Your first mistake is blaming John Deere. That mower is a licensed product from MTD. It is not a John Deere. True John Deere mowers begin with the X300 series and use Yanmar engines. Very reliable. As for the other mowers you list, you are still dealing with MTD as the manufacturer. The only way I would go with one of those is if it had a Honda engine in it. Otherwise, pay the cost, get a real JD or Cub Cadet. If you don’t, then be prepared for years of misery. For reference, I have a John Deere X300, going on about 18 years now. I have had to replace a couple of pulleys, belts, and such, normal wear and tear items, the engine is still going strong.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Looking for advice re: purchasing a reliable lawn tractor
- Thread starter buddyd
- Start date
More options
Export threadWe bought a JD lawn tractor, X300R, you know, the green farm equipment that last decades, right? Wrong. We had multiple problems since month 2, engine, belts, bearings, belts. Many design flaws, ie. bearings too small, belts too small. Had to donate it to get rid of it. Could be a nice go-kart for the kids.
Has since a Husquavarna Z242F, does the job.
Has since a Husquavarna Z242F, does the job.
Get a zero turn with Kawasaki engine in it. Ikon is a big box brand thats made by same Gravely machines, solid and dependable. The difference between a zero turn vs a riding mower is night and day!! A little pricier but its all worth it!!
I still have 33 yr old Murray with 18 hp, Vtwin BS engine in it. Still going strong, just had to replace the carb coz it clogged up due to non use. So, BS engines are not all bad. Besides, buying them help this US industry.Your first mistake is blaming John Deere. That mower is a licensed product from MTD. It is not a John Deere. True John Deere mowers begin with the X300 series and use Yanmar engines. Very reliable. As for the other mowers you list, you are still dealing with MTD as the manufacturer. The only way I would go with one of those is if it had a Honda engine in it. Otherwise, pay the cost, get a real JD or Cub Cadet. If you don’t, then be prepared for years of misery. For reference, I have a John Deere X300, going on about 18 years now. I have had to replace a couple of pulleys, belts, and such, normal wear and tear items, the engine is still going strong.
I can't speak to your lawn in particular, but 10 years ago I purchased a Craftsman T1600 riding mower and it's still going strong. All I've ever done is change the oil (not often enough) and replace the blades when worn. I have had to replace the deck belt a couple times, but that's normal as well. The thing is, I don't have a lawn. I have 5 acres of grass and brush and rocks and twigs and I downright torture the poor thing. I literally mow over small scrub bushes to eliminate them, flatten gopher mounds, chop up twigs and such, etc. I try to avoid larger rocks, but it still eats its share of rocks. I know one day it's just going to die on me, and I won't blame it. Over 10 years of brutalizing this machine and it's still happy to start and run. I know my experience may not be 'normal', but I'll certainly look to Craftsman mowers again when the need arises.Hi Folks, I'm looking to purchase a good reliable small lawn tractor (not JD!) for approx. 13K sq of lawn. I'm hoping to avoid Briggs&Stratton engines, specifically the 18HP
used in the JD E110 as there is some chatter that problems exist with these motors. Some Craftsman and Husqvarna models have Kohler engines, which might be a bit more
reliable. I'd be grateful for any/all advice.
And to explain the JD boycott, I purchased an E110 in 2020 and after 4 seasons, 160 hours of use and timely maintenance the engine failed. Fool me once...
Thank you in advance.
BuddyD
And all this talk ,his question still not answered. I'm going to purchase a new mower soon , I would like to know what is the best , I have lot's of trees and 1-1/2 acres .
I purchased my first rider at Farm & Fleet in 1990 for a 1/3 acre lot. It was a 12hp Ranch King (MTD) and it lasted for 30 years with normal maintenance. For my river 1 acre property I bought a Troy Bilt Super Bronco 22hp in 2005 and it's still going strong. I replaced the MTD with a JD E-100 in 2022 rated for 1 acre and had trouble after a month. It wouldn't go forward or backwards. It has a lever for neutral moving in the rear and engaging the Trans.. You could tell the handle had no resistance it was like it was not attached. Had to remove the keyways on the rear wheels to move it for Warr. to JD. After 3 weeks they told me they didn't find anything but you could feel the lever now had resistance while engaging. I took out 2 more years of warranty they sent me in a mail flyer. It's been a year and no problems. I found out they rate the life of this model for 8 to 10 years. Maybe with 1/3 acre it will last longer. I don't know much about engines and just do normal maintenance stuff. At 80 I'm getting a little slower but still do what's required maintenance.
I have thrown rods in a Kohler and a Briggs, so we live and learn.Hi Folks, I'm looking to purchase a good reliable small lawn tractor (not JD!) for approx. 13K sq of lawn. I'm hoping to avoid Briggs&Stratton engines, specifically the 18HP
used in the JD E110 as there is some chatter that problems exist with these motors. Some Craftsman and Husqvarna models have Kohler engines, which might be a bit more
reliable. I'd be grateful for any/all advice.
And to explain the JD boycott, I purchased an E110 in 2020 and after 4 seasons, 160 hours of use and timely maintenance the engine failed. Fool me once...
Thank you in advance.
BuddyD
You might take your 4-year-old JD rider to a reliable shop and have them put in another engine of your choosing, new or used if you can get one.
Other than that, I like Snapper and Simplicity products maybe with a Kaw engine, new or used. That's another direction that I would explore. No big box stuff for me. Good mowers aren't cheap and cheap mowers aren't good.
I'm also at an "advanced" age and I also have about the same amount of lawn. Question: have you looked into just replacing your engine with another brand, maybe Kohler or Kawasaki? Riders are up in the $2400+ range and are just the same build as 5 years ago when they were selling at $1800! If you're still bent on buying new, I'd be looking at the zero turn mowers. Toro commercial puts out a good one that we used at our college, but you have to be careful with these and maintain them well! They use the hydrostatic system on each wheel in the back and you just have to be careful what you're driving over. I like the Cub Cadet riders. They have a good turning radius and are pretty reliable. Just my .02 worth.That 13K sq ft is a bit much to mow with a push mower, even self-propelled. It is sloped from front to back and at my advanced age...
A lawn tractor is a nice luxury for me.I change up the mowing patterns so no ruts, etc. The failure on the JD was a failed connector rod which is probably more related to the eng. manuf. B&S, thus my search is excluding those motors if possible.
I've done my research, mine is not an isolated incident with JD machines. Additionally, I have had a Craftsmen snow thrower for 25+ years and never a problem. The Craftsman moves frozen water, the lawn tractor small blades of grass. Though hours per year are significantly less with the snow thrower, it's appalling to spend $1800 on a lawn mower and get 4 seasons of use out of it.
I said for him to consider a new or good used engine.And all this talk ,his question still not answered. I'm going to purchase a new mower soon , I would like to know what is the best , I have lot's of trees and 1-1/2 acres .
Now if you have a lot of trees on 1.5 acres, consider a ZTR. I have a Snapper Pro which is more than the average homeowner needs. I would look at Simplicity or Snappers with a Kawasaki engine. 42 - 48 inch deck.