| ace3 |
Well its time.. my lawn mower has finally kicked the bucket. I've been trying to keep it alive for the past couple years. As i was starting to cut my grass (which i hate doing because i have about an 2 acre yard) The lawn mower stared to smoke like hell. Some kids actually thought i was doin some smoke show:p lol. But i have to say i experimented with some stuff i had in my garage lol motor honey, dont know why i had it, but i poured it in and ta da it stopped smoking. Well ive finally decided to get a a new lawn mower. I am looking for a 42 in. cut to a maximum 48in. Any one got any suggestions.
BTW i looked the new X- series lawn mowers by no one else but john Deere, and holy $h*tt there nice but just look at the price!
http://www.deere.com/en_US/xseries/index.html The next hot rod
|
|
|
| xyzzy |
|
I have a Cub Cadet and love it. You get great features (cast iron front axle, drive shaft vs belt on most, solid Kohler engine, etc) for a price that's lower than most with these features. This was certainly the case when I bought mine 3 years ago and I can't imagine things have changed that much, but you may just want to see what they are now offering.
|
|
|
| xcel |
Hi Ace3:
___I may actually know what I am talking about in this discussion ;)
___For a two acre lawn, you really should consider a Zero-Turn Professional walk behind in a 48” or 52” width or even a ride on Zero-Turn mower. A lawn tractor not only cuts terribly in comparison but also takes more time than a walk behind and cannot cut close to anything as far as edges worth a damn. If the walk behind part scares you, you can purchase a Sulky to sit on or better yet, a velke to ride on while behind your mower to keep your productivity up. Once you use a Professional walk behind, you will quickly understand why Landscapers use them and why the lawns they cut with them look so much better than one cut with any rider.
___If you always cut in dry conditions, the ExMark Metro is one of the best. It is not only fast and inexpensive but leaves about the best cut I have seen this side of a maintenance heavy powered reel mower. If you mow while it’s damp or even in the rain, a Scag SW is one the best all-purpose walk behinds IMO. Relatively cheap and fast plus it’s really rugged given what I consider the best blade spindles in the business. The SCAG still leaves an exacting professional cut but a professional will see the difference between the two machines cuts up close. The average homeowner wouldn’t know the difference between the two professional mower cuts if that helps you decide. If you want a professional looking cut in half the time, spend < 3K on a Professional walk behind mower. If you want “an also ran” type lawn and waste more time cutting it, spend the bucks on a junk cutting rider. Longevity wise, the professional mowers will outlast any consumer based riders available.
___I am posting a pic of the SCAG SW and a one wheeled red Velke in the first row. In the second, an ExMark Metro and an ExMark Sulky. In the third, a two wheeled red Velke and a one wheeled orange Velke for your review.
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___ Waynegerdes@earthlink.net
|
|
|
| TheWorm |
Boy, I'm feeling inferior by comparison. I just have a manual reel-push mower. But more grass in the yard is just more grass for me to kill.
- Mr. Black Thumb
|
|
|
| DaleB |
quote:
Originally posted by TheWorm
Boy, I'm feeling inferior by comparison. I just have a manual reel-push mower. But more grass in the yard is just more grass for me to kill.
- Mr. Black Thumb
Don't feel like the Lone Stranger. Remember, most of us in the Bay Area have 'lots' not acreage.
|
|
|
| remery |
|
Ace3,
I must take issue with Wayne even though he cuts grass for a living:18: I got a John Deere X485 4-wheel steer tractor in June and it is the best mowing machine I have ever. The 4-wheel streering gives me almost as short a turning radius as what Wayne is recommending and JD's new mowing decks cut the grass a lot better than the old ones. I have the mulching attachment for the deck which works great. In addition I have a Power-Flo attachment that I am now using to pick up my leaves (I have 25 large trees on my lot) and a 46" snowblower attachment for my 300' long driveway this winter.
If you do not need the additional utility of a tractor, Wayne's mower recommendation is a good one. The X-485 is expensive but a big improvement over my old 425 4WS tractor plus I don't have to pay a red cent for it until March 2003 and it comes with cruise control, power steering, a 12 volt cell phone outlet and a cup holder for your favorite adult beverage, how can you resist!
|
|
|
| mdxxxx |
quote:
Originally posted by DaleB
Don't feel like the Lone Stranger. Remember, most of us in the Bay Area have 'lots' not acreage.
True, True.
I just wonder how those with acreage maintain it. I have time issues in maintining a 10k sq foot lot! Seems the yard is on steriods!
|
|
|
| TheWorm |
quote:
Originally posted by remery
...it comes with cruise control, power steering, a 12 volt cell phone outlet and a cup holder for your favorite adult beverage, how can you resist!
Holy cow! Have you looked into a custom intake or headers? LOL.
|
|
|
| remery |
quote:
Originally posted by TheWorm
Holy cow! Have you looked into a custom intake or headers? LOL.
No, but I am considering Manik side steps to replace the running boards if DMor can come install them!:D
|
|
|
| TheWorm |
quote:
Originally posted by remery
No, but I am considering Manik side steps to replace the running boards if DMor can come install them!:D
Then I take it you can swivel the seat 180 degrees so you're facing the same direction as the 'DMor-series' steps? Or would you just mow in Reverse? ;)
|
|
|
| mdxxxx |
quote:
Originally posted by remery
No, but I am considering Manik side steps to replace the running boards if DMor can come install them!:D
I'm sure this model includes Navi! :D :p
|
|
|
| xcel |
Hi All:
___Landscapers use Zero-Turn walk behinds because they simply work better than a rider. They cut faster, cut nicer, cut much closer to edges and beds, are much tougher, and last much longer given maybe 4000 hours of actual use with maybe 1 engine replacement. I picked up a new 48” Metro last year for $2400. My 48” and 72” SCAG’s run south of 2.7 and 6K respectively. If you really want productivity, the ExMark Lazer Z is probably the best Ride on Zero-Turn Professional mower for 2 - 10 acre home-sites in existence. A 2-Acre lawn would be a ½ hour job with one. They are not cheap as even in non-Liquid cooled form, you are in excess 7K. As for their cut, it is not quite as good as any of the 48” walk-behinds but is still a professional looking cut. It is well balanced so that you will not be making many side to side corrections once you learn how to operate one properly. Maybe 10 hours for the Ride on Zero Turn and you will have it licked. A Professional walk-behind, maybe 2 – 3 hours at most.
___Just go to a any local BobCat, ExMark, or SCAG dealer to name just a few. Get under the deck. Look at the spindles and the methods of maintenance. Look at the gauge of the deck. Look at the controls. Look at the axles and maintenance of them. Look at the anti-scalp wheels and their maintenance. Now go look at the Deere or any other number of riding mowers. There simply isn’t a comparison here. When we speak of the MDX as being one of the best values, best handling other than the X-5, longest lasting as far as reliability is concerned SUV’s on the road today, think of your mower in the same light. In this case, even the best Deere rider is a Kia Sportage in comparison to a Professional walk behind being the X. I can’t stress this enough. Landscapers don’t use riders because they would be out of business within a month. They would be fired because the cuts are poor in comparison and the productivity is at best, just adequate running a lawn tractor flat out.
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___ Waynegerdes@earthlink.net
 |
|
|
| DaleB |
quote:
Originally posted by mdxxxx
I'm sure this model includes Navi! :D :p
What are the landmarks? The barn, the shed, favorite climbing tree, the well, veg. garden, rose garden, and Spot's doghouse. :D
If you can drive into town for a Starbucks it would have added value!
|
|
|
| remery |
|
Wayne,
You're missing the point here. You mow lawns for a living, we folks do it for sport so creature comforts are more important than productivity. Now do any of your walk behinds come with a cup holder? So how much fun can you have walking behind your mower versus riding in style on mine? Oh, I almost forgot - the John Deere also burns regular!:2:
|
|
|
| xcel |
Hi Remery:
___Lets get to the purpose of cutting ones lawn … Are you cutting it to look nice or cutting it to keep it down so its acceptable to the neighbors or Home Owners Association? Or is it simply a therapeutic exercise done once a week for the heck of it? I am assuming most cut their lawns to look nice. Now comes the nice part. Even in my sub w/ 2 – 10 acre home sites, there are a few homeowners that try to do their own with Deere Lawn tractors. The cuts look poor in comparison to the Professional cuts done by the zero-radius walk behinds and Ride on’s. After a year or two, these home owners give up and hire us to not only do the work but to get the Professional looking cut. We always cross cut week to week and cross cutting goes all the way from border to border. A rider cannot perform the end game without a Zero-Turn radius capability and even with 4-wheel steering; it won’t match a Zero-turn.
___As for the cup holders, yes, you can get cup holders but most of the good landscapers use debris bags under the controls to pick up lose debris that is always floating around in the lawns instead. We stoop down, pick up the trash, and place it in the bag before we run past it with the walk-behinds on the next pass. The Ride-On Zero turn’s are a little more tricky in this instance. I assume most here just run over that rogue candy wrapper or paper blowing across the lawn. We not only won’t but we can’t. When is the last time you got off your rider picked up the garbage, got back on your rider and started mowing again? That takes a bit of effort and after 4 or 5 of those instances, most simply stop doing it. With a walk-behind, you barely slow down let alone stop to accomplish this task once you’re good ;) As far as cell phone use … My employees and I always use 28dB or higher hearing protection when we are mowing. With the mowers running WOT, there would be no way we would hear a cell phone ring and using one with the mowers at idle seems a bit over the top as its still to loud for clear conversation. A small voice (mine) in the crowd is telling everyone reading this thread that runs a power mower and/or blower … Use hearing protection! It’s the cheapest and best medical insurance you will ever use!
___And as far as riding … I have a Sulke for the 72”, a Velke for the one of the 48’s. Unfortunately, the best cut comes from a strict walk-behind so that is how we mow most of the time :( The 72 is always run with the Sulke attached if that helps …
___Finally, the Kohler Command 15’s, 20’s, and Kawasaki 17’s burn regular unleaded as well … I wouldn’t have it any other way :D
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___ Waynegerdes@earthlink.net
|
|
|
| remery |
|
Wayne,
Down boy!! My neighbor has pros with zero-radius mowers do her yard and it doesn't look any better than mine since I sharpen my blades every few weeks. Also your walk behinds take more effort to use than my John Deere with power steering. I should mention my property has a 25' drop from the highest point in the back to the lowest point in the front so most mowing is up and down hill. Quite a chore when walking behind a self-propelled mower. If I want a work out I'll go to the gym.
Now I will concede on the cost issue because if all you are going to do is mow grass, a $11K tractor is a total waste of money. But since I use it for a lot more than what a walk behind mower could do, I capture additional value.
Finally, the cup holder is not for empty cups or trash but for adult beverages while mowing grass, blowing snow or vacuuming leaves! Not aware of any laws yet against MUI plus nothing runs like a Deere!:D
|
|
|
| xcel |
Hi Remery:
___As far as a cuts look. Its not a blade sharpening issue, it’s a deck form and guide issue. The Riders don’t have the same free flow decks on any that I have seen. There are 4 of these newer Deere cutters within 14 houses of me. They all cut like garbage in comparison to the other 111 homes in the sub that have professional cutters doing the job. It also appears you have a mulch attachment? On any given day, a professional mower finds these to be absolutely useless. There is an overabundance of HP going to the blades to churn the clippings to mulch on a Zero-Turn vs. a Rider driving the under deck belt(s) arrangement. When I do the 10 acre lot, I can assure you I am riding on the 72 w/ Sulke and it is much more comfortable than your rider as I am stretched out instead of the seating position on a rider …Power steering? You have got to be kidding. With a Zero Turn, you pull the handle at your hands resting position and it swings around. There is know steering wheel turning involved and it is absolutely effortless in comparison to even a power steering equipped rider. As far as going up and down a 25’ slope front to rear … You should try mowing 40’ 25 – 30 degree sloped berms with your lawn tractor … It simply aint going to happen yet the 72 does this on a monthly basis :)
___The term “Nothing runs like a Deere” … I look at them about every two years as I have a SCAG/TORO/Deere dealer about 2 towns over. They are not a HQ piece of equipment in comparison. If you want a beverage holder, you simply install one as they are available. Since a 2-acre lawn is done in less than an hour, I don’t know if it is needed but that is always an option with any Pro mower as well …
___Maybe I should take a pic of the next door neighbors Deere cut lawn right now vs. mine. Its quite easy to tell the difference between one cut with a rider and one cut with a Pro Zero-Turn …
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___ Waynegerdes@earthlink.net
|
|
|
| octavian |
|
You and your machines!!
This is what I use down heah in Texas......doesn't run like a Deere, though.
;)
|
|
|
| remery |
|
Wayne,
Wayne, I am pulling your chain so lighten up. Whether your mower cuts better is not the issue. I enjoy riding my John Deere and that is all there is to it. You could offer to do my lawn, leaves and snow for free and I would still keep my tractor and do it myself. Mowing grass is a job to you but an adventure for me so end of discussion.;)
Octavian,
That's not a mowing machine but rather a fertilization unit!!:D :D
|
|
|
| octavian |
|
remery......I'll have you know MY cow swings both ways! :cool:
|
|
|
| xcel |
Hi Remery:
___This is my snow plow ;) Well not exactly the same machine since mine is a Polaris Sportsman 500 w/ 48” metal blade.
___Enjoy …
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___ Waynegerdes@earthlink.net
|
|
|
| mdxxxx |
quote:
Originally posted by octavian
remery......I'll have you know MY cow swings both ways! :cool:
A true multi tasking dual processing unit! :4:
|
|
|
| octavian |
|
AND MDXXXXXX..... with built in redundancy and NO single point of failure...if you catch my drift....:D
|
|
|
| TheWorm |
|
Wayne,
Do take a pic of your neighbor's lawn and yours for comparison. I (along with many of my Bay Area brethren) would be interested in seeing what that much yard actually looks like!
In return, we'll tell you how many zero-lot-line houses we can build there ;)
|
|
|
| remery |
quote:
Originally posted by octavian
remery......I'll have you know MY cow swings both ways! :cool:
I'm sorry octavian, but the most efficient cloven mowing machine is a sheep not a bovine combine. However, on the fertilizer spectrum, I put my money your ole' Bessie.:18:
|
|
|
| mdxxxx |
quote:
Originally posted by octavian
AND MDXXXXXX..... with built in redundancy and NO single point of failure...if you catch my drift....:D
Gotha. Infrastructural flexibility and Fault tolerance at it's finest! :2: :D
|
|
|
| octavian |
|
remery, yes, sheep are good turf munchers, but not as good as what I use out in muh back yard: Ugly varmints, now, ain't they?;)
|
|
|
| TheWorm |
quote:
Originally posted by octavian
remery, yes, sheep are good turf munchers, but not as good as what I use out in muh back yard: Ugly varmints, now, ain't they?;)
Ummmmmm, I don't even wanna know any more about that!
|
|
|
| DaleB |
quote:
Originally posted by octavian
remery, yes, sheep are good turf munchers, but not as good as what I use out in muh back yard: Ugly varmints, now, ain't they?;)
My old drill sargent would have been proud!
"All I want to see are a****les and elbows!" :19: :D :5:
|
|
|
| octavian |
|
Well, they are like, as Accenture says, herding cats, but my wife likes to keep 'em around. ............You don't think.....??????:mad:
|
|
|
| mdxxxx |
quote:
Originally posted by DaleB
My old drill sargent would have been proud!
"All I want to see are a****les and elbows!" :19: :D :5:
quote:
Originally posted by octavian
Well, they are like, as Accenture says, herding cats, but my wife likes to keep 'em around. ............You don't think.....??????:mad:
LOL:2: :5: :19: :21:
|
|
|
| msu79gt82 |
|
We bought our first Lawnmower in April of 1985; splurged and bought a Honda. Cranked firat time and everytime with virtually no problem for 17 years. Finally traded it this past summer (it was still running!) for another Honda.:cool:
|
|
|
| apple904 |
|
I have a Scotts 42" rider with a Kohler 16 hp engine I bought at Home Depot 3 years ago. Great mower, super engine. Made by John Deere. It's basically a re-badged Sabre brand mower which is John Deere's less expensive brand. Mine has John Deere markings on al the parts.
Key to anyyhing you decide on is a Kohler engine IMHO. Good luck.
|
|
|
| remery |
|
MSU,
I just check and Honda no longer makes riding lawn mowers so so much for keeping things in the Honda family.
Apple,
Your almost-a-deere tractor with the great Kohler engine is a good suggestion but for one thing - the 42" deck is a bit small for a 2 acre lot unless Ace likes to spend 2-3 hours mowing.
Ace,
When I bought my first John Deere tractor 10 years ago, it was no higher priced than comparable models in other lines like Honda, Cub Cadet or Toro's Wheel Horse line. The X series is truly top of the line and carries a price to boot. I was able to trade in my old tractor for half of what I paid for it originally that reduced the financial bite. If the X series is more than you want to pay, check out some of the less expensive models or investigate getting a used one like a 440 which I believe is fuel injected. If all you are going to use it for is mowing grass, John Deere also makes a riding zero-radius model that you could compare with some of Wayne's suggestions.
|
|
|
| apple904 |
|
Agreed that a 42" deck is small for 2 acres but that was what he said he was considering. 42" is the smallest deck they carry. No problem with getting larger ones and also more HP. I think that you should be at least at 20 HP if there are truly 2 mowable acres. Don't know about Ace's location but extra HP also is great for leaves in Fall.
|
|
|
| remery |
|
Yes Apple,
You have indeed discovered one of the most important principles of lawn care - horsepower makes the job go easier! I have seen the Scott machines in Home Depot and they look really nice. Do they make a Power-Flo attachment for your tractor for leaves like they do for regular John Deere tractors? Also will John Deere service your tractor since Home Depot doesn't service what they sell?
|
|
|
| apple904 |
|
Yes, John Deere or Sabre dealers will service the Scott's mowers since they are really the same as the Sabre line in all parts. They do have the power flow attachment which works very well for cleaning up the Fall debris. My brother has one on his John Deere tractor as well. A must if you've got a lot of trees. You can see the entire Scott's line and accessories by going to the Scott's site or I think you can also find it all on the John Deere site. Haven't done it in a while myself. Doesn't Kohler make a twin cylinder engine? That would be a really nice unit. My brother's John Deere is a whole diffrent experience than my Scott's but it cost double. My blades go around in circles just like his.
By the way, BIG advantage of 3 blades over 2 on the deck. With 2 blades when grass is high, it can leave a thin line of uncut grass dead in the center gap between left and right blades. Usually if you go over 42", you get 3 blades configured in a triangle which eliminates the small dead spot. Wish I'd known that before I bought. Oh well, something to upgrade to.:D
|
|
|
| remery |
|
Apple,
I have a 48" deck with 3 blades. I order the smallest deck available for mine because I have a lot of tight spots to mow. This size deck works better than my old 54" one. You might inquire as to whether or not you could trade your 42" deck in on a larger 3-blade one. It might cost you a few bucks but it would be cheaper than buying a new tractor and then your lawn would look nicer.
My Power-Flo unit is the Cat's Meow except for the latch broke Saturday. The new bagger has a plastic frame instead of a metal one like the old 425. The very end snapped off where the lid latch snaps on. This is the only design change they made for the new tractor line up that was bad. They will fix it under warranty but I know it will break again because it is a high stress point and plastic is the wrong type of material for that service.
|
|
|
| apple904 |
|
I have been thinking about getting the larger deck. Only reason I haven't checked it out is that I store the tractor in a storage shed and the extra 6" would make it a little more difficult. I also want to make sure my rear bagger and power-flo will still fir. I have a feeling they won't and if so, forget it! The deck would be the cheap compared to those 2 items!!:eek:
|
|
|
| xcel |
Hi All:
___Just got back from the East Coast the other day …
___Here is the front corner of our home … Notice the cut lines going up to the front? This was cut ~ 5 weeks ago (last cut of the season) with the 48” Ex-Mark Metro. Don’t mind my Golden as she just wanted to be in the picture :)
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___ Waynegerdes@earthlink.net
|
|
|
| xcel |
Hi All:
___Here is a rear view of our home from our master bath’s window … Notice the cut lines heading out the back? Again, this was cut ~ 5 weeks ago with the 48” Ex-Mark Metro.
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___ Waynegerdes@earthlink.net
|
|
|
| xcel |
Hi All:
___And this is the neighbor’s kitty corner from us who use a 2 yr. Old Deere 40 something and the last cut was ~ 4 weeks ago. They also own an X if that helps ;) Look at the lines … look at the color change across the cut ... The lawn tractor decks don’t float properly for a flat cut.
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___ Waynegerdes@earthlink.net
|
|
|
| xcel |
Hi All:
___Here is another shot of their home from the street showing the poor cut of the Deere … There are three other neighbors on our block that cut with 10 to 1 yr. old Deere’s and as usual, the worst cuts on the block come from these 4 each and every time :(
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___ Waynegerdes@earthlink.net
|
|
|
| xcel |
Hi All:
___And finally, when you go looking for a turf cutter, head to a shop that specializes in such gear. Its been a while since I had a look at the latest Deere’s but I know last year they used poorly built spindles (non-serviceable - no ZIRK fittings) for regular grease maintenance as well as shallow depth decks on their 48” walk behinds. Deere may have fixed this in the last few months but building Turf equipment as long as they have, I think this should have been fixed 10 years ago as this is when SCAG in particular became the mower of choice way back when. Hopefully Deere has recognized the error of their ways but I can only hypothesize and given their history, I doubt it. I should probably be careful here since I am not a Deere walk –behind expert and for all I know, the shop I had visited may have had ancient models on the floor for all I know? In either case, look at the Professional cutters used in your own neighborhood. Ex-Mark’s, SCAG’s, and Bobcat Professionals, own Northern Illinois and rightfully so …
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___ Waynegerdes@earthlink.net
|
|
|
| hockeyplayer |
|
Nice Shack Wayne! I would post a picture of the outside of mine but would get mugged standing in the backlane taking a picture of MY window of the detention center:) And welcome back. I was asking where you were a couple days ago. Your lawn had better look good for the line of work you are in.
__miss your posts:)
Your X should be there soon huh? :)
|
|
|
| mdxxxx |
|
xcel,
Impressive acerage. My boys would run themselves ragged playing on a built in football and soccer field all day!
:)
|
|
|
| remery |
|
Wayne,
Beautiful house and yard. But imagine it with 2 inches of oak, hickory, and maple leaves over the entire acreage. Add a 5% to 8% average grade and that's my yard. So what would your walk behind mower do to pick them up, and not grind them into the grass?
|
|
|
| xcel |
Hi Remery:
___Fortunately, I only have 2 customers with this problem. I use a 60 cc Echo Professional back-pack blower to move the leaves where I want them (on top of huge tarps and we place the tarps in the back of the Landscaping truck) and off to the dump they go … You can also use your mowers discharge to roundup the leaves so to speak. This is where the powerful discharge of a professional mower can come in handy although it is not optimum. Blade tip speed of the Ex-Mark’s are 500 fpm above the OSHA std. of 18,000 and this leaves a nice discharge flow for things like moving leaves. My sister and brother in laws home is backed up against a ravine and they also have an Oak and Maple leave problem so huge as to be almost unmanageable in the late fall. They borrow my backpack blower to clear them now as well. They used to use their Lawn Tractor and ATV towing a leaf catcher until I turned them onto the back pack blower. They have borrowed it every year since in early November ;) As you have probably found out, decaying Oak leaves are acidic and are about the worst thing you can leave on your homes turf over the winter …
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___ Waynegerdes@earthlink.net
|
|
|
| remery |
|
Wayne,
Thanks for the info which is how I thought you would handle the leaves with that type of equipment. My neighbor's service did basically the same thing only they did not haul the leaves away. I have a vacuum attachment that goes on my mowing deck that picks the leaves up after they have been ground up by the blades. My other neighbors have either a Trak Vac or a pull behind lawn sweeper to pick their leaves up. We all have oaks so we have to pick the leaves up and not grind them into the lawn. Then there's the acorns every two years!:3:
|
|
|
| BaldEagle |
|
Wayne, good to see you back on the board again. Hope you had a good vacation.
I have a couple of questions:
1. Cut lines. You still have cut lines after 5 weeks? I cut my modest lawn (about 1000 sq. ft) on Sunday this week and the cut lines were gone by Tuesday. I could barely see them on Monday.
2. Remery mention in his last post not mulching oak leaves. Is it bad to do this. I mulched a few last week and have some more that I planned on mulching back into the grass. You can hardly see them after mulching. Is this bad for the lawn? (hate to wear out the leaf blower, need it to dry the MDX.)
Also, last week when I used the leaf blower on leaves in the road my neighbors looked at me funny, just like they did when I first started using it for the X.
|
|
|
| xcel |
Hi BaldEagle:
___Yes, when the lawns here go dormant (it gets really cold here ;)), cut lines will stay the rest of the winter if you leave your grass just a bit longer than the length you would have after a fresh cut. I always let mine and my customers turf grow just enough so that it still looks well cared for but not freshly cut as this promotes a healthier root system if there is any growth on those days when it will be above 50 degrees from that last cut. There are always a few days like this after October 15 here but not that many :( I will post a pic in the January/February time frame out the back so you can see a totally dormant (mostly brown) lawn that still has the cut lines. Doesn’t it get cold and stay that way all winter where you live? If so, a professional cutter will do the same to your own lawn in your locale.
___If you have just a scattering of Oaks, you can mulch them back into the turf but if you have quite a few layers (when you can’t see the grass underneath), it is best to remove them as they decay and are acidic. This does not make for a healthy spring lawn in my experience.
___As for the leaf blower … just like they started using a leaf blower to dry their own cars after watching you do your X, when they see you have the best lawn on the block, they will begin to remove the Oak leaf debris as well ;)
___I forgot one other item. Always – Always – Always cross cut as turf has memory. I use a 90 degree alternating cross cut every other week with a mid-summer 2 cross cutting just 45 degrees off the all year long angles. It will help preserve the nice look of your lawn if you have the room to do this. Just think of making an X with one stick of the X one week and the other stick of the X the next. With a home laid out flat to the street, a cut 45 degrees to the street with alternating cuts every other week looks best. As you can see from my home, I set its face to the front corner so it doesn’t fit in my case. With everyone else with homes flat to the street, I always cut 45 degrees to the street alternating 90 degrees every week all year long. I can post a pic of one of my customer’s home sites with this type of cut if you want …
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___ Waynegerdes@earthlink.net
|
|
|
| renov8r |
Wayne:
Doesn't your mower also have a rolling cutter bar to stabilize the deck?
I know that many pro mowers have a much more extensive "suspension" to maintain the blade to turf clearence. The action of the suspension also folds the grass much more, leading to those long lasting 'cut patterns'.
I heard that Ariens USED to make a roller for my walk behind, but now none or available.
My wife would LOVE to see a "ballpark pattern" in our back yard... http://www.simplicitymfg.com/mellor.htm
quote:
Originally posted by xcel
Hi BaldEagle:
___Yes, when the lawns here go dormant (it gets really cold here ;)), cut lines will stay the rest of the winter if you leave your grass just a bit longer than the length you would have after a fresh cut. I always let mine and my customers turf grow just enough so that it still looks well cared for but not freshly cut as this promotes a healthier root system if there is any growth on those days when it will be above 50 degrees from that last cut. There are always a few days like this after October 15 here but not that many :( I will post a pic in the January/February time frame out the back so you can see a totally dormant (mostly brown) lawn that still has the cut lines. Doesn’t it get cold and stay that way all winter where you live? If so, a professional cutter will do the same to your own lawn in your locale.
___If you have just a scattering of Oaks, you can mulch them back into the turf but if you have quite a few layers (when you can’t see the grass underneath), it is best to remove them as they decay and are acidic. This does not make for a healthy spring lawn in my experience.
___As for the leaf blower … just like they started using a leaf blower to dry their own cars after watching you do your X, when they see you have the best lawn on the block, they will begin to remove the Oak leaf debris as well ;)
___I forgot one other item. Always – Always – Always cross cut as turf has memory. I use a 90 degree alternating cross cut every other week with a mid-summer 2 cross cutting just 45 degrees off the all year long angles. It will help preserve the nice look of your lawn if you have the room to do this. Just think of making an X with one stick of the X one week and the other stick of the X the next. With a home laid out flat to the street, a cut 45 degrees to the street with alternating cuts every other week looks best. As you can see from my home, I set its face to the front corner so it doesn’t fit in my case. With everyone else with homes flat to the street, I always cut 45 degrees to the street alternating 90 degrees every week all year long. I can post a pic of one of my customer’s home sites with this type of cut if you want …
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net
|
|
|
| xcel |
Hi Renov8r:
___I do not use a roller attachment behind my equipment as it is not needed in my application. Many of the Pro mowing manufacturers sell rollers but most are used only in ball parks as you have surmised. You can see them on the Ex-Mark web site if you were interested. The lay patterns cut with Professional mowers appear after every cut so a roller is not needed … again, in my applications. Just make sure you cross-cut to remove the memory and you will also have a beautiful looking lawn for the neighbors to admire.
___As for the suspension and such. Most Professional walk-behinds decks are integrated with the axles/wheels/scalp wheels so they float per the terrain immediately around the blades unlike a lawn tractors float with the tractors wheels doing one thing and the deck doing another. At that point, you are relying on the scalp wheels on the deck of the lawn tractor and that is not necessarily a good thing time and time again. That and most of the poorly constructed lawn tractor decks are either missing anti-scalp wheels or there are not enough to float the deck properly in the first place.
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___ Waynegerdes@earthlink.net
|
|
|
| DoctorKrel |
Gentlemen and Ladies:
This is a first post and it relates to a wonderful thread that you all ran for a few months last year about off topic lawn mowing. I found it very helpful and more than a little entertaining. I came across your thread as I am researching what to do about caring for our new "estate" (moved in October, 2002). I moved from Albuquerque where a very small yard was mostly xeriscaped and hence I have a weed wacker but no mower.
I was trying to get opinions from friends, and reading consumer reports (which rates as best gear drive lawn tractors the Sabre 1438GS by John Deere ($1460), then the Cub Cadet 1000 Series 1170 ($1800), then the John Deere LT133 ($2000)---and as best hydrostatic lawn tractors the White Outdoor LT 1650 ($1800), the John Deere Spin Steer SST-16 ($4300), the Husqvarna YTH1542XP ($2000), then Toro Wheel Horse 16-38 HXL ($2000), the Cub Cadet 2000 Series 2166 ($3400), and then the John Deere LT155 ($2500). Date of over-all review in May 2002.
But I grew up on a farm in Iowa and I found myself drawn to the John Deere's mostly because they're solid green and pretty. Cost--$2600 or $4800 for the JD L130 or the JD G100.
Then I figured I'd need a self propelled / push mower for the elevated pad around the house. Once again Consumer Reports best recommendations (all 21 inch platforms) John Deere JX75 ($800), Craftsman 37779 ($500), Honda Harmony HRB216TXA ($700), Honda Masters HR215K1HXA ($950), Honda Harmony HRB216TDA ($640), and John Deere JS63C ($410).
Like they say, "a thousand or two here and a thousand or two there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money."
I have learned that running a search in newsgroups can yield some great unbiased information, and that's how I found you guys. And I started reading about all of your postings and found them helpful--and then excel's postings and information on the Ex-Mark and Scag zero-turn stuff seemed to strike a nerve. And I started thinking that it made sense--and maybe I could just have one mower for less money that was faster and more efficient and better built ......
So here's the situation, and any advice or opinions would be greatly appreciated....and I sincerely APOLOGIZE for the length of this posting but I wanted to give you all the info that could possibly be helpful and hopefully hear from a few of you so that I can make a decision in the next week or ten days (I can almost hear the grass growing)......
The plot: which is an 2 acre yard in Peralta, New Mexico (high plains desert, about 4800 ft altitude, rectangular plot, all flat and k-31 (a fescue) except for the house which sits on a roughly 3 foot elevated pad of ground which is planted in bluegrass and which runs about 30 feet from the house on all sides and slopes a little into railroad ties that separate the elevated house pad from the remainder of the 2 acre lot). Designed originally to flood irrigate the lower larger portion of the lot, and sprinkler irrigate the pad around the house. I will probably continue to do this until I can afford to put in sprinklers for the entire lot. Right now there are 6 or 7 15 to 18 foot trees on the bluegrass pad the house sits on, and one huge old cottonwood on the rest of the lot (which still is holding on to it's last years dead leaves--apparently common with very old well-established trees).
The water: sprinklers on bluegrass every other day in spring, summer, fall. Humidity here less than 10 percent so grass is surface dry by 10 AM. Flood irrigate remainder of land (about 85 percent of the 2 acres) every two weeks with standing ground water of a couple three inches for a day or two trying to achieve a good ground moisture level down 8 to 10 inches (I'm told this is what I'm doing---????).
The soil: in the Rio Grande basin, but a lot of clay and alkaline and generally fair to poor in organic matter (nothing like the loam of Iowa but better than 80 percent of the rest of the desert sand in New Mexico). So I hope to mulch, or collect and compost and mulch--and aerate--and build up the soil. I plan to landscape in different garden areas into the yard. I plan to plant a lot of trees. A pond. A pool. (I plan to be buried here.)
The players: a 49 year old guy who works inside all week as a doc who loves the dirt and his "place" and wants to get dirty and take care of things but who doesn't have much "disposable" time that isn't already due to his wife, his 3 year old son, and his soon to be born daughter. So a couple hours a week committed to yard and landscape would be OK, but not more than that. Also I would like my son to "move the old man out" of mowing, etc. when he is old enough, so I don't know if the zero turn stuff is a problem in that regard.
The problems as I think about it: Would a 48 or 54 inch walk behind professional zero turn be all that I would need? Would I need a little 21 inch for parts of the pad around the house? (I don't think so but I don't know about maneuvering a 48 or 54 inch platform around little trees, etc.) (I have a Polaris Sportsman 500 with a cup holder if I need to drive to Starbucks--GGRRIINN!!) I don't mind walking and could use the exercise--and the velke or sulky sound fine if I change my mind.
Is this type of rig OK for a 10 year old boy to use (if that seems to be the right thing for his skill level at the time--and if there are good safety features with these zero turn rigs).
The closest Ex-Mark dealer is 250 miles away in either Colorado Springs, Colorado, or in Amarillo, Texas. Is that too far? (seems like it is). There is listed a SCAG dealer in Albuquerque so that would be fine. This would especially seem to be true is I purchased a used zero-turn walk behind (repairs). I'm not an idiot but I am not a mechanic either and time is very precious (more precious than a few extra bucks really--so maybe used isn't good????). I haven't looked for Bobcat stuff since no specific models were mentioned but there is a lot of Bobcat equipment and dealers all around here.
Thanks for putting up with the length of this, and thanks in advance for any and all opinions and suggestions.
David D. Schneider
mower-less in Peralta, New Mexico
from excel
___I may actually know what I am talking about in this discussion
___For a two acre lawn, you really should consider a Zero-Turn Professional walk behind in a 48” or 52” width or even a ride on Zero-Turn mower. A lawn tractor not only cuts terribly in comparison but also takes more time than a walk behind and cannot cut close to anything as far as edges worth a damn. If the walk behind part scares you, you can purchase a Sulky to sit on or better yet, a velke to ride on while behind your mower to keep your productivity up. Once you use a Professional walk behind, you will quickly understand why Landscapers use them and why the lawns they cut with them look so much better than one cut with any rider.
___If you always cut in dry conditions, the ExMark Metro is one of the best. It is not only fast and inexpensive but leaves about the best cut I have seen this side of a maintenance heavy powered reel mower. If you mow while it’s damp or even in the rain, a Scag SW is one the best all-purpose walk behinds IMO. Relatively cheap and fast plus it’s really rugged given what I consider the best blade spindles in the business. The SCAG still leaves an exacting professional cut but a professional will see the difference between the two machines cuts up close. The average homeowner wouldn’t know the difference between the two professional mower cuts if that helps you decide. If you want a professional looking cut in half the time, spend < 3K on a Professional walk behind mower. If you want “an also ran” type lawn and waste more time cutting it, spend the bucks on a junk cutting rider. Longevity wise, the professional mowers will outlast any consumer based riders available.
___I am posting a pic of the SCAG SW and a one wheeled red Velke in the first row. In the second, an ExMark Metro and an ExMark Sulky. In the third, a two wheeled red Velke and a one wheeled orange Velke for your review.
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net
w offering. [/B][/QUOTE]
|
|
|
| octavian |
|
Honda Harmony HRB216TXA ($700)....a course, down heah in Texas, we prefer to ride our mowers from behind, not on top.
PS There is NO double entendre intended. Those of you who think there is ought to be side saddled with a sagebrush.;)
|
|
|
| xcel |
Hi DoctorKrel:
___2 acres with a 21” mower would be suicide. Don’t even think about it even with the latest in self propelled autonomy. 48” would be my minimum and you will still spend 2 + hours for the cut, trim, and weeding if you run like the wind. If you walk like most of us 40 yr. olds, you are probably looking at a 3 + hour ordeal each and every week. This is simply too long to get much enjoyment from the activity as it is more like running a Marathon than a relaxing jaunt. Given the $2000 type budget, the only advice I can offer would be the ExMark Metro at a tad above your target price. You will spend a bit more on the SCAG but for the Professional; the SCAG spindles are truly bulletproof. You however will never go though an ExMark spindle in your lifetime with a greasing even as little as once every two or three months. I have seen some of the Deere spindles on various decks in the past and they are not professional grade. This may have changed as I stated above last year but I highly doubt it.
___As for cutting edges and such, it depends on how you landscape your lawn. If you create tight tree and shrub beds so close to one another that you need a 21” mower to get between them, you will have to purchase one. If you create beds for the acreage you own, a 48” walk behind will not be a problem I the least. The overhang of a walk behind will easily cut 3” or so past the edge of the wheels if that is what you are concerned with. Remember however that a walk behind can be a tiring experience given you are going to be pulled given their forward speed capabilities during those times you are making up time for some other activity.
___Since you will be controlling your lawns water requirements, you can get by with the ExMark’s year round given their will be no period in which you will not get a supreme cut. In my area, the early spring rains force me to the SCAG and than the Metro and Lazer for the summer months. A consumers use of a professional mower makes me think you won’t have any trouble with your gear for at least 10 years if you store your Lawn equipment over the winter months properly.
___Finally, a consumer with 2 + acres should really consider a Zero-Turn mid-mount rider like the ExMark Lazer HP. I know they are out of your budget but with 2 + acres, you are heading for a rider anyway and a properly sizes Deere will cost you even more. You get the same overlap as a zero-turn walk behind but you can finish up a 2 acre lawn in < 1 hour quite easily if you design your landscaping beds properly. Cutting with a 52” Lazer HP as an example at almost 10 mph is more fun than riding a Go-Cart if that helps convince the wife that you really need the speed!
PS: They come std. with a cup holder as well ;)
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___ Waynegerdes@earthlink.net
|
|
|
| jswift2000 |
|
My wife and I have 1.25 acres and, when we first moved in, we only had a 16" self propelled mower. It was the worst experience of my entire life when I mowed it the first time, which took me about 3.5 hours. I was luck enough to receive a free tractor from a friends brother in law and it cut (no pun intended) my cutting time down to 45 minutes.
With a large lawn, a tractor is invaluable. Sears makes a great tractor as does John Deere. You need to analyze your requirements and see what else can you use it for - snow plowing/snow throwing, carting, etc.
$2000 seems like a lot of cash but if you look at it in costs per year it will comes down to about $200/year, assuming the tractor lasts 10 years (mine is 15 years old and still running strong).
|
|
|
| DoctorKrel |
Gentlemen:
Thank you for your prompt and helpful replies. As I posted yesterday I did not indicate my true budget range--which is different than my wife's budget range for me--but both of us agree that she will not be maintaining the lawn so I have some freedom here IF I feel comfortable that I am doing the right thing for a long range investment that provides good service and maintains free time for family. I will share info from these posts with my wife as we work out a decision. She does not want me to purchase something and then be unhappy with what I bought and then want to buy something else -- or be fatigued with doing the "lawn job" a year later because of poor equipment planning or purchase. Wise woman
Total budget could be $6,000 to $8,000 -- perhaps could work a bit more if purchased for reduction of time to maintain lawn. The Laser rider looked good. The smaller type SCAG rider a possibility since it may be available in Albuquerque (cf. 225 miles for ExMark stuff)? Distance isn't a problem really with the truck and/or a trailor if there is good reason to stick to ExMark. Bobcat rider?
I can plan for no tight beds for easy maintenance.
New vs. used?
OK for son when he's older?
(I am blessed with a powered, heated, and plumbed 40 foot by 80 foot insulated steel shed on one end of the property so storage is not a problem for any size equipment).
I don't mean to sound as if I've made up my mind NOT to do the John Deere tractor or other more traditional stuff, but I thoroughly enjoy researching whatever I get involved in and am a bit of a perfectionist about doing it right (I am more of a perfectionist about the equipment purchase than about whether my lawn looks like excels -- it won't :-) and that's OK.
Also, Exmark has a productivity chart at http://www.exmark.com/productivity.htm
that seemed helpful in thinking about time to mow and variabilities like speed of travel and width of cut.
Mowerless in Peralta,
DoctorKrel
David D. Schneider
|
|
|
| remery |
|
DoctorKrel,
This is what you want only get the 54" or 60" deck compared with my 48" one since you have plenty of room maneuver compare with my lot. This baby will set you back some dinero but the 4W steering will allow it to make almost as short radius turns as the zero-radius ones Wayne recommends. I use mine year round since I have a leave vacuum attachment and a 46" snow blower. This is the top of the line for John Deere but they make smaller 4WS models that cost less.
|
|
|
| DoctorKrel |
|
Gentlemen:
Thank you for your suggestions. Now, in the home stretch:
A last years or two new JD 425 with a 40 loader and a 54" mower with large tires and a JD owner owned heavey weight rack.. V-twin Kamasaki bu no fule injection.
A new X485 AWS Garder Tractor with 25 hp Vtwin with 54C mower bed. Liquidcool. Fuel injection. Two function hydralics $11,325.67.
Any discussion re the diesel models, 495 and 595? 400 series comes two wheel and all wheel steer. 500 series is all wheel drive.
Decision point is that all I need to do is efficientyly cut and thatch or cut and remove two acrea of fairly flat ground. But I could see a front loader to scrape up all the prior owners poorly placed and poor looking landscape rock (placed on black plastic.) I'll need to remove multiple area and then use fabric --and the loader to carry in from the edge of the yard from the big pile of rock brought in for a better look.
A GX335 air cooled JD tractor marked down from $7600 to $6693 including tax. (last years).
A 1985 used (hours unknown) TD420 with liquid cooled Kawasaki twin but no fuel injection. Complete with triple hydraulics, 54" mower, 54" dual hydraulics, snowblower. Rear mechanical PTO. Tractor Cab. All $6300.
Ford 1210 Diesel with 48 ' tow behind mower. $6,700
John Deere TD 2210 4 wheel drive with 54 inch mid mower. $13,100 and $2400 for 210C fron loader.
G110
|
|
|
| DoctorKrel |
|
JD Tractors G110 $1800
LT 150 $2300
G100 $4300 (this may be a better deal than the GX
335 since the G100 has a bigger engine
and cutting blade.
Finally a zero-turn Woods G40 that was purchased two years ago (? for about $4850 but has just set and he would like to move it out for about $2500. Looks brand new.
And a talk to the Scag/ExMark dealer suggests that the best they had was a "ProMark"--may have been something very different--but wasn't bobcat, exmark or scag--for about $6500 (this was through Aragon's Landscape in Albuquerque.
The idea of the big purchase that solved multiple problems (or at least offered lots of fun things to do ) is attractive. Most of these prices are 0% down, 0% payments for 6 months, and then 5.0 or 6.9 % apr with no prepayment penalty. This is about $132/mo for a $6600 machine for 60 months. It is about $218 per month for 60 months for a $11,300 loan.
There are also actions of used equipment around the country.
I would appriciate any of your recommendations regarding the above stock and general approach. I have been told that a loader cannot be mounted on an AWS (all wheel steer), and that loaders can only be placed on 400 and 500 series JD tractors (or larger eg. 2100, 4000).
Maybe the simplist mower for now, and later the big purchase.
Maybe the quickest mower, zeroturn (which ones would you suggest for mid-rider?) that would get the job done quickly every week, and if I wanted a tractor I could get an old Ford-D or Kubota, or whatever in the used market to fool with "Loading" and scraping.
Sorry so long again, and I do appriciate all of your feedback. It would be less difficult is there weren't several other high priority items in the works! (drill irrigation well or two, pump ), limited or full air for the house, and of course a daughter as the new addition due in May
|
|
|
| remery |
|
DoctorKrel,
If you want a front end loader for your tractor, you cannot go with the AWS models because their suspension prohibits attachement of that piece of equipment. Also, don't focus so much on price as functionality. You will be keeping this piece of equipment for 10-15 years so keep that in mind. Go with fuel injection over carburation for the John Deere tractors and forget about diesels since they offer no advantage in this size tractor unless you already have diesel equipment and have fuel storage. Also the new X-series tractors have newly design mowing decks that do a much better job of mowing than the ones on the old 400 series and are not interchangeable with that series either. The 425 that I traded in on my X485 was purchased used with 14 hours on it after coming off a 1-year lease. Check out with your JD dealer if any customers leased X-series tractors for 1 year and see if any will be coming off lease in the next few months. This can save you some money and still get a great tractor. If you will have leaves to pick up in the fall, check out a PowerFlow unit for the JD which hooks onto the mowing deck and acts as a vacuum. If you have a long driveway and need to remove snow, investigate the snowblower attachment. The single stage 46" blower does a great job and thus you do not have to spend the extra money for the 47" 2-stage model. Finally, I bought my X-485 with 9-months same as cash which means I got the tractor in June 02 and didn't have to pay anything until March 1, '03. JD has some really attractive financing like that which I am not sure other vendors offer so check that out also.
|
|
|
| BlueStreak |
|
Zero-turn, cup holders, 4-wheel steering, cell phone adapters - too much techno for me.
I'm sticking with my 1963 Wheel Horse Garden Tractor. Solid steel, no plastic of any kind, cuts great, and just might have more steel in it than my 03 MDX. Yes, this tractor weighs a ton and can pull my 19' boat out of the garage, but the old Kohler engine just keeps going. Put new rings in it about 10 years ago and compression was like a new motor.
I was considering buying a Honda tractor a couple years ago but I just couldn't retire the old Wheel Horse. Then Honda quits making riding mowers.
Greg
03 SS/Quartz/Nav/Res
|
|
|
| Dr.X |
|
I am in the Los Angeles area and am selling my Honda Harmony Hydrostatic Drive Riding Mower (Moving to a home with a much smaller yard!)
|
|
|
|
