So I'm getting sick of having to deal with slackjaw lawn boys and am seriously considering getting a riding mower. At this point I do pretty much all the rest of my own yardwork (trimming hedges, some edging, spraying herbicide/fungicide, pruning) and if I clean some shit out of my garage I should have enough room in there to park a riding mower.
I started off by asking my dad about this because a) we used to own a campground in upstate Pa. and he had lawn tractors to mow it (there was something like 15 acres of lawn, so they were a necessity), and b) his semi-retirement job before real retirement was director of physical plant at Delaware Valley College, and for some reason the groundskeeping fell under him too.
So, given all of the above, I guess I should have predicted that he tells me to get one of these:
(https://www.lmsstores.com/users/11745/images/exmark%20lazer%20z%20next%20lazer.jpg)
This is a ~$7K commercial-grade ZTR (Exmark Lazer Z). I definitely don't need one that badass and expensive, despite his insistence on it. I don't know how much acreage I need to mow, exactly, since a lot of my property is woods. I would guess that I have 1 1/2 acres of lawn, tops, to mow... somewhere between 1 and 1 1/2.
I was thinking more along the lines of something like this:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.deere.com%2Fcommon%2Fmedia%2Fimages%2Fproduct%2Friding_mowers%2Flawn_tractors%2F100_series_2011_model_year%2Fd140%2FJDr4b004799_HO_642x462.png&hash=f2afc6b5c9837d2689678af262b05d11e358ebe9)
Not as fast or maneuverable as a ZTR, but supposedly they have a tight turn radius, too, and are almost as fast. Also, this is definitely John Deere country and there are like 3-4 tractor dealers and repair guys in my county alone... most of the acreage here is devoted to tobacco and soybean production.
Anyway, who here has a riding mower and what do you use? :)
Get whatever the waterboy drove. His scored him some nice trim.
As a wetback, not allowed to buy riding mower :(
But my Uncle back in Media has a John Deer for their big ass yard.
Get one of those self-propelled ones and some roller skates.
A riding mower? :x
Quote from: katmai on April 07, 2012, 07:25:34 PM
But my Uncle back in Media has a John Deer for their big ass yard.
You still have family in Media? Cool. My brother lives in Brookhaven now. :cool:
Quote from: garbon on April 07, 2012, 07:29:20 PM
A riding mower? :x
Yes, yes, I know, gays are allergic to manual labor.
Quote from: Caliga on April 07, 2012, 07:33:53 PM
Quote from: garbon on April 07, 2012, 07:29:20 PM
A riding mower? :x
Yes, yes, I know, gays are allergic to manual labor.
Untrue.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsaakup.files.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fwtf.gif&hash=06ff8c3ff1b38aa04d51a74e8aedbb659d5beb0b)
Quote from: Caliga on April 07, 2012, 07:33:53 PM
Quote from: garbon on April 07, 2012, 07:29:20 PM
A riding mower? :x
Yes, yes, I know, gays are allergic to manual labor.
Yeah nothing more laborious than a fat lordling rolling about his property in a mobility scooter.
Quote from: Caliga on April 07, 2012, 07:33:36 PM
Quote from: katmai on April 07, 2012, 07:25:34 PM
But my Uncle back in Media has a John Deer for their big ass yard.
You still have family in Media? Cool. My brother lives in Brookhaven now. :cool:
Yeah My aunt and uncle and their three kids, in fact going back in July for cousin's wedding.
Quote from: garbon on April 07, 2012, 07:38:23 PM
Quote from: Caliga on April 07, 2012, 07:33:53 PM
Quote from: garbon on April 07, 2012, 07:29:20 PM
A riding mower? :x
Yes, yes, I know, gays are allergic to manual labor.
Yeah nothing more laborious than a fat lordling rolling about his property in a mobility scooter.
If you had to mow regularly, you'd understand why he wants a riding mower, especially for a big yard like that.
Of the two you show, I'd go with the John Deere. You don't need the commercial grade one, and there are many JD dealers near you so that'll be very handy if you want add on parts, or if you need repairs. Besides, I think the John Deere name is pretty cool to have. :cool: I have an Ariens snowblower, which is over 30 years old, still going strong. Ariens makes a good product, and I'm betting the JD will give similar service. :)
Quote from: katmai on April 07, 2012, 07:25:34 PM
As a wetback, not allowed to buy riding mower :(
Why not? :huh:
It's not like lawns have passing lanes.
Sigh
Quote from: Caliga on April 07, 2012, 07:33:36 PM
Quote from: katmai on April 07, 2012, 07:25:34 PM
But my Uncle back in Media has a John Deer for their big ass yard.
You still have family in Media? Cool. My brother lives in Brookhaven now. :cool:
Does he eat at: Tom Jones?
Actually yes, all the time. :cool:
http://www.robomow.com/en-USA/
Quote from: Admiral Yi on April 07, 2012, 08:07:47 PM
Quote from: katmai on April 07, 2012, 07:25:34 PM
As a wetback, not allowed to buy riding mower :(
Why not? :huh:
It's not like lawns have passing lanes.
Nowhere to hang the little flag of
<insert spic country here>.
But you can still plant a Mother Mary on the dash.
Hey Cal, I know it's probably downright sacrilege down there in Hazard County, but did you check out any mowers from Kubota? I know guys that swear by those things, even over John Deere.
But, I'd take the John Deere, simply by the amount of dealerships and repair centers available.
I have an ancient Hechinger 42" bed riding mower to mow about the acreage you have, and agree that a ZTR mower is way more than you need unless you have a lot of obstacles. John Deere is a good brand, and usually rates at or near the top for value when looking at light use like you propose (the D110 got CR top rating for light riding mowers, I believe). They also rate highly in reliability. Don't pay any real money (more than $100) for an automatic transmission. That's just more to break for little added performance.
Avoid Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt, White, Yard-Man, Yard Machines, the LT series of lawn tractors for Craftsman, and Toro. They are all made by MTD, and MTD is crap.
I have access to Consumer Reports stuff and they test things like this extremely thoroughly. What model John Deere is that? Some of the tested models are listed as recommended, others are pure shit. Judging by the URL, that's a 100 series. If it's a D100, avoid it entirely. It's terrible.
Best tested and recommended models:
Snapper NXT2346
Type: Lawn tractors
Price as tested:
$2600
John Deere X310
Type: Lawn tractors
Price as tested:
$4000
John Deere X304
Type: Lawn tractors
Price as tested:
$3600
John Deere D110
Type: Lawn tractors
Price as tested:
$1700
There's several more, but these are the top-rated ones. Out of all of these, the D110 only scored 2 points lower (pretty much negligible since one score 74 and the other scored 76--which was the top score out of 100). It got only 2 points lower, but it's $900 less expensive. Here's the full review for it:
A 42-inch deck helps this John Deere take up relatively little space. You also get notably even cutting in all three mowing modes. Other pluses include an infinitely variable drive system, which lets you vary speed smoothly without shifting, and the ability to check fuel levels without leaving your seat. On the minus side, there¿s no electric power takeoff to engage the blade (you'll have to pull a lever). And there's no high-back seat.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 07, 2012, 09:42:27 PM
Hey Cal, I know it's probably downright sacrilege down there in Hazard County, but did you check out any mowers from Kubota? I know guys that swear by those things, even over John Deere.
But, I'd take the John Deere, simply by the amount of dealerships and repair centers available.
Actually my dad used Kubota lawn tractors... not sure if they make riders or ZTRs.... I'll check.
Quote from: grumbler on April 07, 2012, 09:46:59 PM
I have an ancient Hechinger 42" bed riding mower to mow about the acreage you have, and agree that a ZTR mower is way more than you need unless you have a lot of obstacles. John Deere is a good brand, and usually rates at or near the top for value when looking at light use like you propose (the D110 got CR top rating for light riding mowers, I believe). They also rate highly in reliability. Don't pay any real money (more than $100) for an automatic transmission. That's just more to break for little added performance.
Avoid Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt, White, Yard-Man, Yard Machines, the LT series of lawn tractors for Craftsman, and Toro. They are all made by MTD, and MTD is crap.
heh, I remember Hechinger. I can't remember if I thought it was way better than Home Depot, or way worse. :hmm: We had them in Pennsylvania too.
Quote from: JonasSalk on April 07, 2012, 09:56:22 PM
I have access to Consumer Reports stuff and they test things like this extremely thoroughly. What model John Deere is that? Some of the tested models are listed as recommended, others are pure shit. Judging by the URL, that's a 100 series. If it's a D100, avoid it entirely. It's terrible.
It was a D140, and I just linked the first D100-series JD tractor image I could find. Thanks for the Consumer Reports data! :hug:
I'm told these work quite well:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lambourn.info%2Fimages%2Fuploaded%2Flandscape%2520and%2520buildings%2Flambourn%2520-%2520sheep%2520on%2520downland.jpg&hash=a5ebc83c47aafd09feecae3cbecaa0f53bbf9869)
Cal isn't allowed near sheep ever since the "incident"
Quote from: katmai on April 08, 2012, 07:49:52 AM
Cal isn't allowed near sheep ever since the "incident"
Plus he isn't a dirty Scot or even worse, a Welshman. Yuk.
I have both Scots-Irish and Welsh ancestry. :cool:
Quote from: Caliga on April 08, 2012, 08:55:01 AM
I have both Scots-Irish and Welsh ancestry. :cool:
Irish: :cool:
The others: :yuk:
Just to be clear: Scots-Irish. NOT Irish Catholic. :x
My mom's dad's family was brought in to Lancaster County, PA in the 1740s to fight off the Catholic Marylanders who were encroaching on the Pennsylvania colony at that time. The only other people in the area were Mennonites who were viewed as cowardly. The Scots-Irish OTOH were renowned for their violence and hatred of Catholics. :menace: True story. :contract:
Quote from: Caliga on April 08, 2012, 09:21:40 AM
Just to be clear: Scots-Irish. NOT Irish Catholic. :x
My mom's dad's family was brought in to Lancaster County, PA in the 1740s to fight off the Catholic Marylanders who were encroaching on the Pennsylvania colony at that time. The only other people in the area were Mennonites who were viewed as cowardly. The Scots-Irish OTOH were renowned for their violence and hatred of Catholics. :menace: True story. :contract:
:cheers: Scots-Irish rock. It's fun being able to pull the "Robert the Bruce" card when people start comparing famous ancestors. :menace:
Quote from: Caliga on April 08, 2012, 06:23:49 AM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 07, 2012, 09:42:27 PM
Hey Cal, I know it's probably downright sacrilege down there in Hazard County, but did you check out any mowers from Kubota? I know guys that swear by those things, even over John Deere.
But, I'd take the John Deere, simply by the amount of dealerships and repair centers available.
Actually my dad used Kubota lawn tractors... not sure if they make riders or ZTRs.... I'll check.
I only know of the riders. Distinct orange, as opposed to green and yellow. The Good Ol' Boys would know you bought Jap in a heartbeat.
Quote from: Caliga on April 08, 2012, 09:21:40 AM
Just to be clear: Scots-Irish. NOT Irish Catholic. :x
You do realize that the difference between Scots and Irishmen is mostly semantics, don't you? Ethnically they are pretty much the same people.
Quote from: Caliga on April 07, 2012, 08:39:42 PM
Actually yes, all the time. :cool:
Delco rules. :swiss:
I always liked it. My mom's dad grew up in Media so when I was a kid we were down there visiting great grandma all the time.... she lived to be 100 so didn't die till I was practically in college. :)
Quote from: grumbler on April 08, 2012, 01:08:24 PM
You do realize that the difference between Scots and Irishmen is mostly semantics, don't you? Ethnically they are pretty much the same people.
Also religion. Catholics :yuk:
Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 08, 2012, 11:08:08 AM
I only know of the riders. Distinct orange, as opposed to green and yellow. The Good Ol' Boys would know you bought Jap in a heartbeat.
The tractors are bright orange also and say "KUBOTA" on them in this stupid looking 80s Tron-like font.
Quote from: grumbler on April 08, 2012, 01:08:24 PM
Quote from: Caliga on April 08, 2012, 09:21:40 AM
Just to be clear: Scots-Irish. NOT Irish Catholic. :x
You do realize that the difference between Scots and Irishmen is mostly semantics, don't you? Ethnically they are pretty much the same people.
Ethnically? How would you describe ethnicity, Grumbler? :)
GROAN
Quote from: Caliga on April 08, 2012, 04:10:16 PM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 08, 2012, 11:08:08 AM
I only know of the riders. Distinct orange, as opposed to green and yellow. The Good Ol' Boys would know you bought Jap in a heartbeat.
The tractors are bright orange also and say "KUBOTA" on them in this stupid looking 80s Tron-like font.
That's because it's Japanese. You never know when it'll turn into Gaiking, Shogun Warrior!