Which lawn tractor to buy?

[etpm]

Hi All,
I have a Deere L130 lawn tractor that is at the end of its useful life. Last summer I was going to replace it with the equivalent Deere product. I called the 2 closest Deere dealerships, talked with a couple salesmen, and never heard back. I even emailed the dealerships. No replies. I guess I wasn't gonna be spending enough money.
Now, a year later, I REALLY need a new lawn tractor. And even though I wanted a John Deere a year ago I think I no longer do. With all the folks being fired and production being moved to Mexico I wonder if I buy a Deere product today if it will be supported 10 years from now. And I'm peeved that production is being moved to Mexico, with dramatically lower labor costs, without Deere lowering prices.
So, I'm looking for opinions on other brands. One thing I really like on my current machine is the electric clutch for the mower deck. I really dislike the belt clutches that just tension the belt with a lever. It has been my experience that the electric clutch systems have longer belt life, cheaper belts, because they are shorter, and have fewer problems. So I want a machine with the electric clutch.
Any help choosing would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You,
Eric

 

[stevem5215]

How long do you want it to last ? Are you using accessories ? How big is the area you cut ? How fast do you want to cut it ? Do you need a suspension mower seat or unit ? Is the terrain terrible for bumps ? All questions to answer first.

 

[hiddentacocatneddih]

Who makes one anymore ? Everyone has a zero turn

Husqvarna?

I have a cheap Husqvarna that I paid $200 for with ~50 hours . It's got over 650 hours now and it's falling apart.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Since you're asking about riding mowers...

I'm still very happy with my Husqvarna. I bought it at the "evil big box store" (Lowes), 8 years (?) ago. It currently has I think around 250 hrs on it. It has the orange welded "armored" deck, that some folks think you are only able to buy at a Husq dealer (not true).

Other than blades, and 1 battery 2-3 years ago, I haven't had to do anything to it. Not until this summer, when I ran over a couple of impervious objects that wiped out my mower spindles (took out the blades too). So I did just (a month ago) replace all 3 spindles, but that was due to operator mishap.

I pull carts, wagons and a sprayer with this riding mower, and have done so since it was new. I just used it today to pull my 30 gallon sprayer around and spray for grass and weeds in my gravel.

I think it cost me $2K when it was brand new, and I'm happy enough with it that I would buy another one if this one died.

 

[oldnslo]

I believe most Deere mowers are made in Horicon Wisconsin and have not seen anything about moving that assembly plant to Mexico but anything is possible. Deere and MTD are about the only two companies making lawn tractors anymore. They both make some cheap junk and better quality machines.

I would not purchase a rider that does not have a tie rod connecting the two front tires. Seems like almost all the lower cost models do not have this and after a couple hundred hours the front tires do track straight.

On Deere I believe you need to step up to X3** series to get away from this feature.

Not sure what models on Cub Cadet which is MTD.

 

[Richard001]

Hi All,
I have a Deere L130 lawn tractor that is at the end of its useful life.

So, I'm looking for opinions on other brands. One thing I really like on my current machine is the electric clutch for the mower deck. I really dislike the belt clutches that just tension the belt with a lever. It has been my experience that the electric clutch systems have longer belt life, cheaper belts, because they are shorter, and have fewer problems. So I want a machine with the electric clutch.
Any help choosing would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You,
Eric

I'm not sure that the electric clutch's are more problem free. I have seen a lot of reports that the way the clutch slams into motion tends to break belts.

And when the electric clutch fails, you are looking at a big price for a new clutch.

But it doesn't really matter, as I don't think you can purchase a new lawn tractor that does NOT have an electric clutch.


Richard

 

[TractorNoob85]

I have a JD S140 lawn tractor. PTO engages manually using a lever at the steering wheel. I wouldn't recommend the JD though. My model was $3200 and it doesn't even have front & rear casters on the deck. I am not impressed with the construction of the mower at all. The Cub Cadet I had before was far superior and was similar in model/price.

 

[TractorNoob85]

I'm not sure that the electric clutch's are more problem free. I have seen a lot of reports that the way the clutch slams into motion tends to break belts.

And when the electric clutch fails, you are looking at a big price for a new clutch.

But it doesn't really matter, as I don't think you can purchase a new lawn tractor that does NOT have an electric clutch.


Richard

I replaced the electric PTO clutch on a Scag Turf Tiger last year. The part cost $650. So yeah, they are very expensive.

 

[tacticalturnip]

I believe most Deere mowers are made in Horicon Wisconsin and have not seen anything about moving that assembly plant to Mexico but anything is possible. Deere and MTD are about the only two companies making lawn tractors anymore. They both make some cheap junk and better quality machines.

I would not purchase a rider that does not have a tie rod connecting the two front tires. Seems like almost all the lower cost models do not have this and after a couple hundred hours the front tires do track straight.

On Deere I believe you need to step up to X3** series to get away from this feature.

Not sure what models on Cub Cadet which is MTD.

The Deere 100 and 200 series machines are made in Greeneville, Tennessee.

If the Deere dealer isn't interested in taking your money, perhaps a Cub Cadet dealer would? When the Deere folks around me had no urge to sell me an S240 I went to my nearby Cub Cadet dealer and picked up a rough equivalent in the XT2 LX46. So far I've been quite pleased with it.

I'll copy/paste a post I made on MTF about this subject, I go into a fair amount of detail.

 

[tacticalturnip]

Here you go.

You've got a 1/2 acre and it's mostly flat? The world is your oyster, you've got a lawn that almost any machine would be happy on.

From there, I would avoid anything with a TL200 or T40J transaxle; these are the bottom of the barrel, originally having been developed for rear-engine riders. Machines with these transaxles include the majority of both the Cub Cadet XT1 lineup, and the Deere S100 lineup.

Up from there is the K46, which is considerably better than the TL200/T40J. The K46 in the past developed a poor reputation, but it's not deserved in my thoughts. For one, many of the folks that had issue with them pushed them too hard; the K46 is a lawn tractor transaxle, and it works great for that purpose. Mowing, pulling a lawn cart, things of that nature- it's great. Even pushing a snowblower in the winter is fine. Where you run into trouble is when you try to work ground engaging equipment; that and large or steep hills. These tasks result in the transaxle heating up quickly, and that breaks down the oil in them. Once that oil no longer lubricates the end is near. Unfortunately the K46, like the aforementioned TL200/T40J, is considered a sealed unit. There is no filter, and no easy way of replacing the oil. However, it doesn't have to work as hard as the TL200/T40J, so it's going to stay a little cooler naturally.

You'll see the K46 in the Cub Cadet XT1 LT50 and ST54 and most of the XT2 lineup, as well as the John Deere S170, S180, S240, X330, X350, and X354. It's quite literally the most commonly used lawn tractor transaxle on the market, seeing use with Husqvarna and high-end Troy-Bilt lawn tractors as well. I wouldn't recommend any modern Husqvarna, however, due to their weak frames.

From there you've got the K57/58 transaxles, which are basically serviceable K46's; they've got a filter, the fluid can be changed, but you'll only see them in high-end lawn tractors and low-end garden tractors. I wouldn't consider any machine with the K57/58 a garden tractor, but I'm not Cub Cadet. Still, they're great transaxles for a mower, quite long-legged. You'll find these on the Cub Cadet XT1 GT54 and Cub Cadet XT2 GX50, as well as the John Deere X370, X380, X384, and X390.

From this point onward you're getting into garden tractors, and if you'd like I can go into that, but honestly- you're the prime market for a lawn tractor.

You'll notice I focused on Cub Cadet and John Deere, this is for a reason; Simplicity is kaput, Husqvarna doesn't make a frame that won't fold, the new Murray machines are toys, and Craftsman/Troy-Bilt can be directly compared to their equivalent in the Cub Cadet XT1 lineup.

Also, machines with the TL200/T40J transaxle are guaranteed to have plastic bushings instead of bearings for the front wheels. Just little ways to cheapen costs at the expense of durability.

Anyhow, as I said before, you're in a great position- almost any lawn tractor will suit your needs. The world is your oyster.