Advice on what brand is most reliable these days

[kikikopa]

Husqvarna is a great brand, best new mower brand if you ask me, but If you have 2 acres, don't bother even thinking about getting a base model Husqvarna like the YTH18542. It won't have enough power for your property and was made with the bare minimum features, like a weak transmission and a single cylinder engine. If any mower you look at has a Kohler courage, AVOID IT LIKE THE PLAGUE. What size of deck do you want? What's your budget? For a property like that, I would absolutely get one of the Husqvarna garden tractors like the TS348XD or the TS354XD. Both have a Kawasaki V-Twin, which are highly regarded and definitely the best engine you could get in a riding mower. Both have a Tuff Torq K66 with a electronic locking differential, so you won't get stuck! Both have heavy duty fabricated decks, so the deck rusting out won't even come to mind. And these GTs are just straight up powerhouses. Heck, you could even put a sleeve hitch, front loader, or anything you could want on it.

Thanks for your recommendations but those models are not available here in Uruguay. The TS254G is the largest ride-on that Husqvarna sells here. I'm now leaning towards a zero turn. John Deere, Hustler Raptor, Husqvarna, and Toro are the brands they sell here and they all sell for about double what it costs in the states so I have to work up the courage to pull the trigger on a new one. I'm not 100% positive I can reach that point however.

What say you all about those four manufacturers of zero turn mowers? Anybody own any of them?

 

[Craftsman Garage]

Thanks for your recommendations but those models are not available here in Uruguay. The TS254G is the largest ride-on that Husqvarna sells here. I'm now leaning towards a zero turn. John Deere, Hustler Raptor, Husqvarna, and Toro are the brands they sell here and they all sell for about double what it costs in the states so I have to work up the courage to pull the trigger on a new one. I'm not 100% positive I can reach that point however.

What say you all about those four manufacturers of zero turn mowers? Anybody own any of them?

I would still say Husqvarna.

 

[Scrubcadet10]

Hustler or Toro are a tied for 1st IMO

 

[shootinsteel]

Greetings to all members,

I'm in the market for a new ride-on mower but after having researched the reliability of different brands, it seems like they've all fallen off in that regard these days. In 2004, I purchased a Troy-Bilt Bronco model with the B&S Intek engine and used it with pretty much with no problems for about eleven years. The only problem I had was toward the end when I had to do a workaround to address the mower deck not engaging and it was simply a rubber strap that I attached at the lever. Overall, I was pretty satisfied with that mower but I don't think the Troy-Bilt Broncos that they sell today will be as reliable.

I see that now MTD has swallowed up almost every known mower brand and based on the reviews that I've read, they all have serious issues which includes, and most specifically, MTD's customer service or should I say lack there of. I'm really hesitant to purchase any brand under the MTD umbrella. I was surprised to hear that they even make John Deere's non-commercial mowers which kind of made sense after I since found out that those JD mowers have serious issues too.

So my question is: are there any reliable ride-on mower brands available for purchase in 2025? Toro seems to have issues and is not cheap. Murray made by B&S seems to be in line with MTD's products and rules them out. So who's left?

I'd appreciate any thoughts/comments on the current crop of ride-on mowers and what you'd recommend.

Thanks in advance.

I would like to be able to give you some good advice about riding mowers. Can tell you for sure whatever you buy maybe a crap shoot. Last year I bought a Cub Cadet, 87 hours and think transmission is gone. Has no power or speed in reverse. Thankfully bought from a dealer, they did come pick it up and will repair at no cost and will deliver it back to me. The small difference in price from a dealer to a big box store is well worth paying if service is needed.

 

[Barrett50]

I'm new here, just registered. I work on riding mowers as a hobby. I buy used Poulan-pro or Craftsman and just go through them replacing wear items. I try to find units with the uprated B&S "I/C" engines. They usually have a red top cover, but not always. The older AYP chassis are fairly robust. I particularly like the Poulan-Pro foot pedal drive with 14-19HP. However if money is not an issue, I would get an Ariens medium ZTR. As long as there are no serious hills.