Which Lawn/Garden Tractor To Buy?

Colossus · March 30, 2018

I am very partial to the Ariens and Gravely lines. American made, not a huge corp, awesome customer service and support.

https://www.gravely.com/en-us

xps800doo · April 4, 2018

FOR A ZERO TURN, YOU CANT BEAT FERRIS, FULL INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION MACHINES, I RUN 3 OF THEM IN MY LAWN BUSINESS, NOTHING BUT PRODUCTION MACHINES THAT RUN LIKE CADDY'S

SILVER SLED · April 4, 2018

Just to throw a wrench in your decision, I had a 2011 Troy-bilt Pony practically given to me back in 2013. $200 for mower, bagger and a trailer/cart. I haven't had a problem with it since I owned it. I just replaced battery last weekend. It's a Lowes bought mower. My yard is just under half an acre. I am a fanatic about my yard, so it gets used frequently and I often take it to my moms to mow her yard. I know, it's just a Troy-Bilt, but its been good so far.

Edited April 4, 2018 by SILVER SLED

SkiDooNick700 · April 11, 2018

Yea I ended up going with a Toro Timemaster 30" self propelled. We'll see how this plays out. No sign of mowing the lawn anytime soon in SE Michigan... will definitely report back though!

Imcrazy · April 12, 2018

Honestly with a 1/2 acre - I'd get a low end zero turn, you'll regret a tractor on such a small lot you're going to be turning a lot... I have a Husquvarna 48" garden tractor that I dropped about 2k on 5 years or so ago and it's still running strong, I will replace it with a zero turn though... I mow about 3 acres....

Yonah_Mtn · April 13, 2018

On 3/29/2018 at 8:02 PM, Colossus said:

I am very partial to the Ariens and Gravely lines. American made, not a huge corp, awesome customer service and support.

https://www.gravely.com/en-us

I had great luck with an Ariens also..

When I lived in MD, I had 2+ acres to mow and bought what would be an old Murray with a huge cut. After we added landscaping, the Murray required circling and circling.. I know, buy a zero turn, but they didn't exist back then..

I sold it and bought an Ariens which shortened the time it took and considerably.. When I moved to Michigan, I was mowing 6 acres and it handled that easily..

When I moved to NC, I had Bermuda grass and the neighbor who did landscaping said the Ariens would never handle it. The problem wasm't handling the mowing; it was the Bermuda grass filled the two grass catches quickly..

When I moved to western NC, he bought the Ariens from me and still has it...

A prime thing for the OP to consider is the dealer you buy from as some offer great service and others not so great. Or they are great but have a huge backlog and the grass doesn't stop growing. LOL

cbrsilv15 · April 24, 2018

I just bought a Husqvarna 42” hydrostatic today at Lowe’s. Should be here on Thursday with their free delivery. Hopefully this will last for a long time. My first riding mower. We have a 1/2 acre here as well. Mostly flat with the exception of a ditch in the front.

SkiDooNick700 · May 14, 2018

Just wanted to give a quick update. I am very impressed with the Toro Timemaster 30" mower. This thing is a beast.

Pros:

Toros personal pace really scoots this thing along! (which can also be a con until you get used to the sensitivity of the handle)

Engine runs while blade is disengaged (great for moving objects like sticks etc...)

The mower is a little bit heavier than your typical 21 or 22 inch mower which I like - it feels more planted especially if your yard isn't all that smooth.

Despite being heavier, it is still very easy to lift and turn around 180.

Mulching power seems pretty good, at least for grass clippings. It was shooting grass clipping 4 cuts over (about 120 inches).

Cons:

Blue filter in gas tank (supposeivly for keeping gas from sloshing around) makes it difficult/impossible to determine how much gas is in the tank. I've filled the tank 3 times now and am still trying to figure out the best way to do it. Still spilling some gas, or removing the can too quickly which results in gas flying everywhere.

That's all for now.

Oh yea, it takes me approx 45 minutes to mow my entire yard. Its about 1 hour with weedwacking and cleanup with leaf blower.

Edited May 14, 2018 by SkiDooNick700

alisuwilba · October 29, 2021

The best garden tractor or mini-rider for lawn mowing is the one that is suitable for the individual needs of the buyer and will perform a specific list of tasks. If you need more than just a lawnmower, you need to think about the terrain you will have to drive through. For some work on the hills, a garden tractor is suitable. Only at the same time is it necessary to take into account the engine power. Usually, the choice depends on the area of the plot. If it is up to 10-15 acres, mini-riders are suitable, and if its area is more than 15 acres and you plan to use a tractor all year round, it is better to purchase a full-fledged garden model. I recently saw such models at a dealer https://www.machinerydealer.co.uk/compact-tractors-for-sale/.

Edited October 31, 2021 by alisuwilba

KARNUT · October 29, 2021

I currently have a Ariens. Before that it was a Husqvarna. When I bought the Husqvarna 20 years ago I noticed walking through my father in law’s garage. The Sears lawn tractor he had looking similar to mine. All had the same 22 HP, 42 inch cut set up. Identical except for logos and paint. Imagine that.

SkiDooNick700 · October 30, 2021

I might as well give a 3 year update since this thread has come alive again. This was my 4th summer with the Timemaster. I've got no regrets, I'm very happy with how it cuts even when the lawn gets away on me. It leaves a fairly nice stripe pattern too.

charles8 · August 21, 2022

I'm sure this has been asked numerous times but I had a hard time finding a simple/straightforward answer, so I am not starting a new thread but I'll ask it here;

why are some lawn tractors so much more expensive than others? Why are some upwards of $3,500, yet others are $1,500 or less (even the John Deere you can find at HD, which are know are not the same as regular John Deere mowers)? Do they simply last longer, or are they that much better?' There are many lawn movers and lawn tractors online that the pricier ones seem to have 25+ HP while the cheaper ones are under 20 HP, but does that really matter for just cutting grass? Or maybe it does, and it mulches the grass a lot better?

KARNUT · August 21, 2022

13 minutes ago, charles8 said:

I'm sure this has been asked numerous times but I had a hard time finding a simple/straightforward answer, so I am not starting a new thread but I'll ask it here;

why are some lawn tractors so much more expensive than others? Why are some upwards of $3,500, yet others are $1,500 or less (even the John Deere you can find at HD, which are know are not the same as regular John Deere mowers)? Do they simply last longer, or are they that much better?' There are many lawn movers and lawn tractors online that the pricier ones seem to have 25+ HP while the cheaper ones are under 20 HP, but does that really matter for just cutting grass? Or maybe it does, and it mulches the grass a lot better?

There’s very few manufacturers that make mowers. I use ariens, Husqvarna, Sears. There’re the same. My first one 22 years ago cost more than the last one 7 years ago. They had a cover you put over the discharge for mulching. My brother still uses the first one. I mow wet or damp no dust. I rotted the deck. He fixed with a deck from a sears. The store brands are made mostly from the same company, I forget the name. John deer is considered the best. They now sell at the big box stores. The difference I can see is they use Briggs engines instead of John Deer engines. I don’t buy at the big box stores. Proper maintenance is the key and cleaning is the key to longevity. Me it’s ten years and by by. It’s super hot in Texas. So I’m not working on them. No belt change, no adjustments, no new blades. I tell the wife it’s cheaper than a yard service.

elcamino · August 21, 2022

I never seen a John Deere engine. My John Deere X738 has a Kawasaki V2 engine, a friends X728 has same engine. Another friends John Deere has a Kubota diesel engine. Neighbors Husqvarna has a Kawasaki engine. Takes same oil filter as my X738. He was paying the Husqvarna dealer 3x as much for an OEM when when the Wix filter I used was 1/3 the price. I used Ariens snowthrowers for decades, two has (12hp) Tecumseh engines and one had a (13hp) Briggs engine

PS - I don't use them to mow grass, I use them to blow snow. JD X738 with Curtis (heated) cab

Edited August 21, 2022 by elcamino

KARNUT · August 21, 2022

19 minutes ago, elcamino said:

I never seen a John Deere engine. My John Deere X738 has a Kawasaki V2 engine, a friends X728 has same engine. Another friends John Deere has a Kubota diesel engine. Neighbors Husqvarna has a Kawasaki engine. Takes same oil filter as my X738. He was paying the Husqvarna dealer 3x as much for an OEM when when the Wix filter I used was 1/3 the price. I used Ariens snowthrowers for decades, two has (12hp) Tecumseh engines and one had a (13hp) Briggs engine

PS - I don't use them to mow grass, I use them to blow snow. JD X738 with Curtis (heated) cab

The engine was an example. The overall mower is lower quality at the box store. You wouldn’t find the box store mower at a deer dealership.