Newbie Looking for a Riding Mower

[jspctr5]

Look for whatever brand is best supported by a dealer in your area. There is no substitute for first hand parts and service. Avoid the big box stores, no service and no parts. :smile:

 

[Fritzy]

If you want to look forward to cutting the grass; get yourself a Kubota 3030 Cab with a mid mount mower, these tractors have Air, Heat and a Radio if you want. I have 2 acres and we cut other lots for people, I really enjoy cutting the grass. :smile: I had to use the 20hp Scott mower last week because my son had the trailer, I won't do that again, it's hot out in the sun.:laughing:. Kubota all the way.

 

[Semiretired]

You don't mention how steep the ditch is or how long. If you get a yard tractor you're not going to be happy when you try to mow that ditch if it's very steep at all. A good size(60"-72") commercial zero turn with lug tires would be the way to go. They have a nice wide wheel stance and enough weight to keep them glued to the ground. And by buying a commercial grade you'll be able to replace or repair parts more easily. homeowner grade equipment just isn't going to stand up to 6 acres of mowing like a commercial mower will. They are also, as a general rule, not usually made for you to easily work on, which means it'll cost you more for repairs at a shop.If you can find a used Scag STHM like I use you'll have a mower that you'll never have to worry about rolling over, has plenty of power, and can easily be worked on yourself. I replaced the turf tires on mine with atv tires and it will go anywhere I want it to go. If you search around on ebay and craigslit you'll find used ones for sale. One more thing I should mention is how a zero will shorten your mowing time. I talked my neighbor into buying one a few years ago and he just couldn't believe how much time it saved him.

 

[parapower]

do not buy a cub cadet if it breaks u will wait up to 6 weekks or more for parts as they sold out to overseas. parts are hard to get and expensive.

i ownn 14 1/2 acres i mow over 7 weekly i use my woods zero turn. it is the quickest to mow with.
i also have a 5 foot 3 pint hitch mower but use it very rare.

i would uggest u purchase the new badboy zero turn with a 26 or 27 hp kohlor engine. briggs & stratton is a ggod engine but do not get one with the vanguard model. that engine is very hard to get parts for also.

i would also suggest the deck to be at least 50 inches or larger.

when u look for the best mower look at the deck as it is first to go bad. the bad doy mover and woods both have thick welded decks. cub cadet and some others are just tin. junk.

 

[Ric]

do not buy a cub cadet if it breaks u will wait up to 6 weekks or more for parts as they sold out to overseas. parts are hard to get and expensive.

when u look for the best mower look at the deck as it is first to go bad. the bad doy mover and woods both have thick welded decks. cub cadet and some others are just tin. junk.

As far as parts for the Cub Cadet goes as I said before I own three and any type of parts I've needed I've been able to get in a day. As far as that goes the only Part I've ever needed for any of my Cub Cadets was a stator and got it taken care of the same day it went bad and as far as being expensive any parts for most any mower will not be cheap.

You can also buy any of the CC zero turns or walk behind mowers with a welded or fabricated decks as you can with most mowers, and as far as there stamped decks being tin and Junk I would definitely disagree.
I've run stamped decks on a number of different mowers over the years and the only deck that I've ever replaced has been on a John Deere mower which I mite add I'll never own again.

 

[RobertBrown]

I need help choosing a riding mower. How many HP? What engine make? Who's got the best mower?

I need help? :confused2:

Thanks.

It's more a question of how much money do you want to spend and how much time do you want to spend mowing. Since you live in Canada and you already have a tractor that you don't want to use for the lawn, I'm assuming that cost is not a big concern. Seems to me living that far north a mower is going to sit for half the year or more, so i would think about a diesel. Thinking about a diesel.... you may want to consider the make of the tractor and see if the manufacturer has a mower. Kubota is always a good choice especially if you have a Kubota tractor and have to visit the dealer anyway. John Deere is another. A zero turm radius mower is the fastest way to get the grass low. But there are higher operating/ mainenence cast as this is a hydraulic or hydrostatic system.
You can get enough mower at any home improvement center for 6 acres that is currently 10-20% grass, that's not alot of lawn especailly in Canada. That's only a little more than an acre so you could easily get away with 12 to 18 HP. I think any mower with a briggs or kohler motor will be fine. Just make sure there is an outlet near you where you can get belts and filters. Remember these gas engines are going to have problems if they are not properly stored during the winter months and poor maintenence will shorten the service life.