Riding mower question

gunlovingirl

gunlovingirl

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I think I probably know the answer to this, but thought I'd ask anyway. Between the summers getting hotter every year and my health issues, I think I'm going to have to give up the walk behind mower next season. I like the exercise, but the heat and humidity does bad things to me now. I thought about hiring it out to a lawn service, but figure the money I paid for one season would go a long way to buying a riding mower. Is there such a thing as a decent rider for under $1000? My yard isn't that big, maybe 1/3 acre (guesstimate). I'm not interested in anything other than mowing with it. Except maybe pulling a small cart for mulch, yard waste, etc. I "might" consider a used one, but I always hate to take a chance on buying someone else's problems. Suggestions?
 
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Misty, I'm no land owner, and don't know squat about riding mowers, but maybe if the yard isn't too big you can get a neighborhood kid to mow it for a ten spot and some lemonade....:)
 
I need to mow pretty much 10 months of the year. In sub tropic heat and humidity. I have been using a Snapper riding mower since I was a kid at home. It's a riding mower, not a tractor. For a residential yard it is perfect.

The lawn tractors are too big for my needs and a real pain to take the blades off to sharpen. The Snapper can be stood up on the rear, remove the blade, sharpen and put it back down.

It's the only "riding mower" I like. The rest are tractors.
 
sipowicz said:
Misty, I'm no land owner, and don't know squat about riding mowers, but maybe if the yard isn't too big you can get a neighborhood kid to mow it for a ten spot and some lemonade....:)
Click to expand...

You know Sip, I've thought about that for a long time. Unfortunately, any neighborhood kids would want a lot more than a ten spot. I remember back when we would go around town and rake leaves, mow yards, shovel snow, etc for a couple bucks. It was a way to earn money for that new bike. Nowadays it's impossible to find kids who do that sort of thing. My neighbor is an elderly (about my age ;)) heavy-set woman. She used to have a neighbor mow her lawn. But she now does it herself. I have this fear that one day I'm going to look out and see her laying dead behind her lawn mower. She told me the neighbor wanted $25 a week to mow her lawn, which is smaller than mine, even if he didn't have to mow it that week. I figure if I can get a rider, it wouldn't take but a few extra minutes and maybe $1 worth of gas to mow hers when I mow mine.
 
I owned a snapper rear engine with single blade. Good mower that lasted years.
For your size yard it would prolly do fine and not exceed your budget too much although I haven't priced one in years.
Due to my yard size I went with a 3-blade tractor type before getting a zero turn. Until something new comes out that outperms the zero turn, I wouldn't consider anything else. For speed and manuverability, nothing comes close. Of course I doubt you find one in any condition at all for $1K but the time saved in mowing is worth what I paid.
 
gunlovingirl said:
You know Sip, I've thought about that for a long time. Unfortunately, any neighborhood kids would want a lot more than a ten spot. I remember back when we would go around town and rake leaves, mow yards, shovel snow, etc for a couple bucks. It was a way to earn money for that new bike. Nowadays it's impossible to find kids who do that sort of thing. My neighbor is an elderly (about my age ;)) heavy-set woman. She used to have a neighbor mow her lawn. But she now does it herself. I have this fear that one day I'm going to look out and see her laying dead behind her lawn mower. She told me the neighbor wanted $25 a week to mow her lawn, which is smaller than mine, even if he didn't have to mow it that week. I figure if I can get a rider, it wouldn't take but a few extra minutes and maybe $1 worth of gas to mow hers when I mow mine.
Click to expand...

+1 on the snapper. Also if you get it you can cut your neighbor's lawn for $25 and pay for the mower in a couple of years. :D
 
Find someone that knows about riders to go with you and look at a used one. I used to do small engine repair and learned a lot from reading the shop manuals to do them. The newer engines have some rather tricky technology built into them, but there are forums all over the internet that deal with just about any problem. A lady gave me a Murray that wouldn't start because nobody around here realized that the compression release is on the camshaft and if the valves are slightly loose it don't work.
Find a person that knows his/her stuff a try to find a good used trade in. They should be well below a grand for sure.
Good luck,
Gordon
 
:) Misty go to Walmart and get the cheapest Murray mower you can find. No bigger than your yard is it will last for years. You might find them on sale at the end of the season. Don
 
A used but cared for rear engine Snapper would fit the bill as well as anything you are likely to find. Don't get in a hurry, and between driving around looking on the sides of the road, localsalesnetwork.com, and craigslist, you can find a very nice one for far less than a grand. If one looks good, starts and runs o.k., there really isn't much else there to go wrong.
 
sipowicz said:
Misty, I'm no land owner, and don't know squat about riding mowers, but maybe if the yard isn't too big you can get a neighborhood kid to mow it for a ten spot and some lemonade....:)
Click to expand...

Sip is right, while the young man is mowing, I'd head out to the Esso station, get the oil changed on the Desoto, hit the Barber for a nickel haircut (damn money doesn't go as far as it used to) with the money saved I'd buy myself one of those new fangled color tv's.
 
I used a push gas mower till I was about 65 and I decided to throw in the towel and get a riding mower like all of my neighborhood swells. I have an acre including both front and back yards and had always prided myself on push mowing for the exercise. When I did go to the riding job, I bought the cheapest thing I could find, MTD for a grand. Still on it. Some of these guys around here with deep pockets throw away 2 and 3 grand for a mower, and their yards don't look any better than mine. Go figure?
 
Buy one like this and you be the neighborhood kid. Get 4 or 5 $20-25 yards and you'd pay for it in no time and then it would be a little extra wam. :D

I've got 2 neighbors with acre sized yards that I mow. Seldom get off my mower, no trimming, just mow and blow the drive off with the mower. I get $70 and it takes about 1 1/2 hours and 2 gallons of gas. I average about 25 cuts a year and I'm on my 12th year of doing this. I kept a Dixie Chopper 17 hp 50" for 10 years and am on my 2nd year of a new Grasshopper 26hp 52" ztr.

I've never used a mower like this Bradley but it looks like a dandy. 16 hp Kawasaki would be more than enough power and hydro drive ztr would make it a blast to operate. Oil filter is easy reach, tilt back for blade access, 5 gal tank would last a good while. $2850/best offer shipped.

36" Stand On Zero Turn Mower, Electric Start-Kawasaki | eBay
 
We don't use small mowers as our yard is about 3 acres lol. Our current is a Grasshopper 721D with a 60 inch cut, been using it about 5/6 years now. I think the best bet is to find a good mower shop in your area and see if you can pick up a used Snapper. I helped our neighbor find one on Craigslist, in very good condition, for $325 two years ago, and aside from having to replace tire bushings and a belt she has had no problems. But you have to be careful buying on Craigslist, that's why I say find a mower shop, you might pay a little more for a used one from them but you could be reasonably sure there are no problems with it and it should have some type of warranty.
 
buy a sheep. You can get one for under a $100 and it will keep your yard groomed and they live for years! Plus you can sell the coats for some extra cash every year. It's a win-win-win!
 
Neighborhood kids?? Are you kidding me? None of the kids in my neighborhood ever mow the grass. I guess it's too hard and their parents are concerned about child abuse charges. If I see anyone mowing the grass in my neighborhood it's the parents.
 
I bought the cheapest rider Ace hardware carried on sale in 1999. The deck is worn and I have replaced 2 drive belts and the battery this spring but it stills mows OK. I mow about 1/3-1/2 acre here and did 1/2 acre + at the old house.
My allergies really dropped by going to a rider. Even bagging with a push mower put too much grass near my face.
 
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