Small lawn tractors/mowers

[snowwolfe]

Didn't want to hijack the zero turn mower thread so started this one. We will soon end up with about 1.3 acres of grass and weeds that will need to be cut on a regular basis. Looking for a riding mower that will do a decent job and not break down. Don't need anything to mulch or bag. Just want to cut it when it gets to long. I don't need the expense of a zero turn mower and want to keep the price at no more than $2,000. Ground is a little rough in places so would like a model that could cut 4 inches tall.
Suggestions?

[Lead Fred]

Not for 2 grand. That is lawn mower pricing, and the smallest you need is a heavy garden tractor, they start about $2700-3500.

http://www.sears.com/lawn-garden-riding-mowers-tractors-garden-tractors/b-1021806?Yard%20Size=Less%20than%202%20acres&filterList=Yard%20Size

[KAF]

look for a mower on your local craigs list. Not break down. Ain't no such thing, Everything has to be properly maintaned.

[jcwit]

Our American Legion just purchased a John Deere like this

https://www.deere.com/en_US/products/equipment/riding_mowers/lawn_tractors/100_series/d155/d155.page?

Now then we didn't pay the MSRP as we got a good will discount & Military discount.

No where near the $2700 - $3500 quoted above.

I'd sure steer clear of a Sears made by MTD.

[runfiverun]

goats are like 40 bucks and don't break down too often.
I dunno if you can ride one while it's mowing though.

[rockrat]

If you can find a used JD 430 for your price point, in decent shape, it will do what you want. I have a 420 (gas version) that has been chugging along for 10 years now.

[Smoke4320]

Our American Legion just purchased a John Deere like this

https://www.deere.com/en_US/products/equipment/riding_mowers/lawn_tractors/100_series/d155/d155.page?

Now then we didn't pay the MSRP as we got a good will discount & Military discount.

No where near the $2700 - $3500 quoted above.

I'd sure steer clear of a Sears made by MTD.

for your 1.3 acres That will be just fine .. Keep the deck clean when you finish cutting

Stay away from the dept store/lowes/home depot ECT .. those are MTD mowers with JD /husky branding ONLY.. not true JD mowers inferior quality/materials

Buy from a True JD dealer (ones that have the big tractors/ combines ect )

[country gent]

Look for an International cub A B or C Even an h or m. ford 8 or 9n something in the line of 18 - 25 horses or so. With a 3 point a field mower can be used easily for rough mowing with the internationals a woods belly mower is an option. These will mow up to 8"-10" high and with a heavy mower pretty rough stuff ( sapplings up to 2" or a little more). Other wise a decent garden tractor with a 40"-50" deck. A lawn deck will take a real beating mowing rough terain though. That 6' field mower is built much heavier and stronger. A plus to the 3 point is in a matter of minutes you can have the deck off and a plow disk or other implements on it for gardening A loader on it is great for moving things and pushing snow and leveling work.

[Goatwhiskers]

Goats, otherwise known as sparkless lawnmowers. Only headache is how do you keep them inside a fence? GW

[montana_charlie]

Didn't want to hijack the zero turn mower thread so started this one. We will soon end up with about 1.3 acres of grass and weeds that will need to be cut on a regular basis. Looking for a riding mower that will do a decent job and not break down. Don't need anything to mulch or bag. Just want to cut it when it gets to long. I don't need the expense of a zero turn mower and want to keep the price at no more than $2,000. Ground is a little rough in places so would like a model that could cut 4 inches tall.
Suggestions?
If you were near me, I could fix you up with what you are looking for ...

[quilbilly]

My Husqvarna rider as served me well over the last couple years and I have seen the local hardwares around here selling them for under 2K. In our larger open areas I just cut paths around and through and let quite a bit go natural. Interesting birds are attracted that way. Once a year at the end of the growing (or bird nesting) season in fall, I go through the natural areas with a weed whacker to keep the areas in grass the following year. I call it "meadow landscaping". Deer seem to like bedding in the tall grass when the weather is right and a couple times I have see the ears of a mountain lion in the grass from our kitchen.

[w5pv]

Sheep are much better mowers and easier kept

[snowwolfe]

Don't want any sheep or goats. Looking for opinions of riding lawnmowers:)

[labradigger1]

Look on Craigslist for a used rear engine gravely.

[jonp]

We bought a Cub Cadet 2166 a several years ago from a guy that just had to have a zero turn. Paid $100 for it. We just had the front of the deck welded as it was never right and that was about $300. Been mowing about 1 acre of grass 9mths a year since then with no problems. You can find good used mowers out there if you look for them and I can't see spending $3000 on one but to each his own.

[Clay M]

I am not too sure I need or even want a Zero turn mower so I am currently looking that this mower.

http://www.cubcadet.com/equipment/cubcadet/lawn-and-garden-tractors/xt1/lt50

[Mk42gunner]

The Cadillac of riding mowers is an Ingersoll, but last time I looked they were running about five times your budget.

I have to agree with the stay away from the MTD built models, they seem to be very light duty these days.

Real John Deere's are good, expensive but good.

When I was looking a few years ago; the Cub Cadet line didn't seem to awful, for a modern mower with all the safety features and interlocks.

I have to agree with country gent, a small farm tractor with a finish mower would last the longest. A B, C or CA Allis or the D10 or D12 would be good too. A Woods belly mower can be mounted on most of them, however if you don't find one already together, the mower itself is more than your budget.

Diesels are more fuel efficient than gasoline engines.

I was about to buy a new Cub Cadet when I found my Yanmar YM122 Diesel, it has a Case (which evolved into the Ingersoll) cutting deck.

Unfortunately this is the wrong time of year to find screaming good deals on lawn equipment.

Buy quality, pay once, cry once.

Robert

[snowwolfe]

I am not too sure I need or even want a Zero turn mower so I am currently looking that this mower.

http://www.cubcadet.com/equipment/cubcadet/lawn-and-garden-tractors/xt1/lt50

Those look pretty promising and the warranty is good. Think I will check them out at Tractor Supply.

[Smoke4320]

Keep in mind Tractor Supply has no warranty/ maintenance dept .. so if you need the warranty repair who is going to do that work ?

[Clay M]

Those look pretty promising and the warranty is good. Think I will check them out at Tractor Supply.


Home Depot and Tractor supply has them.
I do most of my own work on the mowers, and I like The Kohler engines.
I can buy two of these mowers for what one zero turn cost.

[rancher1913]

you might look into a kubota. they are more than your 2 grand budget but will outlast you and you can get them serviced locally. they also have 0 down, 0% financing. we were going to pay cash for the last utv we bought but used their free money and left ours in the bank, didn't make much interest but we still came out ahead.

[Omega]

for your 1.3 acres That will be just fine .. Keep the deck clean when you finish cutting

Stay away from the dept store/lowes/home depot ECT .. those are MTD mowers with JD /husky branding ONLY.. not true JD mowers inferior quality/materials

Buy from a True JD dealer (ones that have the big tractors/ combines ect )
JD mowers are pretty good, I have a L118 that I have had for over 13 years. Engine is still going strong, but have had some minor repairs. I worked at Hutson's a JD dealer, they worked on all brands of mowers and assembled the JD mowers for Home Depot and Lowes so they are authentic JD models though admittedly their lower priced models. Any decent mower with a welded deck and either a Koehler or Briggs and Stratton engine will last a long time with proper maintenance and most importantly good fuel, treated or non-alcohol.

[higgins]

Two years ago I bought a Deere X300 with 48" deck new for 2800 plus tax from a Deere dealer. I bought it in February when rebates were being offered. It's the bottom of the X-series, but it's bigger (as am I) than the ones sold at Lowes, etc., and comfortable on a somewhat rough lawn. I also mow what used to be a rough dog lot and around the edge of the hay fields. It's only got about 115 hrs. on it, but so far so good; there's another year left on the warranty. The deck can be a bear to get off if you don't follow instructions exactly, but I suppose they all are. Anyway, I only take it off once a year to sharpen the blades and grease the pulleys. The Deere blades are tough; unless you get in the rocks you should only need to sharpen them once a year. I also like the idea of getting a mower with a Kawasaki V-twin motor.

Go to the Deere dealers' websites and see if you can find a used one. I almost bought a used X300, but with the rebate it wasn't worth the difference in price for what they wanted for one with only 70 hrs. on it. Obviously, if you get one from a dealer they can service it or repair it if necessary.

I probably mow about the acreage you would mow. I have to mow every 6-7 days in the spring and still at least once a week through the rest of the summer unless it's very dry. You can pull a small trailer with it - I'm rambling now.

[white eagle]

Own two pieces of property that has big mowing
one is 3/4 acre and the other is 4 acres (same parameters as your needs)
bought a cub LTX-50" a few years ago and been mowing
both parcels with it ever since
you need to take care of anything but I have not had any
major problems with this mower since I bought it

[MaryB]

I have a 42" deck Craftsman that is 5 years old. Briggs engine so easy to get parts. Hydrostatic so easy on my back with no clutch. Think I paid $1800 for it and it was a last years model at the time so deeply discounted. I am mowing just over an acre. Takes 2 1/2 hours and I have lots of obstacles to mow around!

[shoot-n-lead]

Keep in mind Tractor Supply has no warranty/ maintenance dept .. so if you need the warranty repair who is going to do that work ?

Tractor Supply just sends them to a local warranty repair mower shop and has them fixed. My friend owns a mower shop and does all of the warranty work for our Tractor Supply.

[Geezer in NH]

Drive a round, Find a used ride on for under 400 bucks. Kept right you will get 2-3 years minimum IMHO.

I bought a 22 hp White 15 years ago. My son bought a used MTD for 100 bucks and put 300 into it. Trust me he is ahead dollar wise.

[NavyVet1959]

Another reason NOT to go with the zero turn mowers is that they really require two hands to steer and thus interfere with drinking beer while mowing. The zero turn mower that I tried would drift slightly to one side instead of going straight, so I had to constantly be adjusting my track -- thus requiring two hands and no beer drinking. That was enough to convince me that I was glad that I had gone with a traditional lawn tractor instead.

Now, *if* you already have an ATV, there is a small gas powered bush hog that you can tow behind the ATV and it would be good for when you are mowing really heavy weeds as long as you are not wanting a "finish mower" look.

http://www.mowersdirect.com/Swisher-RC14544BS/p9869.html?gclid=CjwKEAjw0KK4BRDCiKHD5Ny8pHESJACLE 620PJ16uZHpYGPbUvoczfirWA3fgWu_W3YKJp-0_Z0rJhoCGr7w_wcB

[TXGunNut]

I have a 54" Cub Cadet that may be a bit larger than you need but it's somewhat over your budget as well. Maybe a 42" Cub Cadet? I like the 54" because it makes a nice cut (three blades) and is quite fast, should be able to cut your 1.3 acres in about an hour.

[Ural Driver]

Much depends on how rough the ground is and how often you plan on mowing. A cheaper mower will last a lot longer on smooth terrain. It will last even longer if you don't ever let the grass/weed get too tall. A good used commercial grade walk behind mower (Gravely, Toro, Scag, etc.) will let you work on rougher ground in grass that is a bit taller....... and even get you some exercise in the process. Also, walking behind the machine, having those controls in your hands and being able to see the leading edge of the cutting deck will lessen the chances that you hit something. But since you will need both hands on those controls, ya still can't drink a beer while your mowing............[smilie=l:

[tim338]

Any vintage International Cub Cadet should do fine. I have a cub 108 with a 50" deck and it's been mowing 1.25 acres for years. Parts are still easy to get and the tractor is solid cast iron. Easy to keep running and mowing. Look around. Restored examples can be had for under $1500.

[Handloader109]

From experience, watch out for stamped steel front axle frames. That is probably the biggest issue I had with my mtd and sears by mtd mowers... They will twist and bend if you hit a hole.... Also, stamped steel mower decks. But, the jd listed earlier has a stamped steel deck. No issues with one if you only mow dry. Deep South that is hard and they rust out quickly. I went thru two on my first mtd that lasted about 10 yes. The second lasted about 5 and was still working when I gave it away.

[Petrol & Powder]

I have a 54" Cub Cadet that may be a bit larger than you need but it's somewhat over your budget as well. Maybe a 42" Cub Cadet? I like the 54" because it makes a nice cut (three blades) and is quite fast, should be able to cut your 1.3 acres in about an hour.
TxGunNut brings up an important issue here:
42" is about as big as you can go with a 2 blade deck. To go larger you have to add a third blade which means 3 spindles, three blades to sharpen,a longer drive belt, etc. In exchange for that added complexity you get a lot more grass cut in the same amount of time.
If that 1.3 acres of grass is flat, square and has few obstacles; get the biggest deck you can afford. However, if that yard has lots of stuff to mow around and is oddly shaped; you might want to consider going with a smaller/simpler deck.

It has been my experience that the deck is the weak link of a mower. If properly maintained, the engines rarely give you any problems.

[Clay M]

My Scott/John Deere 48" mower lasted sixteen years. No problems , just changing the belts, blades, and servicing the engine like I always do with everything.

I guess it doesn't owe me anything.

The Kohler engine is still good,and never gave any trouble at all.
The deck is also in good shape.

The transmission is shot and the front right wheel bearing is gone.

[snowwolfe]

Lot is mostly square except for the fruit trees we planted. There is no way around the fact the weed wacker will have to come out every other mowing to get around the trees, plus there is one steep part on the damn I wouldn't dare ride a mower. Didn't realize the difference in number of blades between a 42 and 46. Will look for something with 2 blades to help keep it simpler.

[Kraschenbirn]

Our lot is platted for just over an acre; subtracting for the house, garage, windbreak, garden, etc. and I've been mowing around 3/4 of that for the last 36 years. My first Cub Cadet (16 hp Briggs/42" deck) lasted almost 20 years then I bought a 46-inch Craftsman which was a major mistake. Parts availability was a crapshoot even for simple stuff like blades and belts until our local Sears store closed their in-house parts/service department and it got even worse...then, three years ago, they shut down the whole store and opened a catalog kiosk inside the mall. By then, though, I'd bought another Cub Cadet (22 hp Kohler/42" deck) which, other than routine maintenance (blades, filters, etc.) has needed no repair/adjustment of any kind. My wife and I, working together...she does the close trimming around the trees, shrubs, and garden...can get the whole thing done in just over an hour.


Bill

[Clay M]

Just found out my local Home Depot is having a Spring Black Friday sale with 0% financing for 24 months for any purchase above $1999.00

Hope that helps , I think it just inspired me to go buy a Cub Cadet 50" mower.

[Lead Fred]

Our American Legion just purchased a John Deere like this

https://www.deere.com/en_US/products/equipment/riding_mowers/lawn_tractors/100_series/d155/d155.page?


No where near the $2700 - $3500 quoted above.

I'd sure steer clear of a Sears made by MTD.

This is a lawn mower, not a lawn tractor, to light duty, meant for under an acre.
I was a Parts & Service Mgr for John Deere & Sears. The sears machines are as good, parts are cheaper.
The decks are standard duty, where the Deere are heavy duty, and priced accordingly.
The Sears deck will wear out in half the time, but is a 1/3 of the price of a Deere.

A 430 or 430 Deere are utility tractors, too big for what the OP needs.

Cub Cadets have the crappiest wiring harnesses, and they will fail. In a wet area like the PNW they dont last long.

Huskies are a good brand, Sears still cheaper

[jcwit]

What ya wanna bet it's all in how it's taken care of.

[Clay M]

Went and check out the Cub Cadet 50" lawn tractor, and was disappointed in the quality compaired with my old Scott/John Deer...So I decided to buy a Cub Cadet Zero Turn

The Honda engine,and 30 day no obligation trial at Home Depot sold me on this mower.
I will see how it works out.
http://www.cubcadet.com/equipment/cubcadet/zero-turn-riding-mowers/rzt-riders/rzt%3Csup%3E-reg%3B%3C-sup%3E-l-46-2016-rzt46fab-h

I also liked the John Deere riders, but they have john Deere marked engines made by Briggs.
I am not too big on Briggs engines although they were some of the best years ago.
I know Honda engines at top of the line.

[ncbearman]

One of the Sears $1500 mowers will work fine. I have a little more grass than you and I just bought my 2nd one in being here 16 years. Koehler engine and hydrostatic trans.

[Clay M]

What I observed with the mowers yesterday is the quality of mowers has gone down over the past fifteen years, in order to hold a certain price point with consumers.

Cheaper decks, engines,and other components.

My old John Deere /Scott lasted sixteen years with no issues.
I believe you would be lucky to get ten years out of the average mower now.

[garym1a2]

Look for Kohler or better motors. No briggs. I like the specs for the 50 inch deck and 24hp kohler for about 2K.

[snowwolfe]

Clay,
Did you buy the Cub Cadet? I need to make a trip to our local John Deere dealer to compare them. I think most of them are now made in Tennessee.

[SweetMk]

Goats, otherwise known as sparkless lawnmowers. Only headache is how do you keep them inside a fence? GW

I have a sparkless lawn mower!!

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h332/sweetmk22/John%20Deere%20650/27e7ecfa-b1b3-4b39-bdc5-ff803d8e225f_zps8cb2abkt.jpg

With that 4 foot mower on the back, it can cut 2 acres per hour,,
I used garden tractors for over 30 years,,,
wow,, what a shock switching to diesel!!

[country gent]

In 1962 DAd bought a cub cadet 7 horse rider with a 38" deck 3 speed transmision. The deck had 3 blabes and was cast steel. we mowed with that mower up to around 1985 when the kohler motor threw a rod thru the side of the block. Other than oil changes blade sharpining and balanceing air filters and plugs we did very little maitence other wise. At times we used it to move empty grain and hay wagons around on the farm. Dang good little tractor and almost lasted a life time. I turned up those little nylon clutch buttons for the mower deck by the 1/2 dozen in school or during lunch at work LOL.

[starmac]

A few years back my cousins wife demanded he buy her a riding mower with a grass bag to catch the clippings. They had 3 acres to mow minus the house and outbuildings.
He always left for work at 4 in the morning, so the next morning before he went to work he went down the road to his folks house and got a horse, which he picketed in the front lawn. She later called him at work and ask what the devil that horse was doing in her front yard. He told her that was her new riding mower WITH a grass catcher, and to move it when the grass was mowed to her liking. She decided she was content with the kubota, even though it didn't have a grass catcher. lol

[Clay M]

Clay,
Did you buy the Cub Cadet? I need to make a trip to our local John Deere dealer to compare them. I think most of them are now made in Tennessee.

I found myself in a dilemma. I liked The John Deere Mowers better than the Cub, but didn't like the fact that they now have engines made by Briggs.

The Cubs have the Kohler engines , but the build quality of the mower wasn't as good as the John Deere IMO.

So I opted for a Cub Cadet Zero turn with the Honda engine.

http://www.cubcadet.com/equipment/cubcadet/zero-turn-riding-mowers/rzt-riders/rzt%3Csup%3E-reg%3B%3C-sup%3E-l-46-2016-rzt46fab-h

I have thirty days to try it out, if I don't like it for any reason I can return it to Home Depot for a full refund.

The mower is well built..If the hydraulic units are good, I believe I made a good choice for my purposes.

[Andy]

I just recently bought an older ford mower for a few hundred, needed work but it is built like a tank and all the parts are still available online from various sources. My advice is buy a major-brand old model that many were made of (as in some series that ran for a decade or two and tens of thousands+ were made of), then you can always get parts and they aren't made like junk. If you can do the work yourself or pay a guy who likes them you will have a better quality item for under $1000 than you can get new for much more, even after some major fix-up costs to get it started. If it has no major plastic/fiberglass parts on it you are probably in the right era.

If you buy old enough you also won't have the annoying things like the seat safety shutoff etc.

[NavyVet1959]

I have many hours driving one of these.

http://www.oldfordtractors.com/50show/show50b.jpg

Here's one that is for sale...
http://www.tractorhouse.com/listings/farm-equipment/for-sale/10292359/1950-ford-8n

Actually, I learned to drive on one of those back in the 1960s. Bushhogged a lot of acres with one of them before we moved up to a diesel Ford 1500.

http://www.tractorhouse.com/listings/farm-equipment/for-sale/list/?Manu=FORD&Mdltxt=1500&mdlx=exact

[Clay M]

I have many hours driving one of these.

http://www.oldfordtractors.com/50show/show50b.jpg

Here's one that is for sale...
http://www.tractorhouse.com/listings/farm-equipment/for-sale/10292359/1950-ford-8n

Actually, I learned to drive on one of those back in the 1960s. Bushhogged a lot of acres with one of them before we moved up to a diesel Ford 1500.

http://www.tractorhouse.com/listings/farm-equipment/for-sale/list/?Manu=FORD&Mdltxt=1500&mdlx=exact


Same exact tractor model I grew up driving on our farm when I was a kid.
I still have the old tractor, but it need some work.
Overall it is still in pretty good shape.

[starmac]

Those N models worked fine for brushogging in fields, put them in brush and trees and they were DANGEROUS, not my idea of the ideal tractor for mowing with the way the pto is set up.

[rockrat]

SweetMk---that is one nice looking 650.

I don't know about Sears riding mowers now, but I bought one about 15 years ago. Tranny went out the second time I was mowing the lawn. Took 60 days to get a "reman" tranny put it. Thing howled louder than my Ford power steering pump. Sold it for about 25% of what I paid for it.

Had a Honda riding mower, worked great till I moved and my yard had a hill in the back yard going up to the driveway. Stopped, and when I let out the clutch it rolled backwards about 10 ft till it moved. Dealer said it was designed that way so it wouldn't "jerk" you and maybe hurt your neck. I asked if they weren't worried about than when you hit the brake and it stopped right then? Guy shrugged his shoulder and said "thats they way they are made". Got rid of it too, which was bad as it was a great mower except for that part.

Looked at Cub Cadet, but after calling three times to the dealer and making appointments for a demo of a few mowers and them never showing up, figured service after the sale was no better.

All my stuff is green except for a 1973 MF 135 diesel with 699 hrs on it!! Grandad bought it new and I inherited it. Only about 14 hours of that were put on it by someone else bysides me!.

[TXGunNut]

If you need to do more than mow the grass (maintain driveways, spread a load of dirt to level a yard or just spare your back some serious wheelbarrow time) a compact or even sub-compact tractor may be a good idea. My little Kubota has an awesome belly mower but the front end loader and three point hitch & PTO will do everything that needs doing on my little spot on the prairie. They even have a model with a little backhoe! If I was serious about the backhoe or any other serious PTO machinery I'd move up a size but this little guy does quite well in tight spaces and covers a lot of ground in a hurry when running the mower deck.

[MaryB]

I could really use a little compact tractor for some of the stuff I want to get done here... I have no decent storm shelter so I wanted to bury a 20 foot shipping container in the backyard with steps going down to the door. Yes I would have reinforced/waterproofed the heck out of it. Would give me a good root cellar too! Maybe next year if I win the lottery...

[NavyVet1959]

I could really use a little compact tractor for some of the stuff I want to get done here... I have no decent storm shelter so I wanted to bury a 20 foot shipping container in the backyard with steps going down to the door. Yes I would have reinforced/waterproofed the heck out of it. Would give me a good root cellar too! Maybe next year if I win the lottery...

I guess if depends upon where you live... Our water table is high enough that I wouldn't even consider a shipping container unless it was seated on a deep bed of gravel with a sump pump at the the bottom of the gravel... And even then, I don't think I would truly trust it... :) Maybe some large diameter concrete culvert type type would work around here... Even then, water will be an issue...

[Elkins45]

I have a 42" deck Craftsman that is 5 years old. Briggs engine so easy to get parts. Hydrostatic so easy on my back with no clutch. Think I paid $1800 for it and it was a last years model at the time so deeply discounted. I am mowing just over an acre. Takes 2 1/2 hours and I have lots of obstacles to mow around!

I have a 42" Craftsman that I bought in 2004, but it isn't hydro. I usually go for manual over auto in both vehicles and farm implements because of the dual benefit of being simpler and cheaper. My 42" mower has a 22HP two cylinder engine because I wanted the highest HP/deck ratio I could get. There's just no substitute for HP when cutting grass that has gotten a little too tall. Amazingly the OHV 22HP engine uses almost the same amount of gas as the old 12HP flathead I was using before.


TxGunNut brings up an important issue here:
42" is about as big as you can go with a 2 blade deck. To go larger you have to add a third blade which means 3 spindles, three blades to sharpen,a longer drive belt, etc. In exchange for that added complexity you get a lot more grass cut in the same amount of time.

It has been my experience that the deck is the weak link of a mower. If properly maintained, the engines rarely give you any problems.

My dad's last one had a bigger deck with three blades, and reaching the middle grease fitting required three arms and contortionist skills. It also developed an annoying tendency to go through about a belt a year due to the long and complex path. Personally I am happy with 42" because I can just reach under it and pull the blades for sharpening without having to drop the deck.

IMO the secret to long mower life (besides routine lube/oil/filter stuff) is keeping the blades sharp. I never cease to be impressed by how much easier the engine has to work after I've sharpened my blades.

When we bought the farm I bought a diesel tractor, and then picked up a used 5 foot finish mower off of Craigslist for cheap. Turns out one of the spindle bolts is in so tightly I can't get it out without a sledge or a torch: no matter, just downshift and chug right on through. I think I could grind those blades at right angles and they would still cut. So my final advice is to go find a good used diesel tractor with low hours and find a PTO powered finish mower to go with it.

[snowwolfe]

I found myself in a dilemma. I liked The John Deere Mowers better than the Cub, but didn't like the fact that they now have engines made by Briggs.

The Cubs have the Kohler engines , but the build quality of the mower wasn't as good as the John Deere IMO.

So I opted for a Cub Cadet Zero turn with the Honda engine.

http://www.cubcadet.com/equipment/cubcadet/zero-turn-riding-mowers/rzt-riders/rzt%3Csup%3E-reg%3B%3C-sup%3E-l-46-2016-rzt46fab-h

I have thirty days to try it out, if I don't like it for any reason I can return it to Home Depot for a full refund.

The mower is well built..If the hydraulic units are good, I believe I made a good choice for my purposes.

I checked out the Deere's today, mainly the S240, the motor in it is a Kawasaki, warranted bumper to bumper for 3 years or 300 hours, $2,499. Was researching consumer reports and they reported Deeres had the best reliability with 22% needing repairs by the time they were 4 years old vs the cub cadet's 40% repair rate.
We are leaning towards the S240 for those reasons plus the selling dealer also does any repairs as well as selling parts. I still plan at looking at the cub cadets before we plunk down any cash but its going to be hard to swerve me away from the Deere.
Regardless, hope your choice works out for you.

[Clay M]

I checked out the Deere's today, mainly the S240, the motor in it is a Kawasaki, warranted bumper to bumper for 3 years or 300 hours, $2,499. Was researching consumer reports and they reported Deeres had the best reliability with 22% needing repairs by the time they were 4 years old vs the cub cadet's 40% repair rate.
We are leaning towards the S240 for those reasons plus the selling dealer also does any repairs as well as selling parts. I still plan at looking at the cub cadets before we plunk down any cash but its going to be hard to swerve me away from the Deere.
Regardless, hope your choice works out for you.

Sounds like you are making a good choice.
The Kawasaki engines are good.
I just didn't want the John Deere engine which is a Briggs.

Home Depot didn't have any S240 mowers. Usually the John Deere dealers where I live are a good bit higher on mowers.

I wouldn't buy a Cub Cadet lawn tractor, but I liked their Zero turn mower.

[Bullwolf]

I use an old Ford 3910 diesel tractor and a brush hog. It's not precision mowing, but it works for my small Farm/Ranch.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=166258&d=1460690148

I cover just under 100 acres with it, but I don't have to mow 100% of it. Some of the land is woods and rock. What I do mow isn't all flat though. I used to have livestock, and the grass munchers did a great job at keeping the stuff down. (More than I ever realized) Now that all my pasture is fallow, it just grows and grows.

I do more brush busting than finish mowing for sure, and it's not very fast. For precise mowing, I still use a push mower, or a weed whacker.

That Ford tractor is a work horse.


- Bullwolf

[NavyVet1959]

I do more brush busting than finish mowing for sure, and it's not very fast. For precise mowing, I still use a push mower, or a weed whacker.

That Ford tractor is a work horse.


Yep... Typically, home would have maybe an acre or less around the house that they kept mowed with a small finish type mower and then the rest of the farm/ranch where they would just use a bush hog periodically behind the tractor. In Texas, one reason for this is that the land that the home sits on is appraised at one value whereas the farmland around it can be appraised at a significantly reduced rate thanks to the agricultural exemption you might have on the land.

I went through a lot of deep mud with those old 2WD tractors -- deeper than I would with any of the 4WD vehicles that I've had since then.

[Mk42gunner]

I knew I shouldn't have bragged on how good my Yanmar diesel was. Note the emphasis on was.

Monday:

The hydraulic pressure hose from the pump developed a massive leak, right onto the drive pulley for the deck. This caused the main drive belt to start slipping and heating up, eventually seizing to one of the idler sheaves that turn the PTO belt. The pulley split/ came apart and sliced the almost new belt in ways I have never seen a belt sliced before.

The good news-- I had a spare idler sheave in the spare parts box from when I got the mower. Oh, and NAPA had the replacement B87 belt in stock, $23.something.

The bad news-- They didn't have fittings to make a new hose. O'Reillys did though, $46 something + a gallon of hydraulic oil.

Tuesday:

Meanwhile the grass is still growing and almost a foot high by this time. I had to go to the doctor in Clinton, so I stopped at the Sears store there and looked at mowers, didn't really like any of them and the sales guy wasn't very helpful. I took a circular route home and looked at Cub Cadets in Harrisonville, they didn't really impress me that much and I thought I would put the Yanmar back together and be good for at least another year. I did look at some Husqvarnas and Poulans at another store.

The really bad news-- the hydraulic pump isn't moving fluid now.

The really really bad news-- when I do manage to get it started, it sounds like a two cylinder only hitting on one cylinder. This makes absolutely zero sense to me since it is a one cylinder engine.

I stopped at Sears in Butler shortly before closing time, now getting pretty serious about a new mower. The girl there was pretty helpful, letting me test drive the mowers. I found out I don't like the foot controlled hydrostatics, but the fender controlled automatics aren't that bad.

Wednesday:

I went back to the local Sears store and got a T2400, fender controlled automatic, 19 HP Briggs/ 46" two blade deck. All the ones they had with a Kohler engine had a 42" cut.

We'll see how long it lasts. I would have liked to get one that was higher quality, but I didn't have time to save up the extra funds.

It did a wonderful job on my tall grass. It has a more even cut than anything else I have used, other than the L59 Woods belly mower or the 48" Yanmar (when it worked).

Robert

[MaryB]

Water table here is down 30+ feet... I go down 4 and hit gravel for the next 60 feet...



I guess if depends upon where you live... Our water table is high enough that I wouldn't even consider a shipping container unless it was seated on a deep bed of gravel with a sump pump at the the bottom of the gravel... And even then, I don't think I would truly trust it... :) Maybe some large diameter concrete culvert type type would work around here... Even then, water will be an issue...

[Clay M]

There are Kohler engines, and then there are Kohler engines.
The Kohler 7000 series is a homeowners model,and the Kohler Command is a top of the line professional model.
Most of the lawn tractors sold at Home Depot, Tractor supply ,or Lowes have the Kohler 7000
which may be fine, but I doubt it is as good as a Kawasaki or Honda.

[snowwolfe]

We changed our mind again. Visited Lowes today and looked at a Deere D130, hardly any difference between it and the S240. The D series has a 2 year warranty vs a 3 for the 240. Biggest difference is the price. $2500 vs $1900. Plus Lowes offers a 10% military discount making it almost a $800 difference.

[VinceG]

Don't buy anything MTD. Save up for a Scagg or something that will stand up.

[TXGunNut]

MTD's are good mowers. Cheap, simple and easy to get parts for. Just sold mine to a neighbor because I prematurely upgraded to a Cub Cadet. I had just spent $200 on the deck and over $100 on the fuel system. Then I let it sit for about 3-4 years. Swapped out the battery and added fresh fuel, ran great after awhile. He bought it for $295 and it may outlast my Cub Cadet...but not my Kubota.

[Clay M]

We changed our mind again. Visited Lowes today and looked at a Deere D130, hardly any difference between it and the S240. The D series has a 2 year warranty vs a 3 for the 240. Biggest difference is the price. $2500 vs $1900. Plus Lowes offers a 10% military discount making it almost a $800 difference.

Lowes is a good company. I actually like it better than Home Depot, but Home Depot is local for me and I got a 24 month 0% financing deal with a new account.
Keep in mind one difference in the price is probably the Kawasaki engine.

I paid a $500 up charge to get the Honda engine on the mower I bought.
But the difference in prices of the engines is real.

[troyboy]

I had the Sears with a 21hp 42" deck and the Husky with the 52" basic Poulan 19hp 42". Mowed the yard and back field at the house, my Mom's yard and the shop. Hated the Husky due to the turn radius. Craftsman hands down for yard work. Maintain your equipment and it will last

[snowwolfe]

Lowes is a good company. I actually like it better than Home Depot, but Home Depot is local for me and I got a 24 month 0% financing deal with a new account.
Keep in mind one difference in the price is probably the Kawasaki engine.

I paid a $500 up charge to get the Honda engine on the mower I bought.
But the difference in prices of the engines is real.

The engine choices are interesting. The S240 uses the Kawasaki. But most, if not all, the 300 series have B&S. And the 300 series is a huge step up in $$$ over the S240. The 300 series also come with a 4 year 300 hour warranty so Deere must have faith in the engines.
The engine in the D130 is a Vtwin B&S, 22 hp. I would of preferred a Kawasaki or Honda but an $800 saving is nothing to ignore.

I like HD as well, but we have to drive 60-70 miles to find one. Where as there are 2 Lowes within 15 miles.

[flyer1]

I went to pick up my daughter at school yesterday and what do I see for sale but a John Deere D140. 139 hrs and built in 2011. Really good shape, not abused but it is dirty. Made a deal for 900 bucks. Seemed to be a pretty good deal. Not a great one but still ok. Oh yeah,I did remember to get my daughter.

[kingstrider]

Don't laugh but I used this 1966 John Deere 110 for several years when I lived in Maryland. The yard was a little smaller but very hilly and the old Deere had plenty of power despite the little 8hp Kohler engine. I wound up selling it when I moved because my yard is heavily landscaped and it kept on breaking sprinkler heads. Now I'm back to using a push mower..
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t138/kingstrider/deere%20110/IMG_9878.jpg
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t138/kingstrider/IMG_9851.jpg

[marvelshooter]

[QUOTE=kingstrider;3623941]Don't laugh but I used this 1966 John Deere 110 for several years

I use a '68 John Deere 112 for everything I need a tractor for. My step dad bought it new and it's still going.

[jonp]

There are Kohler engines, and then there are Kohler engines.
The Kohler 7000 series is a homeowners model,and the Kohler Command is a top of the line professional model.
Most of the lawn tractors sold at Home Depot, Tractor supply ,or Lowes have the Kohler 7000
which may be fine, but I doubt it is as good as a Kawasaki or Honda.

Most of the ones at the lowes here have Briggs and Stratton motors (husky and john deere). I agree that the Kawasaki or Honda's are great engines especially the Honda's. I seem to remember looking at some small JD tractors not lawnmowers that had Yanmar engines. Maybe not?

[A pause for the COZ]

Don't laugh but I used this 1966 John Deere 110 for several years when I lived in Maryland. The yard was a little smaller but very hilly and the old Deere had plenty of power despite the little 8hp Kohler engine. I wound up selling it when I moved because my yard is heavily landscaped and it kept on breaking sprinkler heads. Now I'm back to using a push mower..
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t138/kingstrider/deere%20110/IMG_9878.jpg
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t138/kingstrider/IMG_9851.jpg


I wont laugh. I keep two mowers running. My #2 gave up the ghost so my JD111 is ready to become the #2 mower.
I have a old JD116 that's been parked for 10 years. I can tell you the 111 is nothing like the 116.
Cheap junk is what comes to mind. I have rebuilt the deck 4 times already.

Good thing about old JD's. You can buy every part ever made for them.
I decided since I can completely rebuild the 116 for about the same price as another 100 series junk pile.
Rebuild it is!
Should be able to get another 30 years out of it when done.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d66/Kelly2215/100_9565_zpsbfbd8518.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d66/Kelly2215/100_9584_zps98423e3a.jpg

[jonp]

We changed our mind again. Visited Lowes today and looked at a Deere D130, hardly any difference between it and the S240. The D series has a 2 year warranty vs a 3 for the 240. Biggest difference is the price. $2500 vs $1900. Plus Lowes offers a 10% military discount making it almost a $800 difference.

Just to reiterate your point about the discount, Lowes (maybe home depot but i don't care for it both because they are farther from us and they pour money into gay rights groups) offer a 10% discount to all vets on July 4th, Memorial day and a few others and an everyday discount for all retired military. When you use it make sure to thank them for doing this. They don't advertise it much but it is a nice thing on their part.

[Clay M]

I like my new Cub Cadet Zero turn mower. Finally got to use it.
I cut my lawn in and hour and fifteen minutes .With my old Scott lawn tractor it always took me two hours and a half.
So far I feel like it was a good choice.
I also found Home Depot had dropped the price of the mower by $100 ,so I got them to refund the difference.
The new mower cuts so smooth that my lawn looks like a golf course..

[snowwolfe]

I took a long look at the Cub Cadets during a recent trip to TS. Wasn't very impressed with the quality of the deck. Seemed pretty thin and cheaply built. We still plan on buying the D130 but since the contractor hasn't started our yard yet we are in no hurry.
Maybe I'll get lucky and wait them out and find one on sale:)

Lowes is really good about the 10% military discount. They give it on everything. We just had a new house built this year and I went with the contractor every visit and pulled out my ID card to get the 10%. Our discount ended up saving us enough money to pay for our new French fridge.
HD on the other hand seems to offer it only when they want to. If an item is on sale, no discount. Lowes takes 10% off the top on everything everyday.

[Mk42gunner]

The fabricated deck is a lot better looking (I think it will last longer) than the stamped decks on Cub Cadets. They are more expensive though.

I'm waiting on the heavy dew to burn off so I can mow yet again. I get two cuttings on one tank of gas, really makes me miss the diesel, it took slightly more than a quart to mow my lawn.

Robert

[snowwolfe]

The lawn mower gods smiled upon me today. Made a trip to Lowes because I needed a section of anchor chain for the anchor on our new boat. Walked by the mower display outside and in front of the D130 line was a sign saying "$200 off". After the military discount managed to pick it up for $1,529. Will pick it up this weekend.
Now all I need is for the contractor to show up to get our yard in! Until them will be content cutting down all the weeds between the lake and the new yard/

[Storydude]

New KAwi motors aren't the Kawi motors of the 80's.

Even commercial mowers are running big briggs motors now. Kawi and honda are options, but briggs is coming back.

[shaper]

I bought a zero turn from Wal Mart two years ago. Price was $2000. It is a Murray with a 20 h.p. Briggs. Model M200-42. When I cut everything it is around 3 Acers. Going into the third year and haven't changed blades yet. Would I do it again, you bet I would. They probably will not have one setting in the store bet they can get it for you.

[Plate plinker]

Don't laugh but I used this 1966 John Deere 110 for several years when I lived in Maryland. The yard was a little smaller but very hilly and the old Deere had plenty of power despite the little 8hp Kohler engine. I wound up selling it when I moved because my yard is heavily landscaped and it kept on breaking sprinkler heads. Now I'm back to using a push mower..
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t138/kingstrider/deere%20110/IMG_9878.jpg


http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t138/kingstrider/IMG_9851.jpg
Never would laugh the green machine is beautiful!

[jonp]

The lawn mower gods smiled upon me today. Made a trip to Lowes because I needed a section of anchor chain for the anchor on our new boat. Walked by the mower display outside and in front of the D130 line was a sign saying "$200 off". After the military discount managed to pick it up for $1,529. Will pick it up this weekend.
Now all I need is for the contractor to show up to get our yard in! Until them will be content cutting down all the weeds between the lake and the new yard/

You bought a lawnmower and have no yard? Sounds like your the kind of guy that buys a mold and dies without having the rifle. Welcome to the club ;)

[snowwolfe]

You bought a lawnmower and have no yard? Sounds like your the kind of guy that buys a mold and dies without having the rifle. Welcome to the club ;)

I have no yard...... yet! That is supposed to go in next week. But I still have about 1/2 acre of weeds around the lake and top of the damn that needs to be cut occasionally. Three weeks ago cut it via a weed wacker and it took about 8 hours over 2 days. Last night used the D130 and it took 40 minutes.

But I do get the sarcasm:) And I am guilty of both buying molds and other stuff long before the weapons show up, lol.

[floydboy]

I work as a production supervisor for the company that makes recoil starters for Briggs, Honda, Kawasaki, and a few others. The kind of starter that you pull the rope out of. We are half owned by Briggs. I know more than a little about the current manufacturing processes of todays lawn and garden manufacturers. It is not possible to look back over the past several years and buy todays product based on past performance. By that I mean a good deal of yesterdays good products have been cheapened on todays market. Cub cadet used to be a top of the line manufacturer. The last I heard they are now made by MTD. Some of their more expensive models are still very good. The cheap ones not so much. Some of the lesser know brands like Gravely are still very good but aren't easily found everywhere.

If I was going to buy a lawn mower today I would buy a John Deere. I bought my last one two years ago. I would go with a Kawasaki engine. You are not likely to find a good new mower from anybody for $2000 that will take any abuse and have any kind of life in it. Mine was more like $8000 and we mow about 3 acres of fairly smooth yard every week. This is our third year and it's not been in the shop. It's easy to service and sharpen blades. One last thing. Try and find one with only one belt. A good design will have one belt from the engine to the blades. Hydrostatic transmission is also pretty bullet proof.

I would imagine you can find a decent mower in the $3000 range.

Everybody has their opinions for what they're worth and that is mine.

Good luck...Floyd