Riding Mowers

[wizbangdoodle]

Ok, I know there was a lawnmower thread not too long ago, but this is for riding mowers.

I'll need to get one in the next month or so, and was wondering what opinions people had. Zero turn? Lawn tractor? Brand? I've heard good things about John Deere and Toro. Lawn will be about 1/2 acre, so don't need anything large. As a matter of fact, my landscape designer said he designs around a 48" mower deck.

And if anyone suggests an electric mower, I'll come to your house and GUT YOU LIKE A FISH!

 

[svtfocus2cobra]

Ok, I know there was a lawnmower thread not too long ago, but this is for riding mowers.

I'll need to get one in the next month or so, and was wondering what opinions people had. Zero turn? Lawn tractor? Brand? I've heard good things about John Deere and Toro. Lawn will be about 1/2 acre, so don't need anything large. As a matter of fact, my landscape designer said he designs around a 48" mower deck.

And if anyone suggests an electric mower, I'll come to your house and GUT YOU LIKE A FISH!

I'm in need of a riding mower as well. Curious to hear the replies. Our lead tech was telling me about his, forget the brand, but it has a Troy Built engine and he said it is a real Troy Built as they have other lower quality manufacturers that make their engines also, but he said the real Troy Built mowers are amazing.

 

[Relaxed Chaos]

I have about .75 acres. 12 years ago I went to the local John Deere dealer and bought the cheapest mower with a hydrostatic: LA115 with a 42 inch deck. I still have the same mower today. It has 345 hours on it. It takes me about 65 minutes to mow. I have too many trees, so lots of turning and circling.

The starter solenoid died at around 250 hours. This is common, cheap, and easy to repair. The deck lasts about 300 hours. I put new deck bearings in mine. The steering gear and pinion lasts about 300 hours. I rebuilt the steering on mine last year. The motor and tranny should last around 1000 hours.

The good: the grass looks good when I'm done. Very even cut. Deck is easy to remove. Blades are easy to remove. Parts are available basically forever. I keep mine outside all year and it doesn't look horrible after 12 years. Not great, but not horrible.

Sucks: I don't really like using it due to the turning radius sucks, it's a one wheel wonder, it's loud, and it's not so great on hills.

Upgrade to an X series if you want to improve on those things above that suck. (And pay +$2K more).

Be careful on picking your deck size and tractor vs ZT. It depends on what's important to you. Smaller deck plus slower mowing results in a better looking cut (depending on your lawn). Larger deck can scalp or not cut at the same length, depending on your landscaping. ZT cost $1000's more, and would save me less than 10 minutes per week.

 

[ford fanatic]

I zero turn or walk behind will make your life easy. Stick to any of the big name brands bought from your local dealer. I also recommend any machine you get to have a Kawasaki engine.

 

[wizbangdoodle]

I zero turn or walk behind will make your life easy. Stick to any of the big name brands bought from your local dealer. I also recommend any machine you get to have a Kawasaki engine.

Ok, zero turn. I've heard you can tear the grass up if you don't keep the wheels turning. Since this will be sod that is laid down, I don't want to take any chances. Is a zero turn really that much better than a typical lawn tractor?

 

[SGT MERC]

I have a Kubota BX1880 with the 42" deck and a front end loader/bucket. I priced around all the different brands with the 4wd lawn tractors. I love it. Turning radius is good and the 4wd works amazingly, going through the front drainage ditch, the mud in the back field after rain and when using the loader. Definitely the best bang for the buck imo.

Sent from my SM-N975U1 using the svtperformance.com mobile app

 

[ford fanatic]

Ok, zero turn. I've heard you can tear the grass up if you don't keep the wheels turning. Since this will be sod that is laid down, I don't want to take any chances. Is a zero turn really that much better than a typical lawn tractor?

You can certainly tear up grass if you don't know what you're doing...but the thicker and heathier the grass, the less chance you have of tearing it up while turning. Z-turns take some getting used to for sure.

I live on 30 wooded acres and maintain/mow about 2 of that with a lot of trees. For me a typical lawn tractor would ad a lot of time because of lack of maneuverability and speed while cutting.

 

[specracer]

Scag here. I always tend to "over do it" when it comes to buying tools and equipment. This was an upgrade to a traditional riding lawn mower. I would seriously look at zero turn, especially with a smaller yard. The maneuverability is so worth it.

 

[Weather Man]

John Deere X384 with 4WS

X384, 48-in. Deck | X300 Select Series Lawn Tractor | John Deere US

The Select Series X300 Tractors from John Deere - maneuverability masters designed for homeowners who mow up to 3.5 acres and have varied terrain and light- to moderate-duty yard tasks.

www.deere.com

 

[DriftwoodSVT]

John Deere Z960M with 72" deck.

 

[03cobra#694]

I zero turn or walk behind will make your life easy. Stick to any of the big name brands bought from your local dealer. I also recommend any machine you get to have a Kawasaki engine.

This on the engine. I have a Cub Cadet semi commercial ZT, one of the best things I've ever bought. Saves so much time vs a lawn tractor. You'll only tear up the lawn if you try and spin it around to quick and the ground it wet.

 

[robvas]

On the other hand...

I have a Craftsman T1000 that I've had for...6 years?

Craftsman T1000 lawn tractor: specifications and review

Craftsman T1000 technical data: engine and transmission, wheels and tires, dimensions and weight, attachments

tractortechspecs.com

My brother gave it to me, it was the cheapest one at Sears when he got it ($899?), had had it for a year and moved to a smaller house and didn't need it any longer.

It works just fine. I have a little under half an acre. Beats pushing it and it fits through my fence gate. Even came with a bagger.

It's really bouncy so you can't use the cupholders. I think the blade height adjustment is off because 4 is basically scalping so I almost always use 5.

At some point I'll probably replace it with a Cub Cadet or Deere if I move to a place with a bigger yard. Until then...

 

[_Satch_]

Kubota Diesel GR2110 here... 4X4 that turns really tight. I mow a 1.25 acre lot. Bought it back in 2007, 450'ish hours on it currently. Bought a snow blower when I originally purchased it, and then bought a used plow 5 years later. Cleans snow great and mows nice too. Shaft driven mower deck as well as snow blower, also I can haul a small trailer with it when I need to move dirt, stone and mulch around the house.
-Satch

 

[93Cobra#2771]

You having a landscape designer suggests to me that you likely take pretty good care of your yard, likely being treated and stuff.

Avoid box store mowers, you won't be happy with the cut, They are often difficult to get to cut level and consistent.

For 1/2 acre, 48"ish deck is plenty. I'd likely do a rider over a push, although the standup are a nice alternative if you are short on storage space.

Do you have a lot of items to mow around in your yard? If so, I'd go with a zero turn. Do you have a lot of slope, more than say 20 degrees? Id go with a tractor style. Want to do other things like snow blow and such? Then tractor style.

Any of the bigger name brands will be fine for you. I prefer Simplicity for tractor style, and Ferris for zero turn style. If you get a zero turn, go ahead and get a suspension seat. You'll thank me later. FYI, most of the Ferris zero turn mowers have actual wheel suspension as well. Game changer as far as speed goes. ZT usually are faster than tractor style, and that's where the mowing time comes into play. A ZT will almost always out mow a tractor style of the same size deck. I mow two acres in around 40 minutes, give or take, with a 61" deck. Top speed is supposed to be 12.8mph, but not sure if that's with blades engaged.

Post a pic of your yard too, if you don't care. That helps determine the best mower for the job.

 

[BLOWN PONY]

For a 1/2 acre yard just go get a Husqvarna 48" deck from Lowes.
Its what I have and does just fine.

 

[13COBRA]

Check the stand ups... You'll make quick work of it, doesn't take as much space and is awesome to maneuver.

I mow just over 1/3 of an acre. I bought a 52" SCAG V Ride II. I chose it over the 48" because the deck sticks out 2" outside of your rear tires and it makes it much easier to trim without putting black marks (from tires) on the house or objects.

 

[93Cobra#2771]

Check the stand ups... You'll make quick work of it, doesn't take as much space and is awesome to maneuver.

I mow just over 1/3 of an acre. I bought a 52" SCAG V Ride II. I chose it over the 48" because the deck sticks out 2" outside of your rear tires and it makes it much easier to trim without putting black marks (from tires) on the house or objects.

Excellent point - whatever mower the OP goes with, make sure the deck is at least a couple inches outside the tires for ease of trimming.

 

[03cobra#694]

Excellent point - whatever mower the OP goes with, make sure the deck is at least a couple inches outside the tires for easy of trimming.

Yep, good point. Also, make sure it's fabricated deck and not stamped.

 

[wizbangdoodle]

Excellent info and some great points I hadn't thought of. Thanks guys.

Initially, when we first started building the house, I always said I didn't want any grass to mow. We are on 35 acres of wooded bliss. Why ruin it with having to mow? Fast forward to now and it was unavoidable, but I did keep it to a minimum. There will be nothing in the grass areas, no trees, bushes or anything. All of that stuff is lining the grass areas. We have sprinklers that will be hidden in the flower beds, so no sprinkler heads to worry about. The grass areas are contoured and are designed so there are no drastic turns to make (at least that's what I'm told). Right now, we have a dry creek bed and a walkway in. They are doing the flowerbeds this week and hopefully start planting early in September. I'll try to post a picture of the layout later.

Again, thanks and keep the opinions coming.

Your government is lying to you

 

[wizbangdoodle]

Yep, good point. Also, make sure it's fabricated deck and not stamped.

Fabricated? You mean a welded piece instead of stamped metal, right? What brands offer that? I'm assuming it just lasts a lot longer?

Your government is lying to you