Lawnmowers

[Kid Cid]

I'm looking to purchace a new rider this spring. Not a lawn tractor, but a lawn mower. Something with a zero radius turn, something that will last a good long time. I have a sizeable yard, somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 acre. Suggestions?

[whomper]

start mowing after 10 please..TIA

[westvirginia]

couple goats

[The Irish Doggy]

I'm looking to purchace a new rider this spring. Not a lawn tractor, but a lawn mower. Something with a zero radius turn, something that will last a good long time. I have a sizeable yard, somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 acre. Suggestions?

 

2 things from recent experience (also do a search as its been discussed recently):

 

Whatever you do, don't buy a Craftsman.

 

You can't go wrong with John Deer.

[Furd]

If its a zero-radius turn you want, you want a Dixie Chopper

[Double Agent]

My parents have a Kubota. It makes mowing fun. I can mow their 10 acres in a few hours.

[zmanzzzz]

link

[Big Country]

Ask Chavez

[Grits and Shins]

I recommend you get something you don't have to drive ...

[Perchoutofwater]

Hire an illegal, it's cheaper. Seriously you want a riding mower for 1/2 acre. And I thought I was a lazy bastard.

[ABearWithFurniture]

Move up north where all you need is a shovel...

[Kid Cid]

Hire an illegal, it's cheaper. Seriously you want a riding mower for 1/2 acre. And I thought I was a lazy bastard.

I still have a Cub Cadet I bought when I first bought the place. 21" mower deck takes me three and half hours to mow the lawn. I'm quite done with that thank you. I'll ride and do something productive with my newly found 2 1/2 hours.

[isleseeya]

Murray is priced nicely and very effective

 

Deere just too expensive

 

agree to stay away from craftsman

[Kid Cid]

If its a zero-radius turn you want, you want a Dixie Chopper

I would also like to not have to take out an auto loan to buy a mower. Nice gear but no one lists an exact price except for their propane model which comes in at a cool $10K+. I've seen anecdotal evidence that the small ones start at $5K. Thanx, but I'll pass.

[fingfootball]

I like my swisher mower

 

http://www.swisherinc.com/

[The Irish Doggy]

I still have a Cub Cadet I bought when I first bought the place. 21" mower deck takes me three and half hours to mow the lawn. I'm quite done with that thank you. I'll ride and do something productive with my newly found 2 1/2 hours.

 

 

Wow, that must be all grass. No mulch beds?

 

Anyhoo. If you are absolutely firm on the zero turn radius stuff, you will be paying at least a grand more than non zero turn. You'll still free up an extra 2 hours with regular riders.

 

Deere just too expensive

 

Not so much anymore. You can certainly go very high end with them, but they have competitive models in the same price range as Cub Cadet, Craftsman, etc. Plus, they have the best reliability according to Consumer Reports. Less aggravation is worth the slightly increased price tag IMO. Might be an extra 5-10%.

Edited March 7, 2008 by The Irish Doggy

[Kid Cid]

Wow, that must be all grass. No mulch beds?

 

Anyhoo. If you are absolutely firm on the zero turn radius stuff, you will be paying at least a grand more than non zero turn. You'll still free up an extra 2 hours with regular riders.

 

I currently have a Husqvarna rider my dad left me. I'm giving it to my father-in-law as his lawn is slightly smaller than mine but has more slope and he has asbestosis. I can afford a new one and he can't. I have a fair number of trees and other bits of landscaping that require a fair bit of maneuverability, hence the zero turn requirement.

 

Not so much anymore. You can certainly go very high end with them, but they have competitive models in the same price range as Cub Cadet, Craftsman, etc. Plus, they have the best reliability according to Consumer Reports. Less aggravation is worth the slightly increased price tag IMO. Might be an extra 5-10%.

 

I don't mind spending more on reliability. In fact, I'd like to ride this thing into the ground if I can. So with that in mind, I'll take a look at Deere, but I'm thinking that Lowes isn't the place to get them. I'm willing to look at pseudo-commercial grade stuff. I know that in the past Gravely has had a good name. Anyone know about their stuff?

[Perchoutofwater]

I still have a Cub Cadet I bought when I first bought the place. 21" mower deck takes me three and half hours to mow the lawn. I'm quite done with that thank you. I'll ride and do something productive with my newly found 2 1/2 hours.

 

It takes me about 3 hours to do mine. I used to have a service do it, but wasn't happy with the quality of their work, so I bought a self propelled mower and do it now. I find the 3 hours of mowing therapeutic, plus sadly it is probably more exercise than I get the rest of the week.

[BiggieFries]

I currently have a Husqvarna rider my dad left me. I'm giving it to my father-in-law as his lawn is slightly smaller than mine but has more slope and he has asbestosis. I can afford a new one and he can't. I have a fair number of trees and other bits of landscaping that require a fair bit of maneuverability, hence the zero turn requirement.

I don't mind spending more on reliability. In fact, I'd like to ride this thing into the ground if I can. So with that in mind, I'll take a look at Deere, but I'm thinking that Lowes isn't the place to get them. I'm willing to look at pseudo-commercial grade stuff. I know that in the past Gravely has had a good name. Anyone know about their stuff?

 

Here's an online auction for mowers. Most of them are pretty new. You can probably narrow your search down to your area and price range. Might be helpful. Good luck.

[polksalet]

Hire an illegal, it's cheaper. Seriously you want a riding mower for 1/2 acre. And I thought I was a lazy bastard.

 

no joke, I don't even know anyone with a yard that small

[Puddy]

From Consumer Reports...

 

Mowers & tractors

Faster and friendlier

 

TURF BATTLES We tested more than 70 mowers and tractors over acres of lawn to see which models make the cut. Regular mowing is as vital to a healthy lawn as watering, fertilizing, and weeding, because slicing off too much at a time harms the grass. A bumper crop of easier-starting mowers and wider-cutting tractors is trimming some of the work from this weekly ritual as manufacturers and retailers pile on more labor-saving features for less.

 

 

Most gas-powered mowers we tested now start with just one pull of the rope. Several new models from Sears’ Craftsman brand, Honda, and Yard Machines fire up without a carburetor choke or fuel-primer bulb. You’ll also find more $300 mowers with electric starting, which other models offer for an additional $40 instead of the $100 it once cost.

 

 

Tired of fueling and tune-ups? The latest corded and cordless electrics cut more capably. Better batteries also helped cordless models run some 45 minutes per charge--far longer than earlier models. And more mowers now let you raise and lower mowing height with one lever.

 

 

More lawn tractors are mowing both wider and better. Craftsman’s new 28724 has the first 46-inch deck that cuts with only two blades to help banish the ridges and missed clumps common with three-bladed decks. Price: $1,600 with a no-shift, automatic hydrostatic drive, and $1,200 for the gear-driven 28713 version.

 

Consumer Reports Video

INSIDE CR TEST LABS

Lawn mowers

 

 

Some brands are also touting quieter engines, while others are adding style and slicing weight. Cub Cadet is the latest to challenge rear-engine, zero-turn-radius mowers with a tight-turning tractor that steers using a wheel instead of levers. Cleaner gas engines are on the way as well, though they could cost more.

 

 

Despite those advances, some new designs and claims came up short in our six weeks of tests over nearly 400,000 square feet of tough annual rye grass. The details:

 

Consumer Reports Video

INSIDE CR TEST LABS

Lawn tractors

 

 

Noisy, despite the claims. Briggs & Stratton says its new 700-series mower engine is quieter and more pleasant-sounding. While we don’t measure engine noise apart from the rest of the mower, blade whir and other factors can make any model loud, whichever engine it uses. All of our gas mowers and tractors were at or above the 85 dBA at which we recommend hearing protection. The Snapper RP2167519BDV with that engine was noisier than many mowers and even some tractors we tested.

 

 

High style for small spaces. An orange-and-silver color scheme helps make the corded-electric Worx WG712, $200, look almost toylike. It also weighs just 40 pounds. But others mowed better and wider than this 16-inch mower and offer side-discharging. Even narrower: the 14-inch, $350 cordless Neuton EM 5.1.

 

 

Tight turns with tough competition. Rear wheels that help steer and front wheels that turn far more tightly than a conventional tractor’s let the $3,400 Cub Cadet i1046 spin circles as narrow as a zero-turn-radius mower’s. Two of those mowed better overall for less, however.

 

 

An even better option: John Deere’s top-scoring X304 tractor, which is more stable on hills than zero-turn machines, steers nearly as tightly, mows better than the Cub Cadet, and costs only $100 more.

 

 

Cleaner engines on the way. Gas-powered mowers built as of January 2007 and tractors as of January 2008 must slash exhaust emissions by 40 percent and evaporative-fuel emissions by 90 percent to be sold in California. Similar federal rules are expected by 2012 for other states.

 

 

Honda says its 2007 mower engines meet the new rules, and Briggs & Stratton also offers engines that comply with the standards. While the fixes could add as little as $15 per mower, engine makers claim they could tack on up to $200 for tractors, whose larger engines might require catalytic converters like those on cars. But even if they’re right, tractors will still cost less than they did only a few years ago.

 

 

 

 

HOW TO CHOOSE

 

 

Here’s what else to consider this season as you shop for a mower or tractor:

 

 

Choose the right kind. See Types to decide which type--gas or electric mower, lawn tractor, or zero-turn-radius mower--best matches your lawn. Then consider a mower, tractor, or zero-turn model that performed best in the mode you prefer.

 

 

Pick your mowing mode. Most push and self-propelled mowers come equipped to mulch, bag, or side-discharge clippings. But tractors and zero-turn mowers often require optional kits to mulch or bag. Our Ratings show which performed best at which mowing modes.

 

 

Don’t count horses. Years of testing have shown that higher horsepower doesn’t necessarily mean higher-quality mowing. Some mower manufacturers have swapped horsepower numbers for engine size (in cubic centimeters) and torque specifications (in pounds-feet) that still don’t guarantee better mowing.

 

 

Our advice: Skip the engine specs and check our push mower, self-propelled, and lawn tractor Ratings for top performers (all available to subscribers).

[Puddy]

Below are the ratings. Difficult to duplicate here in a post as they are in a table. I've bolded the zero radius models at the bottom. The number to the immediate right of the price is the overall score. The other two numbers are deck size and engine power. FYI - the zero-radius mowers don't score quite as well overall as the automatic-drive models. The John Deere Z225 scored almost as well as the top rated Toro Time-Cutter and cost $1300 less. Oh and Craftsman doesn't manufacture anything. Their riding mowers are made by Husqvarna apparently. They have a very good rated auto-drive model but their zero-radius model rates poorly. If you are hell bent on a zero-radius the Deere mentioned above seems like the best option....assuming you give a rats ass about CR's opinon (I know you don't trust them for electronics).

 

 

Ratings Lawn tractors

 

Below is the Ratings chart for lawn tractors. Models are organized by type and listed by overall score, from best to worst. Click on any model for more information, including our Recommendations and an expanded features list. Browse through the entire chart below. Or click here to narrow the list of choices, based on your needs and preferences.

 

Customize the Ratings chart.

Click for more information.

 

Brand and model

The designation for the item we tested. Untested models that are similar, and should perform comparably, are listed in small type under the tested model. When included, brackets indicate the color code of the model we tested; similar models appear with empty brackets since more than one color may be available. Note that additional letters or numbers may be appended for a particular sample of the model to signify year manufactured, or other such information.

 

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Brand and model Price

An approximate retail price.

 

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Price Test results

Results based mainly on evaluations performed in our testing labs. For information on specific attributes and tests, click on the icon below the column title.

 

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Test results Features

Important attributes that might affect your buying decision. For information on specific features, click on the icon below the column title. Additional features may be included on the individual model pages; click on the model's name to reach its page

 

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Features

Small type: similar model(s)

CR Best Buy indicates an exceptional value. Overall score

Based on a combination of performance, handling, and ease of use.

 

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Evenness

This is how close the tractors came to even, carpet-like mowing.

 

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Side discharging

This is how evenly clippings were dispersed from the side-discharge chute.

 

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Mulching

This is how finely and evenly clippings were cut and dispersed in this mode.

 

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Bagging

This measures effective capacity of the grass bag, determined when bag was full or when the chute clogged and clippings weren't being collected.

 

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Handling

This includes clutching or drive engagement, braking, steering, turn radius, and stability.

 

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Ease of use

A composite score that includes leg room and seat and steering-wheel comfort, as well as ease of blade engagement, cut-height adjustment, parking brake engagement, bag removal, and cutting-mode changes.

 

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Deck size (in.)

The manufacturer's claimed cutting width, or swath, in inches. Push and self-propelled mowers are typically about 21 inches, rear engine riding mowers are about 30 inches, and lawn tractors are about 38 to 48 inches or more. Mowers with larger decks take up more storage space, but cut proportionally faster and therefore reduce cutting time.

 

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Engine power (hp)

The manufacturer's claimed horsepower for the engine. All other factors being equal, an engine with more power will be able to handle tougher jobs (such as tall grass) without bogging down.

 

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Shop online

Clicking "Shop Online" will allow you to obtain product pricing and availability information from a number of online retailers. If you wish, you can also purchase the item from one of those vendors.

 

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AUTOMATIC-DRIVE MODELS

John Deere X304 $3500 84. 42 17

John Deere X300 $2900 81. 42 17

John Deere LA110 CR Best Buy $1650 80. 42 19.5

Craftsman (Sears) 28724 CR Best Buy

Husqvarna YTH20K46 $1600,

28714 $1400,

28736 $1600 $1600 78. 46 21

Craftsman (Sears) 27690 $2000 73. 54 26

Husqvarna YTH2348

Craftsman (Sears) 28730 $1800 $1800 72. 48 23

Cub Cadet LT1042 13AX11CG $1700 71. 42 19

Toro Wheel Horse 16-38 HXL $2200 70. 38 16

Simplicity Regent 16hp 44"

Regent 20/44 $2600 $2800 70. 44 16

John Deere LA130 $2000 69. 48 21

Toro LX420 13AX60RH

LX425 13BX60RG $1600,

Cub Cadet 13AX10CG $1500 $1300 68. 42 18

Troy-Bilt Super Bronco 13AX60TG $1300 67. 42 19

Yard-Man 13AX605G

Select 13BX605G $1300 $1300 67. 42 19

Kubota T1670 40" $3000 66. 40 15

Husqvarna YTH20F42T

YTH2042 $1500 $1700 65. 42 20

Cub Cadet i1046 $3400 64. 46 20

Cub Cadet LT1045 13AX11CH

LT1046 13AP11CH $1900 $1750 60. 46 20

Cub Cadet LT1050 13AP11CP

SLT1550 13AQ11BP $2500 $2000 60. 50 23

Husqvarna YTH1542XP $2200 59. 42 15

GEAR-DRIVE MODELS

Craftsman (Sears) 28713

28723 $1400 $1200 69. 46 20

Yard Machines 13AM762G

13AN772G $970,

Yard-Man 13AM772G $960,

Troy-Bilt 13AN77TG $1000 $1000 53. 42 15.5

ZERO-TURN-RADIUS MODELS

Toro TimeCutter ZX440 $4200 75. 44 NA

John Deere Z225 $2900 73. 42 18.5

Snapper ZT18440KH

Simplicity ZT1844 $4200 $4000 70. 44 18

Toro Z5000 $2800 66. 50 21

Lawn-Boy 81245 $3000 63. 42 16

Cub Cadet RZT50 17AA5D7P

RZT50 17A12CP $3000,

Troy-Bilt ZT50 17AF2ACP $3000 $3000 61. 50 22

Craftsman (Sears) 27772

27788 $2700 $2700 60. 44 20

Dixon 918 $3350 43. 42 16

Edited March 10, 2008 by Puddy

[gilthorp]

Whoa!

 

If I ever need repairs, say like a wheel changed on my mower, I'm calling Puddy.

[nuke'em ttg]

I currently have a Husqvarna rider my dad left me. I'm giving it to my father-in-law as his lawn is slightly smaller than mine but has more slope and he has asbestosis. I can afford a new one and he can't. I have a fair number of trees and other bits of landscaping that require a fair bit of maneuverability, hence the zero turn requirement.

I don't mind spending more on reliability. In fact, I'd like to ride this thing into the ground if I can. So with that in mind, I'll take a look at Deere, but I'm thinking that Lowes isn't the place to get them. I'm willing to look at pseudo-commercial grade stuff. I know that in the past Gravely has had a good name. Anyone know about their stuff?

 

Spain had a thread in here someplace....i mentioned Deere at Lowes and he found out that the ones there were a "cheaper" grade then the ones you get right through a Deere dealer

[Big John]

Spain had a thread in here someplace....i mentioned Deere at Lowes and he found out that the ones there were a "cheaper" grade then the ones you get right through a Deere dealer

here