Riding Mower Recommendations

[JTK]

Yeah, that 22hp Courage single is the biggest one lung Kohler you can get. They're not too loud compared to a large Briggs single, but they sure don't feel as 'balanced' as a V-twin.

Joel

 

[WagonBoss]

A Simplicity Broadmoor will give you as good a cut as you can get. A Regent if you want to go lower budget. A Deere 300 Series will be very competitive. Don't buy a deck with more than 2 blades for your size yard as cut quality on turns will suffer. If you want to pull anything like an aerator or cart or have hilly terrain you may want to consider a traction locker, but that will put you into a garden tractor versus a riding mower. If you just want to cut quicker consider a commercial walk behind or stander. Better Outdoor Products makes a reasonable walk behind.

 

[odie]

we just got a BOLENS with the 13.5 H.P. Briggs and Stratton and has done very well mowing over 2 and 1/2 acres thus far . Bought it at LOWEs for under $900 with a dump cart that I assembled . Heck of a value . Using SHELL 5w-30 synthetic and 93 octance gas . The gas tank covers close to 2 acres . Possibly more . here's some reviews , www.lowes.com/pd_317737-270-13AC762F065?productid=3139727&Ntt=bolens+&Ntk=i_products&pl=1&currentURL=/pl_0_s?newSearch=true$Ntt=bolens$y=9$x=13 .

 

[odie]

here's an easier route , www.lowes.com , put 317737 for SEARCH item # , and then click on REVIEWS , etc.. The limited edit time is a pain .

 

[JTK]

The weak spot with that MTD Bolens is the "shift on the go" trans. It's the MTD "Transmatic" which is a belt and variator pulley drive system. There's no gears, it's a grease filled differential driven by the variator pulley. One the belts stretch, you'll need to adjust it. If any moisture gets on that variator pulley, the center bushing will seize up and you'll loose all but one ground speed. Keep it clean and dry and read up on adjusting the drive belt tension and you'll be good.

Joel

 

[Rob_Roy]

That is a pretty small lawn, even the smallest of riding mowers will do the job. I agree that a two cylinder engine is a lot smoother and doesn't sound like a machine gun.

Although it is way too large for your lawn, I have a Massey Ferguson GC2300 with a 60" deck; it is really well built and a pleasure to mow with.

 

[odie]

JTK , thanks for the input . So far no issues .

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: odie
JTK , thanks for the input . So far no issues .


No sweat. I guess a positive note on the MTD Transmatic is it's a super simple drive system. Very little to break. Really the only trouble spot is that bushing that allows the center sheave on the variator pulley to slide back/forth. It just takes a tiny bit of debris or corrosion and that center sheave won't slide anymore. Proper sized belts are critical on it too. You pretty much have to use OEM. There's two belts. One that goes from the engine to variator then one that goes from the variator to the drive pulley on the differential.


Joel

 

[odie]

thanks again . Forgot to mention we got 10% off along with the free dump cart that was valued at $120 . Can't go wrong for the money .

 

[motorguy222]

I would recommend staying away from MTD and its many product names.They may do ok for 1-2 years but after that,watch out.

Cub Cadet may be ok.

Do a "MTD,Complaints" search on the internet and you should find a lot of info about MTD.

AYP has had some problems but not as many as MTD.

Here are the MTD products they make.(Lists are from Wikipedia)

Brands Owned
Bolens
Columbia
Cub Cadet
Cub Cadet Commercial
Cub Cadet Yanmar (joint with Yanmar)
Farm King
GardenWay
Gold Series
Gutbrod
Gutbrod-Kehrer
Lawnflite
Mastercut
Mow Master
Mow Master Mastercut
MTD
MTD Black Edition
MTD Silver Edition
MTD Gold
MTD Mowmaster
MTD Platinum Pro
MTD Platinum SD
MTD Pro
MTD Super
MTD Taral
MTD Tradesman
MTD Turbomax
MTD 2000 Elite
Novotrac
Rasentrac
Ryobi (sold at Costco))
Troy-Bilt
Ventzki
Ventzki MTD
White Outdoor
Yard Machines
Yard-Man
Yard-Man Elite
Yard-Man Select
YardWorks


Private Label Brands Produced

Ace
Agria website
Agway website
Bavaria Trac
Benassi website
Blue Grass
Brill website
Bullcraft
Celebration
Cenex (for Farmers Union Oil)
Central Park
Club
CMI
Coast to Coast (for Coast to Coast)

Craftsman

Dayton (for Grainger)

EagleStar (for National Yard Products Dist)

Eden Park
EDT
E-Flor
Estate

EuroTrac
Fair Way (for Verts Loisirs)

Fleurelle
FloraPro
FloraSelf
Florica
Floride
Forest City
Gardol
Golf
Grand Air
Granja
Hako website
Hayter
Hechinger

Huskee (for Tractor Supply)
Huskee LE
Huskee Supreme

HWI (for HWI Do It Best)
Iseki
JCPenney
Juwel
Kgro (for Kmart)
Landmark
Lawn Chief (for True Value)
Lawn General
Lowe's
Mark Master
Massey Ferguson
Mastercraft (for Canadian Tire)
Mastercut
Merex
Motec
MotoStandard
MPP
Mr. Bricolage
Oleo-Mac
Peugot

PowerPro (for Kmart)

PowrKraft (for Montgomery Ward)

Quality (for Quality Farm & Fleet)

Quality Farm & Fleet
Raiffeisentrac

Ranch King (for Mid-States Buying Group)

Ranch King Pro
Rasentraktor
Select Series
Sentar
ServiStar (for ServiStar)

Stiga
Signature 2000 (for Montgomery Ward)

Stadium

Statesman (for Southern States Cooperative)

Task Force
Texas
Topflite

Toro (including some lower-priced models sold at Home Depot and Ace Hardware, perhaps others, although not all Toro tractors are made by MTD)

Tromeca
Turbo Silent
Turf King
Turf-Power
Turf Pro
Turf-Trac
Unico
Uniropa
Univert
Val Garden
Vario
Verts Loisirs
Victa
Viking
Wards
Wizard (for Western Auto)
Yard Works

 

[Turk]

Originally Posted By: motorguy222
I would recommend staying away from MTD and its many product names.They may do ok for 1-2 years but after that,watch out.




Dude, say what??

I have posted a few times the GREAT success I have with my 14 year old MTD. 14 years: Just 2 belts & blades!

I mow 3 acres every week, I am in almost complete sand for soil, loads of bumps all over and the riding mower is essentially indestructable!!

 

[cronk]

Originally Posted By: tpitcher
Originally Posted By: motorguy222
I would recommend staying away from MTD and its many product names.They may do ok for 1-2 years but after that,watch out.




Dude, say what??

I have posted a few times the GREAT success I have with my 14 year old MTD. 14 years: Just 2 belts & blades!

I mow 3 acres every week, I am in almost complete sand for soil, loads of bumps all over and the riding mower is essentially indestructable!!



I have had bad experiences with MTD as well. Flimsy front axles, wimpy light duty transmissions, cheesy variator system.
AYP is better, but for a real good quality machine, you need to step up to John Deere or Simplicity.

 

[Turk]

14 years is great success and it is still running - love the MTD.

You should see my yard!

- Blades get sandblasted and eaten away.

- Body hurts from all of the bouncing.

No Hydrostatic issues either!

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: tpitcher
14 years is great success and it is still running - love the MTD.

I gotta say I love my MTD products as well!

Joel

 

[Johnny]

I believe some of the list on Wikipedia is wrong. MTD does not make Massey Ferguson. Massey Ferguson is made by Simplicity.


http://www.masseylawn.com/ourcorporatefamily.htm


Our Corporate Family
Massey Ferguson Lawn & Garden is a brand offered by Simplicity Manufacturing, Inc. Since its beginning in 1922, Simplicity has been an industry leader committed to designing, manufacturing, and marketing premium lawn and garden equipment. In addition to Massey Ferguson Lawn & Garden, Simplicity sells products under the brand names Simplicity, AGCO Lawn & Garden, Snapper, Snapper Pro, Ferris, and Giant-Vac. Manufactured for both residential and commercial use, Simplicity products are sold worldwide by more than 9,000 dealers and distributors. Simplicity Manufacturing is part of the Briggs & Stratton Power Products Group, L.L.C.

 

[Tdbo]

Originally Posted By: cronk
Originally Posted By: tpitcher
Originally Posted By: motorguy222
I would recommend staying away from MTD and its many product names.They may do ok for 1-2 years but after that,watch out.




Dude, say what??

I have posted a few times the GREAT success I have with my 14 year old MTD. 14 years: Just 2 belts & blades!

I mow 3 acres every week, I am in almost complete sand for soil, loads of bumps all over and the riding mower is essentially indestructable!!



I have had bad experiences with MTD as well. Flimsy front axles, wimpy light duty transmissions, cheesy variator system.
AYP is better, but for a real good quality machine, you need to step up to John Deere or Simplicity.



Guess it depends how you look at it. I had a Coast to Coast (MTD) Tractor 11hp Briggs. Bought it new for $700. Ran it 7 years did nothing to it except sharpen blades, add gas, and change oil. Motor woofed after 7 years. I didn't think it was worth $450 for a new short block. Bought a new JD STX-38 for $1850. In 11 years put a new carb, ignition switch, belts and starter (in addition to regular maintenance.) and had I kept it would have to put $600 plus in it when the PTO engaged and created flames underneath the tractor. The MTD cost me $85.71/year (including the $100 trade in I received on the JD. The JD cost $1850 + 700 repairs - $200 trade in for 11 years for a total of $213.63/year. Which was cheaper?

 

[Johnny]

What did you trade the 11 year old JD in on?

 

[Tdbo]

Originally Posted By: Johnny
What did you trade the 11 year old JD in on?


Ended up with a JD X300. Really liked the Kawasaki engine. On its fourth year and have done nothing beyond regular maintenance with the exception of a battery. I had more trouble with the STX than I should have. I had the tractor back twice under warranty on the carb and they denied nothing was wrong with it. You really do get what you pay for. However, MTD's can be a good value- I had no complaints about mine except I wished it would have had the heavier duty Briggs in it.

 

[motorguy222]

MTD may have made better stuff years ago but the newer products have known problems.

Cub Cadet while an MTD brand may be made to better standards than many of the other MTD made products.

MTD is also known to have bad customer support when a problem does occur.Type in MTD,Problems and you should find several links to the troubles that people have with MTD.

MTD does make products for Massey Ferguson,they started doing so in 2006 and are sold in Europe.

http://www.pitchcare.com/magazine/new-range-expands-the-massey-ferguson-fleet.html

 

[Tdbo]

That is not just a MTD issue that is an across the board issue.

If you type in John Deere problems, you will find beaucoup links and posts about people who have had problems with the LA series sold at Lowes and HD. Many I read concerned trannys and electrical. What I found four years ago, if you want a quality product in a JD, you had to at least look at the X series and be prepared to pony up 3K.

I'm sure that you could probably type in _______ problems (name your manufacturer) and find a multitude of similar issues. It comes down to pricepoint. MTD (more so than others) makes price point power products (now, they make them for Sears.) Cub Cadet is slightly more upmarket, and slightly better quality. If you simply mow grass and do not abuse equipment excessively, an MTD might make sense (in my instance, I fell I got my $ out of mine.) However, the buyer needs to understand that it is a throwaway product. If you want quality, you either need to up the ante or buy used.