Killed my 5 year old "MTD Yard Machine" the other day and am looking to pull the trigger on a new mower. EVERYONE here in Forks says to go with the 300 series Deere, but the price starts at about $3k for the base 17.5 hp 42" cut. I'm looking for opinions on whether or not the John Deere mowers are worth the money or should I drop down to a Craftsman or something else...

Thanks for any advice...

Had two for the home and 3 for the biz over the years. Yes is the answer as pay me now or pay me later thing.

But if you are after a machine to mow the lawn and not tow something around a better bet is a zero turn mower. EZ Trac 7245 Zero Turn is base $3599 ( hunt around on the net you can get that down but warranty work is a consideration ) and it will blow the doors off any riding lawn tractor.

NO on Craftsman.

Sears has been in financial do-do for years and the past few and people have been having to resort to filing lawsuits to get them to honor their warranties.

My Craftsman LGT 2000 with the 25 HP motor runs like a top. Got it for free in a trade, so I've been driving it like it was stolen. I can mow 5 acres in about 2 hours, and I have handed the duties over to my oldest boy, age 14.

Just checked Craigslist, and here are at least 10 riding mowers under $500. A mower per year, at $500, and you might just find one that lasts a few years.

Who cares what the neighbors think as long as the grass gets cut.

Have had a few tractor type mowers.....all pretty much the same. Got a zero turn and after I got used to it....wouldn't be without it. Will out perform any damn lawn tractor out there......fast, baby.....real fast....and effortless. BTW, I also have a full size diesel tractor with a six foot brush hog.....great tool for wet Springs when the grass grows six inches a week, but when Summer slows things down, I'll jump on the zero turn and do the five acres in a couple of hours.

Fishermen don't have time for lawns.

Sg

My 300 series John Deere has two beer, uh I mean beverage holders, it comes in handy when you have 2 acres of grass to mow.

i absolutely loathe the "lawn tractor" type riding lawnmowers. no matter what the marketing propaganda says, they're cheaply built disposable machines that are a nightmare to work on. craftsman, husqvarna and the like are all actually the same, just with a different paint job, made by AYP. john deere are usually proprietary to themselves and a bit better, but still a royal pain in the ass to work on, and parts are expensive.

imho, the best riding mower on the market is the snapper rear engine rider. lightweight, simple to work on(want to get at the blades? pick up the front and stand it on its end!), and parts are relatively inexpensive.

i've you've got the money, and lots of grass to mow, the zero turn mowers are the cat's meow. they're usually put together better than the "tractor" types and are meant to be worked on.

just ranting a little, being that a big chunk of my income is coming from fixing these horrid things these days.

Lots of tractors out there on Craigslist Marsha that are under $10,000.

We have a backhoe, so that it a handy item.

I've had a John Deere 135 22 HP for two years now.....love it. Got it at Lowes........about $2,500 with everything.

Snake

We just got a 500 48"...

The old (like 20 yr old ) ones were 300's. They worked fine, but my boss has the 'bigger is better' mentality...

500 has cruise control and cup holders

I don't think you can drink and drive, or smoke, on a ZTR mower can you? Depending on how much you're mowing maybe one of the smaller JD's from Home Depot or Lowes. My MTD is still going good after 15 years. Just put the second set of bearings on the deck spindles. I know one day it'll die to the point of no repair and i hate the thought of dumping 2-3k out for a new one.

When I was looking at riders years ago I hit all of the small engine repair places I could find to get their expereince. Not a one recommended Craftsman, but all agreed John Deere and Honda were the way to go. I bought a Honda and just sold it after ten years of hard service and it was still running strong.

Yes on a Deere or a Honda!

Andy, Is that the one that was on top of the gravel pile?

Kubota FTW

I still maintain that fishermen don't have time for lawns. I can't see the day ever coming when I don't have something better to do than mow a f'n lawn.

Sg

Yup.

Wow...I certainly didn't expect so many responses. Thanks for the input. Sounds like the general consensus is to go with the Deere because of the dual cup holders. I agree that a ZTR would be the way to go but I don't have a lot of lawn (about 1 acre) and I don't have a lot of stuff to manuever around so I can't really justify the price. I also agree with whoever said that most of these things are junk, but I am not gonna push mow so I don't have a lot of options! I'll have to choose something soon as the lawn is nearing old growth status and will soon become spotted owl habitat. Keep the opinions coming and I would love to hear an honest Deere vs Craftsman vs Toro or whatever else from someone who has owned or operated both.

Thanks again

Husqvarna is a step down from a Deere but will do it OK. Your bucks but a Zero turn will save a bunch in the long run. Take a look at the tractor mowers and they really don't have a frame just a box rail housing. Second is the decks as they will wear out and the bearings are always the thing to watch.

Bought one husky and it was OK the Kohler engine 54 in will cost you about 2300, the brigs engine model is 300 less. They hold up OK but not as tough as a Deere but probably would fit you better.

Whatever brand you get, make sure a parts source is nearby......I bought a Deere LT 180 137 hours back and I've replaced the belts and blades once after I took on a football in knee-high grass......and was pissed to find out the shop I bought it from in Silverdale quit selling Deere when Deere let Home Depot in on their action......ended up at Sumner Tractor in Tacoma for the parts.

I liked Craftsman products when we had a parts store in Bremerton, but when they shut that down I was done with Sears.

Just my 2 cents, but the Kubotas are real nice machines, and they're easy to work on, too.

I bought the cheap john deere model LA145 I beleive last year from lowe's with the rear bagger for like $1,700.00.I should have done it years ago,kicks butt on the ole early 90's craftman I got from my grandma.My father in law has a 20-22 year old cheapo deere that will not die no matter what I run over with it @ the monte property.
SZ

Ask yourself this: How many old John Deere's do you see as opposed to other brands ?

I highly recommend getting one with the Hydro transmission.

I order parts here. http://www.mowersdirect.com/
Service is good, prices reasonable

Just one more pitch for the ZT. Once you have one, tractors become a "never more".

Kubota's are nice... but you can buy two JD300's for the price of a similar Kubota. Plus... parts are CRAZY expensive. We have a $9K (hand me down) Kubota... just lost the bearings on the deck... $1490!

ZT's are nice too...especially if you are just mowing. BUT...if you ever want to rig up a small utility trailer to haul piles of leaves, branches, maybe a little gravel for the driveway... get a tractor style like the JD.

I'm very disturbed to learn that so many fishermen p!ss away valuable fishing time mowing lawns. You guys need to see a therapist.

Sg

I concur Sg, but I am also a hippocrite. I just moved into a house on Main Street. Now everyone I know drives by my house 2 or 3 times a day and I have to mow the lawn 1x a week!

I roll an older JD C130 (I think). I like the tractor I put that thing through hell and it just keeps on going. One time (the day I bought it) I rolled (upside down) it off the end of a flat bed trailer, and I just turned it upright, started it up and kept going.

True story. Don't know if the guy was a fisherman or not, but the story fits with Sg's apparent mower allergy.
There used to be a place on Camano Island, not far from Madrona Beach Resort that was an eye-catcher. The place was impeccably kept. The lawn and gardens were incredible to see, and the house was without a blemish. I enjoyed it for a number of years.
Then one day I drove by expecting to see this immaculate representation of "Lawn and Gardens", and I almost drove off the road. The entire yard....entire yard....was graveled over, and in the middle of it all was a concrete block about a foot thick and four feet square. In the middle of the block was perched an old reel-type mower, painted gold, with a sign hanging from it reading......"RETIRED"

A hard core fisherman friend of mine in Seattle graveled his entire yard back in the 1970s and hasn't owned a lawnmower since. I've owned a lawnmower but hope never to own another one. We have lawn service thru the condo association, and my landscaping goal for the new house is zero lawn. There's some grass and weeds starting to grow up around the new house and garage, but fortunately there's a kid next door who's trying to develop a landscaping and lawncare business. Best $30 I spent this week.

Sg

I guess Bucket is one clever dude then

NA---I gotta set the timer on the irragation, she just won't do it for some reason.