I recently purchased a new home with a 1 acre yard. The yard is relatively flat and has very few obstructions. Since I moved from a condo, I now need a lawn tractor. I know absolutely nothing about which brands are any good. I would like some opinions on what to get including specific model numbers.

 

I've got a Craftsman mower, don't know the width, but pretty big, with a 18 horse Kohler V-twin and it has never gave me a lick of trouble. Just my .02

 

You can borrow Tops mower, but Ive heard that at full throttle, it lifts off the ground!

 

 

How much money ya wanna spend?

Matt

 

Simplicity Are Good, and They build AGCO, and Massey Fergusson, too.

John Deere is good too, but go to a REAL dealer. The ones like Lowe's or home Depot sell are made by MTD, and are crap!

Anything made by MTD is junk in my opinion, but I just know about the ones we work on

Chris

 

I got a MTD 20 hp briggs 46" cut used for $200. They said vibration in deck and throws the belt.....replaced all belts and checked bearings. Did the oil and filter. Runs like a champ and cuts OK. 4 years old and garage kept. looks brand new.

That being said, it is a cheapo mower. not built well at all. I would never drop the $$ on one new.

Things to look at...Kubota 18 hp 3 cyl. diesel...shafts gears and hydrualics....any worth having are big $$$ - JKE

 

My $.02. Without knowing your age, or mechanical/maintenance abilities I suspect 1 acre probably won’t wear-out a Lowe's or Home Depot mower for 6 years at least as long as it’s stored inside a building. You may be very happy with one of those, they’re made of lighter material and you get what you pay for. But if you plan to hire service and annual maintenance you’re far ahead shopping a full-service mower/chainsaw shop. MTD, Husqvarna, John Deere etc. all make light duty models sold at home centers and heavy duty models sold at full service mower shops.
Nat

 

I just went thru the decision process for my 1 acre yard. Looked at every brand, gasoline & diesel, lawn tractor, garden tractor, small farm tractor, zero-turn, the works. Price was not a driver but still important. To make a long story short, I got a Husqvarna garden tractor with a 48" mower, hydrostatic transmission and 25 HP Kohler twin cylinder engine. Lowes gave me the best price at $2300 (discounted because it was displayed outside). It seemed to have thicker/stronger parts than any other unit.

I had my heart set on a zero-turn mower but one dealer said that I would likely have trouble getting it stuck in a ditch at the front of my property. Of course, zero-turn mowers cost at least twice that of garden/lawn tractors.

 

I've used a 20.5 hp BS, 46" cut MTD garden tractor for seven years to maintain all or part of ten acres in the country. I use the scrapper blade and trailer that came with it a lot. Blades, belts, one spindle, one battery, oil and filters. And, it's been kept outside or under the barn overhang with a tarp over it. I don't know about the new ones, but my old MTD has been a workhorse.

CR

Oops, I forgot, I did put a used starter on it a couple of years ago.

 

more then likly 42" I sold crafstman mowers for 2 years. I would suggest a craftsman though. There fairly reliable and you can get parts for them, not always at the store but deffintly every part online. If you wait for sale you can get I think its a 17hp brigs 42inch deck LT 1000? or something for like 1100$ or so. I always thought it was a good deal. Or you can be weird like us and buy a big yanmar diesel with a 5' woods deck for your 1 acre lawn I can mow it in 15min though

 

As a member of a lawn care biz, this thread gave me a

We run 2 John Deeres a Snapper and have a Wal-Mart Warrior (Yard Machines by MTD) as an emergency backup. One John Deere is a tracor (model is 425 with 4 wheel steer, front plow hydros, basically loaded), one is a Zero Turn, both are 60" decks. We are going to sell the tractor and buy another zero turn, either a 44" or 48" deck. If you want a great cut, then get a zero turn. If you want a decent cut but want something that does more than sit in the garage 165 hours a week, then get a tractor. Our 425 is a workhorse, but for a homeowner 2 wheel steer is good enough, 4WS gets in the way when pulling things around. You may be able to find a used one for about 3 grand. If you want to get a great cut and have a 4 wheeler to do other things around the yard I would look at Hustler (NO not the magazine ) www.hustlerturfequipment.com They have very reasonably priced zero turns that cut very decent. And the maintenence is dirt simple on them, only like 7 grease zirks. Their homeowners series has the same frame as the commercial, only it has smaller hydro pumps and some other small things. Lifetime warranty on leading edge of the deck and frame, and 2 year full coverage. Plus you get a mower that says Hustler

Before we had the lawn care biz we went through 2 Yard Machines, one blew the motor and one kinda slowly lost the front end and stripped the steering gear 3 times. Each machine lasted about 2 1/2 years mainaining about 6 acres but they were entertainment, also (that'd explain the front end and steering)

 

I also just got a house on an acre. I looked at everything under $3k.
I went with the toro 38 inch time cutter zero turn for around 2500 dollars. Of course I really wanted the Walker diesel but at 12 grand wasnt going to happen.
I'm very happy with the speed & agility that it has and recommend looking at one. The zero turn is what sold me.

db

 

Just bought a John Deere GT 235, twin cylinder Kawasaki, 48 inch cut, hydro drive, cruise control, and adjustable seat. Schweeeeeeeet..........

 

yeah thoes zero turns are cool. We thought about selling our yanmar for an xmark. I dont know though I really like not having to move any thing under 1.5" around. Just chew it up and spit it out. If you want cheap though I'd probably go with the craftsman. If you dont care and just want to mow get a zero turn. If you want to do some other things.. kobata makes a nice rig.