Topic: i need to mow my back yard more often (lawnmower thread)

[fuzzybutt]

with the back/neck problems i have i dont do yard work like i should. i mowed my back yard yesterday for the first time all seaon. it was like a wheat field. as i was mowing i kept on scaring rabbits out of the tall grass it's not like we see alot of bunnies here in the area. i guess my yard because of the length of the grass, became THE gathering spot for bunnies in Forest Acres. must have been 8 of em hidden in my smallish back yard.

[number13]

Haha. That reminds me of one of my college days jobs,
driving a big mower towed behind a tractor. It was like
I was mowing a zoo, rabbits, snakes, jillions of bugs,
armadillos, possums, if it lived in tall grass I scared it up.
I used to love the way the local birds were trained to perch
on the back of the mower box waiting to snatch the grasshoppers
as they flew up.

[Ichiban 4]

Well..

As long as the subject of "mowing" has been brought up..

I've got about an acre and a quarter that gets about a foot high..before I get to it.  Takes me "hours" to get it all mowed down (then another couple of hours..to go back and pick up all the "hay" created).  Have got an older Honda riding mower..30"..11 HP..which just barely has enough "chutzpah" to get through it all.

In my sentimental "Honda loyalty" I try to get Honda bikes, power equipment, et al. when possible, affordable.  Honda doesn't make riding mowers any longer I'm told.  So I've been hanging on to this one for the past 10 years or so.  But afraid it's getting tired (needs valve job, probably rings, etc.)..and as we all know..Honda OEM parts are not cheap.  11 horses..by today's standards..is also rather underpowered for a riding mower..even when it's running well.

My question to other gear heads, wrench turners is this: What do you know about other riding mowers..i.e. are any of you particularly impressed by other brands, models, etc?  Also thinking that maybe some of you (due to this thread) have been through similar decision process yourselves.

I've been looking @ "zero turn" riders with around 15 to 20 HP..and about a 48 inch wide cutting path..thinking that will reduce the time, effort of taming my little domestic jungle.

Have been looking @ Walker mowers (made locally here in Colorado)..but they start @ 5K..and go up in price from there!  A little rich for me..but maybe used?   There also seems to be a big difference in performance, durability between the home and commercial models too.

Any firsthand experiences, recommendations would be appreciated.

Ichi

[fuzzybutt]

as much as i loved my 19 year old toro that finally had to be replaced this year, i'm quite impressed by the 6.75hp troy-bilt i got last week. it powered right through all the high grass and dandelions. that old toro still started first pull every time till the day it threw a rod.

[BobbyR]

I buy a new Sears 17Hp about every 15 years. I just cut it every week and that actually saves me time since I can move fast and it still cuts.

[fuzzybutt]

if i could get a riding mower through either of the gates to the back yard i'd get one. the gates however, are 36" wide, i have to turn the handlebars as i go through to keep from whacking the bar end off 

[333]

I want a Pony.  And no, I don't think I in the "Shameless Post Boost Thread".

http://www.troybilt.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_14102_89545_54965_-1

[fuzzybutt]

thats the one i want too!

[stresssolutions]

I want a Pony.  And no, I don't think I in the "Shameless Post Boost Thread".

http://www.troybilt.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_14102_89545_54965_-1

I think Dad has one similar, and it is buillt kinda puny, for a pony.  Maybe since he got his they've beefed (horsed?) it up.  I mow about every week, takes less than 30 minutes, less than a quart of gas in the mower that I got free that wouldn't start for the PO due to the loose spark plug.  Lucky me.

[eldar]

John deeres are usually really good. Maybe a bit more expensive but usually have great long term support.

[dustyc]

I'll come up and do some yard work and other stuff around the house for that 75 F. 

[74cb750]

Ah mowing lawns, mind if I hijack the thread a little?

Years ago before I signed on the dotted line and married the love of my life, she agreed I would not have to mow lawns. Our first house had very little lawn, litterally less than 25x15 feet. No problem. Now our new house has more than one acre and sometimes I mow it, like on our anniversary, but that's usually it. 

Don't have a running lawn mower, but I do have a riding Ariens rider "lawn art" which I'll get to some year, maybe. Haven't figured out if fixing it  would negate our marriage agreement....
peace,
michel

[fuzzybutt]

dont worry about "hijacking" i''m enjoying all the lawn and landscape relies. funny, 15 years ago, in my mid 20'6 i never thought in a MILLION years i'd actually enjoy new lawn equipment let alone like talking about it.

[333]

It's got a motor, doesn't it?  Burns dead dinosaurs, doesn't it?

[oldfordguy]

I mow 2 acres, and I'm currently using a Cub Cadet.  This is the first zero-turn mower I've had, and if I'd have known how much time it would save me I would have bought one years ago!  It literally cut my time to mow in half (from 3 hours to 1.5.)  I therefore highly recommend a zero turn, and I'm quite happy with the quality of the Cub, I've had it about 5 years with no problems, just basic maintenance and consumables.  I do have a lot of trees in my yard, so that's a factor in the time savings.

[super pasty white guy]

you could always drop in a sohc4 engine into that thing...

[fuzzybutt]

i remember an episode of home improvement where tim allen put an s+s shovelhead into a rider.

[jameseb444]

I was cutting grass with an old Montgomery Wards riding mower that my wife brought home from a yard sale for $25.00. One day the chain came off when I got it on a twist mowing the yard of our new home. I pushed it to the shed, adjusted the slack and it hasn't started since. So I bought a Yard man push mower. Screw it, I'll get to fixing it someday.

[UnCrash]

My grass sucks so bad here in Portland Maine that I havent had to mow yet.  I'll break out the mower this coming weekend for the first time.

When I was a teenager one of my many jobs around the house was to mow our 3/4 acre of lawn.  I did this with the only mower we had, an old heavy self propelled mower with a non working self propelled mechanism.  This thing was a beast and it took me about 3.5 hours to mow.

One summer I went away and my dad had to mow for a 6 week stretch.

When I got home there was a shiny new Craftsman riding mower in the garage, and the old junker was gone.  He told me that the old mower was horrible and really difficult to mow with.

I said, "No $H!T ?!?!?!"