lawn tractor?

yumdainiel

I am looking to purchase a lawn tractor. I have aprox 1.5 acres of grass, flat to hills , and some uneven areas. what lawn tractor would you recomend? john deere, cub cadet, troy built, ect...... what hp, deck size
looking in price range of $1500-2000
I am looking for something that mulches well. my yard is too big to bag, rake or collect

Answer
I'd recommend about a 17-18 horse lawn tractor or so (17 horsepower absolute minimum) with a 48"-60" deck. Zero turn radius tractors will go faster but they can take a little getting used to.

You can't go wrong with a John Deere. They do cost a little more, but they last so much longer that they are worth every penny. Our family had a John Deere 116 for years and it lasted from about 1980 to probably about 2003. In that same time, our neighbor went through about 4-5 cheap lawnmowers and we had a much larger yard to mow including a pond where we hit sticks and stumps, etc. John Deere just builds theirs well, you can tell by the thickness of the sheet metal on the mower deck.

If you get the tractor type, the only kind I'd recommend is a John Deere. Well, I'd probably also recommend Toro. They are pretty good, but still not as good as John Deere. Gravely also has pretty descent ones, but they are not as common. I recommend getting one with hydro-stat. It comes in SO handy. Also, for the hills I recommend getting the lug tires. They work so much better than the turf tires for going up hills.

For a zero turn radius there are several good brands out there. Dixie Chopper is well known. Of course there is John Deere. Then there is Grasshopper and Bushhog. All of those brands are good brands.

What Lawn Tractor Should I Get?

thebiggin4

We recently moved to a house more in the country with 12 acres and we are looking to buy a riding mower/lawn tractor. The property is 12 acres total, with a 2 acre pond, and the house and landscaped area by the pool probably covers a bit over half an acre, so we are looking at around 9.5 acres to mow. The property is completely flat with a slight grade going down towards the pond, but nothing big. My family all live in a very small (population 600) town in rural Illinois and they tell me to get the biggest John Deere I can afford.

Price aside, what would be the most efficient tractor for this job? We dont want a zero turn mower because we like the attachments (snow plow, gardening cart, etc.) that can put on a riding mower.

Answer
Yeah, lawn tractor as they are tougher and have bigger engines, especially since you'll need the PTO for a rototiller or other mechanical attachments....if you are leaning towards them as well. Also buy what can be serviced in your area easily. You don't want to be hauling it far away for service and repair.

If you are mechanical and can do the work yourself, you can look to Husqvarna (I never get that spelling correct) or some of the professional turf grass types........but I'd angle back to Deere because of the attachements. As to model, talk with the dealer to determine what you'll need for the work load you expect to be doing.

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I need help with striping my lawn and making it look professional?

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Aztec

We have about 1 acre of land and we use a cub-cadet lawn mower. I have tried to stripe it but I cant get it to look like the pros. Is my technique wrong? Is there something i could make to pull behind the tractor to bend the grass down? That is what they do at the golf course. I mow it at about 4.5 inches. Any tips?

Answer
Stripes in grass work best on fine textured turf such as Bermuda, Zoysia, Bent or Fescue. If you are growing a turf that requires a mowing height of 4.5 inches such as St Augustine or Bahia, then striping is tougher.

Be sure the blades are very sharp. Mow often and make marks somewhere unobtrusive so that you are mowing in the same direction in the same place every time you mow. Mow often. It is the repetition of direction that eventually puts stripes in turf..

Reel mowers often have rollers behind them to prepare the surface for playing. The rollers should not be too heavy to prevent soil compaction.

Remember, the striping in turf is much more visible from above and on TV, you may have more striping than you can see from ground level.

How can I mow my acreage?

Dirk Digle

I just bought 5.5 acres and will need to develop a grass / weed control plan. The terrain is a little hilly and has quite a few trees. Would it be possible to get an ATV and drag some sort of attachment behind it? I don't think it's enough acreage for a tractor. Any additional ideas would be helpful. Thanks.

Answer
5.5 acres is the size of my lawn and with a 84 inch deck it takes me 3 hours dodging around trees. I use a AC D-17 pulling a Brushhog finishing mower on a 3 pt hitch. You can buy an ATV dragged mower with its own motor and do it that way if you have the ATV to do it. Otherwise I suggest you buy and antique tractor like a AC "C" with a belly mower. You can pick up the total package for around $2000 to $2500. They are good runners and easy to maintain. We mow some properties with a C and a belly mower. Its cheaper than a new mower or a newer tractor. Best place to look is Tractorhouse.com or ironsearch.com or even craigslist.

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How much tractor?

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Dea

I'm going to purchase a lawn tractor with my tax refund. I do not need much, my lawn is only 0.5 acres. I would also like to use a snow blade to clear my drive, which is small and flat. I know they aren't the real deal, but would I really need more than the tractors found at Home Depot or Lowes? I see that the Cub Cadets have Kohler engines compared to the Briggs found in the John Deeres. Any suggestions?

Answer
I have been looking at Sears tractors. It's like a 4500 series,21 hp Kohler or Briggs.(46" deck). I've always had good luck with Briggs engines. I have a Murray tractor with a 11 hp. Briggs that is 28 years old. This was the last of the old cast iron engines. I don't know how much snow you are going to push, the main problem is traction. I had to make a set of chains to fit my tires, and got along. I know the old time Kohler engines were good. I've had a couple of welders with Kohler engines. Parts are pricey. I think all these new engines are throw away anyway. It cost so much for parts, you can buy a new engine cheaper.

I personally don't like the looks of the cadet. Must be the color combination.

Good Luck

How often do you have to mow acreage with a zero-turn riding lawnmower?

zazoo

I heard that zero-turn riding lawnmowers (i.e. Swisher ZT2560) are much cheaper than diesel tractors and can still mow acreage (5+ acres) with ease. But my question is, how long can you wait between mowings? Can you wait 3 weeks between mowings, or will the grass grow so long that you will need tractor+brushhog to mow it?

Answer
It all depends on what type of grass you have.

For example, in the Pacific Northwest, we have a lot of Rye-grass and Fescue grasses, which thrive at 2-3 inches of height, anything less and the grass dies.

I would always try to mow when the grass is 33% more than the peak height of your grass. So for me, I tend to mow the grass when it is about 4 and a half inches high. In this way, you are getting the best part of the grass, the top third (which stores all the nutrients) and put it back into your lawn, thus making it grow stronger.

Hope this helps! It might help to find out what type of grass you have. There are many different websites for telling you what type of grass your area has the most of.

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How often do you have to mow acreage with a zero-turn riding lawnmower?

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zazoo

I heard that zero-turn riding lawnmowers (i.e. Swisher ZT2560) are much cheaper than diesel tractors and can still mow acreage (5+ acres) with ease. But my question is, how long can you wait between mowings? Can you wait 3 weeks between mowings, or will the grass grow so long that you will need tractor+brushhog to mow it?

Answer
It all depends on what type of grass you have.

For example, in the Pacific Northwest, we have a lot of Rye-grass and Fescue grasses, which thrive at 2-3 inches of height, anything less and the grass dies.

I would always try to mow when the grass is 33% more than the peak height of your grass. So for me, I tend to mow the grass when it is about 4 and a half inches high. In this way, you are getting the best part of the grass, the top third (which stores all the nutrients) and put it back into your lawn, thus making it grow stronger.

Hope this helps! It might help to find out what type of grass you have. There are many different websites for telling you what type of grass your area has the most of.

Any suggestions for a lawn mower(s) for 3-4 acres to mow?

nc1kcfan

My husband and I are looking into buying a lawn mower/tractor to mow about 3 - 4 acres. We are thinking about either a JD 2210 or JD 4115. Does anyone have a suggestion of any others, especially of lesser cost, but the same quality for the amount of mowing to be done? Also, suggestions on which size of deck and the amount of time it would take to mow this amount would be great. We have a Torro with a 54" deck now, but we are sharing it with my father-in-law and it is becoming a hassle to take back and worth every week or so. Plus, we have to get the bushhog to use too. We use the Torro for yard (about 1.5 acres) and the bushhog for the other acres. That's why we need one that would be great to do it all! ~thanks

Answer
I'd Look at exmark or grasshopper's..., any 42 inch with a hydro riding mower will do 1.5 acres easy though... I'd also think about simplicity/snapper mowers as well. Simplicity owns snapper.

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How durable are John deere Lawn Mowers?

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the Tino

Ever since I can remember, I have begged my dad to by a John Deere Lawn mower. From what I see, they never really break. I hear they are extremely durable. yet my dad has found a stupid excuse to get a troy bilt lawn mower. I am putting my neck out on the line for a John Deere, so I was wondering just how durable they really are.

Answer
I myself am a John Deere Service Tech. If you want a durable mower I would suggest getting one from a dealership. The ones that you buy from Lowes or Home Depot are not built as well as one sold at a dealership. Those mowers are what we in the shop call a "Green MTD". Depending on what size yard you have, follow this guide:

1 - 5 acres - X-300, X500 series of tractors. EZ track Zero turn mowers.

5 - 10 acres - X700 series tractors. 2000 series compact utility tractors. 717, 727 z-track zero turn mowers.

10 - 15 acres - 3000 series compact utility tractors. 737, 757 z-track zero turn mowers.

15+ 4000 series compact utility tractors. 777, 797 z-track zero turn mowers.

for more information visit www.deere.com/residential

Joseph Hitt
Albany Tractor Co.
pfc_hitt@yahoo.com

Can anyone tell me what happened to my lawn tractor?

schoolbus

It's a 19.5 HP Sears craftsman with the motor with the air filter, oil like a car motor.
I just put new blades on and was mowing my yard which is about half an acre.
It was fine mowing just fine and all of a sudden it started sputtering like it was about to run out of gas. It had a little smoke come from the engine and I smelled something burning. I shut it off immediately and checked the gas. It had half a tank. I brushed the grass from the spindles and attempted to start it. It was as if there was no battery....just nothing. The headlights weren't working so I pulled it to the house.
Yikes...any ideas on why all of a sudden it did this? Other than changing blades and routine maintenance it's not given me any trouble. The smoke and burning smell scares me....Sears just did a full maintenance on it 2 years ago. I keep it in a barn during the winter and tarp it during the summer. Its 4 years old.

Answer
not really enough info.
i figure it's either an engine over heat and a wire close the the engine got fried or the was a wire that do to vibration chaffed on something shorting out the ignition.

disconnect the battery. connect only to trouble shoot this. it may drain. you may have a grounding condition.

other than chasing wires with an ohm meter, i'd pull and read the plug(s). those can tell one a lot in regards to the engine. and it may eliminate the worry about any internal engine damage as a result or the cause itself.
you can use this page as a guide line when reading the plug(s).
http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/tech_support/spark_plugs/faqs/faqread.asp

pay special attention to heat and oil foul conditions. those would point to a serious engine issue. heat would likely be cause by a lean fuel condition. oil, being a result of that and burning a hole in the top of the piston. but if you put your finger in the plug hole and turn it over by hand, and you feel pressure pushing on your finger, compression is prolly good.

other than that, i'd have to see it.

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