Riding Lawn Tractor Recs?

[Rapidtrans777]

Only having an acre any of the big box store $1000 riders would last for quite a while. You could also repower it with a Harbor freight engine for a couple hundred. Like Timothy I have a Ferris. I have just over 6 acres i keep mowed. Takes about 2 1/2 hours with the 52" zero turn compared to the 5-6 hours with the 54" Husqvarna rider i used to have.

 

[68PK21 440.6bbl]

I have just over 6 acres i keep mowed.

Go big or Go home!

You haven't mowed grass til you've had to sharpen these bitches!

.

 

[Timothy]

I have has a John Deere LT 155 with a mulch deck since 1998 that has been very trouble free. I bought it from a John Deere Dealer. It has a Kohler 15 hp single cylinder engine with a spin on automotive type oil filter and a Hydrostatic Transmission.

I highly recommend John Deer lawn tractors IF you buy one from a John Deere Dealer and it has a Kohler or Kawasaki engine. John Deere's sold by the big box store are lesser quality lawn tractors with thinner frames and components and usually a Briggs and Stratton engine.

I have worked my John Deere hard pulling trailers full of stone and other materials and have mulched many large amounts of leaves over the years. One of the best investments that I have ever made and I would not buy another brand if I ever had to replace it. I had Toro's and other brands before and they were junk.

The John Deere I purchased from the guy on Craigslist was also purchased at the john Deere dealer with the selling and maintenance paper work included. So far other than changing out the battery and oil changes and greasing it it has been trouble free and I don't baby it.

 

[1970FuryConv]

If yours is a single cylinder and looks like this. Just re-ring it, how hard can it be?

Here,
Rebuild for some BRIGGS and STRATTON ENGINE 10, 11 ,12 , 12.5 ,13hp | eBay
As long as it is a iron liner engine. Will have a I/C on the flywheel cover, stands for industrial/commercial.
If it is not, it is not worth rebuilding.

plenty of junk tractors around with good motors. i would buy a cheap one and switch motors.

Briggs and Stratton 16.5HP OHV

Model 313777 Type 0163E1
In addition to burning plenty of oil:

It's also got a broke front left motor mount. Motor shakes loose on the deck every once and a while. It's got 3 other mount bolts, which I have tightened or replaced more than once over the last 5 years.

I have tried valve adjustment, but it builds too much cylinder pressure. I have run out of adjustment without leaving the exhaust valve partially open. If I shut it off hot, it won't restart for 30 minutes.

It used to like to break intake push rods, but I fixed that by installing an exhaust push rod for the intake valve. They are same length. Seems the exhaust rods were made of steel, but the intake with aluminum? Or some cheap pot metal?

Needs a helicoil to keep the exhaust pipe from falling off and burning the spark plug wire below it. Pipe is held on by 1 bolt instead of 2. Have to regularly check bolt tightness

MTD built the tractor for Statesman brand. MTD Model 678. All the safety stuff developed shorts, resulting in no starts. Electric fuel pump wire runs under the engine from right to left. It's vulnerable too. I essentially rewired the tractor to get rid of the safety features and shorts. It has toggle switches for fuel and ignition with push button starter now.

Mowing deck hits pulley when raised out of mowing position while moving. Makes sparks.

Just getting tired of the tractor. It's like a Chrysler Concorde I had. It would run and keep going as long as I kept fixing things. Finally, I got sick of the car and junked it around 190000 miles. The mower is the same way. Further, I'm afraid it I buy another B&S that fits the deck, I'll end up with the same problems.

 

[1970FuryConv]

The John Deere I purchased from the guy on Craigslist was also purchased at the john Deere dealer with the selling and maintenance paper work included. So far other than changing out the battery and oil changes and greasing it it has been trouble free and I don't baby it.

What did you pay for it?
If the guy hasn't got paperwork, how do you know it's from a JD Dealer?

 

[1970FuryConv]

As for the mower what is your budget?

I wanted to spend $3000 or less. I am hoping for something that lasts and only requires routine maintenance. We have A LOT of leaves so good mulching is important. Maybe, I need to increase budget, forget big box, and go into John Deere and Kubota stores, looking for V-Twin and Kohler, Kawasaki, or Honda engine brand.

 

[mopar440]

I paid 2500 for a used JD 325 w a snowblower attachment. Came w service records, I'm happy, got a huge hill in the back yard

 

[BigblueC]

Maybe, I need to increase budget, forget big box, and go into John Deere and Kubota stores

100% forget anything from the big box stores if you want it to last. I worked at lowes about 10 years ago and the return rate on outdoor power equipment was 30-40%. Most everything they sell is produced by MTD and branded different colors.

Kubota is my choice. But it really depends on local support as well, which I have a Kubota dealer 5 min down the road. I have a Kubota push mower, riding mower, and tractor, so yeah, I'm a fan.

Either way, anything with Honda or Kawasaki engine will be good.

 

[3175375]

100% forget anything from the big box stores if you want it to last. I worked at lowes about 10 years ago and the return rate on outdoor power equipment was 30-40%. Most everything they sell is produced by MTD and branded different colors.

Kubota is my choice. But it really depends on local support as well, which I have a Kubota dealer 5 min down the road. I have a Kubota push mower, riding mower, and tractor, so yeah, I'm a fan.

Either way, anything with Honda or Kawasaki engine will be good.

I doubt that JD would let Lowe’s do that.

 

[my5thmopar]

I went through a similar issue of having to fix mowers on a regular basis. I also have a lot of trees on my 2 acres and need to mulch leaves. After 4 box store mowers at $1000-2000 each over 20 years, I had enough. I bought a Toro Zmaster commercial zero turn with a Kawasaki. Small 48 inch deck. Going on 12 years and only replacing 1 belt. I have a Kubota subcompact tractor too but, I prefer the Toro. Buy a good quality mower and don’t look back.

 

[Timothy]

What did you pay for it?
If the guy hasn't got paperwork, how do you know it's from a JD Dealer?

The guy wanted and I paid $1000 for it and he had all the paper work from the local JD dealership including service record. It looked like new and it looked like he was waxing it regularly.

 

[Timothy]

I wanted to spend $3000 or less. I am hoping for something that lasts and only requires routine maintenance. We have A LOT of leaves so good mulching is important. Maybe, I need to increase budget, forget big box, and go into John Deere and Kubota stores, looking for V-Twin and Kohler, Kawasaki, or Honda engine brand.

There are a lot of good used mowers on the market. I would keep looking till you find the right one for what you need and want.

 

[78Brougham]

Go green!
I'm a JD guy, the lawn tractors that sold by the big box stores aren't the same as the ones that sell at the JD dealer.

You might pay more at the JD store but it's worth it in the long run. They run for years. It's all I'll buy.

 

[BigblueC]

I doubt that JD would let Lowe’s do that.

Do what?

 

[3175375]

Do what?

Repackage a mower that isn’t the same as what JD sells at their stores. Are you implying that JD uses lesser components or a less durable design on a mower sold at Big Box stores?
I have purchased blades and belts for my JD mower at the local JD dealership and I originally bought it at a big box store. The model number is the same.

 

[BigblueC]

Are you implying that JD uses lesser components or a less durable design on a mower sold at Big Box stores?

Yes, to a degree. Lowes sells a price-point product. Look at the "E" series machines sold at lowes, then try to find the "E" series listed on John Deere's web site. JD sells an "S" series. What are the actual differences? IDK but there is a difference with the "E" series being the lesser of the two.

 

[1970FuryConv]

The guy wanted and I paid $1000 for it and he had all the paper work from the local JD dealership including service record. It looked like new and it looked like he was waxing it regularly.

Wow! You got a deal. How many hours do you think is too many?

 

[1970FuryConv]

Yes, to a degree. Lowes sells a price-point product. Look at the "E" series machines sold at lowes, then try to find the "E" series listed on John Deere's web site. JD sells an "S" series. What are the actual differences? IDK but there is a difference with the "E" series being the lesser of the two.

Everything I read on the internet says that the big box JD is lesser quality, whether it's D series or the newer E series. S-series has a lighter frame and is sold at the JD dealer. X-series has the commercial HD frame and it sold at JD dealer.

 

[1970FuryConv]

Only having an acre any of the big box store $1000 riders would last for quite a while. You could also repower it with a Harbor freight engine for a couple hundred. Like Timothy I have a Ferris. I have just over 6 acres i keep mowed. Takes about 2 1/2 hours with the 52" zero turn compared to the 5-6 hours with the 54" Husqvarna rider i used to have.

If I put a new motor in it, how do I figure out which one puts the drive pulley in the right place? In other words, correct motor mount and pulley locations. Drive belt is horizontal, so I believe the motor is vertical drive.

 

[BigblueC]

The pully off of the old engine should be reused with the new engine. That should set it where it needs to be.

If you decide to go with buying a unit from a dealer, whether that's JD, Kubota, Ferris (I've heard good things), I recommend considering local to you dealer support. It's not critical but when you brake a belt 1/2 way through mowing it's nice to be able to run to a local store, get your part and finish the job in the same day.