How much per hour. . .

[Hondov65]

I've had my John Deere X530 going on 6 months now. All I have in it is regular maintainance (1) Oil Filter (1 1/2) quarts of oil (5qts) Transaxle fluid, and (1) Transaxle Filter.

However when I had my 1st John Deere L100 I replaced the spindles 3 times. in a 2 year span.

 

[mjm1]

My GT 225 is 10 years old, about 500 hrs. I have done all maintenance. Total repair was one mower deck belt, around $30. Now looking at an X 530 just because. Looked at Kubota, do not feel they are as good until you move up to the SCUT class.

 

[JDTank]

This reminds me of my in-laws.

They have an old Craftsman mower, guessing 15 years old or so, and they have dumped about $2,000 into it, plus the cost of it when it was brand new. For what they keep spending on it they could have a nice X360 that would last a long time, but they insist "this is cheaper" it drinks fuel like nobody's business on top of it all.

It never ceases to amaze me how people feel they are ahead, by buying the cheaper mower up front, and spending small amounts on it very frequently, as opposed to buying a expensive, professional mower, and spending virtually nothing on it except regular maintenance.

 

[mjncad]

It never ceases to amaze me how people feel they are ahead, by buying the cheaper mower up front, and spending small amounts on it very frequently, as opposed to buying a expensive, professional mower, and spending virtually nothing on it except regular maintenance.

You can pay me now, or pay me later.

 

[jhonb]

You can pay me now, or pay me later.

Sometimes, you don't have the money now.

 

[mjm1]

I should have added my calculation: GT 225 with 2 bag collection system cost $4325 in April '01. Add a $ 30 belt, ten years and $ 500 amounts to $ 8.71 per hour. How can you beat that? I am now considering a new X530, wife thinks I am crazy to change. Any input?

 

[DK35vince]

Hard to beat the old Wheel Horses.
I bought a used 1979 Wheel horse C-101 garden tractor for $1100 in 1987.
Ran that tractor for 22 years and sold it for $400. Still ran great and didn't use any oil.
I think the only thing I ever did was a fuel pump rebuild kit. $15. A few sets of mower blades and 1 set of front tires.
I don't know the cost per hour. But it was LOW.

 

[jesseb3@att.net]

When we couldn't afford more, we purchased a Scott's JD for $1800. Used wasn't an option, as I didn't own a trailer at the time. First tranny failed at 4.2 hours, but Home Depot and John Deere took care of it.

Up until I bought the Kubota, that machine towed and did way more than it was designed for, and lived outside in the rain for the last four years. Mowed our 2.5 acres of hilly, rough lawn for 9 years with it, sometimes as often as every third day (high water table) with that silly little 42" deck...my wife IS a trooper. Cost (didn't figure it was worth changing oil in it but every three years, and only ever needed the drag links changed...I pulled the ice sculptures out of the carb and cylinder myself, so that didn't cost nuthin'.) wasn't much more than the $200 per year in purchase price. Had I been bothered to park it inside, and to change oil every 1-2 years, I could probably have gone many more years. Don't know how much gas we put in it. Also, the hour meter died (see above RE parking outside) so I don't know how many hours it had - over 750 easily though... That's less than $2.40/hour.

My wife's new x530 would need to last 30-35 years, with virtually no maintenance, to compare. Sort of doubt it will...

 

[jesseb3@att.net]

Hard to beat the old Wheel Horses.
I bought a used 1979 Wheel horse C-101 garden tractor for $1100 in 1987.
Ran that tractor for 22 years and sold it for $400. Still ran great and didn't use any oil.
I think the only thing I ever did was a fuel pump rebuild kit. $15. A few sets of mower blades and 1 set of front tires.
I don't know the cost per hour. But it was LOW.

Wow, you better switch your calculator to scientific mode for that one!