How much life is left in an 800-1000hr mower?

[jollygreengiant]

Thanks for all the replies.

For everyone saying to buy a new machine, will these new homeowner machines hold up to pulling a lawn cart and lawn roller? That is my big concern and hence why I was looking at used garden tractors.

 

[shooterdon]

Pull a cart or lawn roller occasionally on a mostly level lawn does not seem like a big deal. My Husqvarna rider is 11 years old and I have pulled a Handozer to maintain my 250 yard gravel drive and the area between the house, pond and pole barn.

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I cut just under 2 acres of grass and live in MI so about the same conditions as you have. I hate cutting grass and will get a ZT but the Husky keeps trucking away. If you buy a residential ZT and spend 20 hours a year cutting grass (it will be about twice as fast as a rider), it will last over 20 years. That is what I will do. I am 70, and if I am still cutting grass at 90 I will buy another "piece of crap".

 

[Cycledude]

Used to mow 20+ acres of cemetery with my diesel zero turn Kubota and also hauled a lot of dirt behind it in a small dump trailer, as long as the ground wasn’t to wet or soft nothing seemed to affect it.

 

[Sonny580]

I have 4 simps. 1 is an 18 with 1200 hours, 3 of the 20's showing 2100 to 2600 hours and all still run like new. I use them for everything every day. all of them are hydro. I like the 20's because they have hi-lo hydro. range, diffy lock, turning brakes, and power steering on them. also rated for loader IF you could ever find one.
I have heard of these Kohler 18, and 20"s running 4500 hours or more.
I also have an allis 917, which is a simp. with 3500 hours on it and still doing o.k.
My Deere gt 262 is junk --Kaw motor blew at 500 hours and was replaced by B & S single 16 ---still runs o.k. --Deere plastic is garbage so thats all gone, just motor and frame ----mows good tho!

 

[OzKioti]

We have an old Murray 40" which I picked up cheap as an "as is, where is" basis from a dealer who'd just got it as a trade-in. I had a spare Kohler 16hp which bolted right on, and it's been chugging on for years. The main issue is the pressed steel deck is cracking and falling apart, so I thought may be time to look at a new mower, possibly a zero-turn.

My local dealer (who is thoroughly professional and ethical) asked about the terrain where we'd be mowing - area and slope. His advice was that unless you're regularly mowing large areas, with a ZT you'd be paying a high price for the little time saved over having a conventional rider mower. Also, more importantly, ZTs and slopey ground are a bad combination, due to the rear engine layout and operator also towards the rear, resulting in a sometimes precarious stability situation.

Even though he sells them, he very easily talked me out of getting a zero-turn!

He also said that what kills the transmissions in many rider mowers is asking too much from them as regards towing things, or pushing them too hard on sloping ground.

 

[OzKioti]

As I mentioned above, the deck is pretty sad, but the grass shute is positively on life-support:



Having just replaced one of the jack-shaft housings (bearings shot), I was motivated to do something about the shute. I got a 5 gallon drum and cut it down, and while it looks odd, at least it offers better protection from flying debris:



The problem is that replacement parts are simply not available, and the frame of the old Murray, the transmission, and the replacement Kohler engine are all good! So it looks like a little more thin steel deck welding might be the go to give it another few years. As they say - waste not, want not.

 

[buck12]

As I mentioned above, the deck is pretty sad, but the grass shute is positively on life-support:

View attachment 689324

Having just replaced one of the jack-shaft housings (bearings shot), I was motivated to do something about the shute. I got a 5 gallon drum and cut it down, and while it looks odd, at least it offers better protection from flying debris:

View attachment 689325

The problem is that replacement parts are simply not available, and the frame of the old Murray, the transmission, and the replacement Kohler engine are all good! So it looks like a little more thin steel deck welding might be the go to give it another few years. As they say - waste not, want not.

I like that repair.

 

[stevem5215]

My 1994 Steiner has around 900 hours on the ONan engine. I'm expecting it to last another 10 years at least. (It will probably outlast me) And I have experience with a 1990's old Grey (in color) Craftsman 12.5 hp 38" riding lawn mower (you might remember them). It finally gave up the ghost last year and we gave it away but it was a good running machine for all those years. So, just because a machine has hours on it doesn't mean it won't last. It depends on how it's been maintained and stored. Keep it inside out of the weather and the body will stay in good shape for years along with the mower deck. Keep it outside and in the rain and snow and it'll reduce it's life. I personally wouldn't hesitate on a machine that was in good condition with hours on it. As long as it was taken care of.

Steve