John Deere or what?

[claytonpiano]

Our lawn mowers are getting really old and we have two acres to mow. If you were buying a used, heavy duty lawn type tractor, what would you buy?

[agmantoo]

I would not buy a lawn type, I would buy a zero turn mower.

[Alice In TX/MO]

I'd spring for a new Sears lawn tractor with the service contract.

[fellini123]

You know that Sears are made by MDT/Murry and have the very worse reliability? Zero turn mowers are greta if you have a lot of trees and obsticles to go around. If you want to also use your mower to pull things and carry things you want a regular riding lawn mower.
I like the John Deer, but Kubota (sp) makes a good mower as well.
Alice in Virginia

[tyusclan]

Originally Posted by agmantoo

I would not buy a lawn type, I would buy a zero turn mower.

Ditto!

[Gary in ohio]

zero turns are great if all you want to do is mow. Unless you get into the high end commerical you can plow snow. Most Z's done have hitches to drag around a garden cart.

[Jerr4]

I mow commercially and my ZTR's not only mow but, I pull a cart and have a fertilizer applicator for them. For the money they are the way to go. I put 700-1000 hours each season on mine with no major problems. Plus they come with a better warranty.

[Cabin Fever]

I would take a serious look at Cub Cadet.

[pumpkinlady]

I just love my Ford100 it is a 1970 and still runs and cuts great. Also have a New Holland.

[Ramblin Wreck]

Three years ago I bought a White model recommended by Consumer's Digest, and it has been a great mower so far. My brother bought one of the Toro zero turn mowers last year, and it cuts mowing time considerably (great for working around trees/shrubs). If you want a multi-purpose machine, check out some of the small, used Deere's, Kubota's, and Massey's (and others). I just did a quick check on EBAY for Kubota and there were many listed. With these you can do garden tilling and much more in addition to just cutting grass. A well maintained tractor will usually outlive it's owner...and maybe two. Good luck.

[moonwolf]

My neighbor just bought a new JD LS series for a decent price. He had a 160 bought used and ran that for 9 years prior, which still does the job as a backup.
You could consider a zero turn riding mower, but the price differential is substantial. For doing 2 acres probably the garden tractor with mower deck maybe take you 1/2 longer, plus you get versitility if you want to add a sweeper to pick up the clippings as you mow or if you want to use other attachments like a dump cart to pull on occasion. A snowblower attachment is handy for the garden tractor with winter climate use as well. The 48" deck is a lot more than the old JD160 38" deck, so it's a definite step up and will last a long time.

[mammabooh]

We have a Steiner and think it's great!

[Ana Bluebird]

I have a John Deere and would NEVER buy another one! Breaks down constantly, needs adjusting to mow evenly a lot, and talk about repair costs! Nope, all talk and no service or quality! Just say "NO" to John Deere. And I'm avoiding SEARS too---what has happened to their quality?? Sure you can buy those expensive warranties, but what do you mow with when it's always at the repair shop? Jerr4, what's a ZTR?

[Carol K]

We just went through the same thing as you and in the end after comparing prices and what you get for your money, we ended up buying one from Tracor Supply, their own brand, it has a sturdy deck, and a cool little thingy bob in the deck that you attach the hose to and it cleans under the deck etc. Course lawn mowers now come with cup holders, I didn't know that and it kind of floored me!

Carol K

[tooltime]

Well, the first question is: How much money do we get to spend? Since I can't see spending upwards of $12,000 (not of my own money, anyway) on a lawn tractor, I would lean toward trying to find a used mower in reasonable condition. There are many reliable old mowers: Cub Cadets, John Deere and Wheel Horse to name just a few.

I have seen some of the new Sears riding mowers, and would not recommend them.

Ana, Just curious as to what type of JD mower you bought: 100 series, LT or LX series? Did you buy from a JD dealer that sells only lawn equipment, or did it also sell farm equipment? The reason I ask is that John Deere - IMO - is trading off their name and reputation moving into these lower-price residential lawn tractors that are just not up to the durability and performance of older models. If you bought at a JD lawn & garden only franchise, these are often targeting suburban homeowners. With income and not much knowledge, these dealerships can fleece the uninformed. Is the uneven cut scalloping? If so, might want to try a set of gator blades.

I mow around the shop and outbuildings with a 1964 JD 110 with Kohler engine that my grandfather bought new. Extremely well-built machine. With the snowblower and snow tires, could probably sell it today for $1200 or more.

Growing up, we had a Cub Cadet 123 Hydro, also with Kohler engine that was a fine lawnmower. Traded it in for a JD 212, and my Mother now has a JD 323 as well.

As far as used mowers, you might get more for your dollar on a Cub Cadet. If you go the JD route, try going to a JD dealer that sells farm implements. He might have some older trade-ins that he's looking to move. If you live in an area with more than one JD dealership, ask around about general satisfaction with the place. There are clear differences between the 5 JD dealerships within 30 miles of me. In spring, groups of JD dealers often hold lawn tractor auctions, keep an eye out for those.

My brothers have newer JD mowers a ZTR model and a diesel rider. Had to rebuild the diesel's engine as it was run with a punctured radiator -- knew that when they bought it. They are happy with both mowers.

[Unregistered]

Any replacement parts for John Deere are sky high. Bought a tire for my JD amt and they wanted over $90. The same tire elsewhere was less than $40. Wanted to buy some other parts but could buy a new 4 wheeler for the price of a few parts.

[arky64]

don't know if you all know it but the jd's from home depot and the cub cadets from lowe's are built by murray. they aren't much better than store brands, i have three old john deeres 2 110's and a 140 they are built like tanks and i also have tiller and snow/gravel blade and a box blae for them , so alot more use than mower. the old cub cadets are just as good and can usually be had a little cheaper. make sure that whatever you get it has a cast iron kohler motor. you can still get parts and they are tuff and strong. i also have a power king 2418, but they are a little rare and pretty expensive to buy.
good luck ed

[Teri]

We just bought a Kubota and love it. Got tired of trying to keep the Cub Cadet running. That thing broke down nearly every time we mowed.

[SteveD(TX)]

ZTR's (Zero Turn Radius) are great, fast, but expensive. Hard to find a used one in decent condition in my area. They are best for fairly smooth lawns and do good around trees, but not so good on slopes. Good new ones will generally set you back $3,500-$7,000.

I guess I'm the exception to the rule on MTD. I bought a 17.5 HP (Briggs twin) with 42" deck and hydro trans. new 4 years ago, and it still works great. I mow about 2 acres every two or three weeks from April through mid November. I've hit rocks, stumps, and regularly tackle small brush and tall weeds. It has never failed to perform. All I've ever done is change the oil once a year. I will change the plugs and sharpen the blades before next year. At the price I paid, it's almost a throw-away machine, but it has really surprised me. I'd buy another new one in a minute. Tractor Supply sells them as Huskee's. The new ones are almost identical to my 2001 model; you can't find the MTD name as much anymore around here.

IMO, the older Cubs are supposed to be very reliable, as well as Kubotas if you decide to go used. But looking at used all I ever found was abused and wore-out machines.

[palani]

Invest in fencing and sheep.

Cut down the lawn size to something that can be handled with a reel type push mower and drop the health club membership.

Don't fertilize or spray chemicals. It just causes more grass to grow.

Astroturf will work for bare areas and use less water. In addition friends will be jealous that your lawn is still green in the middle of winter.

Convert your existing rider into a mobile lawn ornament.

Use the opportunity to make new friends when your neighbors take up a petition.

Just some suggestions ... :-)