Suggestions for Mower for 91-year old?

[RSKY]

My mother is 91-years old and loves mowing her yard. She mows a little less than four acres a week. Her old mower is a 10-year old Husqvarna. It is worn out. Needs new tires, left front axle and assembly (mowed 10 acres with a wheel bearing out) and many other things. Cost more to fix than the mower is worth. She has a bad right knee and I know it hurts her to push the pedal to make it go. It rides rough, steers hard, and uses a lot of gas.

I need a mower with power steering that does not require the legs to be stretched out to drive. An easy riding one would be great. It cannot be complicated, simple controls a must.

Any suggestions.

RSKY

 

[tcartwri]

That's awesome.

 

[4570Man]

My Grandpa is 93 and his favorite mower is his ZTR. It's low and open on the front so it's easy to get on, and doesn't require the use of your legs. Easy on gas? Not so much.

 

[RSKY]

Mom needs something that is not complicated. A ZTR would not work for her because of her shoulders. I need a lower priced mower that has power steering. Engine size or deck size does not matter. She mowed for years with a Snapper with a 30" deck. So far the only one I can find with power steering is a John Deere for $3950. Is there anything cheaper out there?

 

[tcartwri]

You might be able to find a nearly new Simplicity Conquest. Pwr steering and suspension.

 

[4570Man]

My F2560 has power steering and the ZTR still takes less effort.

 

[TractorGuy]

Kudos to your mom for wanting to keep going. Hope I am mowing at her age.

Not sure why you need power steering. Standard lawn tractors are not difficult to steer. My last lawn tractor I gave to my daughter was a Craftsman LT1000. The only pedal served as a clutch and brake and was on the left side. The steering was very light and turning radius was tight. You could plan on 4 hours to mow a couple of acres with the 38" deck though. The regular price on that mower was around $1000. I got it for half because it was last years model and had been sitting out back with the seat switch dangling. Took me 15 minutes to put it in operating condition.

My wife will not even try to operate the zero turn I replaced the lawn tractor with. I consider myself pretty coordinated and it took some getting use to for me to learn how to operate the zero without tearing up the grass on turns.

 

[RSKY]

Better be glad your wife won't try the ZTR. Mine nearly cried when I bought my first one, said she would never learn how to use it. She mowed once and made a mess, second time was better, now she races me to get on it first. She can mow our lot faster than me and do a better job while gazing around and apparently daydreaming.

 

[RSKY]

Mom is 91, has bad shoulders, a bad knee, and is slowly loosing the ability to figure things out. I need simple, easy to operate (power steering and electric blade clutch), comfortable, and familiar in operation to what she has.

This may be the last year she mows. Next year will definitely be the last year. She is just getting to be physically not able. But she enjoys it and I want her to do it as long as possible.

 

[ultrarunner]

A little off topic...

Mom is 83 and does everything around her yard...

For Mother's day a few years back I bought her a brand new Honda Commercial walk behind mower with aluminum deck and it is the kind where the motor keeps running without having to restart if you let go of the safety...

I took a lot of grief all around on this EXCEPT mom loves it... she said it is so easy to start and mows just right...

My friends said if I was any kind of a son I would do it or pay for garden service... even family was put off... they simply don't understand that she takes pride in doing for herself and having someone else doing for her would just kill her...

I think it's great you are listening to what she wants!