I'm in the market for a lawn tractor (retiring the push mower), but am not quite sure how much tractor I need and know that one of the deciding factors will be how hilly my property is. The whole front yard gradually slopes upward to the house, either side are basically flat, and the back has one steep part (measuring 15 degrees for a few feet). Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here are some photos of my property from a year or two ago:
Backyard slope:
There's approximately 1/2 an acre of Bermuda that needs to be cut almost every week from April through October. My neighbor's riding mower can knock it out in around half an hour, so that should give you an idea of how many operating hours my new tractor will see each year. His mower did kind of bog down on the steep hill in the backyard, and you have to scoot your butt in the seat a few times to get tractor rocking enough to get over the hill (I don't think he has a K46 though, it's an older Bolens).
Anyway, does this property look like it will bog down or kill a K26 transmission over time (assuming your typical 500-lbs lawn tractor + 200-lbs driver)? I would also like to use a spreader, plug aerator, and tow a utility cart around (with dirt, mulch, fertilizer, wood, bricks, rocks, etc.). Does that mean I really need a beefier transmission, like a K58? I'd like to get at least 8-10 years out of the tractor, and I don't think the light duty T40J transmissions will last very long on these kinds of hills, and I'd hate to take a chance on a K46 if I'm kidding myself and should really be getting something more heavy duty. I just don't know how my hills compare to everybody else's. Is this perfectly within the design limits and operating range of a K46? Or on the outside envelope and I should probably step up to something stronger? Thanks guys (and gals)!
Backyard slope:
There's approximately 1/2 an acre of Bermuda that needs to be cut almost every week from April through October. My neighbor's riding mower can knock it out in around half an hour, so that should give you an idea of how many operating hours my new tractor will see each year. His mower did kind of bog down on the steep hill in the backyard, and you have to scoot your butt in the seat a few times to get tractor rocking enough to get over the hill (I don't think he has a K46 though, it's an older Bolens).
Anyway, does this property look like it will bog down or kill a K26 transmission over time (assuming your typical 500-lbs lawn tractor + 200-lbs driver)? I would also like to use a spreader, plug aerator, and tow a utility cart around (with dirt, mulch, fertilizer, wood, bricks, rocks, etc.). Does that mean I really need a beefier transmission, like a K58? I'd like to get at least 8-10 years out of the tractor, and I don't think the light duty T40J transmissions will last very long on these kinds of hills, and I'd hate to take a chance on a K46 if I'm kidding myself and should really be getting something more heavy duty. I just don't know how my hills compare to everybody else's. Is this perfectly within the design limits and operating range of a K46? Or on the outside envelope and I should probably step up to something stronger? Thanks guys (and gals)!
