Opinions on Riding Lawnmower

I bought the John Deere 110 mower about 4 weeks ago. It has an automatic transmission which is great and it also cuts down on wear and tear compared to a standard transmission. It is 17.5 HP and has plenty of balls to tow the 1500 lbs of dirt in the cart behind it. It is a great cut compared to some other riding mowers I have seen. I am very satisfied with it so far. I got it at Home Depot by the way but John Deere does all the work putting it together for delivery and they warranty it.
 
Originally posted by teranfon
Is the Briggs pressurized? I can't recall. I have a Briggs in a sprayer and it runs flawlessly.
Terry
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I believe it is pressurized. I just did it's first service (a breeze by the way with the JD service kit) and it has an oil filter similar to a car, just a bit smaller.

I was leery about the Briggs & Stratton but heard their quality has improved markedly in the past few years. Plus my father-in-law is a B&S employee, so I'm supporting him inderectly.

I was at my local lawn and garden shop yesterday and got to talking to the sales guy and told him I bought the JD 118LE and and says "ooooh, that's designed to fall apart in 5 years" and that's a direct quote. I'm thinking "c'mon...give me a break". He says "yea, JD even prints it in their dealer literature". Then he shows me a JD dealer book that says the LT series is designed to last 40% longer than than the L series. I thought to myself "self, this guys full of malarky. Just because it's said to last 40% longer doesn't mean my machine will fall apart in 5 years :rolleyes:". From what I hear you do simple maintenance on the JD and it'll last 20 yrs +, which is what I told him. Strange thing was they had no JD models in their showroom but plenty of Simplicity (good brand too). So his motives were suspect in my mind.

turboscott,
Are you correct in the 1,500 lbs. of dirt?? That's 3/4 ton with a 17.5 hp lawn tractor!
 
I was at my local lawn and garden shop yesterday and got to talking to the sales guy and told him I bought the JD 118LE and and says "ooooh, that's designed to fall apart in 5 years" and that's a direct quote. I'm thinking "c'mon...give me a break". He says "yea, JD even prints it in their dealer literature". Then he shows me a JD dealer book that says the LT series is designed to last 40% longer than than the L series. I thought to myself "self, this guys full of malarky. Just because it's said to last 40% longer doesn't mean my machine will fall apart in 5 years ". From what I hear you do simple maintenance on the JD and it'll last 20 yrs +, which is what I told him. Strange thing was they had no JD models in their showroom but plenty of Simplicity (good brand too). So his motives were suspect in my mind.


TTA:

It's even the same in the larger garden tractor series.
 
I didn't have a scale to weigh the dirt so I could be off by a few pounds but the cart I bought is rated for 1500 lbs and I had it filled to the brim to the point the dirt was falling over the sides because it was so full. My back sure felt like I had just shoveled 1500 lbs. But, even if I was off by 500 lbs and it was only a 1000, still pretty impressive if you ask me.
 
Originally posted by turboscott
I didn't have a scale to weigh the dirt so I could be off by a few pounds but the cart I bought is rated for 1500 lbs and I had it filled to the brim to the point the dirt was falling over the sides because it was so full. My back sure felt like I had just shoveled 1500 lbs. But, even if I was off by 500 lbs and it was only a 1000, still pretty impressive if you ask me.
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No question! Me and JD have been doing yard work the past 3 days (hauling lots of wood/brush etc.) with my cart and am very happy I didn't get a ZTR style mower. Just not the same as a yard TRUCK to do yard work.
 
my place has about 5 or 6 acres to mow. The old man just got a White mower....which I guess is made by Club Cadet. Great tractor, 25hp an a 60" deck i think. Or I'm sure a John Deere would be good too.
 
Originally posted by BlackBuick84
my place has about 5 or 6 acres to mow. The old man just got a White mower....which I guess is made by Club Cadet. Great tractor, 25hp an a 60" deck i think. Or I'm sure a John Deere would be good too.
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In an ealier post, I was told I was wrong about the low end JD's now being built for JD by MTD. I was told this by a JD rep. OH well.

However, I do know for a fact that White is produced by MTD, and in fact, MTD just (a little over a year ago) bought out Cub Cadet, so they too are now being produced by MTD.
 
Any above will do the job. Unless it is going to be used in a landscaping business then you may need a professional grade unit.

Sears has the LT100 on sale at $800. Not a bad deal. I see them in a lot of peoples yards.
 
How much do you want to spend?? If you buy a cheap mower

you will buy another the next year or two.. Now if you want a bad ass mower check out a,,,,,

(Hast to have a Kawaskie motor in it) Koler and Briggs (SUCK)!!

(((Dixie chopper)))

(((Grass hopper)))

some styles of (((Toro,)))


And I cant forget the best mower on the market today...

(((( SCAG )))Liquid cooled........
:D :cool:

It is true that JD makes alower end that you can pick up at your local home****po, or Lowes..:rolleyes:

This generation of people buy, and make ideams that are made to only last a short time.... (Cheap).

My advise would look in the phone book and Find afew dealers that sell mowera and see what they have to offer.. Most dealers will let you take them out for a test drive..:D

IMO, Stay out of the HOme centers when buying anything other that home decorating supplys...

P.S. Once you go to a Zero turn Mower, You will wounder how you mowed for all those years without one....

Good luck,

Matt:cool:
 
Talked with my father some more, and read up on some lawn care and landscaping forums. Dad is looking to keep the price under about $2K and would like a 42" or larger deck and a nice cut. I know he'd also like a hydrostatic drive as my mom does most of the mowing and he'd prefer that for her. He's not too big into JD as he had one before and wasn't too impressed with it.

So far it seems like the upgrader Sears DYT4000 with the larger motor (not sure which brand, there are a couple) and the hydro is the front runner. Good features for the price, the Sears warranty he wants, and the ability to source parts easily are all pluses for this model.

With my now updated list of what he's looking for, any further suggestions would be appreciated. I'd like to see him get a ZTR, mainly do to the reduced need for trim mowing, the better manuverability, and the generally faster cutting speeds. Plus you can still use a car or other pull behinds with some of them, at least according to snapper. They're probably still a little more than what he is looking to spend though. Thanks again guys, keep it coming.

-Jade
 
Preferance is what makes this country great...the limitless choices we have as consumers.

Any sears "home tractor" I'd sprint away from....seriously. The major brands for home lawn/gardening care are: Cubota, Kub Kadet, John Deere, White and Simplicity. They ARE of the higher end machines unless you're farming and of course JD and others have been into farming for years....successfully too!

Even though my particular model JD IS NOT the top of the line and I knew exactly what I bought I know it'll last 20+ years with standard maintenance and no ABUSE. End of story.

Buy what you want and take everyone's opninions just as they are....opinions.

Best of luck!
 
If your ever driving around town, Look around for a Lawn Care Company that are moweing yards....

You will find most using,

Grasshoppers,

Scags (Best)

Toro's,

Dixie choppers,

all Zero turn, and range in price form $7,000 up to $25,000:eek: :eek:

I know these are alittle overboard for a home owner, But you did as for the good ones...;)

For the johnDeere's being around for years, (Farming) Yes they have been.. But you need to compare apples to apples.... Alittle rider lawn mower is in whole differant ball game than , (Lets say)

4010
4020
3010
4030
4440
So on and so on.... These are (Farm Tractors).... Not for the home owner... And out of the ones I mentioned above the 4020 and 4440 are the best...
:D
Our 4020 is a early 70's model and runs like a champ.... the 4440 is anewer one with A/C..............:D :D

Good luck in what ever you deside to buy...

P.S. IMO, from what your dad is describing that he would like in a mower, I think a (Cub Caddet) would be his best bang for his buck... Build solid, and have the Kawasaki motor in them.... :cool:

Check what gage steel is used on all the little riders mentioned above, and check the Cub Cadet.... You will find it to be double the thickness... (Thinner guage= rust, dents, welds that break)....

Matt:cool:
 
Thanks for the advice guys.

Someone find me a Scag ZTR in good shape with a warranty for $2K and I'll buy it in a second (I'd be willing to go like $1600-1700) w/o a warranty). ;)

Talked to him today and his two top contenders are the Sears DYT3000 and the JD110. Not sure he wants to spend the extra for the JD but we'll see. He's looking a bit more and talking to dealers now.

If whoever emailed me about the used JD would email me again I'd appreciate it, deleted your email by accident after I replied to it. Thanks.

-Jade
 
Jets

Did you ever see Home Improvment when Tim Allen had the jet powered lawn mower, that is the one you need. I am not sure about sears frames cracking but I guess it depends on what you use it for, cutting grass, tractor pulling, mud bogging, off-roading or even racing!!

http://www.letsmow.com/

Check it out!!

I wanna try!!
 
As previously mentioned, most of these mowers that cost more will last and do a great job. Alot of the 'Lawncare" companies in my area use the Dixon. I have used a Dixon working for one of these companies. The drawback is cutting on an incline and they are steered by a two joystick type bars. Not a perfect setup for someone new to this. You can cut a straight line but it takes some practice. A regular tractor type with a steering wheel should do the job. Just my .02

Drew
 
My father has owned a Lawnmomer Sales and repair shop for 30 years. Bottom line you get what you pay for, everything is made cheaply today. Take care of whatever you have and you will be fine. Change the oil often, sharpen the blades often, and get it tuned up every season. The decks on all new tractors are made with very thin steel or aluminum and can rot out fast if you are cutting damp grass and dont clean off the deck after you cut the lawn. Just take care of it, and it will last.

Nick
 
Originally posted by nickb
My father has owned a Lawnmomer Sales and repair shop for 30 years. Bottom line you get what you pay for, everything is made cheaply today. Take care of whatever you have and you will be fine. Change the oil often, sharpen the blades often, and get it tuned up every season. The decks on all new tractors are made with very thin steel or aluminum and can rot out fast if you are cutting damp grass and dont clean off the deck after you cut the lawn. Just take care of it, and it will last.

Nick
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Well said!. The "you get what you pay for" part anyway.
I personally wouldn't recommend a ZTR unless there are lots of obsticles to mow around.

Simplicity!! (my choice anyway)
 
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