Riding Mower / Lawn Tractor

[fishnugget]

Hey Hornfans,

So I recently became a first time homeowner (woohoo!), and I have about half an acre of land to mow. I did it a couple times with an old push mower I borrowed from a nearby relative, then, in the middle of mowing yesterday, it just died on me. It's a really old mower, and I knew I was pushing my luck using it anyway. I went to find a neighbor to borrow a mower from, and it turns out they had a riding mower! I've never used one of these things in my life, and it was a blast (as much of a blast as mowing a lawn can be, that is).

Anyway, now I'm looking for recommendations on what to purchase. I'd like to keep the price < $1800 or so max. In my preliminary research I've been eyeing the John Deere LA115 and the Husqvarna yth20k46.

It looks like people don't like the Briggs engine in the Deere, but the wheels on the Husq are getting pretty bad reviews on hills. My land is mostly flat, but there is some incline in some areas.

Any recommendations? Thoughts between the two? A completely different model to look at?

Thanks, HF

 

[TXSNOS]

I take it you mean < $18 hundred.

 

[fishnugget]

Haha. Yes. Yes I did. (fixed)

 

[NCAAFBALLROX]

As new as you can in a zero turn that you find on Craigslist.

Try it out @ the seller's place; volunteer to mow their place with it (or @ least to try & use it for 15 minutes straight).

Run it around the block a few times if you have to, but drive it for awhile.

Don't buy new.

 

[nativeaustin]

Sorry, just had to put a pic of my new mower.

 

[Kahuna]

I purchased a Craftsman lawn tractor in 1992 and it still runs great. It is powered by an 18 HP Kohler engine and has a three-blade 42" mowing deck. Kohler is a really great engine and I strongly recommend you look for one on whatever mower you might purchase. I live on 24 acres, and mow about 12 of those every winter after all the native grasses have frozen. It is tough, dusty mowing with lots of rocks to hit. The grasses are up to three feet tall and thick. It says a lot that an engine can survive that many years being so abused. Although I change the oil frequently, I never even changed the oil filter until a couple of years ago (I never had a mower with an oil filter so I wasn't even looking for it until it started leaking). In addition to mowing I pull a full size 5'x10' Magnum tilt trailer behind it for hauling rocks, wood, etc. In short, the lawn tractor has been a work horse for me for 18 years. A new one would certainly be within your price range.

 

[l00p]

In reply to:

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[nativeaustin]

It is very hard to drink a beer while operating a zero turn mower so I got the kid as a dealer add on cruise control.

 

[l00p]

 

[12thStudStan]

Riding mowers & lawn tractors by nature, regardless of brand, tend to have issues. This can be said for other types of outdoor power equipment as well. Rather than looking for a mower first and then figuring out who to buy it from you might want to consider identifying the best full service dealer (not a box store) in your area and then selecting a mower they recommend and stand behind. The little higher you pay initially will be negligible over the useful life of the equipment. I learned this the hard way. There is a good JD dealer (Mustang Equipment) not far from me. They also services my Echo and Stihl equipment and this is not by coincidence.

Keep in mind that the B&S engines in JD products are manufactured to their high standards and thus can't be compared to other B&S engines and their reliability and performance history. I have had 2 JD mowers with B&S engines that performed well for over 10 years with minor issues.

If you go the Kohler route, do a little research on the particular engine model. I have heard that some Kohler engines have a tendency to throw rods. The person that told me that has had one that has performed without a hitch for 5 yrs+, so take that FWIW.