Let's talk riding lawnmowers for a minute

[Andy Perreault]

I have 1. 33 acres that's almost all grass. I'm about to buy a riding lawnmower, but I have no idea what to look for. What features are good/necessary/unnecessary? Who makes the good ones? Honda? John Deere? How much horsepower is enough?

I figure I'll look in the classifieds for a used one, because I don't know how long I'll be living here.

Thanks in advance for any advice y'all can give me. I probably won't be back on this site until the weekend.

Andy

 

[illflem]

I like my JD 545, mows 4 acres weekly during the summer, three years zero problems. Three wheeler, 52" cut, turns on a dime but pricey. It's 18 hp Kawasaki engine seems to be plenty. It has what JD calls unitized power, all hydrostatic, the motor oil and hydraulic oil are one in the same. Front mower deck comes off easily and a 40" snow blower goes on. Your choice really depends on what you're mowing, a lawn with landscaping and trees or a grass field. Can't go wrong with a Honda engine no matter what name comes on the mower. Mulching setup is great if you are mowing a lawn and don't want to deal with bags and clippings. Stay away from belt and chain drives, go with hydrostatic.



Use a 8' flail mower with 80hp JD tractor for trimming the 120 acres next to the lawn.

 

[DarrellB]

Here's what I think

If you are just mowing grass and not going to be pulling a yard cart or something like that get a zero-turn mower. There are all kinds out there Scags, Grasshopper, Snapper, Toro, BushHog, Woods, Dixie Chopper, Great Dane, and Bob Cat just to name a few. I bought a used Scag zero-turn mower about 3 years ago and I will NEVER cut my grass with a riding mower again. These mowers will cut your time in half if not more. I used to mow 2 to 3 hours until I got my Scag and now I mow in 45 minutes. these mowers are pricey compared to riding mowers but get the job done fast and really make your yard look good. If you do go with a riding mower stay away from Craftsman, had one and it was a POS. I constantly had to work on that thing and it never mowed right. I think John Deere, Cub Cadet, and Kubota are the best can't go wrong with either of those I reckin.



www.scagpowerequipment.com

www.grasshopperlawnmowers.com

www.snapper.com

www.cubcadet.com

www.dixon-ztr.com

www.kubota.com

www.dixiechopper.com

www.greatdanemowers.com

www.deere.com

www.bushhog.com

www.whatsthebest-lawnmower.com



Try those and see what ya think

Darrell

 

[bighammer]

I'd get a walk-behind commercial mower deck. JMO, but I wouldn't want to be seen on a toy tractor or rider mower.

 

[swampfox]

I've had a couple and I mow about two acres. Spend a few extra dollors and get a John Deere, CubCadet, Wheelhorse, Toro or Honda. Try to get hydrostatic drive... much nicer. Don't get one with a Briggs and Stratton engine..... The one I currently have has one and its a pia..... I,m going to break down and see if I can find a used JD or Cubcadet.

 

[Oasis-3]

Andy I have an MDT 14. 5 Briggs with a 42" cut I got it used from a neighbor for $600 That was 4 years ago so far a new battery $50 and a starter seloniod $10 just over an acre in an hour.

I am happy with it



Good Luck

Cliff

 

[Heetseeker_1]

It's in the parts

I have a craftsman 19. 5hp briggs and the 42" deck with manual shift. It's fairly new, about 3yrs old. I do the oil and filter changes and it runs fine... no probs with the performance. Now, what I found after going through several welding operations on 2 other models I have owned is...



The mower you want should have:



A solid cast iron front axle to the spindles. This has been a weak point on lesser quality tractors. Don't accept anything else.



A sealed mower deck. The Craftsman allows grass clippings to come up through the deck and collect around the shaft and pulleys. This will heat up and may ignite



An exhaust that exits away from oncoming dry grass, preferably to the side or back, not the front like Craftsman.



Built in drink holders, for obvious reasons.



If you have alot of trees to manuver around, consider the spendy but cool orchard/type mowers with swivel casters in front. It saves you alot of backing up.



Good luck.



Steve.

 

[Oliver88]

I use an E-mark Lazer Z (owned by Toro) 23 horsepower kohler engine. This is a zero turn mower. I will not go back to a conventional mower. I mow just a little bit more than you and it cut my time in more than half. They are pricey but if you take care of them they'll last you along time. Check them out at:



www.exmark.com



Greg



P. S. It mows banks that wouldn't consider getting on with a conventional mower for fear of turning over.

 

[TPCDrafting]

I have 20 acres, it only takes the horses a week or so and they've get er mowed nicely, they refertilize as they go as well. For the front yard I have a 15 horse Craftsmen. I got it slightly used for $500, so I couldn't pass it up. Came with trailer, snow plow, chains and wheel weights. I use it all year long for manure patrol in the corrals and only have to mow a few times in the summer. It's not a lawn, just whatever comes up so I don't know the quality of the mow. I've had zero probs with the Kohler motor. Wished it had cup holders and more traction when pulling a load.

 

[muddyboots]

I have a John Deere LX277. Mows 2 acres in 2 1/2 hours. That's around trees, shrubs, and buildings. Turns so tight that zero-turn isn't worth the extra grand. Whatever you get make sure it has hydrostatic drive.

 

[BV]

Riding Mowers

Our little neighborhood of 1/2 to 1 acre lots has Wards (by MTD), Craftsman and a JD running around.



Mine in one of the MTD's in 14hp with 42" deck and the only problem in 6 years that it has had is one of the blade spindle bearings went bad and toasted the belt. The neighbor also lost both spindles on the same model mower. Another neighbor has the MTD in 18hp with 40+" deck and has had no problems except batteries since he leaves it out in the cold/wet.



The Craftsman is an 18hp 44" deck and has ran well for 12+ years with no maintenance. I'm currently fixing this one for the owners with a broken deck lift rod and misc missing bolts, nuts and washers.



The Deere - Nothing bad that I'm aware of. Like the others mentioned - They are nice but spendy.



To do it again for my 1/2 acre of lawn (not field grass), I would go with 14hp or bigger (4bt sounds good) and it would be hydrostatic drive instead of shift on the fly.

 

[LarryB]

I have a 42" Honda baby 13hp Hyd. tractor. I made two hitches, one each side to tow two walk behind 24" regular mowers for a cut width of about 7'. Yes I have to start them all seperately but it cut my weekly mowing time from 2hr to 40min.

 

[Motorhead]

Buy good and you won't regret it! I have an old Ford riding mower with a Kohler cast iron engine. I bought this thing used 16 years ago (1979 model new), and it has never failed me. The one thing I will stress is to get one with atleast 16hp or more and stay away from the "Throw away" engines. Ditto on the cast frontends and no stamped steel frames. If you are staying put where you are, the extra investment will pay off. Isn't that why you bought the Cummins? Chris

 

[Jim Fulmer]

I have and older Cub Cadet 1600, it's 3 years old and I have changed the Battery, deck belt and one pulley... ... (bad design, new one is metal not plastic... $16. 00) I have 150 hours or so on it and like it allot but a bigger... 2000 series... . shaft drive would be better.



Jim

 

[Whitmore]

cahill has the best one, it is powered by a cummins isb 5. 9 lets see it again... ... ... . I love that thing

 

[bighammer]

Wish I still had a picture of my truck pulling a wide gang mower at the model airplane field. A Ram doesn't trim around trees very well though

 

[Irontrader]

We've got almost 4 acres and try to keep 2-1/2 to 3 acres mowed. For a couple years I used a Murray riding lawnmower which promptly wore out, besides taking too long to get the job done. I now use a Farmall Super A with a Wood's belly mower. Tractor is about 60 years old and does great! Mows the same area in half the time or less.

 

[speedracer]

I have a JD 316 that I bought used 12 years ago. It is getting a little rough around the edges but still gets the job done and has had no significant problems. I used to cut a little over an acre, now 2-3 acres. I use a Ford 800 with a 6' brush hog for the rest. Whatever you do, get something with hydrostatic drive.

 

[dmurdock]

I don't know if they still sell them, but home-depot sell's re-badged john deer's under the Scott's name. I bought one about 4 years ago and have had 0 problems (42"cut, 16hp kohler, hydro drive, sealed mulch deck) at about an acre a week (my yard and g-mother's yard combined).

 

[Heetseeker_1]

Scott mower

I've been checking those out too. Solid front axle to the spindles, spin on oil filter, drink holders but a terrible paint scheme. Orange??? Not bad if you are mowing along side the highway. My next one will be camo'd .