How long do you expect your mower to last?

JDgreen

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The Ventrac is used for much more than just mowing and, yes it gets attention (not more than the wife) all my machinery and tools get attention. Just my opinion, but it is a waste of money to let equipment go without maintaining it. Take care of things and they work longer and better plus they are worth more if you ever want to sell them.:smile:

You hit that one right on the head, only someone with more money than brains would buy an expensive grass cutter and neglect it. My 4210 mows 5 acres, plus several miles of ATV trails, moves huge rocks for landscaping, pulls and hauls brush and cut down trees and firewood, in the winter it clears our long driveway and five more of our neighbors driveways, I have even used the loader bucket to mix concrete a few times. It's hard to justify spending twenty grand on a CUT unless you will actually use it extensively.

Want to pass along a funny story here, when I bought my new JD I stored it up in my barn, my wife was still working part time and I was retired, it was my money that paid for it, well I made a game out of how long I could keep her from knowing about my new toy, after a few months she finally caught on. Her brother told me he could never get away with buying something like that because he didn't have enough room to hide it, I told him "if you don't have enough room to hide a tractor like mine, YOU DON'T NEED ONE IN THE FIRST PLACE" :laughing:
 

CarlGlas

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If you have purchased or own your own mower, then there are a few things you should do to take care for and insure the life of your mower. Most mowers require weekly, monthly, and yearly maintenance to keep them running in optimal condition. Keep in mind that many of these things are only minor in duty but can determine the life-span of you mowers & trimmers. More: http://www.allaboutlawns.com/lawn-mowing-mowers/how-do-i-care-for-my-mower.php
 
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Sam Mac

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My Cub 1210 is just getting broken in at 20 plus years. I'm 59 and doubt I'll buy a new one. Beside I like the old ones because they can be rebuilt not like the new throw away crap.
 

Mac 624

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The price of a new mower at the wholesaler and the cheap Tecna engines makes the decission easier, to throw away a mower, as soon as problems appear. To take it to a repair shop is to exepensive, even as the most problms are minor ones, like dirt in the car or bad spark plug. This mowers can be bought cheap then...I do from time to time and sell them.

But when it coms to higher priced machinery with Aluminium Decks and the (minimum) B&S engine, it makes no sense to throw them away. When the engine quits service itエs a way better to buy a new engine and get the mower running again.

In this way most of our mowers are older then 15 years. We own a Stiga Dino from 1985, also the SABO 43-130 with Suzuki 2stroke engine is older then 15 years. The same for our Solo. The Toro with Suzuki engine is from 1989. As You see, this are push mowers. Not sure, how old our VIKING (AYP) ride-on is, same with the MF 20-12. Our Stiga garden is from 1997.

I would say, that it depends of the care, you give to the machine, how it is equipped etc.

I had a "budget" (wholesalers brand, MTD or CCP) mower in shop, which had a rusted igniton coil and this one was from 2005. Also the Deck (pressed Steel) has started to rust. I took it to Poland for sale.

To make it short: I would expect a mower to last more then 10 years. But as I mostly buy used, some are older. Infact I had a Mountfield Emperor, 6 hp, 3 speed tranny, 52 cm wide, which only laste one year, but I had made the aluminium Deck to brake. And the Harry with varaibale Speed tranny was Junk from the beginning. We kept it for 2 years and made a lot of improvements to get it running properly, then the crankcase plate at the engine broke and I was tired to do repair again.
 

Ric

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The price of a new mower at the wholesaler and the cheap Tecna engines makes the decission easier, to throw away a mower, as soon as problems appear. To take it to a repair shop is to exepensive, even as the most problms are minor ones, like dirt in the car or bad spark plug. This mowers can be bought cheap then...I do from time to time and sell them.

But when it coms to higher priced machinery with Aluminium Decks and the (minimum) B&S engine, it makes no sense to throw them away. When the engine quits service itエs a way better to buy a new engine and get the mower running again.

In this way most of our mowers are older then 15 years. We own a Stiga Dino from 1985, also the SABO 43-130 with Suzuki 2stroke engine is older then 15 years. The same for our Solo. The Toro with Suzuki engine is from 1989. As You see, this are push mowers. Not sure, how old our VIKING (AYP) ride-on is, same with the MF 20-12. Our Stiga garden is from 1997.

I would say, that it depends of the care, you give to the machine, how it is equipped etc.

I had a "budget" (wholesalers brand, MTD or CCP) mower in shop, which had a rusted igniton coil and this one was from 2005. Also the Deck (pressed Steel) has started to rust. I took it to Poland for sale.

To make it short: I would expect a mower to last more then 10 years. But as I mostly buy used, some are older. Infact I had a Mountfield Emperor, 6 hp, 3 speed tranny, 52 cm wide, which only laste one year, but I had made the aluminium Deck to brake. And the Harry with varaibale Speed tranny was Junk from the beginning. We kept it for 2 years and made a lot of improvements to get it running properly, then the crankcase plate at the engine broke and I was tired to do repair again.

I would agree with you on some of the things you've said but you are not the average home owner because you are maintaining your mowers and that would put you in the minority. 75% of the average home owners today don't mess with a mower and probably couldn't if they wanted too. They know two things, how to start the thing and how to make it go and that's where it ends.
The end of the season comes around and there definition of storage for a mower is to roll it in the shed, they never drain the gas or do anything else that needs too be done and in four months of storage guess what it doesn't run so it goes to the shop for repairs and they end up with a repair bill for two hours labor @ $60 per hour and $40 or $50 for parts and there $250 lawn mower just cost them $170 and they tell the guy behind the desk at the shop to keep the thing I'm going to Home Depot and buy another new mower, it happens all the time.
The thing that amuses me and I laugh every time I see these guys raising He** at the shop because they run to Home depot and buy another lawn mower only to go home and say here honey here is your lawn mower, you can mow the lawn now.:laughing:
 

JD Man

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I expect my 777 JD 72" z-track to last for another 10 years. But that's not the reason I'm giving it up next spring.... just want the diesel 997. :licking:
 

scooter

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Depends on how often you cut the grass, could last for many years with good maintenance and the where the mower is stored. I would say 10 - 20 years usage out of one.
 

Flossie

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Some really useful tips and views here. I fully understand people not doing any maintenance on their mowers as some, such as myself, may have no clue but at least we should look around for advice on the basics. I hate the thought of replacing it every year. Never mind the cost it is just a wasteful attitude.
 

Thunder

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Another five years. I have a lot of ground to tend to, so it's gonna get pretty beat up. Preferably for the rest of my life though.:smile:
 

Bethieboo

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I asked this question to my neighbor and what he told me was so funny. He said that for him having a mower was a lot like having a wife. He told me that he intends for his mower to last until death do they part! I thought I would share that with you! :biggrin:
 
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