Riding Mowers

[eric]

thats the same problem my brother has with his, his motor on the Deere is fine, but the deck is worn out, the hood rattles like crazy, the height adjuster wont stay in place, he had to weld his deck wheels in place....granted, he isn't the most gentle or maintenance minded type of guy, but he figues he can get 2-3 yrs out of a Murray or a Sears, and still come out cheaper in the long run!

 

[donnaIL]

We've had a craftsman 42" for 14yrs, it was cheap compared to a deere, but still was 2k 14 yrs ago, B&S 14.5 hp motor, it has worked hard and we expect it to keep going for several more years. We used this mower in the south east (South Carolina) and now in IL...mowing 1-3 acres with it. The mower deck is now showing signs of corrosion (holes).

We purchased a 3pt (used) Woods Finish mower and if you have a couple acres to mow i recommend that. The cost of parts and belts for a big mower is higher, but it sure cuts down on the time. donna

 

[eric]

Wow, $2k 14 yrs ago! that was alot of money for a mower. I paid like $2300 2 yrs ago, for a 48" deck, 25 hp auto transmission. Seems like mowers have held their price pretty well.

 

[skip]

I just saw the Sears ad for a 42" 18 horsepower Twin Valve Briggs and Stratton standard shift for $1200. Add $200 for the automatic. Didn't have the cupholder though.

 

[Anonymous]

Interesting mower comments! I've had a 16 hp Craftsman for about 6 years and starts on first try every time. Replaced one of blade spindles and guard and belts first time this year. Replace blades about every year or so. Is a 42" cut. I mow our front area as well as mow COW PATTIES that have dried as a quick and dirty manure spreader...true, no lie!

Had a Murray push highwheel mower also for about 4 years...junked it last year after several $50 a year major tune-ups.

Troy Bilt makes a very good riding mower...about same price now as the Craftsman. I have the Troy Bilt 8 hp rear tine tiller that always starts on first or second pull for about 15 years: Just change plugs and air filter every year plus regular maintenance. If Troy's mowers are as dependable and sturdy as their tillers, may very well get one of theirs when my Craftsman dies.

Noticed that John Deere now has a small rider for about $1500. Either this is a "toy" or they are lowering their prices on the smaller HP mowers.

 

[la4angus]

Running Arrow
Did you check to see where that $1500.00 Deere was made?
Just curious.

 

[A. delaGarza]

Running Arrow
Did you check to see where that $1500.00 Deere was made?
Just curious.

I had heard of them think that they are the same as the Zetor tractors

 

[PINZ Farmer]

Hey, we have a john deere 345 riding mower, 52 inch cut i think thats what it is and have had it for two years, bought it brand new, mow roughly 3 acres once a week plus 1/2 an acre for someone else and we love it. no problems what so ever. now my grandma has a grasshopper and i figured there would have been more people talk bout that. i love her grasshopper ztr mower. it mows as fast as you want to go along with are JD, that has a foot peddle instead of gears. now if these two are to much money, are neighbor has a simplicity and it is a little older but it still runs great and i think it is a little cheaper. i personally do not like the job it does of cutting but that could be becuase the lady that owns it refuses to get the blades sharpened even though we would do it for her for FREE!!!lol. i also mow a yard for another guy and i use his mower and it is a JD and is over 10 years old. it doesnt look the best on the outside but it runs just as good as ours so even though it might be more money upfront, it will last a long time and we do not do anymore then regular maintaince to it.

joe

 

[Ellie May]

You wanna a mower for real cheap & fertilizes at the same 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.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... one word-goat. They are the farmers best friend. They don't cost much maybe a couple at the most for a good ol' mix breed no more then $25. THey fertilize too. The only maintance is they have to be dewormed & their hooves clipped. Doesn't get any easier then that.



Ellie May

 

[D.R. Cattle]

I hate goats. They make good target practice though.

 

[Ellie May]

NO offense but it shows people's ignorance when they say they hate a certain type of animal.
Ellie May

 

[D.R. Cattle]

Ignorance is when you pretend to know something and don't. Kinda like someone who blindly uplifts Herefords all the time, all the while not having a clue. Hating or disliking something is simply a matter of personal preference.

 

[Ellie May]

Yes exactly, but hate is such a strong word. And besides if you say I know so little about herefords, I'd like to what you know about goats. You wouldn't know the difference between a Nubian & a Saanan if it hit you in the face. Let alone other animals like sheep, donkeys, ponies, & my llamas you always diss. I bet you don't even know what a cria is.
Ellie May

 

[D.R. Cattle]

Who said you didn't know anything about Herefords? The biggest thing I know about goats and llamas is I don't like them. Therefore I won't claim to know about their breeds and characteristics. You should not take that personally.

 

[sillco]

I need to purchase a new riding mower and would like some recommendations. Anyone own one that they really like??

I have a JD 430 Deisel with a 64" cut. Today's version would be JD 425. The next one I get will be a Lexmark zero radius, commercial mower. That unit is preferred by those that earn their living mowing grass. It has to be tough and will last a home owner a lifetime.

 

[Ellie May]

I know I don't take it personally. But I hate it when people say I HATE. It's such a strong word. Plus how do you know you hate goats until you start raising them. It's like when I was young I couldn't say I hate beef because I hadn't tried. Goats & Llamas are very smart & we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for animals. End of story.
Ellie May

 

[Anonymous]

I know I don't take it personally. But I hate it when people say I HATE. It's such a strong word. Plus how do you know you hate goats until you start raising them. It's like when I was young I couldn't say I hate beef because I hadn't tried. Goats & Llamas are very smart & we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for animals. End of story.
Ellie May

Ellie May, do ya'll milk your goats? Here in Wisconsin goat cheese is gaining popularity. You know Wiscosnis is suppose to be the Dairy state, but it is really the Cheese state.

 

[Ellie May]

Ahhh, I guesing your a goat lover right?? Well if not oh well, I'm gonna talk anyways. Yeah if it wasn't for goats most our bottle fed horses, ponies, lambs, calves, etc... wouldn't be here. We only milk them when we have to. We primarilily raise Boer so they aren't really a milk breed, but I do have some dairies. Mighty fine milk goats produce. All the farmers around here (especailly cattle farmers) ask us for goats milk when they have a bottle baby to feed. GOOD, GOOD milk for bottle babies. It reminds me when we had our 2nd bottle calf, & we had an alpine that we just weaned her kids. Well I thought what the heck I'm tired of bottle feeding it why not see if the calf will nurse off the goat, it sure did. The goat was so calm she didn't even care. Wish I had taken a picture of her. Of I still had to bottle feed the calf because the goat didn't produce that much milk. But then I only had to feed it twice a day. Still have the calf but the goat (rest in peace) is not.
Oh a word of wisdom when you have goats, try not to feed them big round bales. We had one, one year it was leaning against a tree didn't catch it time, yeah that's where the goat went.
Well bye,
Ellie May