Need opinions on a new riding lawn mower

[Orangepeel]

I haven’t ever owned a new lawn mower. I’ve owned a few used ones over the years. Our little small business has taken off and we are doing pretty well. That means I have less time than ever! I went to buy used and couldn’t find anything that made sense. So I’m looking for new. My yard is relatively flat almost .5acres I’d like to buy a lawn tractor that will last and be durable and parts won’t be an issue down the road. Something that can be repaired for the next couple decades. Is there any difference between John Deere , cub cadet, Troy built and even Murray or are they all pretty close to the same thing? I’d like to spend no more than $2600 or so. Let me know what you guys think! Thanks.

 

[Zee09]

Congratulations on the business. The money is good to mow that small of a lawn but not good enough to get something durable and with a long term easy supply of parts.
Too tough for me to suggest a good option.

 

[RhondaHonda]

You are getting a homeowner grade mower at that price point. Maybe a used Deere garden tractor but that’s probably more than your $2,600.

 

[wpod]

I have found the commercial one could be considered the best of the best that being said the cost and the amount of use doesn't justify the costs of commercial quality. I though would recommend a higher end residential model and look at how hard the transmissions are to service etc. While my wife cuts our Lawn 15,000 sq ft every 5 days during the growing season as she loves her lawn mower,, being said I would depending in the yard and garden work wanting do be done, zero turns are really the nicest and fastest for cutting the lawn in a level to semi level lawn. I get to try the neighbors lawn cutting tractors and zero turns . One of my neighbors has a cheap lawn tractor and a top of the line John Deere water cooled lawn tractor and the John Deere is day and night better , nicer and any other accolade you could put on a lawn tractor. Chose wisely because If you care and maintain them they will last a long time.

 

[Rand]

There are box store models(homedepot etc) and above that there are dealer models.

A deere x300 series for example. they start around 3700.

The only thing new you are getting under $3000 is box store quality.

If you are pretty handy look for a used x300 or x500 series deere..
there are still parts available for my 1980's fleet of deeres.. but they are quite proud of their parts $$$

example facebook ad:
2010 x360 with mint snowblower for $2000

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[KCJeep]

I'd put the JD and the Cub in a similar league. Both should have great support for a long time. Do NOT buy a JD at a box store, go to a dealer and get a proper one. Not only will you get a better product for not much more money, but you'll also find the dealer far more interested in helping you later if you need it.

 

[thastinger]

I haven’t ever owned a new lawn mower. I’ve owned a few used ones over the years. Our little small business has taken off and we are doing pretty well. That means I have less time than ever! I went to buy used and couldn’t find anything that made sense. So I’m looking for new. My yard is relatively flat almost .5acres I’d like to buy a lawn tractor that will last and be durable and parts won’t be an issue down the road. Something that can be repaired for the next couple decades. Is there any difference between John Deere , cub cadet, Troy built and even Murray or are they all pretty close to the same thing? I’d like to spend no more than $2600 or so. Let me know what you guys think! Thanks.

Find a used Wright Stander 36, put a mulching deck on it, will last you the rest of your life.

 

[DemoFly]

Honestly, whatever you have local dealer support for.

 

[fantastic]

That price point gets you a Lowes special John Deere (not necessarily a bad thing). I have a box store 2008 Craftsman 24 HP That has 180 hours on it. I've put 115 of those hours on it. Paid $850 for it back on 08-06-2014 so it will be 16 years old in a few months. I'm not exactly easy with that mower as I mow every two weeks & in the spring that grass grows tall quickly. I've had to rebuild the deck once already due to Aluminum spindles breaking. I mow 0.50 Acre as well too that's not smooth terrain. Overall, I have no real complaints & it has done it's duty but it's no Garden Tractor. The wheels & tires are bent out of alignment a bit & wheel bearings are noisy (Squeeky noise). I can't remove the rear wheels due to rust welded. Replaced on rear tire & sharpened the blades several times. You need to figure out how often you mow. If you do as I do & wait two weeks in a grassy environment you'll need a twin cylinder and 42-46" deck. If you mow more frequently then you could do just fine with a single cylinder mower. Oh, and the Tuff Torq K46 transmission on mine is loud but it keeps on going so far. I will keep running it until the trans fails or something catastrophic breaks then get a used GT or zero turn. I've never used a zero turn & the one thing that I imagine is they are not front heavy & could be a bumpy ride. The tractor style has the engine up front & you towards the back so it balances the weight but I've never owned a ZT so that's just a thought. I noticed this issue when using my LT155 single Kohler 15.5 HP vs the Craftsman mentioned above. Look around and see what you can get for a used tractor & compare to new ones available to you in your price point. If you're wanting a tractor to last decades you need to get a garden tractor.

 

[TomYoung]

I would think any commercial grade mower is beyond your price range. Still, I look at this a little differently than the folks who are saying go to a "dealer" to get a "dealer" model, as opposed to the (garbage) you'll get at Home Depot. In point of fact, various models have close equivalents at the dealer, if not identical. There is no question that the dealer will have better service, knowledge, access to the full lineup. However, none of these really matter that much. Your requirements are modest, you can buy a JD or Cub at Home Depot, maintain it carefully, and easily ride out two decades.

 

[doitmyself]

Would you consider a 30 inch walk behind mower? They should be able to mow a half acre in about 30 minutes.

Exmark, Toro, Scag, and others have commercial models at about the $2,700 price point and Toro has the homeowner Timemaster at around $1500. I have no experience with these or their reliability.

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[samven]

You are cutting almost .5 acres with a riding mower. A 42" deck mower will cut that in about .5 hrs. If you cut every week for 26 weeks (depending on where you live) that is 13 hrs/yr. Even the home owner models with a B&S 17 hp single cyl motor has a MTBF rating of 150 hrs so if taken care of would last 12 years. My small rider with that engine has 260 hrs now just doing annual oil and filter changes. You can get a manual tranny 42" mower for $2100 and I bet if you shop you could get it cheaper. Stepping up to a hydro in a base tractor costs you $800 and more likely problems.

 

[cptbarkey]

My local John Deere dealer has a used Cub Cadet XT1 for $750 with just under 100 hours.

 

[IndyIan]

You are cutting almost .5 acres with a riding mower. A 42" deck mower will cut that in about .5 hrs. If you cut every week for 26 weeks (depending on where you live) that is 13 hrs/yr. Even the home owner models with a B&S 17 hp single cyl motor has a MTBF rating of 150 hrs so if taken care of would last 12 years. My small rider with that engine has 260 hrs now just doing annual oil and filter changes. You can get a manual tranny 42" mower for $2100 and I bet if you shop you could get it cheaper. Stepping up to a hydro in a base tractor costs you $800 and more likely problems.

Yeah, my late 90's cheap craftsman is still cutting grass.
For a flat small yard, just get a simple name brand mower, drain the gas in the winter, change the oil once in a while and store it in a dry place so the deck doesn't rust. There might be ones in the that price range than have a slightly better trans or motor than the others, but probably they are made by one of a couple companies, with different paint and hoods...
If your lawn is full of obstacles, probably you'd be happier with a HST... But its not a necessity.

 

[ls1mike]

.5 acres? You really don't need a 2600 dollar mower. Unless you really want a new one, used one will be fine. I have a Cub Cadet XT2. I have 180 hours on it, bought that new in 2020. It has been fine. I also have two late 90s Craftsman LT1000s with over 1000 hours on both of them, each and they still mow just fine. I mow about 1 and 3/4 acres plus the older neighbors from time to time (2.5 acres) No need for a 2600 dollar mower, now if you want one that is totally different go for it. Make sure it has cup holders.

 

[volk06]

Find an older JD X310, X320, X340, X360. You can find one with lower hours for $2000 or less and it'll out last anything new you buy from the big box store.

 

[zzyzzx]

If you do end up getting a riding mower, give some consideration to where you will be parking it.

 

[oldcodger]

I second the advice on a good weather protected parking place. I have seen many mowers lifespan cut short by weather exposure.

 

[Tdbo]

I'd agree with what several here have already stated.
Look for a lightly used JD X series.
They are nice machines. Frame is more stoutly constructed than the JD's in the box stores.
Only weak points are the craptastic plastic hoods and the cheap seat cushions.
I can say this because I have owned one since 2007 (purchased new.)
Work arounds for this include creative use of drywall mesh and JD weld, as well as the JD seat cover with the pockets on the back of the cover.
Although Green is expensive, parts and service are readily available.
You can't really say that about a Troy Bilt or a Murray.

 

[97prizm]

I haven’t ever owned a new lawn mower. I’ve owned a few used ones over the years. Our little small business has taken off and we are doing pretty well. That means I have less time than ever! I went to buy used and couldn’t find anything that made sense. So I’m looking for new. My yard is relatively flat almost .5acres I’d like to buy a lawn tractor that will last and be durable and parts won’t be an issue down the road. Something that can be repaired for the next couple decades. Is there any difference between John Deere , cub cadet, Troy built and even Murray or are they all pretty close to the same thing? I’d like to spend no more than $2600 or so. Let me know what you guys think! Thanks.

Skip the box stores. They rebrand stuff with cheaper parts, and many manufacturers won't service them. Go with something commercial as it will last.