my next lawn mower?

[GaryS]

I got my Craftsman LS4500LE over the weekend and cut the yard with it. It did a good job but my hills are going to kill this machine. I cut about 1.5 acres and a good portion is hills. The hills are steep enough to really cause the machine some distress. I cut them vertically and the tractor strains making it up. Being 2wd and lacking a limited slip differential is also a problem.

I think that I need to get a 4wd machine with a low center of gravity and some decent HP. I've been keeping a sharp eye peeled for a used JD318. I know it's 2wd and I now wonder if I should be looking for something like a JD2210 or a Kubota equivalent. New/used, brand and color are all unimportant.

What about the walk-behind mowers? Safety is really important. I'd sure hate to have "cutting grass" be my cause of death

 

[MrJimi]

I got my Craftsman LS4500LE over the weekend and cut the yard with it. It did a good job but my hills are going to kill this machine. I cut about 1.5 acres and a good portion is hills. The hills are steep enough to really cause the machine some distress. I cut them vertically and the tractor strains making it up. Being 2wd and lacking a limited slip differential is also a problem.

I think that I need to get a 4wd machine with a low center of gravity and some decent HP. I've been keeping a sharp eye peeled for a used JD318. I know it's 2wd and I now wonder if I should be looking for something like a JD2210 or a Kubota equivalent. New/used, brand and color are all unimportant.

What about the walk-behind mowers? Safety is really important. I'd sure hate to have "cutting grass" be my cause of death

please excuse me, a acre and a half with a walkbehind???
Your kidding ? right or your 20 years old or less
Jim

 

[slowrev]

I mowed 1.6 acres all last year with a self propelled walk behind. I am 52 yrs old.

 

[GaryS]

please excuse me, a acre and a half with a walkbehind???
Your kidding ? right or your 20 years old or less
Jim

Until now, I've been using a 15yo Craftsman push mower with broken back wheels

What I had in mind was the "float behind" mower something like this: Husqvarna WG4815P. There's a little platform that can attach behind the mower and the operator appears to float along the yard.

 

[MrJimi]

OK!! you guys are tough ( smiley face here ) I am 59 and this is a NO WAy thing for me, power to you and be very careful with this mowing thing.
Jim

 

[Fordlords]

I'm sure it's just personal preference and the exercise thing, but I find any walk behind mower good or bad is just too hard to use and drink beer at the same time Reason enough not to want one LOL!

I don't recommend the smaller belt driven hydros such as those found on the inexpensive LT's for moderate or very hilly terrain. If you got a used JD318 or used shaft driven Cub Cadet or other true garden tractor with heavier duty hydro you would notice the difference right away, that being they don't bog down nearly as much on the hills, and in fact many will bury their rear tires into the ground long before the hydro will come to a stop. Even an older gear driven JD or Cub won't bog down much, and the heavier rear ends and larger rear tires are much less prone to spinning. The, "sucks on hills," comment is very common from owners of the tractors equipped with light duty hydro trannies. Those hydros also don't hold much oil, and when you put your hand on the casing after is has been bogging and feel how hot it gets, you know it's being overworked.

-Fordlords-

 

[Gatorboy]

What about the walk-behind mowers?

Walk-behinds such as Scag, Exmark, Hustler, are the best value in my opinion. You can cut just about as fast as a ZTR for a fraction of the cost. The quality and reliability is excellent. There is no effort in walking behind these bad-boys and if you want a sulky, you can add one of those for just standing and taking a ride.

I'd say anything below 2 acres is a good candidate for a walk-behind. You should be able to cut an acre in an hour or less with a 48"-deck and less time with a 52" or 60"-deck.

If you have never tried one, I suggest finding a dealer to let you give one a try. They are sweet!

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Walk-behinds such as Scag, Exmark, Hustler, are the best value in my opinion. You can cut just about as fast as a ZTR for a fraction of the cost. The quality and reliability is excellent. There is no effort in walking behind these bad-boys and if you want a sulky, you can add one of those for just standing and taking a ride.

I'd say anything below 2 acres is a good candidate for a walk-behind. You should be able to cut an acre in an hour or less with a 48"-deck and less time with a 52" or 60"-deck.

If you have never tried one, I suggest finding a dealer to let you give one a try. They are sweet!

Our church bought a used EXMARK ZTR mower 3 years ago. It became a community project TRYING to keep it running. (Church lot is 2.75 acres) This spring, we traded for a SCAG walk-behind, with the stand-on sulky. It's just as easy to operate, cuts just as fast, (faster when you don't need to overhaul it every time you cut) and was about 2/3 the cost of a comparable ZTR. Add to that, it's a ton more convenient cutting around and under shrubs and small trees. I'd recomend one in a heartbeat.

 

[slowrev]

Some ZTR's do not handle hills very well. Are they really a good choice for someone with hills ?

 

[MT372HERE]

Well, I know from experience about those inxpensive little hydro units...they arent any good after a couple years. Just cutting grass, mine was on its way out, just cutting 1 acre of flat grass.

They dont hold much fluid, and they arent sealed up all that well. The little fans do a poor job of cooling one off after it gets grass built up on the fins.

They have pressure releafs inside to prevent blowing the little pump to bits. If you ever latch onto something solid, and you put the lever all the way forward and the tires dont move...the relief valve is open, bypassing oil.

If you can try to imagine, comparing the pumps in these mowers, to those i nthe old John Deeres, 140, 316, 318, 425 and so on.. Is like comparing a 90's Toyota pickup to a Big Demag dump truck.

They have their own special uses, but if you overexert the little one, trying to do big things with it, you'll destroy it!