OT: Riding Mower

[Uncle Ruckus]

I have two actors of grass and many more of field, but I need a regular driving mower for my grass. I have an old pos Troy built that I’m tired of fixing, so I’m looking at something under 2k. I like the Kohler engines in the cub cadet, but didn’t like its aesthetics, where I wasn’t crazy about the Husqvarna motor but liked it aesthetically. So what do you non zero turn guys have.

 

[Nugdawg]

I’ve got a John Deere I’ve had for 5 years and I’ve loved everything about it except that since last summer I can’t get the damn thing to cut level to save my life. I’ve even hauled it to John Deere twice and both times I pick it up and they tell me it’s fixed and it’s not. I’m a grass cutting perfectionist and it’s driving me nuts to the point I’m almost ready to buy a new mower!!

 

[kramer_192]

You should be able to get any brand motor in any of the machines. Go to a local shop and not a big box store. Make sure the shop carries parts. Where are you located? I can point you in the right direction in the Brandon area.

I personally use Lyles power Equipment in Pelahatchie. Great service and a bulldog.

ETA: wherever you go ask to talk to the mechanic and ask him what comes back for repaiar, what doesn’t, what is easiest to work on, what he recommends, why , etc....

 

[Cubswillwinitonedaydawg]

I would go ahead and get the zero turn for anything 2 acres and above. Not that much more these days if you get a lower end one, and you will cut your mowing time by more than half. I got a hustler raptor 54 inch for $2300 or so. If you really want tractor style, I always liked craftsman (probably not the top on quality, but affordable, and I had 2 that lasted a good while).

 

[Uncle Ruckus]

I don’t want a big *** mower in my shop. The tractor style sticks away nicely in a perfect spot and I have a tractor for my bigger jobs

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

I would go ahead and get the zero turn for anything 2 acres and above. Not that much more these days if you get a lower end one, and you will cut your mowing time by more than half. I got a hustler raptor 54 inch for $2300 or so. If you really want tractor style, I always liked craftsman (probably not the top on quality, but affordable, and I had 2 that lasted a good while).

I just got a raptor 60" and it knocks out my 3+ acres in no time.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

I recently bought a 48" John Deere e140 from Lowe's. It was on sale for $1799 and I got a a 10% military discount. I have 1.6 acres and it takes exactly 1 hour to mow... I usually spend another half hour tooling around. I used the extra money I saved to buy a 31 gallon pull behind sprayer from Northern Tool to keep ants and chiggers at bay.

Mower is fine, I know it's a cheaply built rider that will only last a fraction of the time a $3-4k rig would. But hell, I am going to use it 75 hours a year max, why go all in.. I figure in 4-5 years I will sell it for a few hundred bucks and buy a battery powered rider that will cut super fast and hold a charge for plenty of time to cut my lawn. All of my neighbors have gone to zero turn and they are 10-15 minutes faster than I am, but that's an extra beer and more time away from nagging *** kids... Happy Father's Day tip, mow slower gents!

 

[Dawgbite]

I recently bought a 48" John Deere e140 from Lowe's. It was on sale for $1799 and I got a a 10% military discount. I have 1.6 acres and it takes exactly 1 hour to mow... I usually spend another half hour tooling around. I used the extra money I saved to buy a 31 gallon pull behind sprayer from Northern Tool to keep ants and chiggers at bay.

Mower is fine, I know it's a cheaply built rider that will only last a fraction of the time a $3-4k rig would. But hell, I am going to use it 75 hours a year max, why go all in.. I figure in 4-5 years I will sell it for a few hundred bucks and buy a battery powered rider that will cut super fast and hold a charge for plenty of time to cut my lawn. All of my neighbors have gone to zero turn and they are 10-15 minutes faster than I am, but that's an extra beer and more time away from nagging *** kids... Happy Father's Day tip, mow slower gents!

What do you spray for Chiggers? I got eat up this weekend and never left the yard.

 

[HumpDawgy]

Here is a recent article

https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/tools/reviews/g104/tool-test-4-riding-lawnmowers-under-2000/

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

What do you spray for Chiggers? I got eat up this weekend and never left the yard.

Biffen XTS... It's potent.. wear PPE or you will get an uncomfortable numb on exposed skin. I mix 12oz per 30 gallons. I spray at a rate of about a gallon every 1000 SQ feet. Takes care of ants too. Spray in early May... Follow up a couple weeks later, then one or two more times throughout the summer. I swear I haven't been bit by a mosquito yet this summer either.

https://www.domyown.com/bifen-xts-p-1236.html?sub_id=2644

https://m.northerntool.com/products/shop~tools~product_200645939_200645939?adv=false

 

[o_Hot Rock]

I bought my last mower in 2005.

Everyone said, "Don't buy the cheap ones at Wal-Mart, Lowes, etc.. They will never last."

People also said, "Never buy name brand stuff at a Lowes or Sams either. Those mowers use a cheaper grade of metal and won't last or you can't get service there." I have no clue if they are right, I just couldn't spend $4500 at a JD or Cub dealer myself. I was paying cash.

So, I got the Yardman from Wal-Mart for $1500 and it's still going.

I have had as many as had four places that I mow, but I am down to two now. My home is 2 acres, rental place another 1 1/2 acres, Lake property about 1/2 acre, my house that I was trying to sell for two years, 2 more acres and I trucked it all over. I have used as a bulldozer at times and hit jillons of sticks and stuff and it's still going.

It has the Kohler engine and it's held up well. The deck is getting in bad shape but it fell off my trailer going down the highway at 55 mph about 6 years ago. It doesn't cut level and the transmission locked up on me once after that but I attribute that to hitting the highway in gear going 55. I am lucky it's still mostly intact.

I live out in the county and don't really have a lawn but that would seem harder on a mower than a manicured lawn. The blades are the most important thing to keep sharp. I might even change the oil this year.

Last thought on Zero turn mowers. They are not for every application , they can be dangerous as crap on hills unless you know what your doing.

Good luck, make a your choice and move on.

 

[jdbulldog]

I have two actors of grass and many more of field, but I need a regular driving mower for my grass. I have an old pos Troy built that I’m tired of fixing, so I’m looking at something under 2k. I like the Kohler engines in the cub cadet, but didn’t like its aesthetics, where I wasn’t crazy about the Husqvarna motor but liked it aesthetically. So what do you non zero turn guys have.

John Deere s the top 42 to 48 inch cut tractor in my opinion. It handles great and runs quieter with less vibration than the Craftsman or Husqvarna. It really is not close.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

It's been a while since I had to use one but I'll share my experiences.

I had a 10-acre place with about 4 acres total to mow. I was steep in some places and just a gradual incline in others with very little flat area at all. I also had two ponds to mow around. I went through two cheap riders that would take hours and beat me to death. I would also fight them to mow the steep areas to the danger point (younger and dumber).

I finally ponied up and bought a mid-size John Deere with the variable transmission (no shifting), big tires and wide cut. The cut was not only easier and incredibly faster, it was enjoyable to the point I am looking for a larger property here in Austin just so I can ride one again. I miss the two to three beer cuts.

I would recommend taking your time and doing a lot of window shopping. From what I understand, there is a much larger selection of mowers from different makers. I would agree with another poster in this thread that you need to find a small shop to for maintenance and make sure you follow those rules to the letter. You want someone you can build a relationship with just like your car or truck shop. They will help you protect your investment. You might even want to purchase from them even if it costs a couple more bucks. I would strongly advise to purchase from a dealer and not a big chain despite the pricing. Just speaking from experience. The dealer really helped me find the mower that fit my needs and not buy the bigger one I thought I needed. It saved me money in the long run.

 

[The Peeper]

I bought a Cub Cadet X2 lawn tractor beginning of last season that was left over from the previous year that bad 3 hrs on it. Biggest reason I chose it was it came w/ a 21hp Kawasaki instead of Kohler or the Cub engine and they knocked off $400 cause it was previous year model. Only complaint so far are the flimsy *** blades, I've bent 2 so far. I read 1 post that said that's to keep you from shearing a keyway but find that hard to believe. I'm buying aftermarket next time to replace the flimsy OEM ones

 

[00Dawg]

Check the deck design.

If there's only one point of connection to the front (right in the middle of the deck), you'll never get it to mow evenly except on the most level of yards. It's a cheap design shortcut they introduced with their ~$1,500 line of mowers some years back. I had the same arguments with various folks before finally figuring it out myself.

 

[Dawgbite]

Bifen

Biffen XTS... It's potent.. wear PPE or you will get an uncomfortable numb on exposed skin. I mix 12oz per 30 gallons. I spray at a rate of about a gallon every 1000 SQ feet. Takes care of ants too. Spray in early May... Follow up a couple weeks later, then one or two more times throughout the summer. I swear I haven't been bit by a mosquito yet this summer either.

https://www.domyown.com/bifen-xts-p-1236.html?sub_id=2644

That's what I use on fireants anyway. I just spot spray the mounds but have never sprayed the entire yard. I recently run across a sweet deal on a John Deere 755 that I have set up mostly just to spray with. I have a 3pt hitch mount 26 gallon tank with a single head that will spray 25 ft, a four head boom that will spray 10 ft, and a hand wand. I may have to try it out this weekend, with the single head I can spray all the woods surrounding my yard too.

https://m.northerntool.com/products/shop~tools~product_200645939_200645939?adv=false

..

 

[catvet]

Got tired of buying disposable mowers, so I bought a Hustler Raptor SD 48 inch zero turn this year. Best investment I've made in a long long time. The selling point was the 23 HP Kawasaki engine which is bullet proof. Sips gas and knocks out the yard in no time. They also have great financing deals with 0% for up to 42 months.

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

We went the other direction after going through 5 mowers in the past 12 years. (2 were the original and a Lemon Replacement). Got tired of a single feature and transmissions blowing up. So we got a Kubota BX2380 with the Front end loader, belly deck and Brush Hog for the rough areas. Should have done that years ago. The yard has never been so clean and we are gaining property back from the Kudzu and clearing little patches that have been taken over by saplings. Getting cleared and moved what would have taken a full day, now takes an hour or so.

 

[RocketDawg]

We went the other direction after going through 5 mowers in the past 12 years. (2 were the original and a Lemon Replacement). Got tired of a single feature and transmissions blowing up. So we got a Kubota BX2380 with the Front end loader, belly deck and Brush Hog for the rough areas. Should have done that years ago. The yard has never been so clean and we are gaining property back from the Kudzu and clearing little patches that have been taken over by saplings. Getting cleared and moved what would have taken a full day, now takes an hour or so.

I heard somebody elsewhere mention that Husqvarna has a plastic transmission that's prone to blowing up. Is that brand one of your experiences?

 

[DirtyDog]

I have had my Husqvarna for 9 years with no issues, but I do keep it in the garage. Just have had to replace the batteries every couple of seasons.

 

[blacklistedbully]

I've got an 86 yr-old step-dad in Gulfport with 2+ acres. Still using a 42" riding mower, taking him 4 hours to do the job. That's a long time in the sun for a senior citizen. Know he's beyond tired of it, but they have a tight budget, so can't afford to hire someone to do the weekly job.

I've been thinking a used zero turn, particularly one with a bigger deck would make his life a lot easier. There's a guy selling a 2012 model with low hours for around $550. I'm thinking about recommending and offering to chip in to help buy it (My mom gets mad as hell at me if I try to spend $ on them). What do y'all think? Good idea? Anybody have an older dependable model they are interested in selling for a good deal?

His land is flat, with a dozen or so trees. No hills to worry about.

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

No. They were Cub Cadets bought from Lowes. One time that I bought the extended protection that paid off. the transmission part alone runs $500. No one seems to rebuild them.

 

[randallglenn]

I am also using Husqvarna for five years. My Husqvarna YTA24V48 24V Tractor Mower works well without any problem. My brother also uses it. He said that have no need to change the batteries within six years. I and my brother happy to use it.

 

[Eleven Bravo]

I used Cub Cadets for years. My Dad bought the first one in ‘66 and we split the cost on the second one in ‘86. Our homes are close together and we shared a mower from about ‘81 on. Both these mowers had Kohler engines, and they gave us great service. Change the oil regularly (2-3 times per season) and keep a clean air filter (this is critical with an air-cooled engine) and sharp blades and they last a long time.

In 2006, Daddy walked in the house, got seated in his recliner, ate a bowl of ice cream and passed away. I was traveling a lot at the time and only had the weekends to do yard work. When Daddy died, I was suddenly faced with the task of mowing 2 yards instead of 1 with a 20 year-old 52 inch cut tractor-style mower. I struggled for a couple of weekends getting both those 2+ acre yards and saw that I had to do something. I went and bought a zero-turn mower from a dealer that I have known for years. I bought a Toro 54 inch cut zero-turn with a 23 HP Kawasaki engine. I bought the mower from the owner’s son-as we were getting it ready to load on my trailer the owner walked in from his lunch break. He saw me and came over to speak with me-asked me what I bought and I told him. He looked at me strangely and asked me why I bought the Kohler engine. I explained that that I thought the Kohler was the only engine option and that I liked Kohler. The owner told me that I could buy the Kawasaki engine on that mower for $500 more. He explained that the Kawasaki was a much tougher engine, and that it would last longer. I asked the mechanic some questions about it back in the shop and “bulletproof” was the term he used to describe the Kawasaki. I have known this mechanic for as long as I can remember, so I trusted him. I bought the Kawasaki and have never been happier. This mower mows both those yards in less time than the old Cub Cadet would cut one of them.

You can buy a small zero-turn mower as well as you can buy a large one. It’s gonna save you time. They have beer holders on them, too. Note: the John Deere and Cub Cadet mowers sold for less money at the “big box” retailers are manufactured by MTD, and they use lighter-weight metal and a lot of plastic parts than the mowers sold at the tractor dealerships. That’s the main difference. Whatever you buy-buy it from a place that actually has a service department with actual staff that does repair work.

 

[the dog is on the loose]

I’ve got a John Deere I’ve had for 5 years and I’ve loved everything about it except that since last summer I can’t get the damn thing to cut level to save my life. I’ve even hauled it to John Deere twice and both times I pick it up and they tell me it’s fixed and it’s not. I’m a grass cutting perfectionist and it’s driving me nuts to the point I’m almost ready to buy a new mower!!

Raise up your deck and check to see one by one of the blades are even with each other when you bring them together. There could be a washer off or worse yet the deck could be warped. My dad had his own lawnmower business for over twenty years and he was dang good. Problem with a lot of shops now is that they’re not worth a crap.

 

[dawgoneyall]

Gravely....very good.

 

[Apoplectic_Objurgator]

get a robot

 

[dawgoneyall]

get a robot

We are talking about mowers not sex.....