Lawn Mower vs. Garden Tractor

[a1eventing]

Looking for some insight and advice on purchasing a used mower or tractor.

I have a pretty flat yard with 1-2ac and scattered trees. At the moment I'm primarily interested in something to mow with but would like to have enough power for attachements such as a nice sized cart and seeder.

Will I be disappointed with the general power and options available with a lawn mower vs. venturing into the garden tractor series?

Are there particular years/ models you guys can suggest to look into and things to steer clear of?

 

[Ken]

Hard to put a front end loader on a lawn mower.
and a tractor will have so many more uses. have a garden can connect to disk roto tiller
haul mulch or carry off tree limbs. A small bush hog also to get the larger tall grass or brush.
Get the mower stuck will need the tractor to tow it out.
Of course just my opinion. Prices not much differance.
ken

 

[jenkinsph]

Looking for some insight and advice on purchasing a used mower or tractor.

I have a pretty flat yard with 1-2ac and scattered trees. At the moment I'm primarily interested in something to mow with but would like to have enough power for attachements such as a nice sized cart and seeder.

Will I be disappointed with the general power and options available with a lawn mower vs. venturing into the garden tractor series?

Are there particular years/ models you guys can suggest to look into and things to steer clear of?

Not being familiar with all the brand model numbers I would suggest you consider comparable to the Deere x310 through x360 models. Below this you can have transmission problems pulling carts. My choice would be the x320 with 48" cut. This assumes mowing as the primary purpose with occasional needs of a cart and seeder fertilizer spreader.

Beyond that you can spend alot more money for ground engaging tasks and snowblowing if needed. I prefer to have a lawn mower that is lighter for routine mowing and this is what is needed 90% of the time. For those who need larger equipment I suggest the tractors be a separate machine whether owned or rented for the occasional use.

 

[g0rd0]

unless you find a lawn tractor at a estate sale or the like beware of used lawn tractors. In my oppinion when one is finished with a lawn tractor it is pretty much used up. So, go new....but, you really need to know what you want one to do.
Ask your local dealer of john deer or some other brand of tractor to stop by and assess your property and needs, then decide what is best for you.

 

[Gary Fowler]

There are several models of older diesel powered lawn mowers that have plenty of power for pulling cart and small plows. I have an old 332 JD with a 3 cylinder Yanmar diesel engine (first diesel that JD made in lawn tractor-last year made was 1984) that still purrs like a big catand has a full hydraulic system. This model has a double set of remote hydraulics for attachments plus hydraulic raising and lowering of the deck and power steering. What wears out on the is the mower decks and they can be expensive to replace ($1200) for mine so I have been patching rust holes in my for a while. I havent had any problem with it since I have had it other than the deck rusting out, motor, hydrostatic drive is still working perfectly. Kubota also made a few with a 3 and 4 cylinder engines that were pretty good. The later series JD was a 430 with diesel that was made up till 1992. Mine has a 14 HP engine that pulls a 54" mower going up steep hills pedal to the medal in deep grass without stalling a bit and I can cut my yard on half the amount of fuel that I use the the zero turn gasoline 26 HP even though I may have to make wider turns. That old mower has power steering and really turns sharper radius than the new lawnmower do. I sometimes take it over and help my brother in law and I can mow faster than his 25 HP craftsman and turn sharper. Love that old mower- the seat is not as comfortable as my zero turn though but it isnt as rough riding on rough ground.
Bottom line is if you can find one with a good mower deck that has been serviced properly (no blue smoke) then you could probably keep it for the rest of your life. They still sell for about what a new box store mower will cost you though since they were about $7-8 grand new.

 

[Gary Fowler]

IF you can find one of the Old JD diesels in the 332 or 430 just take a look at the rear end and hydrostatic drive not to mention the 709cc to 845cc water cooled diesel engine. These things look like a tractor transmission, I mean huge hydrostatic drive and big old differential that looks like a truck rear end plus it has left and right steering brakes just like a big tractor plus a differential lock. I dont know of any other Garden tractor that has that or anything close. They did come with a hefty price tag and I am sure you could have bought a pretty fair sized compact tractor for the same price although I doubt you would have had a 2.2 foot turning radius.

 

[tinner666]

We had the same delimma a few years ago. Iwatched the Sears Outlet store until I found one that wasn't hydro static. This one was recommended fro ground engaging equipment. Paid $1,600. a few years ago for it. GT5000.

 

[rjwerth]

Not being familiar with all the brand model numbers I would suggest you consider comparable to the Deere x310 through x360 models. Below this you can have transmission problems pulling carts. My choice would be the x320 with 48" cut. This assumes mowing as the primary purpose with occasional needs of a cart and seeder fertilizer spreader.

Beyond that you can spend alot more money for ground engaging tasks and snowblowing if needed. I prefer to have a lawn mower that is lighter for routine mowing and this is what is needed 90% of the time. For those who need larger equipment I suggest the tractors be a separate machine whether owned or rented for the occasional use.

I'll second that. Doesn't sound like you are looking for anything more than this. An x320 will even pull a 48" core aerator with ease.

 

[a1eventing]

Thanks for the suggestions. So can you please spell out the specs I should be looking for?
I don't have any need for a snow plow here in the south - so really just wanting somthing that is versitile enough to seed, pull a wagon etc.

Also - what are some good questions to ask the seller?

Are there any good websites to look over reviews?

 

[cyleclayton]

I'd be interested, too. Probably going to buy a JD x500 series. Trying to figure out if I can really use it to do a garden. Wonder if anyone has used a disc or a moldboard plow behind one.

 

[Jamming]

I have the same 24hp briggs as tinner posted here and its been a great little mower and i use it for mowing about 2 acres of lawn and i use the 3005 jd for any heavier work, Hydro drive on the craftsman has been reliable at 100 hours but really only good for mowing and pulling a small cart for sure. It has plenty of power for mowing and i often load the cart full of firewood to drag to the house, the most i have put in it was gravel, about 1000lbs and it had no problem pulling that on flat ground. Just gotta be sure not to overload the hitch.

 

[jenkinsph]

Thanks for the suggestions. So can you please spell out the specs I should be looking for?
I don't have any need for a snow plow here in the south - so really just wanting somthing that is versitile enough to seed, pull a wagon etc.

Also - what are some good questions to ask the seller?

Are there any good websites to look over reviews?

I would buy the mower new with warranty, Especially in the south where the mowers are worked pretty hard. If you aren't a hands on mechanically inclined type of guy it is hard to know a good deal from a bad one

 

[jenkinsph]

I'd be interested, too. Probably going to buy a JD x500 series. Trying to figure out if I can really use it to do a garden. Wonder if anyone has used a disc or a moldboard plow behind one.

Just my take on your situation, if you wan't to mow the lawn an x320 will work. If you wan't to work your own garden get either a 700 series with 4z4 or a 1026R. I personally wouldn't recommend an x500 series for rear hitch work. An x500 is a good mower and can handle a snow blade and blower but is limited in its ability to handle rear ground engagement attachments.

 

[Carl Bert]

I don't know exactly how much you want to spend, but I can tell you this, for about $3000 to $3500 you can buy a 2003 to 2005 John Deere GX345 with around 300 hours. These tractors can't be beat for the money. You can pull a 17P trailer loaded with dirt and stone up a 30 degree incline all day long. I know because I just did it. It has a liquid cooled 20hp Kawasaki engine, power steering, hydraulic lift and you can also get a limited slip rear dif. (mine doesn't have it, but wish it did) Trust me, these machines are as solid as they get and will last a lifetime. Do a search on eBay. It was a very popular model, you can easily find one. Good luck and let us know what you decide.