Need help choosing a riding mower

[manwithtools]

I saw this and loved it, but I was worried how it would do on the hill...

A front mount Deer like in that listing, Kubota or Toro would do fine on that hill - IF it is 4-Wheel drive model. (I didn't think OK had hills?) The low center of gravity makes these mowers the ticket for hills.

I have a Kubota 60" front mount 22hp diesel and it mows hills steeper than yours without a worry. 4-Wheel drive and locking differential makes it unstoppable on hills. It's got way more capability (and safety) than a garden tractor or ZTR. The drawback is cost - new these are $16-20k and up. An older one will still have plenty of life in it, but you may have to resurrect it because these are mainly commercial use mowers.

I got lucky, mine came with the house. It's 16 years old with a little over 600 hours. It will last me and the next owner of this house both our lifetimes at it's current rate of use. I've seen many of these with 8000 hours still doing the job just fine.

 

[drink]

Once again.....I do not recommend riding on that steep of a slope. Push mowing it will be difficult. The point where they graded the gravel road/driveway and cut into the slope is not safe to mow at all. You can read a lot of owner's manuals at Sears Parts website and they say not to mow on slopes of about 15°.

Some of the old equipment does not have safety switches like some of the newer equipment.

Going up hill a tractor can suddenly do a wheelie and flip over backwards on top of you with the mower blades running. Even though some have safety shut off switches the blades will be turning until they stop.

You can flip going up, down, or side-to-side.

Don't learn the hard way.

 

[Firebrick43]

Might throw this out. I use an exmark turf tracer. It's a zero turn walk behind.
It has a 2 wheeled sulky to stand on and ride. It's a commercial mower, fast,efficient,great deck with good airflow. Any ways when I bought it to mow my ten acres in 2006 it was 3 years old and was used by a lawn service company. They use mowers about 3 years and sell to avoid maintenance.

The riders sell well but the walk behinds don't due to preconceived notions about standing. I paid just 1500 dollars and have used it heavily. Maintenance has included 1 belt, a set of deck spindle bearings, an idler pulley, and a leaking top seal on the awesome Kawasaki. The machine maybe had a thousand hours before being purchase and even survived my wife running a cinder block through the deck. The motor is a 17hp Kawasaki and pulls starts on the second pull every time. Electrical start is available. Mines a 48" but 52 and 60 are available as well

It will now any hill side one can walk on(may not be able to ride the sulky on really steep hills, but the one you show you would).

I can outmow my neighbors 425 jd with 60" deck almost two to one(we now each other's lawn during vacations) speed and manuvrabilty is unmatched.
The deck also weighs more than the jd even though it's a foot shorter.

A couple years ago I came across a smoking deal on a ferris ztr. I happen to have 1400 cash at the right time and a carb kit fixed the engine surging. I let my wife decide if she wanted to keep it or not. She preferred the walk behind due to the rough farm yard we have. By standing you have your legs to "suspend you" instead of your spine. The ferris does have 4 wheel suspension. Let my mom have the ferris for her 1/4 lot as she was in need of a rider due to her age.

Scag and toro also makes some tough walk behinds. I recommend exmark mainly due to their wonderfull ecs controls. Very ergonomic to use but do take a couple of times to get use to.

Also commercial mowers have higher blade speeds and deeper decks allowing higher air flow. means no windrowing and you can mow wet grass with minimal clumping.

 

[PBCampbell]

Firebrick43 has some good advice. Your slope, as has been mentioned, doesn't look that severe. Heck, in WV that may be considered a fairly flat lot. A normal riding mower would work fine. Hydrostatics aren't likely to melt, catch fire, or explode because they're being used on something other than perfectly flat ground. My mid level Craftsman is getting ready for it's 11th season with it's lower level Hydro-Gear transaxle on an half acre property that has a grade at least as severe as what your pictures show with banks that are steep enough that they can't be driven over(up and then back down). The property across the road qualifies as steep since it's further up the hill and the machine can do it without problems. The operator however isn't too crazy about it, mowing on that steep a grade takes some real concentration and thought with a front engine riding mower.
Now, if you actually have an acre and a half to mow, time is going to be an enemy. Oklahoma seems to be a pretty lush state and spending 3+ hours mowing every week, twice a week in spring and early summer, is going to get old real fast if you have to work for a living. This is the ONLY reason I would suggest a commercial mower. Dropping a few thousand dollars now will save you hundreds of hours in the next decade or so and it all adds up. Time spent with your kids, grandkids, making money on the side, etc. Many ways that are better ways to spend your time (fishing) than cutting grass.

 

[rockinacummins]

All genuine advice and concerns. To the point of it being unsafe to mow the slope, I think I agree that it may be best to use a Walk behind mower. I know i would hate to take a wrong turn and end up underneath any type of mower, whether it be a cheap Lowes model or a quality commercial rig. So I figure I'll stick with a good self propelled walk-behind mower for the hills and keep an eye out for a used diesel garden tractor for the [flatter] areas. I anticipate on having an even larger [flatter] yard within a few years, so i can get by this way for now.

Thanks for all the help folks, garage journal to the rescue again!

 

[DonTen]

Yes I agree with most of the posts here. It is to steep. Why take a chance with your life. I used to work at a lawn mower repair shop and I worked on almost every brand lawn mower. The only one I would try to mow that with would be a Dixie Chopper and I still don't think it would be safe.

 

[M6erfan]

Plant that hill so you dont have to mow it?

 

[MrGiggles]

All genuine advice and concerns. To the point of it being unsafe to mow the slope, I think I agree that it may be best to use a Walk behind mower. I know i would hate to take a wrong turn and end up underneath any type of mower, whether it be a cheap Lowes model or a quality commercial rig. So I figure I'll stick with a good self propelled walk-behind mower for the hills and keep an eye out for a used diesel garden tractor for the [flatter] areas. I anticipate on having an even larger [flatter] yard within a few years, so i can get by this way for now.

Thanks for all the help folks, garage journal to the rescue again!

I'd be more worried about tripping and somehow getting a leg under a walk behind than I would tipping over on that slope.

Don't let the Safety Sallys worry you. Take it at a slight angle, don't make abrupt turns (especially to the uphill side), and definitely find a machine with ROPS and a good working seat belt.

You mentioned that the previous owner used a CUT, why can't you?

There are also the front mount mower machines that are pretty handy for hills too. Kubota makes a good one. These are a one trick pony though, unlike a CUT.

 

[Firebrick43]

I'd be more worried about tripping and somehow getting a leg under a walk behind than I would tipping over on that slope.

.

You haven't operated a commercial walkbehind have you?

 

[zjrog]

I agree with the guy that suggested a vintage garden tractor. Of course that is it's own hobby. But if I might offer another option. Cheap to free lawn and garden tractors are available all the time here locally. For little to no money you find what works and what doesn't. If your bride is tolerant of this path. I do NOT have enough yard to justify the expense of a riding mower of any sort. But, a 1998 model Craftsman Lawn Tractor with 15.5 HP Kohler, 6 speeds and 42" deck was offered free, I jumped. First because, there is a local just for fun mower race once a year. But second, I have knee and back issues and hate shoveling snow. I dragged the mower home literally, 2 streets from my house with my Jeep. It needed new front tires, the carb cleaned, a new fuel tank, the starter worked, but I have replaced it since, and a battery. Before buying anything, I got it running. Then the new tires, missed the deadline for the one race of the year... Checked the deck, which is ugly but works. And, mowed my yards. Front yard took 6 minutes... Found a Craftsman snowplow nearly complete and never used for $100. $35 in parts from Sears, the mount for the tractor came from another freebie, and I can plow snow, chains were a welcome addition. And to plow in the dark and be SEEN, I added a single LED flood light. Might rethink that someday soon.


It isn't real pretty, not shiny new, but gets the job done. The only time I didn't use the plow, was Christmas day, we had 20" of snow, and I didn't have chains yet. Besides, I had my Achilles tendon reconstructed 2 days before Christmas. I have move 8" so far. And it is a lot more fun than I thought it ought to be...

I have sadly, collected 2 more freebies, both without engines. One will be scrapped, while the other is likely to be a hotrod of some sort. Depends what I find at the scrapyard this spring...

 

[tim980]

I would suggest Craftsman R105 Gas-Powered Riding Lawn Mower because I've been using this one for 3 years and It's working fine I love this one because of its features. Btw you should survey the market and the most important thing is your budget. Hope you get what you're looking for. Thanks

 

[M6erfan]

I would suggest Craftsman R105 Gas-Powered Riding Lawn Mower because I've been using this one for 3 years and It's working fine I love this one because of its features. Btw you should survey the market and the most important thing is your budget. Hope you get what you're looking for. Thanks

After 4 years, I think the grass is so high the OP might need more than a mower by now.

 

[redmondjp]

After 4 years, I think the grass is so high the OP might need more than a mower by now.

Oh yeah, this could turn into a "recommend me a chainsaw" thread quite easily!