Before we bought the ZD1211 Kubota we really wanted to buy a Scag Tiger Cat 2. We liked everything about it except My sister, a tiny little 75 year old gym teacher, couldn't lift the deck pushing with one leg, so we regretfully ruled it out. She couldn't lift the deck on the Turf Tiger with both legs on the pedal. Neither could my 78 year old wife. The Kubota had a nice fast acting hydraulic cylinder to raise and lower the deck, so we bought that instead. You would find the Kubota to be too heavy. It has a 26hp Diesel which powers through everything without slowing down. We like everything about it except the weight.
Would you buy the same mower again?
- Thread starter Muhammad
- Start date
A resounding NO ! I bought a 21 hp Husqvarna with a 46" deck. Most of what I mow is on a hillside. The seat is very slippery and the sheet metal seat frame is very wimpy and flexes horribly under my 230 lb. weight. I constantly feels like I'm going to fall off. It is very difficult to set the cruise control on uneven terrain.
I wish somebody still made a lawn tractor with a standard transmission.
I wish somebody still made a lawn tractor with a standard transmission.
My first mower (new in 2000) was a John Deere LT-166 with a 38" deck. it cost me about $3,000 then. It was not one of the cheap ones made for sale at the Big Box stores but a real John Deere purchased at a licensed, long-established local, John Deere shop -- Waltemyer's of Red Lion, PA. This was half the problem. They went out of business about three years after I bought the mower and wouldn't (couldn't) stand behind Deere products. I won't go into details but it was the worst piece of junk I ever owned. I kept it for about 15 years and even had to have the engine replaced at one point. Horrible piece of equipment.
Fast forward to 2015. I bought a Simplicity Legacy mower for maybe $3,000 minus a $600 trade for the old JD. It is a 42" deck. This mower runs like a charm and I would easily buy it again. The only significant issue it had was that the wheels would slip when the grass on my somewhat uneven terrain would get wet. The dealer put antifreeze in the tires (to increase the weight) and it has worked wonders ever since with an amazing turning radius and excellent traction.
Why did I pick a Simplicity? One burned by the" big show in town" (Deere) I liked the fact that it was a good, solid brand but not one with the reputation of Deere, Cub Cadet, Toro, or Troy-Bilt. This mower is a real work-horse that handles the contours in my lawn nicely and has very few mechanical problems. It has about 550 hours on it now. My dealer told me it should run for many years if maintained well.
Let me tell you why I chose it. I had an "on-site" repair guy that used to come out and fix my mower at my house. He came many, many times on the Deere and finally told me I would need to get a new mower as the engine needed work that would cost a lot. I asked him what brand to buy. He said there are a lot of good ones but he mentioned Simplicity. When I asked him what was so good about it, he told me he almost never gets a call to repair one. I said, "that's for me!" So Simplicity it was.
Fast forward to 2015. I bought a Simplicity Legacy mower for maybe $3,000 minus a $600 trade for the old JD. It is a 42" deck. This mower runs like a charm and I would easily buy it again. The only significant issue it had was that the wheels would slip when the grass on my somewhat uneven terrain would get wet. The dealer put antifreeze in the tires (to increase the weight) and it has worked wonders ever since with an amazing turning radius and excellent traction.
Why did I pick a Simplicity? One burned by the" big show in town" (Deere) I liked the fact that it was a good, solid brand but not one with the reputation of Deere, Cub Cadet, Toro, or Troy-Bilt. This mower is a real work-horse that handles the contours in my lawn nicely and has very few mechanical problems. It has about 550 hours on it now. My dealer told me it should run for many years if maintained well.
Let me tell you why I chose it. I had an "on-site" repair guy that used to come out and fix my mower at my house. He came many, many times on the Deere and finally told me I would need to get a new mower as the engine needed work that would cost a lot. I asked him what brand to buy. He said there are a lot of good ones but he mentioned Simplicity. When I asked him what was so good about it, he told me he almost never gets a call to repair one. I said, "that's for me!" So Simplicity it was.
Previously I wrote that the Cub Cadet Ultima my son has does not cut my lawn very well due to the uneven layout and the swales that are present on my yard and areas that I mow because the frame is so stiff. My JD F710 has the front mounted deck and a very strong and stiff framework on the tractor portion of the mower, but the manner in which the deck is mounted allows it to float and follow the contours much better. I guess with the new ZTs it is common for them to use a very stiff frame, (not such a bad thing) but at the cost of a clean and even mowing on uneven ground. All that being said, if I was to buy a new mower at this time I would be looking at the style of deck, welded vs. stamped. Would get a welded deck because I feel they would last longer as long as the material is thick enough. As for uneven cut, that is of little concern to me any more, a good grass catching system is my priotity now. I have a small farm and use my grass catcher to feed my cows grass from my side lots and neighbors lawn, especially when the summer pastures slow down.
LaVern
LaVern
NO. I bought a hustler raptor about 4 years ago. the first one I brought home and the bolt that holds the deck up on the right side vibrated loose and fell out. took it back to Lowes and they put a lock nut on it. used it once and that vibrated off. called them and they sent some out to pick up the lawnmower to repair. they brought it back and it hasn't came loose again since then. the plastic cowling is cheap and cracked and broke off above the gas tank. the seat does not go back far enough, I am 6' and I feel very cramped . when I pull the handles back I have to lean as back as I can to go backwards. there is no hour meter. If your grass is higher than normal you have to cut it twice. not good for a yard that is not level all over.
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Bought a Scots (by JD) in 1999, still runs great but needed a better mower to get around 21/2acres. So found auctioned 2004 Grasshopper 725G2/52"/Kubota gas w/725hrs. Bought it for $3200 and have loved it since day one. Just did the service and she runs like a top. If I could afford it I would get a new Grasshopper or used if that mower was a Grasshopper.
Ken22
Member
In 2006 dad bought a Husqvarna YTD2042 ? It never cut evenly. I don't think the stamped deck was strong enough. It also had a rocker type foot control which was terrible. Went looking for a ZTR last summer. JD, Husqvarna, Kubota and Gravely dealers in the area. JD was nice and the dealer explained the features, Husqvarna dealer gave me a brochure, Kubota although a great unit was out of my price range. Then I saw the Gravely and was really impressed. The only dealer that asked about terrain, the amount of grass and obstacles before talking price. I would have liked the ZTXL but couldn't justify the extra $1,000. I only cut my 3 acres of grass with it as I have 8 other tractors from 4 hp up to 100 hp, 2 of them with FELs, to do the heavy stuff. Would buy another Gravely in a heartbeat.
snapper re200
Member
YES.
2007 Snapper RE200 (13 HP hydrostatic rear engine rider, 30" cut).
EZ to use, mows great, and has been completely reliable with annual maintenance -never required service other than replacing a front tire due to sidewall rot.
Cost $2,150: U get what U pay for!
2007 Snapper RE200 (13 HP hydrostatic rear engine rider, 30" cut).
EZ to use, mows great, and has been completely reliable with annual maintenance -never required service other than replacing a front tire due to sidewall rot.
Cost $2,150: U get what U pay for!
rsu11
Forum Newbie
Yes. Bought a Gravely ZTX 42" with Kohler 22 HP engine (pictured in my avatar) about 4 months ago. My first zero turn. It now has about 9 hours of relatively easy duty on it, cutting my 2/3 acre lot once a week. Has been trouble free and cuts very well. Added an onboard connector to a smart charger for the battery - it sits unused for most of the week. Only complaint is that the seat back presses against the engine cowling when slid to the rear, adding vibration to the seat and limiting space for my long legs. It's fun to operate and I actually look forward to cutting the lawn now. Dealer in Sarasota was excellent and at $3K delivered, I consider it a good value.
Observation: why do they paint these mowers to look like M&M's? You would think that residential models would have more automotive color finishes. I know each mfr has their own "identity" color, but there's no mistaking my mower's brand with "GRAVELY" proudly displayed on every side. Should have asked for an advertising discount. LOL!
Observation: why do they paint these mowers to look like M&M's? You would think that residential models would have more automotive color finishes. I know each mfr has their own "identity" color, but there's no mistaking my mower's brand with "GRAVELY" proudly displayed on every side. Should have asked for an advertising discount. LOL!
I bought a new Cub Cadet last year, an XT3 GTX. I wanted power steering but is sadly ineffective. My old John Deere GT235 is about the same effort actually a bit less effort. I have the 54" fabricated deck and it is a bear to clean out after an afternoon of mowing. I also was anxious to get the 42" snowblower and it too was disappointing. Can't keep up with any amount of snow depth more than 5 or 6 inches. I must keep adjusting my foot on the foot pedal to move slowly or cease travel while the snow blower struggles to keep up.
Changing from mower to snow blower or vice versa is a major task. I was spoiled by the ease of doing this with my John Deere. Seems like Cub Cadet was designed to be difficult to work with accessories.
Would I buy this machine and it's attachments again? Never. I will not be buying any more yard or garden tractors in my lifetime. I'm 76 years old and I'll die or become feeble before I need another machine. Just writing this to let you know how I feel about the subject and my experience with Cub Cadet.
I'e used John Deere all my life and buying a Cub Cadet was a big mistake. I use my old GT235 almost all of the time and leave the Cub Cadet to sit in the barn.
Changing from mower to snow blower or vice versa is a major task. I was spoiled by the ease of doing this with my John Deere. Seems like Cub Cadet was designed to be difficult to work with accessories.
Would I buy this machine and it's attachments again? Never. I will not be buying any more yard or garden tractors in my lifetime. I'm 76 years old and I'll die or become feeble before I need another machine. Just writing this to let you know how I feel about the subject and my experience with Cub Cadet.
I'e used John Deere all my life and buying a Cub Cadet was a big mistake. I use my old GT235 almost all of the time and leave the Cub Cadet to sit in the barn.