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Hi all, new member here. I have a big lawn, about 1/2 acres. Have used an old agway mower with 4 wheel steer. Not sure who made this machine but once you get past the plastic body panels it's been a decent little mower for the price - paid $50 for it at a garage sale. Before that I had a walk behind and will never go back to that.

Looked at the new JD models at Home Depot but I am not completely convinced that they aren't priced up a bit for the name and paint job. There are a lot of other brands out there but I am not sure which direction to go. Was thinking about a JD LA125 or LA145, anything bigger would be over kill imo.

Thanks for any input you can provide.

SouthCentral said:

Hi all, new member here. I have a big lawn, about 1/2 acres. Have used an old agway mower with 4 wheel steer. Not sure who made this machine but once you get past the plastic body panels it's been a decent little mower for the price - paid $50 for it at a garage sale. Before that I had a walk behind and will never go back to that.

Looked at the new JD models at Home Depot but I am not completely convinced that they aren't priced up a bit for the name and paint job. There are a lot of other brands out there but I am not sure which direction to go. Was thinking about a JD LA125 or LA145, anything bigger would be over kill imo.

Thanks for any input you can provide.

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The thing I don't like about JD mowers is their "safety" feature which requires that you stop the mower blade before you're allowed to back up.
There are many "tight" places and small areas between shrubs in my half-acre lawn that require shifting into reverse to get into them (and around obstacles).
With the automatic shift mechanism on my Craftsman lawn tractor, its quite easy to back up and get into these tight spots WITHOUT having to stop the mower blades each time I change direction.

I have a Kubota with a 42 in deck. Great little tractor. Costs more then a JD from the depot but well worth it. I think all new tractors need the blade stopped before you back up. The kubota has a button you push and a red light flashes. I think it is a SAFETY thing that makes things harder.

HI, I have a 3/4 acre lot. Had a JD GT 235 (18 horse power) for over 10 years with very little trouble. Did what I call half maintenance. So what ever it called for 50 hour oil & filter I did at 25 using synthetic fluids.

Now have a Cub Cadet 3200. Units do year round duty by blowing snow in the winter.

Prior to these units I purchased the low cost units from the hardware stores. Neither went more than 4 years. In addition I close friend of mine, 3 or 4 years ago purchased a Home Depot JD which now requires transmission replacement. There are no transmission service requirements on the low cost unit痴 just replacement.

I think you will find that any manufacture unit with 18 or more horse power becomes a better unit.

I have heard that the Home Depot models are the same as a Scotts brand machine with different lipstick. I would agree with the comment about 18HP and larger being a better machine. My collection is of old cub cadets with Kohler power, they are all 40 plus yrs old and still run very dependable, you cant buy them built like those were, but you can still get long lasting kohler power.

If you are looking for long lasting quality, i would avoid the big box stores. Just my .02

I think most of the major brands are going to give you a good product. Some will have slightly different features, engines, etc. For me the first step would be to visit my local power equipment/mower dealers as opposed to the big box stores and see what they offer. A good mower can last you 20 years easy... and there are plenty out there from the likes of JD, Cub Cadet, Wheel Horse, Toro, Case, Bolens, Jacobsen, etc that have lasted decades and even generations.

Also, a good local dealer for one brand might sway me away from another...

I don't want to offend anyone so I'll just say that I personally would stay away from the Home Depot / Lowes mowers. The quality of the equipment at the actual dealers seem to be much better than the tractors at the big home centers that are merely wearing the paint and decals of a particular brand. Stop in at your local Cadet or Deere (or other name brand) dealer and check out their entry level lawn tractors. I got a Deere LT155 back in 2000, and it's been very reliable. Deere periodically has financing deals. I got the 1 yr same as cash deal.

For a 1/2 acre, 15+ hp, 38" deck and hydrostatic drive would work well. On the Deere, You can pop off a connector down under the hydrostatic pedals.. to alleviate the annoyance of having to stop the blades before reversing. I have a fenced in yard, no kids, etc.. and I watch where I'm going.. so it's not a safety concern for me.

A few years ago, I picked up a Deere 2210 compact utility tractor. My intention was to eventually get a mower deck for it and use it for cutting our two acres. My wife likes the maneuverability and ease of use of the LT155 so we decided to keep both and just use the 2210 for front end loader jobs.

Thanks my 2 cents...

I just had my 16 year old JD LX176 serviced by the dealer (had surgery, couldn't do my own this year). When the service manager picked it up, I commenyed that I had seen the new shiny ones at Lowe's. He told me mine was better than amy of the ones JD sold at Lowe's. I figure he oughta know....

Fred

It depends on how much $$ you want to spend. You will NOT find the John Deere models sold at Lowes or HomeDepot at any John Deere dealer. And John Deere dealers can NOT do any warranty work on the big box store models. You will also find different (cheaper) engines in the BB store than in the dealer. Dealer may offer B&S, Kohler, or Kawasaki engine. All pressure lubed. BB store only has B&S engines and only the higher priced are pressure lubed.
I would look at Craftsman, Husqvarna, or Poulan. Those are all made by AYP (American Yard Products). These are a great mid priced machine.

depending on how long you plan on having the machine; buy the best you can. You won't regret it. I have a 1993 kubota 1700HT lawn tractor w/ 44" deck. It's built like farm equipment. Kubota engine. And I swear it runs stronger now than when it was new. Other than belts and regular maintanence, I've had to do nothing to it. And my lawn is 2+ acres and hilly.
I'm thinking of getting a Walker only because they have a better cut. But the Kubota is no slouch either.
I bet I would have bought at least two of the BB Store models by now if I had gone that direction

MGHuck said:

The thing I don't like about JD mowers is their "safety" feature which requires that you stop the mower blade before you're allowed to back up.
There are many "tight" places and small areas between shrubs in my half-acre lawn that require shifting into reverse to get into them (and around obstacles).
With the automatic shift mechanism on my Craftsman lawn tractor, its quite easy to back up and get into these tight spots WITHOUT having to stop the mower blades each time I change direction.

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That "safety feature" came about because some yo-yo let his 18 month old son play in the yard while he was mowing and he backed over the child. Then he sued Cub Cadet (MTD) for allowing it to happen, and WON!

By the way I also have 1/2 acre of lawn and use an 2042 18hp hydro 42 inch deck and am happy with it.

Now have a Cub Cadet 3200. Units do year round duty by blowing snow in the winter.

Thanks Carbuilder for this info. I have a friend who has a 3/4 acre lawn, and as she lives new Barrie in Canada (which gets more snow than you have probably ever seen in your life) she will be interested. I've passed the info along to her.

This old thread has me confused. I have a JD LA135 purchased from a dealer. How is it different from one that would be purchased at a box store? Did I get something better?

Can't reverse with the blades engaged? That's news to me as I do it frequently with no modifications.

SandburRanch said:

This old thread has me confused. I have a JD LA135 purchased from a dealer. How is it different from one that would be purchased at a box store? Did I get something better?

Can't reverse with the blades engaged? That's news to me as I do it frequently with no modifications.

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If it has the same model number it will be the same... If it has a different model number it most likely will be different...
Most mowers mow forward and backwards with nothing but a change in direction necessary... Why would anyone even consider buying anything that requires you to do something silly before you can proceed?
Just because the operating system might require me to pat my head while rubbing my stomach dose not necessarily cause me to be careful ... :smile:KennyV

indypower said:

John Deere dealers can NOT do any warranty work on the big box store models.

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I don't want to offend anyone or start a war but this statement that was made about John Deere Dealers not doing warranty work or servicing John Deere mowers purchased from lowes or Home depot is completely false. I have five dealers within 50 miles of my location and all will do warranty work or service any JD mower that is purchased from any BB Store. The statement that they will not or that they are not authorized to do so is a complete fabrication by some one who apparently had a problem with one of the BB Stores. I mite add for those of you that have Cub Cadets that the Cub Cadet Dealers will do the same.

Ric said:

I don't want to offend anyone or start a war but this statement that was made about John Deere Dealers not doing warranty work or servicing John Deere mowers purchased from lowes or Home depot is completely false. I have five dealers within 50 miles of my location and all will service any JD mower that is purchased from any BB Store. The statement that they will not or that they are not authorized to do so is a complete fabrication by some one who apparently had a problem with one of the BB Stores. I mite add for those of you that have Cub Cadets that the Cub Cadet Dealers will do the same.

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That is true:thumbsup: ... there is really no reason they wouldn't/couldn't or shouldn't...
I think it is maybe similar to the early days of automobile service... When there were dozens of 'dealers' in every community and they all were trying to make the "we service what we sell" statement, thinking that it helped sales... It has be demonstrated that type of policy hurts sales... after all the dealer who helps a customer is most likely the one that gets future business... Those that don't will be remembered in the future as not being of help... Basic business principals don't change much. :smile:KennyV

agree with Ric and Kenny both .. As for the guy Suing for running over his kid What the hell ...Its not MTD s fault he backed over his kid ..

I own 3 JD mowers (GT-235, LT-133, GT-85). Will NEVER own another one. With each new mower the operation and maintenance gets worse. I spent over $4k on the newest mower and it is certainly the worst. Plastic cowling has broken and splintered from vibration, parts are extremely expensive, and John Deere has completely refused to stand behind the miserable quality. I would strongly recommend you stay away from JD mowers. I also own a Kubota and its quality and performance has been excellent.

SouthCentral said:

Hi all, new member here. I have a big lawn, about 1/2 acres. Have used an old agway mower with 4 wheel steer. Not sure who made this machine but once you get past the plastic body panels it's been a decent little mower for the price - paid $50 for it at a garage sale. Before that I had a walk behind and will never go back to that.

Looked at the new JD models at Home Depot but I am not completely convinced that they aren't priced up a bit for the name and paint job. There are a lot of other brands out there but I am not sure which direction to go. Was thinking about a JD LA125 or LA145, anything bigger would be over kill imo.

Thanks for any input you can provide.

Click to expand...

WOW I guess I have overkill I mow less than 1/2 acre with 725 Grasshopper with 72 inch deck.

My theory is no point of making a career out of mowing the lawn.

indypower said:

It depends on how much $$ you want to spend. You will NOT find the John Deere models sold at Lowes or HomeDepot at any John Deere dealer. And John Deere dealers can NOT do any warranty work on the big box store models. You will also find different (cheaper) engines in the BB store than in the dealer. Dealer may offer B&S, Kohler, or Kawasaki engine. All pressure lubed. BB store only has B&S engines and only the higher priced are pressure lubed.
I would look at Craftsman, Husqvarna, or Poulan. Those are all made by AYP (American Yard Products). These are a great mid priced machine.

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THE John DEERE dealers here in winston salem nc sell and service the same products the big box stores have. the big box type jdeeres are made by john deere here in north carolina a local dealer told me!!!

hoehappa said:

THE John DEERE dealers here in winston Salem nc sell and service the same products the big box stores have. the big box type Deere's are made by john deere here in north carolina a local dealer told me!!!

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This is true all over the country if it has the same model number it will be the same and the John Deere dealer WILL SERVICE IT.

My local JD dealer has the same thing as what you find at Lowe's but they will tell you they only last 6 or 7 years they were made to compete with the lower price mowers.

JD wanted to get in on some of the low end sales can't blame them for wanting to sell more mowers but it hurt their reputation because a lot of people are dumb enough to think that they got the same JD as what cost 3 times as much.

When they discover it was not they blame JD rather than their own ignorance.
JD can not build a $1995.00 mower that will be much different than another manufacture.

The old saying is true you get what you pay for .
Their is an old saying it goes like this.

IF YOU WANT CLEAN FRESH OATS YOU MUST PAY A FAIR PRICE

IF YOU CAN BE SATISFIED WITH THEM AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE HORSE THEN THAT WILL BE CHEAPER.


All new tractors have the safety device on them Federal Law it requires you use both hands to back up so you can not hold a child while mowing.

ZTR is excempt because you need both hands to run them.

The 2010 Simplicity Conquest I just bought as a new leftover has a safety key that you just have to turn once after you engage the blades which allows you to mow in reverse. I think the 2011 models are the same. My dad's box store Deere (L120 I think) has a button you have to push every time you want to go in reverse. You don't have to hold it down but you still have to remember to push it every single time which is very annoying. I can live with my Simplicity's key, turn it once when you engage and you're good to go until you disengage the blades. I don't know what the new JDs have or if that crappy button was just on the cheaper box store models. BTW, his JD has been to the shop 2-3 times in 4 years or so as well as me having to tinker with it once or twice, not great quality but it was cheap and it's green if you must have a green mower.

Since this is an old thread I'm assuming the op has bought his new mower by now but anyone looking for a good mower without breaking the bank but wants to go a little better than the box stores should check out the Simplicity models. The larger Simplicity models like the biggest Broadmoor, Conquest, Prestige and Legacy are expensive but the Regent is reasonable at $2,300 - $3,300 and is a great mower if all you need to do is mow and want the best cut around, including striping rollers. Even the smaller of the Broadmoors is $3,600 and is a heavy duty lawn tratcor (but it doesn't have the Vanguard motor like the bigger two Broadmoors and 2010 Conquests do).

The Husqvarna has the key switch that allows you to mow in reverse. You set it once at the beginning of the mowing event and you can cut in reverse without touching anything else. I chose the Husq for the price, but I did not get it from the BB store I got it at a local dealer. If you go with the Husq get the one of the units with LS in the model number they all have beefed up decks and better engines. The list on my machine was around $3,300, I haven't had it long but so far it seems to be working out well. A few more hours and I'll do an evaluation for the forum. Good luck on the purchas.

I mow 2.5 acres with a craftsman 24hp and a 54" deck that I bought new 2 years ago. It wasn't my first choice but I love it. They 'tight turn' feature is awesome, it turns in a 6" radius. It mows in reverse, the engine is solid, and it was way less money than my first choice.

Mr Manouche said:

I mow 2.5 acres with a craftsman 24hp and a 54" deck that I bought new 2 years ago. It wasn't my first choice but I love it. They 'tight turn' feature is awesome, it turns in a 6" radius. It mows in reverse, the engine is solid, and it was way less money than my first choice.

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I hope you realize that you just bumped a 6 year old thread. You may not get a lot of replies.

SouthCentral said:

Hi all, new member here. I have a big lawn, about 1/2 acres. Have used an old agway mower with 4 wheel steer. Not sure who made this machine but once you get past the plastic body panels it's been a decent little mower for the price - paid $50 for it at a garage sale. Before that I had a walk behind and will never go back to that.

Looked at the new JD models at Home Depot but I am not completely convinced that they aren't priced up a bit for the name and paint job. There are a lot of other brands out there but I am not sure which direction to go. Was thinking about a JD LA125 or LA145, anything bigger would be over kill imo.

Thanks for any input you can provide.

Click to expand...

If you want to go for a riding mower. then Husqvarna LGT2654 26 HP Hydro Light Garden Tractor, 54-Inch is a really good choice for your lawn. You may also like to check Poulan Pro PB23H48YT 48-Inch 23 HP Briggs and Stratton V-Twin Riding Lawn Tractor, if you are in a tight budget. Happy Mowing...

Information source: Best Garden Tractor for 2016

In the green strip at the top of the post written in white letters is the date the post was made.
We all appreciate your input but the OP has probably sold his 1/2 acre and moved on to a 50 acre ranch by now :laughing:

And where my manners ?
:welcome:

Bringing up a old post is ok.
It brings it back to the top. And most have some good information in the comments.
A lot of people come on here and research and never make a post.