I have no idea what to buy

[pcman]

I like my Husqvarna zero 54 inch Kawasaki 24 hp motor,will outlast me and like comm.duty.wife bought it from mowers direct online somewhere near mich if not there.they was late shipping and gave me free ship and free unloading off truck $3100 7 years ago,only slighting higher.

 

[Steves58]

Hey:

I am buying a property with about 1.8 acres of grass. This is my first time owning this much grass to mow and first time buying a ride on mower. Can anyone give me some directions on what the market looks like out there? What brand is garbage? Which is really high end but way overpriced? I live in SW Michigan which has a moderate amount of snow as well and the property is flat. Any direction is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Matt

I had a similar situation other than +\-6 acres. Bought a Kubota BX1870 so I had other functionality than just mowing grass with the 60” belly mower. Front end loader, three point hitch attachment for moving trailers around, etc. For a few years we even baled about 4 acres for the kids horses - rebuilt an old tow behind sickle mower & Ford hay rake to prep for the neighbor to round bale.
Of course the BX wasn’t cheap, but the zero % interest leveled out the pain.

 

[rwebell]

Hey:

I am buying a property with about 1.8 acres of grass. This is my first time owning this much grass to mow and first time buying a ride on mower. Can anyone give me some directions on what the market looks like out there? What brand is garbage? Which is really high end but way overpriced? I live in SW Michigan which has a moderate amount of snow as well and the property is flat. Any direction is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Matt

I am surprised no-one has mentioned a compact tractor. Depending on what other jobs you will be doing on the property a compact tractor is a very useful and versatile platform and you can get a nice finishing mower for the 3pt hitch to go along with all of your other goodies...Its like a swiss army knife you can just keep adding blades to....Front end loader, box blade, snow blower, trailer, mower....you get the idea!

 

[Treedoc]

Go for welded deck vs stamped deck. They all use the same engines from Kholer or Kawasaki. The ones I physically sat in (toro and cub cadet) both seemed equally solid. I imagine you'll be able to find a post/video for every model of mower that highlights an issue someone had.

For me, since I'm only doing one lawn per week, I imagine unless I abuse any mower it should last my lifetime. Hell when I a teenager we had the same mower at my mothers house for like 15 years and that thing was ABUSED. I'm talking no ***** given ridden hard put away wet maybe taken for a "tune up" every few years. I'm pretty sure my father got that thing used, and it still functioned when the house was sold.

You might value things differently but I stopped trying to min max what mower will give me those extra 300 hours 25 years from now and decided to go for comfort. I've never enjoyed mowing but since getting what I found the be comfortable and easy to drive (along with bluetooth hearing protection), I can solidly say that it's actually not too bad anymore.

for reference I have 3 acres to mow, I went with the ZTS2 60". It's the steering wheel version, extra comfy for lazy driving.

View attachment 747871

When we were shopping for a zero turn, a friend who works as a mechanic for a Kubota dealer had these two pieces of advice; 1) Welded mower deck as you recommended (more durable), and 2) Kawasaki engine. Went with a Husqvarna that met that criteria.

 

[Tim Schwaderer]

Personally I prefer a riding lawnmower over a zero turn. I don’t like how the zero turns rip up the grass on a turn. My sons own them and love them but all they do is cut grass. I have John Deere mowers and like them. Seem to hold there resale value better than the other brands in my area. They cost but seems to give it back at trade in time or if selling it. My wife has a 580 she trims with and I use a 1025 to mow with. We mow road ditches and everything around 6 acres. Not as fast as a zero turn but I think better quality cut. We also bag the grass around our house so it doesn’t get tracked into the house.

 

[stevem5215]

Wow! A John Deere 580 ($8000) and a John Deere 1025 ($21000) ! Now that's some machinery !

 

[RoyJackson]

I am surprised no-one has mentioned a compact tractor.

You should read the previous posts...there have been numerous mentions of a CUT.
Frankly, most posters have suggested equipment that is not a particularly good idea for the OP's 1.8 acres

 

[kenbgbill]

So, I have 5 acres with about 1.5 acres to mow. I recently bought a cub cadet ZTE (56v battery). It takes about half a charge for my yard which is rugged. The machine is great and highly recommended for simplicity of use, quiet, next to no maintenance, no fuel and oil to worry about. As for a ZT, do you have an slope to deal with? ZTs do not do side slope well since the front wheels move freely. A lawn tractor may be better. If you are willing to consider battery, Cub Cadet have two options. And Greenworks also makes great battery products and are now available at Tractor Supply. Good luck in your quest….there many options, all within a few ratings points of each other.

 

[Ktucke1]

I am surprised no-one has mentioned a compact tractor. Depending on what other jobs you will be doing on the property a compact tractor is a very useful and versatile platform and you can get a nice finishing mower for the 3pt hitch to go along with all of your other goodies...Its like a swiss army knife you can just keep adding blades to....Front end loader, box blade, snow blower, trailer, mower....you get the idea!

Agree with above. I mow about an acre and change and had a JD rider. Took me forever. Had a quad to plow a steep long driveway and haul around trailer for wood burning stove. We got two feet one night and I had to pay plow guy an obnoxious amount of $ to get out. Bought a Kubota BX25D which has loader/backhoe, added front mount snow blower and 60" deck. I think it was around $24k in 2013. I thought I was going big but honestly wish I went bigger. Bigger is always better when using loader and backhoe and trust me if you have it you'll use it. I now maintain one machine, cut the acre in 28 minutes and do the driveway in 45 minutes and the snow gets blown to kingdom come so don't have to worry about piles. Just went to dealer and current model I have goes for about $30k with all that stuff. So I figured I'd get a B for $4k more... but really couldn't justify as I pretty much did all the heavy work all ready... though I definitely beat the hell out out of my machine doing it. Still best $ I ever spent. Though if your only using it for grass ZTR is always the best.

 

[Deaddog]

Hey:

I am buying a property with about 1.8 acres of grass. This is my first time owning this much grass to mow and first time buying a ride on mower. Can anyone give me some directions on what the market looks like out there? What brand is garbage? Which is really high end but way overpriced? I live in SW Michigan which has a moderate amount of snow as well and the property is flat. Any direction is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Matt

Well I've been wanting to ask this question for some time now and you've sort of opened the door for it. Why? Why are you mowing close to 2 acres of lawn? And I'm wondering this even before gas hit $4-5 per gallon. I live in Michigan with family in Ohio and drive down there taking state routes when I can, through Ohio and Indiana. And I see these people out on their tractors or lawn mowers and they are mowing 2 to 3 to 5 acres of lawn and I just don't see the point of it. I live on 30 acres and mow around 3/4 of an acre around my house. And even with that, I've slowly put in islands of landscaping with small trees and plants, etc. including prairie grasses. Our land is loaded with birds, bees, butterflies, praying mantis, WT deer, frogs, turtles, etc. because we leave something behind for them. We leave something for the pollinators that our earth so desperately needs.

So, without hijacking your thread, I'd buy a Cub Cadet, with a welded deck, that you can pick up at the local TSC for @$2200. Then I'd back off the acreage of mowing, saving time, money, and the environment. Win-Win, IMO.

 

[NH3930Turbo]

Hey:

I am buying a property with about 1.8 acres of grass. This is my first time owning this much grass to mow and first time buying a ride on mower. Can anyone give me some directions on what the market looks like out there? What brand is garbage? Which is really high end but way overpriced? I live in SW Michigan which has a moderate amount of snow as well and the property is flat. Any direction is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Matt

It really depends on your landscaping, imo. Our old place was right at 2 acres. Gently sloping front yard with no trees and a few trees in the back. Mowed with a 2003 JD130 48" I had for 12 years, it always got the job done in about 1.5hrs. Just got rid of that mower last week, still running good. Now if your yard is heavily landscaped and has obstacles, I'd recommend going with a ztr. We've since moved and I've upgraded to a cub cadet ztx4 60" to mow about 4 to 5 acres with a lot of obstacles, takes nearly 5hrs to mow everything. Hard to beat a traditional garden tractor when it comes to toting carts around and such. Both have limitations.

 

[scaredychicken]

How many weeks do you have to mow grass in Michigan?

I wanna say 3

I love Michigan, from the 2 yrs that I lived there. Beautiful areas, well defined seasons. Snow was a bit much.

 

[stso9d]

Hey:

I am buying a property with about 1.8 acres of grass. This is my first time owning this much grass to mow and first time buying a ride on mower. Can anyone give me some directions on what the market looks like out there? What brand is garbage? Which is really high end but way overpriced? I live in SW Michigan which has a moderate amount of snow as well and the property is flat. Any direction is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Matt

For ztr, Spartan or ferris are my choices. Bad boy is also decent…

 

[stso9d]

We went through half a dozen before my wife found a mower that she liked for mowing our very irregular shaped 1.1 acres of lawn. The lawn is long and narrow along a creek and mowing it is a bit of work with lots of trees, shubs, and rock features to maneuver around. Definitely not flat land.
The mower is a Honda HRX 217 electric start. It turns out that the electric start is an important feature, as is the hydrostatic transmission with fwd & reverse, blade stop, and cruise control.
Cost was slightly under a thousand dollars six years ago. In spite of a lot of use, it hasn't required anything but gas and an oil change since we got it. We pamper it by knocking out the filters and charging the battery each spring. It lives outside but under a corner of the barn roof.
rScotty

For push mower, Honda rear wheel drive is best i have owned. Worth the price for sure.

 

[Joe Batt]

I see the conversation is shifting I keep most of my property "mowed" with Katahdin and only use the country clipper ztr up around the house and the side ditches. The country clipper requires annual blade and oil changes. The Katahdin only need shelter from cold winds and a constant supply of water. The Katahdin ewes each produce about $200/year.

 

[jcgranth]

Michigan is a long way from Alabama, but I like spartan zero turn mowers. I have had one for three summers and it runs every time so far, and has never. Been in the shop. I cut 3- 7 acres every time. Look for something with a heavy duty deck and and reliable engine and transmissions. Good luck

 

[jb7919]

Hey:

I am buying a property with about 1.8 acres of grass. This is my first time owning this much grass to mow and first time buying a ride on mower. Can anyone give me some directions on what the market looks like out there? What brand is garbage? Which is really high end but way overpriced? I live in SW Michigan which has a moderate amount of snow as well and the property is flat. Any direction is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Matt

I have a Cub Cadet with 25 HP Kohler engine. Works great on my 2+ acres. Takes me about 2 hours due to going slow around several trees in an area.

For me, the engine is more important than the mower brand. I agree with others about the welded deck. Also, with being comfortable when riding it.

Something you didn't mention is that 4 letter word --- snow. SW Michigan does get that white stuff. Will you be using this mower to remove snow? If so, when buying your rider find our what you need to move that white stuff. Also, if your property has trees what is the space between the trees? You don't want to get too large of a mower deck and then it does not go between the trees. I have that problem with a few of mine.

Make sure the mower you buy is serviceable in the area you live. For example, some dealers will not service mowers purchased from big box stores. Find out who will honor warranty.

Jim B

 

[Hayseed Andy]

Here’s another vote for a zero turn at minimum. It makes for easy maneuvering around trees, etc. I have 10 acres, only mow 2 of it due to cattle taking care of the other 8 acres. Got a Deere Z915B many years ago. It does just fine. I also recently bought a 3039R with a 72” finish mower (the tow behind kind) and it too does nice work.

 

[GS1100GK]

I would go with any of the Kubota Zero turns for sure. However, you mentioned snow so I would lean to a Kubota B2601 with a 60" mmm, and either a snow blower or FEL with a 5' bucket to push and lift snow. If you plan to do any digging or landscaping get the FEL and bucket instead of the snow blower if money is an issue.

JMHO.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I just looked at the Bobcat Zero turn home page. Bobcat Zero-Turn Mowers - Bobcat Company
They offer the Hydro gear ZT transmissions every model I looked at same as most other MFG.

I'm sure if you are looking at the homeowner specials. I sent out 20 a day that had separate pumps and drive motors. Every time an engine went down, started using oil, I'd replace it with a 34 hp. Yes engines went down because they mowed all day six days a week. I had 5 extra mowers so if they had any trouble I could just swap with them on site, and bring theirs back to the shop and fix it. You know, may need belt, deck spindle, electric clutch, safety switch. Never had catastrophic engine failure. I was looking for any excuse to get a 34 horse.