Riding Mower Needed for Imperfect Terrain and Not-So-Do-It-Yourselfer

[TrulyDVine]

We have always had used mowers and have not always had luck with them. We have about 2 acres, but we have uneven ground and very old Oak trees with large roots protruding all over, a lot of leaves, shell driveway, and mini oaks trying to grow everywhere (2" to 7"). My husband is wonderful, but not so Bueno at repairs. So, if it goes wrong, we pretty much have to haul it off to get repaired. We would also love to have something that could tow a "wagon" or something because our trash must be moved 150 feet, so if he could drag a wagon with the trash bucket with mower, that would be an extra great thing. We both have health issues, but have worked

on this wonderful property to get it the way we want it for over 20 years and really want to enjoy it now... we just need a good tractor to help us.

I have been readying the threads and see that if we want something that will last, we are into $3k+ to get a good mower. If it really means that we won't have a lot of problems, we will pay it, for the mower and any type of "warranty" we can get. I checked consumer reports, they say that John Deer's John Deere S240-48 Riding Lawn Mower & Tractor is the best, but further reading has explained there is a Mohawk affect we are NOT into. Also saw that there are better
engines vs not so good engines to look for.

Currently we have a very old Husqvana that works mostly, but the terrain is hard on it. Any advise on what we should look at would be helpful. He is right now going to look at Lowes, and I know that is not the right place, but I don't know where to look. We are in the Tampa, FL area, most things are available here. Please, give me some insight on what to look at and what to expect dollar costs to be when looking. We must mow at least six months of the year. We just seeded for Bahai and plugged also. Other than that, we have a LOT of weeds, we are bound by water and don't want to poison the water with runoff of weed killer.
Any and all clues to ask about or look for will be appreciated. Thank you to all.

 

[NJMower]

Welcome to the forum.

Lacking any pictures, it is hard to provide specific recommendations.

Any mower could pull the garbage. You could even get a can with wheels in lieu of a trailer

You say that you've worked for twenty years to get the property the way you want it. Yet there are trees and root and acorns and saplings everywhere and it is hard to mow.

No new mower will fix all of your problems. You need to look at other solutions. For example:

• Letting sections go wild
• Creating mulch beds
• Using a string trimmer around the obstructions that are killing the mowers
• Getting rid of oak trees and planting something more manageable
• Cutting lower limbs on trees to get a mower in there
• Getting on YouTube and learning how to change a belt or blade or spindle yourselves
• Using a wheeled blower to corral all the acorns and dispose of them
• Improving your mowing technique (raising the deck as you drive over roots, etc.)

I don't know about Lowe's, but you also might be candidates for an extended warranty if it covers your needs. Read everything carefully before going this route.

 

[MParr]

It’s going to be hard getting grass to grow under the oak trees. St. Augustine may work under the oak trees.
A lawn tractor that would be comfortable would be a Simplicity Broadmoor.

Broadmoor™ Lawn Tractor

The Broadmoor lawn tractor has what it takes to create the best looking lawn on the block. By marrying performance features with comfort features, we've created a masterpiece that is more like a luxury experience than a chore.

www.simplicitymfg.com

 

[bertsmobile1]

I think you really need to sit down and have a long hard thinks about the way you want the property to look.
What you want to see & what nature wants to grow are often a long way apart.
Nature works 24/7 to get what it wants how much time do you have to counter it and force what you want to see happen ?
Under large trees is where you grow bromelaids or plants with mostly above ground rizomes like clivas , gingers & agapanthus .
Leave a bare patch for a bench to sit & have a cool drink on a hot afternoon .

As for mowers, go for one with a variable speed drive ( 2 drive belts ) in the long run they are a lot less finacy than hydros, will handle a lot of towing heavy trailers.
Get a small deck that can handle the rough stuff without getting hung up or digging ditches .

 

[NJMower]

In a remarkable feat of nature, oak trees literally engage in "chemical warfare" against the grass around them with which they compete. Each fall, oak trees drop leaves on the soil all around their root system heavily laden with tannins that leach into the soil and make a hostile environment for other plants to thrive in. I'm not actually sure if there is more to this effect than a drop in soil pH.

 

[NJMower]

I wouldn't be so shy about the weed killer, either. Most of the products they sell to consumers are engineered via concentration or dispenser or whatever to be reasonably safe to use. I kill weeds with a Home Depot spray bottle that I point at each individual weed, so it is very possible to be judicious in your use of weed killer.

Where I am in New Jersey, the concern is actually the opposite - we have to much phosphate from fertilizer running into the waterways and creating too many aquatic weeds.

 

[NJMower]

With the possible exception of flat tires, user error has caused every single one of my mower breakdowns. I didn't understand the capabilities of the machine and did something that it couldn't handle. If your yard is really beating the daylights out of every mower you throw at it, it may be time for an ATV pulled rough terrain mower. Riding lawn mowers are really best for smooth, wide open areas.

 

[bertsmobile1]

In a remarkable feat of nature, oak trees literally engage in "chemical warfare" against the grass around them with which they compete. Each fall, oak trees drop leaves on the soil all around their root system heavily laden with tannins that leach into the soil and make a hostile environment for other plants to thrive in. I'm not actually sure if there is more to this effect than a drop in soil pH.

Yep,
That is why you put in plants that sort of grow on top of the soil rather than in it ..

Orchids apparently do well under some oaks as well but most of them require way too much upkeep.
My workshop is on the rural fringe so lots of city office workers trying to "live the dream" but untill they take a reality check, that dream is slowly killing them.
Unless you have very heavy & deep pockets fighting nature only ever has one outcome
Nature always wins.

I always find it very funny when customers shrivel up in horror when I suggest using glyco on weeds but they have no problems with tossing 3 times the amount of fertilizers on their grass than it should ever see. It takes a lot of work before they understand that fertilizer run off does 100 times more damage to the environment than almost any poison will ever do .