Riding Mower Recommendations

[Boomer]

I am starting to see end of summer sales on various riding mowers and with a .5 acre mowing task, I am growing tired of pushing around a small rotary mower since we moved to this new house. Based on the experience of all you BITOGers out there, what brand of riding mower and engine would you recommend? Are there any particular models in a given brand that you feel strongly about (+ or -). Any features that you feel strongly about (pressurized oiling system, for example)? I'd be pleased to hear all of your thoughts in this area. I take very good care of my power equipment and have a 23 year old snow blower and a 27 year old Lawn Boy rotary mower.

 

[Chris Meutsch]

$$$$ an issue: Craftsman. Good value and parts "should" be available for a long time.

No money issue: A zero-turn Toro.

 

[Pete591]

Simplicity has the best cut with full rollers on the back of the deck.

 

[JTK]

Like Chris says, it ALL depends on what you want to spend. You can spend $7000 or $999 on a small riding mower. IMO, the best cheapest option would be one of the gear drive "Ariens" brand riders offered at Home Depot or Ariens dealers. It's a Sears/AYP/Electrolux/Husqvarna made machine starting at ~$999. If money was no object you could get an all wheel steer JD for many thousands more. Generally, the more you spend, the longer lasting the machine will be for the average person.

Joel

 

[Corvette Owner]

Snapper's 28 inch riding rear lawn mower is GREAT. I have been using it on my 0.75 acre lot for 4-5 years.

Recommended by a friend of mine who mowed his FIVE ACRES with it, flat out (top speed). He eventually got a tractor but said the Snapper was great. It also stands on the rear bumper for storage and maintenance.

 

[TooManyWheels]

Originally Posted By: Corvette Owner
Snapper's 28 inch riding rear lawn mower is GREAT. I have been using it on my 0.75 acre lot for 4-5 years.

Recommended by a friend of mine who mowed his FIVE ACRES with it, flat out (top speed). He eventually got a tractor but said the Snapper was great. It also stands on the rear bumper for storage and maintenance.


Agree - Those Snappers are universally well-reviewed.

 

[wavinwayne]

I have an '07 John Deere L110 Lawn Tractor that has been flawless for the 4 seasons I've been using it. I think I paid $1650 for it. I would recommend an "L-Series" John Deere to anyone looking for a good quality lawn mower.

The only downside to my John Deere is that I paid a $300-400 premium over a comparable quality Craftsman. I liked the color of the JD much more than the Craftsmans.

 

[JTK]

Yep, Deere L series are a good buy for a small investment. For about $6-7K, you can get one of these with a 48" deck!:

http://www.eastmanind.com/INGERSOLL/tabid/186/Default.aspx

Joel

 

[sparkplug]

If you can find one a good used 200 series John Deere rider would be a good investment. Our '83 JD 210 is still going strong. The deck is considered one of the best cutting decks designed. It cuts better than our 90s Murray and our neighbors 07 craftsman. Only thing is engine parts are getting harder to find.

 

[mez]

I got 17 years out of a 12Hp MTD rider with a B&S engine. It finally lost compression. It was only $700 bucks. Cut about acre 2x week. If money is an issue buy one of those least expensive ones and take care of it.

 

[cronk]

For a small lawn like that, I would either go with a John Deere L series or a Snapper rear engine rider. Depends on how much you want to spend, there are a lot of good smaller machines out there that would do the job. I saw a weedeater brand rear engine rider at my local Kmart for $699!

 

[Jim_Beverlin]

I would stay out of the used market. I would bet over 50% of the lawn tractors sold have little or no maintenance done on them. I have son-in-law who faithfully does 3K mile oil changes on a 300M and a Dodge 3500 with a Cummins (and it holds 15 qts) but has never changed the oil in his Craftsman lawn tractor. I have a 2005 Yardman (MTD),46" deck with a 22 HP B&S Intek twin. Run it on synthetic (M1 now that B&S synthetic is out site price wise) with annual oil and filter changes. Only repair outside of maintenance items has been a $2.25 PTO return spring. Use it year around for mowing, light hauling and plowing in the winter months. Best $999.95 I have ever spent.

 

[JTK]

The thing with used OPE is; If the unit is all original and very clean, it was well cared for. It takes all of a few seconds of eye-balling to spot a neglected machine.

Joel

 

[ddrumman2004]

I have a 6 year old Craftsman with a 42" deck that I mow my two acres with. Been trouble free except for normal wear items. The battery finally died as well as the drive belt finally started slipping from wear. Oh...I did have to replace a bad starter solenoid last year.
It's a solid built mower with a cast iron front axle and 4 wheels on the mower deck.

We also have a 4 year old Troy-Bilt Super Bronco that we bought used to use at my wife's old house. It's a piece of junk.

 

[StevieC]

Our Deere has been excellent and has hundreds of hours on it already and doesn't burn any oil and always starts right up. We use it year round to cut grass and plow snow.

My Second suggestion from the repairs I have done with dad on these units would be a Craftsman or a Club Cadet.

 

[OtisBlkR1]

although ive only had it for approx 4 months now, i purchased (used) from a buddy at work my Craftsman FS 550 48' deck 24 hp intek twin.. It had approx 70 hrs of use on the clock at the time of purchase, ive added around 20-25 this summer.. Its a beast. I love it, Ive done two oil flushes just to be safe and i have 2 replacement belt on the wall along with fresh sparkplugs "just incase" This lawn tractor has performed flawless this year.. and ive used it for much more than just mowing. Im clearing a hill with some mature tree's I have a tow strap and this little tractor has been my best friend this year. I like it.

 

[boraticus]

As mentioned above, AYP make most of the available brands. For the money, Craftsman, Husqvarna are very good buys. I wouldn't doubt that AYP also build low end John Deere machines.

If you're looking at buying an "economy" model, look for quality of components. The first place I usually look at, is the front axle mounts. If they'r cast iron not welded steel boxes, you're getting a better unit. I had a neighbour who owned a Craftsman with the welded steel box axle mounts. They cracked vertically. He had them welded and that resulted in damage/deformation of the axle bushings. It was a beast to steer after the repairs.

I own a 2002 15 h.p. Husqvarna for home use and a 2005 Craftsman for camp. The Husky has a fantastic Kawasaki V-2 engine in it and the Craftsman has an excellent Honda GX V-2 engine in it. Both have cast iron axles and perform very well. Each machine mows close to 2 acres/week and neither have missed a beat.

Any of the quality AYP machines will perform reliably, with minimal maintenance for many, many years. It will be more than adequate for .5 acre lot and will more than likely be the last machine you'll buy if properly maintained.

 

[super20dan]

my snapper lt145 has been fantastic but its not a cheap big box toy

 

[95busa]

I don't get too technical with it. Kohler engine, hydrostatic trans. I am cutting 2.3 acres with a 22HP Kohler single 48" cut Troy-Bilt. It is adequate. If I had it to do over, I would spring for a little bigger cut and a two cylinder engine. I used to have a 52" 23HP Kohler V-twin, (also a troy-bilt)and it cut like a champ, WAY faster and smoother. Unfortunately it was a divorce casualty.

 

[boraticus]

Those big singles really hammer. Both of my riders are twins. A real treat compared to a loud hammering single. I agree that a twin is the engine of choice if withing financial reach.