Mowing Most Inexpensive Solution For Lawn Mowing

[Dougster]

I'm thinking that statement is already a classic! I loved it.

I must admit... I did laugh out loud at it. It also demonstrated the big difference in thinking between little old Taxachusetts and the Lone Star state!!!

I'm also impressed at the forethought you had in purchasing a your tractor with respect to the garage that would house it. I wish I had your wisdom.

Well, I'll take any compliment... ...but frankly, it just happened to work out that way. My garage was purposely designed & built oversized (extra deep and high overhead with an easy option to add extra tall doors) because it was originally intended to house a trailerable sailboat. The trailerable sailboat never came (we went bigger and marina-based instead), but the Red Beast eventually did.

But before the Red Beast came along, I almost bought a Deere 110 TLB... which because of its 4-Post ROPS/FOPS would have been a "hide it well in the back yard" Yellow Beast. I also came very close on a big old used Kioti right before I found the Red Beast and fell in love with it. The Kioti would have also had to remain a backyard-dwelling machine.

Dougster

 

[civesnedfield]

Oh, Ed just likes to goof on me 'cause he owns a new 4530 and lives in a fancy hotel and eats Lobsta and Fillet Mignon with a perfect Dry Martini every single night. Meanwhile I eat generic peanut butter sandwiches made on bread I get from the stale bread store.

How does that song go? "Some gotta win, some got to lose... good time Charlie's got the blues..."

Doug you are just jealous, keep this up and you are never gonna get that free lunch I promised you.

Originally Posted by bindian
"Any tractor you can park in your house's garage is little."

I think it should be a classic. Now what you need to do is build your garage after you buy a tractor or just live by my motto "Go Big or Die" By the way Doug when the garage is finished it will be 30x60 with 15 foot cieling height. I would really like to put in a pit but the wont let me use TNT anymore.

The trailerable sailboat never came (we went bigger and marina-based instead), but the Red Beast eventually did.

You know the more I find out the more I wonder. Yesterday it was the Vette, and the Harley, now I hear about a marina based boat. I am having a hard time feeling sorry for Dirt Poor Doug.

 

[bindian]

Oh come on now Brandi! You can't rebuild a little car transmission???

Ouch!!! Now that hurt!!!

Dougster

Dougster,
The little transmissions are the harder ones to rebuild. Besides, I became an aircraft mechanic because airplanes don't drop dried mud in your face while working on them the way cars and trucks do. I don't mind getting dirty, but I don't like dirt in my face when I am working underneath something. The Big Red Beast gets a rinse off every time I play in the mud.
I couldn't resist. After you told us you have to prop up your BH stabilizers so they won't drop on the Vette. Way before I decided on a new tractor, I was looking at used tractors. I almost bought a 71 HP Zetor. That thing was so big, it would cast a shadow on all of my 6520.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

Brandi that is a nice lookin' lawnmower. But how do you attach a loader?

I am just tired of the regular lawn mowers and their little 4 cycle engines. They seem to just up and die on you whenever they feel like it. I've been reading about repowering my JD210 with a Briggs and Straton Vanguard 18hp but that would be $1-1.6k. I'd rather have a small diesel cut that I could clean out buildings with also and other small jobs where my 6500 can't reach.

Don't know if it's going to happen this fall though. I am rebuilding a 73 JEEP, putting a new radiator and water pump in my 440IC JD crawler, new points and coil and maybe regulator in the 300 IH utility, and trying to get the regular chores done at the same time. Might have to wait till next year. Hopefully I can make the 210 limp along to keep the lawn down otherwise the goats have another field to take care of .

Tim,
It would be too hard to pop wheelies with a loader on my mower. I understand about little 4 cycles dying on your. I wanted to buy a diesel zero turn mower, but I just couldn't see paying $8-9,000 for a lawnmower. I went with the Hustler because it's deck leading edge is 1/2 inch think. I had a Snapper riding mower and the deck leading edge always got bent by roots.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

Howdy Brandi,
Wow!!! OK, I drive Ford trucks, which means I'm very familiar with rebuilding transmissions - well, that is to say I'm familiar with paying someone else to do that. Most expensive one was about $1800. What was your daughter driving that's so expensive? Ferrari?



What if you live in a barn? Some of the horse barns here in KY are nicer than my house.

As for Zero Turn mowers, you can't beat a Grasshopper, front deck instead of a belly deck, but they are pricey. I really like the EXmark brand as well. Made very well, excellent cut, controls easy to access.

Spiveyman,
My daughter had a 1994 Nissan Altima. We had already rebuilt the transmission once. She only had it 4 and 1/2 years.
If you live in a barn, I am betting the neighbors don't care if you park the tractor outside in plain site.
I bought the Hustler from the same salesman that sold me my 6520. He said all those commerical grade zero turn mowers well good enough for me to buy. I haven't seen a Grasshopper, but a dealer nearby has the Dixie Chopper.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Dougster]

Doug you are just jealous, keep this up and you are never gonna get that free lunch I promised you. I think it should be a classic. Now what you need to do is build your garage after you buy a tractor or just live by my motto "Go Big or Die" By the way Doug when the garage is finished it will be 30x60 with 15 foot cieling height. I would really like to put in a pit but the wont let me use TNT anymore. You know the more I find out the more I wonder. Yesterday it was the Vette, and the Harley, now I hear about a marina based boat. I am having a hard time feeling sorry for Dirt Poor Doug.

I like that slogan Ed: "Go Big or Die"!!! It fits with the whole New Hampshire thang!!!

Okay... okay... so you will have a garage bigger than mine!!! You need it for the "Tank" anyway.

Let me tell you... All those toys were from a past life Ed. A time and place far, far away... long, long ago. It all went away following my lay-off and subsequent/current state of semi-retirement. None of it means anything now. All I've got now is this half jar of generic peanut butter (non-crunchy) and a few remaining slices of stale bread.

Dougster

 

[Dougster]

I couldn't resist. After you told us you have to prop up your BH stabilizers so they won't drop on the Vette.
hugs, Brandi

OH MAN!!! Go ahead and hurt my feelings even more why don't ya!!!

Have mercy on this poor senile under-employed old man! We can't all have a great, fun job... serious southern acreage... and a nifty new pole barn to store our machines in!

Dougster

 

[bindian]

I'm thinking that statement is already a classic! I loved it.

I'm also impressed at the forethought you had in purchasing a your tractor with respect to the garage that would house it. I wish I had your wisdom. First I bought a truck that wouldn't fit in my 1.9 car garage, so it's doomed for out door parking, then I bought a tractor that's too tall for my barn! I can get it in one section of a shed on one side of my barn. I have my implements ligned up in a shed on the other side, but with the new canopy I just realized I won't be able to back in there and get them! The ROPS was already scraping the beam! Well. I guess I need a new barn now.

When Southwest Airlines bought our newest plane, the Boeing 737 -700, her tail was taller than the Houston hangar door opening. So we had the opening knoched out for the tail to clear. Now there is a little garage door (little compared to the hangar doors) up there that rolls up. Maybe you can modifly your barn or even raise one side for the rops to clear?
hugs, Brandi

 

[Spiveyman]

If you live in a barn, I am betting the neighbors don't care if you park the tractor outside in plain site.
I bought the Hustler from the same salesman that sold me my 6520. He said all those commerical grade zero turn mowers well good enough for me to buy. I haven't seen a Grasshopper, but a dealer nearby has the Dixie Chopper.

Now, I didn't say I lived in a barn - that was a hypothetical. I live in a house out in the country so the neighbors don't have much say. Actually I can only see a couple of houses from mine and I plan to build a new barn (much bigger) between us so that I won't even be able to see them!!

Here's a link for the Grasshoppers. It is a heavy industrial model:
GRASSHOPPER® Mowers | Zero Turn commercial grade riding lawn mowers | Built to Last | Official Site

My dad got lucky and bought one off a friend who was old and rich and lost interest in it. Even came with a massive snow blower which is silly given the 3" of snow we get a year. The main difference besides the really thick metal and 70's style operating panel that will survive a hand grenage, is the mowing deck out front. Awesome for visibility and getting under trees.

 

[civesnedfield]

I like that slogan Ed: "Go Big or Die"!!! It fits with the whole New Hampshire thang!!!

Okay... okay... so you will have a garage bigger than mine!!! You need it for the "Tank" anyway.

Let me tell you... All those toys were from a past life Ed. A time and place far, far away... long, long ago. It all went away following my lay-off and subsequent/current state of semi-retirement. None of it means anything now. All I've got now is this half jar of generic peanut butter (non-crunchy) and a few remaining slices of stale bread.

Dougster

He He you are so much fun to pick on Doug. What you have to remember when you finally do move to NH and are building your, garage/shop/barn, is to size it with this in mind. You need to consider the amount of space you require right now plus how much you need in the future. It is easier to build that to renovate.