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Another newbie buying question

#1

Dave B.

Dave B.

I'll try to provide as much info as possible...

I'm shopping for a new riding mower. I prefer the traditional 'tractor' style mowers, but might consider a ZTM.
I currently have a Husqvarna 2346XLS that's about 5 years old. It has a 23 HP Briggs and hydro-static drive with a limited-slip. It does a reasonable job, but I've never been completely satisfied with it. I mow about 1.5 acres total and one of the lots has a fairly steep incline. The mower needed belts after a little over 200 hours. I had to virtually disassemble the entire mower to change the belts... I couldn't believe the instructions, so I found a You-tube video, which showed the exact same process! So, I'm currently looking at shaft-drive mowers.

Limiting factors:
The mower has to be less than 60" wide at the widest point (there's a gate I have to drive through).
It has to be able to handle uneven terrain. Most of what I mow is smooth, but there's 1/2 acre that we cleared from underbrush.
I'd really like for it to have shaft drive.
I'd like for it to have limited-slip. It comes in handy on one really steep section.
It should be able to pull a small yard trailer

I'm not brand-conscious, but I live in an area that doesn't have dealers for some of the smaller manufacturers.
Price point? I'm fairly flexible, but $5k is about as much as I'd probably want to spend.

Any and all comments are appreciated!

Dave B.


#2

S

Shughes717

Dave B. said:
I'll try to provide as much info as possible...

I'm shopping for a new riding mower. I prefer the traditional 'tractor' style mowers, but might consider a ZTM.
I currently have a Husqvarna 2346XLS that's about 5 years old. It has a 23 HP Briggs and hydro-static drive with a limited-slip. It does a reasonable job, but I've never been completely satisfied with it. I mow about 1.5 acres total and one of the lots has a fairly steep incline. The mower needed belts after a little over 200 hours. I had to virtually disassemble the entire mower to change the belts... I couldn't believe the instructions, so I found a You-tube video, which showed the exact same process! So, I'm currently looking at shaft-drive mowers.

Limiting factors:
The mower has to be less than 60" wide at the widest point (there's a gate I have to drive through).
It has to be able to handle uneven terrain. Most of what I mow is smooth, but there's 1/2 acre that we cleared from underbrush.
I'd really like for it to have shaft drive.
I'd like for it to have limited-slip. It comes in handy on one really steep section.
It should be able to pull a small yard trailer

I'm not brand-conscious, but I live in an area that doesn't have dealers for some of the smaller manufacturers.
Price point? I'm fairly flexible, but $5k is about as much as I'd probably want to spend.

Any and all comments are appreciated!

Dave B.
Click to expand...

I believe the cub cadet gtx series garden tractors are shaft driven. It should be in your price range. I don't have any experience with their late model mowers. My dad had two 48" tractors to mow his 5 acre lawn when I was a kid. My brother and I mowed with them. One had a hydraulic lift deck. They gave a lot of trouble. That was the late 80's, early 90's though. They are sitting in the weeds by his shop rusting. Scag has shaft drive mowers, but 5k won't touch one.


#3

Bill Martin

Bill Martin

If you can get a low end commercial machine for 5 k then go for it. Even a used commercial machine with low hours is a good option... Toro, scag, dixie chopper are good options.


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