Lawn Tractors.... (NF)

[Gerritt]

Looking at buying a new Lawn Tractor next week... there are SO many brands to choose from..

 

In your mind what would be you're top 3 brands..

 

keep in mind my price range is $3000.00 and under.

 

Thanks for the advice guys!

 

G

[BillM]

Gerritt, I dunno what it's worth buy my oldman has a John Deere and it's been nothing but dead nuts reliable. It's an older model, probably mid 90's or so, but the thing is built like a tank.

[charlied]

no sense in buying a John Deer now!!!

[Fisherman]

Looking at buying a new Lawn Tractor next week... there are SO many brands to choose from..

 

In your mind what would be you're top 3 brands..

 

keep in mind my price range is $3000.00 and under.

 

Thanks for the advice guys!

 

G

Other than the obvious, do you have any other planned use for it, (No, not lawnmower racing) such as a snowblower attachment, tiller, etc.

[Greencoachdog]

If it aint green and yellow with a Deer on it... it aint diddley-squat!!!

[dagoat_1]

JD all the way, we just restored a 1972 110 and as said above its a tank!!!!

I looked at the newer JD's at HDepot and what crap compared the older models. Our little 110 really is a tractor.....

[HTHM]

Go to Crossroads and look at those front decks that I told you about. Or you could give me $3000 for my JD 332 diesel and have a good solid machine. I use that thing for grading it is so strong.

[Big Cliff]

First suggestion: get the right one for the job; how big an area do you have to cut? wide open or lots of trees, hills, what else do you intend to use it for?

 

The next thing is look at the engine, you will find that the majority of them have Briggs engines on them, some Kohlers, or Kawasakis. They are all good engines if you take proper care of them but I am a little partial toward Briggs just because I am most familiar with them.

 

While there are many brands and colours out there, a majority of them are made by/for MTD, same machine, different colour different name on it, different prices.

 

What I would do: Go to a dealer near you that has a good reputation. Tell him exactly what your needs are, ask him to point out the features and benifets of what he is suggesting, if he knows his stuff and is willing to help you make an informed decision, good start. try to get a look at his service area, clean and tidy, well organized, all good signs. Find out how far he is behind in his service work right now. At the moment we are running about a week behind which is a good thing, many shops are two or three weeks behind. Also, buying from a dealer rather than a big box store, you will get your unit checked over and started and tested before you ever take it home and if/when you need service you will get it much faster.

 

Lastly, try to stay away from anything with a lot of fancy trim, they look nice but they are mostly just snapped together and it won't be long before the pieces start to come loose and fall off.

 

PM me if you have any specific modles in mind and give me the make and modle, I'll try to see if you are getting a fair price on it or not.

 

Depending on your needs, you should be able to get into a new tractor for between $1600.00 +

[Lunker777]

no sense in buying a John Deer now!!!

 

Whys that ?

[Radnine]

I would put money on the fact that it is the same as buying boats; They are pretty comparable if you go with a reputable maker. Same with dealers, they can make the experience better if you pick the right one.

I would go with Heaslips (in Hagersville) over Crossroads for a Deere, and O'Neils in Binbrook is top notch for Cub Cadet.

Good luck!

Jim

[Baptiste]

Other than the obvious, do you have any other planned use for it, (No, not lawnmower racing) such as a snowblower attachment, tiller, etc.

 

I put a tiller on mine but once I got off the lauch it was useless

[pigeonfisher]

I have a troybuilt and mow my acre lot around all the trees and up and down my little hills. I got it from a friend for $600. That is the right price for me. I love my little red tractor.

 

If you are buying a $3000 tractor for your own lawn I would consider how many mows it would take with a lawn service to pay that off. Figure on $50 per mow and trim...sounds like a few years worth of mowing.

[Fish4Eyes]

If your interested in a John Deere, my womans cousins own a John Deere store. I can look into it and see what kind of price he can give you. Let me know bud, you have my number! His store is in Smithville.

[Lunker777]

John Deere LA155 is a good choice for residential use. 48" deck with a 22HP Briggs twin motor !

They can handle a snow blower or a snow blade. Nice little tractor, Ive probably sold 10-15 of them this spring so far.

 

Consumer reports rates the LA100 series of lawn mower as #1 in its market.

 

If you live in the city they are great little mowers. Right now, Deere has no interest/payments for 1 year on these particular ones.

 

$2849 + Tax

Edited June 26, 2009 by Lunker777

[danbouck]

I heard the new John Deere's are crap. My boss bought a new one last year and has had nothing but problems.

[Zoso]

I have a 20 HP, 42" deck Poulan Pro (Briggs engine) and have no complaints. I have 2 acres mostly trees and slopes and it does excatly what it's suppose to.

I've not added any attachments to speak of yet.

Under 2k

 

During my search last year I too was told on many occasions to stay away from the "Big Box" stores and go to a local dealer.

[Court R]

Buy the best...get a Kubota.

[maurizio]

I upgraded my LT133 last year for a new X-300 W/bagger, and boy this machine is great! cost me $2800.00 ++ and worth every penny. I cut a one acre lot with some hills and she has no problems what so ever. The L- Series (Box store model) are cheaper in price for a reason. You can't compare the briggs motor with the kawasaki engine as I find it more powerful and a lot quiter.

 

goodluck!

Edited June 26, 2009 by FISH-NYMPH

[misfish]

Well G man,I can give you some advice on the Husqvarna line as I know am,THE LAWN maintenance guy for the plant.

I was told to go and buy what I needed and I did. If your looking for a deal,let me know.I paid just under 4000 for top quality, and this is what I got.

 

HUSQVARNA CTH126

 

 

 

 

 

I am very pleased with the quick start of the machines and the comfort and wieghts.

[Rattletrap2]

Gerritt,

I was in the same predicament a couple of years back. It was a toss up between JD and Cub Cadet. I ended up going with the Cub cadet because of the dealer i was dealing with. Mine is a GT2554, Shaft drive (versus belt drive), full hydrostatic tranny, and built like a tank. However, it did cost me about $5,500.00. I was looking at similar JD machines as well.

 

The JD and Cub Cadet models at Home Depot are both very light duty series priced to compete. They get serviced by the local dealers to do the PDI inspection, fill the fluids, and such.

 

If you want to know the difference, just go to the local dealer and check out the real thing. try to pick-up the ass end of either brand, and then go do the same at Home Depot! Also, all Kohler engines are not the same. they have different series based on the life expectancy of the individual models. I have a 23 h.p.Kohler engine in mine. I run it about 8 hours a week and have over 100 hours on it. I do not use it for snow blowing or anything else.

 

My only complaint about my machine is that I have torn up three belts in those 100 hours that drive the deck off the engine. Pain in the butt! Still trying to sort that out!

 

If you have any questions on specific things, ask away!

 

Good luck!

 

Brian

[Gerritt]

Thanks for all the replies guys, your input is certainly appreciated... I have been in the market for some time now and have made a decision with the help of my local dealer... O'Neils

 

I looked at JD, but they seem so flimsy in comparison to older models I have seen and looked at... my understanding is the low end JD's are no longer made by JD...

 

So...

 

I purchased a Cub Cadet LTX 1146

 

Here is a picture and the specs http://www.cubcadet.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/s...1153505_1153507

 

Hopefully this should suit my needs for years to come.

 

Thanks again everyone!

 

Gerritt.

[misfish]

May I ask,what did you pay?

 

Like I said,I could of gotten you a great price for a high end. You can PM if you like.

 

Enjoy yer new ride G.

[Daplumma]

Gerritt,

I was in the same predicament a couple of years back. It was a toss up between JD and Cub Cadet. I ended up going with the Cub cadet because of the dealer i was dealing with. Mine is a GT2554, Shaft drive (versus belt drive), full hydrostatic tranny, and built like a tank. However, it did cost me about $5,500.00. I was looking at similar JD machines as well.

 

The JD and Cub Cadet models at Home Depot are both very light duty series priced to compete. They get serviced by the local dealers to do the PDI inspection, fill the fluids, and such.

 

If you want to know the difference, just go to the local dealer and check out the real thing. try to pick-up the ass end of either brand, and then go do the same at Home Depot! Also, all Kohler engines are not the same. they have different series based on the life expectancy of the individual models. I have a 23 h.p.Kohler engine in mine. I run it about 8 hours a week and have over 100 hours on it. I do not use it for snow blowing or anything else.

 

My only complaint about my machine is that I have torn up three belts in those 100 hours that drive the deck off the engine. Pain in the butt! Still trying to sort that out!

 

If you have any questions on specific things, ask away!

 

Good luck!

 

Brian

Nuts on post Rattle.There is a difference to be sure.After wearing out a few MTD knock offs we all went in on a Jacobson (Bobcat) Zero turn and havent looked back.Cuts 6 plus acres a week for 3 years now with only blades for maintenance.Quality pays off for sure.

Joe

[Big Cliff]

Glad to hear you finally got one Gerritt, I think you made a wise choice by going new!

 

There are some good points brought up by this thread though. brand names don't always mean QUALITY anymore. Husqvarna is an excellent example, (not to pick on Husqvarna, I'm certified on all their products and really like them, it is just one that I thought most people would recognize) top of the line products IF YOU BUY THE TOP OF THE LINE UNITS but like everyone else, they have had to compeat with the big box stores and to do so, they have had to cut production costs. There are many products out there today that carry a brand name but are just someone elses product in their cases. You do have to be careful!