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.

 

[2muchgrass2mow]

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.

That's precisely what I do, except I do unhook both battery cables.

 

[TobyU]

That's precisely what I do, except I do unhook both battery cables.

About the only purpose removing both cables can do is the fact that it gives you a chance to inspect both cables for corrosion and taking them apart and putting them back on is liable too knock some corrosion off if there's any there and make a better connection than if it just sat there forever and if something were to be slightly loose you would catch that and tighten it up next time.
As far as the battery or anything else goes though besides this physical connection or cleanliness of the connection, it is not any better or safer to take off both battery terminals then to simply take off just one and it doesn't really matter which one you take off.
I know that old habits die hard for most of us but I am all about efficiency, the fastest, best, easiest way of doing most anything I have to do..
I say most and I really want to stress the word "have" in have to do..

See, most things that I have to do I really would rather not. Other things that I'm not in a hurry and trying to be efficient and all this, I do because I want to do them and I enjoy them. I often enjoy the process so it is not a goal too hurry up or accomplish it or whatever but rather I'm enjoying it from start to finish.
Not so much the case with most of the things throughout the day that I have to do.
I'm rather odd though.
I play a whole lot, slack off a whole lot, don't really run on any type of schedule, etc so when I do work or get around to doing the things I have to do, I need to be darn effective and efficient at doing them or I'd never get anything done.

 

[TobyU]

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.

Toro actually does one of the better jobs of the residential grade ZTRs out there.
They also seem to have some of the highest blade speed I've seen for residential mowers or maybe it's just deck design but they have a lot of vacuum and noise and do a very good job of being powerful and cutting even thick overgrown grass at good speeds.

NONE of these units are as durable as I wish they were and I have some major complaints about these entry level hydros they put in stuff that just barely adequate for the job.
Just like the k46 they put in your 42 and even 48-in riding mowers.
If you'll recall over the past 15 or 20 years with the hydros on zero turns, they started out calling them something like a 2100 or 2200 and then they started putting an ezt in front of them or making it completely different model.
And then you had basically the 21/22s and you had a 2400.. if I'm remembering correctly.
Then you had the 2800 which was about as good as it would get on consumer grade stuff.
Then they had the 3100 which was about the biggest you could get on a consumer grade machine and in just a few years they started calling that entry level commercial but it still has the smaller diameter output shaft and rated for far less torque and probably weight.
Then, they started making it a 2,800/3100.?? Which one is it folks?

It's all just marketing and it's kind of deceptive.
Just because they may put a transmission into certain entry commercial marketed machines doesn't mean that transmission is commercial grade or quality or size.

3400 is what I consider to be the first true commercial size transmission and it has the larger output shaft and is far beefier.

On a new mower I would gladly pay five or $600 more to get these larger units for the peace of mind that I actually could use the machine 15 to 20 plus years without having a hydro get weak or having to replace one with the 2800/3100 or smaller.

We've been through some real cycles in outdoor power equipment where they were trying to hide what kind of transmissions they have and then others were clearly displaying it on the features list on the unit on display on the floor.
I remember the larger snappers were doing a good job of this but then again they were commercial machines anyways and had good transmissions.
I'm sure they had some other creative wording for their smaller residential ones with the not so durable transmissions to make them sound good too.

 

[MParr]

Toro actually does one of the better jobs of the residential grade ZTRs out there.
They also seem to have some of the highest blade speed I've seen for residential mowers or maybe it's just deck design but they have a lot of vacuum and noise and do a very good job of being powerful and cutting even thick overgrown grass at good speeds.

NONE of these units are as durable as I wish they were and I have some major complaints about these entry level hydros they put in stuff that just barely adequate for the job.
Just like the k46 they put in your 42 and even 48-in riding mowers.
If you'll recall over the past 15 or 20 years with the hydros on zero turns, they started out calling them something like a 2100 or 2200 and then they started putting an ezt in front of them or making it completely different model.
And then you had basically the 21/22s and you had a 2400.. if I'm remembering correctly.
Then you had the 2800 which was about as good as it would get on consumer grade stuff.
Then they had the 3100 which was about the biggest you could get on a consumer grade machine and in just a few years they started calling that entry level commercial but it still has the smaller diameter output shaft and rated for far less torque and probably weight.
Then, they started making it a 2,800/3100.?? Which one is it folks?

It's all just marketing and it's kind of deceptive.
Just because they may put a transmission into certain entry commercial marketed machines doesn't mean that transmission is commercial grade or quality or size.

3400 is what I consider to be the first true commercial size transmission and it has the larger output shaft and is far beefier.

On a new mower I would gladly pay five or $600 more to get these larger units for the peace of mind that I actually could use the machine 15 to 20 plus years without having a hydro get weak or having to replace one with the 2800/3100 or smaller.

We've been through some real cycles in outdoor power equipment where they were trying to hide what kind of transmissions they have and then others were clearly displaying it on the features list on the unit on display on the floor.
I remember the larger snappers were doing a good job of this but then again they were commercial machines anyways and had good transmissions.
I'm sure they had some other creative wording for their smaller residential ones with the not so durable transmissions to make them sound good too.

The first Toro that I had was the MX5050 with the EZT2200 transmissions. It was a decent mower except for the deck leveling setup. One adjuster on the front and one on the left side. I never could get the thing to level. I moved up the the Timecutter HD54 ZX5400. It had ZT3100 hydros. The deck was held by four chains. It was very easy to level. It cut great. However, it beat me to death.

 

[2muchgrass2mow]

About the only purpose removing both cables can do is the fact that it gives you a chance to inspect both cables for corrosion and taking them apart and putting them back on is liable too knock some corrosion off if there's any there and make a better connection than if it just sat there forever and if something were to be slightly loose you would catch that and tighten it up next time.
As far as the battery or anything else goes though besides this physical connection or cleanliness of the connection, it is not any better or safer to take off both battery terminals then to simply take off just one and it doesn't really matter which one you take off.
I know that old habits die hard for most of us but I am all about efficiency, the fastest, best, easiest way of doing most anything I have to do..
I say most and I really want to stress the word "have" in have to do..

See, most things that I have to do I really would rather not. Other things that I'm not in a hurry and trying to be efficient and all this, I do because I want to do them and I enjoy them. I often enjoy the process so it is not a goal too hurry up or accomplish it or whatever but rather I'm enjoying it from start to finish.
Not so much the case with most of the things throughout the day that I have to do.
I'm rather odd though.
I play a whole lot, slack off a whole lot, don't really run on any type of schedule, etc so when I do work or get around to doing the things I have to do, I need to be darn effective and efficient at doing them or I'd never get anything done.

Duly noted, Toby . . .