Suggestions on riding mowers

[ksu_chainsaw]

If you were just looking for a mower for that small of a lot, and not something to pull a trailer with, I would look at one of the commmercial walk-behind mowers.  The Exmarks are a wonderful mower, and will last forever- my neighbor has one with over 3000 hours on it and it still runs like new.  The exmark zero turn mowers are also a well built mower and zero turn to boot. 

just my 2 cents

Charles

[ScottAR]

Those craftsman mowers keep the parts store in business
and me a paycheck.   Even a Gates green wrapped belt won't hold up.

Think we've put 3 deck belts and 2 trans belts on the pre MTD Toro
since '85...  If the motor ever dies
on it, I'm going Zero turn...  Probably Bad Boy brand, maybe used.

[trim4u2nv]

We just purchased a exmark zero turn riding 31HP.  This is a real time saver on 5 acres.  On 1/2 acre  there are some smaller zero turns by toro would make more sense.   Or an exmark walk behind would be my choice for a smaller lot. 

[Tom]

I'm leaning toward the high-school boy down the street.

[scsmith42]

I've had a Scag zero turn commercial mower for 4 years.  It replaced a Craftsman rider.  No comparison.  I figure that the Scag will be a 25 year mower for me, and when you amortize the price over 25 years versus 5 or so for a craftsman, the Scag actually worked out to be cheaper in the long run!

The darn thing has so much power that it will pull a wheelie...

Mowing time - what took 8 hours on the Craftsman now takes 2 on the Scag...  plus I look forward to mowing.

[Quartlow]

I'm leaning toward the high-school boy down the street.

you mean you found one that will work?  :D :D

I've got an older Deere 216. The 200 serries where tough tractors with some even having hydraulic lift. Mine does all the garden tilling and mows up to a couple acres at times. Parts are still readily available of though in the 5 years I've had mine the only thing's I've done to it is replace the belts twice and Once when I got it and last year. Last year I also reringed the engine. And a new set of tires. Theres 220 pounds of wheel weights on the rear and 100 pounds of front end weights.    It gets driven in the woods for firewood when i don't feel like getting out the H or the dozer.

Hp options where 10,12,14 and 16 HP
Decks ranged from 39 to 52 inches.
I paid $500 for it with the tiller attachement.
I'll probably keep rebuilding it till parts are no longer available

[Don_Papenburg]

Norm ,you like that 455?  I was diapointed in the one my dad had , I have a 430 with 60" deck.  I thought that the 455 was not up to the standards that should come from Deere .  We traded our 420 and 850 with 72" deck  for the 595 4x4  this spring .  I got a tiller with the deal  realy like it . and the 62" mower deck does not need to be cleaned out as often as the old 60" deck. I think that the 595 was a great improvement over the 455.

[SwampDonkey]

First Choice: Kubota (based on experience, the engine on our 22 year old Kabota never missed a beat). You'll pay more, but ya got something for your money. ;)

Second Choice: Troybuilt (only based on name)

I don't mow in the heat, since i have an MTD 4.5 HP push mower. Also, I have no inhibitions about walking. I've also found that I can cover my lawn just as fast on foot as with a sit down (2.5 hrs). Also, there are no booboo's like bark removal. ;)

[sawguy21]

Unfortunately, Troybilt is now a rebadged MTD. The original company went under several years ago. The commercial wide area walk behind mowers work well with an experienced operator, especially with a stand on attachment, but take some time to get used to. The newbie needs to practice a lot in an open area at low throttle.

[SwampDonkey]

The bankruptcy

[Norm]

I guess I don't have much to compare it with Mike, I've always had 455's since they came out. The one before was not aws and was not near as easy to mow with. I've been looking at the exmark zero turn and will most likely sell mine and get one next spring. I mow about 4 acres and would like to not have to take all day to mow. Only good part is I get a great tan. :D

[pineywoods]

I mow about 4 acres, and I had just about all of them, including tractor drawn. I recently bought a 42 inch Ferris zero-turn. They aren't that common, but if you can find a dealer, check it out. This thing is built like a tank. The deck, which is usually the first thing to go, is welded up out of 1/4 steel plate with reenforcments in the high stress areas. All the idlers and spindles have grease fittings. The deck is belt-driven by a heavy industrial belt running over 6 inch pulleys. I'd stay away from shafts and gearboxes, especially if your lawn is rough. Belts will slip and break, but  are cheap compared to gearboxes.  Most of the cheaper zero-turns have pump, control, and motor for each side built into a single unit, Cheaper to build but expensive to repair. Best deal is a separate off the shelf wheel motor for each side, one pump and 2 control valves, or better yet, 2 separate variable dispacement pumps.
The zero-turns have 2 big advantages
1. You spend all your time mowning, not turning around, backing, getting ready for another pass.
2. trimming is drasticly reduced. You can circle a tree and leave 1/2 inch of uncut grass.

I'm sold.

[mike_van]

I'm a Deere fan for garden tractors - never owned a new one - The 285 I use now  I bought used some 5 or 6 years ago, 1200 hrs then, 1800 now. A few belts, a new set of blades, I think they're good solid machines. I just mow with it, vac up 2 acres of leaves in the fall. In the early 70's I had a 110, put a snowplow, weight box & chains on it - It was like a little tank - right up untill all the gears stripped out of the transmission - Can't blame Deere for that one though - In high school I worked at the local lawnmower shop, he sold Islanders - Anybody remember those? There were about 8 or 9 belts on them, it was a never ending deal changing them -

[scsmith42]

Pineywoods - I've heard good things about the Ferris and the Scag and the Ferris are very similar. 

If you want to buy a great mower, just look at what the seasoned pro's are predominantly using in your area.  Folks that make their living by mowing are going to seek out the fastest, least-maintenance products.

[highpockets]

We bought a Toro Zero Turn Mower five years ago.  About the only thing I can complain about is the blades won't stay sharp and it does not seem to keep the fuel tank full.  So far we have 250 hours on it and not a problem to be had.  I understand they are conisdered to be at least a 2500 hour machine.  It should last until I am 106. 

[Raphael]

We've got a 1970 12hp Simplicity & a 1972 10hp Allis Chalmers...  Guess we'll keep them since they refuse to die.

[jackpine]

Raphael's post reminded me to ask what happened to the 10 & 12 hp riding mowers? Everything now is at least 15 hp and most are 20 hp +.

If 12 hp was good enough, and it was, what is the sense of burning more fuel to do the same job. My current mower is 17.5 hp and doesent cut any faster or better than my old Ford (Jacobsen) 12 hp, both have 42" decks. What it does tho is burn almost twice the gas >:( In fact the mower burns more gas per hour than the 25hp Kohler on my mill and I have yet to sell a blade of grass :D

[Ed]

Several years ago the makers of the cheaper riding mowers started to use horsepower as a selling point. They couldn't compete on quality with the high end tractors. So they use big hp & low price.
The other companies had to up the hp to match. Kinda like Monkey see, Monkey do.

Our mid 80's 420 Deere had a 20hp Onan and a 60" mower deck, The new 724 Deere has a 27hp fuel injected Kawasaki and a 62" mower. I don't think the extra 7hp is needed. The fuel useage seems to be about the same as the old tractor, small engine technology has come a long way.

Ed

[mike_van]

I think horsepower matters to a point - I've had a few 10's & 12's - Kohler's if I remember right - 48" deck, if you got a little behind - especially in the crabgrass season, boy you were down in grandma gear to get through it - My 285 has the 18 hp Kawasaki, water cooled, 2 cyl. - It is soooo quiet & smooth compared to the one cly. Kohlers, I could never go back, and I don't have to slow up - It just goes - Somewhere I read internal combustion engines were only 60% efficient ?  So, on a 10 hp, you really only have 6 doing the work?

[Tophat]

I took the plunge and purchased a zero turn mower.  I wanted one with a sturdy deck as my wife tends to snag a fence post or two.... I could not find one unless I went with a Comercial type.. I ended up getting a Gravely 48 in.  It has a very sturdy deck and have had no problems with it for the past three years.  Yes it was expensive... around 6 K But it sure beats buying a $1000 mower every year ot two.  Besides that, it cut my wife's  :D mowing and trimming time in half,  She only has maybe 1 1/2 acre to cut- her choice. I really enjoyed cutting the grass with this mower, but once she got used to the stearing, she loves it.  I will never go back to a "regular" mower. 8)

[submarinesailor]

Has anyone tried the "Lastec" from Wood-Mizer????

Bruce

[scsmith42]

Sub - a friend of mine bought one.  He loves the cut, but has had a lot of problems with the hydraulics.  Woodmizer has stood completely behind it (as per their excellent reputation), but it's still spent almost 3 months in the shop in the last two years.

[UNCLEBUCK]

My John Deere lawn mower is as tough as a tank , I can mow corn stalk, potatoe rows , chinese elm , you name it if I can drive it over it will be shredded, even pulls a 9000 pound gravity box around on flat ground . Pretty good for only 18 horsepower but maybe its the extra ballast in the seat . It really is a tough machine

[ScottAR]

I'm a believer that all hp is not created equal in today's marketing... 

Remember that Toro from earlier?  11hp 400cc engine with 42" deck...

Bought a used Craftsman "10 hp" mower with a 30" deck to do some small fenced in yards on some rentals...  If 11hp will pull a 42" deck,  10hp and a 30" ought to be great...  Or so we thought....  The Toro would run rings around it...   

We finally just rebuilt the gates to be bigger and the craftsman
went away to be someone else's problem... 

Since I bragged on the Toro one of the idler pullies has started makin' noise.
At least the deck is easy to take off...   :

[getoverit]

I recently acquired an all terrain lawn mower.

This thing will work on any lawn, and also trims hedge and clears fence rows of any debris. I call it my "oreo" lawn mower.... several different models are available, however this one comes comlete with a certain low hanging appendage. It does make a funny sounding noise when it runs out of fuel though







:D :D :D