Box Store Riding Mowers in 2024

[smc733]

Greetings BITOGers,

It has been a long time since I have posted here, but always get good insights. The search feature doesn't seem to come back with too many recent discussions on this topic.

I'm looking for a box store riding mower. I have a .6 acre property in MA, most of it grass. Front is meticulously maintained: fertilized 3-4x per year, pre emergent, spot sprayed for an emerald green appearance, ~4k sqft. The rest in the back is just kept "good enough" green grass with only invasive weeds addressed, keep stuff like clover, fertilized 2x per year so that I have to cut it less. Current mower is a 21" Toro Super Recycler with a B&S engine which has given me no trouble over the past three years of ownership. I enjoy cutting the front lawn with my Toro, but the back takes just long enough with the push mower that I find it a chore, especially with a toddler at home that I'd rather spend two hours more with on weekends.

So, I'm considering a riding mower. At first the 30" rear engine mowers looked like a good fit, since I have a few trees in the rear of the property, I could get around more easily. But the back yard is uneven, which I've heard they have issues with, and I've heard these models are problematic in general. They're also not much cheaper.

I'm not interested in buying used, I don't have a truck, and am not looking to problem solve. I want something easy and convenient, since my alternative is to just pay landscapers. Money isn't an issue but I don't feel the desire to overpay for more than I need for a basic residential mower. I will use it to cut grass in the spring and fall (back yard is not irrigated and goes dormant in the summer). I will also get the leaf bagger and bag leaves in the fall, and might also get a small trailer to move bags of leaves, sticks, etc. for curbside collection. Nothing more strenuous than that. I have a B&S/Snapper snowblower and small driveway for the winter. Being able to fit into a 10x10 shed easily is a priority.

So, I'm wondering a few things:

• How important is single cylinder vs. V-Twin for this use case?
  • I will take care of the mower, do maintenance, store with ethanol-free in the winter, etc.
  • I baby my equipment, keep it clean, won't push it.
• Is anything as basic as the 36" MTD/Craftsman with an 11.5hp enough for this?
• Is it worth it to step up to a 42" John Deere S100 for $400 more?

To give an idea on my philosophy toward mechanical equipment: I drive a 2017 Camry I bought CPO. I value reliability over durability/performance/etc. I'm looking for something that will take care of me if I take care of it, not the best stats or features. Not looking for ZTR, commercial, or anything like that. I'm very busy with my job and other things at the moment, just looking to get up and running.

Thanks!

 

[4WD]

Had a single blade 30” - did not cut even like my past and current 42” dual with floating deck … Got a Cub LT42 +/-17 months back - it’s been great and turns sharp - but noticed some new ones are now flipping to a house brand motor* … Have Kohler 5400 (19.5 HP) …
don’t need a V2 until 54” …
*Some came with Briggs …

 

[TheLastWord]

.6 acre property or .6 acre grass? Either way, I would not buy a rider for that much (or little). A 25" self propelled quality mower is my choice. A rider opens up a whole new dimension and expense. Sorry no recommendations since I sold my Honda to a lawn care servicer 2 years ago (for more than paid for it 30 years ago) and bought Greenworks 80V from Costco with 8 year battery warranty. 2 4ah batteries will easily do .6 acre.

A box store riding mower and quality/reliability is a contradiction in terminology.

Edit: With cursory examination, I see Toro has a 30" self propelled model. B&S 223cc.

 

[oldcodger]

Just about any name brand zero turn 42" would meet your need.

 

[4WD]

Pretty wide feedback so far from you don’t need a rider to get a ZT.
I don’t “need” either but my wife mows while I’m away and she has no interest in a walk behind in August. Not enough grass for ZT.
ZT’s are expensive and only have an advantage if you don’t mind reversing directions … I don’t bag - buy drive in a manner that keeps the clippings going one way …

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Get an electric riding mower. This Cratfsman should satisfy your needs

Just over half an acre is no problem for electric. They are also much quieter

They even make robotic mowers like this one

 

[4WD]

Get an electric riding mower. This Cratfsman should satisfy your needs

Just over half an acre is no problem for electric. They are also much quieter

They even make robotic mowers like this one

Please tell my neighbor who has a Sikorsky zero turn for a lot half the size as mine

 

[Astro_Guy]

Where I live there is an excellent John Deere dealer/service network that will come to your home and either service the machine there or take it back to the shop for something more involved. Most other brands sold at big box stores don't offer that level of support.

Delving into your other questions...

I mow with a nine year old JD D140 with 22 HP V-Twin and a 48-inch deck. I mow a little more than you - probably 3/4 acre but I also have a small hill to deal with in the back yard. My in-laws have an older John Deere that is equivalent of the S110 model used on 1/2 acre of relatively flat terran. This features the single cylinder 19.5 HP engine and a 42" deck. I've cut their smaller lawn with their tractor and it takes longer that cutting my own lawn with the D140.

Since you are interested in reliability I have to mention that the head gasket blew on the in-law's machine a few years back and it was a costly repair. The larger single cylinder Briggs engines are widely known to suffer from this problem. Their machine doesn't have an hour-meter but I believe the head gasket blew somewhere around 250 hours of operation. From what I have read here on BITOG that is not uncommon.

From the description of your property you might need 30 to 40 minutes per cut. I suggest that you do the math on your number of cuts per year and see how many years it will take you to reach that $500 repair. If you can get something with a V-Twin for only $500 more then it is a complete no-brainer.

 

[Astro_Guy]

Please tell my neighbor who has a Sikorsky zero turn for a lot half the size as mine

While at it, tell my neighbor with the zero turn mowinf less that 1/4 acre. Granted I will admit that he gets the job done in a fraction of the time vs. his walk behind mower.

 

[vwmaniaman]

I have a 1.3 acre lot with many trees and a .9 acre lot with many trees and hills. On the hill up e I use a Poulan 42 with the 19.5 B&S motor and a 5 speed and it does great. I have mowed with it for about 10 years now. On the larger lot I bought a Husqvarna 20 HP B&S one cylinder. This is a hydrostat transmission that given me no problems with motor or transmission. I bought it at a nearby farm store. The Husqvarna turns very tight and the pedals are easy to use and very quick. The steering is also light and easy. Wife likes mowing with the Husqvarna. I have not had any motor issues and I run 30wt motor oil and pump gas. As a side note. I grabbed the wrong gas can and put almost a full tank of diesel in the Poulan. It never complained about it and I mowed and used up that tank of fuel. If I were in the market like you I would buy 38" deck Husqvarna hydro stat and enjoy my extra time with the kids.

 

[Lubener]

For 0.6 acres which is just a decent sized city lot , my first choice would be a premium self propelled walk behind mower (if you can manage that). If you want a rider, 30-36 inch single cylinder will work fine and be easy to manuever. They are no more than a 42 inch as far as service needs. A 42 inch is overkill for 0.6 acres , especially if you don't have to cut your back yard in the summer. A 42 inch will be cumbersome around your property and in and out of your small shed. I use an older Craftsman 30 inch 10 hp around my property for cutting around my fruit orchord. It turns on a dime and a 42 inch 24 hp for the remaining few acres.

I would stick with gas powered as electric doesn't perform as well in higher grass.

 

[smc733]

Thanks all, so many great replies. A few points to address some questions/ideas raised so far:

Grass square footage: This is about 4k on the front, 8,500 in the rear. The rest is either the house, driveway/landscaping, or some areas in the front/rear that are covered by tree canopy without grass. I'm planning to do some hardscaping in the back that will cut another 1k sqft of that grass in the next year or so.

Cut frequency: I do cut in the summer, but it slows quite a bit, depending on heat. In 2022, I think I cut the back once all of July and August. Last year may have been once every 3-4 weeks.

Electric: I've thought about it, but they're expensive for relatively new technology. The replacement battery cost for riding mowers specifically is what tips me away from them. I've been lucky with my EGO 56v gear for string trimer/blower/hedge trimmer so far, but I've heard enough early battery failures across the board that make me wary of something that needs multiple $300+ batteries to run. If I get a gas rider for the back, I may eventually get an electric EGO push mower for the front so I can do it in the early AM.

Larger push mower: I've thought about this, especially as I try to hardscape away some of the grass in the back (I really want a nice large square of grass in the back with everything else hardscaped/garden area). I've thought about the 30" Time Master, but since it's so close in price to the smaller MTD tractors (like the Murray MT100 or Craftsman T100), I go back to thinking about the other things I can do like fill a trailer full of leaf/stick bags, bag up leaves with an attachment, etc... Then I think for a few hundred more, should I get the Deere, and now I'm at the S100/S120 or a 42-inch Cub Cadet

For the issues with single-cylinder motors: Is this a function of the environment they're run in? Assuming I got the 11.5 in the Craftsman or 13.5 in the Murray, if it was only run to cut the grass and not pushed too hard (thereby not overheating), would the issues be less likely to occur?

 

[nickaluch]

Go to your local John Deere store see the options. Sometimes bigger is not better I like the 30 inch or 36 no bigger

 

[joekingcorvette]

I would find a good used riding lawn mower. I have a Troy Bilt Bronco 42 inch that cost about $2099 new and I bought it from a pawn shop for $400 several years ago in the wintertime and it was almost new. I have had it for about 8 years without any problems. My son purchased a John Deere with about the same options for $450.00 last year and it was in great shape and loves it. He bought his off season too. Mine is the single cylinder engine and not sure what my son has. These mowers run a long time for the most part. The 11.5 HP engine is too small for your needs. Get at least a 17 1/2 HP engine.

 

[eljefino]

I can do my yard in about 40 minutes with a 21" push mower.

I got a free single cylinder, rear engine riding mower and fixed it up and used it for a bit.

It was actually something of a hassle because of all the obstacles in my yard. I had to keep reversing, turning, etc. Plus the thing was heavier so it left ruts when the ground was moist. Wound up selling it and going back to a push mower.

Riders are good if you have a "perfect rectangle" IMO. You can also do a hybrid mow that's half rider, half push for the hard spots.

 

[sw99]

Here is my .02

I had a v-twin Husqvarna that was just ok. Unfortunately, one of the connecting rods decided to break on the 22 hp B&S Intek. Picked up a lightly used Craftsman T110 from a family friend. I also usually don't buy used but the price was right, and I needed a mower. I have 10 acres but usually only mow maybe 3 or so with the riding mower, the rest with the brush hog. Even mowing 3 acres regularly, is probably consider commercial use as far as riders go. I must say that I actually prefer this T110 and would buy again. The single cylinder B&S 17.5 is a torque monster in the lower gears. I just finished mowing 2' tall field grass that was very thick. I am always amazed on how well this mower does.

For what you described, A geared single cylinder sounds like it would fit the bill for you. Good luck!

 

[gman2304]

Larger push mower

This

 

[64bawagon]

Do yourself a favor and dont buy from the big box store or buy anything Cubcadet unless you plan on learning how to buy expensive replacement parts and do major repair work on them.
I have a Husqvarna rider I bought from my brother with only 25 hrs on it. I have had it for around 8 yrs and in that time have had to repair it numerous times including removing and cleaning/servicing the hydrostatic trans.
The box stores cut corners to cut the price. At 350 hrs only this Husky is well worn and I have to really baby it to cut about 5/8 acre of lawn.

 

[skyactiv]

Some Home Depots rent a Toro TimeMaster. That might be worth renting to see if it works out.

 

[repairman54]

42'' JD will have the option for a bagger also. I use my bagger for fall leaves and sucking up winter junk in the spring. I don't bag grass clippings. My old 17 hp single works great for that. Bagger is worth the money just for fall pick alone and it basically vacuums the lawn of sticks and pine needles also. My '90's JD L100 was a cast off that I resurrected with tires and a deck rebuild. It has a dealer sticker on it, so I know it isn't a box store unit. It's not a hydro either, manual trans.
I do a little less than an acre, it's about time, push mower eats a lot of that up and is less versatile. A 42'' will handle trailers just fine also.
Well maintained it will last for decades, and as we age it's smarter not harder.