Opinions on Riding Lawnmower

J

JadeMonkeyStang

TRs on the Brain
Joined
May 25, 2001
My parents' riding lawnmower has finally died and they're looking for a new one. My father is looking at Sears as he likes that they come to your house for warranty work and apparently they're having some good sales this time of year.

I'm looking to make sure he gets the best unit for his buck. Their yard is a little over 3/4 of an acre with small hills and lots of thick, sometimes damp grass. I'd like to see them get something that can handle this with a decent cut, be safe and easy to operate, and handle the occasional aerator, spreader, or lawn cart. Any suggestions are appreciated. They live in NJ (just outside of Philly) so any reccomendations for suppliers are welcome as well. Thanks guys.

-Jade
 
I have a Scotts (made by John Deer) 25 horse riding mower. I use it to mow my yard and my 3 acre orchard. it cuts thick grass that is about 3 feet tall. I dont know if its a common safety feature but if you take your wieght off the seat it shuts the mower off. I havent had any problems from it in the 3 years i have had it. I bought it at Home Depot. they take coupons from Lowes so i used a 20% off coupon :)
 
sears frames like to crack, spend once and get a john deer. also sears are very loud.
 
I just bought a John Deere and you get what you pay for. However, shortly after purchase my uncle said I should have bought a ZERO ANGLE style mower. Those are the ones with left and right control sticks that allow the mower to spin around on a dime. I was surprised to learn the Toros have a trailer hitch just like a lawn tractor for pulling equipment. From what I understand it cuts cut time down by almost 1/2 as compared to a standard lawn tractor with the same size mower deck.

My $.02

PHOTO
 
Of course

John Deere all the way,,,one of the FEW comapnies that still make their own mowers. Most cheapies are made by MTD,,,,but its all in what your after. Quality or Price.
 
I've been watching eBay for John Deere mowers. There are several on the east coast. Kubota deisel mowers too.

Search for John Deere, or kubota. :)
 
Originally posted by TT/A1233
However, shortly after purchase my uncle said I should have bought a ZERO ANGLE style mower. Those are the ones with left and right control sticks that allow the mower to spin around on a dime.
Click to expand...

Yup, what he said. We've got a couple of Dixon ZTR (Zero Turning Radius) mowers and they're nice. Cut down mowing time quite a bit when we got them a few years ago. We can mow one area that’s about an acre and has 20 trees in under an hour. One's a 15HP with a 42" deck & the other a 25HP with a 60" deck, haven’t had any major problems yet.

Besides, I suppose they'd be good for cutting crop circles in the neighbors yard when they piss ya off... :D

David
 
i just baught a simplicity ztr, nice mower with alot of power. ever once and a while ill take it on the drive way and do burnouts and doughnuts with it. drives the neighbors crazy:D leaves the strangest assed burnout marks to.;)
 
Look out for the deere!

:rolleyes: A friend told me that some model John Deere tractors are made in USA and in Japan. Be sure to ask, if it matters to you! :confused:
 
Probably a John Deere depending on the model you choose. JD also makes some lower end lawn equipment. Are you planning to just mow or eventually till as well. If so plan to purchase a GT or GX version. The GX has a heavier frame than the GT and has hydraulic lift and steering. If you plan on just mowing then one of the lower end JDs (100 or LX models) will suit you fine. They do have flimsy frames, however, and more of a "lawn" tractor. Most have Kawasaki designed and built engines that are excellent. Whatever manufacturer you choose make sure it has a pressurized oiling system (oil filter). Bath type systems don't often supply adequate lubrication on hills.

Another note: Sears has a good "at home" warranty, but a very poorly designed accessory belt system. Prone to failure and not interchangeable with other manufacturers.
 
Ya, be careful on what you look for in the JD line. Most of their lower end stuff is now being made by MTD :eek:
 
Originally posted by TurboDave
Ya, be careful on what you look for in the JD line. Most of their lower end stuff is now being made by MTD :eek:
Click to expand...

Wrong.

JD lawn tractors are built in the USA.

Buy whatever you want but do yourself one favor. Test drive the JD mower. Feel the difference in vibration notice the quality of the cut.

Buy American and forget about the Asian ones.

DISCLAIMER: I work for JD but making combines, not mowers.
 
Not sure about the Kawasaki designed and built engine comment since the John Deere L-118/LE I bought 3 weeks ago came with a twin Briggs & Stratton 20 HP. The LE is the Limited Edition which combines some improvements of the 120 into a 110 chassis such as tire size, engine and improved driver's seat :).
 
If you have some steep hills forget about the dixon mowers. Since the front wheels are free to move in any direction, mowing on a hill can be dangerous. If either back tire looses grip the mower will swing around and can cause major accidents. We have a dixon, and while on flat ground they are great, on a hill they can be dangerous!
 
I see alot of homeowners using the new Zero Turn Radius-type mowers, not just the landscapers.

Sure they're manueverable through the tight spots, but how are they in the open lawn? Are they easy to keep a line? Just curious.

I see that you require the tractor to pull accessories so a ZTR would be out of the question.
 
I work at a company that also has a large landscape division (100+ laborers), and ztr mowers is about all they use to mow lawns, and we mow some pretty large open areas.
 
Not sure about the Kawasaki designed and built engine comment since the John Deere L-118/LE I bought 3 weeks ago came with a twin Briggs & Stratton 20 HP. The LE is the Limited Edition which combines some improvements of the 120 into a 110 chassis such as tire size, engine and improved driver's seat .



_____________


I think the heavier garden tractor series such as the GT and GX models use the Kawasaki engines.
 
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