Buying Advice Sick and tired of low quality riding lawnmowers

[searcyfarms]

that GT75 was a cream puff, it only had 500ish hours on it when i sold it - i found a brand new 60" deck for it still bolted to the crate on ebay so i had a 48 and 60 deck for it

they people that bought it from me love it - i would have never sold it by my needs changed and i had to get a smaller loader tractor and 4wd or i would have never parted with it.

that lil shibaura diesel was awesome

 

[searcyfarms]

that GT75 was a cream puff, it only had 500ish hours on it when i sold it - i found a brand new 60" deck for it still bolted to the crate on ebay so i had a 48 and 60 deck for it

they people that bought it from me love it - i would have never sold it by my needs changed and i had to get a smaller loader tractor and 4wd or i would have never parted with it.

that lil shibaura diesel was awesome - never lacked for power, sipped fuel, started in the extreme cold, I worked on it over the winter in my shop so it didnt take up too much time, im not retired!!!

 

[HEC]

A J.Deere 370 has a power lift @ power steering with a 42inch cut and will cost around $4100 plus tax . Not a bad machine , so much better than a Husqvarna . Husqvarna has known about other problems such as a weak frame , Tranny support etc. for years and does nothing about it . I have a 1996 toro wheelhorse that has seen lots of use and is still going strong , other than a new belt once in awhile , plugs and oil changes that's it .

 

[shooterdon]

Please do not flame me...

He is 86. A $2000 rider will last his lifetime unless he is cutting more than 3 acres. My Big Box store Husqvarna YTH24K48 is 7 years old and still works well. I cut 1.5 acres. I figure the cheap riders like mine will last about 300 hours with normal maintenance. I put about 20 hours a year on mine...15 years of use in my case. I am in my late sixties and will be in my mid seventies when I should need to replace my Husky. I will likely get a cheap ZT as it will reduce my mowing time to 12 hours a year. With a 300 hour service life that will be 25 years. I doubt I will be cutting grass when I am 100...if I make it that far.

People who have low usage make a poor decision when they buy a machine good for over 1000 hours. Unless you are younger and can benefit from the investment, it is a more about bragging rights and pride of ownership for many people.

 

[Motorboatin]

I see that, but quality pro grade mowers these days are all zero turn?

They are z turn but the new Cub Cadet has a steering wheel. My neighbor just bought this...link...because his wife didn't like the handles. I like it but I'm going with a stander. Probably a Wright

Pro Z Steering Wheel Zero-turn | Commercial Zero Turn Mowers | Cub Cadet

 

[dalola]

If you really want a "quality" tractor mower, you'll need to pad your check book a bit and get a SCUT, such as the KB BX1880 or JD 1025. The high-end JD riders are a horrible value compared to a SCUT.

Otherwise, think about a ZTR, or close your eyes and get a cheap rider. Unfortunately, no other solid choices. Maybe a lawn care service?

 

[attract her]

"the new Cub Cadet has a steering wheel." Mb #15

I did not know that.

 

[wagne223]

My father's Husqvarna riding mower with Kholer 26 HP Courage (SV735S) engine is bending/breaking starter motor shafts. Not sure what is going on with that, but I notice when working on the mower how cheaply made everything is. My personal riding mower is an early 80's Ford LGT17H that I picked up on CL for $250 8 years ago. I've never had to do anything to it, it's built so much better than any of the crap I see at big box stores these days. The Cub Cadet Hydro my father had when I was growing up was the last riding mower he owned that wasn't full of cheaply made Asian parts, and that thing lasted a good 25 years.

My father wants me to help him buy a "good" riding mower, Made in USA, and he can spend like $3500. I'm not sure those things go together these days... He spent around $3700 on this Husqvarna mower and I can't believe what he got for $3700, it's a throw away machine. Two years after he bought it both coils failed, and it turns out it was a design flaw and the coils were redesigned, iirc he spent like $300 on new coils. Now this starter shaft issue, I see that Kholer redesigned the starter to have 9 teeth instead of 10 so they could make the weak shaft larger in diameter... This is BS for something he paid $3700 for IMO.

He's 86, recovering from a stroke and I don't think he can lean how to use a zero turn in his current state. So, wondering where to start researching for a new riding, HST, ~54" cut lawnmower? I'd love to buy an older machine on CL and fix it up for him but I simply do not have the time, so need to find a unit to buy that isn't junk.

You did not directly ask this, however if you are interested...... a very common reason for a starter housing, shaft or gear to break is the ignition timing being off.
This could be a module or crank sensor(if electronic) or the ignition coils which you mentioned an issue with.

You are correct though, riding mowers are mostly a few years use and then dispose of.

 

[nards444]

The answer has been pretty well covered, to get what you want your going to be all in for about 10-12k in a scut. With that said I have a Husqvarna 254 from lowes 5 years old no issues. If it last 10 years and I have to buy again Im still cheaper than buying a JD zero turn that may go 20.

All machines at certain price points have their market and use. If your doing an acre or two, I dont see the reason to spend 15k on a mower, crazy.

Think on my 254 for 150 bucks i had a warranty for 5 years, it breaks they come fix it at my house, cant fix it, new machine. For light use big box stuff is not a bad idea or option.

Theres also the low end commercial zero turns out there for about 5k. IMO lawn tractors are a thing of the past, if you strictly use it for just mowing your wasting your time with a lawn tractor.

 

[RickB]

I see that, but quality pro grade mowers these days are all zero turn?

The market niche you are looking in is filled by diesel powered sub compact utility tractors. Something like a Kubota BX1880 with a mid mount deck.