $4000.00 range. (I really cannot go higher as even this figure is stretching my budget by about a grand already)
I know most people will strongly suggest John Deere, Scagg, Exmark and others but they are simply too expensive for me.
I am considering either a Cub Cadet Commercial or Yazoo Keys 48" fixed deck, walk behind mower (dual hydro).
I have read a lot of discussion about Yazoos being the same as the Husqvarna and the Cub Cadet Commercial being built by MTD (maker of several cheaper line mowers - Toro etc).
I have also read that Cub Cadet may have had a negative review from Consumer Reports about its reliability. Apparently they rated one of the Cub Cadet mowers second best after the comparable John Deere but one of the 10 worst (including Snapper) when it comes to ending up in the shop for repairs.
I'd like to hear from real users who may have experience with either of these two mowers:
Cub Cadet H1748
Yazoo Keys 48" Kutter Hydro - KHKW 48171 (or their current model)
If the Yazoo is really the same as the Husqvarna I probably will not be interested. I prefer 'pistol grip' controls as they seem to offer the most stability while zero turning on the sulky. Husqvarna's 'Easy Touch System' looks like the controls on a ten speed bike. The controller's hands are very close together on top of the steering bar. I'm sure I would not have the stability of pistol grip in high speed turns or adequate leverage to wrestle the mower out of any potential 'muddy boggs'.
The Cub Cadet looks like it has most of the features I want but I am cautious about talk of it's reliability. I'm not quite sure what the 'electric PTO' feature is all about. It sounds as though it could run extra implements but perhaps it is simply how the blade belt is powered.
I'd really appreciate info from owners/users of either of these two units.
thanks so much, --matt