Hi guys. I'm new to the site, but have heard great things! I'm looking to buy a riding mower for my half acre lawn. My budget is $1500, so I certainly realize that I won't be able to get a top of the line mower! Still, I should be able to find something reliable, and reliability is my number one most important need in a mower. I've researched so many mowers now and talked to people at Lowes, HD, Sears, etc. that I'm just really confused. I've heard that both Cub Cadet and Craftsman mowers in my price range have serious issues, and that with JD's you're paying extra for the name and not necessarily quality. I've been leaning toward Ariens or Husqvarna simply because I haven't heard anything bad about them yet...hardly scientific! I would imagine I'd have to buy from a dealer though if I have no way of being able to bring the mower in for service, correct? Anyway, could really use some advice. Thanks!
Riding Mower Advice With $1500 Budget
- Thread starter JayPSU
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jimrs
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If your yard is like most folks, you have shrubs, flower beds, trees, and other obstructions. So first you need to decide what size cut your going to need. In my case 42" as that is the biggest size that would fit into the doorway of my storage house. So you could be in the 30 inch ranges. If its a flat regular lawn then all the better. I would not go to a big box store but to a regular dealer and don't rule out anything until you actually talk to them. They might be able to save you some money, and make sure you get the right tool for the right job.
Hi and welcome to the forum Jay.
One thing to remember, whatever product you are looking at, there will be people to complain about it and say how bad it is. Many times without even ever owning one:laughing:
You usually hear a lot more negatives out of people than positive. Unsatisfied people tell about 10 times more people their tale of woe than happy people.
This is especially true when it come to Tractors and lawn mowers. Some very passionate (to put it mildly) opinions, some based on fact, some based on hearsay and some in between.
As suggested above, there are many factors to consider beyond just the price. First determine what size mowing deck you can use and then what other features are important to you.
Find all the candidates that meet those needs and then narrow it down from there. Then go and sit on the ones you are interested in and see if you are comfortable. I think a lot of other people overlook this. Its no fun spending a few hours a week in a penalty box of a tractor seat.
Then you can start looking at brands. I am sure that you will hear that Sears product suck, MTD products suck, the lower end Deere products suck. Everything that cost less than $3500 sucks. OK we get it:laughing:
I will bet half the people in my subdivision have Sears tractors and they seem to work just fine. Many of them are pretty old. I can say that the girl that lives next to me has a sub- $1000 Sears model that is at least 8 years old and she beats the crap out of it. The only maintenance it gets is when I go over and check the oil. I pulled the air filter one year and I was shocked the thing would even run. So they all can't be bad.
And if MTD stuff was as bad as some say, do you really think the company would still be in business? Yes, they all have their issues but given a reasonable amount of care and maintenance will do fine cutting your 1/2 acre yard for many years to come.
I had an MTD 18/46 from the 90's and its still running strong, I sold it about 5 years ago. My Dad has a Sears cheapie that he bought in 1993/4 and its still doing a great job for him.
If you don't abuse them and take care of them they do last. Are they like the Deere 316 that I had in the late 70's? Not even close but that is a different beast.
Just this spring I was looking for a sub $2000 machine and after doing tons of research and visits to anyone that sells tractors within 25 miles of me I picked a Cub Cadet LTX 1042 KW @$1700. It has a Kawasaki V Twin along with a bunch of other features that ticked the boxes on my list.
So far its been fantastic. As a grass cutter and an occasional dump cart puller its fine. If i was looking to put a tiller on the back I would have bought a more suitable machine.
Go to a dealer and just don't talk to the salesman, talk to the mechanics in the back. As them what they are seeing. I would trust them before I would some guy at Lowes.
Good luck with your search and let us know what you decide. Sorry this got so long:confused2:
BTW I am in Ohio as well (NEO)
One thing to remember, whatever product you are looking at, there will be people to complain about it and say how bad it is. Many times without even ever owning one:laughing:
You usually hear a lot more negatives out of people than positive. Unsatisfied people tell about 10 times more people their tale of woe than happy people.
This is especially true when it come to Tractors and lawn mowers. Some very passionate (to put it mildly) opinions, some based on fact, some based on hearsay and some in between.
As suggested above, there are many factors to consider beyond just the price. First determine what size mowing deck you can use and then what other features are important to you.
Find all the candidates that meet those needs and then narrow it down from there. Then go and sit on the ones you are interested in and see if you are comfortable. I think a lot of other people overlook this. Its no fun spending a few hours a week in a penalty box of a tractor seat.
Then you can start looking at brands. I am sure that you will hear that Sears product suck, MTD products suck, the lower end Deere products suck. Everything that cost less than $3500 sucks. OK we get it:laughing:
I will bet half the people in my subdivision have Sears tractors and they seem to work just fine. Many of them are pretty old. I can say that the girl that lives next to me has a sub- $1000 Sears model that is at least 8 years old and she beats the crap out of it. The only maintenance it gets is when I go over and check the oil. I pulled the air filter one year and I was shocked the thing would even run. So they all can't be bad.
And if MTD stuff was as bad as some say, do you really think the company would still be in business? Yes, they all have their issues but given a reasonable amount of care and maintenance will do fine cutting your 1/2 acre yard for many years to come.
I had an MTD 18/46 from the 90's and its still running strong, I sold it about 5 years ago. My Dad has a Sears cheapie that he bought in 1993/4 and its still doing a great job for him.
If you don't abuse them and take care of them they do last. Are they like the Deere 316 that I had in the late 70's? Not even close but that is a different beast.
Just this spring I was looking for a sub $2000 machine and after doing tons of research and visits to anyone that sells tractors within 25 miles of me I picked a Cub Cadet LTX 1042 KW @$1700. It has a Kawasaki V Twin along with a bunch of other features that ticked the boxes on my list.
So far its been fantastic. As a grass cutter and an occasional dump cart puller its fine. If i was looking to put a tiller on the back I would have bought a more suitable machine.
Go to a dealer and just don't talk to the salesman, talk to the mechanics in the back. As them what they are seeing. I would trust them before I would some guy at Lowes.
Good luck with your search and let us know what you decide. Sorry this got so long:confused2:
BTW I am in Ohio as well (NEO)
Don't know what type of rider you are looking for, but your options are wide open. There are plenty of new low-end riders under $1,500 that are in that 42" range. While they are not built like a tank, they will last many, many years with proper maintenance. If you are open to a used unit, you can step up to a much better built unit that is 5 to 10 years old for the same money. Now, if you want a tank of a mower and don't care what it looks like, get a Snapper rear engine rider. I hate them since I spent most of my childhood on one, but that thing ran for more years than I can remember. I was roughly 10 when dad bought it new. Dad sold it to a neighbor when I got married at 24, and that neighbor used it for at least another 5 to 10 years.
Carscw
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I have a new cub cadet ltx 1040
Have had it now for 3 months
I cut over 50 bank owned homes a week with.
If you listen to some on here they will say a cub cadet or other brands will not got 50 yards in life of the mower.
I work this mower hard.
Craftsman have a couple mowers in your price range. They are good mowers.
There are a lot of good mowers out there for around $1500 only one I would stay away from would be the John Deere
(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))
Have had it now for 3 months
I cut over 50 bank owned homes a week with.
If you listen to some on here they will say a cub cadet or other brands will not got 50 yards in life of the mower.
I work this mower hard.
Craftsman have a couple mowers in your price range. They are good mowers.
There are a lot of good mowers out there for around $1500 only one I would stay away from would be the John Deere
(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))
Thanks for all the help and advice guys. A neighbor of mine who works at the Home Depot part time during his retirement years offered me a great deal on a Cub Cadet LTX 1040 that was a return from a customer who wanted to get a different mower. He said I can get it for $900 plus tax. The worst reviews I saw were for this mower,but at that price and with some of you saying the Cadet isn't as described by others, I'm thinking long and hard. He can hold it for me today, but then tomorrow it has to go out on the floor. What do you guys think?
I always thought of Cub Cadet as the high end of the MTD lines myself. I see a lot of people out there using them here in North Carolina where I live. I think a mower only lasts as well as the person who owns it takes care of it. Another words change the oil, filter, Spark plug,and other stuff when the manual calls for it you should be fine. Most mower problems That I know of come from people leaving gas in their engine over the winter and letting it go bad which gives them problems the next mowing season. Another problem I see is people just leave their machines out in the rain and elements to rust. With a little care that mower should be fine! Good luck! Oh by the way there is a guy who does a review of that mower I think on youtube. again good luck
For me, I would not hesitate on that deal. Go check it out and see if it will work for you.
One thing to keep in mind with a tractor such as the Cub 1040, its an entry level machine and that means a lot of entry level buyers. Sometimes the reviews can be skewed by the owners and not so much the tractor.
Take care of it, follow the owners manual maintenance schedule (I would surpass it) and you should get many years of good service.
One thing to keep in mind with a tractor such as the Cub 1040, its an entry level machine and that means a lot of entry level buyers. Sometimes the reviews can be skewed by the owners and not so much the tractor.
Take care of it, follow the owners manual maintenance schedule (I would surpass it) and you should get many years of good service.