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Featured Replies

We moved into a house that sits on an acre.  I've only used push mowers in the past on smaller yards.  What do I need to know?  Good and bad brands?  Is a zero turn a must-have?  Things to look for when buying?  Help.

Your beer will go flat from the vibration so that's not as big a selling point.  Make sure you can steer with one hand so you can hold your beer.

Make sure you buy a model that comes with a hat.

Seriously, 1 acre isn't a lot.  You'll be fine with the cub cadet or whatever else they sell at HD or lowes. 

No need to dump big bucks on the John Deere or something stupid.   

No need for the zero turn.  Just expect that you're gonna have to use a push mower/weed whacker to clean up the corners a bit.

spend a little more than you want to.

Get a cast front axle, not stamped.

Most all of the brands, no matter the brand,  at HD and Lowes are made by MTD.  

I have about 2 acres that I mow, slightly hilly, and lots of trees to go around.  I was thinking about a ZTR, but the costs are way out of my budget.  I was using at 30 year old Craftsman rider that was quite a workout.  Last year it finally died on me and I ended up getting a Cub Cadet XT1, with a 46" cutting deck.  I've been very happy with it.  It may not be the best on the market, but it runs and cuts great.  Additionally, it's WAY better than what I was using.  Turning is relatively effortless and I can go around most of my trees in one turn.  Most retailers should be having sales on mowers soon.

Edited to add that it has a cup holder for my beer.

Edited by You don't know me

I have a little over an acre and here is my $0.02.

Get a ZTR. It is a time saver. I can mow my entire acre ~1 hour.

I also have a lawn tractor to pull implements (Fertilizer spreader, sprayer, etc.). Pulling implements with a ZTR is a PIA. You can't reach the control handles on the implements from the seat of a ZTR.

When I built a house in Magnolia in 2005 on 3 acres I bought a Troy Bilt riding mower, I think was the Bronco, at any rate it had TWO cup holders.  I sold the house in 2015 and moved into the burbs.  The mower went to the ranch and is still going strong.

I've never tried pushing or riding my lawnmowers.  (Maybe ask south Austin's mom).  But I tip them an extra 20$ per person around cinco de mayo

Get a 42 inch/two blade riding mower. I put a suicide knob on my steering wheel - allows me to steer with one hand, beer in the other. The price of a Deere isn’t worth it. Follow maintenance schedule. Get an angle grinder to sharpen your blades.

Dad bought a husqvarna 12 years ago used at a garage sale. Very good luck with them although it isn’t super fast- faster than a fast walk but slower than a sprinter. Also have a husqvarna snow blower for 8 years. First issue this year was a pin sheered in the auger after tons of use.

 

Get you either a Scag Turf Tiger or a Kubota Diesel and be done with it forever. 

Don’t go to Home Depot or Lowe’s. Go to a local place first.

 

They’ll have the good commercial stuff as well as the better cheaper stuff. Also they might have some used gear too.

 

Like this: https://www.mccoyslawn.com

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

Just expect that you're gonna have to use a push mower/weed whacker to clean up the corners a bit.


Ideally, your landscape edging is all curves and no angles so you can just ride in loops without ever having to back up or use another mower.

Can’t believe no one told you to ask your husband. This place is slipping.

  • Author
8 hours ago, Jkwellborn said:

Can’t believe no one told you to ask your husband. This place is slipping.

The funny part is my wife has declared for years that if we got a riding lawnmower, she'd do all the mowing.  One big driving force behind me trying to find one soon is just so I can call her bluff.

We've got a Bad Boy with a 60 inch deck and  a Kubota with a 54 inch deck both are good mowers. I'd buy something with a Kawasaki engine for your 1 acre. Hard to beat Ferris, Gravely, Hustler or Bad Boy. Scag and Kubota will cost $$$ but they will outlast you with basic maintenance. 

Also if you want a Deere then go to your nearest tractor dealership. 

Avoid craftsman. After decades of being a faithful consumer, I had nothing but anger towards my last one. Apparently this model used different parts (blades, belts, etc) than any other Craftsman 42” rider. After the drive belt went and the part I ordered to fix it was wrong, I went and picked up a 3 blade Husqvarna and should have done it sooner.

Do not buy Husqvarna with Koehler engines though unless you like to report it every couple of years—my neighbor had one with a Chinese engine, shop replaced the first one under warranty but basically told him to expect the new one to last about as long as the old one. He dumped it while it was working and bought the same one with a B&S engine.

Been very happy with my Snapper 360Z. Zero turn. Kawasaki motor. Recommend.

We've got a Bad Boy with a 60 inch deck and  a Kubota with a 54 inch deck both are good mowers. I'd buy something with a Kawasaki engine for your 1 acre. Hard to beat Ferris, Gravely, Hustler or Bad Boy. Scag and Kubota will cost $$$ but they will outlast you with basic maintenance. 
Also if you want a Deere then go to your nearest tractor dealership. 

Agree. Hustler zero turn w/ Kawasaki engine at lowes best bang for your buck

Husqvarna YTH18542

 

It's got a cop motor, a 440-cubic-inch plant. It's got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas. So what do you say, is it the new lawnmower or what?

We have a John Deere for our lake house. Use it to pull a trailer as well.

I can't complain about this:

X390_48in_studio_r4a0627612_large_667aa9

 

JD has their Lowe's and Home Depot line of mowers (which they also sell and service at JD dealerships) but they also have their high end garden tractors.  I don't care about having a zero turn, because I don't mind the time it takes to mow.

I can't complain about this:
X390_48in_studio_r4a0627612_large_667aa9f20cceba304ed72fca01b52c66147250eb.jpg
 
JD has their Lowe's and Home Depot line of mowers (which they also sell and service at JD dealerships) but they also have their high end garden tractors.  I don't care about having a zero turn, because I don't mind the time it takes to mow.


Pretty sure that’s the one we have or very similar.

Any of y'all ever replace a seat? The duct tape is just not cutting it anymore. It's a JD, but the seats all seam to just bolt on.

Ain’t shit to it. Most of them are bolted with just a couple of bolts. You could be fancy and have someone redo it for you, or you could just order a replacement online.

On 2/28/2020 at 2:37 PM, Flg8rfan said:

Avoid craftsman. After decades of being a faithful consumer, I had nothing but anger towards my last one. Apparently this model used different parts (blades, belts, etc) than any other Craftsman 42” rider. After the drive belt went and the part I ordered to fix it was wrong, I went and picked up a 3 blade Husqvarna and should have done it sooner.

Do not buy Husqvarna with Koehler engines though unless you like to report it every couple of years—my neighbor had one with a Chinese engine, shop replaced the first one under warranty but basically told him to expect the new one to last about as long as the old one. He dumped it while it was working and bought the same one with a B&S engine.

Koehler??? Really??? I've been running those for years and have never had a problem with them.  They've been bulletproof in my experience.

55 minutes ago, Jkwellborn said:

Ain’t shit to it. Most of them are bolted with just a couple of bolts. You could be fancy and have someone redo it for you, or you could just order a replacement online.

Just wondering it it's worth it to spend the $100+ for an OEM, or if there are better alternatives.

Koehler??? Really??? I've been running those for years and have never had a problem with them.  They've been bulletproof in my experience.

Just relaying what he was told. Apparently the one he had was made in China
24 minutes ago, Flg8rfan said:


Just relaying what he was told. Apparently the one he had was made in China

Wow, that's bad.  The Troy Bilt ZTR I have now is 15 years old and runs like a champ.(nojinxnojinxnojinx)

Edited by SHOOTER12

In my experience, transaxles are more apt to give trouble than motors. I buy mowers off of craigslist, repair as needed and resell them. A lot of low end hydrostat tractors and ZTRs use transaxles that can't be serviced. If the cheap plastic cooling fans break or fail, they will overheat and cook the innards. No recourse except to replace the entire unit. Serious slopes will also cause overheating but it has to be very steep. I have never had a Briggs or Kohler motor give me trouble. Kawasaki either. I collect old Cub Cadets and the old Kohler K-Series cast iron motors that they use are tough SOBs. Many garden tractor pulling rigs use them.

Koehler??? Really??? I've been running those for years and have never had a problem with them.  They've been bulletproof in my experience.
Ive got a Husqvarna with a Koehler. Had it for 8 years or so. Been problem free with regards to the engine. I changed a pulley out but that was about it.
Just wondering it it's worth it to spend the $100+ for an OEM, or if there are better alternatives.

How much time are you spending in it at once? See if they have one on ereplacementparts.com.

Alternative is to go to a whore house in Creed and steal a red pillow with gold fringe.

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