Need some mower suggestions

[Rumpshot]

IF you consider new, don't over look the military discount from the big box stores. My John Deere lawn tractor puked it's guts out when I got it started this spring. I decided to upgrade the deck from 42" to 48" and went shopping. Lowes had a 54", refurbished (the shipping crate had been robbed of parts so it had to be refurbed) Husky for $500 under the regular price, that was before the discount. I saved over 25% from what I expected. AND the 54" deck makes more sense with my 2 1/4 acres. And it cost less than the 48" deck would have (not counting my discount).

Used from an individual it might not make much difference, but new I like the Husky warranty and construction better than John Deere for lawn tractors. I occasionally need to pull a trailer (with my weed spray rig) so I ruled out the zero turn units.

Initial recommendation, be careful buying used, check the oil and starting/idle before starting serious negotiations. Hauling the unit can be an issue if you don't have a trailer. Hauling applies even more so with a SCUT, as a lightweight utility trailer is inadequate.

You know your budget and tolerance for manual labor (push mower vs sitting on your butt and mowing) so the decision is up to you. New gets you the warranty. Used saves a bunch of cash, up front, but maintenance or lack of it determines the final cost.

I have a SCUT that I bought used. It has issues, but most of them I can work around until I get it properly brought back up to speed. I have a bigger yard and use the SCUT a lot for the front loader. But I have lived on this property for 14 years and have accumulated a bunch of stuff that periodically needs to be moved.

Good luck.

[JAG2955]

IF you consider new, don't over look the military discount from the big box stores. My John Deere lawn tractor puked it's guts out when I got it started this spring. I decided to upgrade the deck from 42" to 48" and went shopping. Lowes had a 54", refurbished (the shipping crate had been robbed of parts so it had to be refurbed) Husky for $500 under the regular price, that was before the discount. I saved over 25% from what I expected. AND the 54" deck makes more sense with my 2 1/4 acres. And it cost less than the 48" deck would have (not counting my discount).

Used from an individual it might not make much difference, but new I like the Husky warranty and construction better than John Deere for lawn tractors. I occasionally need to pull a trailer (with my weed spray rig) so I ruled out the zero turn units.

Initial recommendation, be careful buying used, check the oil and starting/idle before starting serious negotiations. Hauling the unit can be an issue if you don't have a trailer. Hauling applies even more so with a SCUT, as a lightweight utility trailer is inadequate.

You know your budget and tolerance for manual labor (push mower vs sitting on your butt and mowing) so the decision is up to you. New gets you the warranty. Used saves a bunch of cash, up front, but maintenance or lack of it determines the final cost.

I have a SCUT that I bought used. It has issues, but most of them I can work around until I get it properly brought back up to speed. I have a bigger yard and use the SCUT a lot for the front loader. But I have lived on this property for 14 years and have accumulated a bunch of stuff that periodically needs to be moved.

Good luck.

No more .mil discount for me. I'm just joe six-pack now. While I don't own a trailer, I have something better-a neighbor with a flatbed car trailer. If I find a SCUT, getting it home is the easy part.

Right now I like the idea of looking for a used pro mower. I've been cruising Craigslist, and haven't found anything that good so far. I have seen some recommendations for Ariens zero turn mowers, assuming that you get one that has a fabricated deck instead of the stamped decks.

[Greg]

Any recommendations for a walk behind mower for my, oh 1/4 acre or so of grass?

Be gentle, I've never owned a mower before.

[evan price]

Nearly all riding mowers are made by MTD - including Husqyvarna, CubCadet, Bolens, etc...- or AYP- Craftsman, etc.
You are paying more for the name.
Too bad you are not closer, I literally have a trailer of riders needing minor repairs.
I pick up mowers off the trash on the roadside for free. Push mowers, as long as they have good wheel height adjusters and a baffle deck they are fine and the cheaper the better.
I have a diesel SCUT made by Mitsubishi with a 48" Woods.rear mower. Great ein fields but not for a golf course lawn.
I personally dislike ZTRs because they are single taskers.

[randy]

No more .mil discount for me.

Maybe not. I've gotten veteran discounts at some stores (Lowe's comes to mind) using my VFW membership card.

And Ohio now gives you the option of listing your veteran's status on your DL which also can qualify you for discounts at many places. See if your new locality has a similar program.

Bottom line, couldn't hurt to ask.

[JAG2955]

Nearly all riding mowers are made by MTD - including Husqyvarna, CubCadet, Bolens, etc...- or AYP- Craftsman, etc.
You are paying more for the name.
Too bad you are not closer, I literally have a trailer of riders needing minor repairs.
I pick up mowers off the trash on the roadside for free. Push mowers, as long as they have good wheel height adjusters and a baffle deck they are fine and the cheaper the better.
I have a diesel SCUT made by Mitsubishi with a 48" Woods.rear mower. Great ein fields but not for a golf course lawn.
I personally dislike ZTRs because they are single taskers.

Have any suggestions for a multi-tasker mower for 1 acre?

[evan price]

A conventional riding mower by one of the common brands. My advice, pick one with a two-blade deck in the 38" range (because three blade decks in my experience give a worse quality of cut due to the middle blade getting forced all the grass from the left side to reach the right side discharge in the price point you are doing, they don't do rear discharge.) Make sure the deck has been kept clean because rusted decks is what usually kills them- a deck shell and new spindles will cost you most of the price of a good used mower.
Get it with a common motor like a kohler or briggs& stratton so parts are easy to find.
Avoid Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki motors. They are great motors but when they break they usually break big time. A Briggs will run like hell for years even if it is tired.
Craigslist is great, you can find something like that for $300-$500 ready.
Do not.buy one with a hydro transmission. Sounds neat- speed control on the fly, power shift, but my experience with the tufftorque hydros.commonly used is they fail. All the time.
The MTD austen is a belt.CVT that simulates 6 or 7 speeds with a sliding lever. Indestructible as long as you store it in a dry place and leave it in park and neutral when done.
AYP lines a.six speed.

[Termite]

I have a Columbia 42" with Kohler engine; it's a higher end brand made by MTD.

[rightisright]

Avoid Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki motors. They are great motors but when they break they usually break big time. A Briggs will run like hell for years even if it is tired.

Really?? That's counter to my experience w. small engines in the construction world. The pro series of Jap engines you listed, plus Subaru, are all very highly regarded for longevity and ease of repair.

I'm sure you have a lot more experience breaking them down and fixing them than I do, so I'd like to hear more. The conventional wisdom in these parts is the Jap engines are > than Briggs and Kolhers. If that's changed, I'd like to be in on it

[Yogimus]

I use a grasshopper for work, and I rate it with a solid "meh". Out of 15, 2 or so are always broken down somehow. They have about 4000 hours on em