Buying A new riding mower

[CadCruzer]

I am in the market for a new riding lawn mower. I have looked at the Lows 18 hp Troy-built with a hydro tranmision and a Koler engine, and the Home Depot Toro with a 17.5 hp Biggs engine and a hydro transmission. Both sell for around $1200-$1300. Does anybody have any opinions on these. I know they are there entry level riders for the hydro, so reliability would be my biggest concern.

Any advice would be apriciated

[Tom7227]

Price seems low. I would be cautious because I think the big box stores write their own specs and the quality is lower. Both are good names - go to a Troybuilt and a Toro shop and see what they say????

[Quetico]

Are you looking for a tractor style you can plow/snow throw with? Or are you looking for a zero turn?

If your looking for a lawn tractor, John Deere is the only way to go. Classic quality with all the attachments you could ver need or want.

Toro is my choice for zero turn style mowers. They put out the highest quality and most reliable z-turn style mowers.

I would completely agree with Tom, avoid the big box stores. Go to smaller dealer where you will get better service.

[Down2Earth]

I would definately stay away from the big box stores. For repairs you have to take them to someone else and they will more then likely put their cutomers before you (unless you do your own repairs). Once you get out of the lowest level machines (which are all throw away mowers IMO) you will pay more just for the color green. I have a Massey 1450 with over 3000 hours (all put on by me) then a bearing in the deck went out and took out the shaft (no replacement parts anymore) I could have the shaft rebuilt but that ened up costing more then the mower is worth so I just use it to pull the garden cart around. My friends always gave me the "Get a Deere" so I broke down and baught a 345 with 500 hours. 550 hours out goes the natorious cam, I fix it myself, then bearings in the deck, then electrical problems with the safety switches. Then I got smart and went back to a Massey GC2300. I would never buy green again. If I ever owned a ZT mower it would definetly be a Woods front mount. In my off time in the summers I work for a mowing company and we have/had John Deere Ztrak, Toro's, Exmark, Gravely, Ferris, Hustler. No comparison to a Woods. Everything is built better and stronger on them. The Woods mid mount mower is built by Gravely and is not built near as tough. WE have not had a Kubota yet so I can't comment on those mowers. What do you plan on using the mower for? How much mowing? Hills/flat? Lots of trees?

[LwnmwnMan2]

These mowers are probably a price point purchase for you.

Before you get any mower, check around with a repair shop and make sure they can get parts for them.

You can go to any small engine repair shop, just remember that if anything goes wrong with it, that it'll probably cost more in labor, since the tech won't be familiar with the machine.

If you buy a Toro, and buy it at a Toro dealer, most likely the tech will be able to troubleshoot the machine rather quickly, rather than spend time dianosing the problem.

Same thing with any tractor dealer you go with.

I agree with the above, try your darndest to stay away from someplace that doesn't have it's own service department, even if it means struggling through one more year to save up the extra $600-1000 that it'll take to buy a little better machine from a dealer.

Also, if you're not afraid of financing a mower, alot of places run a 0% for 6-12 months, with some dealers running 0% out as far as 42 months for the higher end machines.

[john.wells]

My neighbors bought a Husqvarna rider with a 20 hp Briggs Vanguard from the big box, 3 years later, the engine seized up, even after meticulous maintenance. A new engine cost more than the entire unit, so they bought another one, and gave the older almost new looking one to the repair shop! I agree about JD, they aren't what they used to be. If you do go the big-box store route, I would recommend a rider with a Kohler engine. Another thing to look at is blade and deck metal thickness. The "cheapies" are cheap for a reason. If you have clay soil without much grit, a deck can last a long time, but if you have sand or small gravel/rocks to worry about, that deck and blades will be blasted away in short order.

[18 inch Crappie]

You guys are giving this guy a hard time, there is nothing wrong with a Big Box store for a great price on a nice mower. I bought a Snow Blower from HD 6 years ago and have not had any problems and it still runs like new and I got a heck of a deal on close out. The same JD they sell at HD or Lowes they have sitting on the show floor at the dealer. The mowers carry the same warranty as any other mower bought any other place. And if a dealer is going to give you a hard time because you did not buy it from them, then you do not want to do business with them anyways.

Go ahead and get that Mower at Lowes you will be very happy as long as it does not brake....................j/k

[LwnmwnMan2]

I agree, it's a decent price.

However, not all mowers at these stores are the same model at a dealer.

That's why I said before he buys any mower somewhere other than a dealer, that he should get the model number and find out for sure that parts are available, especially if it's a brand other than what you have a large dealer for close by.

[Fisherman For a Lifetime]

CC:

I'll preface this with you "probably" better off with the brands others here have mentioned.

10 years ago, I bought a 46" MTD Yard Machine with a 17.5HP B&S at Wally World.

I have 2.4 acres, super sandy & dusty, grass is kinda in clumps so I am sore from doing the lawn. It runs 3 Hours each time at full speed w/hydrostatic.

The following is ALL it has had done to it in terrible lawn conditions:

Belts once, blades & a pin in front.

Nothing else!!!

Take it for what it's worth, but big box did me ok.

[Down2Earth]

Crappie:

In JD's case the same model at HD is the same model at the JD dealer. He can also give you the same price as HD. But how it doesn't make sence to you that the dealer would treat HIS customer better then the person that baught it at HD is beyond me. If there were was one part in the bin and two people needed that part.....1 baught his mower from the dealer and the other didn't.....who get's the part? I know who I'd give it to. Same senario except two fellas bring in mower to have repair work. Who get's their's fixed first? Not only that but if a mechanic was currently fixing on a JD machine (and the lower end models tend to need a few more repairs in all makes) of the guy who baught his mower at HD and the other guy came in needing work. I would bet money the dealer would pull his mechanic off the other machine to fix HIS customers machine. Now if you really want to know the truth about the JD dealers they will put all work on hold for the lower end models to fix their more top of the line models. Why do they do this? 1. People bring in the 1-2 year old machine they baught new for $2000. Only now it's only worth $1200. The dealer tells them what is wrong and what it's going to cost to fix it and the customer is outraged at the bill because it's half of what the mower is worth. They ask why would I want to spend $500/$600 on a repair bill and then still only have a $1200 machine. Now add a few more years on to the age of the machine and it's worth $800. That is why I call them throw away machines just like the dealers do. 2. Now a customer that buys a $4000 mower and somewhere down the line has to have them fix they still have a machine that's worth something. So now they are more likely to pay their bill and JD doesn't have to track them down to get paid. If I had a yard I was mowing in town and could do most of the repairs on my own then I would say a HD model could last a long time. The MTD lasting ten years in those conditions is very rare but obviously from an earlier post it does happen. I would bet that FFL does a very good job at routine maintenance. But even 10 years ago things were made more to last then the lower end units of today are. For that matter IMO the old JD 318's are the best mowers JD has ever put out. CC if it was me I would buy from a dealer on any mower you purchase unless you can do all of the work on it yourself and only have to go to the dealer for parts.

[CadCruzer]

Well, after doing much research with my feet, computer and you fine people at F/M. The three main riders that I am considering are basically the same one. Just a different name and a few hundred dollars more or less. Big box store "A" had the LOWs price, and uses a local small engine shop for their service, and had a very knowledgeable sales person, and are minutes from my house.

Thanks for everyones input

[LwnmwnMan2]

Good for you. You did your due dilligence and hopefully the mower will work like it's supposed to!!

Congrats!!

[Fisherman For a Lifetime]

Great!

Change oil frequently & clean/change the air filter - you'll be glad you did...