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Big yards - how big is too big for a walk behind?

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Originally posted by: vi edit
Yikes. I burn through a gallon and a half of gas A WEEK mowing my yard. (assuming a mow a week)

I spend about 1.5 hours on my rider each mowing. My lot is is very irregular shaped wedge with a creek running along one edge with an obnoxious number of natural and unnatural things getting in my way. I probably spend as much time turning around as I do actually cutting.

🙁
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Sounds sort of like mine. I've got 2 1/2 acres but figure I'm mowing about an acre. It's impossible to figure because the area is very irregularly shaped too. I only have lawn where the ground got disturbed when I had the house built. The rest of the property is all trees.

It takes me usually 60 to 75 minutes to mow it. But your gas consumption - wow! We're having an unusual year. I didn't mow for the first time until early in May and I'm real close to going through my first 5 gallons. I've got a Garden Tractor with a 38" cut.

It's hard to find an efficient way to mow an irregular area. I break mine up into sections. Less driving over areas I've already mowed.
 
My front lawn (or garden for our English chaps) is 1/2 acre. Both side lawns together are about 1/4th an acre and my rear lawn is almost exactly 1 acre.

The people who live next to me have nearly an identical setup and they use a traditional walk behind mower. Not me though, I have a riding mower (front engine, rwd) with a 42" deck. It takes me about an hour and a half to do the entire lawn. Before I start with the riding mower I take a walk behind mower and go around all the trees, flower beds, curb, etc, etc so I don't have to worry about that sort of detail work with the riding mower (hence no need for an expensive zero turn mower and no need to slow down).

I bought my Murray riding mower in 1999 and paid $900 for it. It has a 15HP Briggs & Stratton single cylinder engine, a 6-speed manual gearbox, a tow hitch, head lamps, cup holder and electric start ignition. You can buy something very similar today for the same price as well as a walk behind mower for about $100 to do all the detail/trim work. Much better than 3k for a "do it all" riding mower IMO.
 
Well, to give you an idea, I have 2/3 of an acre, and with a 22" push mower, it took 4 FREAKIN' HOURS and TWO TANKS OF GAS to cut the grass. I got a 42" rider and it takes 45 minutes now.
 
You will probably want a tractor for the long term...yes it will cost more up front, but it will take you drastically less time, and should last a long time. Even though the models at Lowes/Home Depot are not the best, they should still last a couple of years. When I cut my parents lawn, had two different John Deere's (killed the clutch on one), and they worked beautifully on 3/4 of an acre. Plus if you get a tractor, you can get a trailer for landscaping and the such.
 
Stopped in at HD last night and found this interesting option:

http://products.howstuffworks....awn-tractor-review.htm

It's a conventional riding tractor but it has the same turn on a dime ability of a ZTR. Very cool. Cub is also doing 0% interest for 36 months so that's a nice option too.

I think this might be the way to go. I get a ZTR that can pull as small yard cart, a comfy chair to sit in, a beer holder, and it's something that won't initimidate my wife since it works like a normal mower.
 
Originally posted by: Jawo
You will probably want a tractor for the long term...yes it will cost more up front, but it will take you drastically less time, and should last a long time. Even though the models at Lowes/Home Depot are not the best, they should still last a couple of years. When I cut my parents lawn, had two different John Deere's (killed the clutch on one), and they worked beautifully on 3/4 of an acre. Plus if you get a tractor, you can get a trailer for landscaping and the such.
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Home Depot's MTD brand is pretty good, and they have CVT transmissions now. Mine has started on the first key stroke for the last 3 years. Haven't had to do anything to it besides charge the battery (didn't have to charge it last two years). The 24HP model is pretty speedy too!
 
Dear Diary,

JACKPOT!

Went back and dug around Home Depot again today. Found a Cub Cadet iSeries 46" mower in the ding & dent section. It has a problem with a hydro bypass(locks in neutral so you can push it) pin that has to get repaired. The repair shop is two miles from my house.

$2999 mower. Linky

My cost: $1400. It's got .5 hours on the clock Full 3 year warranty (And another 4 years for $250 if I want it)

Cha ching!
 
Originally posted by: vi edit
Dear Diary,

JACKPOT!

Went back and dug around Home Depot again today. Found a Cub Cadet iSeries 46" mower in the ding & dent section. It has a problem with a hydro bypass(locks in neutral so you can push it) pin that has to get repaired. The repair shop is two miles from my house.

$2999 mower. Linky

My cost: $1400. It's got .5 hours on the clock Full 3 year warranty (And another 4 years for $250 if I want it)

Cha ching!
Click to expand...

wow great deal!

 
we mow about 3 acers of grass with http://www.exmark.com/LazerZHP.htm We have about 50 Austrian and red pines, a few maple, cherry, crab apple trees, barn, planting beds, drive way from barn and house. It usually takes up about 2.5 hours. It looks like that walk behind would be the ticket for you. Our old place was about 1/3 acre and I mowed that with a 22" toro.
 
I used to do close to an acre with a push mower, no power. It wasn't too bad, it would take about 2 hours to do it though. We had a crap load of trees.
 
Originally posted by: Pale Rider
Half price, nice buy! I believe there is a snow blower attachment for the Cub models as well.
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Setup a business to clear the neighbors using the snowblower.

Then you can write off the cost of the tractor, gas and any attachments.

 
Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Originally posted by: drnickriviera
Originally posted by: kranky
Originally posted by: drnickriviera
I saw that model at Lowes. One bad thing about mowers with casters up front. If you mow sideways on a hill, they will drift down. You have to manually steer the one you linked. I'd hunt craigslist or ebay for a hydro walk behind. I use a 36" Great Dane Hydro Scamper. I love it.
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You can lock the wheels to face forward so they don't swivel.
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Then how do you turn?
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Lift the front
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WAS THAT SO HARD?
 
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