Do you still find lawn tractor useful after upgrading to "real" tractor?

[BadDecisions]

Another of those cases of "I can't figure out how to word a search to get useful results..." :laughing: Have had a Craftsman LT1000 lawn tractor for a few years before recently getting a "real" tractor - an old Ford 8N. Already well into the "yep, should have made this a priority a LONG time ago..so much more useful!" category, lol.

Which leaves me wondering whether I should keep the lawn tractor around for any reason? Perhaps a major consideration for me one way or the other is that I will not be using it for mowing duties of ANY sort, grass or otherwise. I have wicked allergies to airborne plant life, which means I get about 10 minutes of cutting grass before my throat, sinuses, and eyes are begging for mercy. If it's grass or weeds on the ground, I'm removing it, not cutting it. One of the big reasons why I moved to the southwest desert Also one of the big reasons why I upgraded to that Ford and a landscape rake - the ability to pull something that's big enough to be beneficial in _removing_ the grass and weeds growing on the property as opposed to just cutting and/or killing it. It was also a very pleasant surprise to find that dragging things BEHIND me, despite some of it still getting churned up into the air, is also much more kind to my allergies than blowing it out the side under me.

I'm now looking at an old lawn tractor sitting there, and wondering if I should keep it for any reason...there's been a few times over the years that I've done such upgrading, got rid of the old smaller stuff thinking I'd never use it again, then later found myself thinking "well darn...that old thing would have been pretty handy about now..wish I wouldn't have sold that!".

So I ask of the community - if you've done a similar thing, did you find the lawn tractor to be useful for anything afterwards that didn't involve mowing things?

 

[bigtiller]

Re: Do you still find lawn tractor useful after upgrading to "real" tractor?

Take the mower deck off and get rid of it.
Now it's called a go-cart. Drive it down to the mailbox or around the yard just for fun.

 

[BadDecisions]

Re: Do you still find lawn tractor useful after upgrading to "real" tractor?

around the yard just for fun.

I have a Suzuki Samurai for that, or if I want more fun, a K5 Blazer with a 489ci big block stroker under the hood Though maybe it's time to get into lawn tractor racing?

 

[Avenger]

Re: Do you still find lawn tractor useful after upgrading to "real" tractor?

I was given a mid 90's MTD riding mower when I moved out to where I am at now. I rebuilt the B&S engine as it was pretty much dead. Replaced a bunch of pullies and belts, new blades, etc. I even added these Amazon.com: Carlisle Super Lug Lawn & Garden Tire - 13X5-6: Automotive for the hills I have. I mowed with this 'tractor' for several years... then I bent the deck on a pocket gopher mound. The tractor was good, deck was bad. I didnt wish to fix or replace the deck, I bought a new riding lawn mower and removed the old POS deck from the MDT.

I got a little wagon for it and use it for running around the property. The wagon is great for moving my targets up to the shooting range and getting packages left by the mail box. Zooming up to the neighbors is easy too, just bounce down the trail. All sorts of uses for a little 'tractor' that pulls a wagon not much bigger than a red flyer. :thumbsup:

 

[mapper]

Re: Do you still find lawn tractor useful after upgrading to "real" tractor?

Lawn tractor is for mowing the lawn, tractor is for everything else. Can't imagine what my place would look like if the tractor was what I mowed the lawn with, I can do a tremendous amount of damage in a very short amount of time to structures, trees and other stuff with the tractor.
Different tools, different purposes.

 

[RoyJackson]

Re: Do you still find lawn tractor useful after upgrading to "real" tractor?

Personally, I'd keep it...
Although I use mine ( a zero-turn) for mowing primarily, it's also used to tow a lawn roller and an aerator. If I didn't have a Gator, I'd get a cart for hauling dirt, picking up trash...toting my trimmer tools (string trimmer, chain saws and lopers) around too

 

[mapper]

Re: Do you still find lawn tractor useful after upgrading to "real" tractor?

However, if I didn't have a lawn I wouldn't need a lawnmower. On the other hand my wife has MG and on bad days she uses the lawn tractor to get around the property on.

 

[ericm979]

Re: Do you still find lawn tractor useful after upgrading to "real" tractor?

I use mine to mow the lawn and pull dethachers and rollers on the lawn. If I didn't have a lawn I wouldn't have a lawn tractor.

When my allergies are bad I wear a respirator with N100 filters. Usually when mowing with the big tractor. It works pretty well and it's less uncomfortable than the much less effective fiber dust masks.

 

[shovelmike]

Re: Do you still find lawn tractor useful after upgrading to "real" tractor?

I have kept my old Craftsman 12.5 hp I bought new in '91 even though I went to ZTR 15 years ago. The thing refuses to die, so I have used it extensively tow my lawn trailer. I used it to mow a section of my trail that was rough enough that I didn't want to dull the blades on the good mower, mowed along side the garden in a spot too narrow for the big mower.
I finally broke out the Hustler and mowed the whole yard in almost no time.

 

[JohnnyMX]

Re: Do you still find lawn tractor useful after upgrading to "real" tractor?

Used to do the lawn in 4 hours + with the tractor and a finish mower. Got the zero-turn and cut that in half. That is probably a bigger difference than a normal riding mower. I wouldn't bother owning a normal rider and a tractor IF I could cut grass with my tractor.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Re: Do you still find lawn tractor useful after upgrading to "real" tractor?

Unless you have more than half an hour or so of grass to cut, it probably cuts grass nicer than anything other than a push mower. Bigger machines trample down grass.

A customer once took the deck off a rear engine riding mower and made go-cart for his girls. Called it the lawnbourgini (sp?)

 

[BadDecisions]

Re: Do you still find lawn tractor useful after upgrading to "real" tractor?

So apparently I should have put "not mowing anything at all" in the subject line rather than the body??

 

[BRMyers]

Re: Do you still find lawn tractor useful after upgrading to "real" tractor?

Never had a lawn tractor, but as you stated medical reasons keep you from mowing and moved to where you don't need to do that, sell it and use the money towards and attachment you can use on your tractor or save it for a bigger/newer/different tractor.

I know the reason I went with a cab on my tractor was to help with those nasty allergies. Yet, since you have moved to where that isn't an issue, you can't use that for a reason to buy a cab, but maybe you can use the reason of the heat and needing the AC to keep you safe?

 

[i7win7]

Re: Do you still find lawn tractor useful after upgrading to "real" tractor?

I have wicked allergies to airborne plant life, which means I get about 10 minutes of cutting grass before my throat, sinuses, and eyes are begging for mercy.

Off topic: for your wicked allergies.
Trend Airshield Pro | Air Circulating Face Shield | U*AIR/PRO
I have one of these for wood working(sanding), also for cutting cement bricks/pavers with angle grinder and diamond blade. Sometimes forget I'm wearing it,(face mask isn't all scratched up), cutting cement and when I can no longer hold my breath, I remember.

 

[Henro]

Re: Do you still find lawn tractor useful after upgrading to "real" tractor?

I got a little wagon for it and use it for running around the property. The wagon is great for moving my targets up to the shooting range and getting packages left by the mail box. Zooming up to the neighbors is easy too, just bounce down the trail. All sorts of uses for a little 'tractor' that pulls a wagon not much bigger than a red flyer. :thumbsup:

This^^^ :thumbsup:

 

[Diggin It]

Re: Do you still find lawn tractor useful after upgrading to "real" tractor?

I still mow with my two. Switch off between the three as necessary for smaller or larger areas.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Re: Do you still find lawn tractor useful after upgrading to "real" tractor?

Worth noting that many of the older Beefy Lawn tractors are probably larger than many SCUTS.

 

[Thomas]

Re: Do you still find lawn tractor useful after upgrading to "real" tractor?

If not costing you and you have space to store hang on to it you never know you may have project further down the road.

 

[kenmbz]

Re: Do you still find lawn tractor useful after upgrading to "real" tractor?

I use my lawn tractor to mow some hard to get at areas, especially where there is a drop. Can also get down into drainage areas.
I have a gorilla cart that I use with it, wood, recycling, carrying tools. This way I don't have to take the Back hoe off the tractor.
I have an older beat up one for my son to drive around too that was for spare parts, but we got it working when I was showing him how to replace the head gasket and adjust the valves.
I have a lawn aerator and a de-thatcher that I already had to do the lawns a few times a year.

So while I don't put a lot of hours on it compared to the tractor, I find it really useful. It also won;t tear up the lawn if I have to make a few trips. The tractor has industrials, which eventually strip the grass if I drive over the same section to many times.

Or you can sell it and buy more tractor stuff

 

[TractorGuy]

Re: Do you still find lawn tractor useful after upgrading to "real" tractor?

I had a LT1000 for years. A couple of years back my wife proclaimed she was going to start helping out with the mowing. She mowed half the yard one time and proclaimed she needed a larger mower. I bought a John Deere F725 with a 54" deck that was a project. I spent a couple of weeks getting that into shape. She proclaimed it was too odd and she didn't like it. I told her never mind and I would just keep all the mowing up as I have for years.

This year she decided to give the JD another try. She proclaimed she now loves it and sees it is the best option for her. It turns like a zero turn but has a steering wheel and hydraulic steering. She has mowed the grass around the house a couple of times and claims she really enjoys it. I felt guilty the last time she mowed because it was so dusty but she says she is fine with a mask on.

Moral: Ask the spouse to ride one while you ride the other.