Price Check cheap vs expensive; longevity vs price

[harpoonalt]

Having had all sorts of mowers and being meticulous on care and maintenance, I'll say that the life of most mowers cheap or expensive depends a lot on the user. I know a number of people who treat their mowers pretty badly, They don't change the oil, never grease anything, run over everything in their path, and leave them out like a bad dog. I'd look for a well cared for older mower.There are some old mowers that can be found that are tanks. I had a wheelhorse 312-8 that I wish I still owned. It mowed, plowed dirt and snow and towed a big trailer around the yard for 5 years before I decided I needed a ZTR. It looked like new and the guy I sold it too still has it ten years later and it still looks great

 

[JGY]

I prefer to buy a better grade slightly used mower. I got a great deal on a used JD GT235 a few years ago that has severed me well except the plastic tends to break and break. My father just got a really good deal on a JD 425AWS (guess what the plastic had been replaced). The box store mowers will cut grass but seem to have more problems (many don't have grease fittings). My neighbor has already replaced one or two spindles and a starter on a fairly new JD Home Depot model.

Same decision to make here with one on it's last leg ... will probably have to spend some "fuzzy" dollars. Hey they might even be dusty, musty and moldy!

J

 

[Soundguy]

Having had all sorts of mowers and being meticulous on care and maintenance, I'll say that the life of most mowers cheap or expensive depends a lot on the user. I know a number of people who treat their mowers pretty badly, They don't change the oil, never grease anything, run over everything in their path, and leave them out like a bad dog. I'd look for a well cared for older mower.There are some old mowers that can be found that are tanks. I had a wheelhorse 312-8 that I wish I still owned. It mowed, plowed dirt and snow and towed a big trailer around the yard for 5 years before I decided I needed a ZTR. It looked like new and the guy I sold it too still has it ten years later and it still looks great

I've seen it beofre.. a rent-a-drunk can ruin a new 30K$ tractor in hlf an hour... so yes.. how you use / care for your machine has alot to do with it's lifespan...

soundguy

 

[MossRoad]

If I was going to buy a riding mower, I would get a Snapper rear engine machine. Several folks in our neighborhood had them when I was a kid and they still have them. They're built like tanks and do the job they are designed to do. The grass pickup is great. They have a leaf pickup system that works really, really well. And they stand up on their rear end for storage, taking up a lot less floor space in a garage.

Rear-Engine Riding Mowers by Snapper

They are reasonably priced when new. Used ones can be found. Simple, quality machines.

You could probably mow an acre in 45 minutes with one.

 

[dodge man]

I live on 3 acres, some of which is hilly and rough. Moles seem to be the hardest thing on the front ends of my mowers. You take a corner, hit a mole run, and bad things happen. My first mower was a lower priced MTD (not cheap $1400) that lasted maybe 4 years. The Briggs engine held up great, the rest didn't. The steering was shot and so was the deck. My next was a John Deere maybe $3000-$4000, 54" deck, 25hp Kohler. It held up O.K. but traction was always an issue. I'd get it stuck several times a year and it just didn't seem safe on the hills.

I ended up buying a Kubota BX2350 last year. With tax and all with a 60" deck maybe $11,500. Its a water cooled diesel and should last me the rest of my life. I'm sure from a cost stand point, it's a losing deal. I'm sure buying the "throw away" mower would be cheaper, but mowing is fun again, the new hasn't wore off yet, and I bought an end loader that I can do alot of work with. Plow snow,move dirt and wood etc.

The cheaper mower just wasn't going to be a long lasting purchase for me. My yard is rough and hilly, and they just don't hold up to the abuse. If your yard is fairly smooth and level, they will do a good job for you. If not, its just a matter of how much you want to spend.

 

[ChuckinNH]

+1 on all of Dodge Man's comments. I've had the same experience with my rough yard and more inexpensive mowers. My first was a Craftsman, and the steering lasted one year, the second was a $4000 dollar Simplicity that gave good service, but I did replace the steering components once in the 12 years, and 1500 hours that I owned it. (The non pressurized B&S engine was still going strong by the way, and I got $1400 in trade for it) My Legacy is a tank by comparison, but still feels light duty compared to the BX22 I had. I never mowed with that, but did other yard stuff like aerating, and dethatching, etc. so I did use it all over the same land. One thing no one has mentioned here is that tractors like the BX depreciate very little, and so their cost of use......... if you can afford the purchase price is probably not any more than a cheap mower over 10 years, or so.

 

[demoman357]

Mowing a 10 acre golf course with 3 Sears riding mowers with 42-inch decks for 10 years has given me the opinion that cheap is the way to go for your application. Assuming that you are mechanically able to repair them. Parts purchased on ebay for tons less than dealer has been good for me. Far les overall investment. My three mowers have an overall investment including everything except fuel is a little over 5 thousand. Previous post was correct about limiting time on angles that prevent proper oil spash. Wash and keep dry and out of weather is also key. Go cheap, keep a wrench, take care.

 

[Soundguy]

I think I'd go batty mowing 10ac with a rider lawnmower!

soundguy

 

[AchingBack]

I think I'd go batty mowing 10ac with a rider lawnmower!

soundguy

That is a lot of fore! play.