First time Buyer

[MParr]

Have to be careful how we state the things about Toro and lawn tractors...
While it is true that Toro does not currently (and hasn't for some time) their own lawn tractor style mowers BUT they do make all of their zero turns and there walk behind mowers.
We're not really talking about the 21 and 22 in walk behind mowers but they do make those too.
I'm talking about the larger walk behind that are typically from at least 30 in up to 60 or maybe even more.
Just like with their zero turns, they have a residential line of these like the time master (which I really just don't like because of maintenance and durability issues) and then they that I believe they called proline for a long time and many of them had the t-bar handle as opposed to pistol grips like many of the other brands had.

On the zero turns, they had the residential line which they used to call TimeCutter and then they had the commercial line which were their z master
They've changed a bunch of the names around now and are using a couple of letters and then a number but they still have the residential style zero turns and the commercial grade ones and they make all of these themselves because those are not actually lawn tractors.

On the John Deere part, they might make everything they sell now but that's only because they stop selling most of the things they were having made for them!.
Over the past 3 decades they have sold a number of string trimmers etc that were made for them by other companies.
The last walk behind mowers they were selling like all of the JS series mowers we're all made by snapper.
A few years ago, probably around 2016 or so they got out of that market and stop carrying any types of smaller walk behind mowers of the John Deere brand at the dealerships.

Yep. I was focusing on what the OP was looking for.
The lower end Toro residential zero turn mowers aren’t all that great. I had one and I could never get the deck to level.
If I were buying a lawn tractor, I would go with a John Deer, Husqvarna, or Kubota.

 

[LawnoftheDad]

Thank you everybody for the information! Some of this arrived after I already made my decision, but I still appreciate it very much.

It seems like for the mechanically capable looking for and buying an older machine may have been the best course of action; however, weighed against the time needed for such a venture plus the requisite ability to recognize a good condition machine, I ended up buying new.

And to that end...drum roll....I ended up going with the Cub Cadet XT2 50" model. I jumped up to the 2nd tier because it is supposed to be made with higher quality parts than the big box XT1s (ball bearings instead of plastic bushings, stronger engine, and better battery). For the size, I went to a store and measured the deck on the 42, 46, and 50 and then walked my yard to see that width against some of the actual tight spaces in my yard. Based on that, a 50" fit everywhere I needed it to, I have alot of open flat grass, and my only garden is around my house so tight maneuvering around smaller, isolated garden beds will not be required. Also, transportation will be done by trailer and not truck, so that was a wash.

I definitely considered the JD, but comparable models were around 2k more, so for better or for worse, I went with the more economic choice (ofcourse, time will tell if that's true....).

Anyway, I plan on being religious about routine maintenance on it and with any luck it will last me for many years. Based on the cost of the lawn service I had been using, I'll begin saving money in 2 years. So, I kinda see anything beyond that as a win (but expecting much more, obviously)

As a follow-up, does anyone swear by any particular care plans? Unfortunately, nowhere around me sells ethanol-free gas, but I was told that it helps to run it dry of 87 at the end of the year and then put in a quart of ethanol-free gas (from a can), run it for a few minutes, and then store it that way. Any other pro tips?

Thanks again, everybody

 

[TobyU]

Thank you everybody for the information! Some of this arrived after I already made my decision, but I still appreciate it very much.

It seems like for the mechanically capable looking for and buying an older machine may have been the best course of action; however, weighed against the time needed for such a venture plus the requisite ability to recognize a good condition machine, I ended up buying new.

And to that end...drum roll....I ended up going with the Cub Cadet XT2 50" model. I jumped up to the 2nd tier because it is supposed to be made with higher quality parts than the big box XT1s (ball bearings instead of plastic bushings, stronger engine, and better battery). For the size, I went to a store and measured the deck on the 42, 46, and 50 and then walked my yard to see that width against some of the actual tight spaces in my yard. Based on that, a 50" fit everywhere I needed it to, I have alot of open flat grass, and my only garden is around my house so tight maneuvering around smaller, isolated garden beds will not be required. Also, transportation will be done by trailer and not truck, so that was a wash.

I definitely considered the JD, but comparable models were around 2k more, so for better or for worse, I went with the more economic choice (ofcourse, time will tell if that's true....).

Anyway, I plan on being religious about routine maintenance on it and with any luck it will last me for many years. Based on the cost of the lawn service I had been using, I'll begin saving money in 2 years. So, I kinda see anything beyond that as a win (but expecting much more, obviously)

As a follow-up, does anyone swear by any particular care plans? Unfortunately, nowhere around me sells ethanol-free gas, but I was told that it helps to run it dry of 87 at the end of the year and then put in a quart of ethanol-free gas (from a can), run it for a few minutes, and then store it that way. Any other pro tips?

Thanks again, everybody

Not necessary at all for the gas.
Riders are much more forgiving than smaller engine push mowers.
I have found is better to store them full of fresh stabilized fuel than to run them dry as it's better for rubber parts and inlet needle valve in carb.

Just don't use old gas that you've had in your can all season for your last cut add fill up
Go to the station the day you are going to cut and put it away (with a bottle of stabilizer) - pour your has can gas into your car to get an empty can -
put 1oz of stabilizer (I use regular Sta-bil) into your can for each gallon of fuel you are getting, then get your fresh gas.
Go home and fill your mower tank then mow.
Top of tank when done and put it away for of season.
You might charge battery right before you get it out of storage next season.
Some unhook battery or use s maintainer and some take battery inside but I find all that unnecessary.