Best Bang for the Buck Riding Mower for 1.4 acres?

[Carscw]

NO box store stuff u wont get good service ..If any at all ....As the others said buy from a dealer ....Ariens has a good Selection also

Have never used a ariens but have heard good things about them.

 

[davbell22602]

Around here in my area the warranty work is done when the shop has time regardless if it was dealer or store bought mower. They tell customers to give them a week or two to work it in.

 

[Ric]

If it influences your choice, I believe and others can comment but I believe Gravely now owns and makes the Ariens mowers so if your leaning towards the Ariens you may consider taking a step up to and checking on the Gravelys, there better machines.

 

[davbell22602]

My dad had Ariens rear engine rider back in 2000 for couple years but it was money pit. So he sold it and bought a Cub cadet from Lowes years ago. But the Lowes in my area doesnt sell Cub Cadet now. Home Depot has Cub Cadet. Lowes has the Troy Built and John Deere.

 

[davbell22602]

If it influences your choice, I believe and others can comment but I believe Gravely now owns and makes the Ariens mowers so if your leaning towards the Ariens you may consider taking a step up to and checking on the Gravelys, there better machines.

Ariens owns Gravely. Ariens also owns Stens too. Back in the mid 90's Ariens bought Gravely and refused to let operate in North Carolina instead of moving to everything to Wisconsin.

 

[Carscw]

Around here in my area the warranty work is done when the shop has time regardless if it was dealer or store bought mower. They tell customers to give them a week or two to work it in.

I use only one shop and buy all my parts from them I even stop by to hang out and drink free coffee. They are good guys and put the pros first in line.
They understand we need our mowers to work and will jump right on any work we need done. They cost more than some others but well worth it for the service you get.

Most repairs I do my self but sometimes just don't have the time

 

[Ric]

Ariens owns Gravely. Ariens also owns Stens too. Back in the mid 90's Ariens bought Gravely and refused to let operate in North Carolina instead of moving to everything to Wisconsin.

Oops,I knew it was one way or the other, just couldn't make up my mind which way :smile: anymore it's hard to know who owns who.

 

[davbell22602]

Oops,I knew it was one way or the other, just couldn't make up my mind which way :smile: anymore it's hard to know who owns who.

Yea. Its seems its either MTD or Husqvarna doing all the buying.

 

[mullins87]

I second the Cub. Yes they are built by MTD, but they are the "flagship" brand. The dealer experience is critical. If you can't get service after the sale, then even a great sales price isn't so good when you have a nonfunctioning mower and the grass is growing 1/2" a day. As you can tell from my signature, I'm a JD fan. That's partly due to their extensive dealer network, of which my local dealer has a large operation only 15 minutes from me, and several other equally large locations within two hours drive. I have found they always have the part I need in stock in one of their locations, and can get me that part always by the next morning, sometimes the same day. And....if it's so important I have that part before nightfall, the other locations are close enough for me to go get it. Some will probably not believe me as it is a JD, but most parts at this dealer are priced comparably to aftermarket parts. I also have a very good Cub dealer in the area and have purchased a rider from them, but they are located 30 minutes away and can't offer the services the JD location can, simply because it is a one man operation.

Speaking of that rider I purchased from the Cub dealer....it was a White. This was in 1997, it was built by MTD and was a dealer only product at the time, not that big-box store crap White sells now. At that time, the White was literally one step below the Cub. Not having a trained eye, I couldn't tell much difference between the White and the Cub, other than engines, seats and other niceties that made the Cub more comfortable to operate. The White I purchased had the CVT transaxle you are asking about. I never had any trouble with it, and from a simplicity standpoint, I prefer the CVT. There are few moving parts, other than the drive belt and two variable ratio pulleys like what's on a golf cart. The one disadvantage of the CVT, forward to reverse transitions are not as smooth as with a hydro. You actually have to stop to shift to reverse. However, the one big advantage in my opinion is the durability of the CVT. I just really don't see a whole lot to go wrong in one. I kept that White for 10 years and never had one real issue with it. The only issue was a deck height indicator kept breaking, so after replacing it twice, I just never changed the deck height again. That mower still looked and operated like a new one when I sold it with roughly 600 hours on it.

I hope some of this info helps. :thumbsup:

 

[Carscw]

I don't mind stopping to change from forward to reverse.
One thing I like about the mtd drive setup is you can go just as fast in reverse as you can and forward.
And with the transaxle only having two gears forward and reverse they last forever.