Would you buy the same mower again?

[PLB82]

Craftsman T150, 19 hp, 46" cut: I would never buy this mower again: Have had it for a year now: And have had nothing but trouble out of it: And very little help through Tech Support: Previously owned a John Deere and a Husquavarna: Both 42" cut: And were fine mowers: And tech support was helpful when needed:

 

[cwolsborn]

I had a 21 inch Honda with aluminum deck and hydro-static drive. It lasted 25 years. When we moved I had a small front yard so I replaced it with a Craftsman from Lowe's. I use Craftsman hand tools, but the mower was a big mistake. It didn't work properly out of the box, so I returned it. Went back to my friends at Moen Machinery, Gresham Oregon, and bought a new Honda similar to my old one. Paid more but got a mower that will last many years rather than a couple of seasons.

 

[northcreeek262]

I mow 2.5 acres with a Jacobsen 72" TurfCat 628D. It has 4 wheel drive and is powered by a Kubota diesel . It has been awesome for my rough uneven lawn that is often wet in spots. This was a major upgrade from my International 184 Loboy tractor with Woods 60" belly mower.

 

[Thin & Crispy]

Have a Husqvarna 48" zero-turn , fab deck . Had almost 9 years , cutting 2 ac. at lease once a week , here in fl. Still runs like new , as long as you keep up with maintaining , grease fitting , oil , air filter , blade ( here in fl. because in the sandy soil , they wear out sooner , and keep them sharp ) . So yes I would buy another one , Had riding mowers , this Zero Turn makes mowing fun and a lot lease time , All be safe and wash them HANDS .

Is your model number Z248F? It's what I have. I wish I could have bought a Z254F with a 54" deck but it didn't become available until 2016. I bought my Z2348F in 2015.

 

[Clay1969]

We just picked up an Ariens Apex zero turn and love it. It's only got about 4 hours on it but so far it's doing a lot better on our property than the Dixon Kodiak ztr (2008 model) we got rid of. As for regular riders, I would much rather have a 1970's to 1980's straight axle gear tractor than any of the pos throwaway hydro weakling mowers produced today.

 

[Thin & Crispy]

I have a Husqvarna Z248F zero turn mower with a 48" fabricated deck. When I bought this mower, I really wanted a 54" deck but the 48" was the biggest available. I figured if they ever decided to offer this mower with a 54" deck, they'd probably call it a Z254F. Well, the year after I bought the 48" mower, they did come out with the Z254F mower. If I could have bought the 54" mower, the rear wheels would not contact shrubbery and trees when I make tight turns around them; and the wheels would not run over the mulch around trees when I make tight turns around it. Bottom line is: the extra 3" of cutting width would make a big difference and I would be much happier with my mower if I could keep the wheels three more inches away from stuff I'm mowing around. Don't buy the Z248F. Buy the Z254F.

 

[jefferis]

I have 2 mowers I would not buy again. The first is a self propelled Subaru electric start EA 175v I love the mower but can't get parts for it. Subaru has abandoned small engines. The second is a Troy Built zero turn I bought from Lowes for about $2k. I've had trouble since less than 25 hours on it with slippage in steering controls.

 

[TXWhirlyBird]

My first riding lawn mower was purchased in 2008, and I got a Cub Cadet LT1045. I still have it 12 years later and it has around 200 hours on it. I really like the machine and the way it cuts, etc... but if I could purchase a great zero-turn mower with a 60-inch deck with mulching blades... I think I'd be in heaven. I've driven my mother-in-law's zero turn and it took some getting used to but before too long I had pretty good control over it.

 

[nealinhudson]

I owned a 61" Turf Tiger for 17 years and had almost zero problems with it. The only replacement parts were deck spindles, and obviously blades and front tires. I used it to mow about 3-4 acres of fairly rough and often dusty "lawn" in TX. Moved to WI, to a smaller acreage so left the TT behind, and replaced it with a JD 48" Z355R zero turn. By comparison, it is somewhat flimsy and a lightweight, but I understand it is a consumer model whereas the Skag is a commercial mower, costing 4X as much. However, in the first 20 hours, I had 3 warranty items that needed attention; since then it has been OK. The other thing that really irritates me is that there is a front lift arm that squeaks constantly. The manual even acknowledges that this will happen and advises lubrication to "prevent or minimize" squeaking. Fer cryin' out loud, JD engineers couldn't figure out a simple way to prevent this with teflon fittings, for example?? Shameful. Also, below 50 degrees it is difficult to start, and the service center can't do anything about it, says they are all like that. (I REALLY have never liked Briggs engines.) Using 91 octane non-corn-juice gas, by the way.

No, would not buy a JD consumer model again.

 

[OrtisEvans]

I keep equipment for a long time, so my experience is not current, but I'll share it anyway.

I have a 25 yo John Deere 316 with an Onan engine. It has been good except for:
-poor quality safety interlock switches. I had to bypass them all to keep it working
-Starter engagement problems. Twice, the starter gear and the flywheel ring gear have chewed each other up and had to be replaced
The engine and drive train have held up well. Squirrels have chewed through the plastic gas tank a couple of times, so I am not a fan of plastic tanks.

I also have a ~20 yo Kubota 2100 HSD with a five foot deck. It has been nearly trouble-free.

Finally, I have a 1954 Ford NAA with a six-foot deck. It had been neglected, and I had to do some work on it, but it has been quite reliable.