My HONEST 1 year REVIEW |

I’ve had the Exmark for 1 year now, here’s what I think about it!

[@peterstone172]

I have a 30 inch Turfmaster and grass collecrs under the cover, but I was told to stick my blower into that cover where the belts are and just blow it out after every use. Pretty easy to do, and stays clean with that quick blow out after each mow. I also blow out the air filter and just the whole mower in general.

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Roger that, I just ended up taking the covers off and problem solved, blowing will only get so much out but there’s still debris in there, and if a stick is in there that’s a whole other issue. Thanks for your advice!

[@Scjenkins45]

I have that same mower and agree that it doesn’t do tall or wet grass that well, unless you side discharge. I’ve went thru 2 blade belts so far in 3 years. My Exmark 21” Kawasaki is a champ and takes the tall or wet grass with no problem. It’s also a lot lighter…. Glad you mentioned the recall on the bolt that cause the engine to shake. Great video and tips about this mower, I use it mainly for residential.

[@MemphisMower]

That is an awesome mower. I agree with the grass getting in areas is not good. Those pulleys should not of went bad already, not operated error. My Honda HRX has a 200cc and is a beast on high grass. Great and honest review.

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Thanks for watching, I feel like belts and pulleys offer to many weak points on these mowers and I like those HRX

[@mateo85tx]

I’ve never used one but I work on them for a living and they’re definitely high maintenance!!! Belts, sprockets, pulleys , bearings….. replacing that stuff on a daily basis for the most part. Those parts ain’t cheap either. That adjustment in the front is for the ribbed belt, those sprockets are made out of some kind of plastic so the ribbed belt gets too loose and will jump timing and blades will hit. Definitely keep that ribbed belt tight, but you have to use a feeler gauge behind the bolt to get a proper tension on it so it’s not too tight or loose. The adjustment towards the back is for the BBC and will slip under a heavy load if not adjusted tight enough. You want to adjust that so there is no slack in the cable so the brake is making full contact but also will engage the blades the best if you keep slack out of that cable.

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Man they are some finicky machines to say the least, the fact that they are commercial rated makes it even more annoying and yes parts are crazy expensive, the tension pulley I currently need is $80 🤨

[@mateo85tx]

@@choppinbladeslawncare yes sir!!! I can’t believe how much they are, like $2700 I believe where I work. Those parts wear out too fast.

[@GrantsLawnCare802]

I lobe my scag 48” sit down man it was a great investment for me , i have the Residential kind but man it gets the jobs done for the last two years its been rocking and rolling regular Maintenance and tlc ive had really not one issue out of it with almost 130 hours on it, so still being broken in but i love it,,,, Rock on Big bro 💯

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

I’m glad your mower is treating you good my guy, it should keep the dollars coming in! Keep Choppin bro 💯✂️💯

[@bigsonslawncare]

Man that year flew by! Well no doubt you were going to keep it 💯✔️💪🏽

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

It sure did! 💯✂️💯

[@joeemattoxjr4055]

Really nice video I have the turfmaster and the new 1st edition scag 30. The turfmaster has the best cut yards always look impeccable. The Scag is okay Just feels heavy in the hands The cut is okay but no one has any gator blades or accessory blades for it. It comes with a mulch blade or offset blade but doesn't have a good cut. My Exmark commercial 21 and the Turfmaster 30 give the best looking cuts(no problems with adjustments moving). I have the Honda commercial 21 front wheel adjustments always move up a notch throwing off the cut this happens alot. Really good reliable mower but the cut is a notch below the Toro and Exmark. Like to try out the gator blades on the scag 30 when ever they are made But right now you can only get the OEM blades.

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Did you try Ballard for blades?

[@ericslawnandlandscape]

I have the same exact mower and I'm at just over 1 year of use. Its my main mower for my business. I use my 21 inch honda HRX17 as my backup. The 21 inch never lets me down. Plus it goes through tall grass alot better. I'm now looking for a 36 to 48 inch Toro Proline or Scag to possibly buy. I can still fit that size mower in the back of my pick up truck without using a trailer. I should have did that in the first place instead of buying the Exmark 30. Live and learn. I bought metal bed rails to get the bigger mower in the back of the truck. Did you ever think of getting a 32-36 inch mower? They should fit through gates. Im finding them used on facebook marketplace for less then $1000 and up. Sorry for writing a book, but your video is EXACTLY what i'm going through. Great honest review!

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Thanks man, yes I’ve been shopping and comparing mowers, but I’m only left with what dealer support my city offers, which is gravely, toro and Exmark.

[@everardojimenez5702]

I just sold my scag 30 and the cons about the scag is for me at least the handles aren’t the most comfortable and sometimes it’s heavy when turning . The only complaints is the weight and the comfort grip , oh and if you get the scag get the updated version with caster wheels . Mine did not have those and made turning a real btch

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Awesome, thanks bro! I haven’t seen them with the casters, I bet that’s dope!

[@cliffdawson3327]

I just sold my SCAG SFC30 today, I loved the concept but it was just too damn heavy. I traded it in for SCAG SWZT 36. I still have my EXMARK 30 & Timemaster. I’m now on the fence to sell my EXMARK and keep my Timemaster

[@NewHopeCutzandLawnCare]

Good review chris. I will stick with my Murray 21 inch. I only gave one small backyard to cut.

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Right on brother Buster

[@WilliamMalcomson]

with the belt and pulleys try to engage and disengage the blades very slow. it should help a lot.

[@jasonwb6884]

Scag SFC-30 is good. If you want even better get a Ferris FW15. The Ferris FW15 is 32", but it also has a 11 HP Honda engine on it. Which means plenty of torque for a 32" mower, even in wet and tall grass. The Ferris FW15 also has a Chain driven Hydrostatic Transmission, no slipping belts for self propel. The Ferris is North of $3K but it seems to be worth it. Or you could just put money down on something like a Scag Liberty 36" Zero Turn ($5,500 msrp).

[@davidmorgan9245]

I got a 1st & 2nd generation Scag 30" SFC. 1st generation had lots of issues but all covered by warranty. Got 5hrs on 2nd generation so far...we shall see...

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

I was going to trade my Exmark for one but the nearest scag dealer is 100 miles from me, which is cool, but would be a inconvenience if I needed to get it serviced.

[@Chadslawncare13]

Chis,thanks for your time ,sharing your experience with this Piece of equipment.. I held off because I knew it would be Problematic in design.. Wishing you the best in 2022 Mr. C

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Thank you, I appreciate your support and watching!

[@Chadslawncare13]

@@choppinbladeslawncare thanks,you💯

[@leadnsteel1428]

I have 2 Toro Turfmasters both have the Kawasaki engine and they are great. I used both of them at the same time on a 1 acre lot and it turned into a 60 inch mower lol.

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Awesome!

[@eorellana1718]

I have 6 30" Exmark. Yes, this machines are not good for wet and tall grass. For zoysia grasses and for weekly perfect cut this is the best machine.

[@Mark-Marine]

I agree with about everything you said. Your dealer is wrong about the adjustment - you were right. As far as tall grass, mine gets with it. I don’t cut wet grass so I can’t comment on that. My ExMark 30 is hands down the best bagging mower I ever owned. It’s as good as a Honda HRX and Toro TimeMaster when it comes to mulching. Hey Chris, instead of you jumping over to another $2000 mower, you could do like some others I’ve seen do and pick you up a Toro TimeMaster. They’re a $1000 cheaper, are easier to push/pull, and once you swap out the deck pulleys with ExMark/Toro TurfMaster’s, then they’re good to go. They are a residential mower, but made fairly well. Their Personal Pace system is a lot easier (and their handles are adjustable for us taller men). I don’t think they’d solve the problem of your taller grass though. Anyway, throwing that out there at you. If I had it to do all over again, I wouldn’t have purchased my ExMark 30, I’d of bought another Toro TimeMaster.

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

That’s a very good suggestion Mark, the only reason I’m thinking about the scag is because my next big purchase will be a zero turn of some sort and the scag wouldn’t be used as much. I’m just hashing out options out loud lol, I appreciate your feedback. 💯

[@tony5269]

@@choppinbladeslawncare great video on the X Mark. I currently have a Honda 21 Commercial HRC216. Looking at a Scag SFC30. After seeing your video just might not go with XMark

[@joeraptor1]

Excellent advice and video. I completely agree with you. A 21" commercial like a Toro or Honda is a better choice. Sure the 30 may save you some time in open areas but in tightly landscaped properties with a lot of sharp turning, the time savings gets reduced quickly. The 30 also needs more maintenance and is less durable and reliable than the 21" commercials. My toro commercial 21" does great in all conditions and as never given me any issues at all. The 30" has been a bad design right from the beginning. The motor is one thing but the deck design is short in length and height. I don't see how the clippings have enough time to circulate and be cut up before smashing into the small deck. Oddly, the Timemaster came out in 2012 and the Turf Master in 2013. A decade later, the issues have not really been addressed on either by Toro/Exmark. I guess profit is more important to them than building quality machines.

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Man you totally summed it up!

[@lbslawncare6627]

Great video and review, for my next mower I’m definitely picking up a 30”

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

That’s awesome man, just make sure you research and get the mower that best suits your needs.

[@BYDonBermudaGrassCentral]

Good Review thanks 👍🏾

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

I appreciate you tuning in! 💯✂️💯

[@georgehofgren6123]

Awesome review, and very well spoken and presented.. Thank you! ~

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Thank you for watching!

[@grasscutter88]

that's the only pulley I haven't had to replace lol

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

😂

[@Gooselip]

LOL I commented to trade it on the Scag and then I kept watching and you're considering it! Nice do it! Sell it facebook get more money especially cus you have hour meter. Also hondas are sooo good most landscapers i see run basic honda commercials

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Awesome idea bro!

[@kevinmartin4787]

Thanks, I just got one of those. I am watching from Killeen Texas. So far so good but it sure wears me out.

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

It does great for certain applications, like weekly lawns, but when you do a overgrown lawn it has trouble keeping up. Lubbock Texas here! I make the mower work itself and not me, when turning, I start walking around then use the mower weight to turn the mower, and when loading it up I use the drive, when moving an inch I use the drive etc.

[@radiantlawnmaintenance]

That boy still clean too, glad you cleared some things up and weighed out the pro's and con's. That Scag a beast, but look into the Ferris FW15 too.Thank again!

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Yes sir ski, that fw15 is nice, but way too far from me lol

[@radiantlawnmaintenance]

@@choppinbladeslawncare 😆😆fa sho! That Scag a little metal gorilla, either way you should be good!

[@BoneYardLawnService]

Keep pushing! If I grab me a 30” I’m definitely at you for some info 💯

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Bet

[@pitchpines3851]

Great review of the Commercial 30!

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Thank you

[@evricdavis2699]

Great video...I agree.. Mower is overpriced.. The Honda 21 inch is more reliable and cuts better...I ran my Honda like a 🐶 and had no issues with it... Honda def is the best push mower on the market

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

I a would definitely agree if I owned a Honda mower, but I’ve only heard good things about them, I have a 22 inch toro push mower, has to be 10 plus years old, that won’t die! I like the double blade system on the Honda.

[@chriskarsseboom2200]

The exmark 21 commercial is just as good if not better. It's the 30 exmark with issues

[@kamilzarzycki3866]

Looking into getting one of these. How are you guys feeling about? I have a hill and with my grass type I’m mowing like 1x a week. I hear they’re great but it sounds like people have more gripe about them than positives. It looks awesome, really want one.

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

If I was you, I’d buy a toro timemaster or a Honda 21 inch and just work that until I got my money up to buy a zero turn. These Exmark and scag 30 inch mowers are just a hassle and have too many issues for me, but if you’re mowing small residential properties only it may be a good fit for you.

[@kamilzarzycki3866]

I have like 6,500 sq feet, but with ryegrass I can easily mow 3x a week, but ideally 1-2. I need something to save some time. I’m a busy guy

[@kamilzarzycki3866]

@@choppinbladeslawncare my grandpa bought a cub cadet XT2 46”, I’m currently barrowing it. It’s been great, for about the same money you could have a tractor. I still really want one because I think it’s a good fit, just wish I knew what I needed. Something user friendly and reliable would be great. Been thinking about getting a new Honda, timemaster, turf master, or a lawn tractor. I only have like 6,500 sq ft but I’d love to save some time.

[@timcormier9528]

Thank you. I'm not buying it. You just saved me time and money!!

[@briangay9402]

Thanks for the review. Great job.

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Thanks Brian, I appreciate you watching!

[@upscalelawncaremonroe408]

Big man, I'm looking hard at one of those!

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

It should work well for you Mr J because it wouldn’t be your only mower and you probably wouldn’t use it everyday.

[@richardcomeau8231]

@Exmark This man recommended the 21” Honda over your $2,500 mower. 😅

[@Gooselip]

Yooo chris keep up the great content!!

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

💯💯 I appreciate your support my guy!

[@Gooselip]

Yo I have put thousands of hours on mowers without ever touching the pulleys that's ridiculous you've had to replace it twice! u take great care of that man!! mine has permanent grass stains after a year lol I would recommend trading it for a Scag I promise you won't have a problem in the first year

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Thanks man, I try lol

[@MatthewSmith-uf6tr]

A scag? 😂😂😂

[@LemonySnicket-EUC]

I blow that grass out on a regular basis. That trap door is easily removed. I use mine on weekly accounts and don't have many issues. I also mulch nearly 100% of the time.

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Awesome, I have another video coming out about the mower, be on the lookout, I contacted Exmark

[@zacharypulido1424]

Scags are good bro but if you get a scag get 32 inch one walk behind the 30 inch ones are good but there not as versatile when comes to turning

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Thanks bro, I didn’t know that

[@tony7470]

Thank you for sharing!

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Roger that 💯🫡✂️

[@jresendez815]

I love me Honda HRX217 21in it's a beast in tall grass I open the back and it eats knee high grass. I cut a 1.5 acre customer once a month in Houston like nothing.

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

That’s awesome, I plan on getting one soon!

[@landeRUCK]

Sell it for $1700 buy a used toro or exmark or even Honda commercial 21 for under $700 put $1000 down on a scag liberty z 36, 42 or 48. I prefer the 42 cause it fits in all but 2 yards. But bro you gotta get so busy you ain’t got time for the 30’s problems. But they do hold value I wouldn’t take less then $1600-$1700 for it.

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

No stress, all in the process! 💯✂️💯

[@rickjames6948]

If you can't grease the pulley or drive bearings and such, don't buy it. Simple right? Those bearings need lubed yearly or more often if you use it commercially.

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Bro, you have no idea of what you’re talking about, what push mower or even walk behind has grease zerks for the pulleys? Spindles maybe but not pulleys or bearings.

[@jeffreylucas2027]

Hey man try out a Farris mower it’s a 32 inch it seems like a good mower also

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Can’t find any near me, but I agree!

[@leadnsteel1428]

The ferris is expensive and heavy.

[@bigjig7217]

Big help I was thinking about getting one

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

I mean, if you have a zero turn and would use this as a backup or backyard mower then it’d be ok, but as far as being your main mower, like how I work it, then consider something else. 💯✂️

[@bigjig7217]

@@choppinbladeslawncare I’ve got a 48” zero turn and 21” Honda, but want a 30” so it won’t take as long push mowing.

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Ok, it might be ok for you bro

[@robertharvey7142]

32” or 36” stander!!

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Yep

[@justjacob850]

have you thought about getting a commercial walk behind?

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

I have thought about it Jacob, but plainly put, I don’t like them, price wise I could get many other units, and I haven’t seen one that can fit through those pesky back gates lol

[@justjacob850]

@@choppinbladeslawncare when I was still mowing I looked into one I don’t remember the brand now but it was a 32” walk behind. Think it was gravely. It was alittle over 3k But yeah I feel you if you don’t like em you don’t like em haha

[@mattbrigner4815]

What's the difference between the X series and the s series

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Really don’t know man, I just know the X series is the newest version, and has the better transmission.

[@WilliamMalcomson]

engines

[@jamessanders7408]

👍

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

Thanks for checking out the video!

[@cantstopwalkingbutlovemowing]

2 grand it needs to preform better I think 🤔

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

I agree

[@rickjames6948]

TOOOOO MANY LEVERS. It's not the space shuttle...... Just like Honda mowers. Too many levers to hold down and cramp your hands over time.

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

I disagree, but to each his own bro 💯🫡

[@tony7470]

Sell it and get a new one with a warranty. 😊

[@choppinbladeslawncare]

That is an option…