Baby "Tractor" Help

Anonymous Poster · Jun 5, 2000

Baby \"Tractor\" Help

I've read a lot on one of the big lawn equipment forums but I thought I'd throw out a question to the other tractor owners (and anyone else) on this list. (This list seems to be populated by quite a number of thoughtful fellows)

For some of our areas my BX is just too big and am thinking of making the wifes task easier by purchasing a "lawn tractor." Of any, she wants a "green" one, only because she LIKES THE COLOR! I'm a little more discerning on other aspects but do find them to be a quality built unit. Would be kind of neat, my garage will be a true melting pot, Ford NH BLUE, Kubota ORANGE, JD GREEN! I also have seen some other units that look good, Cub Cadet especially, and would like to ask what any of you are using.

To the JD folks what exactly is the deal with "Sabre" and "Scotts"? Truly cheaper units or is it "GMC" and "CHEVY" trucks? Just marketing?

People have told me anything sold by Home Depot or Sears is junk. I often wonder if it's just because they put a yard of gravel in a trailer behind it and were mad because the trans. blew. I'd like a long term 10+ years, with maintenance and care. It won't have a hard life as the BX will do the hard stuff, the BX won't have a hard life because the L35 will do the REALLY hard stuff and the L35 won't have a hard life because there's a rental yard 5 miles away that will rent to me...JOE NO EXPERIENCE...45,000 pound toys! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

You can post or email me directly if you wish, and thanks.

del

[email]oldcarparts@mygarage.com [/email]

TomG · Jun 6, 2000

Re: Baby \"Tractor\" Help

I have the same situation. There's enough landscaping in the lawn that it can be mowed faster with a riding mower than the 1710 (if I had a mower). So I use a riding mower. I do most of the mowing, but my wife will mow. She'd never mow if she had to use the tractor.

I went cheapie and bought a used one. Something called a Dynamark. Since the name was put on the unit, the company has been through at least three buyouts or takeovers. It's real hard, even for the small engine guy in town, to keep track of who's supposed supply parts. Fortunately I haven't needed parts, but getting a backup drive belt did take two weeks. The B&S engine is generic, and parts should be easy. However, things like the mower deck, who knows.

I think this is the type of unit sold in some box stores. Not really bad units, but you never know what's going to happen with the company. My local box store was still selling McCulloch chain saws when nobody seemed to know if McCulloch was still in business. Gee, I bought one at a serious sale price. I'm not sure it's a bargain at any price.

Anyway, box stores just move stuff out the door and don't want to see you again unless you're carrying another box out the door. There are no local dealers, and if you've got a problem, you can ship the unit at your expense, talk to a human answering machine at some 800 number, or hope the small engine guy can figure it out.

I guess box store stuff is a bargain if it doesn't have problems, then, maybe not such a bargain. I'm guessing that such units are designed mostly for the urban toy market. They aren't expected to be used much or hard, and they are probably are bargains for that type of use.

However, I don't think I'd buy one new if I was planning on using it much. My idea is to let somebody else pay the premium for having a new mower, and then I'll get it and run it until it stops. Take out the B&S engine, build a log splitter or something, and look for a new used mower. For me, there's just not a good enough feeling about this type of product for me to want a new one.

Of course, I have a different attitude for the more serious duty equipment. If I really needed a good reliable riding mower, I'd buy one of the big three new, and keep it forever. I still may need to do that for self-defense. I can just see myself in ten years with this whole flock of old B&S engines, and trying to figure out a use for the latest one.

Thomas · Jun 6, 2000

Re: Baby \"Tractor\" Help

Del,
I believe any lawn and graden tractor will be a good choice as long as it fits your needs,comfort & fits your use & price & parts & dealer etc...

I would check out main frame for its durability.

I still use my 1976 Cub Cadet 1450 HST lawn and graden tractor for mowing the main area.
The only major problems I had with this tractor is the electric clutch,for I replace the clutch 4 times also the muffler system twice,other than the paint fading it been a great little tractor.

Yes sir, orange & blue & green and maybe yellow would be a melting pot,and you would be a colorful person.

Take care and be good to yourself.

Thomas..NH

M. Sullivan · Jun 6, 2000

Re: Baby \"Tractor\" Help

Have a similar situation, suggest looking for a used Sears small L&G unit. For the light use you mention shoul do well. Low cost ($300 and up), and parts are available and reasonable (unlike JD). Love mine, plus kind of fun to work on--v. simple, yet robust enough not to worry about it (and hey, worst case just drag it down to the swamp with one of the bigger toys and dig a hole!).

Anonymous Poster · Jun 6, 2000

Re: Baby \"Tractor\" Help

I have been researching this a little. I found a magazine article that rated JD #1 in maintenance free service followed by Sears. Murrays were also rated fairly well. They rated White as the best overall. I can't even tell you what the rating factors are. I have a Sears 46" with 18hp Kohler that will be 3 years old this fall. I think the lawn tractor and engine are pretty good but have had problems with the deck. I water and fertilize my lawn so the grass is extremely thick. I can walk much faster than my mower will mow in some places. I have been looking at finish mowers, top end lawn tractors, and used commercial ZTRs. I am looking for something that will mow at a reasonable speed and not bog down in the heavy grass. I have found no information on what makes a mower mow well. I would really be irritated if I had paid $4000 and got a mower that mows like mine. Blade tip speed may be a factor but I haven't found any information on lawn tractors. Commercial ZTRs have drive shafts rather than belts and that may be a factor. I have noticed the really nice mowing machines have substantially heavier blades than mine. I know I haven't helped you but maybe you can take my information and fill in some gaps and help both of us.

Anonymous Poster · Jun 6, 2000

Re: Baby \"Tractor\" Help

Eddie,

Thanks for the post. I plan on staying on the smaller sized deck with biggest engine, I think all the manufacturers have gotten in to the "look you can get a 72" deck on this 8hp unit" syndrome. Kind of like the truck dealers, if you tell them you are towing 8000 lbs they try to steer you to a truck that has a MAXIMUM limit of 8000 lbs. Tow it? Yeah, but have someone pry your fingers off the wheel now and then to get the blood back in them! I don't thick the bigger decks necessarily do the job faster unless you really stay on top of things.

Some of the lawn forum folks are really brand stuck, not brand loyal, brand STUCK as in what I have is wonderful, everything else is CRAP. At least in this board there is a wide range of intelligent folks. I'll at least admit that MAYBE a JD can work like my NH or Kubotas can! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

On the other hand I have received about 10 great replies to personal emails I've sent to JD owners on the lawn forum so there are great people there too, I think they just get trampled by some of the others.

I know your feeling, you wonder if you could mow faster by pushing something! Those ZTR's are fun to drive, I've never used one though. But the worst thing is the loss. The loss of fingers looped in my suspenders sticking my gut out saying, YEP, I GOT ME ON OF THEM JOHN DEERE TRACTORS. It just isn't any fun if your mower doesn't look like a little tractor. (even if doesn't work as well) I could probably keep pushing a mower but I want something for the BX2200 to snicker at. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Roy · Jun 6, 2000

Re: Baby \"Tractor\" Help

Del;
I know what you mean about those lawn forum people, religion and politics bring out less emotion in most people. I myself have a 12 year old JD 170. I had to replace the transaxle this winter, but that was probably because I was trying to get it do the work of a compact (before the BX). In you case, I don't think that you are going to push any lawn tractor to extremes, just cut some grass. Outside of the cheepo house brands (AYP and the lower end MTD's), I expect anything to satisfy your needs and last. In the L&G arena, they basically all have the same major components (engines, hydros). Don't see why you would be concerned with steel -vs- cast iron, pressure lube and all those other issues. Buy whatever is the easy for you to maintain and comfortable for you and your wife to operate.

Alan W. · Jun 6, 2000

Re: Baby \"Tractor\" Help

I agree with the problems of chain store brands. To take it one step farther whenever a company starts to sell its product through a chain store the shops will quit carrying that brand. I've seen it happen with Lawn Boy mowers and now with Troy Bilt products. I was trying to find a troy bilt sickle bar mower this week and all of the dealers that had been carrying them were no longer due to the chain stores selling them.

PBMAX · Jun 12, 2000

Re: Baby \"Tractor\" Help

Del,First good luck choosing,they don't make it easy for us...My self I own a Scott with an 18hp Kohler an oil filter and cooler and an oil pump, 46"deck and a hydrostatic trans...I picked up a 15hp murry originally and used it pretty hard on my acre that I live on currently...It's fairly rough on the back half and in 6 months or so I had broken the front end and busted the stearing nuckel...So I went shopping..I bought the Scott over the bigger fellows because of $ .It has a good engine a thicker frame and mower deck...than most in its $ range and a cast iron front end...Plus it has greese fittings....on the front end and deck...and the $ range for my allowance.So far its been a good machine I've used it to pull good sized logs up hill just guessing I'd say around 200lbs or so...mow 3acres of my newly bought 8acres and ,of course the 1acre with home I'm currently selling.Ive cut grass up to 6" grass...with only a little bogging "was a bit thick in places"....My only concern is that many of these lower end machines have sealed hydro trans...Don 't have a clue as to the life of them....Have had the scott for 3 yrs now and had no problems...BTW I still have the old murry(92 model) Its been collecting dust in my basement and as someone else mentioned I will recycle it by using the motor as a pump when I move to pump water from my new old pond to water pature...I'm not dissapointed in the murry at all it just wasn't built to be used as hard as I was using it...Besides I only put $350 in it total....so I can't complain to much.One last thing I made sure I bought one with an oil pump..My dad had a sears and burnt it up..He picked up a habit of mowwing in one direction and his yard has a bit if a slope to it.Unfortunately he put the side with the valves and lifter on the up hill side and lack of oil burnt it up..according the shop...So I figured why take a chance....I figure if I get 3 or 4 more yrs out of it I got my $ worth.Then I might by a higher up brand...If the WIFE will increase my allowance/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif...

Lil' PaulEdited by PBurns on 6/12/00 09:36 PM.

Anonymous Poster · Jul 14, 2000

Re: Baby \"Tractor\" Help

I'm looking into garden tractors right now (thinking about Kubota G1800/1900 or possibly BX line or the Simplicity Legacy line) for mowing, towing & snow throwing - like the idea of shaft-driven accessories. Anyway, I keep going back & forth - don't really WANT to spend 10G for a tractor that does the same things as a 6G tractor, only somewhat better (then I keep thinking that a diesel will last longer, too). If I go with a lesser tractor, it's likely to be Simplicity or Toro. A mouse nest caused the enging to die on our old Cub 1710 (bought used 5+ years ago) and a new engine is pretty expensive - it's time to move onward & upward. A local Simplicity/Cub dealer dropped Cub after MTD bought them because of quality problems, mostly with the cruise control systems (they're still basically well built as far as frame/axle/drive shaft). Our old 1710 had a shift lever for the hydro drive and I'm not crazy about all of these foot pedal operated drives ... that's one nice thing about the G1800/1900 and Legacy - they have both. So anyway, the Toro or Simplicity would be my choice in lower end machines. I'd stay away from anythingn made by Murray or MTD (including White and all the store brands, like Sears). 4 coworkers all had major problems with Sears tractors this year; ages of those tractors are 2-7 years and problems were (1) engine, (1) electrical (2) mowing deck ... they're just not built to last (you get what you pay for !) White is just overpriced MTD sold and marked up (for the "value add", of course) by a local dealer.