Advice on what to buy...

[Castle]

Hi everyone, I recently moved to a new house that has a little more than 1/2 acre of lawn to mow that is relatively flat but I also have a good sized circle driveway that I'll need to keep clear of snow in the winter. I live near Montreal and we get quite a bit of the white stuff up here! I'm looking for a machine that will be able to handle these tasks well and last for several years without continuous repairs.

I can get a used 2006 JD 190c with a 54" deck and less than 200 hours and a 2009 44" snowblower with chains and weights for less than 3k. However, I have heard/read some negative things about the 100 series and also about the V-twin Briggs motor. What are your opinions/suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[Speedfreak]

How about a $3K grasshopper and a snow blade for that. We don't get that much snow down here but there are grass hoppers everywhere pushing snow on the lots. But that is an over kill for 1/2 acre unless you get one of the 54 inch units with commercial wheel pumps.

Or a really nice push mower and a really nice blower.

 

[Castle]

Thanks for the reply, I know I don't need anything that big just for the lawn, but the snow is more of an issue. We often get snowfalls of 10-18 inches at a time which won't melt until March/April. That means that it accumulates for a few months, and the snowbanks beside the drive way will easily be 6 feet high or higher. A couple of years ago I measured the pile of snow in my front yard and it was just under 12 feet high, my neighbor's snowblower couldn't even throw it high enough to get it on top of the pile anymore!. A snow blade just won't work for the snow we get up here, snow needs to be piled, not just pushed.

I don't want to spend 3 hours clearing snow every time we get a snowfall so I'd rather buy some equipment that will make the task easier/faster for me to do myself, instead of paying for a contractor to come and do it for me. And if I am buying something for the snow removal I might as well buy something that will make the mowing go faster too.

 

[jenkinsph]

Most of the issues on the lower end riders stems from the K46 transaxle. The K62 is similar in abilities to the K58 tranaxle and was the prior model. I think you would be OK with the setup you posted about.

 

[z0lt3c]

With that kind of budget, I would look for an older JD 400 series tractor with the shaft driven front PTO, or a GT model like, a GT275, if you are more comfortable with something newer. Although the 190c will be fine for your mowing work, I would be concerned with it's ability to handle the snowfall you describe. In addition, the box store/LT models simply don't hold their value like the older GT's will. If you ever decide to sell that 190c, you will take a beating, where as the 400's or GT's should hold their value at this point.

 

[Builder]

I have a GT235 for sale. Don't know where you are, but I'm in Philadelphia suburbs

 

[Castle]

I'm in Montreal... 8 hours drive is a bit far, unless it's a really good deal. ;-)

Thanks for the replies, very much appreciated! From what I understand the 400's are comparable to the x700's now, is this accurate? Are the x400's the same? And what would the GT's be comparable with? I'm trying to make sense of the progression of the different models over the years to help me know which I should keep on the lookout for. Thanks again for the help.

 

[wolfe1]

I second the old 400/500 series. I mow about 1.8 acres but was also wanting a machine to make snow removal easy. My neighbor has a JD 190 with a plow, weights chains - the whole nine yards - and it clears his 100 x 15 drive but it takes him forever. First time he saw me on my X485 plowing his mouth hit the ground - the difference is night and day. Yes it is more but it makes life much easier. I am guessing you could get a used X485 for about 5k. I am approaching 500 hours and have only done routine maint. The engine seems to be getting smoother with age - the Kawasaki V-Twins are butter smooth.

 

[Gleumer]

A friend of mine has a x485 with i believe a 45"blower and does 15' by about 600' with ease. He also has a 4720 but chooses to blow with the x485. I think that would be a perfect set up for you. More expensive but what's the point of saving money if it can't do the job?

 

[nebraskasparks]

Lots of good recommendations offered. You are correct on the 100 series. I read an article that said if you want to know the reliability of the 100 series go to a John Deere mower repair shop. I did....lots of 100's lined up for service. Didn't see many x300's or above.