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Riding Lawn Mower Recommendations

yall

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Alaska Darin Hall of Famer

Alaska Darin

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Probably gonna get one this weekend. Anyone have any thoughts? I'd like to keep it on the cheap side (under $1200) if possible.

 

Thanks!

Spend the extra cash. The Hydrostatic Drive is worth the money. I have a Craftsman D4500 80th Anniversary edition. I spent $1400 on it last year and it's on sale again right now for the same price. 42" deck, 24 HP Briggs, hydrostatic drive. It's awesome. I've added mulching blades and a front bumper.

 

4500

 

PS. It's made by Husqvarna. Also, if you can get a Sears card, it's interest free for a year. Basically you pick the thing up, take it home, pay $120 a month for a year, and it's yours. Just make sure you pay it off by next May or they'll rape you in interest.

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Movinon RFA

Movinon

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Spend the extra cash. The Hydrostatic Drive is worth the money. I have a Craftsman D4500 80th Anniversary edition. I spent $1400 on it last year and it's on sale again right now for the same price. 42" deck, 24 HP Briggs, hydrostatic drive. It's awesome. I've added mulching blades and a front bumper.

 

4500

 

PS. It's made by Husqvarna. Also, if you can get a Sears card, it's interest free for a year. Basically you pick the thing up, take it home, pay $120 a month for a year, and it's yours. Just make sure you pay it off by next May or they'll rape you in interest.

I too am in the market for a rider, however not sold on Craftsman products (other then tools). However, that is an attrractive price for a 24 HP.

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yall Veteran

yall

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Spend the extra cash. The Hydrostatic Drive is worth the money. I have a Craftsman D4500 80th Anniversary edition. I spent $1400 on it last year and it's on sale again right now for the same price. 42" deck, 24 HP Briggs, hydrostatic drive. It's awesome. I've added mulching blades and a front bumper.

 

4500

 

PS. It's made by Husqvarna. Also, if you can get a Sears card, it's interest free for a year. Basically you pick the thing up, take it home, pay $120 a month for a year, and it's yours. Just make sure you pay it off by next May or they'll rape you in interest.

 

Thanks AD - I was actually looking at the YS4500 which is only $100 more, but I have a 10% off any purchase coupon and I have a Sears card to boot.

 

I was a bit worried about quality but if it's a Husky, that eases the concern a bit. I may go tonight to check it out.

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Alaska Darin Hall of Famer

Alaska Darin

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I too am in the market for a rider, however not sold on Craftsman products (other then tools). However, that is an attrractive price for a 24 HP.

It's made by Husqvarna and has a Briggs engine. It's great quality for the price. My push mower is a Craftsman. It's 5.5HP and has started on the first or second pull for 15 years.

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stuckincincy Hall of Famer

stuckincincy

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Any real recommendations?

 

Any significant slopes? That's important - you want pressurized lubrication for the engine, then. The lower-priced mowers are generally fine for flat areas.

 

Need any tractor-type duties? Hauling, snow plowing, etc.?

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Movinon RFA

Movinon

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It's made by Husqvarna and has a Briggs engine. It's great quality for the price. My push mower is a Craftsman. It's 5.5HP and has started on the first or second pull for 15 years.

Thanks for the info.....I am definately going to check it out after work today.

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Alaska Darin Hall of Famer

Alaska Darin

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Thanks AD - I was actually looking at the YS4500 which is only $100 more, but I have a 10% off any purchase coupon and I have a Sears card to boot.

 

I was a bit worried about quality but if it's a Husky, that eases the concern a bit. I may go tonight to check it out.

I really like it. One of the cool things is the hydrostatic drive is hand controlled, not foot. It's true cruise control. I test drove my Father-in-Law's Cub Cadet (MTD) 1050. It has a foot controlled hydro and with the hills in my yard, my leg got tired pressing down on the damn thing or rocking it back to go in reverse.

 

I don't think you're going to find a better mower at that price and the 4500s are Consumer Reports Best Buys...

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stuckincincy Hall of Famer

stuckincincy

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My push mower is a Craftsman. It's 5.5HP and has started on the first or second pull for 15 years.

 

I've a 2-stroke Lawn-Boy (two of them - spare parts until I croak), variable rear drive, 65 lb weight. Very maneuverable and easy for my wife when she mows from time to tome. Tune-up is a snap. Check and sharpen the blade, clean and gap the plug, clean and re-oil the air filter, and a shot of lube in each rear wheel's zerk fitting.

 

Set the choke, six pushes on the primer bulb, one easy pull...6.5:1 compression...starts, year after year. 8 so far.

 

I've learned that the 2 cycle Lawn-Boys were popular with the tradesfolk mowing daily - no concern about slope operation starving bearings and upper lubricated parts with the usual 4-cycle splash oil sump.

 

They are no longer sold - emissions. I guess they were dubbed the Bad-Boys...in a nation full of 2-stroke trimmers, blowers, and outboard marine motors. :thumbsup:

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Alaska Darin Hall of Famer

Alaska Darin

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I've a 2-stroke Lawn-Boy (two of them - spare parts until I croak), variable rear drive, 65 lb weight. Very maneuverable and easy for my wife when she mows from time to tome. Tune-up is a snap. Check and sharpen the blade, clean and gap the plug, clean and re-oil the air filter, and a shot of lube in each rear wheel's zerk fitting.

 

Set the choke, six pushes on the primer bulb, one easy pull...6.5:1 compression...starts, year after year. 8 so far.

 

I've learned that the 2 cycle Lawn-Boys were popular with the tradesfolk mowing daily - no concern about slope operation starving bearings and upper lubricated parts with the usual 4-cycle splash oil sump.

 

They are no longer sold - emissions. I guess they were dubbed the Bad-Boys...in a nation full of 2-stroke trimmers, blowers, and outboard marine motors. :thumbsup:

Ain't that funny? I bought my first 4 stroke trimmer (Troy-Bilt) last year. Very quiet.

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yall Veteran

yall

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Any significant slopes? That's important - you want pressurized lubrication for the engine, then. The lower-priced mowers are generally fine for flat areas.

 

Need any tractor-type duties? Hauling, snow plowing, etc.?

 

Pretty minimal grade on any slopes, except along my patio, which shouldn't be too much of a problem.

 

As far as attachments go, I don't plan on doing any tractor type stuff. I already have a nice snowblower.

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stuckincincy Hall of Famer

stuckincincy

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Ain't that funny? I bought my first 4 stroke trimmer (Troy-Bilt) last year. Very quiet.

I replaced a Toro cordless electric trimmer that finally died after several years, with a B&D cordless electric. I trim a 90x90 frontage...curb and walks, so I guess it's six x 90' x 90' all told. Probably another 100 ft around gardens and trees and bushes.

 

So far, so good. I've almost never run out of charge.

 

The electric powered and gas blowers scream like a jet leaving the gate. If the weather is such that I keep my doors open for fresh air, I have to close them if my good neighbors shatter the peace with those things.

 

I run my mower up and down the walks and the apron, and almost all grass blades get flung back on the lawn and planting strip. What remains is left to the prevailing wind.

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PTS RFA

PTS

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I got the Cub Cadet LT1050 last spring for $1999 at Home Depot minus a 10% coupon I printed off on the internet. You can also open a Home Depot card and get the 10%.

 

I don't know what your budget is but if you have a bigger yard (I got just under 2 acres), make sure you get a wider cutting surface. It takes me an hour to cut my entire lawn with this Cub Cadet and that's when I really take my time to do it perfectly.

 

It takes my neighbor (same size yard) about an hour longer with his 43 inch Toro, plus my Cub Cadet makes my lawn look far better. It mulches real well and has a lot of cool features like the deck wash system which keeps the cutting deck nice and clean.

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Alaska Darin Hall of Famer

Alaska Darin

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I got the Cub Cadet LT1050 last spring for $1999 at Home Depot minus a 10% coupon I printed off on the internet. You can also open a Home Depot card and get the 10%.

 

I don't know what your budget is but if you have a bigger yard (I got just under 2 acres), make sure you get a wider cutting surface. It takes me an hour to cut my entire lawn with this Cub Cadet and that's when I really take my time to do it perfectly.

 

It takes my neighbor (same size yard) about an hour longer with his 43 inch Toro, plus my Cub Cadet makes my lawn look far better. It mulches real well and has a lot of cool features like the deck wash system which keeps the cutting deck nice and clean.

My Father-in-Law has the 1050. Nice machine. Doesn't have as nice a cut as my 42" because of the way the extra blade is setup but it certainly mows much faster, though mine corners much tighter. I don't think the "Deck Wash" system works worth a crap, though. Maybe it's just his machine.

 

The funny thing is he bought that 3 years ago and yesterday he went and got a Ferris 500Z. Paid about $5K for it on a 3 year, no interest deal. That is a serious friggin' lawn mower. Makes the residential tractors look like toys.

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