Which one would you get?

[Dangeroustoys56]

My folks owned this liquor store in a lil town, this guy would mow yards all day in the town- house to house - hauled a yard trailer behind his brand new JD tractor with a push mower, leaf blower, rakes/stuff - far as i know thats all he did- just mowed grass all summer long and took the winter's off - mustve made a pretty good profit.

Id go for something more economical to start off with, go thru the tractor, full service on it, check it over top to bottom and mow. Maybe even buy two if the price is right- ive gotten downright cheep tractors and with a lil work run and mow excellent- think of how many yards you can mow with 2 tractors going.

I used my '92 white weekly to mow my folks 2 acres and then mow the neighbors 3 acres as well weekly - my dad still uses it weekly 19 years later.

Dont abuse the machines, maintain it regular and itll last till you can upgrade or buy a second machine- alot of landscapers mowers self destruct from lack of service.

 

[Outdooz]

Thanks for all these tips!!. Here are the reasons for my plans.

Get a riding mower = Because they are the cheaper than zero turn/ walk behinds and will cut faster and more efficient than a push mower.

Get a good name like John Deere = This is so it will be reliable and will last longer for my money.

This is what I have currently
1 Back Pack Leaf Blower Stihl
1 weed eater with edger attachment Troy Bilt
Trailer/ Truck
And a budget of 600 to get a mower. And I am guessing I will need to be able to bag.
Zero Turns used are still over 1000 and walk behinds used are about 1000. So they are out of the question.

 

[Dangeroustoys56]

JD parts are way more expensive then average tractors- I have a 90 murray i got free back in 2006, i put a new mandrel on it back then , mowed with it till a few days ago and it needed another new mandrel and a magneto - 5 years trouble free seems pretty reliable to me - i had the spare parts already , so it was a free fix and 2 hours downtime fixing it myself.

Price some basic repair parts for a JD and see how much cash youll save.....

If you bot two tractors and keep a basic supply of maintenence parts on hand ( Oil, belts, blades, couple mandrels) youll see a whole lot more profit sooner - taking the tractor in to a shop youre looking at $40 plus( seen some up to $65) an hour plus parts.

Or just buy the JD and see....

 

[Outdooz]

JD parts are way more expensive then average tractors- I have a 90 murray i got free back in 2006, i put a new mandrel on it back then , mowed with it till a few days ago and it needed another new mandrel and a magneto - 5 years trouble free seems pretty reliable to me - i had the spare parts already , so it was a free fix and 2 hours downtime fixing it myself.

Price some basic repair parts for a JD and see how much cash youll save.....

If you bot two tractors and keep a basic supply of maintenence parts on hand ( Oil, belts, blades, couple mandrels) youll see a whole lot more profit sooner - taking the tractor in to a shop youre looking at $40 plus( seen some up to $65) an hour plus parts.

Or just buy the JD and see....

Then what do you recommend? Cub cadet, husqvarna?

 

[benski]

Then what do you recommend? Cub cadet, husqvarna?

As shocking as it may seem, in your current price range I'd recommend one of the bigger, older, Craftsman riding mowers, manufactured by American Yard products. Although less than stylish, they are fairly easy to work on and fairly reasonable for parts cost. If you can get two of the same basic model, you should be able to keep your spares inventory fairly low. I'd also suggest using premium synthetic lubricants for all your equipment. You'll find PLENTY of conversation about who likes what and why or why not on other threads.:smile:
My other personal favorite choices are Simplicity, the 2000 series Cub Cadets, and Kubota, but none of those will be in your price range and provide good service without additional investment right away.

 

[Sammy the Red]

........ and don't partner up with your buddy, unless you don't mind NOT being friends after a few months.

 

[Outdooz]

........ and don't partner up with your buddy, unless you don't mind NOT being friends after a few months.

Why, and i have too.
He covers me when i am sick or go on vacation. And vice versa.

 

[Dangeroustoys56]

Anything - Simplicity, Murray, MTD, Craftsman, Dynamark - basic used tractors that are easy and cheep to fix , with parts still available - personally best running tractors i own are Dynamarks, Murrays and Craftsman tractors - I just do service on em twice a year and they keep mowing.

 

[possum]

I think I would get a new decent regular walk behind mower. Time is not everything when you are 16, but money sure seems to be. Work the long hours and take in the money and next year you can expand and buy a mower of your choice. Do less yards if need be and go it alone. That will give you some gas and repair money to have for a bit of a cushion to start with and you will learn alot as you go. There is very little to go wrong with a simple walk behind bagger and you should have money to bank before anything starts to go wrong with just a little luck. If you depend on just yourself you will have no one to blame but yourself and one is far easier to manage than two. Im getting to be an old man and i can run a walk behind mower over alot of yard in a long day. You can do far better. Concentrate on doing the very best job for the customers you can handle, practice the craft and you will be able to use it in other endeavors later in life.

 

[Outdooz]

I think I would get a new decent regular walk behind mower. Time is not everything when you are 16, but money sure seems to be. Work the long hours and take in the money and next year you can expand and buy a mower of your choice. Do less yards if need be and go it alone. That will give you some gas and repair money to have for a bit of a cushion to start with and you will learn alot as you go. There is very little to go wrong with a simple walk behind bagger and you should have money to bank before anything starts to go wrong with just a little luck. If you depend on just yourself you will have no one to blame but yourself and one is far easier to manage than two. Im getting to be an old man and i can run a walk behind mower over alot of yard in a long day. You can do far better. Concentrate on doing the very best job for the customers you can handle, practice the craft and you will be able to use it in other endeavors later in life.

We wont be doing the same yard at the same time. He will have his own yards. He wiill have his own equipment and so will I. Its just for back up puposes.