The Captains Wench Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 I’m sorry I haven’t posted in a while , but I need your opinions. My father is turning 60 and my mom wants to get him a riding mower. He has always wanted one. He only has about .5 acres so he doesn’t need anything fancy. I would appreciate any advice you could give on brands, sizes, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheikYerbuti Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 He only has about .5 acres so he doesn’t need anything fancy. Half an acre? Try this.. BTW - I own one and love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Captains Wench Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 Half an acre? Try this.. BTW - I own one and love it. Isn't that hard on your backside when you ride it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avernus Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Isn't that hard on your backside when you ride it? "MY ASS HAS TAKEN A POUNDING OVER THE YEARS" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 I have a 54" cut Sears Craftsman, 27 horsepower. triple blade cut lawn tractor with automatic key start, cruise control, and 7 different height settings at the push of a button. Overkill for my 5 acres? There is no such thing as overkill when it comes to a lawnmower. It has started everytime, the blades are easy to change and I just tore it through a bunch of sticky, knarly honeysuckle bushes this past Monday. Oh, and the seat is softer than Whomper's hands. Fuzzy picture of it right before I got my shed when I moved in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Captains Wench Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 I have a 54" cut Sears Craftsman, 27 horsepower. triple blade cut lawn tractor with automatic key start, cruise control, and 7 different height settings at the push of a button. Overkill for my 5 acres? There is no such thing as overkill when it comes to a lawnmower. It has started everytime, the blades are easy to change and I just tore it through a bunch of sticky, knarly honeysuckle bushes this past Monday. Oh, and the seat is softer than Whomper's hands. Fuzzy picture of it right before I got my shed when I moved in. Thanks. So far in my research and opinion polls, I have one vote for Craftsman and one vote against. I guess my uncle had a bad experience. I also have one vote for Cub Cadet and one for John Deere. There is surprisingly little in the way of consumer opinions online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 (edited) I would've gone John Deere, but it was pricey as heck. I've heard some have bad issues with Craftsman, but I've always bought their Briggs & Stratton lawnmower engines and have had great luck with them....if maintained properly. I always change out the filters, oil once (sometimes twice) a year and the blades every couple of months. If your Dad is like my Dad and maintains nothing , then you may wanna spend the extra and go John Deere. Edited February 21, 2008 by TimC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Captains Wench Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 I would've gone John Deere, but it was pricey as heck. I've heard some have bad issues with Craftsman, but I've always bought their Briggs & Stratton lawnmower engines and have had great luck with them....if maintained properly. I always change out the filters, oil once (sometimes twice) a year and the blades every couple of months. If your Dad is like my Dad and maintains nothing , then you may wanna spend the extra and go John Deere. You know, I thought my Dad was the type to take good care of things but when he sold me his car, it had been over 10,000 miles since his last oil change. (he did give me a great deal on the car so I don't hold it against him) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fingfootball Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 For a small lawn you should probably want a zero-turn lawn mower. I have a Swisher, and I have had no problems with it in 3 years. Don't know how to post link but the web page is swisherinc.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boat_hacked Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Here's one that's low maintenance, low cost. ultimate lawnmower Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'canes2004 Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 We used to have a Craftsman, but constantly had problems with it. Sears has great at home service, but it was still a pain in the butt. I think the main problem is I'm on about 2 acres so I think we were over working the thing. In FL during the Summer and Fall months, you have to mow every week at least and with the heavy St. Augustine grass it just took its toll on the Craftsman motor. I think for a small yard like your pops, it would probably be ok. We now have this bad boy and I can mow my entire yard in about 2+ hours. The problem here is that it's pricey to say the least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'canes2004 Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 For a small lawn you should probably want a zero-turn lawn mower. I have a Swisher, and I have had no problems with it in 3 years. Don't know how to post link but the web page is swisherinc.com. Here you go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Irish Doggy Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 (edited) I cannot recommend against the Craftsman rider lawn mowers enough. Parents bought one and it was nothing but trouble from day one. Sure it had a Briggs and Stratton engine which worked great, but every other damn thing went wrong with it. Must of had at least 6 warranty service calls and the thing finally just sat in a shed and they hired some neighborhood kid to mow the lawn with his rider. On the flip side, I've only heard good things for John Deer from two friends who have one. Edited February 21, 2008 by The Irish Doggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Captains Wench Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 Here you go. thank you good sir. I cannot recommend against the Craftsman rider lawn mowers enough. Parents bought one and it was nothing but trouble from day one. Sure it had a Briggs and Stratton engine which worked great, but every other damn thing went wrong with the it. Must of had at least 6 warranty service calls and the thing finally just sat in a shed and they hired some neighborhood kid to mow the lawn with his rider.On the flip side, I've only heard good things for John Deer from two friends who have one. Thanks, this is good stuff. John Deere is gaining points and I think you've convinced me on the Craftsman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh 0ne Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Get a Simplicity. They're awesome. http://www.simplicitymfg.com/products/lawn_tractors/regent/ 14 inch turning radius, hydrstatic controls (one pedal for forward and reverse, no shifting), electronic PTO, cup holder . Awesome unit. That's what I use, I have about .5 acres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh 0ne Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 (edited) I cannot recommend against the Craftsman rider lawn mowers enough. Wurd, actually, Craftsman makes nice hand tools, but they're gas powered equipment blows. I bought a snow blower from them, first one didn't work, exchanged it, second one gave me problems, returned it and got my money back. Edited February 21, 2008 by Hugh 0ne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 These gawd-danged Yankees don't know nothing about anything gas-powered. Hell, they probably drive a Honda. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caveman_Nick Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Is cost a concern? If your mom is on a real tight budget, it might be worth perusing Craigslist. As far as making recommendations go, I have never owned one so I dunno. I do know that motors are generally considered from best to worst: Briggs and Stratton, Kohler, Kawasaki, Honda. Something like that. The different brands are all about the chassis they build around the motor and the controls and comforts they give. Craftsman uses Briggs and Stratton motors just like the Deeres they sell at Home Depot. Anyone that tries to tell you different hasn;t looked under the hood. I looked at them once and was advised to look for a model with at least a kohler engine. I didn't buy one...so I can't comment. But, and this goes back to money, if money is a non-issue you can;t go wrong buying something with a Kawasaki engine...or if you can find a Honda. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Craftsman uses Briggs and Stratton motors just like the Deeres they sell at Home Depot. Anyone that tries to tell you different hasn;t looked under the hood. Good point. From what I understand, don't buy the John Deeres from Home Depot/Lowe's. They are the "cheap" John Deeres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Captains Wench Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 Get a Simplicity. They're awesome. http://www.simplicitymfg.com/products/lawn_tractors/regent/ 14 inch turning radius, hydrstatic controls (one pedal for forward and reverse, no shifting), electronic PTO, cup holder . Awesome unit. That's what I use, I have about .5 acres. Thanks Hugh, The "expert" reviews I could find online suggest buying Simplicity. I'll put a +1 to Simplicity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avernus Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 These gawd-danged Yankees don't know nothing about anything gas-powered. Hell, they probably drive a Honda. it could be worse...we could be from the south http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPKzSGxXmFs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Captains Wench Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 Is cost a concern? If your mom is on a real tight budget, it might be worth perusing Craigslist. As far as making recommendations go, I have never owned one so I dunno. I do know that motors are generally considered from best to worst: Briggs and Stratton, Kohler, Kawasaki, Honda. Something like that. The different brands are all about the chassis they build around the motor and the controls and comforts they give. Craftsman uses Briggs and Stratton motors just like the Deeres they sell at Home Depot. Anyone that tries to tell you different hasn;t looked under the hood. I looked at them once and was advised to look for a model with at least a kohler engine. I didn't buy one...so I can't comment. But, and this goes back to money, if money is a non-issue you can;t go wrong buying something with a Kawasaki engine...or if you can find a Honda. The biggest cost concern is how angry my Dad will be when he finds out how much my Mom spent. You know, the usual. I think the game plan is to buy something that is decent quality without all the bells and whistles. I'm trying to convice her to buy the zero turning radius but I don't think she wants to spend the extra money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caveman_Nick Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 (edited) On Craigslist she might be able to keep the cost down and still get something decent... Edited February 21, 2008 by Caveman_Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Beatings Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 My suggestion would be to forego the Briggs & Stratton engines on the Craftsman's (although my experience is that Sears has a good warranty and service program)... and look for an affordable model with a Honda engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 My suggestion would be to forego the Briggs & Stratton engines on the Craftsman's (although my experience is that Sears has a good warranty and service program)... and look for an affordable model with a Honda engine. I hate you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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