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Anybody ever bought a Lawn Tractor....

stosh

Darth Bailer
Jul 20, 2001
22,238
393
NY
with a deck larger than 50" expecting to mow more than 3 acres?

I'm not sure where to start but I need to buy a mower and soon. I need something a step above a Craftsman mower.
 

Mike B.

Turbo Monkey
Oct 5, 2001
1,522
0
State College, PA
Yep, what are you looking for?

3 acres isn't all that much to do with a 42 or 46" cut. If you have other things in mind like snow plowing, etc then the bigger the better. If plowing you'll need to add wheel weights and chains for most tractors of that size. Twin cylinder if gas, 20+ horsepower is a given, something with a PTO if you're planning to do a little more with it. If you have lots of trees, check the clearance of the deck.
 

CRoss

Turbo Monkey
Nov 20, 2006
1,329
0
The Ranch
Zero turn mower only way to go,


Or you could spend your time going in circles and backing up instead of cutting the grass.
 

jacksonpt

Turbo Monkey
Jul 22, 2002
6,791
59
Vestal, NY
FWIW... i do ~4 acres with a 42" deck. All told it takes me about 4 hours. While my land is relatively flat, it's not at all smooth, so the mowing is slow in places.

I'd get the biggest deck you can afford. Ultimately I'd like a 4wheeler with those pull behind decks like you see on golf courses (just not that nice).
 

JustMtnB44

Monkey
Sep 13, 2006
840
113
Pittsburgh, PA
I'll third the recommendation on the zero-turn mower if you are going to be cutting 3+ acres.

My dad bought a Scag commercial-grade zero turn mower. He got the smallest one which is a 48" deck and 20hp V-twin for around $5600 or something like that. So the initial cost is higher, but in the 3 years he has had it the only maintenance has been one belt and oil changes. And it allows him to cut almost 4 acres of bumpy, obstacle-filled grass area in about 1.5 hrs with no trimming required except for some weed trimming once a month. The time saved mowing (and therefore more time available for biking) is worth the extra cost alone. I would stay away from the cheap Home Depot variety zero turns though, they suck. Of course, if you could find a used one that would be a good way to go as well.
 

sunringlerider

Turbo Monkey
Oct 30, 2006
3,574
6,268
Corn Fields of Indiana
zero turns are great if you have a flat yard on hill side they are a pain in the a$$. Also If you plan to push snow or pull a cart get a lawn tractor. A deere all wheel steer is the best of both worlds. What ever you get I would stay clear of Briggs engines. Kawasaki seems to be on the top of their game for small engines in mowers now days.
 

sunringlerider

Turbo Monkey
Oct 30, 2006
3,574
6,268
Corn Fields of Indiana
^^^^have you ever driven one on a hill side? with it only way of steering is with the 2 drive wheels the caster wheels shift to the down side and it is almost imposible to go straight at any speed with out skidding the up hill drive tire to keep it going straight.
 

CRoss

Turbo Monkey
Nov 20, 2006
1,329
0
The Ranch
I drove a zero turn for two summers. On hillsides they work fine if you chose a good line to mow. A hillside that you would be skidding a tire to keep going across(why you would choose to do that I am not sure) would make a lawn tractor want to tip over. Always try to go up and down hills not across.
 

sunringlerider

Turbo Monkey
Oct 30, 2006
3,574
6,268
Corn Fields of Indiana
Well I dont want to get into a "who has drove them longer match" the comercial mowing crew that I work for we have both zero turns and tractors and we use the tractors for ditches and hill sides and have had no problem with them tipping over and when mowing ditches or pond banks the last thing you want is a constant battle trying to keep from sliding into the pond. . .
 

stosh

Darth Bailer
Jul 20, 2001
22,238
393
NY
I'm really torn because I want a Kubota BX tractor really bad.

Right now I have an older Craftsman with a 42" snowblower on it and that is all I will use it for because the mowing deck is shot.

So the mower I get at this point will be for mowing only. I'm not sure if I get a cheap $2500 zero turn mower from home depot or spend the extra 4k and get a used Kubota BX.

I have been tossing the idea of a zero turn around but I want something with more flexibility should I ever need it. Again I haven't made a decision yet because I want to find a mower that will hold up to my un-tamed un-even large lawn. I think I will be actually mowing over 4 acres not 3 like I previously stated. It took me 4hrs last summer for just the mowing with a 48" deck.
 

sunringlerider

Turbo Monkey
Oct 30, 2006
3,574
6,268
Corn Fields of Indiana
bx tractors arent bad, but I would recomend a Deere on the simple fact that if you ever need a part for bx you be waiting about 2 weeks.
I am trying not to be biased (I currently sell Deere) but we just got in a used 06 bx 23 and it is nice but there are just a couple nicer points on the deere 2305 also the list on the deere is far less than the bx.
As far as the versatility of a tractor and sharp turning look at a Deere X534. It is an all wheel steer tractor that leaves a 14" uncut circle with a 54" deck. You can also out fit it with a blower and all that good stuff.:cheers:
 

C.P.

Monkey
Jan 18, 2004
547
8
SouthEastern Massachusetts
A friend up in VT has had nothing but GREAT things to say about his electric tractor. I was a skeptic till last year when I was up in the area, and had a chance to try it out. Pretty cool to be mowing, (at a good clip too) and all you hear is the blades whirin'...If I didn't already buy a (used) commercial hydro for my place I'd get one...If it's just lawn mowing and general yard work, they are worthy of consideration. They last about a 8+ hours of constant work on a charge, and take about 24 hours to recharge. Since typically you only need to mow weekly, it's enough time to charge up & be ready...
 

stosh

Darth Bailer
Jul 20, 2001
22,238
393
NY
bx tractors arent bad, but I would recomend a Deere on the simple fact that if you ever need a part for bx you be waiting about 2 weeks.
I am trying not to be biased (I currently sell Deere) but we just got in a used 06 bx 23 and it is nice but there are just a couple nicer points on the deere 2305 also the list on the deere is far less than the bx.
As far as the versatility of a tractor and sharp turning look at a Deere X534. It is an all wheel steer tractor that leaves a 14" uncut circle with a 54" deck. You can also out fit it with a blower and all that good stuff.:cheers:
I guess I'm looking for a sub-compact as opposed to a Garden Tractor on steroids. I like the fact that if I want I can buy a bucket loader for the back and it has a real 3point hitch.