Riding Mowers GDG

[Karen McCullah]

Hey all!

Got any good opinions/advice on buying a riding mower? We've been looking at them awhile and just heard that the ones you can get at Lowe's or Home Depot are cheaper versions of a good thing.

Any suggestions?? Certain brand favorites? How long have you had yours and how well does it run??

Thanks for any help!!

[EdA]

Hey all!

Got any good opinions/advice on buying a riding mower? We've been looking at them awhile and just heard that the ones you can get at Lowe's or Home Depot are cheaper versions of a good thing.

Any suggestions?? Certain brand favorites? How long have you had yours and how well does it run??

Thanks for any help!!

Scag or Kubota zero turn radius lowers are the ones most use by commercial mowers

[windycanyon]

I have a John Deere lawn and garden tractor (the real thing, US made) that is ~30 yrs old now I bet. I've had it for at least 19 yrs! It was bought it thru the local tractor dealer 2nd hand from a church that also had a large lawn, so it had been well cared for. Was told the ones at Lowes/home depot are made in Korea. Go to a tractor dealer if you have one near you. Mine also has an annual tune up/ blade sharpening/ belt etc package and they pick up for $10 (used to be free!), etc. Anne

[duk4me]

Hey all!

Got any good opinions/advice on buying a riding mower? We've been looking at them awhile and just heard that the ones you can get at Lowe's or Home Depot are cheaper versions of a good thing.

Any suggestions?? Certain brand favorites? How long have you had yours and how well does it run??

Thanks for any help!!

How big a space are you needing to mow? I have a small yard and I have a Husquavarna that I paid around 1600 four yrs ago. Only trouble I have had is running over bumpers.

The zero turns can cost 8 to 10k or did the last time I looked. For $10,000 you can hire it done a bunch of times and spend the time saved playing with dogs.

tim

[labman52738]

I have a Kubota that I really like. It mows very nicely, and since I got this, I've gotten rid of the push mower that I used to trim with. Although not a zero turning radius mower, it does turn very tightly and the foot operated hydro transmission is great.

[DL]

We have a Great Dane zero turn radius mower. I love to cut grass with it, but I am not the mechanic. It is fast and will cut grass at what seems like 15 to 20 miles per hour. I was just told that the company is owned by John Deere.

On a scale of 1 to 10, the person who focuses more on fixing it when it is acting funning rates it a six. In the first year, the fuel filter got clogged, and it has a oil leak. You have to know how to cut if off to keep it from dieseling. From a grass cutting perspective it is awesome.

[Jacob Hawkes]

If you can afford it, get a Scag.

[Greg Seddon]

I purchased an Exmark Zero turn two years ago, great cut, and cut my mow time a lot. Exmark is the most used zero turn up here in my area of MI. I had considered a regular riding mower, but I was looking for great cut with a lot of speed, since I would get home after training at night and only have short window of light left to mow. I also love the zero turn in the fall for mulching up the tree leafs. I would only purchase a zero or riding lawn mower from a reputable private dealer that can also service it and not the big box store.

This is the model I have in a 48" cutting deck
http://www.exmark.com/LazerZ.htm

This model from Exmark http://www.exmark.com/Quest.htm is what a few of my nieghbors have and does a great job as well for less money

Here is a good site to look http://www.lawnsite.com/forumdisplay...aysprune=&f=58

[MikeBoley]

you cant drink a beer and operate a zero turn. Nothing runs like a deere.

[Kristie Wilder]

Hey Karen,

I think you are 100% correct on the Lowe's/HD models being cheap versions of the real thing.

We bought a new mower last year. A John Deere Z445. It's a 54" residential zero turn. You've seen our place; we have lots of terrain, trees, fence...

With a regular mower, it would take FOREVER to mow out here with all the twists and turns. I had never mowed before we got this mower and I LOVE mowing with it. We had used a lawn service before, but I cut it out of the budget and bought the mower... It's been SUPER.

We tried LOTS of mowers and many of them were great. We went with JD because we had a client who worked out a deal for us. The mower we got retails for about $4,800. At HD, they have a version that is about $1000 less, but it has a briggs and stratton motor instead of a kawasaki. I think it's also a little less horsepower. The wheels are smaller and you can tell just by looking at it that it's not as well built as the one we got. When I first saw the HD version, I panicked that we had overspent. Then we looked at it more closely...

There are several less expensive, but high quality good mowers in zero turns... Dixie Chopper is one we looked at. And then Bobcat (THE bobcat) has a line of mowers now. We tested a huge bobcat that was awesome and well-priced. Appeared to be very well built.

We also rode and exmark that was really nice.

Scags and great dane are some of the best as others have mentioned. They are more expensive, but will last forever from what I understand...

I would highly recommend a zero turn if it's in your budget. They're fun and fast... Our place may not look like too much, but it's about a six hour mowing project even on a zero turn. It's about double that on a regular mower from what I remember and I just don't want to waste that time...

Oh, also... Many dealerships will let you take one home for a day or two to try. That's what we did... It really gave us a great feel for the mowers.

And finally, if you get a JD like we did, get a grass blowback kit or you'll be covered up in dirt and grass when you're done. I'm not sure why they don't just include it. It's a $40 accessory that bolts to the front of the mower to prevent all the crap from blowing back on you... That was our one complaint.

-K