Teachu2
Platinum Member
We moved to the mountains last year, to a 5 acre property with some pretty steep terrain. Included with the property was a JD L130 riding mower with a 48" deck. It's ready for a transaxle, and I'm debating replacing it with something else.
Our lawn is small. I bought a Honda walk behind mower, and can mow the lawn in 15-20 minutes. It does such a great job that I mow the foxtails on the hillside that is the back yard with it - it bags the foxtails, so my dogs don't get into them. That leaves about 4 acres of native grass, weeds, and trees - hundreds of oaks - and some steep terrain. My Kioti DX3510 goes everywhere I need to go with a 5' brush hog, but the wife would like the three acres or so she can see around the house to be a bit finer cut, and without the furrows from the cutter's skirt when it drags.
The previous owner actually mowed all of the property with the L130 when it was new. As that took it's toll on the transaxle, they quit doing it and hired it out.
My options (so far):
1) Rebuild/replace the K45 in the L130, and let the wife mow with it. Probably add a ROPS, as it lacks one and it would be easy to roll it on several of our hillsides. $1k
2) Upgrade the transaxle to a K76. Add ROPS. $2k
3) Sell the L130 as parts, and buy a much better mower. Either of us could use it. $6-10K
4) Sell the L130 as parts, and buy a rear finish mower for the Kioti. I doubt the wife would use it, but she might. $2-3k.
Any other options I haven't listed? (Grazing animals are not an option...)
Our lawn is small. I bought a Honda walk behind mower, and can mow the lawn in 15-20 minutes. It does such a great job that I mow the foxtails on the hillside that is the back yard with it - it bags the foxtails, so my dogs don't get into them. That leaves about 4 acres of native grass, weeds, and trees - hundreds of oaks - and some steep terrain. My Kioti DX3510 goes everywhere I need to go with a 5' brush hog, but the wife would like the three acres or so she can see around the house to be a bit finer cut, and without the furrows from the cutter's skirt when it drags.
The previous owner actually mowed all of the property with the L130 when it was new. As that took it's toll on the transaxle, they quit doing it and hired it out.
My options (so far):
1) Rebuild/replace the K45 in the L130, and let the wife mow with it. Probably add a ROPS, as it lacks one and it would be easy to roll it on several of our hillsides. $1k
2) Upgrade the transaxle to a K76. Add ROPS. $2k
3) Sell the L130 as parts, and buy a much better mower. Either of us could use it. $6-10K
4) Sell the L130 as parts, and buy a rear finish mower for the Kioti. I doubt the wife would use it, but she might. $2-3k.
Any other options I haven't listed? (Grazing animals are not an option...)