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Greetings to all members,

I'm in the market for a new ride-on mower but after having researched the reliability of different brands, it seems like they've all fallen off in that regard these days. In 2004, I purchased a Troy-Bilt Bronco model with the B&S Intek engine and used it with pretty much with no problems for about eleven years. The only problem I had was toward the end when I had to do a workaround to address the mower deck not engaging and it was simply a rubber strap that I attached at the lever. Overall, I was pretty satisfied with that mower but I don't think the Troy-Bilt Broncos that they sell today will be as reliable.

I see that now MTD has swallowed up almost every known mower brand and based on the reviews that I've read, they all have serious issues which includes, and most specifically, MTD's customer service or should I say lack there of. I'm really hesitant to purchase any brand under the MTD umbrella. I was surprised to hear that they even make John Deere's non-commercial mowers which kind of made sense after I since found out that those JD mowers have serious issues too.

So my question is: are there any reliable ride-on mower brands available for purchase in 2025? Toro seems to have issues and is not cheap. Murray made by B&S seems to be in line with MTD's products and rules them out. So who's left?

I'd appreciate any thoughts/comments on the current crop of ride-on mowers and what you'd recommend.

Thanks in advance.

Basically you will find that all the brands are basically made by 3 companies. SBD(Legacy MTD) Husqvarna, and Toro. And Briggs has never made Murray, They may own them but have always farmed out the manufacturing to either SBD or Husqvarna until recently, but are now licensed to the same company that is now making and marketing Snapper which is DAYE.

Thanks for correcting me but I'm looking for recommendations. Out of the three, is there any one brand that is better than the rest?

I like the Husqvarna YTH models

In today’s market you get what you pay for. Recommending anything less that $3500 is a crap shoot, as unless you have a flat and smooth lawn you are talking about a unit that will last maybe 10 years. That is why the experienced techs don’t like to recommend any of these brands. Quality of all brands priced under $5000 has fallen off drastically in the last 10 years, so even there you have to be careful what you buy.

Rivets said:

In today’s market you get what you pay for. Recommending anything less that $3500 is a crap shoot, as unless you have a flat and smooth lawn you are talking about a unit that will last maybe 10 years. That is why the experienced techs don’t like to recommend any of these brands. Quality of all brands priced under $5000 has fallen off drastically in the last 10 years, so even there you have to be careful what you buy.

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So that being the case, would you recommend a small tractor with a rotary cutter attachment like maybe a Kubota or something similar?

kikikopa said:

So that being the case, would you recommend a small tractor with a rotary cutter attachment like maybe a Kubota or something similar?

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how many acres you cutting?

The fewer bells and whistles the better. Engineers have gone off the deep end with all the fancy electronics and push buttons.

I still like the basic Husqvarna riders.

Like Scrubcadet10 asked, how many acres?

Regardless of what label it has, they all require proper maintenance and not putting off the little problems when they happen.

Scrubcadet10 said:

how many acres you cutting?

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Right now its probably about two acres. The property is large but most of it I let overgrow and only maintain certain parts of it otherwise I'd have to dedicate my entire life to landscape maintenance during the growing season. I'm seriously considering goats at this point. I kid you not!

Anyone here own any New Holland equipment? They're pricy but I'm curious as to whether that equates to a quality product. I really need something reliable and don't mind spending more if I have to provided the quality is there to match the price.

New Holland mowers? That is getting into the commercial level meant for larger acreage.

Having a servicing dealer along with parts is important for any equipment purchase you consider.

John Deere seems to have the best network of dealers

Auto Doc's said:

New Holland mowers? That is getting into the commercial level meant for larger acreage.

Having a servicing dealer along with parts is important for any equipment purchase you consider.

John Deere seems to have the best network of dealers

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John Deere you say? Read these reviews: https://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/deere.html?page=3#scroll_to_reviews=true
and then tell me if you think John Deere has "the best network of dealers."

Those are some very poor reviews. They seem to have gone downhill fast in recent years with their quality control and customer satisfaction policies.

I was a service manager for a local JD dealer back in '07-'11, but that was a different time.

Auto Doc's said:

Those are some very poor reviews. They seem to have gone downhill fast in recent years with their quality control and customer satisfaction policies.

I was a service manager for a local JD dealer back in '07-'11, but that was a different time.

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A different time indeed although it was relatively recent. I've found quality control and customer satisfaction deficiencies to be practically universal across many if not most industries. I have to think its related to the dichotomy of the population and the hyper-politicization of the nation as a whole. It's a complex subject but there is definitely a reason for it and the cause(s) are many.