my next lawn mower?

[GaryS]

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.

I've been looking for a used 318 for a while now and wanted to make sure it had the power I will need. It would be near impossible to ask someone to demo a used 318 on my property.

I knew the Sears was a short-term solution and it will certainly serve it's purpose.

How does one tell if a machine has a belt-driven hydro? For example, what about the Deere x300s? From the Deere web site, it's simply listed as a "K46 automatic".

I also gotta check out the walk-behinds that Gatorboy suggests. I think they have to be the safest things on hills.

One last question - how do you figure a good price for a 318? I see them on ebay for ~$1500 - my local dealer says they go in the low $2k range and I saw one while in Maryland and the guy was asking $3400!! What should I expect to pay for a good, used 318?

 

[Lindblom Lawn Care]

How fast were you trying to climb the hill? With a hydro the more speed you need to make up the hill the more power needed more heat generated. (like an auto transmission in a car or truck.) You might have to reduce speed to make the hill, and in theory make up for it on the downhill side .

For your needs the craftsman should be okay as a short term solution. It is also new. As for a JD 318, yes they are well built but 20, or more, years older, but you might be in the same boat as far a solution. A new engine for a 318 can run anywhere from $1200 to $1800. With a new engine you are still left with a 20 year old mower.

I think (but cannot verify it) JD x300 uses a vertical shaft engine, one belt drive to the deck and one the transmission. Thus being called a belt drive hydro.

I, if given the choice, would rather run a 20 year old John Deere than a brand new craftsman. But that is a personal preference.

 

[Fordlords]

Generally speaking, if the tractor has a vertical crankshaft engine, it will have a belt driven hydro. One must go all the way up to an X700 for $10k in the JD lineup to get shaft drive on a new JD today.

A good used 318 will be around $2k. They have a heavy duty shaft drive hydro much like the one used in my Cub Cadet and they have no problems tackling the hills. (The 318 can pull it's heart out!) The stock P18 Onan engine used in the 318 is no longer made, but it can either be rebuilt or replaced with one of a few retrofit kits available if needed so it will be many decades before you no longer see JD 318's roaming the Earth Running a 318 or bigger brother 400 series are like riding in a Coupe De Ville while cutting the grass- very smooth and comfy, and the power steering is effortless.

-Fordlords-

 

[JJT]

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

My Kubota ZD21 handles the hills just fine. It would be serious overkill for your 1.5 acres.

 

[lowerAla]

Some of the discussion has been on belt driven "light duty" hydro transmissions. Questions: Are all belt driven sure to be "light duty"? Would all of that class be expected to overheat under a load? If there are belt driven that are not "light duty" what brands? Would one be better off with a belt drive non-hydro tranny compared to one of the light duty hydros?