Any recommendations for Lawn tractor?

[CPA]

Need to get a Lawn/Garden tractor for my 1.5 acres. Anyone have any recommendations, good or bad? Thanks.

 

[SoylentGreen]

John Deere, that's all you need.

Or get a goat.

 

[crab]

No less than 20hp

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: crab453
No less than 20hp

John Deere makes a 18 HP model with a Twin V Kawasaki engine that I'm seriously considering. 20HP v 18 HP, shouldn't be too much of a difference, should it?

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Kiyup
John Deere, that's all you need.

Or get a goat.

hmmmm....I know the deed restrictions allow me to have one farm animal per acre. A goat, you say, interesting....

 

[UltraQuiet]

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: Kiyup
John Deere, that's all you need.

Or get a goat.

hmmmm....I know the deed restrictions allow me to have one farm animal per acre. A goat, you say, interesting....

Goats are nasty animals. Anyway, when you buy a mower make sure the cutting deck extends out past the tires on both sides. It will save you a lot trimming. It's usually not an issue with the bigger mowers but on the smaller ones.....

 

[crab]

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: crab453
No less than 20hp

John Deere makes a 18 HP model with a Twin V Kawasaki engine that I'm seriously considering. 20HP v 18 HP, shouldn't be too much of a difference, should it?

We had some Lowes built tractor at an old house. Had a V2 18hb briggs (i think) motor... Lotsa power, sounded good, ran well, but on a POS tractor. Succomed to an electrical fire.

 

[SoylentGreen]

Goats will actually eat the grass too close to the ground and dig up the roots. Forget that idea.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Kiyup
Goats will actually eat the grass too close to the ground and dig up the roots. Forget that idea.

Maybe a cow then?

 

[crab]

Originally posted by: crab453

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: crab453
No less than 20hp

John Deere makes a 18 HP model with a Twin V Kawasaki engine that I'm seriously considering. 20HP v 18 HP, shouldn't be too much of a difference, should it?

We had some Lowes built tractor at an old house. Had a V2 18hb briggs (i think) motor... Lotsa power, sounded good, ran well, but on a POS tractor. Succomed to an electrical fire.

This engine

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Kiyup
John Deere, that's all you need.

Or get a goat.

I wouldn't wish a Deere lawn tractor on my worst enemy. Deere's large equipment is great, but their smaller stuff is complete crap. Heck, even their "professional" line of small machinery (such as trimmers) is worthless. Worked in landscaping for the local parks service last year. We had two brand new $900 John Deere trimming mowers and one John Deere F935 for heavy mowing that wasn't more than three years old. We also had a pair of ancient Ariens pushmowers and an equally ancient Jacobsen for heavy mowing. Guess which three units were always broken. Here's a hint, it wasn't the Ariens or the Jacobsen.

Deere's small equipment isn't worth the plastic it's made out of. Had a friend who worked at a mower center and he said the Deeres were always coming back in with crap wrong with them.

There are only two companies that are worth considering in lawn/garden tractors: Simplicity and Cub Cadet. No-one else even uses steel hoods anymore. We have a 25 year old Simplicity garden tractor that we only traded in because my dad wanted somthing with more power than the old 14 horse Briggs single in that tractor had. Got a 2002 Simplicity Broadmoor (16 horse Briggs twin) to replace the old one.

Look at Simplicity and at Cub Cadet. Nothing else is even worth it, especially not Deere. The small Deere's are all farmed out to other companies anyway, Deere just gets by on its reputation for large machinery.

ZV

 

[Kemosabe1447]

Nothing runs like a Deere.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: crab453

Originally posted by: crab453

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: crab453
No less than 20hp

John Deere makes a 18 HP model with a Twin V Kawasaki engine that I'm seriously considering. 20HP v 18 HP, shouldn't be too much of a difference, should it?

We had some Lowes built tractor at an old house. Had a V2 18hb briggs (i think) motor... Lotsa power, sounded good, ran well, but on a POS tractor. Succomed to an electrical fire.

This engine

I think a lot of the Sears Craftsman tractors use a B&S engine. Maybe that is why you can get them for under 2K.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Kemosabe1447
Nothing runs like a Deere.

True. It's a damn good thing that nothing else runs like a Deere too, since I couldn't stand it if everything else broke down like that.

ZV

 

[Ausm]

Originally posted by: Kiyup
John Deere, that's all you need. Or get a goat.

I have a John Deere 343 Liquid cooled 23 hp with a 60 inch deck

I love cruising around my lawn in style

Ausm

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: Kiyup
John Deere, that's all you need.

Or get a goat.

I wouldn't wish a Deere lawn tractor on my worst enemy. Deere's large equipment is great, but their smaller stuff is complete crap. Heck, even their "professional" line of small machinery (such as trimmers) is worthless. Worked in landscaping for the local parks service last year. We had two brand new $900 John Deere trimming mowers and one John Deere F935 for heavy mowing that wasn't more than three years old. We also had a pair of ancient Ariens pushmowers and an equally ancient Jacobsen for heavy mowing. Guess which three units were always broken. Here's a hint, it wasn't the Ariens or the Jacobsen.

Deere's small equipment isn't worth the plastic it's made out of. Had a friend who worked at a mower center and he said the Deeres were always coming back in with crap wrong with them.

There are only two companies that are worth considering in lawn/garden tractors: Simplicity and Cub Cadet. No-one else even uses steel hoods anymore. We have a 25 year old Simplicity garden tractor that we only traded in because my dad wanted somthing with more power than the old 14 horse Briggs single in that tractor had. Got a 2002 Simplicity Broadmoor (16 horse Briggs twin) to replace the old one.

Look at Simplicity and at Cub Cadet. Nothing else is even worth it, especially not Deere. The small Deere's are all farmed out to other companies anyway, Deere just gets by on its reputation for large machinery.

ZV

I know Lowe's carries the Cub Cadet, where can I find the Simplicity?

When you say "large Equipment" I'm guessing that is the full blown tractor?

 

[Ausm]

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: crab453 No less than 20hp

John Deere makes a 18 HP model with a Twin V Kawasaki engine that I'm seriously considering. 20HP v 18 HP, shouldn't be too much of a difference, should it?

Depends on how big a deck you have and also how hilly your property is...

Ausm

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Heh.. my dad had a John Deere tractor (a real one)... I think those things only have like 25hp.. and then a lawn tractor has 20.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: ausm

Originally posted by: Kiyup
John Deere, that's all you need. Or get a goat.

I have a John Deere 343 Liquid cooled 23 hp with a 60 inch deck

I love cruising around my lawn in style

Ausm

What did that run you, if I may ask?

Is it diesel?

 

[vi edit]

Aye, Deere lawn tractors are indeed crap. My old man had one that gave him nothing but fits. Constantly had problems and deere wanted astronomically high prices to fix it.

Look at Cub Cadet like Zem suggested. My grandfather has owned them for over 30 years. He wouldn't use anything else.

 

[aircooled]

I have an old Sears Craftsman w/12 horse briggs. It's about 12+ years old and still runs like a champ. For a lawn your size, I'd definatley get 20+ horses and a brand name like, Craftsman or John Deere... HomeDeopt sells Scotts brand that is re-badged John Deere... (never used one though, so I'd try it out first)

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: ausm

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: crab453 No less than 20hp

John Deere makes a 18 HP model with a Twin V Kawasaki engine that I'm seriously considering. 20HP v 18 HP, shouldn't be too much of a difference, should it?

Depends on how big a deck you have and also how hilly your property is...

Ausm

no hill, hell not even many bumps, my land is pretty flat. Texas, what do you expect.

I didn't want anything smaller than 52", but it's looking increasingly like I may only be able to afford a 48".

 

[Ausm]

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: ausm

Originally posted by: Kiyup John Deere, that's all you need. Or get a goat.

I have a John Deere 343 Liquid cooled 23 hp with a 60 inch deck I love cruising around my lawn in style Ausm

What did that run you, if I may ask? Is it diesel?

nope uleaded gas ...got it on sale for 7500

Ausm

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: Kiyup
John Deere, that's all you need.

Or get a goat.

I wouldn't wish a Deere lawn tractor on my worst enemy. Deere's large equipment is great, but their smaller stuff is complete crap. Heck, even their "professional" line of small machinery (such as trimmers) is worthless. Worked in landscaping for the local parks service last year. We had two brand new $900 John Deere trimming mowers and one John Deere F935 for heavy mowing that wasn't more than three years old. We also had a pair of ancient Ariens pushmowers and an equally ancient Jacobsen for heavy mowing. Guess which three units were always broken. Here's a hint, it wasn't the Ariens or the Jacobsen.

Deere's small equipment isn't worth the plastic it's made out of. Had a friend who worked at a mower center and he said the Deeres were always coming back in with crap wrong with them.

There are only two companies that are worth considering in lawn/garden tractors: Simplicity and Cub Cadet. No-one else even uses steel hoods anymore. We have a 25 year old Simplicity garden tractor that we only traded in because my dad wanted somthing with more power than the old 14 horse Briggs single in that tractor had. Got a 2002 Simplicity Broadmoor (16 horse Briggs twin) to replace the old one.

Look at Simplicity and at Cub Cadet. Nothing else is even worth it, especially not Deere. The small Deere's are all farmed out to other companies anyway, Deere just gets by on its reputation for large machinery.

ZV

I know Lowe's carries the Cub Cadet, where can I find the Simplicity?

When you say "large Equipment" I'm guessing that is the full blown tractor?

Simplicities aren't found at any major chain. They are sold through independant dealers in general. Simplicity used to be owned by Allis-Chalmers, so you might try checking places in your area that used to sell A-C farm equipment. Or you can check Simplicity's web site and look up a dealer in your area.

Generally speaking I mean anything with a Diesel when I talk about "large equipment". The wonderfully troublesome F935 was a diesel, and mechanically it was OK, but it had more electrical problems than a British car. Deere's line of lawn/garden tractors and its pushmowers are what I'm talking about when I mention Deere's small equipment. The farm machinery from Deere is great, but as you can tell, I'm not at all fond of their residential line.

ZV

EDIT: Wow, looks like the closest Simplicity dealer to you is in Galveston TX.

DUNN'S LAWNMOWER SHOP
4202 AVENUE S
GALVESTON, TX 77550
(409) 762-4686

 

[kef7]

My brother and I are considering John Deere, Kubota, and White after using a Cub Cadet for the last 8 yrs.

Parts in the hydrostatic tranny have broke 3 times in those 8 yrs; once almost sending me backward to drop over a 4 foot rock wall.

We have heard great things about John Deere except for the price (pretty high even with a discount through a relative who worked for Deere). We are leaning toward the Kubota.