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Can anyone recommend a best lawn tractor to mow and mulch lawn? And also any recommendations as where to get it from, big box stores or online or local dealers?
Thank you.
Can anyone recommend a best lawn tractor to mow and mulch lawn? And also any recommendations as where to get it from, big box stores or online or local dealers?
Thank you.
S
Hands down- John Deer. Wait for Memorial Day and get free trailor, free delivery and get a Lowes credit card NOW and get 0% financing for 18 months. I got the D110 but probly would get the D130 second time around.
There is an excellent John Deere retailer on 401 between Raleigh and Fuquay. They carry the same models at same price as the big box stores, but also the sturdier models meant to last a lot longer. I chose a JD300 because of a strong frame and better design. It is worth a visit.
When buying any of these brands (John Deere, Cub Cadet, Husquevarna, etc.) be sure to understand the difference between the big box version, and the real deal. As Luv4horses hinted, all Deere are not created equally.
The ones you get at a big box may be enough for your yard, and are certainly cheaper, but they are likely all produced on the same lines as every other brand, or are at least using the same commercially available motors. It's good because it keeps costs down, and parts are widely available outside the network of dealers, but it's not the same thing as what you'd get at the place on 401 (for example).
Not necessarily saying it's worse. Just saying that you should know the difference.
I had a cub cadet, I forgot the model, but it was a 52" cut, that I got from Tractor Supply in Sanford before the Tornado took it (and Lowes) out several years ago. It did a pretty good job, but was clearly of the "big box" variety. I was maintaining 2 acres regularly, and up to five acres at times. I had another several acres of field I had to maintain, but I used a Kobota Diesel for the bigger jobs (and loved that thing!!!).
Sadly it, and the land I maintained, stayed with the ex-wife.... (I did not)
Seems like a similar question was asked on the forum some time ago with lots of good information. Many of these tractors use belts and I found that the lower quality foreign made belts had to be changed much more frequently.
I've owned a variety of riding mowers and garden tractors over the years. I've never seen one that used no belts. Even my 1972 Gravely 816 lawn tractor (a premium machine) uses a belt on the mower deck. The distinction is that a lawn tractor is suited to power a variety of attachments. Mower deck, snow plow, snow blower, tiller, etc. A riding mower does mowing and mulching, nothing more.
OP referenced "... a best lawn tractor to mow and mulch lawn... " This describes a riding mower. If he buys a lawn tractor he will be paying for more machine than he really needs. Nothing wrong with that, but he should be aware of the difference.
Belts for blades are one thing, but many newer mowers are "belt drive". When the belt dies, it's a fairly major repair that your typical person (like me) is not qualified to make.
Also, belt drive zaps a lot of power, so your 24.5 hp belt drive mower purchased from a big box has nowhere near the power of your 30 year old, 16hp, Cub Cadet purchased from the farm supply store. I've run both side by side, and stand solidly behind that comment. So again, apples are not always apples....
One should never get hung up on horsepower ratings-they mean nothing. I can say that I've had a variety of "cheap" riding lawn mowers (Murray) and now have a John Deere small tractor (GT series). The John Deere, which was near 5k is a far superior machine, however, it has not been without fault. The fuel system has been rebuilt multiple times under warranty and out of warranty. The John Deere tractors you get at the big box stores are, for the most part, rebranded "Scotts" mowers that have been painted John Deere colors. In my mind they fall into the "cheap" category but if you are not cutting several acres or have rough terrain to traverse they may be all you need.
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