Need a lawn mower: self propelled or riding mower

[olds]

You clearly don't know how big a half acre is, or don't care about your time. Has nothing to do with ability.

OP I have a half acre and I use a riding mower - wouldn't even think about using a push. If you were paying $20 or less it's probably worth continuing to do so if you make decent change in a year. If a riding mower didn't come with my house I likely would have made the mistake of buying one. Around here you can get it cut for $20 and that's a steal for your time, gas and maintenance of the mower.

My last place was 5 acres and I mowed it with a pair of scissors.

 

[ponyo]

If the lawn service was only $20 a week, I would've kept them. I paid $60 per trip for mowing and edging. I used them for years. But this year I want to do my own maintenance. So I should make up the cost of the mower pretty quick.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

If the lawn service was only $20 a week, I would've kept them. I paid $60 per trip for mowing and edging. I used them for years. But this year I want to do my own maintenance. So I should make up the cost of the mower pretty quick.

$60 per trip? Not really that bad especially if you could schedule the appointments when needed.

 

[highland145]

My last place was 5 acres and I mowed it with a pair of scissors.

Sadistic bastard. Could you not have bribed your denizens with a saltine or two?

 

[lupi]

I've got like .58 acre and use a rider, mainly because while I've had trouble getting good grass growth in the front the back gets real thick, and after 4 days or a decent rain it because torture to push mow. I can either cut it every 3-4 days, cut it evey 7 days and take over 3 hours, or use the rider and cut, trim, and blow in just over 2.

 

[DrPizza]

That's exactly what I was estimating. You don't think 90 mins of your time per week is worth $20? You also have to consider gas costs and mower maintenance.

Maybe I just don't agree. If it was something enjoyable (I don't mind it, but it isn't enjoyable either) I'd see where you're coming from.

Coming home from work, assuming you have a job, and having to spend 1 1/2 hours just walking back and forth, isn't my idea of using my time wisely. If you look on Craigslist, you can find a pretty good used riding mower for well under$1000, say, $600. Compare to a new (yeah, I know, you can get a used one on Craislist) self-propelled mower, and it's not really that much more.

 

[Tiamat]

My last place was 5 acres and I mowed it with a pair of scissors.

Lol!

 

[thedarkwolf]

or just get a couple goats

 

[IndyColtsFan]

That's exactly what I was estimating. You don't think 90 mins of your time per week is worth $20? You also have to consider gas costs and mower maintenance.

Maybe I just don't agree. If it was something enjoyable (I don't mind it, but it isn't enjoyable either) I'd see where you're coming from.

When I look at tasks, I look at the time involved and the difficulty level of the task at hand. Gutter cleaning is something I won't do myself -- I have a big two-story house with a steep roof and there is no way I would do that myself. I will pay $100 to have someone else do it for me. It is hard and potentially risky work and I would as soon have someone else do that task.

When it comes to lawn though, I've mowed lawns ever since I was 9 or 10 years old (1980) so they aren't a big deal. There are other benefits of doing it yourself as well. Even with a self-propelled mower, you get a decent amount of walking in while mowing and it is nice to get outside for a change. Plus, no one does it as well as I do IMO. I also do my own lawn treatments as well and mowing gives me a good overview of the lawn and what needs done to it -- fertilizer, weed treatment, etc. I've also got roughly 10 flower beds and have to clean and mulch those every year (my wife handles the plants and watering them for the most part).

Don't get me wrong -- mowing is enjoyable the first couple of times per year but then it gets tedious and inconvenient. Even still, I prefer to do it myself if possible. Now, to be clear, there are times when I HAVE paid to get it mowed. For example, I used to go on a yearly business trip in early April and would pay a neighbor kid $30 to do it while I was gone. If the thermometer hits 100, I will probably pay a kid to do it, but even that isn't guaranteed.

 

[Tweak155]

When I look at tasks, I look at the time involved and the difficulty level of the task at hand. Gutter cleaning is something I won't do myself -- I have a big two-story house with a steep roof and there is no way I would do that myself. I will pay $100 to have someone else do it for me. It is hard and potentially risky work and I would as soon have someone else do that task.

When it comes to lawn though, I've mowed lawns ever since I was 9 or 10 years old (1980) so they aren't a big deal. There are other benefits of doing it yourself as well. Even with a self-propelled mower, you get a decent amount of walking in while mowing and it is nice to get outside for a change. Plus, no one does it as well as I do IMO. I also do my own lawn treatments as well and mowing gives me a good overview of the lawn and what needs done to it -- fertilizer, weed treatment, etc. I've also got roughly 10 flower beds and have to clean and mulch those every year (my wife handles the plants and watering them for the most part).

Don't get me wrong -- mowing is enjoyable the first couple of times per year but then it gets tedious and inconvenient. Even still, I prefer to do it myself if possible. Now, to be clear, there are times when I HAVE paid to get it mowed. For example, I used to go on a yearly business trip in early April and would pay a neighbor kid $30 to do it while I was gone. If the thermometer hits 100, I will probably pay a kid to do it, but even that isn't guaranteed.

You could take that walk where you REALLY want to!

 

[tynopik]

If the lawn service was only $20 a week, I would've kept them. I paid $60 per trip for mowing and edging. I used them for years. But this year I want to do my own maintenance. So I should make up the cost of the mower pretty quick.

you could probably con some neighborhood kids into doing it for $30

 

[Midwayman]

For a half acre lawn It'd be riding mower time or a service for me. No way I'd want to do that big a lawn with a push mower. The big question is do you have storage for it and able to do your own maintenance? For most people adding a riding lawn mower means the expense of a shed as well.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I'd get a riding mower before a self propelled. Heck perhaps even contract it out. You still need to walk behind a self propelled and they can be tricky in corners and turns. Or if you're a baller get a standard push mower, but 1/2 an acre is quite a lot of land. Whatever you do, make sure it'is a mulcher. It's not the actual mowing that makes it long, it's having to empty the bag all the time.

My parents have a huge yard, not as big as 1/2 acre, but still 2-3 times bigger than an average yard. My dad insisted to use a bagger mower, it would take about 4 hours to mow that lawn, and about 10 to 20 garbage bags, compacted (well, by foot). 2 lawnmower bags could be fit in one garbage bag if you compact it enough. Man, I don't miss mowing that lawn! For my own yard I have a mulcher push mower and it goes really well. Takes under an hour to do the front and back.

 

[DCal430]

I have to mow around 1/100 acre of land, damn I can't imagine doing 1/2 an acre.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Know what would be fun? Combine the electronics of a roomba with a self propelled lawnmower. Start it up, let it go do it's thing, and check on progress once in a while and come back to stop it. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[KK]

Coming home from work, assuming you have a job, and having to spend 1 1/2 hours just walking back and forth, isn't my idea of using my time wisely. If you look on Craigslist, you can find a pretty good used riding mower for well under$1000, say, $600. Compare to a new (yeah, I know, you can get a used one on Craislist) self-propelled mower, and it's not really that much more.

May as well hire a landscaping company if worried about using time wisely.

 

[lxskllr]

self propelled with fertilizer attachment.

 

[DrPizza]

May as well hire a landscaping company if worried about using time wisely.

There's no reason to take it that far. It's like "should I walk 10 miles to the store? Or should I drive?" Your response is like saying, "well, if you want to be wise with your time, order everything online." Using time wisely doesn't necessarily mean using zero time. 1/2 acre is a significant amount to mow by hand.

To the clueless who disagree, here's an acre, imagine cutting that in half and mowing it.

 

[KK]

There's no reason to take it that far. It's like "should I walk 10 miles to the store? Or should I drive?" Your response is like saying, "well, if you want to be wise with your time, order everything online." Using time wisely doesn't necessarily mean using zero time. 1/2 acre is a significant amount to mow by hand.

To the clueless who disagree, here's an acre, imagine cutting that in half and mowing it.

Still 90% of the time cheaper to order online, plus no taxes in most places. Sounds like a good plan.

 

[lykaon78]

OP: My mostly flat lot is 80x185 (about a third of an acre) with a house in the middle and a creek in the back that cuts about 25% of my mowing area out. All told, I'd guess I'm mowing maybe 1/8 of an acre and it takes me about an hour with a self-propelled mower (and I've got a 22" deck).

A 21" deck is going to take you at least 3 hours. It would be good exercise but in July and August you're going to hate mowing 1/2 acre behind a walk behind mower.

Get the riding mower.

 

[boomhower]

Wtf said anything about $20? If he's getting a half ac mowed for $20 I need his lawn guys phone number so I can get my yard mowed.

Same here. Going rate is more like $50-$75 depending on what exactly you want done. I use a self-propelled push mower for roughly a half acre but with all the trees I have it would actually be harder with a riding mower. Last place was 9/10 of an acre and would have preferred a riding mower with it.

 

[DrPizza]

Again, I still struggle to believe that anyone mows a 9/10 acre lawn with a push mower. See the picture I put in above. That's an insane number of hours spent each week just mowing the lawn.

 

[weadjust]

Lowes Raven Hybrid Riding Lawn Mower / Generator / ATV

http://professional-power-tool-guid...rid-riding-lawn-mower-generator-power-player/

 

[velillen]

I vote riding. I have an actual half acre of yard to mow and it takes me 30-45 minutes on my riding. With a push mower its closer to 2 hours. I only know cause ive borrow my parents push mower when i first moved in

I get my exercise from other places, dont need it from being behind a lawn mower.

 

[Midwayman]

Know what would be fun? Combine the electronics of a roomba with a self propelled lawnmower. Start it up, let it go do it's thing, and check on progress once in a while and come back to stop it. What could possibly go wrong?

You joke, but they do make robotic lawn mowers.