Well, I'm in the market for a new lawn mower/garden tractor.
The 2005 Craftsman LT1000 17.5 hp just isn't enough. It doesn't mow flat, and hasn't for a couple of years. The deck and materials that hold the deck are just too low quality for the hills, bumps, dips, etc. that I have to mow. Now the engine won't run for more than 30 minutes. Maybe the valves need adjusted. I don't know. It doesn't crank up easy, either. Kind of like it's locked up until it finally turns over. Very hard on the battery.
I mow 4-6 hours in a row each time I mow. I mow on steep hills, mow thick grass, and a barn yard. I don't know what kind of mower I need for this. The 17.5 HP B&S didn't used to bog down, but now that I've thrown in this barn yard, the grass is too much for it to mow over and over again.
So, you may wonder what my budget is. I don't really have one.. but don't want to go over $4500, really. And if there's something killer out there that can do what I need with out breaking down on me for $2000-$3000, I'd love to hear about it.
I was looking at John Deere mowers. I like the x500 line up, but they are a little pricey in my opinion. At the same time, the x300 only comes with a 42" deck and the mainstream models sport 17 horsepower engines, and I want more than that, I think.
I'm looking at the x-series because I am hoping they won't bend and flex like my Craftsman LT1000 does. Maybe the normal John Deere 100 series would be fine?
But any brand recommendations are welcome. I want a great, smooth cut. BTW, I was also thinking Husqavarna if they make really good mowers.
The 2005 Craftsman LT1000 17.5 hp just isn't enough. It doesn't mow flat, and hasn't for a couple of years. The deck and materials that hold the deck are just too low quality for the hills, bumps, dips, etc. that I have to mow. Now the engine won't run for more than 30 minutes. Maybe the valves need adjusted. I don't know. It doesn't crank up easy, either. Kind of like it's locked up until it finally turns over. Very hard on the battery.
I mow 4-6 hours in a row each time I mow. I mow on steep hills, mow thick grass, and a barn yard. I don't know what kind of mower I need for this. The 17.5 HP B&S didn't used to bog down, but now that I've thrown in this barn yard, the grass is too much for it to mow over and over again.
So, you may wonder what my budget is. I don't really have one.. but don't want to go over $4500, really. And if there's something killer out there that can do what I need with out breaking down on me for $2000-$3000, I'd love to hear about it.
I was looking at John Deere mowers. I like the x500 line up, but they are a little pricey in my opinion. At the same time, the x300 only comes with a 42" deck and the mainstream models sport 17 horsepower engines, and I want more than that, I think.
I'm looking at the x-series because I am hoping they won't bend and flex like my Craftsman LT1000 does. Maybe the normal John Deere 100 series would be fine?
But any brand recommendations are welcome. I want a great, smooth cut. BTW, I was also thinking Husqavarna if they make really good mowers.