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Re: Riding mowers

Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2016 11:51 pm
by HTRN
John deere small tractors are garbage made by MTD.

In fact, almost all the small tractors are made by them.

If you want ole skool, run forever, and have enough area to mow, get a Ford "N" series(I suggest the 8N, as it was the last in the series), and a Woods finish mower. Add some Turf tires. Should be able to be pieced togetther for 5 grand or so. 20 years from now, you'll be able to sell it for what you got into it for.

New Zero turn? Buy a Hustler. Best kept secret in zero turns.

Used Commercial? Skag. Not cheap.

None of these options are cheap, but they'll run for decades, with little problem.

Re: Riding mowers

Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2016 3:08 pm
by PawPaw
HTRN wrote:New Zero turn? Buy a Hustler. Best kept secret in zero turns.

Used Commercial? Skag. Not cheap.

None of these options are cheap, but they'll run for decades, with little problem.
My son, who is an ace mechanic, has been buying used, "broken" commercial zero turns and educated himself on the complexities of the hydraulic pumps (his current gig is heavy on hydraulics). He's been picking up older zero-turns that no longer run off Craiglist on the cheap and fixing them for resale. He'll pick up a used commercial mower for $500, rebuild the hydraulics, and put a for sale sign on it.

The last John Deere small tractor (20 horse, Cat 1 hitch) I looked at, the engine/transmission/running gear was made by Yanmar. I don't know who stamped out the sheet metal.

Re: Riding mowers

Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2016 4:57 am
by evan price
Compact diesel tractors are great. I've got a Satoh S470 Buck which was imported in the 80s, made by Mitsubishi. Three cylinder diesel about 980cc, 18.5 hp but torque! I run a Woods RM48 finish mower on the three point.
The Kubota and Yanmar get a premium price. The Cub Cadets and some IH & Massey are Mitsubishi. Ford are Iseki. Deere is Yanmar. Bolens was Shiabura iirc.
Now the Indian brands like Mahindra are good too.
These are actual farm grade machinery, as long as you stay away from the real cheap ones marketed to bottom end. With reasonable care they will run forever and can use standard three point implements. Best of all is they hold value.
I've got a woods mower, a grader blade, a rear scoop, a cultivator and a drag harrow for my Buck. I bought it specifically with agricultural bar-lug tires and not turfs.

Re: Riding mowers

Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2016 10:08 am
by Termite
PawPaw wrote:The last John Deere small tractor (20 horse, Cat 1 hitch) I looked at, the engine/transmission/running gear was made by Yanmar.
IIRC,
Yanmar was selling their complete tractors here in the US until the mid-80s. Then they got a contract with John Deere to make engine/trannies/gear for Deere, with the stipulation that they wouldn't sell Yanmar tractors in the US.

Yanmar tractors are popular around the world. And they make fine industrial diesel engines for multipurpose use.

Re: Riding mowers

Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2016 5:39 pm
by Langenator
There's a listing on the local CL for a Kubota T1560 for $650.

Anyone have any experience with Kubotas?

Re: Riding mowers

Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2016 3:41 am
by 308Mike
Langenator wrote:There's a listing on the local CL for a Kubota T1560 for $650.

Anyone have any experience with Kubotas?
Precision's post above mentions them:
I don't know how much acreage you have, but a used commercial mower with less then 1000 hours on it will last you FOREVER. Get a Kubota, Gravely, Toro, Skag, Exmark, Grasshopper or the like. Just make sure they are not one of the consumer grade ones someone used commercially.
Perhaps someone with direct experience with the model you stated will make some comments. Precision might chime in if he knows about that brand directly.

Re: Riding mowers

Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2016 5:52 am
by Steamforger
Termite wrote:
PawPaw wrote:The last John Deere small tractor (20 horse, Cat 1 hitch) I looked at, the engine/transmission/running gear was made by Yanmar.
IIRC,
Yanmar was selling their complete tractors here in the US until the mid-80s. Then they got a contract with John Deere to make engine/trannies/gear for Deere, with the stipulation that they wouldn't sell Yanmar tractors in the US.

Yanmar tractors are popular around the world. And they make fine industrial diesel engines for multipurpose use.
Good boat engines too.

Re: Riding mowers

Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2016 2:36 pm
by evan price
Langenator wrote:There's a listing on the local CL for a Kubota T1560 for $650.

Anyone have any experience with Kubotas?
These are a kubota in name only. Built to compete at big box store mower level.
14hp Kawasaki gas engine. Hydrostatic trans. Avoid hydrostatic trans like it is herpes. Not needed, expensive to fix, fails pretty commonly.
Kaw engines have almost zero aftermarket support. When they run they run well. When they don't they are boat anchors. I've replaced Kaws with briggs twins.

Re: Riding mowers

Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 5:38 pm
by Precision
Langenator wrote:There's a listing on the local CL for a Kubota T1560 for $650.

Anyone have any experience with Kubotas?
The Kubota lawn tractors are decent pieces of kit. But understand it is a NON commercial mower. It is sort of like buying someones used KIA or Hyundia. You are buying a high end consumer grade product with no warranty. It might be great. It might be really close to expiration. Most consumer grade mowers have an expected lifespan of roughly 300 hours. Many of them now are not very serviceable either. No grease points, no bearing that are replaceable. Kubota tends to be better about that kind of stuff then the MTD rebrands, but still. The entire subassembly or macro assembly often has to be changed. Best I can tell, that is a 10 year old piece of equipment. It looks like in my 3 minutes of searching they stopped making that unit in 2006. Could be very wrong on that.

Re: Riding mowers

Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 11:40 pm
by scipioafricanus
Kubota commercial mowers are garbage. Worst purchase ever.