Anybody got one?

Do you recommend it?

In 1996, I took my 5 yr old daughter to Lowes and bought a MTD 38" mower.

Today, my little girl is almost 22 and something broke in the differential of the mower. It's done. Been a good one.

The wife says its time for a new one.

I had read good reviews on the Troy Bilt Pony.

Just looking to see if any of you boys have one also.

Thanks......

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Wake me when it's over...

nope don't know of it, but I just recently bought a Cub Cadet and love it. Nice quality unit in my estimation.

BTW Cub is a division of MTD, just like Troybilt.

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ASA/NSA 67-71
NRA Benefactor

MTD makes Troy Bilt? Didn't know that.

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Wake me when it's over...

yup, MTD bought them a few years ago.

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ASA/NSA 67-71
NRA Benefactor

If I remember correctly all of them except John Deere are now made by MTD.

Each is made to that brand's specifications.

I have a John Deere and it cuts my 1.3 acres in a breeze.

Like Sherwin Williams makes almost all paint...different combinations of materials for different named brands.

Cub Cadet doesn't use Briggs motors. They use Koehler or Kawasaki depending on the model. I have no idea about the transmission and differential. Diff's do seem to break and be a sore point.

The company I retired from had a big lawn. For decades we used a Massey Ferguson tractor. They sold it for some reason, along with all the attachments. Then bought a homeowners style rider to cut 14 acres. The owner liked Sears, so that's what we bought and broke. Some actually lasted a full season and then some. Many didn't. I guess the $1000 price tag was attractive. So when the last group broke, we just pushed/pulled the one that had given us the best service into the boiler room and left it. The following season we started an new chapter. We bought one of their better models, with the warranty. And we broke it. To cut the huge lawn the maintenance man would run it wide open. And invariably he'd bounce it and the rear end would break. Then we'd load it in my truck and haul it up to the owners house so Sears would come to replace it.

They may be stupid, but after a while they got the idea and just delivered anohter, saying we were on our own. That one didn't last 2 cuttings. It broke and got pushed into the boiler room. We hired a service to do the work. Everyone forgot about the mowers. So just over 3 years ago we had to clean out that room. Our route boss (and a good friend) asked me about them. With him I was honest. I told him to take them home if he wanted a project. He managed to sneak the new one out and took it home. When he used a fork lift to move the old frozen up one, someone complained about him stealing it. I got wind and suggested the complainer take it home himself. He didn't want that, he just didn't want anyone else to have it. So my buddy got smart and just left it at work, in the way. He fixed the nearly new one and cuts his mothers yard with it.

The drive train can cause trouble if its abused. Running wide open constitutes abuse. So does weighing 300# and bouncing it. Riders are expensive and should be carefully handled. I read the stories about the mowers lasting 20 years or more and I can't imagine it.

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Dick Burg

My 42" 19.5 horse Sears riding mower is 17 years old now and other than replacing blades and changing oil, which is a snap to do, I've not put another penny into it except the gas to run it. Here in Florida we mow every week, sometimes twice a week from April when the grass come out of dormancy 'til mid October when it goes to sleep again.
BTW, that's 1 acre.

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Dick

I have a Troy Bilt I got from Lowes. I think it is a Super Bronco and has a 19HP Kohler engine. So far I have replaced the belt twice and the blades several times. There were a lot of rocks on my property.

I would wholeheartedly recommend the Troy Bilt with the Kohler engine. I don't think the ones they sell at Lowes today have Kohler engines.

MTD makes almost all tractors. The Cub Cadet is their "premium" model and is (probably) better built. Others all have the same parts list.

Regarding John Deere, I have heard the ones sold at the big box stores aren't substantially better than anything else. To get the "good ones" you have to buy them from a John Deere dealer.

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Luke 22:36

MTD made "troy bilts" are NOT a real, 30+ year Troy Bilt.

I don't believe that the original Troy Bilt made any riding mowers...just tillers.

I've got a mid-1980's Horse that I bought new, and have worn out five sets of hardened tines on it. I have a 6hp one from the 1970's that a neighbor had for many years and it still works too.

I will confirm what Mr. Burg cannot believe- I have a late 1970's Snapper rear engine rider that is still going. I did have the rear end built in it once, but changed the clutch numerous times, and it still cuts about two acres a week. Replaced plenty of tires on it, and it's been through numerous riders over the years. I do believe that the old rear engine riders are of better build quality than any of those "hyrdo" things of today. They won't be fast or "cool" but they're the thing for years of trouble free use if you have a modest sized yard.

If a rear engine snapper can't handle it, better get a real, but small diesel Kubota tractor and a finish mower.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

I had a Troy Bilt from Lowes. Two of them as a matter of fact. Pony and then the Bronco. Belt problems all the time, deck problems, pulley problems. Don't take my word for it, go to your nearest reputable lawn equipment repair shop and ask their opinion.

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War Eagle!!!

Well, after researching I've decided on a Husqvarna 46 inch with twin piston engine.

Man I don't want to lay down that cash. May go Lowes credit card, 18 months same as cash.

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Wake me when it's over...

I got the Pony from Lowes about 2 years ago. Has been perfect ever since. The only thing i don't like is that you can't mow in reverse. My older mower would.

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Semper Fi

Before you 'pull the trigger' on the Husky, ( a good machine) personally look at the Cubs at Tractor Supply. I think you'll be impressed, especially the one with the 46 inch cut and the 2 cylinder Kohler. LTX1046

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ASA/NSA 67-71
NRA Benefactor

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing, over and over, and expecting a different result.

Somebody in this story had their head in a very dark, unsanitary place.

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'Merica!

The biggest problem with most of the newer tractors is that the hydraulic pump is built into the rear axle if it has hydrostatic drive and if the hydraulic pump goes out, you replace the whole rear axle.....big bucks on most tractors, I know on JD's that can run you into the 3-4K category on the larger units.

I've got an older Cub 3208, and a 3225 I bought off Ebay for the snowblower that came with it. The owner took it to a JD dealer when the hydraulics went out on the 3225, the JD dealer told him it would be 2500 plus to repair it, so he traded it for a new JD. I bought the tractor with the 45 inch snowblower, 54 inch mower deck, and other extras and repaired it for less than 125 dollars as Cub used an external "charge pump" for the hydraulics, took me less than 90 minutes to repair it.

Personally I don't like the belt driven decks used on 75% of the new riding mowers, I prefer the shaft driven decks.

Sadly Cub discontinued the 3000 series a few years ago during their failed joint venture with Yanmar to build a larger tractor with 4 wheel drive etc to compete with the high dollar JD units.

The Cubs you buy at TSC, HD etc are a cheaper built unit than the ones you can get at a real Cub dealer, shop around and compare them, my dealer will sell you a tractor with more standard features not offered on the TSC and HD units for the same price.

Yes I looked at those also. I like those. To me, I always associated Cub Cadet with Golf Course equipment for some reason. They have a good reputation.

But......my youngest daughter is working at Lowes this summer while out of college and she gets a 10% discount.

Plus.....I believe now you get an additional 5% if you use the Lowes credit card with 18 months same as cash.

If I had infinitely deep pockets, I would love to get a Kubota small tractor.

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Wake me when it's over...

I have a Troy Built rider. Mine is a 42" cut Bronco Model with an 18 1/2 HP B&S one cylinder engine. I have had it about 8 years and it has given good service. It has a variable speed transmission, but not a hydrostatic drive. I have replaced the deck drive belt at least once, and just last week replaced the main drive belt, which is a real chore for a 71 year old who is not yet recovered from a broken femur from earlier this year! The Troy Built Pony is built less ruggedly than the Bronco. For instance, it has a stamped steel front axlewhile the Bronco has a cast iron front axle. I had a Snapper for about 20 years, and my Dad had one for at least that long. Snapper is now owned by B&S, I believe. Most of the transaxles for riding mowers are built by the same company, Peerless. Some are repairable and some aren't. My walk behind mower that I use for trimming is 59 years old and still going. It depends on how you treat them.

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Tom
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