Mower path

rajon

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Mar 26, 2012
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Hello,

I am new around here. I have found myself in a new home with a new yard that is a great deal larger than my old yard. By comparison it is a postage stamp compared to many of yours but it is relatively large for the area in which I live. I mow 17,600 sq-ft (roughly 80% of a half acre lot).

I had a lawn service last year that the previous owner included. He of course scalped my yard quite effectively in around 15 minutes on what looked like a Scag zero turn (hard to tell as he was going about mach 2) but that is irrelevant.

I made the first cut with my capable 11 year old Craftsman that I picked up for $103 in the clearance section in 2003. It is running a little rough but I managed to bag my whole lawn in about 3.5 hours without much drama.

With that said my wonderful wife believes that 3.5 hours communing with my lawn is far too much "work" - I may or may not have explained that I won't bag every week. Anyway my neighbors to the East and West have riding mowers so she has it in her head that our little half acre plot that has a house and numerous trees and things scattered about is of sufficient size to necessitate a riding mower (never mind the fact that the aforementioned neighbors are both in their 60s, one has one leg and one is legally blind - I am 33). So anyway the purchase of a lawn and garden tractor (although in my mind is not necessary for maintaining the height of the lawn, might be useful for other tasks about the house) has been approved.

What is the collective wisdom of the site? Am I silly to even consider anything but a walk behind. I would like something with a blade clutch for sure (letting go of the bale and having to restart the mower is annoying and seems unsafe) and would just like to be able to cut fast if necessary and neatly and precisely for the usual mode. My favorite dealer stocks Toro and Honda and those seem to be the top walk behind brands and a number of tractors. Zero turn seems too much money for a single task device so that is why I am leaving it out of the discussion.

Opinions on mowing 1/2 acre? Walk it or ride it? How do would you go fast?
 

poloman

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Apr 1, 2012
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I have always had tractor style mowers in the past. All I would think about while mowing was what a pain it was getting around the obstacles. I would strongly suggest a zero turn mower. I found a well cared for used Adorns that us in great shape. If you need to pull things around you are stuck with a tractor. I own a mid sized tractor so I have this angle covered...
 

midnite rider

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Nov 25, 2011
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Get a rider with a bagger and use a weedwacker in the small areas you miss with the rider. You won't go back after being able to have your yard done in less than an hour. :laughing:
 

Parkmower

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Jun 7, 2011
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I'd look at a wide area walk behind. 32"-36".
 

Two-Stroke

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May 7, 2010
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I'll cast my vote for a walk-behind. Exercise is good for you. :thumbsup:

I mow a lot more than 1/2 acre just about every weekend and I really enjoy it and feel the benefit from the workout I get.

For a long time I had only a small lot in the city to mow and did fine with a four-stroke Jacobsen push mower. When I got my place in the sticks three years ago, I acquired a very challenging mowing situation -- lots of grass and most of it on sloped terrain that would be risky if not impossible on a rider.

A big walk-behind would probably be the fastest way to mow your lawn. Most of the pros in my area seem to use those. I personally like two-stroke push mowers the best for their ability to survive on steep terrain.
 

rajon

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Mar 26, 2012
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I have more or less set my heart on a Toro 21" class mower. (Love the idea of a wide one) I mulched my yard yesterday and even with the difficulties of my now dead craftsman (RIP - I could fix it but convinced my wife/CFO that it wasn't worth it) and managed to complete the yard (in the non ideal linear direction) in around 1.5 hours.

There is a certain peace and serenity associated with following a mower around my yard for an hour and a half.

Honestly I could research the crap out of mowers (I am an engineer, that is what I do) but in the end I will go to my favorite dealer, he will tell me what I need after I tell him what I want I will buy it and be happy.

I never remember having had to cut my lawn twice in March before.
 

jkatsuya007

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Apr 4, 2012
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Yes There is a certain way you have to mow your own lawn and every lawn is different.
 
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