Looking for a decent riding mower

[Gus68]

Hey guys! I am looking at buying a new rider this year. I have looked at all the different brands and was just wondering what the main difference is between them? It seems most of them have a briggs or a techomsa (sp?), as far as I know they are both good engines. So besides the engines, what do you look for in a rider? I have also heard that the same company makes alot of them and just paints them different colors, so just buy the cheapest one? Also it seems like a lot of them are hydrostatic, which is great but what happens when that takes a ****? expensive? The 2 that i have been looking at the most are the 54" poulan pro and the Hauscvarna riding tractors? Any experience with any of these? Thanks for any help!

 

[ibedayank]

Gus when anything breaks it costs money. the majority of the riding mowers you find at lowes homedepot walmart even sears are made by MTD factories. The good stuff is sold by the pro shops and are not cheap. re Cubcadet and John Deer

 

[SouthCoastMudder]

My HD sells John Deere and Cub Cadet... I think the Husqavarna have a good reputation. Any of them will do fine with a little care and cleaning the deck off so it doesn't right.

 

[Gus68]

I have heard that even cub cadet is made by someone else and that the older ones are better. Is this true?

 

[green.bubbly]

I just purchased a 50" Cub Cadet zero turn with the 24 hp Kawasaki engine from Home Depot. No particular reason I selected that one other than it was only $300.00 more then the lower model which was only 42" cut, had a smaller engine, smaller front and rear tires and just did not look as beefy.

My son used it today and even at full speed through thick clovers, it never cried.

Not sure who actually makes it or how it compares to other consumer products. This is my first rider purchase so I can not give much other info or comparisons. My only other mower is an old Gravely PM300 outfront that was handed down to me from my sister. That thing is a freakin tank.

I believe Poulan is made by MTD which makes mowers for several brands(one also being Cub Cadet). The Husqvarna is basically the same mower as the Sears models.

 

[Skin]

I have heard that even cub cadet is made by someone else and that the older ones are better. Is this true?

Cub Cadet was purchased from International Harvester by MTD about 30 years ago. MTD and CC are pretty much one in the same. A lot of interchangable parts.

I believe Poulan is made by MTD which makes mowers for several brands(one also being Cub Cadet). The Husqvarna is basically the same mower as the Sears models.

Husqvarna is its own company [it was previously owned by Electrolux], they also own the Poulon brand.

 

[nissan_crawler]

For the most part, buy the color you like, there are no decent ones at the box store.

I will say this...dad is a manager at lowes...he says it's easy to lift up the back of all of the lawn "tractors" (I think it should be illegal to call them that), including the John Deeres, except for the Husqvarnas. He says they weigh quite a bit more, especially the ones with the hydro motor for each rear wheel. That doesn't necessarily mean anything, but if I had the choice, I would pick the heavier one every time.

 

[nissan_crawler]

Gus when anything breaks it costs money. the majority of the riding mowers you find at lowes homedepot walmart even sears are made by MTD factories. The good stuff is sold by the pro shops and are not cheap. re Cubcadet and John Deer

Misinformation. Cubcadet is MTD, and current sears are not MTD, they're AYP. John deere is made solely by John Deere.

 

[REAL HOT SCHITT]

Hi all mowers are almost made in same factory but pumped out with differing colors and stickers.
I repair / replace the spindles on most, like change bearings.

Most spindle castings are aluminium which is **** as the grass joosis eat the metal away so look for steel or paint the castings and wash after use religiously.
The next thing is spindle bearings....they lack grease and cut out after 200 hours if that?, i fill exter 150 % more grease when installing bearings.

The next is owners fault...the mowers i repair some had no oil change for 6 years or so as owners just fill and use constantly, and wonder why the bore is scored.

The best mowers i know of is brands that is powered by, kubota,honda,kawasaki,robin and kohler engines.

The most reliable mowers are kubota and iseki with the john deere commercial series followed by walker and jacobsen.

I use a j.d and had a kubota (got stolen)

 

[tdkkart]

I have heard that even cub cadet is made by someone else and that the older ones are better. Is this true?

Cub Cadet may indeed be made/owned by MTD, but the machines sold by the box stores and the dealers are 2 distinctly different lines. I believe you can get the box store models at a dealer but not the other way around.

If you compare, the box store models are all vertical shaft consumer grade engines belt driven to aluminum hydrostatic transmissions. The frames and decks are thinner steel, the blade spindles are the cheap non-repairable versions.
The dealer models have commercial duty horizontal shaft engines and shaft driven cast iron transmissions, the frames and decks are thicker steel. if you campare the spec sheets the dealer models are considerable heavier, even with the same size engines and decks.

Don't believe it, check it out for yourself.

 

[tdkkart]

Oops, doubled...........

 

[Joe B.]

Misinformation. Cubcadet is MTD, and current sears are not MTD, they're AYP. John deere is made solely by John Deere.

If by Sears you mean Craftsman, they are now a mix of MTD and Husqvarna. (Husqvarna used to be AYP.)

 

[Joe B.]

Cub Cadet was purchased from International Harvester by MTD about 30 years ago. MTD and CC are pretty much one in the same. A lot of interchangable parts.



Husqvarna is its own company [it was previously owned by Electrolux], they also own the Poulon brand.

Skin is correct. I'm finding that this board provides a lot of information that is out of date in the area of riding mowers.

 

[4wydnr]

On the farm we have an Exmark. It's a commercial grade zero turn mower that would be quite expensive for the average homeowner. But if you can find a well priced used machine it would probably last the rest of your life with few issues. The exmark we have was built to be run for 8 hours a day all summer. So one hour a week for 5 months is nothing.

A good zero turn can cut your mowing time in half. Think about it a 72 inch deck at 10 mph will get some work done.

There are a few other brands of commercial mowers that I would consider long before I spent money on the stuff they have at the big box stores.

 

[kenners]

There is enough good information at this site to make your head spin. http://www.mytractorforum.com/

 

[nissan_crawler]

If by Sears you mean Craftsman, they are now a mix of MTD and Husqvarna. (Husqvarna used to be AYP.)

You're right, they changed again. I goofed.

Either way, I think anything box store is *more or less* the same quality, and I don't mean good.

 

[yoyokidss1]

i have a husquvana 54 in cut 25hp kawisaki 300 [lus hours . no issues, changed oil,filters, plugs every 50hours

 

[sonnyboy]

Why limit yourself to new?

The quality of any of the newer stuff marketed to the average homeowner nowdays is nothing compared to what it was 20+ years ago. Google "best garden tractor ever made", and the first one that shows up is the John Deere 318. Hasn't been made since the early 1990's. You can spend similar money on a well maintained, low hour JD 318 as a new "box store" model, and in 5-10 years, the brand new one won't hardly be worth the gas to haul it to the steel recyclers. On the other hand, the older JD will likely be worth at least equal to what it is worth today, but it won't matter, because it will still be going strong.

Although I don't have the 318, I do have a late '60's 110 (built like a tank!) that I use year around in northern MN for many of my yard and garden chores. I picked it up a couple of years ago with a tiller attachment for $400, and have since spent a few hundred more getting just about every attachment that was ever made for it. The attachments for the 110 are interchangeable between many models from the late '60's, thru early '90's, so they are plentiful and fairly cheap. In the event that I need a replacement part, most of the common stuff (belts, mower blades, bearings, etc.) is stocked at the local John Deere dealer, and if I would ever need more uncommon parts, good used ones are widely available on ebay. I would also compare the 8 hp Kohler in my 110 to a 15-18 hp engine in the newer tractors for the work it gets done, and how easily it does it. Remember, there was a class action lawsuit in recent years against lawn mower manufacturers over inflated hp claims, and the manufacturers lost....


Several of the other brands besides JD that were built in the '60's-80's are also excellent, heavy duty, built to last, classic machines, including (in no particular order): Bolens, Cub Cadet, Sears (Suburban), Wheel Horse, Speedex, Case (Ingersoll), and probably several others.

 

[Printer Mike]

A friend found my used JD LX188 back in the late '90s. It has a 48" deck. Made a few repairs over the years, but it's still running strong.

 

[nissan_crawler]

Why limit yourself to new?

The quality of any of the newer stuff marketed to the average homeowner nowdays is nothing compared to what it was 20+ years ago. Google "best garden tractor ever made", and the first one that shows up is the John Deere 318. Hasn't been made since the early 1990's. You can spend similar money on a well maintained, low hour JD 318 as a new "box store" model, and in 5-10 years, the brand new one won't hardly be worth the gas to haul it to the steel recyclers. On the other hand, the older JD will likely be worth at least equal to what it is worth today, but it won't matter, because it will still be going strong.

Although I don't have the 318, I do have a late '60's 110 (built like a tank!) that I use year around in northern MN for many of my yard and garden chores. I picked it up a couple of years ago with a tiller attachment for $400, and have since spent a few hundred more getting just about every attachment that was ever made for it. The attachments for the 110 are interchangeable between many models from the late '60's, thru early '90's, so they are plentiful and fairly cheap. In the event that I need a replacement part, most of the common stuff (belts, mower blades, bearings, etc.) is stocked at the local John Deere dealer, and if I would ever need more uncommon parts, good used ones are widely available on ebay. I would also compare the 8 hp Kohler in my 110 to a 15-18 hp engine in the newer tractors for the work it gets done, and how easily it does it. Remember, there was a class action lawsuit in recent years against lawn mower manufacturers over inflated hp claims, and the manufacturers lost....


Several of the other brands besides JD that were built in the '60's-80's are also excellent, heavy duty, built to last, classic machines, including (in no particular order): Bolens, Cub Cadet, Sears (Suburban), Wheel Horse, Speedex, Case (Ingersoll), and probably several others.

I have a John Deere 318, and a Bolens 1250, and couldn't agree more. That bolens is 12hp, and will run a 48" deck in 2' of grass without skipping a beat.

The 318...well, put it this way, if the branches in the lawn are under 1" or so, I don't bother picking them up, they make great mulch.

I just looked at sears.com...their 30hp,fully loaded 54" deck garden tractor weighs 916 lbs with the deck, and costs $6000. The stripped, no frills, 12hp bolens weighs about the same without the deck on it, and can be picked up for $1000 easily.

 

[bart1]

If you go to a good John Deere dealer, they will probably have both the big box store JD models, as well as thier premium line. They will be able to explain the differences.

I mow about and acre and don't do anything else with it, so I just got an L108 cheapo model. 2 year warranty and the B&S engine blew at 2.5 yrs. I bought another and it's been running okay since.

 

[cashishift]

Go to a dealer. Develop a relationship.

I wouldn't bother with a tractor from any of the big box stores.

Hustler is also worth looking into.

 

[hilld]

I purchased a used (2 year old and 40 hours) JD X300 mower a couple of years ago for $1300 including a bagger. New this machine costs $3000 + $500 for the bagger. Changed the oil and changed the blades as one of them had a crack, so that cost me another $100, so for less than half the cost of a new one I have a decent quality mower for less than the big box stores sell. It runs great, looks great and is reliable. Oh, it is powered by a 17HP Kawasaki engine, but don't get hung up on engine size as it is not really the differentiating factor anymore.

 

[RascalRider]

Just bought a new craftsman YT4500 54" 26 hp. This mower is the same as the Husqvarna mower that was sitting next to it except it is black not orange and I bought it on sale for hundreds less. So far it is all good. Mows good, has the new tight turn front end, deck wash, plenty of power, etc.

 

[Hud]

This is going to be my 4th season with my Gravely zero turn and I love it. It has a hose for easy oil drainage and spin on oil filter that I believe are a must.

 

[tdkkart]

This is going to be my 4th season with my Gravely zero turn and I love it. It has a hose for easy oil drainage and spin on oil filter that I believe are a must.

^this^
My third season on Gravely zero-turn that I really like, 20HP Kohler Command engine, 44" cut.

Gravely is another that builds different models for box stores vs dealers.
My neighbor has one close to mine that came from Lowes. BIG difference, his has a Kohler "Courage" engine, lighter hydrostats, thinner deck, no headlights, no hour meter. Just built cheaper than mine.

 

[I can fix anything]

The engine in my brand new Cub Cadet exploded sending shrapnel and oil into my yard after only 10 minutes. They put a brand new engine it and had it back to me in less than a week. Thier service was great and they let me borrow a mower till mine was ready.

 

[tdkkart]

The engine in my brand new Cub Cadet exploded sending shrapnel and oil into my yard after only 10 minutes.

SWEET!!!
And to think you've paid money to see people do the same thing..........
I know when I go to any powersports event and do not see at least one scattered motor or one wreck I feel cheated as I leave.

 

[buening]

My neighbor just bought a new Simplicity and it looks to be pretty well built, but are pretty pricey from what I remember. Myself, I have a restored 1977 John Deere 214 with 48" cut. It is a gear drive and doesn't have the high vacuum deck, but does the job and only have about $700 or so in it total.

 

[StarWolve]

I agree with some who have said "why buy new?"

I run a 1975 Gravely with a Kohler M18 engine. It runs well, has gear driven everything, and there's an attachment available for any job. It will outlast me, with some basic maintenance. If anything does break, it's usually a simple fix. And I bet I paid less for it than just about anything else at the big box stores with at least a 50" deck.

As far as Engines, I've always been partial to Kohler motors. My M18 is a workhorse, and the K241 on my 1975 John Deere 210 is also a great little motor. As long as you change the oil, you can't really kill them. And even if you do, a complete rebuild kit, including a con-rod and piston, for the K241, is only a couple hundred bucks on eBay.

 

[tdkkart]

I wish teh Gravely stuff had been more popular here, really hard to find the older ones here, seems to be more of an east coast thing. They were good stuff in their day, and still are if you can find parts.

 

[clkimmel]

It really depends on your needs and budget. I bought a Husqvarna at lowes about 7 years ago and have used it to cut a one acre lot with no problems. I personally would stay away from the MTD made products (mine is AYP), but you should look at things like cutting deck thickness and not so much color of paint IMHO.

I spent $1700 and have only had to have normal maintenance since new.

 

[Cougar]

Run a JD F525 and an Ariens 60" zero turn 25hp Kohler happy with both.

Father in-law always bought the box store riders had pretty good luck with them.
His last purchase he moved up to a JD likes it way more than the others.
Not sure of the model.

 

[bart1]

Went to my Deere dealer at lunch and they had a nice restored 110 in stock. I asked if it was for sale and they said "he wouldn't sell that for any amount of money". They had some museum quality tractors in there.

 

[rasit]

Zero turn is the only way to go. Spend as much as your budget will allow. Don't limit yourself to new machines as there are plenty of great used commercial mowers that would last the average homeowner a lifetime. Lexmark, Dixie Chopper, Ferris, Gravely, Hustler, Land Pride to name a few. You won't find any Briggs and Stratton here......Plenty of decent non professional zero turners too. The key word is zero.

 

[bdkruger1]

I had an old Ariens GT17 I bought used in '99. Mowed 2+ acres w/it for 6 yrs, and did 200' driveway with the 2 stage blower for it all winter long. The thing was a tank. Sold it when I moved out west. Then bought a new 27hp 54" hydro cub cadet from Lowes. What a mistake.

First of all, the hp ratings on the newer stuff is a joke. After selling the cub, I got a letter concerning a class action lawsuit, based upon the fact that the manufacturers are over rating the hp claims. I knew from the git go That there was NO WAY that thing was 27hp. The old 17hp Ariens would have drug that cub around anywhere it wanted. Both Kohler motors.

Last year I bought a used JD 240 for 700.00. NOW i'm happy again. This one was built in'89 +/-. 14 horse Kawasaki. 6 spd trans. 24" rears. I also found a 38" snowthrower for it for 100.00. If and when I decide to upgrade to a 300 series Deere, I'll prob be able to almost double my money on the 240. This is based on what I see dealers selling them for, and theirs usually aren't in as good as shape as mine.

My point? Based upon personal experience, either by a heavy duty used, or spend big bux on heavy duty new. Don't by box store machines. They are complete POS.

I saw a JD GT275 on Craigs' yesterday for 1500.00. Now, this is a hydro, 17hp Kawasaki, 44 or 48" deck. The owner was anil as hell and the thing was cherry. With the proper maint. that tractor will out live the next two generations that own it.

 

[petee_c]

Our house came with a Scotts branded JD 2048 mower. It's probably about 8yrs old now. No major issues. Flat battery from improper winter storage (my fault), and a mouse nest ontop of one of the cylinders. One weeping gas line. One broken belt.

Bought a bagger for it a few years ago. Only use it in the fall to vacuum up the leaves.

Oil change a few years ago, and this spring (about 40-50h on the oil). It probably runs 15-20h per year. We have a large suburban lot. 100'x175', but a lot of the space is taken up by house, driveway,garage. It takes about 30minutes to mow it, if my 4yr old isn't driving on my lap.

P

 

[padronanniversary]

Kubota gets my vote. I sell into that industry. Just take a look at the decks, and pick one up to see how heavy the steel is. Just little things like welds, etc. Don't let sears fool you with their cast iron axles, etc.

 

[LEVE]

I'll vote for a Craftsman rider, my last one (of the 2) is an LT1000 with a 18hp engine and a 42" mower deck. I've used them for almost four decades. In the winter I've plowed snow with them; in the summer I've mowed weekly and moved/plowed driveway rock into place with the snow-blade.

I've yet to have a problem with one that's not of my own making, or that I couldn't fix quickly and for cheap.

Mine have all have had B&S engines. They've held up nicely. When needed I can get parts delivered to my door from Sears or drive to the Valley to get them locally... as well as a ton of places on the Internet. I have stocked a NIB B&S engine, two spindle assemblies and two blades. That way I'm covered for the next 10 to 15 years for maintenance.

For my use, they're a quality product that's held up with a little maintenance. If I do my job right, this Craftsman could be plowing the grass on my grave long after I'm gone.

 

[cheap bastard]

I have been using an older Simplicity 16 HP Hydrostatic for the last two years. It works very well. It only mows or pulls a large lawn trailer. I can't really think of a better way to ruin a hydro drive than snow removal, so there is no plow. You have to ask yourself what you're wanting the machine to do for you and buy according to the greatest expectation. If you are pulling tillers, grading dirt, moving snow or any other major work, a riding mower won't live. If you are just using it to mow, bag and tow, then good care will keep most any lower dealer unit alive for many years. The box store mowers are often just to damn cheap to survive anything but a well groomed surface with a nearly level field. The frames of box store models are made of thin gauge material, the engines are built to a lower price point as are the common wear parts. I have seen plastic king pin bushings in 12HP mowers!! Other places the lower end mowers save $$ are the blade balancing, tire quality, die cast transmission cases instead of aluminium or iron, non-heat treated steering components and plenty of other critical parts or processes that can make a difference.