Low end lawn tractors

   / Low end lawn tractors #22  
Sad thing is, you can find a nice older garden tractor, like a IH or CCC built Cub Cadet for less than your max spending limit. We picked up this 582 red cub cadet, with a completely overhauled engine, and loaded with options for $800. Add to that $125 for a really nice 44" mower deck and even with the gas we burned to pick it up, we are under your limit. You can pick up the older yellow/white ones for $800 and under with a mower deck most times. If you look hard enough, you can find one that has already been gone thru and is better than anything you will buy today. These were built like tanks compared to what you find now. My under 1K Cub Cadet will out mow and out work my dads $2200 Sears Craftsman all day long. Several of our neighbors will come to see me when thier box store JD or newer cub ect dies or wont run and have me mow or borrow one of my two Cub Cadets to mow. Bottom line is that its your money, get what makes ya happy and enjoy your machine. Mike
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   / Low end lawn tractors #23  
Hey I go through blades allot too. the way the make thes in a twist pattern, when they snag something they tend to bend it around and then it scallops the ground. I just got a set from Lowes , and I wish i could get some straight ones. I think they would be less likely to twist like the others did. I'm almost thinking maybe the originals are a lighter or softer metal.to save a buck in production.
Otherwise its been a great mower,once i fixed the safety switches LOL
 
   / Low end lawn tractors #24  
@Bedlam


Just today I installed a new set of severe duty blades in place of the mulching type and I'm gonna give them a go. They won't cut the grass as pretty but they are bigger, thicker, and heavier than the standard blade.


If you're looking at Lowes these are the yellow blades with the serrated trailing edge that sort of look like something a medieval Viking would be swinging at an opponent in a fight. Wicked looking things. I put them on and spun them up today and they do make a "new" sound coming out from under the mowing deck.........a GOOD sound:)


Oh, and I've found that black electrical tape is a marvelous fix for those safety switches. I can mow in reverse AND get off of the mower while the motor is still running thanks to it.
 
   / Low end lawn tractors #25  
Joe thanks, I never thought to look for the others at Lowes. and yes on the tape. I removed the switch and used a nylon tie around it , held in place with the tape.I mow backwards alot..it seems to me a good machine so far.
the see through fuel tank is a nice touch, and the step through even better.
 
   / Low end lawn tractors #26  
Just an observation about low-end tractors, that I've never seen mentioned on any site - I noticed that some low-end tractors, including JDs, have a single nut in the middle of hub holding the rear wheels on. Others have five lug nuts like a car. I don't know for sure, but it seems like the single lug nut would be an obvious indicator of lower quality. I for one would prefer several lug nuts holding the wheel in place. I'd love to hear other opinions, since I could be wrong.
 
   / Low end lawn tractors #27  
Most of the smaller ones have the hub as part of the wheel, ther is just a keyway and key to connect the wheel positivly to the axle Ive had both, and it would be nice to have the lugs for when you mount or dismount a tire, the keyway and snapring sems to work well, most likely as stong as is needed.Like it was said earlier the older ones were built like tanks..
hope this helps
 
   / Low end lawn tractors #28  
Ya know, I don't think I've ever used or had a riding mower that didn't use the single lug attaching to the hub. I understand some of the newer, higher-end rigs have multiple lugs like a car or tractor.

But, then again, I can't remember a time in the all years that having a single-bolt rear hub caused me any trouble. It's kind of tough to wear out a lawn mower tire unless it's absolutely mangled and has to be parted from the rim. Never happened to me and I've never had one of the single-lugs come loose on me.


Just to put in perspective, the first couple of times I replaced the blades on mine, I had to get a cheater bar out to use on the blade nuts to get them off. I also used it putting them back on. Around the third or forth time I decided I would just hand-tighten them as much as I could physically and leave it at that. No problem so far. When I go to remove the same nuts they are tight and only require about my own physical strength to remove making the whole process so much easier and quicker. The first time I changed blades it was an hour-long process........last week it took me 15 minutes. No difference in performance.
 
   / Low end lawn tractors #29  
botamike said:
Sad thing is, you can find a nice older garden tractor, like a IH or CCC built Cub Cadet for less than your max spending limit. We picked up this 582 red cub cadet, with a completely overhauled engine, and loaded with options for $800. Add to that $125 for a really nice 44" mower deck and even with the gas we burned to pick it up, we are under your limit. You can pick up the older yellow/white ones for $800 and under with a mower deck most times. If you look hard enough, you can find one that has already been gone thru and is better than anything you will buy today. These were built like tanks compared to what you find now. My under 1K Cub Cadet will out mow and out work my dads $2200 Sears Craftsman all day long.
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Funny you should mention. We are actually selling a pair of those old yellow cub cadet tractors we used to use to mow the cemetery. I'd like to find a garden tractor today with shaft drive, cast iron transaxle, and hudraulic deck lift. We are also selling a pair of john deere LT155 tractors that aren't even good enough to be called boat anchors. The frame on our sabre (made by john deere) literally cracked completly in half, both frame rails. They fatigued from the stress of driving over uneven ground. Ever see the commercial where the car splits in half and the front half goes driving off without the second half....save for a couple bolts I almost saw that for real.

I guess I can't really comment on the inexpensive lawn tractors since my application (cemetery mowing) pretty much can destroy a $1,200 tractor in a season or 2. I spend a few thousand more for a good small commercial zero turn. But, If I needed a small garden tractor I'd go with an older cub cadet.
 
   / Low end lawn tractors #30  
JoeinTX said:
Ya know, I don't think I've ever used or had a riding mower that didn't use the single lug attaching to the hub. I understand some of the newer, higher-end rigs have multiple lugs like a car or tractor.

But, then again, I can't remember a time in the all years that having a single-bolt rear hub caused me any trouble. It's kind of tough to wear out a lawn mower tire unless it's absolutely mangled and has to be parted from the rim. Never happened to me and I've never had one of the single-lugs come loose on me. QUOTE]

On my old Yard Pro (17 years old), I ran it for the last two years I owned it with the clip off the rear axle trying to get the wheel to fall off. I was wanting to put never-seize on them so that they would be easier to get off when the time came if I had a flat on something. Wheel never did fall off, probably seized on there for life.

Steve
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