Suggestions on riding mowers

[farmerdoug]

I am looking to purchase a new riding mower.  I am wondering what your opinions on the different makes and models are. 
I am looking for one to cut about a half acre of lawn.  And also to pull a cart and sprayer around with too.

What ones do you guys use and what are your likes/dislikes of them?  Do you have any beefs about certain ones or praise if that is the case?

Thanks in advance,
Doug

[getoverit]

I have a sears 42" deck riding mower and will be replacing it soon. I'm pretty sure this mower was made by MTD and the craftsman name slapped on it. I have seen the verysame mower at several places and with different names. I have learned a lesson with this one. The deck is too thin and the sandy yard I have eats holes in the deck. The bearings on the deck dont last long either.

The next mower will have a much thicker deck and blade bearings that are greasable.

[Don_Papenburg]

I bought a used 595 John Deere this spring . It came with  a tiller a blade and 52" mower deck . It is diesel and four wheel drive .   More than you need for an acre but if you are spraying in the backwoods then maybe .  I like the fuel efficiancy of the diesel.  the four wheel drive comes in handy on my hills and ditches . I have put almost 100 hours on it this summer .  
I don't think I would buy anything but top line garden tractors from Deere . My opinion is that their lesser models are just that . The older models all had quality of the top line models but not the newer ones.

[scsmith42]

Doug, what kind of budget do you have for your mower?  That will affect my recommendation.

[DanG]

I have a Crapsman 16hp, 42" dark green 1998 model.  I have give this thing a rough way to go,and it's still running good.  I mow about 2 acres of rough ground with it, and have hit lots of roots and debris.  It's true, the deck is a bit thin, but I don't have a sand problem.  I've done a lot of patching on the deck, but would have done less if I had reinforced it before it got damaged.  The mandrels and housings are a bit fragile, but widely available for a reasonable price.  I have done nothing to the Briggs engine, and am on only the second drive belt.  The deck belt is another story...I'm on the second one of those for this season, and it is getting a bit wimpy.  Overall, I'd buy another one just like it for $999.

BTW, it's made by American Yard Products(AYP).

[metalspinner]

I've got a 42" Craftsman also and can't stand it.  The deck does not want to hold its adjustments.  The main drive belt keeps slipping off, as well.   I have a 1 1/2 acre law to mow and it takes me about 1.5 hrs to knock it down at top speed.  When I make a hard left turn the deck digs in and leaves a low spot.  I have checked the air pressure in the tires to eliminate that variable.  Overall, I am disappointed with this mowers performance.

At some point I would like one of those zero turn mowers to get around the trees and shrubs better.  ot sure which brand, though.

[joelmar10]

DanG near all mowers are made by MTD!   That includes Craftsman (non AYP), Lawn Boy, Snapper, Toro, White, Troybuilt, Murray, Yardman, Huskees and small JD Cub Cadets.  Hard to find a good tractor type mower unless you spend what you would on a late model used car.  Bought an "entry level" 18 hp 46" MTD to mow five acres.   Lasted two summers before I got tired of being a lawn mower mechanic.  Would have been easier and cheaper to hire the neighbor with his Farmall and Woods belly mower.  When it comes to MTD stuff, imho, you get what you pay for and no more.  Keep in mind I've only owned one MTD so YMMV.  When I move back to the country I'm thinking about spending the money on sheep and chicken tractors to keep it down.  :D 

[Onthesauk]

I'm almost two years into a TroyBuilt, (made by MTD,) and so far so good.  It's the biggest one, maybe 22hp, and got good reviews by Consumer Report.

[sawguy21]

For a half acre I would look at Ariens or Snapper rear engine riders. They are very manoevorable and reasonably priced. Your area is a bit small to justify a zero turn and the conventional tractors are not nimble enough.

[DanG]

What Sawguy said!  You should be able to knock it out in a half hour with a 10hp, 30" rider, and the single blade will do a nicer job of it too.

[Ed]

As others have said, you won't need a really big mower.
My dad bougth his first Deere in 1969. We have run them ever since. Dad just spent a chunk of my inheritance on a new all wheel steer 724.  8) 8) At least I do get to use it!
Maybe check with a local Deere dealer for a used machine.

Ed

[brdmkr]

I have a Craftsman 16.5 hp, 42" cut, hydro drive.  Motor is OK, drive is OK.  I've had it 5 years, and I've had trouble with the deck, pulleys, bearings, etc. associated with the deck every year since the second year.  I only mow a little over a half acre.  Reading the posts above, it seems like a crapshoot with Craftsman.  Some seem good some not.  I for one, will not buy another.  The problem I am having with this one is it runs too well and is too new to get rid of just because of deck problems.

[beenthere]

The all-wheel-steer Deere is what I have, and they are selling for around $4-5k used, but can be found in gas or diesel.  The AWS Deere is probably more mower than one needs for a ½ acre, but that is not what counts for me - its what feels good underneath my seat.  ;D  There are well-built smaller Deere machines too. A 277 all-wheel-steer comes to mind. 

Here's a corner of mine, using it to put a tug on a hickory limb.   ;D



It mows 8 acres well and fast.

[thurlow]

Here's a corner of mine, using it to put a tug on a hickory limb. 

Not sure I understand the concept of tugging on a hickory limb with a lawn mower; ;D  Wouldn't it have been (there) simpler to have just taken a shotgun to the limb? :D :D :D

[beenthere]

 ;D ;D ;D

[isawlogs]

 Helping the squirrels reach the nuts .

[metalspinner]

Another irritation on my Craftsman is the sterring wheel.  I've had this thing for 5 years now and every year the steering wheel rotates its position on the column clockwise just a little bit.  The central spoke on the steering wheel is now rotated about 40 degrees clockwise from factory setting. : I don't get it.  There is no slop in the steering and the wheel is locked tight to the column.  Maybe I should start mowing in a counter clockwise direction and wait 5 years to see if it will find its way back to the right position. :D

[beenthere]

metalspinner
Must have a hydraulic connect (power steering) to the front steering wheels, as a mechanical linkage couldn't do that.  That indicates some slippage of fluid in the valve assembly that is rotated when you turn the steering wheel, and results in less than full movement of the cylinder turning the front wheels (if I understand your comment correctly).  My Deere has a little of that, but not very noticeable, unless one has a spinner on the steering wheel and it is noticably in a different location. 

The low end lawn tractors with mechanical linkage and no power steering will not slip. 

[isawlogs]

 I also have a Craftman mower .. two for that matter ... A 98 dark green 18 HP  magnum Kohler has the steering issue .. I can turn much sharper in one direction then the other  :
  I put a new deck on the 18 HP last year , got it on E-bay for under a 100 bucks, put new bearings in the mandrels and now have to put brakes on her .
  The 16,5 was bought last summer , the steering on this one also has turned some and also can turn sharper to one side , but I beleive that it is because one of the kids has made contact with a tree and front tire  ;) nobody has come up and admited to this    but I know the steering rod did not get bent in the barn   

  I would get another for what they do and what they cost , I cant see myself cutting grass on something dats more expensive then what I drive  ;D

[metalspinner]

I don't see grass cutting or my lawn as an art.  The faster I can knock it down and get back to the workshop, the better.  If I keep the blades sharp, and lean out of a curve, the Craftsman does a decent job. ( It does turn tighter to the left than the right) If I had a couple extra grand kicking around, a new table saw or lathe are on the list before a lawn tractor ever would be. ;D

[isawlogs]

   you telling me I might be blaming those kids for something they might not have done  :

Oh well , wont be the first time .  ;D :D :D :D

[Tom]

I am hoping that this is the last season with our craftsman mower and kohler engine.  We have had nothing but trouble with it.  The maintenance agreement is useless and just a way for Sears to make more money.  The deck has been replaced the engine has had many dollars spent on it and still doesn't run decent.  Beads on the tires leak and I have trouble getting into the seat.  It's a quasi-step through but meant for a skinny, young man.

[Bro. Noble]

About 30 years ago,  Dad was asking me that same question about riding mowers.  I suggested we get a 3-pt finish mower and use it on the little (38 hp) JD 830 utility tractor we had just bought.  Kad and I both have big yards  and now we mow 4 yards and the area around the sawmill with the rig.  The tractor was used and cost $6500 and the mower was around  $1200.  Both have been almost trouble free for all that time and hopefully will last a lot more years.  We would have worn out several of the best riding mowers that money could buy during that time.  The tractor has seen daaily use doing everything you can imagine on the farm.  If you have a large yard,  I would sure give a 3-pt finish mower a consideration.

[Norm]

Maybe a little large for your yard but I've got a JD455 AWS. It's almost 10 years old and has taken the abuse of me and two teenage sons growing up. It still works well and is great if you have to mow around very many trees like I do. The JD mowers are built very well and last a long time even though they cost more. Before that we went through two Murray's that would break at the front spindles. Never regreted spending the money.

[jkj]

How much grass do you have to mow?

My experience - I moved here to the farm a few years ago and mow around the house, along the lane, around the fields, and around the sawmill, of course.  I probably mow a acre+ (I haven't measured), some flat, some rolling hills.  I first used a Craftsman riding mower.

That thing beat me to death.  It was slow, hard to steer, had rocks for suspension, and felt unsafe off level ground.  I used it a while then got a Toro 52" zero-turn mower with 18 horse twin cylinder Kawasaki.  There is no comparison.  I could literally mow in 1/4 of the time it took me with the riding lawnmower, the mowing was comfortable - fun even.  I felt far safer on the hills.

However, after a couple of years, I added a larger zero-turn mower - a Kubota 25hp 3-cylinder diesel with a 60" cut.  Wow!  The Toro seems like a toy next to this.  The mower deck is welded up from steel instead of stamped, edged with 1/2" thick steel.  It's heavy, but uses a hydraulic cylinder to raise and lower.  The ride is smoother and quieter than the Toro and the mowing is much faster.  The tires are bigger so the traction is better on the hills especially when the grass is damp.  Being diesel powered makes for good fuel economy and the water-cooled diesel should last a long time.  Uses a PTO and gearbox instead of a belt drive to get power to the mower deck.  Seatbelt and ROPS for safety.

The most surprising thing about the Kubota was the built-in jack!  Pop a cover open, unfold a crank, and the entire front axle pivots to jack up the front end to provide access to the blades!  I don't know if this is Kubota's idea or if they borrowed it from someone else, but it is a very good idea.

The only down side of the Kubota is the wider deck - it won't fit between a couple of my trees and won't fit on my smaller 5' wide trailer without removing the sides.  And it's not cheap, but should last until I'm too old to mow!

Both zero-turns made mowing so easy and fun I actually look forward to it.  However, neither are recommended for pulling carts and things - I use a 4-wheeler for that.

If you have a lot to mow, you might want to at least try out a zero-turn.  I see a lot of brands for sell these days. (Edit: oops, I see you said you mow about 1/2 acre.  One of the smaller zero-turns would probably be perfect.)

JKJ