[dreamingat30fps]

Haven’t owned a mower in probably 10 years and even before that I owned one for maybe 4 or 5 months max. So I don’t know anything about them.

That being said I think I need to get one of those sweet riding mowers for NC. The guy who mows it now charges $80 per mow if I do it every other week. While I have 3 acres I would say maybe 1 is mow-able lawn. I figure at $160/mo to have someone mow it I would pay for a riding mower in like a year or so and I don’t mind doing it, I have plenty of time and enjoy being outside trimming trees etc. I also need to do something with all the leaves so I figure this could help with that also.

Lastly I imagine using it with a little pull cart once I start doing more work out in the other 2 acres which are wooded. Hauling tools back there, bringing back wood, mulch etc.

So for those of you who have one let me know your thoughts. What should I look for, avoid etc? Right now the plan would be to keep it in a small barn we have as it would not fit in garage with car in there.

[Housekeeping]

Zero turn! Faster, better results and more fun even. My neighbor regrets not getting one as his wife asks why his lines don’t look near as nice as mine.

[upstatedoc]

IDK, I've owned many different brands of mowers over the years, Craftsman, Toro, Honda.Seems like they've worked out the kinks over the last 100 years. You could go nuts with a zero turn mower for $3k but for 1 acre? Home depot has a 30' riding mower for $1500

[spazzyfry123]

If you’re planning more than cutting grass, I vote lawn tractor with a decent sized deck (make sure it will fit through any gates!). 1 acre, 42” should be fine. Twin engine will ride smoother than a single thumper. Make sure the seat is comfortable.

I’ve got a John Deere and it’s been great. Have a dumping utility trailer that I use more frequently than the blades even. Keep in mind that JD typically has proprietary parts and will be more expensive to service. Looking back at it, I probably would have gone with a Cub Cadet for that reason. But I’ve also had zero problems, so more of a long haul thought. What pushed me to JD was free delivery and two Ag-Pros nearby.

Oh, and make sure the cup holder is to your liking.

[Murf993]

Originally Posted by spazzyfry123

If you’re planning more than cutting grass, I vote lawn tractor with a decent sized deck (make sure it will fit through any gates!). 1 acre, 42” should be fine. Twin engine will ride smoother than a single thumper. Make sure the seat is comfortable.

I’ve got a John Deere and it’s been great. Have a dumping utility trailer that I use more frequently than the blades even. Keep in mind that JD typically has proprietary parts and will be more expensive to service. Looking back at it, I probably would have gone with a Cub Cadet for that reason. But I’ve also had zero problems, so more of a long haul thought. What pushed me to JD was free delivery and two Ag-Pros nearby.

Oh, and make sure the cup holder is to your liking.

I bought a John Deere E130 last year with a P10 trailer. I love the thing, we have 1.5 acres and I suspect it'd be excellent for a 3 acre property that I think the OP said he had. If you get leaves on the ground get the mulching attachment, it's like $30. We have lots of trees and I no longer do any raking, just mulch them all in the fall and it's good for the lawn.

JD has a quick change oil filter, every 8 hours your supposed to do an oil change which is simple, just twist off the old filter and screw on the new one, it's self contained. The replacement filter oil change all in one is $69 CAD, so about $45 USD, I hate it but they have a kit for $20 that lets you do standard oil changes and it pays for itself in one oil change.

[Bonk!]

I bought one of these. Works as a trailer and a wheelbarrow, saving space in my shed: Gorilla Carts Heavy-Duty Poly Yard Dump Cart | 2-In-1 Convertible Handle, 1200 lbs capacity | GOR6PS model,

[Buug959]

Something else to consider is how easy it is to remove the mower deck and put it back on. If you want to run around in the woods the mower deck could easily get hung up on the rough ground, tree roots and stumps, etc. I know a lot of the JD models have very easy deck removal systems including "drive-over" decks that you don't have to slide under the tractor from the side. That feature may be on the larger (more expensive) models though.
Zero turn models are great for mowing but not so good in the woods.

[lakefront]

Bought a new John Deere tractor 17 years ago, other than basic maintenance have replaced 2 parts on it the whole time.....idler pulley and steering link. Most dependable machine I've owned. The little dump trailer is a must have as well.

[ZL9M2]

John Deere. Buy from a JD dealer, not a big box retailer. You will pay more but will have something that will last forever, as the models you buy at the big box retailers are a consumer model that is not made as well. Zero turn is great but limits your ability to haul or pull lawn trailers. I've have mine for 20 years with no issues.

[Our03z4]

Originally Posted by ZL9M2

John Deere. Buy from a JD dealer, not a big box retailer. You will pay more but will have something that will last forever, as the models you buy at the big box retailers are a consumer model that is not made as well. Zero turn is great but limits your ability to haul or pull lawn trailers. I've have mine for 20 years with no issues.

You can get a hitch kit for the zero turns, they actually pull great.

I recommend Deere, I run two of their commercial mowers and they are fantastic. Basically just stay away from any MTD brand, which is most mowers btw, this includes Cub Cadet. Husqvarna use to be good but now are junk as well. Deere's parts do cost more but I've found that they last much longer. Anytime I try to buy aftermarket parts they last much shorter.

[spazzyfry123]

Originally Posted by ZL9M2

John Deere. Buy from a JD dealer, not a big box retailer. You will pay more but will have something that will last forever, as the models you buy at the big box retailers are a consumer model that is not made as well. Zero turn is great but limits your ability to haul or pull lawn trailers. I've have mine for 20 years with no issues.

I think that’s mainly true once you get into some of the bigger stuff, but I’m convinced it may be a thing of the past. I’ve got a small residential tractor that I tried to purchase from Ag-Pro, but they said they mainly deal with larger equipment and it would take months to get. Bought the identical one I tried to purchase at the dealer but at Home Depot for cheaper and with free shipping. Best part, is the guy I talked to at Ag-Pro ended up being the guy that delivered my tractor

So I ended up getting the identical tractor from the place I tried to initially, but cheaper.

[LookBothWays]

I have an Ex Mark zero turn that has been almost perfect for over 20 years with only a main drive belt replacement. It does a great job on the lawn and is very maneuverable and easy to zip around anything. It's compact and doesn't take up much room so for my purposes it has been excellent.

But I wouldn't recommend it for what you're wanting to do. Firstly you should determine how much you want to spend and that may depend on how long you'll be maintaining such a property. You will probably want a lawn tractor which won't be as maneuverable as a zero turn but will be much more versatile and if you are going to develop those rough areas over time bigger the better. Don't go too cheap I have a neighbor whose big box mower is often trailered away for repairs so buying the commercial model of whatever may be better for the long term. Get as big of a mower deck as you can but keep in mind the bigger the deck the less it will contour to the dips and hills if you have them and it will be more difficult to get into small spaces or maneuver. But when you're mowing you'll thank yourself for each less pass you have to make.

[vreihen16]

All of our lawn tractors to date have cost us $0.00 from FreeCycle. Each needed a $7.00 plastic electric started bendix gear from Tractor Supply, along with a new $30 battery and a few belts along the way. I figure that if we get three mowings out of one, we're already better off than paying for a lawn service.

With that said, my health has degraded too much to mow the lawn or wrench on small engines any more, so we pay $40 every two weeks and let the professionals mow it.....

[M-technik-3]

Love my older John Deere 332 diesel


I have a one like this but sans the 48" Tiller, my tiller is 42" and not on a 3 point hitch plus I have 48" two stage snow blower with a cab

[Efthreeoh]

Get a small Kubota with a bucket and drive-over mower deck.

[dreamingat30fps]

Thanks guys! I'm leaning towards a basic John Deere. Like I said, barely even owned a regular push mower, not sure I'm ready for a full blown tractor! I have 3 total acres but mostly wooded so not too much lawn to mow. Also the wooded area does have cleared trail so getting in and out should be too bad.

Question I've seen these mulching kits, but what happens if you just mow the leaves like you do the lawn? I ask because when lawn service mows it the leaves seem to disappear. That's in summer though so only a fraction of the leaves now.

[unluky]

I have a 60" 27HP Dixie Chopper Zero Turn that I bought back in 2007 and it still runs and looks new and I love it - if I didn't have as much to mow and so many trees and trimming - I'd go tractor too. They are handy.

That being said I would never go back now as my ZT saved me about 40% of my time mowing around all my trees and things. Open ground - tractor. Lots of trimming - no comparison - ZT all the way.

My Dixie absolutely destroys leaves. If they are dry - it turns them into dust. I don't bag anything. I have a lawn sweep for when I travel in the summer and the lawn gets too tall so I can sweep the excess up when needed, but I don't use it for leaves - I just grind them up.

[LookBothWays]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

Thanks guys! I'm leaning towards a basic John Deere. Like I said, barely even owned a regular push mower, not sure I'm ready for a full blown tractor! I have 3 total acres but mostly wooded so not too much lawn to mow. Also the wooded area does have cleared trail so getting in and out should be too bad.

Question I've seen these mulching kits, but what happens if you just mow the leaves like you do the lawn? I ask because when lawn service mows it the leaves seem to disappear. That's in summer though so only a fraction of the leaves now.

Just mow them using the side discharge no need for the mulching kit. If the yard has heavy leaves on one side and light leaves on the other just start at the heavy side going back and forth by the time you reach the other side you won't be blowing any leaves as they will have been reduced each pass and it helps to average the leaf coverage over the entire yard. Just avoid building up big piles.

[dreamingat30fps]

Just to close this thread out here she is. Yeah, not a super high end machine, but hopefully better than the $1200 no name one I was looking at originally. I looked at some of their higher end models, but I couldn’t justify the price increase for my basic needs.

Did all the lawn today and leaves. Took some practice because I was just getting leaf debris everywhere. Found that since it only blows out the leaves from the one side I had to make all my passes over leaves in the same direction. Essentially blowing them off to the side of the property. Not sure if the mulch kit would help grind them down enough so you can’t see them, but I had a LOT of leaves so. Took me maybe 2 hours but that was with a lot of fucking around and redoing stuff. I think it might take me maybe an hour tops once I have it down, maybe even less.

[kscarrol]

Where is the cup holder?

[zx10guy]

Congrats and I know what you mean about leaves and such. I just bought my neighbor's riding mower. It's an unknown brand but seems to do the job. Getting used to having to be purposeful on the direction I run it as you have found out....the side discharge is brutal on what it shoots out. My yard is only a 1/4 acre so I have to be mindful of my neighbors.

After having this riding mower for a short time, I wonder how I ever lived without it as I don't have to mess with bagging anything anymore.

[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by kscarrol

Where is the cup holder?

It's in the black plastic molding on the right back corner. It's hard to see but it's there.