Buying Advice Need Advice On How To & What To Mow This With

[MetroHick]

Mud ... I have considered this. I've considered it seriously. Plus, I want an ATV. Not shown in the pics, at the bottom of the property, we have a campsite. LED string lights. Big fire pit. Tent goes up in the beginning of summer and comes down a week or two too late in winter. We prefer the kids park up top and walk down. Even us though, we forget something then you're walking aaaaaalllllll the way back up the hill to get matches, or ... whatever. An ATV would be really nice to trek back and forth. Getting a tow behind would be a great solution. My concern with it is tight turns, mowing around trees and tight spots.

This solution is still in the hunt though. Really appreciate your input.

 

[AxleHub]

That a way Metro - you're back in the hunt again. However I never saw in prior posts that the number was only $1,000. That's a pretty low threshold for an atv. Heck, its a pretty low threshold for any kind of cutter other than a couple weedwackers and a wagon.

But on a more serious note again: Currently you sidehill cut. Would your slope arrangement allow "up and over" cutting instead? If so - that could easily change requirements.

 

[sandman2234]

I could sell you a used Steiner, but shipping would be more than that....sorry! Only way I see that happening is the way I got my Steiner.
I got a call from a friend who knew I was looking for a bigger tractor. His company decided to auction off the older equipment and replace it with a different style. He told me the auction was in a few hours, and needed to be "cash". I was at work, but checked quick cash resources. Came up with $3K and 10 minutes after the auction started, called him with another $500 in cash availability. He said "too late", auction was over (IN 10 MINUTES???) So I said... did we get a tractor? Nope...but we got a lawnmower. Me:Tell me about it...was my reply. $503, Steiner. Kubota diesel, doesn't run. Has 2 mowing deck (Me: Doesn't run) Has a blower (Me: doesn't run) Has 4 wheel drive (ME: doesn't run) Hydro-static drive (Me: doesn't run) He finally got tired of my negative attitude and said "I can get it running"... Turned out somebody left key on after they drove it to the auction area and a quick jump got it running. I got there after work and he was driving around on it. Used the Steiner for years as my main mower and back up power supply for my house. (bought a 10K generator head for it).
David from jax

 

[pmsmechanic]

So I just read through this thread in one go. Since you're asking for ideas....

I have a 72" Farm King mower that used to scalp a lot. Once I added a roller under the deck to keep the middle blade out of the dirt that problem was solved.

The unsaid "theme" coming through is that it's your wife that wants the pristine lawn and it's your problem to make it look like a park. You mentioned that a wider mower deck scalped too much. That's not a hard problem to solve. (See above paragraph.)

I would buy the widest deck available because I have far better things to do with my time than mow lawn with a small deck. If your wife doesn't like the untrimmed areas then either buy her a push mower to help you out or send her around several times a year with a jug of roundup.

Happy Wife = Happy Life.... very true but a guy needs a life too. As has been already mentioned, you're not going to be able to keep this up when your 60. Believe me the time to change this to the point where you can handle it is now while you have the energy to change things. I wish you well!

I've never been sorry when I spent the money on tools that are more than enough to do the job. A large underworked tractor is a lot safer and more enjoyable to use than a small overworked one.

 

[AxleHub]

Pmsmechanic,

I think you're completely wrong. . . I think Metro does exactly what he wants to do and the wife is a convenient "reason". The tone of his posts is that he likes the look of that whole area cut. And if you look at his first pictures he showed us, one of them shows tracking tears in the lawn where the current mower digs in or wears on the lawn.

If I were to look into the crystal ball I'd guess Metro wants the slope areas to look nicer than they do right now but doesn't want to spend a big pile of money to accomplish it. Seems reasonable to be conservative after you build or buy a nice house like that.

You're seeing in his writing that he's the worker bee and his wife is the queen bee. I on the other hand think Metro has earned his money the hard way and wants to hold on to some off it lol. For far too many of us - the days of "easy come, easy go" may rapidly change when the markets start correcting as they will and the media starts actually reporting on all the business retailers and restaurants closing as they are.

I predict Metro will start looking back over the suggestions some more on this thread . . . maybe even do a little reading about cub cadet i1046 and i1050 mowers lol.

By the way, on our considerable slopes my neighbor has trouble with his 60 inch deck with scalping. Meanwhile my Massey mulching deck (54 inch) has no scalping issues at all because that deck has 4 wheels and 4 rollers along with its 6 blades.

Pmsmechanic, you're always a sharp poster. . . but this time I think you got fooled by Metro. . . I think he wants a mowing solution but he also wants other toys like an atv or a utv. Just my opinion. I think that youthful determination isn't such a bad thing - it doesn't always pay off - but neither does spending recklessly. We all have different sized wallets and incomes and comfort levels in spending.

jmho

 

[aczlan]

For $1000, I would look at a used commercial zero turn with 1000-2000 hours on it and around a 60” deck, then put ATV tires on it.
You should also be able to find a used 48-60" tow behind mower for $500-1000 depending on condition and what the market will bear, no idea on ATV prices though.

Aaron Z

 

[atsah]

If I owned that place I would be sitting on the porch sipping something while watching a landscape crew with commercial mowing equipment cut the grass, hours of mowing is not for me.

 

[AxleHub]

For $1000, I would look at a used commercial zero turn with 1000-2000 hours on it and around a 60” deck, then put ATV tires on it.
You should also be able to find a used 48-60" tow behind mower for $500-1000 depending on condition and what the market will bear, no idea on ATV prices though.

Aaron Z

Greetings Aczlan, I think you add numbers like a salesman - like me - a 1000 here and a 1000 there and a few hundred for tires there and . . . . . . and Metro's $1000 solution is your $2500 answer LOL. I'm not saying he's going to succeed - but not so many years ago a 1985 Honda riding mower was my "new solution" in 2007 for 8 years and $600 invested. LOL

AxleHub

 

[AxleHub]

If I owned that place I would be sitting on the porch sipping something while watching a landscape crew with commercial mowing equipment cut the grass, hours of mowing is not for me.

And that landscaping crew's bill would be keeping you working to pay it. sipping something on the porch for me, would be water because I'd be sweating like crazy how big that commercial bill would be each week LOL. And don't forget - in Metro's area of the country - growing and cutting season is a lot more than 5 months a year LOL.

When I see nice houses like Metro's or mine - I seldom assume they are owned - just "house sitting" for the bank LOL. And I'm in Wisconsin - think what his house costs where he lives with their cost of areas cost of living and residential - that's a lot of savings to make those payments for many people.

AxleHub

 

[atsah]

And that landscaping crew's bill would be keeping you working to pay it. sipping something on the porch for me, would be water because I'd be sweating like crazy how big that commercial bill would be each week LOL. And don't forget - in Metro's area of the country - growing and cutting season is a lot more than 5 months a year LOL.

When I see nice houses like Metro's or mine - I seldom assume they are owned - just "house sitting" for the bank LOL. And I'm in Wisconsin - think what his house costs where he lives with their cost of areas cost of living and residential - that's a lot of savings to make those payments for many people.

AxleHub

I hear ya, wouldn't cost much to mow that place in these parts every couple of weeks.