Looking for a riding mower here's my yard specs
1.5 acres, slight grade, some landscaping, well irrigated.

I have looked at so many mowers I can't figure out what I want. I think I want something in the 20hp range, no bagging but I want to mulch, price is a huge concern, but I don't want to buy something that will die in two years. So far I'm in between a Craftsman and Husky. I've looked every where for used tractors but they all want the same price as a new one.

What do you guys suggest?

depends on your price range. i have about 3 acres of mowable grass and wore out my troybuilt (mtd) 20 hp in about 7 years. well, lets say my boys wore it out. anyway, it just started falling apart and after multiple bandaids, it wasn't worth it anymore. i did a lot of research and decided to spend a bit more. i got a simplicity regency 22hp, 46" deck and it is a totally different machine, as it should be. if you are easy on the tractor and maintain it, the mtd $1500 versions are ok, but not nearly the tractor of a simplicity. my simplicity was right at $3k with a triple bagger and delivered. no problems in 4 years and it takes a beating now that my boys made trails all over our property.

Buy by the pound.

I have about the same yard specs as you do. I am on my 2nd 20hp Craftsman. The first one run for 10 years before the transmission went. This one has run 5 years with just normall maintainance. It has a 46 inch mulching deck with a bagger.

I on the other hand have had good luck out of the $1000 riding mowers/tractors. Of course I only have about 1 ac. but I have only had 2 mowers the last 20 yrs. , a Murray for about 8 years and a John Deer. The Murray actually was still running quite well but the deck was rusted out so I sold it to a neighbor for a pittance and he used it to pull around a small cart/wagon to feed his cows. The JD is a bit nicer but has actually given more small problems than the Murray did. the Kohler engine is still going strong though. Both are 11hp - 14hp units. Do some math and you will find that the 48" mower will only save you only a few trips back and forth across the avg. lot over say a 40" unit. The time spent mowing is trimming around trees picnic tables etc and in the turns. Also a lot of extra HP only helps if you are cutting high grass which doesn't really occur if you mow regularly. You can generally only go so fast w/o bouncing which produces a poor cut. I say get a 12hp wheel horse for $1200 use it for 8-10 yrs and get an new one that's only about $150 per year.

My Husky w/46" deck/Kohler engine handles 2 acres just fine. Check your area mower/repair shops for a used/trade-in and if you go used, look for one with a sturdy, welded deck.

Remember, the JD you buy at Home Depot/Lowe's is not the same as a JD you buy from a JD dealer, there's a reason for the huge price difference between the "official" JD lines and the seemingly cheaper versions at Home Depot/Lowes.

I have a Craftsman garden tractor, 26 hp Kohler. The garden tractor is built heavier than the lawn tractors and will hold up considerably longer. It's worth the extra money in the long run. It must be made by whoever makes Husky as most of the parts are interchangeable. I've had it about 7 years and it's been flawless so far. I have the hydrostatic transmission. The 3 spd is more powerful but if you aren't cutting thick heavy stuff, the hydro is much easier to use, especially around landscaping where you have to back up a lot.

I haven't tried mulching a lawn with it. I did buy a set of mulching blades but don't even think about it in heavy weeds. It'll be clogged up all the time. They should work fine on a lawn, though.

Avoid anything with a TuffTorque K46 transaxle. Google it as it is nothing but trouble. I have a Deere that has one and the mower looks new but the transaxle is shot. Unless you want to play transmission repairman in your spare time, it is cheaper to trash the mower and buy a new one.

EDIT: RUN away from a used unit with the K46. You fire it up in the lot and drive in circles and it seems GTG. The mower is nice and shiny and looks great. You get home and after 5/10 minutes of mowing and the mower won't move.

The line about a Deere from Home Depot being different than a Deere from the dealer is just plain wrong. If Home Depot sells a Deere L118 and the dealer sells a Deere L118, they are the same machine. The Deere dealer will carry the higher end mowers that Home Depot will not ($$$) but their cheaper line is the same as the ones at the big box stores. I bought mine at the Deere dealer instead of Home Depot.

For my next mower, I am thinking about going super cheap. It is hard to get away from the K46 transaxle without spending lots of money or going super cheap and getting a manual transmission. It also hurts less to trash a cheap mower than an expensive one. It goes against my grain, but I may just do it.

I have the Snapper version of that Mower!!!!!I have been using it for 3 years has 240hrs on it Now!!!!! Still running the original belts and blades. Nothing but a couple of oil changes. I am mowing 2.5 acres of uneven Ground.

Craigslist is your friend.

I have a Toro GT series mower -

My requirement for buying a mower is that it have a Kohler engine as opposed to a B&S. I'd also get one with a Kawasaki engine but few if any are in my price range.

It has a 50" deck with a hose washout, it does NOT have the hydrostatic transmission. I've had it 8 years now mowing a 1 acre spot. I change the oil in the spring and keep a battery tender on it in the winter. Also throw in a bit of Stabil.

I've yet to have to do anything to it and I have over 400 hours on it now.

I think I paid $1900 for it new.

But I do agree with Rancho Loco - go out on craigslist. I'd rather had a very good used mower than a basic new mower.

unfortunately it's not, every one I have found on Craigslist withing a reasonable distances is only a couple $100 less then a new version or trashed out, I have been checking Craigslist every day since January, at one point I found more horse drawn mowers than riding mowers.

Much like the "chainsaw" threads go. With TLC most will be ok. We have a low end Craftsman heading in to it's 15th season. It mows 1-2 acres a week. Mountain land turned yard/field so it's not a super smooth job. It's had a couple of belt replacements and blades only beyond the annual oil change and spark plugs.

You realize craigslist prices are about 200% of where you start bargaining, right?

As for thrashred, thats how I went.. John Deere 185 with a blown hydro.. Ebay' d one for cheep, found a mulching kit cheep, and I've got a great 48" mower for about $400..

EPA APPROVED green machine (ladies version shown)
Zero emissions
No gas to buy or mix
No spark plugs to foul & change

DELUXE Mountain EDITION
Same features as above with advantage of wide knobby tire for traction and fifteen speeds!

My legs are burning just looking at that contraption.

Fixt

I bought the Husky a YTH22V46, I found a great deal today for 15% off and couldn't find it cheaper anywhere else. I did looked up alot of stuff about the K46 trans axle and it seems the problem is with any auto and heat. The new versions have a fan and require cleaning of the heat sinks and fins and as long as it is kept clean and able to cool is a pretty durable transmission, and is serviceable if you are willing to take the time. My problem with buying a thrashed one is I have a 22 month old and a 5 month old and barely have enough time to take a crap let alone rebuild a mower right now, I need something I can get on and go this season.
Last year we were in a different house with a small lawn I could mow in 10 min with a push mower that I had found and combined with 3 others I had laying around, this year with our new house the lawn is going to be a beast.

i'm on my second zero turn,they cost more but i'll never go back to a tractor. wore a dixon out in 7 years,had b&s motor . total junk engine,blown head gasket twice. bought a bad boy mower in 2012 ,has 26 hp kawasaki. runs great. 3600.00

I have a Simplicity Broadmoor that I'm happy with. I don't have the acreage that you do but I collect leaves with it during the fall and it will be 8 years old this spring.

It has an 18HP single cylinder Kohler Command.

Dan

I have an earlier version of the same mower (20hp/46 in. cut) and I have been very satisfied. I got lucky though. My old mower crapped out with about two mowings left before frost and I intended to borrow a mower and then buy in the spring. I happened to be in the local Lowes and spotted a used mower out front. Some guy had bought it that spring and had purchased the extended warranty. He then proceeded to run over a concrete base of some sort and ruined the deck. Lowes gave him a new mower and sent the damaged mower in for repair. I wound up paying half of the new price and went home happy. Three years later it is still like new.

I have my daughter's old Craftsman LT-2000.

She had it for about 10 or 12 years,i have been running it for 5.
Only replaced deck belt and blades.
I paid what she needed to get for it 400.00,worth every penny.

speaking of mowers, my self propelled craftsman was blowing out oil as fast as I could put it in - still ran but the belt was slipping so I hit up craigslist last September and found a Honda mower for $50 a guy was selling - 5hp variable speed.

So I picked it up and this thing runs and looks brand new. I get to checking on it and the thing is over 20 years old.

Its a HR214 model. I liked it so much, I just started watching craigslist off and on and found another one for $40 at the end of the season last year. All it needed was the carb cleaned and it runs as good as the other one.

That is one heckuva mower.

When we lived in Kansas there was about 4 acres to mow. I had a 60" Hustler zero turn and it was a beast. Built like a tank. I bought it with the house and it was already 7 or 8 years old. Made mowing fun.

I've had a JD 160 manual trans mower since 1988 when I bought it. Aside from belts, blades and a few batteries, still going strong. Kawasaki motor. I've always had a concern about the small hydrostatic units. In the big stuff, there is adequate cooling, but a small fan or whatever doesn't mean long life. I'm older and wish it had power steering now, but I pump the front tires up hard and it's better! I do need a new seat though.....

Oh, I now about 1 1/2 acres, a little hilly, but not too bad. Lots of gardens my wife puts out to mow around...

Get a simplicity, IMO they mow the nicest (free float deck) and are bomb proof. If I was you i'd find a year or 2 old simplicity Broadmoor and not think about a tractor again for 20 to life.

Been mowing an acre or so with a 30in Dixon since 94. Two tranny rebuilds but you can't get those parts any longer. The 11hp Briggs IC's head bolts have never been touched.

Two years ago I found a two yo 42in Hustler with a bad engine (a HONDA!) for $800. I spent $1400 for a new 19hp Kawasaki. That thing is awesome.

Nothing runs like a deere

True enough. Having worked for that company for many years (large tractors) I can say the theme running through our company is "Quality", for all divisions.

Do the dealers for all Deere products

The "box store" Deeres suck balls, like all other box store mowers. The 4K "lawn tractors" are obselete. No lawn service uses them, they use Hustlers, or Skaggs, or Dixie Choppers, or their equivalent.

The ONLY reason for buying one of the 5K Deeres is you have several acres, a big chunk of which is too steep for a zero-turn.

My dog pen is bigger than that yard

Bought the same one two years ago. Couldn't be happier! 2 year warranty too.

I question tha quality of deere lately my moms 165 fron the 80s is still running. That mower has done their 1.5 acre lawn plus 2 rental property's and the church lawn when it's there turn. The old 165 still fires right up.. They have a new jd and it doesn't sim to be built as well. I'm running an old 265 myself

You'll be happy with that mower for the size lawn you have. I believe they are the same as the Craftman versions with similar specs. I have a Craftsmen 54" with a kohler engine that has over 400 hours on it. The only issues I have with mine are deck service related - but I have 3.5 acres with rocks that find it more often than I'd like and I mow and another 4-6 acres 2 or 3x per year behind mine as well. Part are easy to get and it's easy to work on.

Happy mowing.

Here's a riding mower from Montana.

I gave my Velcro gloves to deflave I got me a hottie and sheep are really a single man thing.

This.

If you are diligent about air & fuel filter maintenance, oil changes, and keeping the cooling fins/housing clean, almost any of the motors will outlast the frames. So look at everything that surrounds the motor.

The rest comes down to who will be operating/maintaining the thing. If the person who's parting with thousands of $ is the one in the seat, they tend to last much, MUCH longer. If it's their offspring, or a hired hand� not so much. In other words, an owner-operator can get by with a less expensive machine.

For mowing, I'd suggest a zero turn all day, every day.

Just my observations.

FC

Has anyone tried the Kubota Zero Turn Mowers ?

Craftsman and Husqvarna are made by the same manufacturer. Quality equipment, go for the best price. Poulan and Poulan Pro, same company also. I have a lot of customers mowing up to 5 acres with Husqvarna and Poulan Pro. If I was buying, I would stick to 46" cut max. Fewer deck problems, less maintenance, much better discharge. Marty

I've owned a few of the $1000 to $1500 tractors. They run. They cut grass. My yard isn't perfectly manicured, so they take a beating here. I get between 6-10 years on one if I do reasonable PM. My biggest gripe with them is lousy pulleys on the decks. No xerks to grease them. They need replaced frequently.

Bought a Cub a Cadet zero turn last summer. We'll see how it lasts comparatively speaking. Honestly, for the price difference, it should last three times as long to be a wash with the $1000 tractors on an annual basis? I think you pay the same no matter what. Replacement intervals just vary.

I bought a 7-8 year old White mower last year for $100. It needed a drive pulley. Hydro, 48" with cleanout for deck. Seems to be a nice machine for what I have in it. The ride is far beyond that of our Craftsman. Much larger tires and better seat. But it has a Tecumseh which is really my only fear.

That's definitely important. I have a Craftsman garden tractor that does have zerks. The problem is that to get to the center one, you have to remove the deck. To take it off and on takes about 30 min. It's easy to get lazy. They should put a removable floor plate on the tractor to access the mandrel.

It will be the myself and or the wife, the offspring is almost 2 and the other 1 is 5 months. The 2 year old was fascinated by it last night, and climbed up on the seat, he's making engine noises at a 5th grade level.

my bad boy is only a 48in wide because i have to many trees close together to mow between. lowes does not sell real john deere mowers they are a cheap ass copy.i'd go to a dealer,the local ace hardware store carries the bad boy i bought along with a full service dept. only thing i would buy is a heavy deck,a welded one not stamped. zreo turns can mow at 6-7 mph and you can distroy a light deck. mine has a 1/4in thick deck,mower weight over 600lbs. i also would get a seat with fold armrests.these mowes are alot easier to control when you can rest your elbows on something solid. the model i bought came with the cheaper seat. i payed 149.99 for the thicker padded seat with armrests. i mow 2 acres at my houseand another 3/4 acre at my mother-in-laws weekly .my mowning time was cut in half with a zeroturn.

I have been riding/cutting around my place on a Craftsman for the last 15 years.
Hope it starts up next month. Right now it's sitting in my barn. I do NOT baby it.

So in 15 years did the old Craftsman ever brake down ? .... Of course
However I was always able to fix it myself. I'm too cheap to call Sears.

Not sure why this is so hard to understand, so I'll say it again. If you go to Lowes and buy a John Deere D105 for $1,500 it is the EXACT SAME John Deere D105 you will get from the Deer dealer, and you will likely pay the same $1,500 for it.

The local Deer dealer is the one who delivers them to Lowes and does the setup. There is no reason to buy from Lowes when the price is the same at the Deere dealer and they will treat you better to boot.

To reiterate, model for model, they are the exact same mower. The Deere dealer does sell high end models that Lowes does not, but that's like comparing a 3/4 ton Ford to a Ford Fiesta. They are both Fords, but that's about the end of the similarities.

I didn't read the thread and don't have a suggestion as to what you should get...

...I can say avoid the Chub LT1050, in the running to be one of the biggest POS's on the frack'n planet.

We bought a Kubota 12 1/2 hp with a 42" deck and hydrostatic drive in 1996 for $2700.00. It has given us little trouble but it is currently in the shop for seeping engine oil. Kawasaki engine. The dealer quoted $3700.00 to replace it with a 2014 model with an 18 hp engine. I mow about an acre of grass somewhere between 30 and 50 times a year. I'd have no trouble recommending a Kubota.