Need Help finding good budget Riding Mower

[JTK]

^ I'm not bashing the Snapper RER, but as a kid I mowed an elderly neighbor's lawn for several years with their Snapper RER. Old school one with the hoop style steering "wheel". What a punishing mower they can be on rough terrain because of their small wheels/tires. If you've got a smooth lawn and you don't mind going slow, they're a fine mower. Simple friction disk drive, etc.

 

[mattwithcats]

If you look at the bottom of the Husqavarna page, they list all their tractors.

(not recommending them, just using them as an example)

http://www.husqvarna.com/us/products/riding-lawn-mowers/

Note that, except for the first one, a lot of them look the same.

Same frame, just different engine, and different width deck.
Choose the width you need, then choose the engine / tranny combo you want.
Note that the wider widths tend to stick out from between the wheels...

I always put on a mulching kit, and that takes a little more power, so i go up one model, and get the bigger engine.

First thing, I paint the deck with some truck bed liner paint, being careful of the moving parts, and blade width...

If you mowing a lot, a frame rail oil cooler and oil filter sandwich adapter may be a good buy.
https://www.etrailer.com/Transmission-Co...CFdqLswodzQsNEg

Slime (not the aerosol can, the bottle) in the tires, an oversized filter, if possible, and happy mowing...

 

[Lubener]

Originally Posted By: MetalSlug
admin thank you for moving this thread to right section

Sound like every one telling me stay away from buying new, base on my budget. and going for a used one. To be honest im is new to these small engine, I dont know what to inspect when i go look for a used one.

If I have to buy brand news with no budget, what would you suggest ? link too please

UNLESS you are handy working on outdoor power equipment, I cannot find a good reason to buy used unless it is the deal of the century. With new, you get a warranty and with reasonable care and use, you can get 20 years out of a rider. Sure, you will have belts and tires to deal with but that happens with anything,

 

[IndyIan]

I have an old Craftsman 42" 18hp single hydrostat mower I got for $300, in rough looking condition. I think the same thing new would be $1500 now. It cuts grass at a decent clip, and climbs hills amazingly well. I can still get parts too as millions of them are/were made.
If you've got a flat-ish smooth lawn these types of mowers can easily last for a decade or two. I almost bought a new Husky at $2k but my cutting is pretty brutal and it seemed a waste to beat up something new.

 

[FastLane]

Spend the money and buy a JD. Even used they are worth it. JD you can buy parts even when they get old. JD parts aren't too crazy priced either. I just replace the main drive belt on my STX38. It was cheaper through JD than an aftermarket belt. If your just cutting grass don't get hung up on horsepower. My Kolher 12.5 hp hasn't had any issues cutting grass.

 

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted By: FastLane
Spend the money and buy a JD.


This.

 

[andyd]

Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
Originally Posted By: FastLane
Spend the money and buy a JD.


This.
Need Help finding good budget Riding Mower. To me, good and budget, is exclusive of new. Going back 30 yrs gets you something worth fixing. Home owner grade OPE is mostly throw-away in the new millennium. I got a warm fuzzy feeling when I saw "made in USA " on the idler pulley bearing on the Inty the other day.

 

[AMC]

I posted a thread asking the same question. For me, I was going to buy either a new Craftsman with a 6 speed manual transmission or a used but good condition John Deere GT or LX series. I ended up buying a 12 year old John Deere LX280 and I am very happy. Take a look:

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4402537/1/Shopping_for_new_riding_mower,

 

[krismoriah72]

If you buy a John Deere mower new or used..they are an easy sale when you are ready to sell. Any other name doesnt hold its value except Gravely.

I recently bought a JD mower off of a buddy for $150..the transmission was out. I paid $600 to put a new transmission in it and sold it for $1400.

I can afford a new mower..but I have an older John Deere LT180 with a 17hp kawasaki that I absolutely love. The hood has fallen off and the deck has about 50 holes in it but it cuts and does its job like a champ.

 

[Rock_Hudstone]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: MetalSlug
I was looking at this

Craftsman 42" 420cc Auto Riding Mower
http://www.sears.com/craftsman-420cc-aut...p;blockType=G5#


Look at first 3 digits of model. If 247 then MTD = junk. If 917 then Husqvarna = good.


Right, thats an MTD built machine very flimsy.
If you go Craftsman stay with the Husqvarna built units. Like this tight turn unit:

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-42inch-turn-tight-174-briggs-stratton-platinum/p-07125581000P?
plpSellerId=Sears&prdNo=8&blockNo=8&blockType=G8

 

[Rock_Hudstone]

Originally Posted By: AMC
I posted a thread asking the same question. For me, I was going to buy either a new Craftsman with a 6 speed manual transmission or a used but good condition John Deere GT or LX series. I ended up buying a 12 year old John Deere LX280 and I am very happy. Take a look:

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4402537/1/Shopping_for_new_riding_mower,


I think he'll be throughly confused after reading that thread.

 

[Rock_Hudstone]

Originally Posted By: NormanBuntz
. Average lifespan for a Sears rider is about 7 years.


I had15 years of trouble free service on my last Craftsman tractor and 8 years so far on the current machine. Paid under $1200 each new.

AMC's Craftsman that he replaced with a JD was a 2003 model I believe and still going strong.

 

[9050lx]

I bought a 15hp Kohler/42 inch Scotts Murray rider in 1998.Tires have no tread in the front, tubes put inside each of the tubeless tires.Has a Peerless transaxle that still works flawlessly.the Kohler engine always starts up and have changed the spark plug once. The transaxle fluid was changed once with 15w40 rotella.It has cut approximately half of my 2.5 acres for almost 20 years without any major problems.Guess I'm ahead in this transaction.

 

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted By: 9050lx
I bought a 15hp Kohler/42 inch Scotts Murray rider in 1998.Tires have no tread in the front, tubes put inside each of the tubeless tires.Has a Peerless transaxle that still works flawlessly.the Kohler engine always starts up and have changed the spark plug once. The transaxle fluid was changed once with 15w40 rotella.It has cut approximately half of my 2.5 acres for almost 20 years without any major problems.Guess I'm ahead in this transaction.


Those Kohler Commands hold up extremely well, much better than the Intek Briggs OHV of the same years. The Kohlers can be found on many commercial mowers and a lot of them have oil filters and full pressure lubrication.

 

[Oil_Flunky]

The MTD 12.5hp Briggs 42"cut with good maintenance record that was gifted to me by family, lasted about twenty two years of use before frame, deck and pulley assembly, just wore out. The engine still ran like a champ.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: 9050lx
I bought a 15hp Kohler/42 inch Scotts Murray rider in 1998..


I do not know that Scotts was ever a Murray product. AKAIK, Scotts riders were always built by JD. Same plant that JD LTs came out of. Indeed those Kohler OHV single Commands are great engines.

 

[dwendt44]

Quote:
AKAIK, Scotts riders were always built by JD.


The Scott's riding mowers were just JD Sabers painted orange with
Scott's decals.

My 2¢

 

[9050lx]

Before Deere made the Home Depot Scotts mowers Murray made them.In fact I bought a spare 42 inch Murray with a blown B&S Intek years ago in case I needed parts.I honestly thought my hydrostat would die, So I bought the murray mainly because it had a manual transmission.