PZ/P-ZT Zero Turn Mower Rebate
February 1 – March 31, 2014
$500 Instant rebate with the purchase of a PZ or P-ZT Zero Turn Mower and qualifying 500 Series Trimmer, 500 Series Blower or Commercial Collection System. Offers valid in U.S. at participating Husqvarna dealers. Visit your local independent Husqvarna dealer for complete details. While supplies last.
Husqvarna Rider R120S Rebate
February 1 – March 31, 2014
Get $300 mail in rebate when you purchase a R120S Swedish Rider. Offers valid in U.S. at participating Husqvarna dealers. Visit your local independent Husqvarna dealer for complete details. While supplies last.
Download rebate claim form Submit rebate online
Extended Warranty Program
Offer available now
Consumers who purchase two-cycled gasoline powered, Husqvarna branded handheld products can extend their warranty from the standard 2 years to either a 3 year or 4 year warranty by purchasing Husqvarna brand 2-stroke oil or Husqvarna brand pre-mix fuel.
Learn more about the Extended Warranty Program
Apparel, Outerwear, and Hats
Looking for Husqvarna clothing? Find the largest selection of men’s and women’s tshirts, polos, sweathshirts, jackets and hats at the official online Husqvarna USA Gear Shop.
Paul
Thanks Paul,
I’ve ruled out the Husqvarnas, but before I buy the Snapper, I am taking a good long look at the craftsman 54 turn tight 24hp garden tractor. After buying tractor and bagger, the craftsman is almost 3000 cheaper than the snapper. I have a few questions. Will the craftsman mow NICELY at 5 mph? As I mentioned before, I’ve got a little under 2 acres and would like to mow it in an hour. Will it bag as well? The less I have to deal with clippings caught in the bagger chute the better. Will the 550 be significantly better and cutting and bagging damp grass? The last question is how long the snapper might last vs the craftsman if I mow an hour a week for 5 months out of the year, so say 20 hours a year?
I like the speed and durability of the Snapper, but the 3000 grand difference is pretty hard to ignore if the craftsman can do the job in well in about an hour and not die on me three years later. Thanks very much for all your help.
Paul, Michigan
Paul Sikkema
@Paul, The Craftsman is a residential mower so in reality it is designed for 50 to 100 hours a year. With proper maintenance it will last 10 to 15 years. The Snapper is a commercial mower and is designed to mow 40 hours a week and still give 5 to 10 years of service. Figure the math, this Snapper will last you longer than gas mowers will be available.
The Craftsman bags well with the 3 bin bagger and high lift blades. The Snapper has to have an additional aux blower to suck the grass out of the deck and into the bagger. The cost of the bagging unit on the Snapper will be 3 times that of the Craftsman.
Most of the time the Craftsman will mow well at 5 mph. If the grass is wet of very thick you may have to slow down a little. Likewise the Snapper will mow well at 6-7 mph just about all the time.
The Snapper is complete overkill for your lawn but it is also a very heavy duty unit so it will last “forever” on your property. The Craftsman is the best Sears has to offer and many owners get 12 years or longer out this garden tractor. (The basic tractor is still the same as the 2000-2004 units. Steering, hood and engines are really all that has changed)
Paul
Thanks Paul. I’ve ruled out the Husqvarnas, but before I buy the Snapper I am taking one last good look at the Sears turn tight 54 inch 24 hp garden tractor. If I am reading your review and acreage chart correctly, this tractor will give me a nice cut at 5mph, I should be able to mow my two acres in about an hour without trimming, correct? It should work well on my slopes. I am a little concerned about long term reliability vs the 550z. If I mow 1 hour per week for 5 months, about 20 hours per year, how long do you think the 550z might last vs the Craftsman? The only other concern is the efficiency of cutting and bagging. I am guessing the 550z would cut and bag better than the craftsman, meaning the blower on the 550 will fill the bags more efficiently with less blow out under the deck, I’ll have less time messing around with clogged bagging chutes, and that the 550 would cut better if the grass is a little damp. Is that true?
Buy the time I buy both tractor and bagger, the craftsman is almost half the price. That’s hard to ignore.
Thanks again for your help.
Paul, Michigan
Paul Sikkema
@Paul, Even the powered baggers do not work well with wet grass. Even a dedicated bagger like a Walker mower will plug if you are bagging 4 inches of wet grass. I don’t hear complaints about the bagger on the Craftsman. For weekly mowing and picking up leaves it does as well as the other residential units out there. Use the hi-lift blades or gator blades and it will do well.
Paul
HI Paul, I will be mowing about 2 acres (just seeded it about a week ago), with some slopes around 10-15 degrees that I would like to cut sideways, and one narrow area where I have some elevation changes that are maybe 15-20 degrees that would be cut going straight up and down the slope. I’ll probably be bagging my clippings, and will have some obstacles like mulch beds, a garden, a patio, maybe 1 or 2 small trees, and a swingset to mow around. I’d like to be able to get the job done in as close to an hour as possible.
I am considering a Husq MZ61, an MZ5424S, or a Snapper 550Z. (I know the local dealer, and they have excellent service and reputations) The Snapper is much heavier than the other two, 1100 lbs vs 770 for the MZ61 and 700 for the MZ54, is that a significant advantage on slopes or wet grass? Do you have any concerns about any of these machines? Is there one of those machines you really like over the others?
Thanks, Paul, Michigan
Paul Sikkema
@Paul, I like the fact that the 550Z comes with a roll-bar. Keep it on! I would guess that 150 lbs of the extra weight is the roll-bar.
All 3 of the mowers are very close with the following major differences.
The MZ5424S has a stamped deck. It cuts well and you don’t need a aux blower for a bagger but it mows a lot slower than the 61 inch welded decks. 4 mph verses 6 mph Don’t let the term “reinforced deck” fool you, the welded deck on the other 2 mowers are a lot stronger.
The MZ5424S will take you about an hour plus trimming time. The MZ60 and 550Z will get the job done in 45 minutes with trimming.
In other words the MZ5424S is $700 less and there is a reason for that. I have no problems suggesting any one of the 3 but either the MZ61 and Snapper are the best choice for the hills on your 2 acres.