Riding mower/garden tractor rec UPDATE: You enablers!!! More questions...

[SugarCubes]

Planning on buying a riding mower/garden tractor this weekend and would love some recommendations for specific models to check out. It will primarily be used for mowing the 1 acre flat area surrounding the house, but I’d also like to be able to attach a spreader or dump trailer to spread compost, seed, and all that fun stuff! I DO NOT want a zero turn, so please no recs for those!

I know to stay away from the big box stores and head to a tractor dealer, and I think I’m wanting something with around 25hp to be able to handle the attachments? Would like to stay around or under $2000-$3000. From old threads I saw some positive reviews for the Craftsman Garden Tractor and the Cub Cadet Z force. Any other suggestions?

[scheherazadetbmare]

John Deere. I’ve bought them for decades. They are consistently great.

[SugarCubes]

[QUOTE=scheherazadetbmare;8589048]
John Deere. I’ve bought them for decades. They are consistently great.[/QUOTE]

Any specific model to check out?

[Buford]

I’m afraid 25hp puts it into the category of subcompact utility tractors(SCUTs). That alone puts it into 5 digits new. $2-3000 wont buy much and will likely have a belt drive transmission. I would try the smaller JD and Cub Cadet stuff at the dealer. An older properly maintained 14-16hp unit will probably be better built.
These are on craigslist all the time around here. Like a JD 318 for example

[gumtree]

You are not going to be able to find a REAL JD or Cub Cadet etc for $2,000 - $3,000 new. I don’t think you will find one that doesn’t have a lot of years and hours on it for that kind of money.

You could by the “color” and “name” at a Box store in that range but they are not the real deal. I made that mistake with a Cub Cadet, 27 hr, 54 inch deck from Home Depot in 2004. Not that it was a piece of junk just not built nearly as well as a real Cub, the same with a JD sold there.

The motor is Kohler and still runs strong. But the rest of the mower is cheaply made. Especially for what I was using it for. I have a good shop and very mechanical so I could fix, weld, upgrade things on it. If not it would have been in a service shop countless times. For the money it is a decent mower for general residential use. Not for my kind of farm use, mowing 10+ acres, towing stuff, ruff terrain, high thick grass etc.

In retrospect it was a huge mistake not to have gotten a decent used heavy duty Zero Turn for a $1,000 ± more. I or those I pay can mower everything is about a 1/3 to 1/2 the time. Would have saved BIG bucks on labor cost for the 5+ years I used it. Would have had a LOT more free time myself.

I put a tow hitich on my Zero turn and it tows just as well by and large. A lot more enjoyable to operate also. Granted there are reasons people would rather buy a garden tractor. But in my limited “look see” at good ones, ones that can and or are worth putting "attachments on cost around $7-$8,000 new.

[Frog_Pond]

I have a cheap Craftsman YT3000. 21hp, hydrostatic, Briggs & Stratton. I paid $1300 for it 2 years ago, new. I have 8+ acres of rocky, hilly property and I use it primarily to tow a dump cart (the Craftsman poly one, that swivels – it’s awesome) around on lumpy pasture & bumpy dirt/gravel roads. I tow manure, bagged shavings, baled hay, and 400 lbs of water in a sprayer tank. It does a fantastic job for me. I still ended up buying a Gator, because I needed 4wd for plowing snow & bringing water to my barn all winter (New England), but, the little yard tractor can handle all of the chores 8 months a year.

Mowing a flat acre & towing a spreader and/or cart is well within its capacities. It’s got a 42" deck and it mows like a beast. It’s kinda loud, so I wear headphones to mow in peace! The only trouble it’s had is that I pop the tires on the vicious briars we have – otherwise, it’s been awesome. (And, I do drive into the briars like Mad Max – it’s really not the tractor’s fault.)

I was shopping for subcompact tractors and found it so annoying – they cost a mint and I was having Goldilocks syndrome, nothing quite right – that I just sort of snapped and bought this one. Turns out, that was the right move. To do my winter chores with a tractor, I’d need a good one – they were pricing out at 26k and up. I much prefer having a lawn tractor & a Gator. It fits our needs better. Good luck shopping, may your nerves outlast mine :lol:

[SugarCubes]

@Frog Pond;8589333

I have a cheap Craftsman YT3000. 21hp, hydrostatic, Briggs & Stratton. I paid $1300 for it 2 years ago, new. I have 8+ acres of rocky, hilly property and I use it primarily to tow a dump cart (the Craftsman poly one, that swivels – it’s awesome) around on lumpy pasture & bumpy dirt/gravel roads. I tow manure, bagged shavings, baled hay, and 400 lbs of water in a sprayer tank. It does a fantastic job for me. I still ended up buying a Gator, because I needed 4wd for plowing snow & bringing water to my barn all winter (New England), but, the little yard tractor can handle all of the chores 8 months a year.

This would be PERFECT for my needs! My manure pile is a bit of a haul from the barn and I’d love to replace the wheelbarrow with a dump cart I can just pull with the mower, but like yours, the path there is rough and bumpy. Price is right too! Thanks!

ETA - So would a 42" deck be big enough for my needs? I was looking at larger ones, but I don’t know what is necessary for a one acre yard with no trees in the way.

[Jim_in_PA]

Kubota does sell a “garden tractor” type line that’s below the sub-compact BX line…the T and GR series. kubota.com And they are only available at authorized dealers. I’m sure that Deere has similar, but I’m not familiar with the “green” machines…this is a very Kubota area with three dealers within 10 miles.

[Frog_Pond]

[QUOTE=SugarCubes;8589415]

ETA - So would a 42" deck be big enough for my needs? I was looking at larger ones, but I don’t know what is necessary for a one acre yard with no trees in the way.[/QUOTE]

I should admit that the lawn tractor is a bumpy ride compared to the Gator, which has awesome shocks, but, the little tractor DOES tackle the same bumpy, rutted roads with no problems. You can always soup up the tires if you need traction – some folks put ATV tires on the front and ag tires (big lugs, like on an ollllddd tractor) on the rear . . . but that’s pretty hard on your lawn, and back!!

I’d get a bigger deck – I think they go up to 54". I need to fit mine through a narrow gate and a narrow shed doorway – that’s why I went with 42".

I’d add that while mine tows great, I wouldn’t use it to plow or attach one of those front-end snowblowers. The tractors just aren’t heavy enough, no matter how many weights you slap on them – check out the youtube videos and you’ll see a lot of sliding and struggling. I think those engines will die young.

[horsepoor]

Ours is a “real” Cub Cadet (not the cheap Home Depot sort) and I just love it. I don’t know the model off hand but it is 25 hp with a 42" deck. I can pull our small spreader easily on level ground, and up and down hills when it is dry, but don’t even try it if it is wet! I would think it would be a nice size for what the OP is wanting to do, or maybe even more than she needs. I want to say we paid in the $3 to $4K range for ours but that was several years ago (5? or more?), and I may be remembering that wrong. Up til then, we’d had a couple of lighter duty riding mowers that crapped out too quick as hard as we have to use things here. Lots of hills and rocks and brush and such – the Cub Cadet has done great. I should look and see how many hours it has on it as 75% of them are mine (partner gets to do the scary tippy parts of the property and that is about it!).

[MysticOakRanch]

I just spent a lot of time researching garden tractor/riding mowers - my terrain is a bit different, we have rolling hills, not flat and level, and the ground is pretty rough. I have about an acre around the house that needs mowing, and wouldn’t mind getting into a few of my pastures and cleaning up the “roughs”. I was looking in the $2k to $3k range.

John Deere is consistently best rated overall - but is also WAY more expensive. We went through TWO John Deeres at our last place, and found the customer service was not so great, and they really are a bit over rated. I think you pay more just for the name, to be honest. We also had a smaller Deere tractor that was horribly underpowered, and ended up selling it (at a huge loss) and getting a New Holland for the same price with twice the HP, that is still running strong today, 12 years later.

So, doing my research, Craftsman came up consistently as highly rated, and Consumer Reports gives them a “Best Buy” rating. I looked at Husqvarna (not the cheap Lowes/Home Depot version) as well. But Craftsman kept popping up in all my searches, and I talked to a guy who does some landscaping work in the side and he said the Craftsman seems to last and last (and Sears repair is easy to find and has a good rep).

So, I finally went and ordered a Craftsman Pro - they are supposed to be sturdier then the regular line Craftsman lawn tractors, and they have a better engine then the regular line (Kohler vs Briggs & Stratton). I can’t give you an actual review because it will be delivered on Tuesday, but I did dig through a lot of reviews in the decision process.

My initial leaning was toward a Deere - but I am just not sure they are worth almost TWICE the price. For the same price as the Craftsman, that got me way less horsepower, way smaller mower deck. For twice the price, I get almost the same horsepower (22 vs 24 craftsman), and a 2 inch larger deck. So even if I have to replace the Craftsman, I doubt I will replace it twice as often as I would with a Deere!

All the better lawn tractors have a fabricated (or manufactured) mow deck, vs welded (which you want for overall sturdiness). We got the 46 inch deck and the 24 HP version of the Pro - it is just over $2k.

[NoSuchPerson]

The best riding mower I’ve ever owned was a Craftsman. That thing lasted forever. The engine was still running great when I just plain wore out the mower deck.

I replaced it last year with a Husqvarna (the second to largest lawn tractor they make), mostly because the dealer is in my area and I would have had to go into town to the mall to go to Sears. Thus far, I’m really happy with the new mower, but of course, it’s too soon to speak about the longevity.

[dani0303]

We just bought a craftsman a few weeks ago and so far we love it!!

Here’s the model we have. We bought it with a snow plow, a box blade, and a dump cart
http://www.sears.com/craftsman-pro-series-turntight-extreme-54inch-26.0-hp/p-07120445000P?prdNo=3&blockNo=3&blockType=G3

[2DogsFarm]

My MTD Yardmachine came with the house, so it is at least 12yo & still going strong in spite of my non-care.
It gets an annual blade sharpening & a dose of Stabil/Seafoam in the Fall when I put it away for the season.
I have managed to break the spindle for the front wheels twice, but both repairs were not too pricy.
Other than checking oil I do no maintenance.
17.5HP , 42" deck & it does way more than mow the lawn.

I have at least 1ac of lawn to mow, takes me about an hour.
But I also mow ~2ac of pasture on occasion & that takes the same time since I set High & am not picky about finish. It takes the ruts & bumps & keeps on going.
I have a metal dumpcart it pulls w/o a problem, even loaded with heavy, composted manure.

If MTD still makes this model or you can find an older one, I’d recommend it over newer cheaper versions from others with plastic hoods & teeny gas tanks.
Seriously - when did a 1gal tank seem like a good idea?
My MTD can hold near 3gal, the new models I look at are nowhere near that!

[Palm_Beach]

The Craftsman has a great engine, but the rest it falls apart if you are going to be habitually going over bumpy ground.

We have a JD (from the big box store) which has been great for the non-pasture areas and was very reasonably priced. We do the fields with an ATV and swisher. I prefer to have an ATV for the towing chores simply because you can go fast. It’s a real time saver.

[SugarCubes]

Well, I went to the Kubota dealer this weekend but they were closed! They have a great promo right now with special financing available, so I was actually considering looking at the sub-compact tractors instead of their riding mowers…then I could take care of the pasture too instead of paying a guy to brush hog for me monthly!

But, now you guys have me wanting to check out Craftsman mowers too, so many great reviews and you can’t beat that price! Is Sears the place to go for a Craftsman or are they sold at other retailers as well?

Thanks again guys!

[Jim_in_PA]

My concern with Craftsman is Sears’s deep financial problems. And there’s no comparison between typical riding mowers and the subcompacts from Kubota, Deere and others. These diesel powered machines are substantially stronger and more capable machines, despite their “sub compact” size. I’ve been using a Kubota BX-22 since 2002 for maintaining our property and it’s paid for itself several times over. I fondly call it the “Big Orange Power Tool” with a smile…

[SugarCubes]

I can always count on the lovely COTH community to enable me to buy another horse, another pony, or in this case, a TRACTOR! That’s right, we decided to go big or go home :lol: and bypassed the riding mowers and bought our very own Kubota BX2670 with a front loader! WHOOHOO! Nothing makes a horse girl happier!

As a tractor virgin, tell me all of the fun things I can do with my new toy!? The front loader was a bonus I wasn’t expecting, so what’s the best way to learn how to use it and practice with it? What other implements/attachments should I buy? Any and all tips, uses, and info would be helpful!

I would love to redo our gravel driveway, how much practice is necessary to be able to tackle a project like that? I also want to pull a dump trailer behind it and muck into that so I can drive it back to the manure pile…is that something people do? What about using the loader to clean the paddocks? Or smoothing out rutted ground? What other fun projects can I tackle?!

[Pocket_Pony]

You can do anything and everything!

I use my tractor every day for poo chores. Drive around to all the paddocks and scoop poop into the FEL and then go dump it at the manure pile.

You can scoop and turn your manure pile with it. You can push stuff around with the FEL. You can use it to transport tools to wherever you are doing a job. You can put your husband in it and lift up the bucket to clean out gutters or saw off a little limb from a tree. You can catch it on a T-post bump to try to lift if out of the ground. You can move rocks with it.

On the back end of things, you can drag your arena, hook up a dump cart to it and pull stuff around and then dump it (!). In the winters when it would be rainy (in CA) we used to park our dump trailer in the barn and clean the stalls into the dump trailer, then when it stopped raining we would take the dump trailer to the pile and dump it all at once (versus sliding around in the mud on a daily basis). You can spread manure if you have a manure spreader (which we bought when we got our tractor and have used less than a handful of times). You can smooth out your driveway if you’ve got the right piece of equipment. You can smooth out areas of bumpy dirt. You can harrow or till your pastures.

One note, though, if something is really important to you to look right (driveway for instance), then spend some time practicing on something you don’t really care about to make sure you either have the right tools and/or feel comfortable using them. There are some jobs we just hired out from time to time, as we didn’t have the attachments and it wasn’t worth getting them (auger, digger).

The list goes on! Congratulations!

[Frog_Pond]

Great choice! I’m tractorless right now, but, I love using the FEL to move water to places where it ain’t. Slap a 35-55 gallon tank in the bucket, fill it, and at your destination, use gravity & a hose (with a brass shut-off at the end) to direct it as needed. I’ve used this many times to fill remote water stations, and just loved it. Water’s heavy, tractors are strong. Enjoy yours!