Best Bang for the Buck Riding Mower for 1.4 acres?

[DinosaurMike]

I got tired of reading the posts so I might be repeating something.
Too small for your application, but I used a Toro 8HP, 32" cut, manual tranny, rear engine rider that gave 20 years of excellent service. Single blade, nice cut, even clippings distribution. I replaced the drive belt once, had the shifter welded together twice (had to use reverse a bunch), and did routine maintenance. Never did anything with the tranny and it still works like new. If they build their tractors like that rider, it'd be a winner. I bought a TroyBilt 18HP, 42" cut, CVT while I worked at Lowe's. Do not buy a TroyBilt tractor or any other make that resembles it!!!!!!!!! Lousy cut and clippings distribution, unreliable, and it breaks. I prefer the manual to the CVT because my old leg gets tired and the TB cruise doesn't work well..

 

[wmblalock]

Thanks for all the replies guys! I ended up getting a used John Deere GX255 mower with power steering, 54" deck, kawasaki motor, beefy hydrostatic tranny for $2000 with only 300hrs on it. It is a bit more than I wanted to spend, but I feel it will last me much longer in the end.

 

[CJHames]

We own and operate a Landscape Maint business in North Texas. I agree with some of the others on this thread, I would invest another $1,000 or so and buy yourself a good homeowner model zero turn. We use Toro, Exmark and Hustler's. Toro makes the "Time Cutter" line for homeowners. Toro's and Hustler's are pretty much bullet proof as long as you change the oil when you should and keep the air filters clean. The speed and quality of cut (not to mention riding comfort) far exceeds any tractor on the market. Money well spent. As we used to say when selling guns to folks, "buy the best, it only hurts once." We have Toro walk behind (self propelled's) that have been in service for four years now, which is probably equivalent to you using it for 40 years. And our Hustler 32" "Mini" zero turn that we use for large backyards is probably six years old. Tough as nails.

 

[Hammerdown]

Hello
I feel that the lawn Mower's you have mentioned are all light duty machines that will eventually break down. They are not designed to be run mowing high acreage like you are wanting to mow. If you have $1500.00 to spend the Most Mower for your Money would be a John Deere 316. The later one's have an Open frame design just like the 318's and also have the same engine as the 318's do being an Onan P-218 engine which is considered to be an Industrial engine that will run much longer and stronger than that of a cheaper made riding lawn mower. Like it or not the newer generation riding lawn mower's all have engines on them that are made in China and have not been lasting that long was well as their Mowing deck's that have had issues with Failed Blade spindle bearing's or worse yet the deck's rot out as they are much thinner than the deck's found on a Vintage John Deere Tractor. I Often see the Home Depot or Lowe's lawn Riding mower's in the bone yard's all ready where as I Rarely See any John Deere 316's or 318's as they Tend to last much, much Longer. The Later made John Deere 316's are a Bargain priced Tractor not commanding the price of that of the 318's and the only differences are that the 316 will have a single brake pedal, No Power steering, and an H-1 hydraulic spool which means they have a Hydraulic Lift system to lift their Mowing deck but lack the second Hydraulic lever used to turn the angle of a Hydraulic Four way blade. If your Primary chore will be just Mowing Grass then a John Deere 316 will Fit the bill and Out last any of these cheaper made Mower's by Multiple Decades.







I recently built one for my son in law. We got the Tractor for $50.00 Not running. I had to sort out some electric issues to get it up and running, then I stripped it down to it's rolling Chassis, painted the entire frame and wheel's then painted all of it's Body panel's. I bought a 1985 John Deere 317 lawn Tractor for part's that we lacked on the 316 and ended up using it's 48" mowing deck, One Rear tire and wheel that was brand new, The rear tail Light harness as a John Deere 316 comes with Red reflector's Not tail Light's like the 318 has, it's Throttle lever Knob, Headlight switch, and brake pedal rubber portion with the metal support under it. I had to give $100.00 for it but the deck was easily worth twice what I gave for the Tractor. Once we stripped all of the part's that we lacked off of it we scraped the rest of it and got $70.00 for it without it's engine or mowing deck I had to return the Kohler K-17 engine that was Blown Up to the guy that sold it to me as part of the sales agreement, but we got the deck and other part's off it for $30.00 Invested. I did a total restore on the Tractor and we ended up having just $362.00 total with all of the part's that we bought as well as the John Deere 317 part's Tractor. Here are the before restoration pictures as well as how it all turned out. Be Patient there is some of these John Deere 316's out there that are very reasonable in their price Range and they are an Investment Tractor that will surely last you decades past these cheaper made riding lawn mowers. The earlier John Deere 316's will have the Kohler single cylinder 16 Horsepower engine in them and they are a closed frame design tractor but the later one's will have the Onan P-218 engine that is 18 Horsepower and a Twin cylinder engine that run's a Lot smoother and has more power than the Kohler single cylinder 16 Horse power engine. engine I hope this help's, Hammerdown






Here is how the 1991 John Deere 316 looked the day I hauled it home and gave $50.00 for it. believe it or not, it only had 349.2 Hour's on it's original Hour meter. The reason it looks so rough is that it spent most of it's former life in Stuart, Florida very close to the Ocean where the salt air corroded it badly

Here it is Six grueling Week's after I got it home all finished. It now is mowing weekly at my son in laws Place and has not missed a beat since I built it for him

 

[vnbcat]

after many many years of owning mowers and watching others use mowers - I have owned an Ariens - never again - a royal pain to do anything with - way too complicated for what they do - although I now own a Simplicity and mow an acre - it is 22 years old and cost a lot when new - it too is a bit more complicated than necessary - not cheap to repair but it doesn't break often either
get plenty of power and for sure get hydro or the CVT - I don't know about the reliability of the CVTs - for sure no 3 blade deck under 48" - you will sorry if you fall for that trash no matter who makes it - there is not enough blade speed....maybe if you are a bit mechanically inclined - find a good used mower - my brother does that all the time and he mows a considerable amount - van

I am buying a new house that sits on a 1.4 acre lot, and need a riding mower.
The lot is overgrown right now, but flat for the most part, except for a raised septic drain field which could take some power to climb.
I do not intend to use this mower for any activities other than cutting grass and am very good with maintenance.

I am looking to spend between $1,000-$1,500 on a new mower, the less the better.
At the same time, I want the best bang for the buck in regards to longevity and usability.
I was looking at the basic $1,000 Craftsman models and other bottom of the line box store models, but they get horrible reviews and seem to be complete garbage, not what I want!

What do you guys think about Hydostatic vs CVT transmissions, is one really better than the other in performance or longevity?

Here are 4 options I found through my research.
I am really stuck between the first two, the Ariens and the Craftsman.
All of these models have full pressure oil systems, deck wheels, and automatic transmissions.
Let me know what you guys think would be the best option!

1. ($1,449) Ariens A22A46 46" 22HP V-Twin Dual Cylinder Briggs & Stratton Automatic Riding Mower #960460056
- I really like the idea of a V-Twin dual cylinder B&S. I tend to delay between mows, so more power is welcome to tame the overgrowth. Is it better than a Kohler Single Cylinder 22HP on the Craftsman below?
- This one has the most reviews at 225 scoring a 4.4 / 5.0. Almost everyone loves it, says it's built great, and has tons of power. I figure this power will be needed in my overgrown property.
- I am not sure if it has a CVT or Hydrostatic tranny as some people have reported the earlier ones were hydrostatic and the newer ones have a CVT. Does it matter? Is one much better than the other?
- I like the wide 46" deck, cruise control, all metal construction, large gas tank, etc.
- I like the hose hookup to flush the deck.
- From what I gather, this mower is made by Husqvarna.

2. ($1,299) Craftsman LT2500 46" 22HP Kohler Single Cylinder Hydro Riding Mower
- I am mostly stuck between this and the Ariens. This is $150 cheaper, has the Craftsman name / support, and seems to have the same features but different engine.
- Is the V-Twin B&S in the Ariens better than the single cylinder Kohler? Is one more reliable than the other? At 22HP, they should both have the same power right?
- This definitely has a hydostatic transmission per the specs.
- Only has 36 reviews scoring a 4.0/5.0. Some great reviews, some bad reviews about engine failure and a finicky hydostatic tranny.
- I am pretty sure this mower is made by Husqvarna as well.

3. ($1,399) Cub Cadet LTX10410 42" 19HP Kohler Single Cylinder Courage Automatic Riding Mower
- CVT Transmission
- 3 year warranty, the others have 2 years.
- Cub Cadet is made by MTC. MTD makes mostly junk from what I gather, but their Cub Cadets are actually pretty good quality?
- Is the quality going to be much better than the Ariens or Craftsman made by Husqvarna?
- Has a smaller 19HP Kohler motor, smaller 42" Deck, and higher price than Craftsman? Is the quality offset worth these downgrades?

4. ($1,499) John Deere D105 42" 17.5HP Automatic Riding Mower
- This is the most expensive, and has the smallest engine at 17.5HP.
- Is the quality of the Deere that much higher than the others that it warrants the highest price tag even though it has the weakest motor and smallest deck?
- It has 65 reviews that score it 4.2/5.0. A few complain about the lack of power, which I don't like.
- There are also several complaints about quality and malfunctions. Doesn't seem to me that the quality is any better than the others, what do you guys think?

 

[ba63]

In my honest opinion, I think your selling the MTDs alittle short. My Father-in-law has been running one since 2000, this model:

Yard Machine 42in 420cc Lawn Tractor 13A2775S000

For the first 5 years, he mowed about 1.5 arces with it, but reduced to .75 acres after they retired and downsized. The machine has had yearly oil changes and grease fittings, bi-yearly filter changes and blade shapening/changes, I think the overhead valves have been adjusted 3 times. The carburator was rebuilt once, about 5 years ago due to a failed needle valve. One of the switches in the safety shut off system had to be cleaned and adjusted once, and there have been a few flat tires in the spring over the years and a few batteries, of course!

At the time, I think is was a $700 mower but the price has doubled over the years. I purchased a rear engine Snapper that I paid $1600 for seven years ago. The MTD has far and away been a MUCH BETTER mower than the Snapper, no just the the quality of the cut, floating double blade deck vs. fixed single blade deck, but also in reliability. At the beginning of nearly every season, the Snapper has a no start condition from winter storage that must be sorted out while the MTD always fires right up! You'll find others that say MTDS are junk, but I'm a fan!

Both mowers are single cylinders, and I can't speak to the twins. I have never had nor do I want a hydrostat drive, shifting may be smoother but I am not willing to pay more for something that will eventually break and I'll either have to struggle to learn to fix or pay someone else to repair. I would spend the money saved on the hydrostat and buy the bagger kit.

Of all the mowers you mentioned, I would be least inclined to buy the Sears as I have been unhappy with previous purchases I have made from them. My experience with them is that if something is/does go wrong after the sale, it is a struggle to get them to make it right, but, that's just my experience!

In all honesty, most of the mowers out there seem to have one of about 5 different Briggs or Kohler engines in them (I'm not sure if drives are make specific or purchased off the market by each maker), but it might be worth some research as to which engine is most reliable and base your purchase on that, or simply whichever mower feels most comfortable to sit on. Within a price class, I doubt your going to find much difference in quality anymore, let alone an outstanding winner between makes. I think that the days of high quality, use it for the rest of your life mowers are behind us but I believe that the overall life of the mower will be based on care, gentle use, and yearly maintenance. Best wishes of success on the mower you choose!

 

[phcaan]

The thing is your servicing a sealed unit, a unit that is a sealed unit for a reason. The unit your doing preventative maintenance on should out live the mower itself without service or it wouldn't have been a sealed unit in the first place. Your talking about a homeowner unit that probably wont accumulate 30 to 35 hours a year and if your mower has a decent warranty say 3 year 180 hr which ever comes first type of thing it should out live the warranty and if it doesn't it's there problem to fix or replace, if it does out live the warranty chances are good you'll probably never have an issue with the unit for the life of the mower.

Ric, I have to interject this into the conversation; Last year I purchased a Husqvarna GTH27V52LS used, it had 42 hours on it and had been sitting for a year. During the clean up I found a sticker from the dealer that sold the mower originally. I went to that dealer and asked him about the transmission, as I have been following the transmission problems with the TuffTorque 46 transmissions on this site for some months. The dealer told me that my mower had a "sealed" transmission and the factory recommended that it never be serviced.
Upon searching I found that my unit had a HydroGear G7 transmission and the manufacturer posted a manual for that transmission. This "sealed" transmission has a spin-on type filter, a drain plug, and a fluid level indicator plug. In addition the manufacture recommends a 50 hour fluid and filter change and a change each 100 hours after that.
Maybe you need to rethink your "sealed transmissions are sealed for a reason" argument and realize that many transmission manufactures seal the transmissions at the mower manufactures request to lower the price of the unit to put in entry level tractors to sell those folks who only buy a mower to use until it quits and then buy a new one.
There are those of us out there who are able and willing to maintain our units to extend their life beyond what the seller recommends.
My last mower was a Craftsman that was purchased in 1982, and was in good enough condition last year to sell easily for $500.
I expect my Huskvarana to last as long as I do.

 

[CMREED]

As a mechanic with four decades of experience, I have to say the Ariens has always seemed to me to be a superior machine..
Craftsman is supported by Sears but Sears is now the step child of Kmart's parent company, and they never made the machines just bought them from American Yard Products.
Most of John Deere small stuff is made by someone else as well.
Recent experience with Cub Cadet in a institutional setting included expenditures on repair parts exceeding three other mowers.
The best engine for power, smooth run, and longevity is the twin cylinder Briggs.
I looked up the Ariens model (parts are listed on the web site) it is a hydrostatic drive- keep the dust blown off the drive axle but do not pressure wash the drive as water can be foreced into the axle and destroy the hydraulics.

The truth is that a zero turn would cut your mowing time if you have many trees aor shrubs, but if you have STEEP slopes they can be hazardous.
If you are not into maintaining or repairing your own, a local dealer is a good idea, I worked as service manager for a dealer once, and the mowers from other sources had an extra layer of B.S. to negotiate before gettings repairs.

All said any of these mowers could do the job, any of them could be a "lemon", you pays your money and takes your choice, hopefully you will get a good experience.

 

[dunoon]

Unless your stuck on a new mower , consider a used higher end John Deere or gravely look around and you should be able to find something in that range.

 

[Hammerdown]

Unless your stuck on a new mower , consider a used higher end John Deere or gravely look around and you should be able to find something in that range.

Exactly. You can either spend the time in the seat of a Good Older Vintage John Deere lawn Tractor say a 316 or a 318, or spend your time and money repairing these Lighter duty Mower's the choice is yours I have had my 1983 John Deere 318 for seven year's now and mow two acres of grass per week with it during our Eight month Mowing season, and it has Yet to let me down or break down it just keeps on Going, and Going and Going well past it's 30th Birthday. Show me one of the Other's Posted that are well past their Thirty year mark... Regards, Hammerdown