Help me find a new lawnmower (lawn, grass, trees, lawn mower)

[jayrandom]

We've just moved to a new house with a much bigger lot, going from a mostly wooded 1/4 acre to a mostly grass full acre. My old mower still works fine--but it's painfully slow to cut the grass. I've mowed once since we moved in November and it took over three hours.

I think that a new mower could reduce the time significantly, but I have no idea what's appropriate for a lawn of my size. I'm pretty sure my current model is too small. I'm in Eastern Massachusetts so the grass growth isn't crazy, but I will have a lot of leaves to deal with in the fall. Recommendations are appreciated, as are suggestions on where to find the right information (a Google search left me feeling more confused).

Thanks!

[fisheye]

There are many things to consider when purchasing your new mower. You state that your new lawn is about one acre and mostly grass. How many trees/shrubs/borders do you have to navigate around? Do you have any other uses for this mower - would you like to pull a lawn/garden cart or mount a snow blade or snow thrower? How much storage space do you have available? Can you even see your lawn with the amount of snow you received last winter?

For one acre I do not think you need one of the $3K to $5K zero turn mowers. You might want just a $1K rider like this one: Shop Troy-Bilt Pony Shift-on-the-Go 42-in Riding Lawn Mower with Briggs & Stratton Engine and Mulching Capable at Lowes.com=. But that could change if you want the snow removal attachments.

You really have to think hard about what you expect out of the new equipment.

[gunslinger256]

i mistakenly downsized from a 42" riding tractor to a 24" walk behind because I expected to move to a smaller lot when I relocated.

Going from a .70 acre to a .29 acre lot, I could swear that I actually have more lawn to mow now since a nice portion of the old property was wooded before. My mowing time went from 20 minutes to over an hour when I moved to a smaller lot with a smaller mower.

my advice, buy as wide a mower as you can afford and keep the little one for the tight places the big mower can't reach.

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by gunslinger256

i mistakenly downsized from a 42" riding tractor to a 24" walk behind because I expected to move to a smaller lot when I relocated.

Going from a .70 acre to a .29 acre lot, I could swear that I actually have more lawn to mow now since a nice portion of the old property was wooded before. My mowing time went from 20 minutes to over an hour when I moved to a smaller lot with a smaller mower.

my advice, buy as wide a mower as you can afford and keep the little one for the tight places the big mower can't reach.

With my five acres I like to keep a small push mower just to clean up and for locations that I cannot mow with the larger equipment. In a perfect world, with no obstructions, one might not need the push mower or weed whacker. In some cases the weed whacker might be all that is needed to edge or clean up.

The more obstructions; the greater the argument for zero turn.

[TheDragonslayer]

I maintain yards for a living, have been through the Craftsman models both push and riding, also Honda push mowers. My Craftsman riding mower, 42" failed totally after 7 years of decent use, two bent front axles and final was a blown engine. I switched to Husqvarna for both my all wheel push and my 42" rider. The Husqvarnas are both expensive, over $550 for the push and $2700 for the rider and a trailer, my old bagger was identical to the Husqvarnas. The 42" has twin cylinders, pull knob to engage the blades instead of a lever, a 12volt outlet to charge or run something from and the engine is quieter then the Craftsman model of same size, large almost 4 gallon tank that can cut close to 4 acres before refilling, plus a bumper in front. It bags better, rarely clogs as the Craftsman did and I am using the same bagger system. Love my Huskies

[gunslinger256]

Originally Posted by TheDragonslayer

have been through the Craftsman models both push and riding, also Honda push mowers.

My riding tractor was a craftsmen also (with kohler engine). While I was not very happy with the tractor, it did last more than 10 years with less than 5 oil changes. I've heard that craftsmen mowers are really just rebranded products similiar to the kenmore appliances. I sold it to a mechanically impaired friend so it must be dead by now.

[Bulldogdad]

Budget first

[Veneficus]

At 37lbs it's no heavier than a lawn mower.

[oldtrader]

Here is what I use to cut our full acre of lawn, plus one swipe each way on our 500 ft. long lane to the house. A mulcher plate so you don't have to worry about the clippings is also great to use.

In addition add a blade, and you can clear the snow out of in our case is a 500 ft long lane, and about 1/8 acre parking area, etc., in front of the house.

Shop John Deere D130 V-Twin Hydrostatic 42-in Riding Lawn Mower with Briggs & Stratton Engine and Mulching Capable at Lowes.com

[jayrandom]

Thanks for the advice so far.

Originally Posted by fisheye

There are many things to consider when purchasing your new mower. You state that your new lawn is about one acre and mostly grass. How many trees/shrubs/borders do you have to navigate around? Do you have any other uses for this mower - would you like to pull a lawn/garden cart or mount a snow blade or snow thrower? How much storage space do you have available? Can you even see your lawn with the amount of snow you received last winter?

For one acre I do not think you need one of the $3K to $5K zero turn mowers. You might want just a $1K rider like this one: Shop Troy-Bilt Pony Shift-on-the-Go 42-in Riding Lawn Mower with Briggs & Stratton Engine and Mulching Capable at Lowes.com=. But that could change if you want the snow removal attachments.

You really have to think hard about what you expect out of the new equipment.

There are some beds in front but gently sloped and almost uninterrupted in back. There will eventually be a swing set in the backyard. Trees in the front and on one side, otherwise trees lining the property.

I'd like something that will speed up lawn mowing and if there's something that can with leaves in the fall that would be great. I've got snow removal covered already, so I don't think there's a need for additional snow removal capabilities. There should be plenty of storage room for even a large mower, so that isn't a concern. And the last of the snow melted last Sunday (finally). Luckily there's plenty of sun on our lot, as some piles are still surviving I'm the shade elsewhere.

Originally Posted by Bulldogdad

Budget first

I guess the top of the budget would be what it would cost me to hire someone to do it instead of doing it myself. I naively though that the final amount would be about $2000, but would happily pay less if that's too much for my situation and would grudgingly pay more if it were a better long-term use of the money.

I'd like to minimize both the amount of time it takes me to mow and the amount I spend. I'm not sure where the sweet spot is, but I was hoping that there'd be something better than the three hours it took me with the 22 Inch lawnmower I already have and cheaper than a professional-grade super-mower.

There have been a few suggestions for riding mowers. Is that generally the right choice for this size lawn? Are there walk-behind mowers that give similar performance or are they generally smaller?