Looking for new mower

[Partsman41953]

Hi all,

I am new here and looking to purchase a new lawn mower. I have a old John Deere which is on its last legs. I have a sloping yard in front and was looking to see which mower to use for this. The John Deere which I have now is rear wheel drive and has a very difficult time with the slope. I am also looking for a mulching mower but not real sure which one to purchase.

I am open to suggestions.

Thanks.

 

[KennyV]

Hello Partsman...
Depending on how much you have to mow... or how quickly you want to get it done.. There are a lot of choices in size and type of mowers. How long have you had the mower thats' "on its last legs"... Is it worn out because it has been overworked trying to keep up with more work than it is capable of?...

You can make almost any mower a mulcher just by putting the right type blades on them... Gator mulching blades are VERY good...

see that your new... Welcome to a generally warm & friendly group... but with the present weather... it is not too warm now... :smile:KennyV

 

[Partsman41953]

Hi Kenny,

The mower we have is a John Deere model 14ST. I would have to say that it is around 12 to 13 years old. The one problem that is wrong is not major, my wife ran over a metal chain that she did not see in our neighbor's high grass that did some damage to the blade but the other problem I think, being an ex-auto mechanic, is the carburetor. It takes forever to start and when it does start it sputters. The last problem is the choke adjuster on the handle does not really work that well so you have a difficult time getting the mower to max power.

I would have to say I have an average front yard, probably a 1/4 of an acre, I may be wrong, where the slope going up is very bad. From what I read online a mower with larger wheels on the rear would make it easier to mow but I am not sure.

I do not know if it would be worth putting money into this mower or purchase a new one at this point.

I hope I answered your questions.

Glenn

 

[KennyV]

Hey Glen ..
The choke control most likely will free up with a good spray lube... (NOT WD40)... use something like PB Blaster...
A little time cleaning up the carb and adjusting should fix up the running difficulty... I'm always more into repairing than replacing, unless you just need to go bigger...
That model is a self propelled walk behind right?...
Larger rear wheels do seem to handle better on inclines and less than smooth & level areas...
I have an old 21 inch self propelled with 14 inch rear wheels that works very well on hills and ditches... :smile:KennyV

 

[jenkinsph]

I haven't found the larger rear wheels make much difference on an incline, have had two Murrays' and a Yazoo years ago. Have a Deere JS45 with front caster wheels now that I really like, if you can find one of these left over at a dealer I recommend it. New model is a JS46 with electric and manual start but without the casters in front. I like the casters for trimming.

Pic of my JS45, side discharge, mulcher and rear bagger.

 

[KennyV]

Have a Deere JS45 with front caster wheels now that I really like,

I like the looks of those front wheels... I appears that you can lock them not to be casters... TOO handy. :smile:KennyV

 

[jenkinsph]

I like the looks of those front wheels... I appears that you can lock them not to be casters... TOO handy. :smile:KennyV

That is correct, good for running across side slopes.:thumbsup:

 

[DaveR]

My lawn boy walk behind has rotating front wheels on casters and it's pretty handy, makes turning a lot easier. I guess I am in the same boat also looking for a used JD ride on for the spring since I am tired of the walk behind.