I pulled public Craigslist ads this evening and opened the pages. Three are still live with prices. A few that search still showed were already 404. I am not selling any of them. Call the seller yourself. Prices move. I did not copy phones off private ads onto this sample.
What I saw
| Machine | Ask | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Exmark Radius E, 52" | $5,500 | Richmond Hts, OH | ~85 mi. 160 hrs listed. Homeowner use. |
| Hustler Mini Z, 52" | $4,300 | Medina, OH | ~130 mi. 388 hrs claimed. 2010 buy. Hour meter swapped. |
| Toro 6000, 72" | $10,000 | Wooster, OH | ~140 mi. 600 hrs. Kawasaki. “Residential use.” |
| John Deere Z335e, 42" | $2,500 | Glenshaw, PA | ~115 mi. 90 hrs. Homeowner 42". Skip for a shop. |
Source: public Cleveland / Pittsburgh Craigslist pages I opened 31 Aug 2026. Marketplace URLs die overnight. I re-check before you drive.
Shortlist of 3
Option 1 · the honest commercial
2017 Exmark Radius E-Series · 52"
$5,500 · Richmond Heights, OH · 160 hours listed
Model RAE708GEM52300. Exmark 708 engine, 52-inch deck, seller says homeowner use. Radius E is a real commercial frame, not a box-store ZT. 160 hours on a 2017 is light if the meter is honest. East-side Cleveland is a same-day I-90 run from Erie.
cleveland.craigslist.org · post 7951809037
Ask: cold start, hydro moan, spindle play, deck bangs, original hour meter, rust in the frame rails. 52" is a residential-account machine, not a 10-acre production deck.
Option 2 · cheaper iron, older story
Hustler Mini Z · 52"
$4,300 · Medina, OH · 388 hours claimed
19 hp Kawasaki, 10 mph cut, extra blades, belts last year, deck pulled and painted last winter. Seller has owned it a long time on 1.2 acres and used Amsoil / OEM filters. That’s a careful owner. The catch is the clock: current meter shows 66; old one broke at 322. Purchased in 2010. Mini Z is commercial — 2010 is also 16 years of sun and welds.
craigslist.org/view · Medina Mini Z
Ask: why the meter died, hydro leak, deck thickness at the leading edge, whether it has been a shop machine despite the “home use” line. Medina is south of Cleveland — plan the drive, don’t stack it with Richmond Hts the same afternoon unless you like I-71.
Option 3 · the 72" production deck
Toro 6000 · 72"
$10,000 · Wooster, OH · 600 hours · Kawasaki
Ad: excellent condition, five years old, residential use, cash only, in-person pickup. Toro “6000” on a 72" Kawasaki is Z Master 6000 class — that’s a crew mower, not a suburban 42. 600 hours in five years is work even if they call it residential. Wooster is the long leg of this hunt (~140 miles).
cleveland.craigslist.org · post 7923674486
Ask: actual model/serial (6000 vs 5000 vs TimeCutter — the word “6000” should match a Z Master plate), ROPS, deck bangs, hydro temp after 20 minutes, whether $10k is firm. Do not mail a deposit. Cash in person is what they asked; that’s also how you walk if it’s wrong.
I’d pick this if it were mine
If this is a landscaper adding a second machine for house lots: drive the Exmark $5,500 first. Richmond Heights is the short trip. 52" commercial, 160 hours, one owner story that can be true. See it cold. If the hydros are quiet and the deck isn’t banana’d, that’s the buy.
If you actually mow big open ground and the Exmark is tired or gone: the Toro 72" at $10,000 is the only production deck on this list. Confirm the plate says Z Master 6000 before you count it as that. $10k is real money for a five-year machine with 600 hours — talk them, don’t love the ad.
The Hustler at $4,300 is the backup if both of those are junk and you will inspect welds and hydros like you mean it. A swapped hour meter is not a deal-killer by itself. A 16-year deck with a story is.
Do not mail a deposit. See it run. Confirm hours against wear before cash.
Before you hand over cash
- Start it cold. Wait for smoke to clear. Engage the blades under load.
- Count hours against spindle play, deck rust-through, and hydro noise. A painted-over tach is a walk-away.
- Look under the deck. Banana, cracks at the spindle towers, missing baffles — walk.
- Drive it. Hydros that moan, skip, or leak are not a “tune-up.”
- Title / bill of sale in the seller’s name. No stories.
Also checked, not on the 3
| Machine | Ask | Why it missed |
|---|---|---|
| John Deere Z335e 42" · Glenshaw | $2,500 | Live tonight. 90 hours, mulch kit, looks honest. 42" homeowner ZT. Fine for a yard, wrong if you bill mowing. post 7937301802 |
| 2020 Kubota ZD1211 72" diesel · Pierpont, OH | $13,500 | Search still showed it. The listing page was 404 when I opened it tonight. Treat as gone. |
| Cub Cadet Pro Z 960 60" · Washington, PA | $11,995 | Search still showed 200 hrs / 35 hp Kawasaki. Page 404 tonight. Also a long haul south of Pittsburgh. |
Bottom line
Same hunt, two drives: Richmond Heights Exmark $5,500 first. If that’s a miss and you need 72", Wooster Toro $10,000. Hustler $4,300 only if you like old commercial iron and will verify the hours against the machine. Skip the Glenshaw 42" unless you needed a cheap yard cutter.
Hunt date: 31 Aug 2026. Listings opened live that evening. Sample for Chief Hunt — $50 one-off or one of three hunts on a $150/month shop retainer. Paid to Dennis Myers. Not a dealer listing. Not an offer to sell these machines.
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