Riding lawn mowers

[AllPurposeAtheist]

So my gf is making a change in plans here..She had planned to replace all the windows in the house at a cost of around $12k, but I convinced her that they're all in great shape and just need painting which I'm perfectly capable of doing so instead we're thinking of a riding mower since it's a pretty big yard and the guys who have been cutting the grass are changing more and more, $70+up every few weeks these days.  She was considering a push mower till I pointed out that we both have arthritis pain in our hips and the entire yard sits on a hill. (yeah,  fuck that,  right? )
So...since neither of us have a whole lot of experience with riding mowers we're doing due diligence and finding out opinions on the best brands and so forth.. Any opinions on the subject?  So far it seems we're being pointed towards Husqvarna but still looking and considering.

[Mike Cl]

So my gf is making a change in plans here..She had planned to replace all the windows in the house at a cost of around $12k, but I convinced her that they're all in great shape and just need painting which I'm perfectly capable of doing so instead we're thinking of a riding mower since it's a pretty big yard and the guys who have been cutting the grass are changing more and more, $70+up every few weeks these days.  She was considering a push mower till I pointed out that we both have arthritis pain in our hips and the entire yard sits on a hill. (yeah,  fuck that,  right? )
So...since neither of us have a whole lot of experience with riding mowers we're doing due diligence and finding out opinions on the best brands and so forth.. Any opinions on the subject?  So far it seems we're being pointed towards Husqvarna but still looking and considering.

Husky made a great dirt bike.  Maybe you can get two dirt bikes, put them in tandem and pull a push mower between them.  The use the bikes to take off  road trips.  :)

[Solitary]

John Deere makes a good mower. Just remember more people are killed on riding mowers than those that sky dive---honest! Solitary

[stromboli]

If walking is an issue, yes. But Honda and others sell self propelled mowers so you don't have to push it. But if you get the riding mower, get the best one you can afford. Toro, Honda, Cub Cadet and Husqvarna are all good brands.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

The walking is the real issue..the problem with self propelled is that even though it moves along well you still have to keep up with the damned thing..The yard here isn't on a real steep hill,  but it's enough to just beat my legs to death.  The only real problem with a riding mower here is the yard is broken into 5 distinct areas separated by fence and a walkway with monkey grass  on either side. The fences open, but they're old wood fences and truth be told I really don't want to have to rebuild them all if I inadvertently run into one or more.. Pushing a walk behind mower around all this fence isn't my idea of fun either.. We still haven't discounted a billy goat..
Dirt bike is right out..I don't even have a drivers license and death? Well I won't have to worry about the yard at all if it kills me..

[stromboli]

The walking is the real issue..the problem with self propelled is that even though it moves along well you still have to keep up with the damned thing..The yard here isn't on a real steep hill,  but it's enough to just beat my legs to death.  The only real problem with a riding mower here is the yard is broken into 5 distinct areas separated by fence and a walkway with monkey grass  on either side. The fences open, but they're old wood fences and truth be told I really don't want to have to rebuild them all if I inadvertently run into one or more.. Pushing a walk behind mower around all this fence isn't my idea of fun either.. We still haven't discounted a billy goat..
Dirt bike is right out..I don't even have a drivers license and death? Well I won't have to worry about the yard at all if it kills me..

You might want to also consider overall cost. It might actually be cheaper to stay with the service. A good riding mower starts at $1300 and up, so consider how many times a year the yard gets mowed and see how the cost pays out over time. If it costs the same to have the service versus the lifetime of the mower, your cost is the same minus the work of mowing. My guess is you are going to be in to about 2 grand for the mower. Depending on use and care, maybe as short as 5 years or as long as 10. You decide.

[SGOS]

I have just over an acre to mow.  It's the first time I've needed a riding mower.  I have a Cub Cadet, but I don't know much about riding mowers.  I love mine, and use it for much more than mowing.  I've got handy attachments, aerator, grass catcher, dethatcher, and a spreader that make a big difference in caring for my lawn.  To add to Stromboli's thoughts, I have spent a lot of time and money keeping the thing running, which for non mechanical me, means annoying trips to the shop.  This requires a pick up or trailer.  And I've found the upkeep is not a small thing.  The time required to transport it to the shop is even more annoying.  Push mowers I could abuse and keep running for years with practically no maintenance.  But riding mowers have more moving parts, hence more mechanical problems.

Safety is a concern on hills, they don't have the stability of a heavy tractor, and I've got some steep grades, which I have figured how to approach.  The manual is loaded with warnings about mowing on hills.  Having said all this.  I love my riding mower, except when it breaks down.  Then I want to scream.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Not sure if I care all that much about lawn care and weeds, etc.. I  grew up having to care because my dad cared and I actually accidentally made his lawn beautiful when I all but ripped it up with a thatcher, but that was 40 years ago back when I had the legs to do that stuff..  One of the reasons I love the idea of a riding mower is to be able to haul debris up to the street without dragging it. This place is surrounded by big overgrown bushes and trees that need trimmed and pruning every year.. Man..I forgot just how much fucking work this shit is.. Looks pretty,  but  it's a bit like a trophy wife..More aggravation than it's worth and you can't really fuck the yard. 

[SGOS]

Not sure if I care all that much about lawn care and weeds, etc.. I  grew up having to care because my dad cared and I actually accidentally made his lawn beautiful when I all but ripped it up with a thatcher, but that was 40 years ago back when I had the legs to do that stuff..  One of the reasons I love the idea of a riding mower is to be able to haul debris up to the street without dragging it. This place is surrounded by big overgrown bushes and trees that need trimmed and pruning every year.. Man..I forgot just how much fucking work this shit is.. Looks pretty,  but  it's a bit like a trophy wife..More aggravation than it's worth and you can't really fuck the yard. 

You got that right.

[GrinningYMIR]

In my experience I've loved John Deere, but I've also used craftsman in the past and it works fine. I've chatted with some people about it and it seems like the turn radius on a John Deere gives it an advantage but it is expensive. Same with husqvarna though if I'm not mistaken the latter is less expensive. It depends on the budget to be honest but I'd definitely see the advantage to a ride mower compared to a push mower. Hell, I've had to cut an entire lawn up to 4 feet high with a damn weedeater, gotta be better than that shit

[PopeyesPappy]

Define pretty big. I wouldn't bother with a zero turn mower unless you are cutting at least an acre. Even then if you have tight inside corners you are going to need a push mower or weed eater or something because not even a zero turn will get in there without running over the monkey grass. Bottom line is unless you just have a shitload of grass to cut you'll be fine with a smaller and less expensive mower. A single blade deck will be less maintenance and give you a more even cut. Something like a Snapper RE 100 or a Cub Cadet CC30 should work fine for cutting your own yard unless you are talking about acres.

[stromboli]

I moved from a 1/2 acre lot with trees and a garden in the back to a mobile home, and then to another one. Lots of reasons not to like a mobile home, but for us the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. I've had to care for lawns and worked as a landscaper, so a small lot for old me is now fine. I have enough room for a patio for my barbecues and plenty of storage, so I'm good. All flat level and easy to mow.

@pappy: I agree. Unless you need the features, go with the least equipment needed.

[PopeyesPappy]

oh and check the ergonomics on whatever you decide on. I've got a damned Husqvarna blower that is the worst ergonomically designed piece of power equipment I've ever used. The angle of the handle just plain sucks. I can't use the thing for 10 minutes without my wrist hurting. On the other hand I've probably had it for fifteen years and it still works fine...

[SGOS]

I've chatted with some people about it and it seems like the turn radius on a John Deere gives it an advantage but it is expensive. Same with husqvarna though if I'm not mistaken the latter is less expensive.

This is just one person's experience, but I wouldn't buy a Husqvarna lawn mower again.  Granted, it's only my single experience.  I love my Husky chainsaw.  I'm on my second one.  It's an absolute dream machine, so I had not a qualm when looking for a push mower for corners and tight places, and I saw this Husqvarna at Lowes.  It worked for one summer, under extremely light usage.  The second summer I could only start it by taking off the air filter and covering the intake with my hand, and then replacing the air filter once started, but under a small strain it would die.  The third summer it wouldn't start at all.  It's been sitting unused in my garage for 5 years now.  It has no more than 4 hours total use.  It's was only $200, but it's by far the worst thing I have ever bought.

But I'd recommend their chainsaws in a heartbeat.

The most trouble free push mower I ever had was something I bought a Montgomery Ward for $80.  It had absolutely no bells or whistles.  I abused it, changed the oil maybe once in 20 years, stored it outside in the winter, and finally sold it at a garage sale.  So you never know what to expect.

[Johan]

We've got somewhere between 1 and 3 acres to mow by my estimation. About a billion leaves to pick up every fall. A fairly long driveway to keep snow cleared off of all winter and lots of trees, limbs and branches to deal with all year round.

We looked at several options when we first moved here. At the bottom of the spectrum was the craftsman homeowner size riding mowers and at the top was the John Deere CUTs (compact utility tractors). In between, were things like the Cub Cadet riding mowers as well as Cub Cadet and other brand CUTs.

So what's the difference between a riding mower and a CUT? Well a riding mower is basically built like a... well like a riding mower, meaning one is more or less the same as any other in terms of design and build quality. Some are a bit bigger, some are lighter and some have extra features like all-wheel steering. But they all have more or less the same capabilities and sell for anywhere from $1500 to about $3000. OTOH a CUT is more like a scaled down farm tractor both in design and in build quality. Again there are different sizes and a few different optional features but all will do more or less the same job and prices go from $6000 or $8000 on the low end for off brands up to about $18000 or $20000 for a Deere with all the dodads.

After doing all the research I realized if we went with a Craftsmen mower, we'd need the biggest version which was in the neighborhood of $3500 at the time. Or we could go with one of the smallest CUTs. If we opted for a front end loader and went with one of the cheaper brands (Kabota or Cub Cadet) we could probably get out the door for $10k-$12k. In the end we went with a Deere CUT with a mower deck and a front loader. Based on everything I read it seemed apparent that we could buy a $3500 Sears mower and replace it every 5 years or so. Or we could buy a Deere CUT once, do a ton more with it, and have it for 40 years. We went with the Deere and have never looked back or regretted the decision.

All that being said, from what you've written I doubt you need anything as heavy as a diesel CUT. A good homeowner class riding mower would probably do just fine for what you need. Obviously I'm partial to Deere so that would be my recommendation. But I would recommend you stay away from the Deere riders sold at Home Depot or Lowes. Instead, go to a Deere dealer. The models sold at the dealers are more expensive than what you get at Lowes. But they're also a much better mower that will last a lot longer and hold its value a lot longer.

Check Craigslist and you'll find 5 year old Craftsmen mowers going for 25% of their original price whereas dealer model Deere's will be still be going for 50-75% of their original price 5 years in. Spend the money and buy it once or go cheap and spend more in the long run IMO.