Which Lawn/Garden Tractor To Buy?

[Grumpy Bear]

I bought a Honda 3813 that was fifteen years old about 10 years ago and ran it until the deck gave up. Traded for the new Cub. Cub crapped out in 18 months. Repair bill over $600 on steering. Did the second one myself for about a hundred. Third one, it sits in the shed and I bought a walk behind Honda self propelled. I do a half acre. 

 

Guy that bough my Honda Tractor from the Cub dealer is still using it to do a three acre farm yard. WOODS deck. I didn't know that then or I could have saved myself a world of grief and a truck load of $$$$. I really miss that Honda. It's  a car motor in a lawn tractor and while rated only 13 horse works harder than my 20 horse Cub. WT...GRRRRRRRR

 

I also owned a mid 60's Cub 70 that was a beast. Tough? I dropped a Kohler 18 in it and pulled with it after cutting grass. 

 

If they were giving away tractors at the Box store I wouldn't take it. 

 

[grizzlyltz]

The hydrostatic drives are awesome just be careful most of the older drives are obsolete and you can’t get parts for them


Grizzly

[Loco-diablo]

1/2 acre? I’d go one of the high end Honda walk behind. $6/700 call it a day.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jetmek]

I will agree with everything that has been said concerning the older tractors, however, I bought a 50" Cub Cadet brand new in 2010, LTX1050KW. It has a Kawasaki engine instead of the Kohler and with the exception of one failed spindle bearing, the tractor has been maintenance free. I saw a couple guys had steering issues, I have not had any. I even plow snow with mine, or what little we usually get. It's been a solid machine for me and today's equivalent has a price just a shade under 2 grand. Just my 2 cents worth. 

[ShotgunZ71]

I have a 4 year old Cub Cadet Z-Force S-60 Commercial. It has the Kohler engine and hydrostatic. I liked this line of zero turn because it has a steering wheel instead of the dang stick-steer. It runs great and have a few hundred hours on it with just normal maintenance.  We purchased it from a Cub Cadet dealer and not a big box store.

[O_J_Simpson]

New ones are junk. Find an older one. If you buy a newer lawn tractor has the Tuff Torq k46 transmission it will be junk within 50 hours. An $800 repair bill with your own labor to swap it out.

[tbarn]

 I have about half an acre. Flat. Had a Scott's 42". Used it 10 years and sold it for a Cub. Have had the Cub for 5 years.  Haven't spent a dime on either.

Edited March 9, 2018 by tbarn

[SkiDooNick700]

Thanks for so much feedback guys.   Good thing I don't need one for at least a few weeks yet. ☺

 

It seems the older ones are very solid.   A couple people mentioned they have had good luck with newer ones though too. 

[KARNUT]

I’m quite sure older one are built better. The thing is you’ll still have to work on them. I’ve had three riding mowers. A snapper used with my first house 3/4 acre 5 years. New house 3 acres, going on 20 years. Husqvarna 15 years, Ares 5 years. Same mowers. No problems just batteries. Gave the Husqvarna to my brother he had an old Sears mower. He put the deck on the Husqvarna it’s still going. Used mower equals belts, pulled, blades, and it’s used.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Grumpy Bear]

2 hours ago, KARNUT said:

Used mower equals belts, pulled, blades, and it’s used.

I'm not seeing the down side if well chosen. All these items totaled are far less than the difference in both price and reliability. But to each his own. 

[KARNUT]

I'm not seeing the down side if well chosen. All these items totaled are far less than the difference in both price and reliability. But to each his own. 

We’re talking an 1/2 acre. A good hydrostatic drive mower can be had for around 1500$ new or less. I beat the hell out of mine on 3 acres an get no less than 15 years. 42-48 inch cut Briggs and kolar engine. It gets damn hot in Texas I mow in the morning it’s still around 80 and humid. If I mowed in the mid day it would be damn hot and dusty. The last thing I’m going to do is work on a mower. At the first hint of trouble I replace. I’ve had three in my married life of 42 years, all new all less than 2K. If anything they gotten cheaper. Prior to that my father had a cub cadet in the seventies. I even seen him mow fields with it. When we all moved to Texas we would go home to visit my grandpa for many years he mowed his 3 acres with it. I bet that thing ran 30 years. Buying a used mower to mow a 1/2 acre is asking for trouble.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SkiDooNick700]

I was just lookin online at a 30" Toro Timemaster self propelled.  Its a $1000 tho.  Or I can get the WalMart special Murray 38" rider for 974$ LOL.  Its not a hydrostatic trans tho, Ive only ever used hydrostatic mowers so I think id for sure miss that feature.  Part of me feels like the riding mower might be a pain turning around all the time. Ugh!

 

 

I just found this landscaping lawn cutter calculator online.   A 30 inch mower doing 10% overlap at 3mph would cut about 0.84 acres in one hour.  So itd take me like 30 to 40 minutes for my lawn im guessing.   That's not really too bad I would be ok with that.   I wouldn't mind the walking too much. 

Edited March 13, 2018 by SkiDooNick700

[Yonah_Mtn]

Everyone's opinion and brand name loyalty may vary; however, I've found it wisest to go with the best service in your area.

[SkiDooNick700]

Alright guys, just wanted to follow up on this.  I ended up buying the Toro Timemaster 30" mower.  Man this thing is big lol, but feels rather nimble.  I'll report back once I actually get to mow with it.

[L86 All Terrain]

On ‎2018‎-‎03‎-‎08 at 4:48 PM, KARNUT said:

Gees guys he has about an 1/2 acre. My Husqvarna lasted 15 years hard mowing 3 acre bumpy hilly terrain. No reason to buy used anything. Zero turn, overkill big time. Next you’ll be telling him to buy a fifteen ft batwing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I still have my 1994 Husky zero turn. Mowed a 5 acre lawn with it for 23 years and counting. Stock 12hp Briggs, piston rings are shot and it will foul a plug every three cuts but it hasn't grenaded all over the lawn just yet. Aside from a wheel falling off a few times and an axle seal, I haven't even changed a belt on it.