Advice on riding lawn mowers wanted.

[KDBone]

This is my first time ever writing in A forum. Please forgive my grammar and spelling problems in advance.
I have gone thru probably four riding mowers in the last 5 years. They have all been purchased used and
have included both regular riding mowers, (JD, Craftsman, MTD) and A zero turn Dixon. I am tired of the
problems associated with purchasing used products and have decided to purchase new. I really liked the
zero turn but am leery of its ability to tow A bin used for picking up the chicken coop and downed branches.
Leery because of backing up with the zero turn and controlling the bin well has been hard for me. I don't know
if it is me or the zero turn that make it more difficult than the riding mowers I've used for the same purpose.
In addition I am looking into A rear bagger for this unit and am not sure if they work well on A zero turn. I
have done a lot of research online and am basically overwhelmed. I am trying to keep the total spent to
$3500 max. I have MANY trees to mow around and some rough patches of ground including hills. I am leaning
towards A Huskqvarna and have not given up on getting A zero turn. I like that A regular lawn tractor would
allow me to get a front bumper and possibly A snow blower in the future. I guess the bottom line is I would
like and appreciate any comments or advice from you on, Brands, ZTR VS lawn tractor, Rear baggers w/ or without
blowers, Engine makes,(I am leaning towards the V-twin Kawasaki), overall toughness or ruggedness, and
durability. Thank you in advance for any help

 

[Ted Summey]

For the multiple uses you describe, a lawn tractor will serve better than a ZTR. Towing a lawn cart can be done with a ZTR but is better accomplished with a lawn tractor.

 

[94BULLITT]

For $3500 you could find a used older compact diesel tractor. You could get a rear finish mower for it. It will be way more durable than a garden tractor and probably 4WD. I know you said you don't want something used but I thought I would throw it out there. I have never used a rear bagger but I have heard they are a pain on a big yard because you need to empty them frequently. I prefer to leave the clippings on the yard. They are a natural fertilizer. How bad are the hills you have to mow? I think the more expensive Husqvarna's are a pretty good bang for the buck. If you decide to go that stay away from a briggs motor. you may also want to look at a Cub Cadet GT1054.

 

[KDBone]

Thanks for the advice Guys. At the moment my wife is against buying new so I may be fixing the Dixon zero turn for now,(once again). I really do want to stop messing with used mowers either I have had bad luck or they always present problems. Of course buying new doesn't mean I wont have problems but I am hoping. I was interested in the bagger because we only mow once a week at most and the grass is so long by then it leaves rows of cut grass laying in the yard and that is with mulching blades. The hills are not that bad a little steep on one side but short. I have heard that the briggs motors should be avoided.

 

[tcartwri]

This is the unit I have;

Craftsman GT-6000

Fathers day is next weekend, and they should be on sale well below your budjet. They are a tough machine with a high speed transaxle and HD deck. I beat the snot out of mine and except for some issues with the Briggs motor it has been great. The only issue I don't like about it, is the speed in Reverse, which is deathly slow.... This is the same machine as the top of the line Husqvarna, except about $700 cheaper. You will not touch a decent Zero turn for under $5K.

 

[djdicetn]

Thanks for the advice Guys. At the moment my wife is against buying new so I may be fixing the Dixon zero turn for now,(once again). I really do want to stop messing with used mowers either I have had bad luck or they always present problems. Of course buying new doesn't mean I wont have problems but I am hoping. I was interested in the bagger because we only mow once a week at most and the grass is so long by then it leaves rows of cut grass laying in the yard and that is with mulching blades. The hills are not that bad a little steep on one side but short. I have heard that the briggs motors should be avoided.

I have invested in a Commercial grade ZTR for my "last" mower purchase before retirement.....but if I had decided to buy another lawn tractor instead(I bought a 46" True Value Lawn Chief in 1995 and replaced it with a 54" Craftsman YS4500 in 2006...basically a Husqvarna built for Sears).....it would be the YT48XLS(see link below for informmation). A new one's MSRP is $2899 which is right down your alley and this "Heavy Duty" lawn tractor is the best bang for your buck in my opinion. Some of it's nice features include a 24hp Kawasaki engine(considered one of the most reliable), a hydro tranny with locking differential(for better traction), a fabricated deck with a lifetime warranty(fab decks on a lawn tractor are rare), 5mph with a 4gal gas tank(pretty decent for a lawn tractor), a 3year bumper-to-bumper and 5year chassis & axle warranty and a brush guard style bumper. You owe yourself a new mower and I highly recommend that you find a Husqvarna dealer and take a look at this beast. I think you'll be as impressed as I am with it. Link follows:

Husqvarna YT48XLS - Garden tractors