ride on mowers

[gadgets]

Looking for some reviews on all the popular ride on mowers, Victa , Husqvarna,Yard man,craftsman etc from any people on the forum who have a ride on. Also is it worth the extra $$$ for the Hydrostatic transmission ? Ive never owned a ride on before so Im looking for tips on what to look out for and what are pointless extras that I dont need.
Im a big fan of the briggs and stratton motors that ive had in push mowers for years which is why im leaning towards the Victa or yardman.
Any opinions would be usefull, thanks.

 

[d22dave]

Go for heel and toe operation for forward and reverse. Stay away from gears they slow you down when there is a lot of direction changes.

 

[BravoBrad]

I've got no complaints about my John Deere.

I have allways had manual, but got Hydromatic this time. Whilst I have allways been happy with the manuals, I think I would stick with the Hydromatic.

 

[nathand22]

my old man has had a few, but he swears by TORO, he lives on a few acres which he fusses over and says the TORO'S do the best job. Great motors, great deck that can be easily removed, and have different discharge positions eg side or rear. My local council only uses TORO mowers.
Talking to dad he says it will depend on how much lawn you have to mow, and how tight the yard is, like trees ect. The victa and yardman are the cheaper ones and would be ok for small jobs. As for the hydrostatic box he says they are the go for sure, well worth the dollars.
The HUSQVARNA, JOHN DEERE are great mowers but are a little pricey where you will find the TORO is just as good but a better price.
dont get a deck that is to big for your yard or the layout. if you have heaps of trees and tight areas its best to stick with a small deck but if its wide open go the biggest you can afford.

 

[ljacko78]

had a John Deer D120 - gears were OK, I didn't mind changing them. We had a 2 acre corner block with a lot of tree so long bits and then lots of tight corners. Found turning circle reasonable. Think they're about $4000 ish which is a lot. Self mulching which we found great so never picked up the clippings. They just seemed to disappear. Never used anyting else to compare it with.

+1 go for the wide deck if possible.

 

[ST-R]

Concider Greenfield. Aussie Made and as tough as nails. Have a reputation as a "Crash and Bash" mower for rough blocks.

We have an Evolution 2000 model and it is reliable and simple.

Regards

Greg

 

[joe2006]

I too am of the understanding the Australian made Greenfield & Cox are the most robust although more agricultral.

I have a Husky with hydrostatic & have not had any problems but then only done about 100 hours on it. I have also not had any other ride on mower so have nothing to compare it to.

It depends what your looking for like zero turn etc. It can become quite confusing.

 

[Krankin]

Go for heel and toe operation for forward and reverse. Stay away from gears they slow you down when there is a lot of direction changes.

yep...what he says

 

[RustyNav09]

Old man has the Toro ride on with the hydro gears etc. Cast iron front end etc instead of cheap steel like all other brands. Plus with a briggs motor you can't fo wrong. It cuts anything has a nice deck. I would have to go Toro aswell as my preference if I needed one.

 

[bullwinkle]

I've got a Yardman with the 20hp Kohler motor and 42 inch deck. My thinking was to get the big motor so it didn't have to work hard. Mine is auto, but you have to change between forward and reverse, which is a pain in the backside at times. It's been pretty reliable - coming up 5 years old and done over 200 hours. This time of year I am mowing 2 acres almost every week but my block is as flat as a shit-carter's hat. I reckon what you get depends on the block you have to mow - I'd probably have a Greenfield with a rough block.

I had my old man's Greenfield on my box trailer and hit a bump on the Western Highway just outside Ballarat doing 100 k's in the ute. The tailgate popped open and the bloody mower went shooting across the road, across the median strip and onto the wrong side of the road. Luckily nothing coming - thank God - I was fair shitting bricks. When it hit the gravel on the far side, the front wheel dug in, spinning it around and upending it. Broke the steering wheel and scored the 'bonnet' but no other damage. Flipped it over and it started first go. They are bloody tough.

 

[d22dave]

I too have a greenfields and it has done a lot of work over the years, As others have said if you are mowing nice manicured lawn buy what you like but if like me your mowing a paddock and roadside and the state forest behind my house the greenfields is a hardy unit that mows lawn and grass

 

[gadgets]

Thanks for all the suggestions, My block is 4 acres, mainly flat but has some trees, not many, they are mainly in one area that i would use the wipper snipper in. The ground does get soggy after rain in some spots(dont know if that makes a difference to the tyres different models come with). I mainly want reliability, something that is built to last. The salesmen in all the places so far have basically pushed me toward what they have in stock!

 

[gadgets]

I also want it to be able to tow a trailer with things like fire wood etc, so id like to know what hp I should be looking at.

 

[jayk]

ive got a walker zero turn with the hydros. best finish mower in the world bar none. 30k though! toughest mower i know of is the hustler. new prob look at 10k plus, but you wont regret it. koehler engines are much better than a b&s, but it does depend on how much you use it.
i do have a mowing/ gardening biz though!

 

[jayk]

sorry didnt see the tow bit. prob look at a tractor with a slashing deck then.

 

[Buzza]

Sorry to hijack, but I'm selling a western ride on.. 5hp Briggs and Straton and 26" cut.. $500.. If you guys know anyone..

 

[mitch92]

We have a greenfield. Slightly more expensive, but worth every sent. Only thing we ever have had to changge is oil and the belts. We are on 3.5 acres and use it to mow the short lawn grass or grass 4 foot high up the back.

 

[siringo]

We've got a Husky with gears. I think they're only meant for bowling greens, I've had the welder to it several times, but then again I drive it like my Hilux and the son drives it like an F1 car while the wife just runs into things. Needs a stubby holder.

 

[raywise]

I was just out yesterday riding around on my Cox.

Its great, 11.5 HP Stockman, heel/toe, chain drive etc. Had it 10 years and last month for its birthday decided to get its first major service. I've done all the other oil changes etc. New chain, couple of belts/blades/service etc and $200.00 later, running as good as ever.

Mate across the road with his fancy John Deere, always having problems, worn cutting deck, hydrostacic drive issues, and his acreage is a bowling green compared to our bush fest, but I know which ride on I'd rather have.

 

[Aido]

In the long run it would be cheaper and easier to pay a contractor. Biased though like JayK.
Cub Cadet for home use would see you pass it down through the generations rather than onto the local tip.

Dare you to sign up and ask the same question over here . Bastards cant agree on anything and have more 'pinions than Borg Warner.