Riding Mower/Lawn Tractor

FastEddieB

FastEddieB

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Oct 14, 2013
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Lenoir City, TN/Mineral Bluff, GA
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Fast Eddie B
We have grass that needs mowing up at our Lenoir City property.

For now, we’re towing up our 14 year old Snapper riding mower, which is still soldiering on and kinda works.

Eventually we want to get a full-sized tractor, or at least a compact one like this:

42002342172_cb7cd08427_z.jpg


Nice, but about $16,500. A bit rich right now, even at 0% for 60 months and splitting with a friend.

So scaling it back a bit, something for just mowing for the next couple of years.

Saw these at Home Depot today:

42002342502_e427bae2d8_z.jpg


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Thinking we want at least a 50” deck, for those times we may need to mow pretty large areas - road swale, runway edge, that sort of thing.

Thoughts on best brands or ones to avoid? Probably running by our local Kubota Dealer to see what they offer tomorrow.

And as a further aside, should I consider one of the “zero turn” models? I have no experience with them as far as pluses and minuses.

Thanks!
 
If you want just a mower, get a Zero Turn. We have a SCAG, as they say, “Simply the Best”. If it’s a tractor, I like Kubota over JD. Mahindra is good and a bit less expensive. I’m not a fan of Kioti.
 
We had a Deere. Stayed solid for the first 8 years, then started having problems with paint and rust. Replaced it about 5 years ago with a Husqvarna and so far so good.

At least with the small JDs, I think you’re paying for the name and the green & yellow color rather than for quality.

Do you have to help mow the runway, fertilize it, drag it,...? If so, you want something bigger.
 
We’ve had a Cub Cadet zero turn for years and I wouldn’t go back. They’re surprisingly simple to operate and provide a very precise cut. Being able to slide in and around objects and such, makes the job a lot easier. If I were you Eddie, I’d get a zero turn.
 
Half Fast said:
Cubs used to be excellent, but I have no recent knowledge.
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As I said above, we’ve owned a Cub Cadet for several years and it’s been mostly trouble free.
 
Not a fan of the small mowers sold at the big box stores, which are also sold at the dealers. In my opinion, they are worth less than what you pay for them.

If you have a lot to mow, and it’s relatively level, nothing will beat a zero-turn mower, but those are basically one-trick ponies. If you go this route, you probably want a commercial ZTR if you have a lot to mow and want it to last.

If you think that you want a compact or subcompact tractor, check out Craigslist or similar for a used one. Sometimes you can find used ones that are a few years old that are in nice shape—for a lot less money than new.

Most of the smaller tractors are OEM from a couple of overseas manufacturers. They are all pretty decent—Yanmar, Iseki, TYM, etc. Good tractors can be had branded as Cub Cadet, Rural King, Massey Ferguson, etc. without paying JD or Kubota prices.
 
I have a Mahindra tractor and love it, its a power horse for its small size and 4x4. My lawn mower is a husqvarna and I like it too. However I would go zero turn to get done faster, and if you go tractor get the biggest you can afford. I have 15 acres to up keep and my tractor is rather small. And to save money stay away from the green crap and the bota's...way over priced if you ask me and just paying for the name...Now now before you get all huffy and tell me how good your green is realize at the end of the day I too can mow my yard and move that pile of dirt but for less money. Those that pay the coin have to stand up for it. hahaha
 
We owned one of these for 4 years and mowed 13 ac (the airport OKH) in and around all the lights, tiedows, and could get it done in 6 hours.
https://www.gravely.com/en-us/zero-turn-mowers/pro-turn-z
Brute strong never had a problem with it, the guy who I sold it to is still running it mowing his 4 ac.
Highly recommended machine. I could mow foot tall grass at 13 niles per hour, and leave it clean. It would pour grass out like a forage harvester.
 
Add me to the ZTR crowd.

One thing you need to ask, or determine in the specs, is how fast it goes. The speed is what cost money

You can pick up a cheap Cub Cadet or Troy-Built or (big box quality) John Deere for less than $5k...some even less than $3k...but they're slooooooooooooooooow.

My commercial grade Bush Hog cuts 6' at 14 mph.

Also a ZTR with solid front tires, especially w/o either a spring or air suspension seat, will beat the living sh*t out of you if what you're mowing isn't baby butt smooth. Pneumatic front tires and seat suspension are both mandatory IMO.

Ferris is the Cadillac but you'll pay $12k to $14k for one.

This is mine and is one BA,MF'ing grass eatin' machine!

IMG_20180217_150945165_HDR.jpg
 
Ryanb said:
As I said above, we’ve owned a Cub Cadet for several years and it’s been mostly trouble free.
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We bought our kids a cadet for a house warming present, first year mower deck wore out a bearing, warrantee did not cover it.
Second year engine swallowed a valve, after a letter from a lawyer they sent a rebuilt engine to be installed, I think the blades are mad of lead, they will not stay sharp.

Cadet = yuck.
 
Simplicity man myself. Have a later 70's garden tractor (Model 7116H) that was my Dad's. Snow plow, rototiller, vacuum and 48" deck. Engine re-built once, but the hydrostatic transmission is still going strong. On third deck. Don't know how many belts, batteries, bearings, blades and misc. parts I've been through, but it keeps on trucking. Would be lost in the fall without the vacuum and in winter, plows snow great with wheel weights and chains.

Solid and heavy. All parts still available although a bit pricy. Very reliable and easy to work on, the design is straightforward and very conducive to repair (stuff does break - I'm probably harder on it than I should be). This tractor will last me for the rest of my life.

Would assume the newer models are cheapened up a bit.

No experience with the zero-turn machines.
 
I went to the JD dealer to see what they had to offer for a big mower, they offered a compact tractor with 72" deck for 17k.
When they tried to demonstrate it, they couldn't get it to start.

Bye bye.
 
Tom-D said:
We bought our kids a cadet for a house warming present, first year mower deck wore out a bearing, warrantee did not cover it.
Second year engine swallowed a valve, after a letter from a lawyer they sent a rebuilt engine to be installed, I think the blades are mad of lead, they will not stay sharp.

Cadet = yuck.
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Eh, that can happen with any, although a commercial ZTR will obviously be a tougher build. Most residential and even some commercial makes are all running the same Briggs &Strat engine, so that doesn’t single out Cub Cadet entirely.
 
In our area we have hills. how steep do you need to mow? mowers are rated for slope grade.
Scag is popular in our area with the commercial operators. I bought a Hustler super Z ATZ which is rated for 25% grade. The standing zero turns also are good for slopes.
I would recommend buying used on Craigslist rather than taking the hit on new. Many commercial guys buy new, run for 3 years or whatever the warranty period then buy new again and sell the 3 year old mower on Craigslist.
 
FORANE said:
I would recommend buying used on Craigslist rather than taking the hit on new. Many commercial guys buy new, run for 3 years or whatever the warranty period then buy new again and sell the 3 year old mower on Craigslist.
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Good call. I didn’t think to suggest that.
 
Ryanb said:
Eh, that can happen with any, although a commercial ZTR will obviously be a tougher build. Most residential and even some commercial makes are all running the same Briggs &Strat engine, so that doesn’t single out Cub Cadet entirely.
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I think we got a Friday built
 
The big initial give-away on quality is...

...does it have a stamped deck or welded deck?
 
FORANE said:
I would recommend buying used on Craigslist rather than taking the hit on new. Many commercial guys buy new, run for 3 years or whatever the warranty period then buy new again and sell the 3 year old mower on Craigslist.
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I've looked at quite a few used units that were owned by lawn care companies. No thanks. They run their sh*t into the ground. A used one that was owned privately, sure, but not a used commercial mower.

I've also seen more than a few that obviously had the hour meter disconnected. 300 hours? LMFAO!
 
Zero turn all the way...when I was a kid with about 2 1/2 acres to mow every week, we went from a Kubota with a 60-inch deck on the three point hitch to a 42-inch Dixon and cut my mowing time by almost 2/3.
 
MauleSkinner said:
Zero turn all the way...when I was a kid with about 2 1/2 acres to mow every week, we went from a Kubota with a 60-inch deck on the three point hitch to a 42-inch Dixon and cut my mowing time by almost 2/3.
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Same here. I used to mow 13 acres with, get this—a 55” zero turn. Yeah, fun times..NOT! Took a good 5-6 hours. I also learned about the importance of sun protection during those times. :)
 
You are better off going to a power equipment dealer. You will get a better deal and often times discounted or free service. I’ve heard power equipment models are a little more premium compared to big box stores. I chose a husqvarna three years ago. It’s not perfect but a lot cheaper than a comparable JD. it has a locking rear diff which is great for pulling things or mowing rough terrain. I would avoid a zero turn. Too overpriced and expensive to repair.
 
Grum.Man said:
I would avoid a zero turn. Too overpriced and expensive to repair.
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Yeah, I know what you mean. That one deck bearing I had to replace on my last commercial series Bush Hog, a machine I ran for over 400 hours, almost broke my bank at $75.
 
Zero turn parts are not inexpensive, and there are 2 of each kinda like twins...
hydraulic pumps can run $500-1,000 each and wheel motors can run $500-1,500 each.
 
timwinters said:
Yeah, I know what you mean. That one deck bearing I had to replace on my last commercial series Bush Hog, a machine I ran for over 400 hours, almost broke my bank at $75.
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Start pricing wheel motors or hydraulic pumps. Just saying there is more to break and being “commercial” parts are usually more. The cheap residential zero turns are junk.
 
This is what I use for some mowing. At less than 2 grand you can get a dependable, fixable and fun classic along with a 59" Woods. And it uses a magneto, like an airplane! And you can crank start it, like an airplane. ;)
tractormower.jpg

 
If its just for mowing, get a zero-turn. If you want to do other stuff with it (clear brush, do firewood, pick up a pallet), get the compact tractor.

How much grass do you have to mow around the 'pole barn' ? Anything you can mow with a riding mower, you can cover with a commercial walk-behind. You get free exercise to boot.
 
I have a JD LA115 riding mower at the cabin. Big yard with tree roots lurking. Lots of bouncing up and down. I beat the crap out of it. It’s been under water in floods a couple of times. One of them lasted for a week. Blew out the motor, replaced the wiring harnesses (easy to find and reasonably priced) and it keeps on ticking. I did have to fly the deck home for a weld repair but I earned that one. When this one finally gives up I’ll buy another JD in a heartbeat.
 
I mow about 5 acres and was using a 20 year old kubota front mower. I decided it was time to upgrade. My father mows more acreage than I do and trades frequently. He recommended the gas powered kubota Ztr. About 5k sounded good to me, well ended up with a diesel model, suspension seat, etc. 13k check was hard to write, but this mower is awesome and should last me 20 years.

Jim
 
FastEddieB said:
Eventually we want to get a full-sized tractor, or at least a compact one like this:
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I have one "like that" but it's red. ;)

It's a Simplicity Legacy. I don't have the front-end loader for it - Maybe next time - but I do have a 60" mower deck, 48" snowblower, and the "turbo blower" + "triple bagger" leaf/grass removal setup. I'm very happy with it - Especially since it's an older model that I got off Craigslist for about 20% of the new price, and while I've had to put some new parts on it, it's simple to work on and easy to find and install said parts.

Saw these at Home Depot today:
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If you want something good - DON'T buy it at Home Depot. JD et al make "sucker" models to sell there. Still painted green, but cheaply made and overpriced because if you're buying from HD and not a dealer, you probably don't know enough to tell the difference.

Thinking we want at least a 50” deck, for those times we may need to mow pretty large areas - road swale, runway edge, that sort of thing.
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Chicks love a big deck. ;)

But my 60-incher is the reason I got the Legacy. It does make a big difference in mowing time.

Thoughts on best brands or ones to avoid?
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My dad has always had a Simplicity. From the super-old one he got when they bought their house before I was born (traded in still working), to the 7112 that he bought quite used and then ran for another 30 years and traded in still working, to one he recently purchased new for no other reason than he wanted to have one last new tractor before he got too old to enjoy it. Given my dad's experience with them being rock solid, I figured it was worth looking harder at them than some others, though I did look at others. I don't think you can go wrong with them.

And as a further aside, should I consider one of the “zero turn” models? I have no experience with them as far as pluses and minuses.
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Zero turn is, as mentioned, a one trick pony. Good, if mowing is all you're going to do (and don't forget to pickle the engine when you're done with it in the fall). I figured I'd rather have one that was useful year round and only have one engine to maintain, so I got the tractor with all the attachments. And it's good for towing too.

JGoodish said:
If you think that you want a compact or subcompact tractor, check out Craigslist or similar for a used one. Sometimes you can find used ones that are a few years old that are in nice shape—for a lot less money than new.
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This.
 
How much property?

How much do you like mowing grass?

Around here unless you have a good chunk of land it's cheaper and easier to just get some local to do it for you.
 
We have a 60” Bad Boy ZTR that was purchased for $5K new. Does a fantastic job mowing about 3 acres. We also have a 90’s Kubota B7100HST with a 60” belly mower that does a great job as well, but has sat mostly idle since the ZTR was purchased.

I’d skip any big box store rider/ZTR if you need to mow more than a 1-acre area. They just don’t hold up to the abuse, and paying $2-3K for a heavy duty JD rider is silly when you can pick up several great compact tractors or used ZTR mowers for about the same cost that will mow circles around the JD mowers.

I’d skip Cub Cadet unless it was a compact tractor model with the Yanmar. Mahindra makes good stuff as well.

Decide what you need first: a pure mower, or a compact tractor that mows decently but can also do work with a loader or 3-point. I highly recommend the belly mower vs a 3-point finish mower on a tractor. It’s just easier to maneuver in close quarters.

Also, if the ground ever gets muddy or has some uneven terrain, you’ll be getting the ZTR stuck in no time. That’s their main downside.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Everything important was covered above except ...

If you need snow attachments look over how they work carefully.

I have a three point snowblower that’s not nearly as good at tossing snow as a number of smaller newer designs. It rides up on the snow too much.

Ditto on everything else. ZTR nice, fast, one trick pony, buy commercial grade stuff, and buy used.

There’s always someone moving back to town from the country who needs to ditch a tractor or ZTR they can’t use on their city lot anymore.

Oh one final note. Using a commercial equipment dealer gives you a place to take it for repairs. That’s not an insignificant thing. Many people out here in the ex-burbs buy used commercial gear with no dealer for 200 miles who’ll work on that brand. Beware of that pitfall.

Also make sure whatever you buy you have a way to transport it. Flatbed trailer, cargo trailer with ramp, something. And that it can be WINCHED on to that conveyance. If it breaks, you have to have a way to move it to the repair place.

Lots of JD green out here. When you see someone really doing work it’s not with JD green stuff, however.

Older JD stuff was better than the competitors back in the day. I can’t kill my 80’s vintage dual stage self propelled snowblower.

But until you get to a small “real” tractor their consumer quality grade stuff is just overpriced for what it is.

Neighbor slowly bought his way up. Just got something decent to start and then every time he’d see a good deal he’d sell that and add some cash and trade up. Now he’s sporting the mid-sized JD and bailing hay and alfalfa for people with it when he wants pocket cash.

Another great investment if you can find one for the right price is a skid steer. They do a number of things better than a mini-tractor. Especially dirt work and big post holes with an auger. Three point augers in hard ground suck bad.
 
I'm partial to Husqvarna. Between my dad and I, we own an impressive array of Husqvarna mowers, tractors, chainsaws, snow blowers, and other odd equipment. It's gotten to the point that neither of us give much thought to other companies when shopping for anything that Husqvarna makes. The reason is that all of it has been well-made and trouble-free.

The one caution I'd make is that there are differences between the products Husqvarna sells through its independent dealers as opposed to the ones sold through big box stores, even when they bear the same model numbers. The ones intended for sale through the independent dealer channel tend to be better in some way. Even though they'll have the same model number and usually the same MSRP, there are different versions of each model, and the ones made for the independent dealer channel tend to be superior in some way.

For example, my dad bought one of their bigger tractors a few years ago from the dealer I use. The price was the same as the identically badged model he was looking at at Lowes, but the one sold through the independent dealer came standard with the heavy-duty deck and the better engine and transmission. They would have been higher-priced options had he bought the tractor through Lowes.

Cub Cadet also has a good reputation around here. John Deere, not so much at the lower end, but yes at the higher end.

Rich
 
The big box Deere mowers are a cheaper, special made version of the more expensive commercial mowers. The local Deere dealer can sell the same unit at the same price as the big box store and they also receive a commission on each big box sale. The big box Deere unit is no better than the Cub Cadet or any of the competitors sitting beside it. The commercial grade mowers are better quality with better engines, transmissions etc. We have a Z-track 925 and like it. You should be able to buy a 25 hp commercial Z track for around $9500. We run Deere equipment on our farm and have good success. Stay away from the big box stuff. Also when you go to buy parts for your Deere you will be amazed at how expensive parts can be for green paint.
 
Grum.Man said:
You are better off going to a power equipment dealer. You will get a better deal and often times discounted or free service. I’ve heard power equipment models are a little more premium compared to big box stores. I chose a husqvarna three years ago. It’s not perfect but a lot cheaper than a comparable JD. it has a locking rear diff which is great for pulling things or mowing rough terrain. I would avoid a zero turn. Too overpriced and expensive to repair.
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Go to a Deere dealer, they sell lawn tractors that will last. The Deere lawn tractors at Home Depot are not the same equipment.

I bought a Deere four wheel steer with a 54" deck in 1992 to mow two acres. Last year it needed an expensive repair and I replaced it. In twenty five years I had to take it in for dealer service twice, other than that I just changed the oil, belts, and occasionally the blades.
 
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