Please recommend a garden tractor for my use

[JamesW84]

I hate to mow, and I hate lawnmowers. I have about 1 acre I mow regularly, and a "field" area that I'd like to knock down once a month or so. My ground isn't perfectly flat, and I have plenty of rocks/sticks that I try to get out of the way, but things happen. I had a Craftsman zero turn that just seemed like I was always breaking. I bent the deck in the front more than once. I bought a Husqvarna Automower about 3 years ago, which I use for the front yard (love it). My plan was to use it for all of the yard, but I haven't got there. I also need something to mulch leaves, and mow the "field" area a little bit.

I've thought about a wood chipper for sticks/leaves and a weedeater for the "field" area (1/3 acre?).

Is a garden tractor my best bet? If so, can anyone recommend a good, solid garden tractor? I found a likely 1980's Ford LGT18H. From what I've read on tractorforum, it sounds like a solid unit. The problem is some of the parts are getting hard to find, from what I can tell. Blades for the thing are $160/set I really don't want to have to work on something all of the time, and I don't want to spend more than about $1500, either.

 

[Fixr]

I hate to mow, and I hate lawnmowers. I have about 1 acre I mow regularly, and a "field" area that I'd like to knock down once a month or so. My ground isn't perfectly flat, and I have plenty of rocks/sticks that I try to get out of the way, but things happen. I had a Craftsman zero turn that just seemed like I was always breaking. I bent the deck in the front more than once. I bought a Husqvarna Automower about 3 years ago, which I use for the front yard (love it). My plan was to use it for all of the yard, but I haven't got there. I also need something to mulch leaves, and mow the "field" area a little bit.

I've thought about a wood chipper for sticks/leaves and a weedeater for the "field" area (1/3 acre?).

Is a garden tractor my best bet? If so, can anyone recommend a good, solid garden tractor? I found a likely 1980's Ford LGT18H. From what I've read on tractorforum, it sounds like a solid unit. The problem is some of the parts are getting hard to find, from what I can tell. Blades for the thing are $160/set I really don't want to have to work on something all of the time, and I don't want to spend more than about $1500, either.

I would not buy an 80s tractor that takes expensive blades and that has parts availability problems that will just get worse. For $1500, you might be able to get a decent used commercial walk-behind mower in the 36-48 inch range that will be far tougher and faster than your Craftsman was. If you don't want to walk behind it, you can usually get a sulky that lets you ride standing up.

 

[finn]

Sounds like you’re trying to use a mower on a piece of raw ground that hasn’t been “improved” by leveling bringing in proper topsoil, and sodding or seeding. I tried the same thing at my shop with my rider, and it didn’t work. Too much sand, rocks, and sticks dropped from twenty or more mature oak trees. my situation was probably worse, as the previous owner ran a logging operation and left an abundance of buried steel bolts, boogies, and miscellaneous junk half buried that my rider would uncover.

I ended up borrowing a rotary cutter, then buying a flail mower for use behind my compact tractor. The flail works best, and a subcompact tractor would be better than my compact tractor since it would be more maneuverable among the oaks.



Problem is, you’re not going to do that on a $1500 budget, and I doubt a worn out used commercial mower is going to do it without frequent brake downs.

If are able to step up to a subcompact tractor and a flail, go for it. Otherwise, take your $1500, and maybe triple it and have topsoil brought in and level & seed the property . Trying to beat the unimproved terrain into submission with a lawn and garden tractor or worn out commercial lawn mower won’t work.

FUI, my neighbor had a used commercial mower with a sulky and it’s great when it’s running, but he spends more time working on it than mowing.

 

[Firebrick43]

Sounds like you’re trying to use a mower on a piece of raw ground that hasn’t been “improved” by leveling bringing in proper topsoil, and sodding or seeding. I tried the same thing at my shop with my rider, and it didn’t work. Too much sand, rocks, and sticks dropped from twenty or more mature oak trees. my situation was probably worse, as the previous owner ran a logging operation and left an abundance of buried steel bolts, boogies, and miscellaneous junk half buried that my rider would uncover.

I ended up borrowing a rotary cutter, then buying a flail mower for use behind my compact tractor. The flail works best, and a subcompact tractor would be better than my compact tractor since it would be more maneuverable among the oaks.



Problem is, you’re not going to do that on a $1500 budget, and I doubt a worn out used commercial mower is going to do it without frequent brake downs.

If are able to step up to a subcompact tractor and a flail, go for it. Otherwise, take your $1500, and maybe triple it and have topsoil brought in and level & seed the property . Trying to beat the unimproved terrain into submission with a lawn and garden tractor or worn out commercial lawn mower won’t work.

FUI, my neighbor had a used commercial mower with a sulky and it’s great when it’s running, but he spends more time working on it than mowing.

I have bought two used exmark turf tracer HP, a 48” that I have used since 2010 for $1250 and a pull start Kawasaki.

And in late winter last year I bought S series turf tracer hydro 61” deck and battery start(main reason as the wife was asking me every time to pull the other motor) and propane powered Koehler for $2000 dollars.

Both were 4 years old with 600 ish hours when I bought them.

Other than 1 top seal, 2 sets of blades, a set of rear tires that were pretty cut up when I bought it, one deck belt, and bearings to rebuild the spindles.

That is all I put into it after 13 years cutting the 3 acres and all the fence lines of 10 acres pasture plus hacking down rows to place temp poly wire.

That’s not bad. Lot less than the neighbors have spent on their subcompacts and super garden tractors in maintenance plus it will mow circles around them. Certainly less than the Ferris ztr I bought for my moms place and is now here when she moved in.

I don’t see the newer one being much different except mowing faster due to deck width and more hp per inch of cut and the newer vantage deck mulches better as well.

 

[JamesW84]

I'm not super excited about buying a 40 year old mower, but I want something that is tough. I'm not even set on a mower, but I don't know what else to do with the leaves. I have many mature trees with leaves. I used to mulch them with the mower. I can blow and burn them, but I only have a small hand held black and decker 20v blower. It works ok, but would probably take a while and/or several batteries.

I don't really need a tractor, and they're so expensive. I bought a used backhoe for moving/digging. I don't use it much anymore, but it's handy to have when I need it.

The commerical walk behind sounds like a decent option, but I also am leary of getting someone else's junk

 

[ycgoat]

I would try to get a tractor with a PTO drive / 3 point hitch, then use attachments, such as finish mower and or bushhog, landscape rake for removing those sticks and rocks from your field. it will also allow for attachment rentals as needed such as box blade, spreader, or hole diggers. If you can get one with a front bucket even better.

 

[bassJAM]

I have an 87 Wheel Horse garden tractor. I suspect parts for a Wheel Horse or an older Cub Cadet GT will be slightly easier for parts than the Ford, but you're still going to be scouring eBay when something breaks, and it will. I do 98% of my mowing with a dixie chopper ZTR and the Wheel Horse just get's used to maintain paths in rough areas like my woods or around my wood splitting area. Yes, I abuse it and treat it like a bush hog but it's a tough machine and I'm not concerned about cut quality when I'm using it, just knocking down some weeds.

The suggestion about finding a used walk behind like an Exmark isn't a bad one, but it'll probably take all of your $1500 to find one, and $2500 would get one that isn't as ratted out.

 

[My Old Tools]

Buy a real zero turn, not a consumer grade. They are tough and will mow a pasture, much faster than a tractor of any kind. Raise the blade deck to 4 inches when you do the rough stuff until you get it under control. Be prepared to change blades pretty often on anything short of a brush hog. I mulch leaves and a ton of sweet gum balls with my Kubota ztr and its the cheapest one they make.

 

[Firebrick43]

The commerical walk behind sounds like a decent option, but I also am leary of getting someone else's junk

Then why are you considering the Ford?

If you are going to go with a garden tractor, I highly recommend you stick with a cub cadet(Ideally a 1450 or 782) as it has the toughest rearends/frames/front axle and best support. John Deere 318 or Wheel horses are not to0 far behind. Those three have the best parts support and repower kits are available/easy if needed.

Gravelys, the larger Simplicity's and case/ingersoll were excellent as well but they are not supported as well and repowers at least on the gravely and Cases were more difficult because of proprietary crankshafts on the gravely and the Cases using the flywheel end instead of pto end to drive the transmission. I personally never messed with the simplicity sunstars but they have their supporters.

Fords GT support is non existent. 20 years ago my wife's grandmother wanted to get hers repowered and after looking at parts availability we got her a used Cub cadet.

All of the garden tractor options **** in the mowing department, not only do the blades turn slow but they are not as deep, tend to windrow clippings, and do not do a good job mulching compared to a true commercial mower deck.

 

[mike93lx]

$70 a week gets my 1 acre lot mown and trimmed and all the leaves cleaned up in the fall. Special projects like hedges, planting and trimming charged as they come up, usually $100-500 depending on scale.

Besides the equipment cost, I get back over an hour a week for >40 weeks a year. It's a deal

 

[sponfit]

I look at Deere 445/455. Older but not too old and still built quite tough.

 

[Firebrick43]

I look at Deere 445/455. Older but not too old and still built quite tough.

The problem with the later John deere 400 series and cub cadet 3000 series tractors is the plastics. While the earlier tractors used relatively easy to repair fiberglass or steel panels in the 90's they switched over to plastics. Its a shame as the chassis and driveline is pretty decent.

They have not aged well. Any of the 400 series tractors but especially the 445 with the diesel engines higher vibrations have cracked up panel mounting tabs.

A neighbors 425 I kept welding them up but they would crack 1/2" over from it next time. He waxes it and keeps it in a heated shop so its not from abuse. I have seen it on many other John deeres and cub cadets of the same age and even the compact tractors.

Luckily you can still get panels for it. I ended up buying new side panels and Decals on them for 300 dollars to replace his. I have to do the hood now from a recent text.

Also the machines being model specific water cooled engines don't have the ease of repower if needed that air cooled engines do.

 

[35Ford]

John Deere 318, 322, 332 would all be good machines. Each have pros and cons, are older units, but all are solid platforms with good parts availability.

 

[Sleeper]

Check out the old Case/Ingersoll garden tractors like the 4018. Made of solid steel, very simple and easy to work on. Hydraulic drive and hydraulic power attachments. The hydraulically adjustable mower deck is great for going over rough areas or exposed rocks or roots. They have attachments like a tow behind brush mower, leaf vacuum, wood chipper, log splitter, snow thrower etc. you should be able to find a good one with a basic mower deck for $1500 all the other attachments would add up to a lot more.

 

[JamesW84]

Check out the old Case/Ingersoll garden tractors like the 4018. Made of solid steel, very simple and easy to work on. Hydraulic drive and hydraulic power attachments. The hydraulically adjustable mower deck is great for going over rough areas or exposed rocks or roots. They have attachments like a tow behind brush mower, leaf vacuum, wood chipper, log splitter, snow thrower etc. you should be able to find a good one with a basic mower deck for $1500 all the other attachments would add up to a lot more.

I just looked. I don't think I could find any Case or Ingersoll 4018's. It looks like a solid machine. I'd be interested if I could find one, and if they have good parts availability. The only thing I see on ebay is parts.

That's actually the case with a lot of these. I'll keep looking.

I think I'll get some quotes to hire it out too, but something tells me that's going to get expensive.

 

[babyseal]

Hire it out. You're in the enviable position of not having already invested umpteen thousands into a tractor. The money a tractor costs, upfront and on-going, will pay for having your property mowed for years. They're a black hole for time and money.

I've got a JD zero turn that hasn't been ran in a couple years...probably got $500 worth of new parts sitting next to it. It's cheaper to pay $60 a week (for 3 lots) than buy gas, pay for blades, maintenance, and wallow around on the floor once a month getting the so-called easy on/off deck on/off to clean and sharpen/replace blades. Not counting they do the trimming and cleanup. Extra when hedges/trees need cut.

Did ~15 yards a week as a kid for years, ever since I was big enough to tow a mower behind my bike, hated it then, hate it now. All my yard costs me now...is writing a check every October 1st.

If you do buy one, hard to go wrong with one of the bigger JD zero turn/automatic ******. Pretty sweet. That said, most (all?) of the pros I see around here, use the Husqvarna commercial zero turn mowers. There's likely good reasons for that.

 

[NUTTSGT]

For a $1500 budget, I'd be looking for an older, JD, Cub or Wheelhorse.

 

[bb29510]

maybe kubato

 

[jblnut]

John Deere 318 or Wheel horses are not to0 far behind. Those three have the best parts support and repower kits are available/easy if needed.

All of the garden tractor options **** in the mowing department.

I’ve owned numerous 318, 322 and 332’s over the years and they all have been great machines. Never had an issue with mowing with any of them. The 48” decks are less than ideal but work. The 50” deck will knock over willows. It’s a beast. Lots of good OEM and AM parts available as well.

I look at Deere 445/455. Older but not too old and still built quite tough.

Had a 455 for a bit and loved it. It had 4,500hrs on the original motor and ran like a champ. Like was stated by someone else the plastics are a nightmare but they’re great machines if you don’t need something to look like a show piece.

John Deere 318, 322, 332 would all be good machines. Each have pros and cons, are older units, but all are solid platforms with good parts availability.

They will bring from $800-$4,000 depending on condition. I’ve purchased a bunch of all of them for that 200-2000 and fixed them up and made money on *most of them. The 322 is by far my favorite but isn’t as common as the 318. The 332 is a blast but is wicked cranky when it’s chilly. At least the 5-6 I’ve had were.

OP - I’d look at a Deere 318 with a 50” deck. It’ll cut grass well and can mow over your pasture areas as well. They can be had in pretty good shape for 1500-2000 and will outlast anything new in that price range by a long shot. They’ll need some love once in a while as the newest ones are 30+yrs old but a cherry looking one is definitely worth the price.

 

[Notgrownup]

$1500 is a tough call. Me I would find a used clean machine 42” with a twin cylinder Kohler or Kawasaki motor . Just Make sure you can get one that you can get serviced and can find parts. Check the local dealers like Cub Cadet, John Deere, Husqavarna, etc some take trades and you might luck up. Don’t get hung up on the electric blade start, manual is fine, I like foot operated drive pedals.
I just got a Cub Cadet XT2 42” with a V twin and it turns on a dime but new they are $3k

 

[racecougar]

I hate to mow, and I hate lawnmowers. I have about 1 acre I mow regularly, and a "field" area that I'd like to knock down once a month or so. My ground isn't perfectly flat, and I have plenty of rocks/sticks that I try to get out of the way, but things happen.

At least for the "field" area, I'll suggest the alternative of killing off any non-native turf grasses and seeding it with native grasses and forbs. You won't need to amend the soil, mow, water, or really do anything to it, though it would do best if you run a fire through it once every few years. It'll also benefit all sorts of wildlife.

Pick a mix or even just a couple of species based on your soil/sun. Mowildflowers.net is a great in-state resource for seed.

 

[jar944]

I've had good luck with my JD z830a ztr for brush, sticks, leaves, and small trees.
Before



After

 

[MovingAlong]

I have about 1 acre I mow regularly, and a "field" area that I'd like to knock down once a month or so. My ground isn't perfectly flat, and I have plenty of rocks/sticks that I try to get out of the way, but things happen.

Yep, that's hard on equipment.

My plan was to use it for all of the yard, but I haven't got there.

Until you get there, any equipment is going to live a hard life.

I really don't want to have to work on something all of the time, and I don't want to spend more than about $1500, either.

You might want to adjust your expectations here. Strong, durable, reliable isn't going to come with a $1500 price tag...

When I was a kid (70's), mowed over two acres with a ride on mower and maybe a 30" deck. Took a 2-3 days but kept me busy on the farm. But that ground was all lawn, picked clean of rocks over decades of work.

Also agree with @racecougar, plant something native & interesting and cut a few walking paths through it. Think "botanical garden" style...

 

[backupbeeper]

I just looked. I don't think I could find any Case or Ingersoll 4018's. It looks like a solid machine. I'd be interested if I could find one, and if they have good parts availability. The only thing I see on ebay is parts.

That's actually the case with a lot of these. I'll keep looking.

I think I'll get some quotes to hire it out too, but something tells me that's going to get expensive.

Facebook marketplace has some case ingersoll and I think there is several FB groups for them too

I’ve been looking for one to replace my old Yazoo three wheeler , but haven’t found one close by in good condition .

They are the only garden tractor with a three point lift and hydraulic drive so you’re not messing with a clutch and shifting gears every time you want to back up a little .

That’s what I like about my Yazoo , it was the first zero turn , was all mechanical but it has two clutches , one for forward and one for reverse , and a single control stick to push or pull .

The other suggestions are good too
The plastic panels are just for appearance, wouldn’t bother me at all to toss them in the trash when they break beyond repair .

 

[babyseal]

I've had good luck with my JD z830a ztr for brush, sticks, leaves, and small trees.
Before



After

I got poison ivy/poison oak and Lyme's disease just reading your post...

 

[jar944]

I got poison ivy/poison oak and Lyme's disease just reading your post...

Too far east for poison oak. Dish soap washes off Urushiol oil (the stuff that causes the allergic reaction in poison ivy.) Tick checks are always a good idea.

 

[P0234]

If you bent the deck of your previous mower multiple times, it sounds like you need some additional work in the area before you start mowing. Really there is nothing that makes mowing more pleasant than a zero turn, well other than a robot. So if you didn't like mowing with that, you are unlikely to like a tractor.

 

[Firebrick43]

Facebook marketplace has some case ingersoll and I think there is several FB groups for them too

I’ve been looking for one to replace my old Yazoo three wheeler , but haven’t found one close by in good condition .

They are the only garden tractor with a three point lift and hydraulic drive so you’re not messing with a clutch and shifting gears every time you want to back up a little .

Lol.

All the garden tractors being suggested so far have hydrostatic transaxles. They are hydraulic drive just the pump and motor are attached to each other directly instead of being divorced and hook to each other with hoses. The pump is variable displacement and pressure and how much and direction it pumps is controlled directly and manually by the hand lever/foot pedal instead of a hydraulic valve and when not being fully utilized doesn’t make heat and waste fuel like a fixed displacement pump does.

There are no clutch’s (except the belt deck drive) and the speed and direction is completely variable.

And for the garden class cub cadets, John Deere’s 300/400, simplicity sunstars etc 3 points are available.

Some aftermarket, because the factory sleeve hitch was more compact and very much up to the job.

The John Deere 400 could have a factory 3 point and rear PTO as an option. As could the sunstars. Although I question weather it was any better in that size of tractor.

Cases/ingersoll excelled for several specialized task such as having a small loader or backhoe on them due to their extra external hydraulic capacity. But the loaders were not quick mounting and made mowing on hills or around trees terrible. They were plodding little beast early versions freewheeled uncontrolled down hills.

And the onan engines were great cast iron mills but alas have little support.

 

[Notgrownup]

Fabricated deck would be another requirement I guess.

 

[danho]

I have been in a similar position at several of my homes throughout life. If I can picture what you describe, I would look for a good used riding mower, get a second set of blades and upgrade your leaf blower to gas. All this should be able to be acquired for around 1/2 of your budget and give you a little flexibility. You can mow a lot (within reason) except things like rocks and scrap steel obviously. Blow the leaves, mow high, pick up the non mowable items, mow high then begin lowering down. This will take time to "reshape the earth" but that is what has worked for me over the years.

 

[MikeC55]

I have a 1986 JD 316, which is a de-contented 318, with 50" deck. If all you do is mow, it does the job well. Keep in mind the 316 and 318 used Onan engines originally, and they have been out of production for some time and parts for them can be expensive. Many have re-engined with various brands.

 

[JamesW84]

We'll see if this picture works

 

[JamesW84]

I want to get rid of this mess and plant grass seed or something else, but I just don't know where to start. That area is where I pull my truck up to hook onto my trailer (lean to is to the right of the camera shot). I don't drive through there often, maybe 3 or 4 times a year lately.

 

[XJSuperman]

A Wheelhorse 520H or a Deere 318/22/32 or 425/45/55 would be an easy choice here. There were CubCadets I am less familiar with.
Both the Wheelhorse and Deeres have great parts availability and are simple enough machines with the power and durability to do what you are asking easily. My family has run all of these on up to 10ac areas with no problems. The aforementioned issues with the plastics on the Deere 425/45/55 is not related to abuse, its just the nature of whatever plastic they used back then. Every single one of them is disintegrating today. They just are.
Pros for the Wheelhorse: nearly all of the attachments for it fit the entire lineup of tractors from the 60s through the 90s. Attachamatic from them meant no tools required for hookup.
Pros for the Deere: there are even more attachments available and while there are variations on mounting to one series vs the other, there are a lot out there and ready to be used. 3pts are available for all of the ones mentioned in this thread.
Both have rototiller options, blades, mowerdecks, and more.

I own a 318 with a 50" deck and love it. Its super overkill for my lot, but make snow removal worth it. I grew up on a WH520h and a JD425 among others

 

[P0234]

I want to get rid of this mess and plant grass seed or something else, but I just don't know where to start. That area is where I pull my truck up to hook onto my trailer (lean to is to the right of the camera shot). I don't drive through there often, maybe 3 or 4 times a year lately.

You need a brush cutter, not a lawn mower.

 

[reader2580]

Rent a brush cutter to start with. You'll just end up destroying lawn mowers trying to mow that.

 

[finn]

Rent a brush cutter to start with. You'll just end up destroying lawn mowers trying to mow that.

I suspected the plot would look like that, hence my suggestion to skip the lawn tractor and get something like a subcompact or compact tractor capable of handling a rotary cutter, flail mower , and probably a loader and box blade.

Once it’s cleaned up, and grass planted, a ZTR will do nicely and maybe he can get rid of the tractor.

As is, it’s more of a remediation and landscaping project than an exercise in mowing. A thirty year old lawn tractor isn’t the correct tool.

 

[jives]

I don't recall seeing how much acreage is the field of brush. That will dictate the usability of any of your options. I was in your situation with 2.5 acres lawn to mow, and 3.5 ac of rutted field.

It got to the point where the field needed periodic mowing to keep out the invasives. Could not afford a tractor, my Wheel Horse 416 was too slow, so bit the bullet any bought a 61" Snapper Pro zero turn (Ferris re-badge). Now can mow the lawn twice as fast, but the field was pretty rough for the zero turn. So, I started off slow on the field, mowing early in the spring before the growth got heavy. Knocked down the really woody stuff with a saw. Zero turns are notorious for getting stuck in the soft stuff, but I managed. Had to go at about half speed to not jar me and the mower. The thing here is to knock the brush down so that you can get to it with the mower with the deck at 4-5". One season of mowing the brush every 3-4 weeks kept the woody stuff away. I also pulled an old spring tine drag behind the Wheel Horse in three directions (vert, horiz, diag) to help level out the field and to promote grown of grasses. After dragging I used the dozer blade on the WH to push soil into ruts. Worked okay, but not great. That took an entire season because the WH is so slow. Also killed gophers (bubble gum trick) and filled in their holes. Covid lockdown gave me time.

That all done, I now mow the 3.5 ac every month with the zero turn at 4" deck height and at about half the speed of mowing the lawn. Kinda enjoy the time and the field looks great when done.

If you do plan on an old garden tractor, heed the advice of others in this thread. You really only have a couple of options. Deere, Wheel Horse (400 or 500 series, but the 400 with Kohlers may be your best bet), or some Cub Cadets. All of these ar tough, have followings and you can still get parts. Or, I do believe there are rough cut robotic mowers available. Just get the field managed first.

 

[LB-1911]

I don't recall seeing how much acreage is the field of brush. That will dictate the usability of any of your options.

I hate to mow, and I hate lawnmowers. I have about 1 acre I mow regularly, and a "field" area that I'd like to knock down once a month or so. My ground isn't perfectly flat, and I have plenty of rocks/sticks that I try to get out of the way, but things happen.

I've thought about a woodchipper for sticks/leaves and a weed eater for the "field" area (1/3 acre?).

 

[jives]

I've thought about a woodchipper for sticks/leaves and a weed eater for the "field" area (1/3 acre?)

Ahh, missed it. With only 1/3 ac, knock it down a few times with a rental walk behind brush hog, or buy one and be done with it.