Nice, what ya gettin?

Well this weekend is stalled...had some issues around the house come up. I'm leaning towards the following brands:

John Deere
Cub Cadet
Bad Boy
Gravely
Kubota

No particular order...just need to find a unit that will fit my needs and wallet.

I've seen this misinformation before many times. The John Deere dealer sells the same residential grade mowers as Home Depot. There are commercial grade mowers with welded decks and all around beefier parts that you definitely won't find at a big box store, but the lower end stuff is still the same across the board whether you buy it at a dealer or Home Depot. They literally sell the exact same machines. Get the best deal you can find and don't look back. I had no warranty issues buying my mower and Home Depot and taking it to the JD dealer for service.

I have bought 2 since I moved to Fate. I have 1.1 acres. The first one turned out to be a Murray with a Scotts nameplate. It had a Kohler engine which was fine but the Tecumseh transaxle was a POS. I replaced 2 over about 12 years. I bought both at Home Depot. I walked in with cash and told them I wanted the sales tax knocked off or I was headed to Lowes. They agreed and last time even threw in a nice discount on a trimmer. I also told them that I wanted one that had been stored inside and not one that had sat out the elements for months.

You will not find any tractor sold at big box stores at my JD dealer. In fact, I can speak specifically about the differences. We spent ten grand plus on a JD445 twenty plus ears ago. My dad owned a Murray from HD. he roundly ridiculed my purchase as he just loved to do. Couple years later his Murray died. He bought another and it lasted a few years and quit. He came and looked again at my tractor. �It still looks new, but my Murray does the same thing�. He bought another. It died a few years later. He upgraded to a JD LA110 from HD. that tractor is now my lake house tractor.

You will not see that tractor at a JD dealer. Why not? Because it is a total POC. It needed over $600 worth of fixes to even make it usable and it is super easy to break. Sweet gum balls will take it out. It is so very lightweight compared to our 445, which until very recently has never broke down. It is not even worthy to be called a tractor. Nothing more than a cheap riding lawnmower.

I own three real JDs and one knockoff, the LA110. Don�t go there.

I have about the same size lot as you. Over 2 acres, but only have to mow about half of it. I got a John Deere D140 about 5 years ago. My yard is mostly flat, but have some ditches that cause me to shift my weight on the seat to make it not feel like it will tip over. LOL! But it's a good little (48") riding mower for doing an acre or so of mowing. But no matter what you get, it is important to do the maintenance on it.

Look at the Kubota Z Commander. it is in between a residential and commercial Zero turn. Great machines.

Go with Hustler

I have 2 Hustlers. The first one is a 60", 25 HP commercial I have had since 2007. It replaced a JD diesel commercial that wouldn't pull the slope of my yard without tearing up the turf. The Hustler is a mowing beast. I have 10 acres at Richland Chambers, 4 needs to be mowed. I have only had to change blades and oil in 445 hours of use. The 2nd unit is a 48" Raptor residential unit I bought for my home in the city. It is fine, does a good job but does not compare to the commercial grade machine. I would buy another commercial machine in a heartbeat. I have had the bank give way and flip the machine upside down in the lake. Got it right side up, winched it out, checked all the fluids, washed it off and went right back to mowing. Lucky for me the engine died when it turned over so it wasn't running when it hit the water. The deck is built like a tank and adjusts in a 2 seconds with your foot. Well designed and built to last. Go commercial grade if you want one to last.

What ever you do, go with a commercial rated unit. I bought a zero turn Cub Cadet PRO Z 54 inch cut. I normally wouldn't give Cub Cadet a second look but their commercial unit is as good if not better then the other commercial units on the market. I mow the ranch enclosed areas which are 5 acres plus and the mower is comfortable and fast. I looked at all of the other brands and the PRO Z just had the most durable features I wanted. Kawasaki 26 Horsepower motor, Parker pumps, swing axle front for a smoother ride, air ride seat. All of the ones mentioned are great mowers but I felt like the PRO Z gave me more for my money. I am very happy and impressed with it.

I ended up getting a used riding mower for now...couldn't find the deal that I wanted and wasn't able to come up with the $5500 that they wanted for the commercial grade units. So I'm saving my pennies and will buy next year.

What I ended up with is a 2007 John Deere LA145 48", paid $350 w/ 350 hours. Felt like I did OK.

You did fine, then. Zero turn is the only way to go, though. I just bought a 2017 48” John Deere Z445 with 200 hours Briggs & Stratton for $1,900 from Craigslist. There’s a guy on there that sells a lot of used ZT mowers. He will wheel you a deal. His number is 469-263-0354, Charles.