Riding Mower....what brand?
 

Need to buy a riding mower this weekend w/all the labor day sales I figure now is the best time. I was looking at sears craftsman...but talked to several people and they all complain about it throwing the belt all the time. I was also looking at the Poulan but don't know too much about it. A lot have been telling me to get the John Deere....I can only afford one of the lowest models. I don't need much...only cutting about and acre and 1/2. What brands are you guys using and which one's should I steer clear of?

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

I have an EX-Mark zero turn. Cut my mowing time in half. A little pricey but worth every penny I spent.

http://www.exmark.com/LazerZCT.htm

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

I have a Craftsman DT3000 with the Kohler 20HP V-Twin. It ROCKS! Never thrown a belt. It'll cut through anything, (I have some serious coastal hay on my place.) Got it on sale for less than $1400.

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

Ex Mark, it is the best.

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

My next door neighbor is on his second Craftsman riding mower. He "fixed" :rolleyes: the first one, that's why he bought the new one. He never complained about it.

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

I was looking at that DT3000...nice one. Personally I don't think I'll have a problem w/ the craftsman, but some folks have just recently turned me off on it so I'm not sure which one I'm getting now. I like the John Deere but personally I think I'm paying more for that name then anything else. For $1400 I get the bottom of the line John Deere with no oil/fuel filters. For $1400 at sears I'll get a pretty good mower with some goodies on it. But if the Deere will hold up more and be more dependable then I'm all for it.

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

The low priced models of even the best brand names (Cub, Deere, etc) are junk. No better than the value brands. They had to begin mfg the low end (disposable) models to compete at the hardware store. This is straight from the mouth of a good friend who has been a Deere dealer for over 20 years.

If your lawn is relatively tame (no giant roots, no ditches or rocks) then any mower will work. If you get a multi-blade deck (and you should for the size you plan to mow) then you should compare the deck to choose the one that over time will keep the blades in alignment to each other best (bigger bearings, grease fittings, thicker deck material and stiffening ribs) else your blades will get out of level with each other and it'll never cut evenly again.

Craftsman does a good job of keeping parts available pretty much forever for their mowers.

The MTD and Murray mowers make up the lion's share of the hardware store models. As far as low priced mowers go, they are the baseline.

It's hard to beat a single blade rear engine Snapper ride-on, but it's going to be too small for your acreage.

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

I've had a entry level John Deere tractor for about 10 years and NO problems what so ever.
I'd buy another in a second!!

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

I'm stuck between the John Deere entry model/ Sears model with Kohler engine / our Poulan

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

All are good... just make sure you get the good engine. If it doesn't have pressure oil (with a filter), pass it up. And add an hour meter. Wash it and wax it, it'll last a long time. My old MTD, (everyone said was junk), lasted me eight HARD years. I gave it to a friend of mine, it's still going strong. It's all about maintanence. I used synthetic oil exclusively.

Another opinion: buy the V-Twin, not a single. The difference is amazing!

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

Craftsman W/honda Motor Good For Light Use...otherwise
J/d 20 Plus Hp Models Or A Used/new Honda Tractor

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

found a nice murray, 21hp twin......anybody have opinions on murray's?

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

I don't like buying anything foreign, but my Honda is unbeatable. They are usually priced just beneath a Deere... apples to apples.

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

Buy for looks. In the "under $2500" price range, they are all cutting corners. I don't care what brand it is.

Guys who get extended use out of value category mowers are simply taking better care of them or are using them in a gentle environment (which is a good thing to do).

Get a pressure lube twin cylinder motor. All of the major brands are fine as far as motors.

Murray, MTD, Toro, etc., they all have models from the cheapest ones using nylon wheel bushings to better ones with bearings. Just take a good look and get a "try it first" policy. Most mower shops will let you mow with it once to see if you like it - most hardware stores won't.

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

Bang for the buck, I'd definitely go with Toro. Without getting into the stratosphere, pricewise, (which with their commercial grade you can) that's the brand the lawn cutting businesses use. They had a nice sale going on with an extended extra year full warranty at no extra cost. Don't know if that's still on or not.

Don't think you'd go wrong with a Toro.

The "commercial" guys down here cutting lawns for a living, use Toro 30 to 1 compared to a John Deere.

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

I mow 2 acres with a Craftsman Garden Tractor 46" deck, 22HP Kohler V-twin and hydrostatic drive, And I really like it, An X-mark or any other zero turn mower will cut faster and do a nicer job but I use my tractor for more that just mowing grass.

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

read some bad things about Murray's....it priced quite a bit under what others are. I think more then likely I'm getting the craftsman. Found a vtwin pressure lubed one reasonable priced.

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

Are you a Craftsman Club Member?
It's good for an extra 10% off during Craftsman Club Days (one week per month).

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

Craftsman club member....I guess I'll become a member if i buy it :)

Just looked up and saw some recalls were issued for the Murray rider.....I'll mark it off the list. I think if I get one with a decent engine and deck and just take care of it, I'll be fine.

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

John Deere gets the highest rating - I got a 110 last year after too much research.

http://johndeere.com/en_US/ProductCa...20Series&tM=HO

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

Deere and Simplicity are pretty close in design except Simplicity put a lot more $$ into their decks ; more than anyone out there. The Simplicity had 2 features I liked a lot. First it has a deck that without any tools slides out and off in less than 2 minutes for cleaning, blade changes etc. Second, it has the only deck on the market with a floating front end and full roller across the back. Nothing cuts smoother than a Simplicity.

I liked the Deere a lot but tried both and the Simplicity does cut much smoother and to me the final result is what counted. So I payed $3,500 for a Simplicity 16Hp V-Twin Vanguard with a 42' deck 13yrs ago. It has 420 hrs on it and is like new. Never a problem and will go another 13++ yrs easily without problems. They say it's lifespan is up to 50 yrs.

I like the idea of buying something engineered very well and having it be cheaper in the long run than a disposable unit. If this tractor lasts even 30 yrs that's only $ 116/season of use. For the same price or less over the long haul I can have a machine built like a tank, huge wheel and blade bearings, a very heavy deck, hydrostatic trans, and the list goes on.

Investing more $$ initially into something like a tractor is worth the price. They make a great "zero turn unit" too for prosumers.

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

thats my main problem actually...tight budget. Going to be moving in a new house and won't have much to spend on a tractor. Not getting the lowest grade...but mid grade. I'd like to buy a really good one as some of you have mentioned, but just can't afford it right now.

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

Here is Hydro's recommendation:

The one I suggest you look at is Model # 27608

If you can only afford a grand then look at Model #27317

http://www.sears.com/sr/craftsman/ho...=Lawn+Tractors

It is on sale now; usually $ 2899.99 Now $2199.88 ($ 700.11 off)

Take off an additional $219.00 for opening a new credit card and the price will drop to $1980.88. You will be very hard pressed to get a machine with that kind of engine, hydrostatic drive and a 48" cut with a very high level of quality.

The engine alone it worth $ 1,200.00


Automatic trans (Hydrostatic)
26HP Briggs V-Twin OHV with pressure lube and filter
10ga 48" deck
electric clutch for blades

The only way to go cheaper is to get a manual tranny and you would only save $200 an auto is the way to go. This one is worth putting on payments and paying it off over a year or so. Open a charge and save an additional 10%.

This is a very fine tractor and worth every cent. If mine went out tomorrow with a major catastrophic problem I would get it.

This this might work? I love tractors and would be proud to own this one.

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

Powered by a Kohler 17.5 hp Kohler Pro engine with pressure lube, auto type oil filter and hydraulic valve lifters for longer life. 6-speed transaxle, EZ3 deck system with 2 gauge wheels

The Kohler 17.5HP Pro engine is not too fancy but rugged and sells for $700.00 at most discount shops.

$1199.88 on sale and then do the sears card for 10% more off so $1080. It may be manual but it still is a very good tractor. I don't think you can find a better $ 1000 tractor.

The other one I recommended for under $2k is made from heavy gauge steel and top drawer at almost $900 off with the 10% charge card discount.

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

Ex-Mark

I have had one three seasons now and it is the best money I have spent. The wife even likes to mow with it!!!!!!!!!!!

Buy the largest motor option they offer for the size mower you select and you will be very happy!

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This is a nice setup!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

Nice Set Up!

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

97BossHammer, The trick to not throwing the belt on a Craftsman is to make sure the deck is raised in the up position before engaging the mower deck, once it is engaged lower the deck. Also make sure that the engine is at idle speed when engaging/disengaging.

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Nice...looks pricey

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What did you pay? Are these the machines that are identical to Toro's under a different marketing name???

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

hydrostaic trans is a must

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

Sonic

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

I have a cub cadet and am very happy with it, but am not talking from much experience. I must agree with the hydrostatic transmission as a must though. Can't imagine what a pain it must be to mow without it.
Good luck!
Scott

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

One more bit of advice from me. If you are intereseted in buying a used mower, check with your real estate agent. They usually know about people interested in selling their mowers for cheap.
Scott

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

GTH2548 with a Swisher bucket, I also have the 48" 10ga deck with power deck lift. and a power sleeve hitch

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

what i've seen on the cheaper craftsmans is that they don't have a drain plug on the rear axle,that's what seems to be the weak link on them,i like to change all the fluids.just like your boat.

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

There is another good discussion in the OT forum. I bought a used Gravely GT600 wuth a snow blower off eBay and love it. As all have said before get the auto trans...
Ken

Re: Riding Mower....what brand?
 

I didn't really look at the auto as that much of a difference, I don't mind changing gears....but from what you guys are saying I'll try to get one that is auto. My main thing is a good engine/deck.......now if I can fit some other extra's in there I'll gladly do it, but from what I've seen you give or take a few options on different models. I appreciate all the help guys!!