Looking for advice on purchasing a riding mower

[rossfrank]

I mow approx 1/2 acre on an old Bolens 17 hp mower. I do have some inclines that I have to mow. It is headed for the scrap yard. I've been looking at a zero turn Cub Cadet Ultima 42" 21.5HP.
I would appreciate any advice or suggestions you may have. Is zero turn the way to go? Any brand you may feel is better or even if cub cadet is no good.
Thanks, Ross

 

[GearHead36]

What kind of mower is the Bolens? Zero turn? Lawn tractor? How well does it handle the inclines? Do you need better slope-handling, or does the Bolens work fine on the inclines? If you need better slope handling, you should consider a steering wheel zero turn, which locks you into Cub Cadet. Otherwise... Cub Cadets are no better or worse than any other MTD product (Craftsman, Troy-Bilt, etc), but there ARE better mowers out there. As for "Is zero turn the way to go?"... that depends on your needs. ZTRs are very good at handling obstacles. If you have a wide open yard with no obstacles, then a ZTR is overkill. Typical ZTRs (with lap bars instead of a steering wheel) don't do well on slopes. Lawn tractors are better than ZTRs on slopes. My yard has obstacles and slopes, so I got a steering wheel ZTR.

 

[Craftsman Garage]

Get a craftsman riding mower for those slopes