riding mower:

[bulldogchesty]

I am in the market for a new riding mower. The one I have now is on it's last leg. It is a Poulon 18hp with a 42 inch blade. I need some recommendations of good mowers in the $ 1200.00 to $ 1500.00 range. Thanks.

 

[dude69300]

Consider a zero turn mower, they save gobs of time mowing. I use a commercial zero turn mower, Skag is the brand, 61" deck, 25hp, I mow about 4 acres twice a wk, takes roughly 4 hrs. I rarely need to get out the trimmer with this style of mower

 

[68plymouth383]

Right... The home owner grade scag the freedom model starts around 2,500...... Most all riding mowers today are made by mtd. The craftsman, murray, snapper ect. Look for ones with the briggs, and Stratton engines. The kohler courage engines are junk. They use plastic cams, and cam lobes. They also have a tendency for the sump bolts backing out and cracking the block. They have a top sump.

 

[bulldogchesty]

My lawn, I mean green weeds, is not big enough to spend that amount of money.

 

[68plymouth383]

If you're heading down to Texas I'll take the Poulan off your hands....

I am in the market for a new riding mower. The one I have now is on it's last leg. It is a Poulon 18hp with a 42 inch blade. I need some recommendations of good mowers in the $ 1200.00 to $ 1500.00 range. Thanks.

 

[commando1]

Consider Pedro at 20 bucks a cut.
I did the math....

 

[Wollfen]

Okay guys, I wanna see some pics of these machines, you don't see any of these types in Australia, show us what you got, oh wait, i don't wanna hijack the thread, should I start another?

 

[furyus 67]

I've used a few of the zero turns and my op is the ex mark lazer z is the best one I've driven. I just can't see spending 10k on something that only mows. Then again I'm in Michigan so I might use it for 8 months one year and 2 the next. Go find an old ford for 2k and get the mower attachment and the snow plow and the dirt plow and the tiller and....

 

[furyus 67]

Exmark

 

[furyus 67]

This almost as cool as a Cbody !!

 

[polara66hardtop]

I have a cub cadet LT1046, and it is good for residential. TSC sells them, and two different models are made. One is the standard tractor, around 1500. The zero turn version is around 3,000. In your case It sounds like the standard would work fine. I needed a new set of belts and instructions, and MTD was helpful online service wise.

 

[polara66hardtop]

I learned how to drive on that Ford! 1964 or so. Very nice example!

This almost as cool as a Cbody !!

 

[78Brougham]

This almost as cool as a Cbody !!

Sorry... but those 8n's are like Playboy Playmates..... they look great on a calendar but you won't get any work out of them!

 

[78Brougham]

I am in the market for a new riding mower. The one I have now is on it's last leg. It is a Poulon 18hp with a 42 inch blade. I need some recommendations of good mowers in the $ 1200.00 to $ 1500.00 range. Thanks.

My experience with Poulon chain saws has taught me a very good lesson... they should have named the saw Pull On, because that's what you did. Pull and Pull and Pull ON IT! It was the biggest piece of crap I ever owned! Till I threw it over a cliff one day. As soon as I started it and pointed towards the log it would quit. Over and over... till I pitched over a cliff, I then went and bought a Husquvarna.... that was 13 years ago and its still running! You get what you pay for. I'm a John Deere guy, when it comes to tractors. I've owned 3 in 30 years, and two of them are still with me! The one I trade in on the other. And never mind the ones they sell at Lowe's go to a real JD Dealer. You may pay a bit more for a JD but it's worth it!

 

[commando1]

My experience... ...it's worth it!

For the first time, something leaped out at me from your avatar...

 

[Bryan]

I have had a Poulan Pro 19.5 HP, 42" for about 4 years and have not had a speck of trouble with it. They make a 6 speed and hydrostatic drive version. Around here, the 6 speed version is around 1000-1100 and the hydrostatic is 1200-1400. Mine is Hydrostatic drive and a very good turn radius for a tractor style mower.

Looks like this

 

[furyus 67]

These things are as bad as tool boxes. All of them made by 2 or 3 companies under 15 brand names.

 

[Bryan]

Who makes which riding mower???? Most lower priced brands are made by one of several makers.. Looks like sears changes fairly regularly to lowest bidders with craftsman.


http://todaysmower.com/2011/riding-mower-brands/

 

[patrick66]

^^^The garbage "consumer" models that the big box stores like Lowe's and Home Depot carry are indeed like that! BUT, if you go to a Husqvarna or a John Deere dealer, you are getting a product that is actually built by that company and not a licensee.

I own a Husqvarna ZTR that I've had since 2007. Terrific mower! It has about 175 hours on it right now. Only thing that happened was that the Briggs and Stratton 24hp twin blew a head gasket. For the parts necessary to fix that problem was nearly $300!!! And that was with me doing the work! I found a slightly different B&S 26hp engine through Amazon for just $675.00 shipped to my door. Hell, yeah, I'll take the fresh engine and the two hours to swap them any day! So, I'm quite happy with my ZTR. Paid $2,995.00 new for that rig, and the only things other than that engine I've had to replace at all is the oil, filter, battery, and blades.

BTW, were you guys aware that many of the consumer push-mowers and some of the ZTR-style mowers are built under contract by various PRISONS across the country???

 

[Bryan]

^^^The garbage "consumer" models that the big box stores like Lowe's and Home Depot carry are indeed like that! BUT, if you go to a Husqvarna or a John Deere dealer, you are getting a product that is actually built by that company and not a licensee.

Going to a dealer kind of blows the <1500.00 budget from the original post though. personally, I don't want to spend small car prices for a mower, plus, I have had pretty good luck with the consumer brands. I sold my 1995 Murray 13HP 38" when I bought the Poulan. 15 Years with just Blades, Batteries and oil on that one...