Which is better riding mower, JD or Husqvarna?

[Pilot]

Anyone have experience with both JD & Husky riding mowers?

I'm looking to replace my Cub Cadet which is NOT easy to work on and to make things more of a hassle they changed deck arrangements about every 6 months so it's hard to find out how to reassemble the deck after replacing the belt, spindles, blades, etc. so an easy to work on mower is in the forefront of my interests in looking for a replacement.

So I'm looking at JD & Husky and maybe Craftsman. Which are easier to work on--deck belt replacement, blade removal and replacement, etc. Which are more reliable? parts availability, cost? Anyone have experience with both?

Thanks.

Pilot

 

[nybirdman]

What price range are you looking to purchase?.I would recommend Simplicity over either of those two choices unless you are looking to spend big bucks.I own a JD that sold for almost $5,000 new and it has been very good.Big difference in the "low end" to upper in all manufacturers.

 

[Gary51]

My low end Husqvarna is 10 years old now. Replaced battery twice and two tires. Starts easy and runs well still. I mow about an acre every week during the growing season. No complaints.

 

[kenmac]

Could be wrong but I believe MTD makes a good many of the lower end mowers


Interesting::The 1975 36 inch, 10 hp Craftsman lawn tractor sold for $1099 in the catalog. The 16 hp Sears Garden Tractor was $1969 plus $484 for the 48 inch deck. You could buy a 1975 Ford F-150 truck for about the same price, $2778.90 or $2200 out the door. House: $42,600. Gas: $0.57. Bread: $0.28. Gallon of Milk: $1.40. Stamp: 13 cents. Every other area of the economy except lawn tractors and computers now cost 10 times as much. (1976 Apple computer sold for $666.)

 

[IXLR8]

As nybirdman mentioned, your price point is very important. I have a Husky walk behind and a JD Zero-turn. Both are commercial grade machines that are over 10 years old. Only thing I have done on the Husky is replaced the belts, the blades and bypassed a faulty safety switch. Only thing I have done to the JD is changed the battery and blades. That is in addition to changing the oil and filters yearly.

 

[BlackOps]

my new husky already had transmission issues after 4 mowings. been in the shop for 3 weeks. also engine pops and dealer is not responsive to checking it out to see if that is another warranty issue. at this point - i am pretty much out of riding lawnmowers. the better orange brand ones might be a next option but way too costly in my present situation. i take care of my stuff but use them but i find many of the brands just cheap garbage with dealers that are less than honest and slow as a turtle.

 

[coobie]

No complaints yet from my 2011 JD X740.Cannot comment Husqvarna.

 

[Pilot]

OP here, we are looking for about 46" deck minimum (that's what we have) and up to 54", willing to go for used to get over 46". Price limit is $2,000 and can get either JD or Husky at HD or Lowes for $1800 after vet. discount.

 

[mbohuntr]

Anyone have experience with both JD & Husky riding mowers?

I'm looking to replace my Cub Cadet which is NOT easy to work on and to make things more of a hassle they changed deck arrangements about every 6 months so it's hard to find out how to reassemble the deck after replacing the belt, spindles, blades, etc. so an easy to work on mower is in the forefront of my interests in looking for a replacement


So I'm looking at JD & Husky and maybe Craftsman. Which are easier to work on--deck belt replacement, blade removal and replacement, etc. Which are more reliable? parts availability, cost? Anyone have experience with both?

Thanks.

Pilot

Look at Country Clippers, They have to be one of the easiest to work on, with the flip up deck feature...

 

[s219]

OP here, we are looking for about 46" deck minimum (that's what we have) and up to 54", willing to go for used to get over 46". Price limit is $2,000 and can get either JD or Husky at HD or Lowes for $1800 after vet. discount.

Sadly, you're not going to get a good mower for that price nowadays. The box store Deere models are really not worth the trouble in my opinion -- you have to go to a Deere dealer and step into an X300 series or better to really get something good from Deere. I haven't seen a Husky mower at any price range that has truly impressed me, and the ones Lowes carries are their price-point models.