Buying a riding mower- tips, suggestions..

[DZink24]

hello everyone, i am in the market for a small riding mower for the house, that will also be used for snow removal in the winter, rolling in the spring, and a yard hand for jockeying the boat from the front to the back:-laf. any options i should go with? any i should not? i was thinking the 100 series LA 135 from JDeere, v twin, push blade, 42" deck, with wheel weights and chains. any expieience tips, or suggestions? let's hear them! TIA!

 

[JMetzger]

You can't go wrong with a John Deere. Good units. You also might look at the Cub Cadet.

 

[Hoefler]

I have a LX279 John Deere lawn tractor. It has a 17 hp V-twin Kawasaki engine that is water cooled. It uses less gas than its air cooled competitors. I mow a one acre lot once a week and will go through less than 10 gallons of gas all season!! That includes the wife towing the cart to do her flower thing. I would go for any thing John Deere with a water cooled engine any time.

 

[hwebster]

If you want a reliable unit, stay away from belt drives. I run a 20 year old Bolens (made by Iseki) 20hp, 8 speed transmission 1-2-3-RHi-Lo, 3pt hitch, front and rear pto, and two hydraulic spools. Wouldn't sell it for $20,000. Snow blower would be okay for a small drive way, only a single stage but the tiller and mower are great.

 

[mickeyblueyes]

Don't know your budget I bought a Cub Cadet with a 3 cyl Yanmar Diesel. It mows plows and comes with a bucket.

 

[jray]

Not sure which model Deere you're looking at. I was recently shopping for a riding mower and was told that the Briggs and Stratons motors now use aluminum (valve) push rods with plastic tips. The mechanic who told me this stated that these aluminum push rods are prone to bending.

We ended up buying a Husqvarna which has a 15hp Kawasaki v-twin. Great little mower.

 

[jgillott]

Not sure which model Deere you're looking at. I was recently shopping for a riding mower and was told that the Briggs and Stratons motors now use aluminum (valve) push rods with plastic tips. The mechanic who told me this stated that these aluminum push rods are prone to bending.



We ended up buying a Husqvarna which has a 15hp Kawasaki v-twin. Great little mower.

I was told the same thing before I bought our new rider last year. I think that there are several different Briggs engine lines available and the one you are talking about is the low end "Vanguard" series.

 

[DZink24]

thanks for the replies so far. i would like to keep it to less than about $3,000 for the tractor, blade, weights and chains. i am planning on buying it from an actual JD dealer, i have heard that the JD tractors sold in big box home improvement stores are not the same as the ones sold in franchised dealerships. i had considered a small diesel, that would be awesome, but the cost would be to much. the LA 115 i had been leaning toward all summer was listed at about $1700, but that is a single cylinder, 17 hp. for a little more, i believe i could get the 135 and an additional cylinder, and a few upgraded options.

 

[Hoefler]

Actually, I have a friend who is the owner of a John Deere dealership. He told me that the big box machines are available at the dealerships. Same machine and price. If you buy it from the big box, you still have to take it to the dealer for any warranty work. In my opinion, just go to the dealer and start your relationship right. The dealer also has many good left over, used or demo machines at a reduced price as well. I bought mine $3,000 off of list because it was transferred from a dealership that closed. 2 year warranty and all.

 

[BFoughty]

If you buy a John Deere just be sure and stay away from the L series. That is the same as what a murray and scott use to be. The LX or GT series is your better bet. But when I bought my LX 277 (17 h. p. Kawaski twin) it was around 4,000 dollars and that was 10 or 12 years ago.

 

[JGK]

I did a lot of research on mowers this spring when we moved into a house with a bigger yard. In summary, the mowers sold at the big box stores are not generally the same as those sold by the dedicated dealers. The local JD dealers call the Home Depot/Lowe's versions "Near Deeres". I read a lot of horror stories about the trannys going out and the box stores don't back them up. Similar stories were told about the Cub Cadets and others from the box stores.



I was also told by a pro mower dealer to avoid Craftman. He said Sears is getting out of the lawn care equipment business so future service and repair may be tough.



I'd about decided the best thing was to just buy a good, used, non-box store mower. Ultimately I didn't do anything. A local service made me a deal on yard care for the whole season that was too good to pass up this year.



Tough call, though. Buy a box store version for under $2K and keep your fingers crossed and hope it doesn't give you grief in a year or 2 or spend $2K to $3K on a good professional used one (if you can find one) and gamble it will last much longer.



-Jay

 

[DZink24]

before i forget- are JD's American made? or at least assembled? i know the motors are most likely shipped from taiwan, but are they all final assembled here in the midwest? i am definitely gonna buy from the franchise, i have a friend in the parts department that i have known for 30 years, and i will set up a cash account, figure i will get all my fluids and filters there for the tractor and my Cummins.

 

[MLimpert]

I did a lot of research on mowers this spring when we moved into a house with a bigger yard. In summary, the mowers sold at the big box stores are not generally the same as those sold by the dedicated dealers. The local JD dealers call the Home Depot/Lowe's versions "Near Deeres". I read a lot of horror stories about the trannys going out and the box stores don't back them up. Similar stories were told about the Cub Cadets and others from the box stores.



I was also told by a pro mower dealer to avoid Craftman. He said Sears is getting out of the lawn care equipment business so future service and repair may be tough.



I'd about decided the best thing was to just buy a good, used, non-box store mower. Ultimately I didn't do anything. A local service made me a deal on yard care for the whole season that was too good to pass up this year.



Tough call, though. Buy a box store version for under $2K and keep your fingers crossed and hope it doesn't give you grief in a year or 2 or spend $2K to $3K on a good professional used one (if you can find one) and gamble it will last much longer.



-Jay

I did much the same thing. I went with a super clean low hour 97 wheelhorse 520H instead of a cheapie new one. This tractor still looks great and is super heavy duty for about the same money. My WH has a 20hp onan twin, hydro drive/lift and cast iron front and rear axles. I couldn't touch a new Deere with those features for under about 7k.

 

[jwgary]

If you buy from the dealer you get a subscription to "The Furrow" magazine and my dealer sends me a parts catalog every 6 months. All that just for buying a push mower 8 years ago.

 

[Grizzly]

I can't tell you which brand to buy, but I can tell you which brand not to buy. Don't buy a Sears Craftsman with a Tecumseh engine.

 

[Skydiver]

For the money, look at the older Kubota units. Find a commercial diesel unit with less than 1000 hours that had been maintained and it will last.



Hoefler, 20 acres on 10 gallons is remarkable. My 26 horse Kuboota ZTR uses 0. 8-1. 0 gph.

 

[kenny61]

Sounds like you need an ATV with accesories.



Swisher Mower & Machine Co. : Swisherize Your ATV



Just in case you need an excuse for the wife

 

[HBarlow]

The JD LA series are well regarded by Consumer Reports testers and will provide many years of good service in light duty mowing and other chores around your home. They are belt driven.

NONE of the compact tractors or lawn tractors sold with a John Deere badge are actually built or assembled in a JD factory.

The JD compact tractors are all Yanmar tractors from Communist China and I don't know whe builds the lawn tractor size but it it not John Deere.

I bought a Kubota B2920 for mowing, plowing, front end loader work, tilling, spraying, and trailer moving. It was built in Japan.

 

[AHolt]

Hello Dan,

I bought a JD, Z turn last year from James in Fairport.

I was told same machine as Lowe,s, but I would need to take

it to dealer to get repairs. I paid less money then I could

have from Box store. I think you would be better off

getting a snow blower by itself. People I know that tried

rider with blower didn't like them.

 

[KLauber]

I've got a L110 series JD, got over 200 hrs on it, 6 years young, w/ 17 hp Kohler single cyl. , hydraulic drive, the darn thing fell off the trailer over some rr tracks on its way to get reg. maintenance @ 40 mph, we just rolled back on the trailer, took it to the dealer replaced the plastic hood, made sure the mowing deck wasnt bent, and took it home. Runs like a champ to this very day, it just got its first set of new tires not a month ago. John Deeres are very reliable, no matter where you get them, and I wouldnt buy any other brand.

will