We now have 1.2 acres of slightly sloped land, fairly rough, with a septic mound. Several trees, some obstacles.
What riding mower under $3500?
What riding mower under $3500?
What riding mower?
- Thread starter Pablo
- Start date
JD X 300 series. I have spent 3 summers mowing my friends lawn (just did the battery swap and initial run today) and she has an x320 (no longer available); The thing is a champ, easy to service, not a tin can made for big box stores. Kawasaki motor, spin on filter. She has it major bedrock with it and it keeps on motoring. I don't have experience with other brands, but I became a JD believer after using this thing.
edit: it appears the kawa motor is available on the x350 and up. x330 has a "cyclonic" motor; not clear what that is.
edit: it appears the kawa motor is available on the x350 and up. x330 has a "cyclonic" motor; not clear what that is.
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Depending on the slope a zero turn can be frustrating to use. For 1 acre I'd probably get a little yard tractor thing.
I have a little Husqvarna YTH24V54 with a Kawasaki and ~650 hours on it and it's still on the original deck and all it ever gets used for is mowing knee to waist high grass along fencelines. Gets run into fenceposts, missing all the deck wheels at this point and the deck has a few bends but it just keeps on keepin' on. Still runs like an absolute champ.
I have a little Husqvarna YTH24V54 with a Kawasaki and ~650 hours on it and it's still on the original deck and all it ever gets used for is mowing knee to waist high grass along fencelines. Gets run into fenceposts, missing all the deck wheels at this point and the deck has a few bends but it just keeps on keepin' on. Still runs like an absolute champ.
If you aren’t in a hurry, wait til the end of season sales start. My neighbor picked up a Ferris 400S zero turn with suspension, for about $3400. MSRP on his model was $4849. Those machines really smooth out a rough lawn.
400S Series Zero Turn Lawn Mower | Ferris
The Ferris 400S Series Zero Turn Lawn Mower is compact enough to navigate tight areas and boasts a large fuel capacity, all while not breaking the budget.
www.ferrismowers.com
Something with a 48”- 54” deck. I’d look at Husqvarna or Poulan Pro. MTD made mowers (Craftsman, Troy Bilt, Cub Cadet) aren’t near as good as the Husqvarna/Poulan Pro mowers. John Deere are good but, they may be just a bit over your dollar figure.
saffordequipment.com
saffordequipment.com
Ariens IKON XD 52 Zero Turn Mower (Kawasaki) | Safford Equipment Company
The Ariens IKON XD 52 Zero Turn Mower delivers close cuts with unmatched durability. Get yours today at Safford Equipment!
saffordequipment.com
Husqvarna TS 248G Lawn Tractor (Kawasaki) | Safford Equipment Company
Husqvarna TS 248G Lawn Tractor Series riding lawn mowers are designed to maximize your comfort, while delivering robust levels of mowing performance.
saffordequipment.com
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The best mower for slopes, obstacles and rough ground is a stand on zero turn. Unfortunately it's out of your price range.
I live on 5 acres and have 3 acres to mow. My mower is a Ferris stand on.
I can jump on and off it quick to pick something up/toss a branch in the woods, lean over on slopes, duck under branches better and ride it with my backpack leaf blower and zoom down the driveway blowing grass clippings.
To me I feel it's faster and more efficient, but I don't have experience on a sit-on zero turn.
That Ariens posted above looks like an excellent buy if your thinking of a sit-on model.
I live on 5 acres and have 3 acres to mow. My mower is a Ferris stand on.
I can jump on and off it quick to pick something up/toss a branch in the woods, lean over on slopes, duck under branches better and ride it with my backpack leaf blower and zoom down the driveway blowing grass clippings.
To me I feel it's faster and more efficient, but I don't have experience on a sit-on zero turn.
That Ariens posted above looks like an excellent buy if your thinking of a sit-on model.
I have been searching for a replacement tractor for a year now. I have a small Troy Bilt 42" cut w/18 hp Briggs and a CVT tranny. I only use it to cut about an acre, Just around the house where the big tractor is not maneuverable enough. It is 15 years old and only has 350 hr on it and it still runs fine but I can tell it is struggling on the hill and groans a bit with the yard cart on it. I thought I found the perfect replacement, the Husqvarna TS 248G. It had the K58 heavy duty tranny vs all the other small tractors with the K46 and the Kawasaki engine but alas it has been discontinued. I am back to searching again, there are no small lawn tractors with a tranny rated for hilly ground and pulling. If you manage to find something please post it here, I will be very interested.
Commercial Briggs & Stratton.
I like my Lowe's John Deere L120 42 inch. 200+ hours on the B&S 20 HP Twin. Never a problem on a relative flat mow. Big box aren't junk mowers as some would like you to believe. Ed
You should be able to get a good machine for that price. One of the things that is hard to judge is how well a mower will disperse the grass. I have an older Husqvarna and it works fine even with minimum maintenance. But the side discharge gets clogged sometimes and I have to turn off the machine and get off an unclog it. A PIA.
I bought a used Toro Timemaster and its a step above other mowers I have bought. So I feel Toro makes high end machines. And worth the extra money.
I bought a used Toro Timemaster and its a step above other mowers I have bought. So I feel Toro makes high end machines. And worth the extra money.
For me I'd buy a Deere lawn tractor and never look back. I bought a used 2002 LT150 last spring. My local dealer had the hydrostat belt and idler pulley in stock when I needed to replace them this Saturday. Something to be said for buying name brand equipment!
Just my $0.02
Just my $0.02
Close but it’s not a full commercial Briggs. It’s closer to the professional series. It’s build to Deere’s specs. It uses the cyclonic intake but that’s about it from the commercial series.
Look for a good used Deere x360,370,390 or x500 series. You can find a good x500 series for 3k or less if you keep your eye out. I found a x530 with 360 hours for 2900 a few weeks ago (sold quickly). Those all have serviceable transmissions with Kawasaki’s. Older models like the 345, 445 are also solid choices.
I bought a Gravely ZT, Kawasaki engine, serviceable drive train
Did that ZT come in at your budget. Gravely's were not cheap the last time I looked.
It was definitely over my original budget but didn't break the bank. Just over $4K
Years ago, my brother and I when growing up used to argue over who "had" to mow the lawn; later in life my father got a ZT mower and my brother and I, when visiting, pretty much argued as to who "got" to mow the lawn..... I'm sure you'll enjoy your purchase.
