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I've just turned 50 and I'm looking to relax a little and get a riding mower to replace my craftsman push mower. I have a property that's 9000 square feet (about 1/5 acre) including the house, so I've got a fairly large yard by city lot standards (it's a lot and a half size compared to my neighbors). It's really flat and I never water, so the grass doesn't grow like crazy or anything. I normally go a month or more between mowings and only mow when the weeds start looking bad, but I would like to mow more often. I think a rear engine mower would probably be ideal for my property since the ground is so flat, and there are a few tight areas, like the sides of the house are only about 8 feet wide strips. But I can't stop thinking that I would rather have a lawn tractor, and I've been especially looking at the Cub Cadet single cylinder 42 inch model, as well as some other low price 42 inchers. I would really like to keep this in the $1500 range. Is there any reason I would be unhappy if I got the lawn tractor? Would I be kicking myself for not saving some money and getting a RER which would probably be more appropriate for my property size? I do have a gate that's 44 inches wide and a 20x40 covered patio, so storage and access to the yard would not be a problem with a 42 inch lawn tractor. thanks in advance for any advice!

deleted. Misread OP.

I've got a 42" CC. It won't go through a 44" gate unless you take off the chute on the mower. Maybe the new ones don't have this problem.

Hmmm, so the width of the cutting deck measurement is not the exact widest point measurement on the mower? I'll have to keep that in mind and go measure these mowers in person. I would rather not have to remove the cutting deck every time I go through the gate. Assuming that I can fit it in the gate, I have pretty much narrowed my search to two mowers, a Cub Cadet and a Craftsman. The mowers are pretty similar except for a few minor differences:

Cub Cadet is $1500, Craftsman is $1400
Cub cadet has 12 cutting heights, craftsman has 5
CC has hydro trans, craftsman has a cvt
CC has single Kohler 18 hp engine, craftsman has 20 hp Kohler v-twin

Both have kohler engines with full pressure lube, and can mow in reverse.

The Cadet Cub seems to be the most highly rated, but is there any reason the Craftsman would be better or at least as good? I used to work as an auto mechanic, so assembly or minor maintenance is not an issue. I'm tempted to get the CC because it's at the top of all the reviews, but I like the looks and two cylinder engine of the craftsman.

For all intents and purposes, I think the RER would be better suited to your particular situation, (size of property, gates to contend with, etc.) good manuverability small size, but also be aware, the engines are sometimes difficult to work on, if surrounded by "body-panels" , something to consider, but depends on the model.

Look at at TroyBilt model TB30, which is a 30” rear engine rider at a price of $999.99, which should meet your needs just fine.

A $ 1500 RER will be a lot better than a $ 1500 tractor.

Take a reality check what is $ 1500, 2 weeks wages , 3 perhaps.
So what do you expect for that ?
With a small property that tends to have a lot of obstacles the layout of RER will suit you a lot better.
I have several professionals who mow mostly 1/4 & 1/2 acre blocks they all use 36" Greenfields .
Unfortunately the USA Government banned Greenfields, because they posed a threat to the USA mower industry.
Just the same a 36 will suit you better than a 42.
When it is all said & done you will end up double & triple cutting 1/2 the yard no matter what size deck you buy.
Look for one that has a very close cut so you reduce the amount of trimming you need to do and mow in reverse is a must.

Greenfields use two large aluminium discs with a cork faced plate to drive and Cox use a cone clutch that moves between two drive plates.
This type of drive is very robust and uses standard pollyester V belts.
I have no idea if you can get this type of drive in the USA but they are the best ones for smaller properties as they are very cheap to run and last virtually forever.
A Cox cone costs $ 100 ( AUS ) and lasts about 25 years and Greenfiels corks are $ 15 and last about 20 years.
No Hydro that costs less than your entire budget will go that distance.

Finally have a good look at old mowers with a real gearbox ( Peerless 600 & 700 series ).
There were a lot of Murray RER's with them.
Again a very robust design that will last as long as your house, use standard ( cheap) V belts and because they date from a time when there was good profit from making ride ons they were made to exceed a quality standard rather than to be under a price ceiling.

Google up the mowers you have in mind. You will find some for sale @ online retailers.

But the purpose of doing this IS, they list the length, width (discharge chute up & then down), weight, & other specs. This is very helpful if you have a tight area & want to be sure one will fit thru. etc.

Happy Hunting......:thumbsup:

First let me say I agree with all the other posts theory. I am your age so like you I prefer a lawn tractor for the shear fun of it. My suggestion is to go to a rental center and rent one for a month then return it and rent the other. the one you like the best go and buy. That way you will make the best decision with hands on experience for what you want. All of what the others said is 100% right. I also suggest looking at zero turns with 42" decks for a little more. They are faster and easier to mow with. In the end if you like your mower, then mowing is not so bad(as long as you get one that dont constantly bread down) I dare you to ask these guys what brand is the best. haha!

dfbroxy said:

First let me say I agree with all the other posts theory. I am your age so like you I prefer a lawn tractor for the shear fun of it. My suggestion is to go to a rental center and rent one for a month then return it and rent the other. the one you like the best go and buy. That way you will make the best decision with hands on experience for what you want. All of what the others said is 100% right. I also suggest looking at zero turns with 42" decks for a little more. They are faster and easier to mow with. In the end if you like your mower, then mowing is not so bad(as long as you get one that dont constantly bread down) I dare you to ask these guys what brand is the best. haha!

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And what brand retails a ZTR for under $ 1500 that will last a season ?
Then when you add the rental fees he will be way over $ 2000.
You suggestion is sound if Wes was looking at a $ 15,000 mower, but in reality his budget is only marginally above a top line self propelled mower with a 10+ year life span.

Some good Dealers may let you test one or two out, at their place, & some may let you mow your place for a real test.

It's all about the good Dealers.

I've spent the weekend looking at mowers and I had almost decided on a RER, but looking at the ones available in my area - the Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt and Craftsman, all seem to be the same model with slight variations, built by MTD. Of those, I like the Cub Cadet version best since it's got a hydro transmission, but I could live with a manual to save money - tough choice. But then I came across a Husqvarna 38 inch tractor still being made that seems like an ideal solution for my needs since it would fit the gate much better than any 42 incher. So, I'm torn between a troy-bilt or Cub cadet RER, or the Husky 38 inch tractor. I may go to the local pro lawn mower shops at lunch today and see if they have any used mowers.

For maneuverability and cutting down on trimming, you will be hard pressed to beat a RER unless you jump to a ZTR. It will get the deck in tighter to obstacles easier than a tractor will.

I would also say that given your property size I think you are looking a bit on the large size in terms of deck. I do not see where you mention what you are using right now (maybe I just missed it)? 42" is a deck size I think is more oriented toward someone with an Acre. Having to make less passes is great, but for such a small property and how infrequent you mow it then becomes cumbersome because it is too big to maneuver. Any time savings you could gain thru fewer passes, even if you mow 2x a month now, would be lost in having to jockey around things versus a smaller unit.
I have a full acre, with a small footprint home and a 42" has served me well the last 20yrs just to give you an idea. But it gets tedious around the trees and obstacles I do have which is why I just went to ZTR. I just say that as I think if you drop deck size a hair it may really open up a bunch of options which may be more affordable and a better fit overall. Looks like there are a few 30" which I think may be an idea size, bigger than the usual 16-21" push mower, but smaller and more maneuverable than a 40" RER or tractor. Maybe see if there is a 30" class RER with Hydrostatic drive, the Hydro drive you will love when you need to maneuver around things, it has been a lifesaver with my 42" the last 20yrs.