$1499 vs $3500 (Deere D105 vs. X300) Worth it?

[ForumJunkie]

Update.

I hit a rock and caused $1000 worth of repairs.
Mower deck was damaged. Also, it would not go in reverse.
I will post details of the estimate later today.

I don't want to invest $1000 into a $1500 mower that is 6 years old.

I have decided to scrap this mower.
Lasted 7 seasons. 147 hours.
Very disappointed.

 

[LittleBill21]

With this mower I can cut my yard at least 4 if not 5 times on 5 gallons of diesel. With the 23 hp craftsman I had it would take me almost 4 gallons of gas each time I cut the yard. Just that saving alone has almost paid for it.

You have 1 acre of grass and you use 4 gallons of fuel? did you dump 3 on the grass before you started? i have 2 B&S 21 and 24hp mowers, 1 a craftsman, i cut 1.2 and 1.7 acres with both of them, i use maybe a gallon if the grass is high and like 3/4 if its normal length

i don't even remotely understand how your burning 4 gallons of gas on 1 acre.

 

[LittleBill21]

Update.

I hit a rock and caused $1000 worth of repairs.
I don't want to invest $1000 into a $1500 mower that is 6 years old.

I have decided to scrap this mower.
Lasted 7 summers. Very disappointed.

what exactly broke? generally its a spindle and maybe a blade and a hammer to bang the deck back in. what exactly is 1k in repairs?

 

[ForumJunkie]

I will post the estimate when I get home.

 

[ForumJunkie]

Need tractor to mow 2 acres. Ideas?

Bought a Deere D105 7 years ago for $1499
42" and 17HP. Seemed to work fine for my needs.

Hit a rock and bent the deck.
Also, the mower stopped moving (tranny?)
Got a $1000 repair estimate, and decided to scrap the mower.

Tractor has already been scrapped, but now I find out there was a recall.
I am pissed the dealer did not even mention that, and I wonder if they were going to double dip.

I need a new mower. I only need to mow 2 acres. Not hauling anything.

Can I find a mower with these 2 features?
1) With the D105, I had to manually shift from forward to reverse. Can I just be able to do that automatically on the gas pedal?
2) Also, I want mower to be able to engage while riding backwards

What models should I look at?
Also, should I stay away from Deere? What are decent alternatives?

What features should I avoid?
Any tranny type to avoid?
What is hydrostatic drive?

 

[ForumJunkie]

Need tractor to mow 2 acres. Ideas?

Bought a Deere D105 7 years ago for $1499
42" and 17HP. Seemed to work fine for my needs.

Hit a rock and bent the deck.
Also, the mower stopped moving (tranny?)
Got a $1000 repair estimate, and decided to scrap the mower.

Tractor has already been scrapped, but now I find out there was a recall.
I am pissed the dealer did not even mention that, and I wonder if they were going to double dip.

I need a new mower. I only need to mow 2 acres. Not hauling anything.

Can I find a mower with these 2 features?
1) With the D105, I had to manually shift from forward to reverse. Can I just be able to do that automatically on the gas pedal?
2) Also, I want mower to be able to engage while riding backwards

What models should I look at?
Also, should I stay away from Deere? What are decent alternatives?

What features should I avoid?
Any tranny type to avoid?
What is hydrostatic drive?

 

[Diggin It]

Re: Need tractor to mow 2 acres. Ideas?

Bought a Deere D105 7 years ago for $1499
42" and 17HP. Seemed to work fine for my needs.

Hit a rock and bent the deck.
Also, the mower stopped moving (tranny?)
Got a $1000 repair estimate, and decided to scrap the mower.

Tractor has already been scrapped, but now I find out there was a recall.
I am pissed the dealer did not even mention that, and I wonder if they were going to double dip.

I need a new mower. I only need to mow 2 acres. Not hauling anything.

Can I find a mower with these 2 features?
1) With the D105, I had to manually shift from forward to reverse. Can I just be able to do that automatically on the gas pedal?
2) Also, I want mower to be able to engage while riding backwards

What models should I look at?
Also, should I stay away from Deere? What are decent alternatives?

What features should I avoid?
Any tranny type to avoid?
What is hydrostatic drive?

Hydro is like an automatic in a car sort of, but not quite. Direction change is by pedal, not shift lever. They're fine in most cases unless you have a lot of steep hill climbing.

Methods for 'mow in reverse' vary by manufacturer. Check each one out as you shop. My Craftsman lets me choose a setting once per mowing session. JDs force you to hold a lever while in reverse.


.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Re: Need tractor to mow 2 acres. Ideas?

Most mowers have a button to push to allow mowing in reverse, some once pushed it stays on so you can continue to reverse without pushing the button again. My neighbor bought a Toro with manual transmission that I used once to more her yard. What a PIA to shift from reverse to forward. Get a hydrostatic drive unit instead of the gearshift models.

Just about any brand of mower will last many years just mowing 2 acre plot. My brother in law used a Craftsman 6500 series for 10 years mowing his 2 acres and it is still running. He did break a deck spindle once by hitting a root but that is all he ever replaced other than one belt.
Last year he bought a new X series JD because he wanted power steering but he was still using the Craftsman most of the time (when he had someone else to drive it).

I prefer the zero turn mowers myself because they are a bit faster than the tractor type plus they are fun to drive.

 

[ForumJunkie]

Re: Need tractor to mow 2 acres. Ideas?

Zero turn is more costly, right?

This is the cheapest I could find
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Toro-Ti...Riding-Mower-with-Smart-Speed-74726/303195934

 

[4570Man]

Re: Need tractor to mow 2 acres. Ideas?

Do you really want the cheapest mower you can find so you can repeat the cycle in another 7 years?