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Posted: 4/27/2024 11:45:51 PM EDT
Got a 20 year old Cub Cadet with a Kawasaki motor that has been one of the best mowers I've seen, but the thing is steadily trying to fall apart and the parts are not really cheap.
Anything out there with a wider than 21" cut and good reliability? Sure I would like a Gravely or something zero turn, but I just can't justify it for a 1/2 acre. |
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[#1]
I was gonna recommend a 20 year old Deere garden tractor lol.
But if you want something new any shitbox from a local shitbox hardware store will do for 1/2 acre provided you upkeep it. |
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[#2]
Something that size , I’d probably look for a single blade Snapper in the 30” cut. You can usually find them used in good condition. Good and simple little mower.
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Lead, follow, or get the flock out of the way
SC, USA
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[#3]
Can't go wrong with a John Deere... built like tanks for the long haul.
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NorCal_LEO call sign: Armour
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[#4]
Find a John Deere 420, 430, 655, or 755 lawn tractor from the 1980’s. I had a 420 that I basically used as a light brush hog the first 5 years we had the farm.
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"The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there."
L.P. Hartley |
I am Government Man, come from the government.
PA, USA
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[#5]
Originally Posted By panzersergeant: Can't go wrong with a John Deere... built like tanks for the long haul. View Quote The higher series lawn tractors anyway. I have a 738, and it was stupid expensive but is an absolute sturdy tank. Great with a plow for snow in the winter too. My dad has some box store 100 series. It's not going to last. |
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[#6]
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Wanted: Cool sig line. Apply within.
Call sign: Cinderblock |
[#7]
I'd push mow a half acre.
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"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives."-Abba Eban
"I like it both ways, but still mainly mouth it" -gonzo_beyondo |
[#8]
For my brush stuff /woodsline I use an old John Deere 14SB with a Kawasaki engine. Cast aluminum deck and the engine is a beast.
You'll want to look into older model mowers. New ones are built like the shitty grills you find at home Depot |
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[#9]
i just gave my dad my 15yr old husqvara that still looks and runs like new. after 15 years i just rebuilt the deck when a spindle failed. mower was used to cut about an acre. replaced it with a husqvarna ZT.
i am a husqvarna fan for mowers. |
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[#10]
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[#11]
Which round for bullet proof?
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Words fall from your mouth like shit from ass.
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[#12]
10 year old Husqvarna riding mower I have abused the shift out of. My neighbor asked if I had been mowing gravel last years when helping me change the blades.
Nope. But there's all kinds of sticks and stumps to hit back there. Attached File |
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[Last Edit: Kharn]
[#13]
Originally Posted By panzersergeant: Can't go wrong with a John Deere... built like tanks for the long haul. View Quote 300 series, with a Kawasaki engine, at a minimum. I love my X350 and my yard is some very tough hills for a half acre. 500 can do some ground-engaging tasks, 700 can do anything. Kharn |
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[#14]
FW15
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[Last Edit: RodMI]
[#15]
Push mower Scag SFC30 there is nothing under 2K maybe a Honda NOS?
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[#16]
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[Last Edit: WDEagle]
[#17]
Husky had discontinued the 48" model of the 300 series but apparently has reintroduced it. The 3oo series features are awesome.
Attached File |
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WAR DAMN EAGLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!
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[#18]
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[#19]
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[Last Edit: FunnyStar]
[#20]
If you have reason to exercise you can go the opposite route and get one of these - https://www.lowes.com/pd/CRAFTSMAN-14-in-5-Blade-Reel-Lawn-Mower-with-Adjustable-Height-and-Bagger-Steel-Deck-Lightweight-Manual-Push-Mower/5014827169. I bet by the end of summer people will be commenting on you instead of your lawn.
My 21" walk be behind broke. GF found a used 18" Craftsman push on Marketplace to $120. It was pretty much brand new, but it does take me a good 15 minutes more to more. The difference of 3" in deck width surprised me. I actually like the push mower better because I can run behind it if I want and go any speed. The walk behind was pretty much one speed which I ran as fast as I could. I like mowing my lawn and it takes me about an hour now. I mow my yard twice as much as my neighbors who some don't seem to mow at all. I live at the edge of a small city in a neighborhood with a lot of postage sized lots. I laughed last summer on one summer weekend with all the weekend yard enthusiast outside tending their yards. One 300+ pounds guy with no shirt on of course sitting on a large yard tractor making his third pass just kicking up dust on a 50'x100' lot his house sits in the middle of it. Two houses down a skinny guy is pushing his mower across beautiful green grass. GF and I were laughing thinking they should switch yards and make the big guy push and give the little guy a rest. |
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[#21]
Originally Posted By WDEagle: Husky had discontinued the 48" model of the 300 series but apparently has reintroduced it. The 3oo series features are awesome. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/174498/Screenshot_2024-04-28_082535_png-3200143.JPG View Quote |
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[#22]
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I'm not always a dick, just kidding, go fuck yourself.
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[#23]
Find a nice lightly used commercial walk behind, Ferris a good one, 48'' is the one I found last year with a 15 HP kawasaki. That set up and yard size is perfect for a quality walk behind.
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Liberals are a curious mix of communism and fascism, they want to destroy you but want to use your own money to do it.
I'm getting down to the last box, the other have all been destroyed... |
[#24]
Jd 318
It can cut trees down with it About 600 to 1200 bucks |
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[Last Edit: gotigers]
[#25]
Rough half acre, a disposable small zero turn. Maybe Cub Cadet's cheaper 48". Run the shit out of it until it breaks. You might be surprised. A buddy with 5 rough acres had one 10 years.
otherwise any 24hp riding mower. I had a craftsman 15 years and mowed 3 acres with it for a couple of years. It was slow, but did the job. My 3 acres is fuckin rough. |
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I'm not always a dick, just kidding, go fuck yourself.
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[#26]
I have a half acre lot in the city and use a self propelled Honda HRX217.
Any bigger and I'd definitely want a riding mower but the self propelled Honda works well though it's a good hour/hour and half of mowing. I throw my ear buds in, blank out the world for an hour and get r done. |
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[#27]
1/2 acre mostly wooded? So between the house footprint and trees you’re actually cutting maybe 1/8 acre? Find a commercial push mower and go to it. Toro makes a 30inch I think.
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[#28]
Originally Posted By Kharn: 300 series, with a Kawasaki engine, at a minimum. I love my X350 and my yard is some very tough hills for a half acre. 500 can do some ground-engaging tasks, 700 can do anything. Kharn View Quote This. As I started reading OP's post, my first thought was an X320 with a 48" deck. Inexpensive and bulletproof. I use an X340 with a 54" deck on 4 acres of rough land and it's been flawless for 15 years other than replacing blades (I'm a stick grinder) every few years and a drive belt once. |
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[Last Edit: WDEagle]
[#29]
Originally Posted By DarkLordVader: I have a craftsman badged husky like that. Mine was about the give up the ghost after about 8-9 years. The stamped frame was cracked. My son welded a bunch of plate steel into the frame and swapped out the hydrostatic transmission oil, so its good to go. So far 2 more years. It can probably provide some protection against pistol calibers and maybe small anti-personal mines in the uparmored spots. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By DarkLordVader: Originally Posted By WDEagle: Husky had discontinued the 48" model of the 300 series but apparently has reintroduced it. The 3oo series features are awesome. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/174498/Screenshot_2024-04-28_082535_png-3200143.JPG Prior to getting my Husqvarna TS 348XD, I also had the Craftsman rebadged Husky mower. That mower is based on the Husky 200 series of mowers. The Husky 300 series is head and shoulders better then the 200 series. The Craftsman lasted me 10 years. When I got the Husky, I gave the Craftsman to my neighbor. He replaced the spindles and gave it to a friend's son who was starting a lawn service. I saw him cutting a yard in the neighborhood last week with it, three years after I got rid of it. |
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WAR DAMN EAGLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!
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[Last Edit: WDEagle]
[#30]
Previous Thread
My quote from that thread. I have the TS 348XD. Night and day difference between the "big box " mowers and the TS 300 series. The TS100 & TS200 are more akin to the big box mowers. 24 HP Kawasaki engine Electric locking rear differential keeps both rear tires moving in unison Provides unmatched traction on inclines and wet, slippery conditions Pedal-Operated Tuff Torq K66 ELD Hydrostatic Transmission Automatically adjusts speed for seamless vehicle-like acceleration 16-inch turning radius is ideal for maneuvering in tight yards More durable and low-maintenance than manual or automatic transmissions 48-Inch Fabricated (Welded) Steel ClearCut™ Deck Rugged 10-gauge welded steel design 6 height-of-cut settings ranging from 1" - 4" to choose from 6 anti-scalp wheels to prevent scalping on uneven terrain 3 mower blades with greaseable mandrels and washout port Deck Washout Port Keep the grass clippings in the yard and out of your storage area Simply connect a garden hose to the mower deck and rinse away Brushguard Included Protects the heart of your mower - the engine A must-have for those looking to operate in close quarters Balance & Stability Features a cast-iron front axle and dual draglinks Provides a better overall balance and tighter turning radius 3 Year Bumper 2 Bumper Warranty View Quote |
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WAR DAMN EAGLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!
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[#31]
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[#32]
I've got a couple of 10+ yr old toro time master self propelled walk behinds 30" wide. The only thing that has worn out so far are tires and the shaft spindles. A set of tires was under $100 online and the spindles were $20-25 each and easy to replace. They've done 3-5 yards a week since new.
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[#33]
I have a 1/4 acre of thick ass St. augustine grass.
I push mowed it for years and last year said fuck it and bought a scag 36" ZT. It only has 2800 hydros so I prolly gonna die but its a beast. Wish I would have gotten it years earlier. I kept the push mower for the small fenced side yard. |
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[#34]
Originally Posted By WDEagle: Husky had discontinued the 48" model of the 300 series but apparently has reintroduced it. The 3oo series features are awesome. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/174498/Screenshot_2024-04-28_082535_png-3200143.JPG View Quote Negative Ghost Rider. OP said it was mostly wooded. He’d be driving figure 8’s and circles all damn day trying to mow around all the trees in tight. Go with a zero turn. I have the same mower as you OP. About the same age. When I’m due for a new one which is soon it will be a SCAG. Buy once cry once. assuming OP has a SCAG dealer that’s reputable close by. Otherwise go with a similar quality dealership that’s close. |
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"There are two things we should fight for. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the Bill of Rights. War for any other reason is simply a racket." MajGen Smedley Butler, USMC
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[#35]
Originally Posted By gotigers: JD yard mowers are the same as the home depot brand and not made by JD. View Quote That's incorrect. All John Deere riding mowers are made by John Deere. The big box store models are not as high of durability(the deck being one of the biggest differences) as the models sold in actual John Deere dealerships, however. I believe Home Depot branded models are made by MTD. |
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[#36]
When I was on a 1/2 ac lot with some slopes and a fair amount of trees I used a Toro mower similar to this - was still going strong when I sold it 10 years later.
https://www.toro.com/en/product/21332 |
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[#37]
1/2 acre sub lot here; although mostly grass. I've has a Simplicity Regent 38" cut for almost 20 years with a few repairs here & there. Simplicitys are very cheap in the used marketplace....
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[#38]
Originally Posted By Racer_X: That's incorrect. All John Deere riding mowers are made by John Deere. The big box store models are not as high of durability(the deck being one of the biggest differences) as the models sold in actual John Deere dealerships, however. I believe Home Depot branded models are made by MTD. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By Racer_X: Originally Posted By gotigers: JD yard mowers are the same as the home depot brand and not made by JD. That's incorrect. All John Deere riding mowers are made by John Deere. The big box store models are not as high of durability(the deck being one of the biggest differences) as the models sold in actual John Deere dealerships, however. I believe Home Depot branded models are made by MTD. The 300, 500, and 700 are made in one factory with all the other big JD equipment, 100 series are made in a different factory. I forget which factory makes the 200 series. You have to buy the 300 and higher at a John Deere dealer, and the dealer also carries a 200-series model that has a bunch of bullshit low-end features to make it price competitive with the 100 series carried by the box stores. A 100 series can be as low as $1k, while a 300-series with bagger, mulching plate, and a few other small options will be $4k. Kharn |
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[#39]
Look on Craigslist. You might find a self-propelled walk behind Walker mower. For a half acre, the Walker will just be warming up. They come with many different size front mounted decks.
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[#40]
Originally Posted By Racer_X: That's incorrect. All John Deere riding mowers are made by John Deere. The big box store models are not as high of durability(the deck being one of the biggest differences) as the models sold in actual John Deere dealerships, however. I believe Home Depot branded models are made by MTD. View Quote So are they made by JD or MTD? In my experience they are the same,its just who assembles it and tests it out that is the difference. |
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I aint doin nothing,but doing nothing means a lot to me.
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[Last Edit: fxntime]
[#41]
Didn't JD have a cheapo brand called Sabre a few years back that was just some cheapo brand [MTD, murray or similar] they sold alongside their JD branded models at their stores?
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Liberals are a curious mix of communism and fascism, they want to destroy you but want to use your own money to do it.
I'm getting down to the last box, the other have all been destroyed... |
[#42]
Originally Posted By WDEagle: Husky had discontinued the 48" model of the 300 series but apparently has reintroduced it. The 3oo series features are awesome. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/174498/Screenshot_2024-04-28_082535_png-3200143.JPG View Quote I have the 348xd, bought new in 2020, I love it. half acre lot as well. |
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