Riding lawnmower recommendations?

ChuckS1

ChuckS1

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Didn't want to hijack Cajunlawyer's mower thread, so I'll start my own.

My 42" Sears riding mower has finally bit the dust. Given that Labor Day's coming up, I hope to snag a sale at Home Depot, Lowes,or Sears. Also have a John Deere dealer and a Kubota dealer who sells riding mowers (the cream and yellow ones, forget the name). Got about an acre to mow, not all of it flat. Seems like most of the ones I've seen have hydrostatic transmissions, but not adverse to the manual one. Being the cheap bast**d that I am, I'd like to get the most mower for the least cost. But understanding you get what you pay for, I want something that's not gonna **** out on me two years from now. Really don't like the zero-turn mowers with the lateral controls, probably because it reminds me of driving M113s back in the day :). Looking for a 42" deck. Don't need it to do much more than cut grass since I have a Kubota tractor and bush hog for the heavy duty cutting and snow plow work.

So, who's got opinions on what's good and what's not?
 
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I've got a 3 year old Deere LA105 (42", 110 hours). Neighbor has a Toro 42" zero turn. I'm considering going from Green to Red this Labor Day. I've got 2.25 acres (about 1.5 is grass). If the 50" will fit thru my back gate, I'd love it. Otherwise I'll have to think about the welder (for the gate getting bigger) or the 42"!

I saw the 50" for like $2599 @ the Depot. Had a 10% off coupon they sent someplace.....

ChuckS1 said:
Didn't want to hijack Cajunlawyer's mower thread, so I'll start my own.

My 42" Sears riding mower has finally bit the dust. Given that Labor Day's coming up, I hope to snag a sale at Home Depot, Lowes,or Sears. Also have a John Deere dealer and a Kubota dealer who sells riding mowers (the cream and yellow ones, forget the name). Got about an acre to mow, not all of it flat. Seems like most of the ones I've seen have hydrostatic transmissions, but not adverse to the manual one. Being the cheap bast**d that I am, I'd like to get the most mower for the least cost. But understanding you get what you pay for, I want something that's not gonna **** out on me two years from now. Really don't like the zero-turn mowers with the lateral controls, probably because it reminds me of driving M113s back in the day :). Looking for a 42" deck. Don't need it to do much more than cut grass since I have a Kubota tractor and bush hog for the heavy duty cutting and snow plow work.

So, who's got opinions on what's good and what's not?
Click to expand...
 
I would go with Deere. Right now they offer 12 month with 0%. Sounds fair to me and you have a good brand mower.
 
Couple years back I bought a Simplicity and love it.

Observations while I was looking.
JD seemed cheap,plastic hood and all.
Simplicity has a metal hood.

JD has fancy electronics to tell you things like when to change your oil. Seems like stuff to break and cause problems later down the road.I change my oil once a year,period.
Simplicity has no fancy computer electronics.

JD sales people told me the life expectancy for the 42" was 8-10 years.
Simplicity sales people tell truth when they say they have customers still using 20 year old mowers.I know people who have them.

I have a 42" deck, 21 horse Briggs with pressurized oil system with a filter.Hygro trans. Greese fittings for the front spindles and bearings in the deck.

Just my opinion :)
 
I have a John Deere 120. w 48" mower deck. I love it. I mow about a half acre every 5 or 6 days. Honestly though, I think they're all about the same. Briggs & Stratton engines, etc. Price is a factor. Service & parts should also be a factor.
 
I have a 500X Deere and I gotta say there are a few good ones out there so don't go cheap and pay twice! My Deere will hang with all of them.
 
Home Depot and Lowes will give you a 10% discount if you show your Army ID or retirement info.
 
Can't help you much with the smaller mowers, I run a 1998 Deere 445. I think the closest they have to it now is something like a 728 or something like that.

Two other people in my neighborhood have Deere 400's from the early 70's. Those are tough machines.... But we all run two stage blowers and three point hitches and whatnot. Mine has full front and rear hydraulics.... Still wish I had a little Kubota diesel though....

My friend is an engineer for Deere. They build them a few miles from my house. The proving grounds are huge fields that get mowed non-stop until a machine breaks, then they engineer how to make it last longer.

The small machines are made to last about 300 hours. They figure the average person puts on 30 hours a year and they want the mower to last 10 years before it starts to break.

The bigger mowers are run more and harder, and they are built much stronger.

I mow about two acres, and I pound the snot out of my 445. I like it fine, but 4wd and a bucket are in the future.... ;)

.
 
Love my zero turn. Once you get used to operating one, you'll never use anything else to mow a lawn/yard with. Only thing I don't like about mine is that the deck is fixed. On the models larger than my 30", the decks float.
 
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Grasshopper zeroturn, 42 inch deck, mows 3+ acres every 6-10 days depending on rain..... mower is an '06 model...so far have replaced main drive belt - once, bearings in right front spindle - once, new gator blades every spring along with an oil change and new air filter....mows coastal in sugar sand, about 3/4 mile of fence row and the trap were the haybarn is...durn thing is tough

What ever you get, go ahead and "Slime " the tires....it' ll save u alot of work
 
My solution was to hire a Landscaper. No more lawn equipment to buy, maintain, clean & store! No more teary eyes and runny nose, no more sweating in the hot humid weather, and no more need for the gasoline stench in the storage shed either.

The money I save on all the stuff pays for the Landscaper and the BEST PART IS............. I DO NOT HAVE TO DO IT! :) :)
 
Purchased a Deere in 1992 (both my wife and I holding our breath at the cost) ran it in normal service until late 2001. As luck would have took on a new job and ended up doing the yard service thing.... I bet it sat a year prior to thinking to add Sta-Bil, sat another five years, until the sons started mowing the lawn. Spring of 06' I pull it out of the garage, hit it with the hose, turn the key and it fires up.... Ran a little rough through a tank or two of gas..... In 2011, the drive system started acting wierd, took it back $175 later back on the yard and has yet to miss a beat. I am not sure I own a better product, and still love the color.
 
Twenty years ago I worked at a motorcycle dealership that also sold lawn and garden equipment. We had JD, Honda, and Stihl. I learned very quickly that the cheaper home owner grade equipment was just that... cheaply made equipment. The higher grade pro/ranch equipment is substantially stronger/better made. It may cost twice as much, but it will last five times longer with less issues.

Lowes/Home Depot generally sell home owner grade equipment as they are only looking at price points. Do yourself a favor and visit a dealer that handles pro grade equipment. The prices may shock you, but you will see quality equipment.
 
Thirty five years ago, my father bought a Mower from the old Venture chain which was the cheapest of the cheap units , something like Yardman brand. He mowed one acre for four years and never did anything except oil and air filter changes and sold it for $200 (half what he paid for it) I always buy top of the line John Deere tractor types, (tried twin stick and didn't like it) at about $12000. I've replaced two idler pulleys and the mower drive belt at about 150 hours on my $12000 Deere. I like my Deere but it isn't cheap and it isn't bulletproof. I'll never run my Deere as cheap as he ran that mower years ago. $12000 seems like a lot of money for a lawn mower. It is 60" and a 24 horse liquid cooled diesel.
 
I devised this so the other half could get some decent exercise after completing her daily chores. The headlight helps, in case she doesn't get the mowing done before dark. :D :D :D

RidingMower_zpsaa599d23.jpg
 
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