husqvarna or cub cadet

[whitearrow]

aight fella i have narrowed my selection of new lawn tractors down to these 2 brands. does anybody have any knowledge of these 2 specifically about the tranny and the general build quality and longevity of the machines? my price range is at very max $1,800. so,whatever compares between the 2 brands for that price. oh yeah it HAS to have a kohler engine.
thanks,
whitearrow->>>-------------->

 

[dwcopple]

Cub>MTD, Husky>AYP. Better off buying vintage Cub or buying a leftover Craftsman if you must have new. Husky's are just rebadged Craftsman AYP mowers anyways. Just like new Cub's are the same as Huskee's sold by TSC. I had a 2006 Cub Cadet and sold it within a year. It just cut so poorly.

 

[GhostFlame]

Cub Cadet used to be a really good line of mowers when they were owned by International Harvester and they probably aren't too bad now, if you keep up with the repairs and maintenance. I like the overall quality of anything I've ever seen by Husqvarna. That would be my choice.

FWIW, I have a Kubota 17 hp, 42 inch cut for about 10 years and absolutely love it.

 

[JHZR2]

What about ariens? you used to even be able to get a little diesel mower in the 80's.

 

[tig1]

I just bought a new 42 Craftsman and it's a fine machine.

 

[JTK]

Either in that price range are going to have lower end Tufftorq or Hydrogear transaxles in them. Both are good and will provide you with years of service provided you don't push or pull things that are too heavy and you keep the unit clean (so it cools itself). Very hilly property can also overtax these transaxles.

I'd avoid the Cub LTX 1040 because it's not hydro or gear drive. It's belt and variator pulley drive system. No good in this price range.

For this year, the Kawasaki powered Cub 1000's sold at dealers are ~$75 more than 'big box', but have a better seat and supposedly a Tufftorq as opposed to Hydrogear trans.

Husqvarnas use Tufftorq. Keep in the mind the Kohler you "must have" is not the Kohler you owned 30yrs ago. They're a good engine today, but the ones in your price range are going to be Courage series. Again- not bad at all (I've owned them), but I wouldn't limit yourself to one brand.

Joel

 

[SteveSRT8]

In my town you cannot tell the difference between Husky, Craftsman, or many other big names.

All have the same parts, same engines, etc. Choose by price and warranty. We picked a 54 inch Craftsman with a 26 hp Briggs/Tufftorq combo and it's been a great mower.

But all we do is mow acreage.

 

[JosephHarmon]

I just looked at the 24hp Husky at Fleet Farm & it looked better than the MTD equivalent.

 

[kkreit01]

I'd buy the Cub because it's easier to pronounce

.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: JosephHarmon
I just looked at the 24hp Husky at Fleet Farm & it looked better than the MTD equivalent.


In what way?

Husky is an MTD product, not to be confused with Husqvarna which is not.

Joel

 

[SteveSRT8]

You won't see any 'real' Husqvarna mowers in any of the big box stores.

 

[JTK]

Oops.. and it's not really even Husky, it's "Huskee" (AKA, MTD product).

Joel

 

[GMBoy]

I've got a Husqvarna 42" cut 21hp Kohler that I bought last year. Very good mower so far, I can recommend it. It is well built and the hydrostatic trans has been a nice feature.

Before deciding on my Husqvarna, I shopped John Deere, Craftsman and Troy-built. The Craftsmen's ran from junk to very good, all the Troy Builts were junk and the John Deeres (at Lowe's) were not impressive enough for me to pay more. My opinion is to avoid John Deere models from the big box stores, they are not the same as at a JD dealer. Oh and avoid anything MTD...who I think makes Troy Built too.

I've also got a Husqvarna self propelled mower that has been nice. The only think I dislike is the Honda engine - nothing but trouble, wish it were a Briggs.

 

[doitmyself]

Originally Posted By: JTK
Oops.. and it's not really even Husky, it's "Huskee" (AKA, MTD product).Joel


Unless.......like me, he refers to Husqvarna things as "Husky"!
Or, in our case, our one beloved Husquvarna saw named Oly (a distant relative of retired saw, Toivo).