Looking at new "rider" lawnmowers...chime in!

I've had my Lowes John Deere 100 series mower for about 6 years, and no problems so far. Got it on Craig's list for 70o bucks, it only had 60 hrs on it. Maybe I've just lucked out so far. It's way nicer than what I had! Lol

 

My JD 420 is 32 years old, just swapped in a new motor this past week. good for another 32

 

A budget would help us give better advice. A JD x300 can be had for a little over $2k. An x700, well....4 or 5 times that. That's new $, not used.

If you don't enjoy mowing, look at a ztr. 2 acres and a good driver can be cut in an hour or less depending on deck size.

 

yea, all I do is mow the lawn with they thing....and cant say I love mowing the lawn...just want to "get er done".......and the x300s are more in my price range.....not looking to spend 5k or more really. Doesn't have to be John Deere, I like Cub Cadet too

 

There are homeowner grade ztr's available priced in the x300 ball park. Get er done to me means get er done fast haha. If you want to make life easier, and have more time for other things besides mowing, I'd go that route.

Most dealers will let you demo ride one. Go see and feel the difference...ride a tractor in the same price range and make your decision.

Keep the oil and hydro fluids changed, filters changed, and only cutting 2 acres, either type of machine will last a very long time.

 

When mom complained about how steering her Cub-Cadet was really bothering her shoulders, she was 78 yo at the time, I took my Gravely 60" HD ZTR over for her to try. She mows 1-1/2 acres. She refused to try it out. (Didn't was to look like a fool in front of others.) I took it out back and parked it. Pointed out the steering diagram to her & left it up to her to try out if she got brave. 2 days later she call me up & said to bring a trailer she was ready for a ZTR. Rather than have her buy a Gravely because I did, I encouraged her to try out different models to see what felt comfortable to her. After trying 6 different brands, John Deere, Husqvarna, Troy Built (MTD), Swisher, Bad Boy, & Hustler, she said enough, take me to the Gravely dealer. Ended up getting a 52" home owner's model. 4 years later it is still running like new. Yes, mom still mows her own yard with one of us kids doing the ditch work with a push mower. The difference in how she felt after mowing was tremendous!!! She can mow it all in one sitting where with the Cub she had to take 5-6 breaks over a couple of days.

If you have an established yard, a homeowner's model will probably last you a long time & can be had for $3,000 or less. However, if you want to use it with untamed yards like a brush hog, a HD (heavy duty) model is a must.

After switching to a ZTR, I wouldn't go back to a lawn tractor. Mowing time went down to a fourth, saving fuel & time & eliminated need for a push mower & cut the weed eating time down to 10 minutes.

 

My throw away mtd 16.5 hp hydrostatic was bought used in 08, about 9 yrs old when I got it, and has been very solid for lawnmowing my 1 acre lawn. I've only had to replace wear items like a belt, blades, and I did have to put a good used head on it due to warpage on the Briggs from mice clogging the cooling areas. Oh yeah, said mice ate my coil wire and I had to replace that too. It still has the old battery from 07 in it too.

Yes, there's much better mowers, but it's served me well.

 

all mechanical equipment has some failure, from my perspective a lot of it comes down to the owner. some people are inadvertently harder on equipment than others, intentional or not. most of my tools/ equipment is very old and works fine, whereas I have friends/family that go thru the same items in a few years.
Yes there are some products with inherent flaws, but for the average homeowner it should not be a problem.

 

I debated a ZTR or traditional tractor when I bought my current house 2 years ago. In the end I chose a tractor and have no regrets. However, I use it to haul a dump cart that I haul firewood in all the time. I also mounted a from receiver hitch so I can move my log splitter and utility trailer around the yard.

I purchased a John Deere X-500 but my father in-law has an X-300 and he really likes it. The X-300 and 500 are quality machines that will serve you for many years.

 

Here is my 2 cents. If you can, wait until spring and buy a used commercial grade zero turn. Lots of people upgrade then and there is a lot of used stuff available. A buddy of mine bought a used gas Kubota Zt from a local dealer that was either a trade in or consignment for 3k. It had a 100 hours on it and was basically like new.

 

LOL. Me either! You could possibly dry and burn the piles they leave for you. It would add a nice aroma to the neighborhood.

 

yea, good advice....been talking to folks.....Im leaning to the x300's.....have a Kubota tractor with a 4' front end I use to haul stuff around, so dont really need the size. Im thinking of waiting till late fall this year......Im hoping dealers will want to get rid of 2015 stock prior to Spring, and want to hitit before theyswtow stuff for winter.

 

lol- popped my bubble there! Well, since I don't plow with the thing, fall versus Spring really wont matter......I can just as easily wait till then.....thanks

 

Just remember, it is just lawn mower shopping, not like picking out a bride! Keep it simple.

 

I like my x304. It's been abut 7 years and it's been absolutely reliable. I have just done routine maintenance, like oil, oil filter, air filter, lube, blades, etc. It's definitely a step up from the Big Box models.

 

If you already have a tractor with a loader I would definitely buy a zero turn mower.

A friend of mine blew up his tractor late august last year and wanted a similar machine to what you are after. Didn't want a home depot tractor but didn't want to spend 5k either and he had a hell of a time finding one. All the dealers sold out of the stock they ordered for the year and were only getting one or two at a time and those were usually sold before he could get a deposit on them. In the end he had to compromise instead of getting what he really wanted because it was all that was available. If you want a deal plan on early spring.

 

x2, I assume you have a loader on kubota... if not to hell with grass let it grow til later buy a loader..

I want to add quick release and get pallet forks and grapple bucket.

Just got done rebuilding mowing deck on 1986 cub 1872 re-powered with 25 HP Honda
the 12 you Toro rider died last year so I am reading this with great interest!

 

weeeelll, divorced guy here, so it seems my skill in picking a bride is pretty much in question! I wont derail my own thread, and arouse the ire of the ladies in the forum, by asking what I should look for in a wife!