Lawn Tractor ?

[John Weaver]

I don't know if this is the correct place to post, but here goes.
I need to replace an old Snapper riding mower. Looking at Snapper, JD, Sabre (made by JD) and Sears. Any experts out there? Is there a mower site I should visit? I trust the comments here. Thanks, John.

 

[rancar]

John,

First , what is your budget and what are your cutting needs (ie, total acreage)? Then we can talk tractors, makes, and models.

Regards.
Bob Ancar
Cambridge, NY

 

[John Weaver]

I need to cut about 2 acres of lawn. Would like to specd less than $2000. I have been using a 28 inch, 8 hp Snapper for last 5 years. It seems a bit small, but does get the job done. John.

 

[rancar]

John,

I don't know much about Snapper. The Sears/Craftman lawn tractors are an economical way to go but their workmanship is very questionable. If you have the chance, just look and compare the mower decks and front axles of Craftman mowers with Snapper and John Deere. You will immediately notice how 'tinny' the Craftman tractor mowers appear to be. Everyone I've known who has had a Sears/Craftman has sold it within 2-3 years...due to engine and/or other mechanical difficulties.

My experience has been with John Deere. I own a 1984 111 with a 11HP engine and 38" mower deck. This size tractor should meet your needs. I have never had a problem with the 111 and I've mowed about 4 acres at a time with it.

The Sabre Lawn Tractors are made by John Deere and are sold in places like Lowe's and Home Depot as well as at JD dealerships. They are a bit less in price than the regular JD lawn tractors but by appearances so is the workmanship. If you go with a Sabre, look at the 14.542GS model (14.5HP w/ 42 in deck). This is the smallest they currently make. The current equivalent of my JD111 is the SST15 (15HP w/ 42in deck), SST16 (16HP w/ 42in deck), and the SST18 (18HP and 42in deck). The aforementioned Sabre model and the SST15 should be in the $2K range or a bit less for the Sabre. Hope this helps.

Bob

 

[PhilNH5]

John,
You might want to visit the tractor forum at Gardenweb.com Lots of discussions and sometimes even useful info. Although they currently seem to be in a premium vs. box store mowers verbal war.

There used to be major Craftsman bashing there but now a strong contigent of Craftsman DLT owners stand up for their tractors. So far the DLT has been getting good reviews. They are in your range and worth a look.

I had a Craftsman 11.5 HP 38' cut lawn tractor for 10 years. I mowed almost one acre. Never was consistent with the maintenance. Oil changes yearly and spark plug and air filter when I remembered to buy them. Had to replace a mandrel after hitting a tree stump. The thing ran great all the time. Used it to haul tons of dirt and sand and bricks as I landscaped.

Moved to NH and used it to haul firewood as well. Gave it away after buying a Toro (fell into a great deal- otherwise would have bought another Craftsman). The Craftsman is still in use as far as I know. So now it is 12 YO.

As mentioned above the JD Sabre and Scotts are in your price range. Around here Sabre is available only at the JD dealers while Scotts is only at HD.

One last note. I no longer post at the garden.web. Issues with spam and the webmaster selling email addys. Besides this site is much better moderated and freindly and helpful. So if you vist the GW you might just want to lurk.

Phil

 

[PhilNH5]

John,
I forgot to mention that TBN has an Lawn and Garden equipment section.

Phil

 

[MikePA]

Thread moved here from [Off Topic & Just For Fun]

 

[Golfgar4]

You could go to <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.lawnsite.com/>Lawnsite</A>. This is a discussion forum for professional landscapers. Most of their talk revolves around the commercial aspects of lawn maintenance, but there is a section devoted solely to "homeowners" who want to ask the pros questions.

 

[rancar]

John,

Forgot to mention in my previous post that you may also want to check out the LT150 (15HP, 5-speed standard tranny, w/38in mower deck). This model is likely a bit less expensive than the SST15 and most certainly in your $2K budget range. This will likely handle 2 acres with ease and then some.

Bob

 

[kbarrett]

John,

I'm starting to appreciate the improvements recently made in the Craftsman line. Especially, the DLT2000. It's a little bit more than $2000 dollars, but it comes with a decent Kohler power plant, Cast Iron front axles and a 10 gauge steel deck.
Understand that it is on sale through 4/20.

It might be worth the look?

Also, as mentioned by others an older JD could be easily had within your price range. I recently spotted a JD316 with 50in deck, hydro and an 18HP ONAN engine. It only had a little over 400 hours on it, and it was going for $2200 at a dealer.
I snoozed and loosed on that one.

The older 300 series are legendary for their reliability. Steer clear of the JD317. There were some issues with that powerplant , but I've heard that a number of them have a replacement engine that's fine. Someone more in the know should be able to come up with the model number to look for.

If you don't mind rowing your own gears, a mid-eighties JD212 might be a consideration. Their turning radius is a bit long, but I've seen them for around $1100-$1400 in good condition.

Scope out the local dealers, folks are trading right now and the USED market should be pretty active. Also scope out the local papers for auctions in your area. A few years back, we picked up an old JD110 for around $550. I was anything but kind to it on my rough property. But it never failed to impress. I recently sold it to someone at work who is into tractor restoration and could easily fix the tranny that was locked in 3rd gear.