riding mower advice

rpf65

Looking at buying a riding mower. I have a little over an acre, and it takes close to 6 hours to mow with my push mower. Sounds like a long time, but I have a couple of pain in the butt areas that take a while. Anyway, I looking into a riding mower. Thinking of either a Husqvarna yth22v42 or a John Deere D130.

Both seem to have good reviews. One guy actually wrote that if you have to depress the pedal on the D 130, it really isn't automatic, so he gave it 1 star. Looking to keep the price at $2k or less, and I really would like reverse cutting. Got a couple of tight spots that a 42 inch will work in.

What better place than Polk Audio for lawn mower advice.

deronb1

6 hrs for an acre?

F1nut

One guy actually wrote that if you have to depress the pedal on the D 130, it really isn't automatic, so he gave it 1 star.

I wonder if he thinks the same about cars.....idiot.

I really would like reverse cutting.

That's easy, on the Deere under the dash and above the battery is a switch. Pull the two wires, join them together, then put a jumper in the switch. You can now cut in reverse. I take no responsibility for anyone doing that mod.

Mikey081057

Dixie Chopper 2 Acres per hour

http://www.dixiechopper.com/mowers/zee1

amb426amb1

wow you need a zero turn hydrostatic mower bad... Had a two acre plot prior to my move two years ago to IA with tons of trees and obstacles. Could mow it in 1.5 to 2 hours depending interuptions. went thru two mowers, both purchased used for under 2k, in the ten years I was there. First one was a Deere front deck 44 inch range of cut with a single rear wheel steering system that was a joy to mow with. The second was a Ford true hydro system, double arm steering which was probably even better at obstacles but took alittle more getting use to for my young daugter. I loved it as had a case skid steer on the property which was similar in driving technique. I would stay away from traditional garden tractor styles. Over time you will save your self countless hours in mowing time.

george daniel

Hot rod snapper,, turns a quarter in 12flat!

amb426amb1

Maybe you could mount some small polk monitors and a powerful amp to really crank it up to make those mowing sesssions more enjoyable.

HASWELL

I've owned both Husqvarna ($2,500) and John Deere ($1,800) in the last 5 years and cannot recommend either. Both are engineered to fail. They use plastic idler pulleys and other parts that are designed to wear out after specific hours of usage. John Deere does not allow Lowes to carry replacement parts. A Troy-Bilt Pony will be my next mower.

http://www.troybilt.com/equipment/troybilt/lawn-mowers/pony-lawn-tractor#reviews

I plan to buy cheap and replace every 3 to 5 years

Best of Luck!

Hermitism

I recommend anything by Kubota. Their diesel motors are unstoppable. I have two of their tractors and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any of their products on the used market. I have a B6100E which must be 30 years old, that I use to cut the grass with a Woods mower attachment, but they make small riding mowers and zero-turn mowers. Both tractors have been 100% reliable, no issues.

ken brydson

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?159989-Honda-sets-new-world-record-for-the-fastest....lawnmower!!&highlight=honda+lawn+mower

scubalab

Sounds like you need a small zero turn. If you need a more traditional ride-on (tractor), I've sworn by Wheel Horses (classic style - not the newer plastic ones). Even after Toro took them over in the early nineties, they still made the classic. They are very easy to add implements (I've had plows, snow-blowers, rear tillers, etc.). You can even find front mount generators, sickle-bar mowers, grader blades, and other attachments. They will last a lifetime. I've always bought used and never paid more than $1200. They will outperform and outlast just about any big box store tractor. The only reason I'm on my third in 10 years, is comparable to why we're all on here... upgrade fever!

exalted512

HASWELL wrote: »

John Deere does not allow Lowes to carry replacement parts.

That's because they're not made by John Deere. If you want a real (read: good, but more$$) JD lawn mower, you have to find a JD place. I'd recommend spending more than $2k on a solid 0-turn lawn mower. The extra money will be gladly spent not having to repair crappy parts/engineering and the ability to mow around anything.
-Cody

Jstas

I bought a used, Craftsman mower that is essentially the same thing across all brands at the price point it was at. It has a 42" deck with a 21 HP V-twin from Briggs and Stratton. Runs like a champ and aside from replacing a couple worn cables and a shear bolt, it's been fine. Replace mower blades, change the oil and spark plugs and so on is all I've done to it. Besides painting flames on it and giving it a set of fatty whitewalls. Granted, new, it would run me $2100 but I paid $700 for it when it was 3 years old and I've had it for about 3 years now.

Alot of the companies user Agri-Fab sourced decks and attachments. If you get one that can handle the Agri-Fab stuff, the options are pretty plentiful.

http://www.agri-fab.com/


The only thing I don't like about the zero-turn, besides the fact that they are insanely overkill for your average home owner with less than 2.5 acres of land with a house on it, is that you can't really do anything with them but mow a lawn.

My tractor doubles as my snow thrower. It also has a trailer hitch on it and I have a tow behind aerator and a tow behind trailer that'll hold a thousand pounds of junk.

I really don't have problems getting around obstacles. It handles all but the tightest corners well but those get hit with a trimmer/weed whacker anyway.



You guys always tend to do this. The guy needs a lawn mower, not industrial equipment. Mowers are such simple things that even with the most basic maintenance and they will last for forever. I could understand if he had a farm that had 2 acres for a front yard alone. But my 42 inch deck will run through my roughly half acre with a house on it in about a half hour. Just under two acres with a house on it, it'd be less than 2 hours as long as the blades were sharp. The snow thrower eats through my driveway, sidewalk and everyone else's driveway on the block in about 2 hours total. That's like 12 houses too. I think it's way overkill for what I have and it would be perfect for somebody with 2-3 times as much property as me.


If I were you, I'd go used. If you want new, I'd get the Husqvarna. I wouldn't pay the JD premium on the D130 since it's essentially the same tractor as the Husqvarna. If you want a JD worth the time and the price premium go to a dealer. Otherwise, get the Husqvarna and be done with it.

This website agrees with me: http://lawn-tractors.findthebest.com/compare/50-71/John-Deere-D130-vs-Husqvarna-YTH22V42

codyc1ark

I really like my 42" Hustler zero turn. Briggs motor, lifetime deck and frame warranty, just a well built machine.

exalted512

I guess I'm just harder on my mowers than most. I don't have to worry about snow, but you can definitely hook up a hitch to a 0-turn. I've always been of the buy once, buy right mentality, and the junk they sell at the big box stores doesn't cut it for me. Between my parents, grandparents, and sibling, we've gone through a few sets of lawn mowers ranging from Craftsman, JD, and YardMan. I'd say the YardMan was the best we had, but they've supposedly gone down hill from when that was purchased. I have a secondhand JD that I got for free, that just needed some work to get halfway working. It 'works', but it needs a new transmission and I'm going to have to weld some rebar or something around the mowing deck because it's busted as well.

I have a Ford 6610 with a 72" bush hog for the heavy duty stuff though
-Cody

Thorton

For 1 acre, I'd go for a small zero turn. The speed and cut quality of zero turns is great. I've had a residential Toro 60" zero turn for over 3 yrs, mow every 4-5 days and have had 0 problems. It's built like a tank. I cut 2.5 acres in less than 50 minutes with many obstacles.

rpf65

For my situation, I don't think I need a zero-turn mower. A conventional mower will probably work. I have a few problem areas, at the moment, where a rider of any kind will be of no use. Just the way it is until I can get the scraggly cedars cut and stumps pulled. The areas I'll use a rider in are generally open with a few huge rocks that I have no intentions of thinking about moving. We grow really good rocks in this area. Besides, with a zero-turn, I'll need 2 hands to steer. With a conventional I'll have a free hand to get the beer out of the cup holder. We usually have quite a few days in triple digits around here.

I'm looking for something to simply mow grass. I don't plan on plowing a garden, if it snows it will probably melt be noon, and I could care less about mulching let alone bagging grass. I would prefer if the grass dies, because I wouldn't have to mow it. Bells and whistles, an automatic transmission would be nice. Guess I'm just lazy.

I just want something that cuts grass, is reasonably priced, and will last a few years if properly maintained. I'm big on preventive maintenance. Very rarely do I put 3k miles on my personal vehicles between oil changes. If I had to describe the lot it is basically a football field with a couple of buildings, some huge rocks, and 3 patches of some of the ugliest trees imaginable.

F1nut

I bought a 42" Deere at a Deere dealer 6 years ago. No plastic idler pulleys, no parts have worn out. Cuts an acre in an hour....easy peasy, I love it.

Jstas

rpf65 wrote: »

I want a lawn mower that makes it enjoyable to cut grass.

Then either go with that Husqvarna you mentioned or go to a John Deere dealer. Maybe a Cub Cadet dealer too, see what they have. If you see a Deere or a Cub Cadet in a "big box store", not worth the price. It's the same thing as the Poulan sitting right next to it but you're paying for paint and stickers.


You should hit up your local craigslist though. Also, local flea markets. You'd be surprised what kind of machinery you can get for pennies on the dollar. My tractor was maintained meticulously by a guy who owned a lawn service. He used my tractor for 3 years. He did commercial level stuff like mowing office park lawns and stuff. A few of his clients wanted him to do their homes too so he had this lawn tractor because it fit through gates and he could tow stuff with it like plants and bushes or bags of dirt or mulch without tearing up yards with a truck. He had it maintained by the same shop that handled his commercial equipment. The only reason he sold it as cheap as he did was because his accountant said to sell it because they couldn't take depreciation on it anymore. When I went to pick it up, he showed me his new one. It was snazzy. Showed me his fleet of commercial stuff too. That was snazzy too.

Granted, everything is not going to be like that. You'll have to look at some ducks before you find your swan. But even if the tractor was **** and I still paid $700, an engine rebuild would have been $300 in parts and labor and a new hydrostatic transmission would have been $800 plus shipping and 2 hours in my driveway with a socket set. I'd still be $400 under what it cost new and $800 under what it would cost to get something equivalent, new.

jeremymarcinko

I purchased this Cub Cadet a couple of summers ago. It isn't anything special but it fits the bill. Automatic, tight turning radius,mow's in reverse, and very comfortable (nice seat and steering wheel). I haven't had any problems with mine so far, maybe 50 hrs on it. I think it is very nice for the money.

http://www.cubcadet.com/equipment/cubcadet/lawn-and-garden-tractors/ltx-1040

Same tractor

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Cub-Cadet-LTX1040-42-in-19-HP-Automatic-Drive-Front-Engine-Riding-Mower-LTX1040/205379661?N=5yc1vZc5c0Z1z0u5u7Z1z11ph1Z1z11rom

Jstas

See, that LTX 1040 is the same thing that he posted with the Husqvarna and the John Deere above. And you get to pay a price premium for the Cub Cadet name for what is nothing more than a repainted Poulan made in China. If you're gonna get something like that, get the Poulan.


For a Cub Cadet to be worth the premium, go to a Cub Cadet dealer because what the dealer has is not what is in the big box stores like TSC or HD.

Not to rag on your tractor. I just don't see the value in paying more for something because it has pretty colors and a fancy name.

Tornado Red

Lots of good choices. But whatever you end up with, I'd urge you not to do a George Jones....

http://www.savingcountrymusic.com/george-jones-his-notorious-riding-lawnmower

jeremymarcinko

Jstas wrote: »

See, that LTX 1040 is the same thing that he posted with the Husqvarna and the John Deere above. And you get to pay a price premium for the Cub Cadet name for what is nothing more than a repainted Poulan made in China. If you're gonna get something like that, get the Poulan.


For a Cub Cadet to be worth the premium, go to a Cub Cadet dealer because what the dealer has is not what is in the big box stores like TSC or HD.

Not to rag on your tractor. I just don't see the value in paying more for something because it has pretty colors and a fancy name.

I purchased my mower from the Cub dealer, but it is the same tractor as HD and TSC carry. Was $100 dollars more at the cub dealer but included a service plan. Some dealers are hesitant to service equipment that was purchase at a big box. Don't get me wrong the dealer has all of the top tier models as well, but the entry level stuff at the box stores are the same tractors. MTD owns a manufactures many brands, Poulan is not one of them. Each are priced according to their level of quality. MTD's yardman tractor may share components with Cub Cadet, however, the Cub's will have heavier decks, a better engine, cast iron axles, much nicer seats, lights, steering wheels etc. Cub Cadet is an established quality brand regardless of where it is purchased. The husqvarna is also a mtd tractor very similiar to the cub. What some do run into is the assembly done a the box stores may not be correct and creates a sub par performance, ie, my father in-laws $3400 Cub Cadet 1054 purchased at a HD had the steering wheel upside down upon delivery.

jeremymarcinko

jeremymarcinko wrote: »

The husqvarna is also a mtd tractor very similiar to the cub.

I mean't troy-built is mtd and similiar to the cub. Husqvarna builds there own, as well as some for poulan and craftsman.

cnh

The solution to mowing? Genetically engineered hybrid grass, guaranteed to grow no more than 1 1/2" and STOP there. Then continuously "regenerate" to that height.

I'm sure science can produce this WONDER and I would be the FIRST in line to buy it but alas what would happen to the Industry around this sector of our economy where so much is spent on grass seed, feed, fertilizer, weed whackers, riding mowers and let's not forget the oil and gas we waste in the process of keeping a clean lawn. lol All, probably absolutely unnecessary at this point in history, but we're still out there every week. Or in my case, every two or three weeks since the nights up here do NOT favor fast growing grass and I'm in NO competition for HGTV awards. lol

In any case at 1/3 of an acre, with a lot of house on that; riding mowers would be a silly exercise for me--but they do look "cool"!

Enjoy!

cnh

HASWELL

exalted512 wrote: »

That's because they're not made by John Deere. If you want a real (read: good, but more$$) JD lawn mower, you have to find a JD place. I'd recommend spending more than $2k on a solid 0-turn lawn mower. The extra money will be gladly spent not having to repair crappy parts/engineering and the ability to mow around anything.
-Cody

photo from the dash of my lawn mower

shawn474

We moved into our house over ten years ago. First purchase was a craftsman riding mower. It is the lt1000. Runs like a champ and never had a problem. I did have to change the magneto after I left the battery in over winter and crossed the jumper cables when I jumped it but that was my own fault for not paying attention. IMO, for an acre, it doesn't make sense to splurge on an expensive machine with all the bells and whistles.

smglbrth

You wish it would die so you wouldn't have to mow it? Heck, 2 4D would work. At least that's what we used to use on the farm to kill just about anything that could grow in the ground. Whoops, guess it's outlawed now...

billbillw

My late 90's Craftsman is still going strong. It has a Kohler Command motor with pressurized oil system and a hydro trans. Got it for free about 3 years ago from some Dr who let it sit for years. Oil/filters/plug change, new battery, and carb rebuild (~$100 total) and it fired up first try. Since I've been using it, it hasn't had a lick of trouble. Still running the original tires and belts! (I'll probably change the belts after this year).

Check Craigslist. Always a bunch for sale.

dromunds

I wouldn't even walk into a big box store. John Deere will hold its value.

mhardy6647

... as a corollary, if this hasn't already been posted, I'd add don't buy a "John Deere" tractor from a big box store (i.e., the Home Despot). It just ain't the same...