I need a new lawn mower.

[hackberry jake]

The old snapper riding mower finally gave up the ghost. What I want is a riding mower with a honda engine for under $3500. I cant seem to find many manufactures that put honda motors on their mowers. I would settle for a different motor as long as its not a briggs... but I have really had a lot of luck with honda. Anybody got any ideas?

[drobertson]

Is the mower shot or just the engine?

[hackberry jake]

I think it's just the carb... or another sensor... or ... I am tired of working on the old beast. It isn't one of the older rear engine snappers. I would try to save one of those. It is one of the newer ones that is built cheaply. It has served it's time, especially since it was just given to me. I can't complain much about a free mower that worked for two seasons.

[Ron Wenrich]

I have about 1½ acres that I mow.  About 20 years ago, I bought a commercial quality mower.  I bought an Exmark, but it's a walk behind with a 48" cut.  I could put a sulky on it, but I don't mind the walk.  They use Kohler and Kawasaki motors.  I had a rider before that, but the Exmark is faster.  They also make a zero turn rider.  You might be able to pick up a good used one.  Commercial guys turn them over fairly quickly. 

Maintenance over the years has consisted mainly on belts.  I have replaced a couple of bearings and a pulley. 

[Holmes]

 

                                                                      
          Here's my riding mower.

[coxy]

I like Honda too but would rather have a Kawasaki they seem to have a little more power and no  push rods and rocker arm problem  like Honda at high rpm  ;D

[Southside]

                

                                                     
          Here's my riding mower.

Holy!!!  Thats a hay swather not a lawn mower!!!

[LittleJohn]

Holmes... is that a Binford 9000 ???  ;D

[goose63]

The saw shop I go to has a new mower called the raven m p v its a mower a generator and atv in one.
if we would of seen this be for we bought the new rider think we would got this one.
in no way am I selling or making any thing on this.
but it may be worth looking at
www.ravenamerica.com thy are from Lincolnton N.C.   

[sawguy21]

What size and horsepower are you looking for? If you want a larger high end machine it will be used in your price range. Look for a well maintained landscaper unit (if there is such a thing). Very few if any riders come with a Honda engine, their largest vertical shaft model is 13 hp. The premium tractors both commercial and consumer use Kawasaki, fine engines but expensive to buy and maintain. I am not a fan of Kohler's off shore built Courage line, the Command is very good (many mill owners have them) but again not cheap. I sell Briggs so am biased. ;D

[Bill Gaiche]

I have had my Kawasaki for 11 years with no problems on a Toro. I believe the brand Big Boy mowers are built in Ark. So you might check them out. bg

[Bill Gaiche]

That is a Bad Boy. Not big boy as I stated. They have a dealer in Harrison and Springdale. bg

[thurlow]

Mow about 3 acres......weekly;  bought a zero turn 6 or 7 years ago.  No way in HAIL I'd go back to a tractor-style lawn mower.........no matter the brand or engine make.

[beenthere]

 ;D
I mow 7 acres now, and no way I'd give up the other jobs my lawn tractor does in addition to mowing.

I like the 3 cyl Yanmar diesel in my JD 455. It is all wheel steer and is the best money can buy... IMO   ;D

[StimW]

Mow about 3 acres......weekly;  bought a zero turn 6 or 7 years ago.  No way in HAIL I'd go back to a tractor-style lawn mower.........no matter the brand or engine make.

Same here. I bought a used Cub Cadet Zero Turn in the early summer and fell in love with the ease and speed. I have a lot of trees on my 2 acres.
I got a KILLER deal on a Grasshopper 52" Zero Turn Commercial and I sold the Cub ZTR and the Cub Cadet Tractor that I had been using.
Honda's are King but Kohlers hold their own.
I won't own a Kawasaki after having one that you had to remove the air cleaner to adjust the carburetor. (you can't adjust a carb properly without the AC on!)

[Kindlinmaker]

Mow about 3 acres......weekly;  bought a zero turn 6 or 7 years ago.  No way in HAIL I'd go back to a tractor-style lawn mower.........no matter the brand or engine make.

+1

I had a commercial mowing business for a few years.  40-50 1 acre plus lawns per week.  Tested every mower configuration and most brands available.  We could never beat a zero turn for quality and speed performance.  Seven day operation; we could not afford down time or we would lose customers and our slower, less expensive walk-behind back-up equipment would put us in a hole that would take weeks to recover from. 

Not a fan of Kohler or Briggs engines at all but love Honda and Kawasaki; would always pay the extra $ for either one and never regretted the decision.  We also installed lawns and hardscapes as well so we had a lot of small engine equipment.  Honda under 20HP and water-cooled Kawasaki twins over 20HP.  Had occasional component failures but never a full engine.

I would buy a used commercial machine over a new consumer model every time.  Commercial machines are built much heavier than the box store and consumer dealer models.  Most decently maintained commercial machines have a life expectancy of 3,000 hours before they start having serious problems.  Biggest problems are generally related to spindles (look for good grease habits), hydraulic wheel motor failures (ask for hydraulic oil changing records and use of synthetic oils is better) and mowing deck failures (welded plate only - never stamped).

With all of that mowing experience behind me, I do believe I prefer a few goats over mowing.

[ozarkgem]

I hate mowing. I spray.

[gfadvm]

I mow my whole place (12 acres) with a 5' Dixie Chopper that has been trouble free for 12 years (25 HP Kohler).

I just bought a second one with a 27 HP Generac just cause it was too good a deal to pass up ($2500).

I put a receiver hitch on mine as well as a spray attachment so they get year around use. Mine will walk off with a 12' trailer load of firewood.

[hackberry jake]

Im not far from you Gfadvm. And you dont need two mowers...

[justallan1]

My yard is about an acre so I went and bought a brand new Craftsman riding mower 3 years ago and thought that was the best thing ever. I'd do a lap, grab a beer, do a lap, grab a beer, ETC. By the second season I had quit drinking and figured out that's the roughest riding thing I'd ever seen. This year I mowed the yard 1 time and traded the darn thing off for a Ford Ranger. ;D
I'm either building a bush hog or one of the pull behind mowers for the 4-wheeler.

Allan

[gfadvm]

That's what my wife said when I bought the second one! If I see one on Cl, I'll give you a heads up (but I'm keepin mine!)

[hackberry jake]

That's what my wife said when I bought the second one! If I see one on Cl, I'll give you a heads up (but I'm keepin mine!)

That way you'll have one for each hand!

[curdog]

I've got a Toro walk behind mower and love it. My dad bought it back in the late 90s and we mowed about 9 acres of grass a week for probably 9 months out of the year. I got it off of him in 07 and have been mowing with it since then. It's a  44 inch with a kawasaki motor.

[sawguy21]

Put a Velke or sulky behind that and really slay the grass. The combo is a handful until the operator gets used to it though, I got chucked off the first time.

[Don_Papenburg]

I use the X595 JD with the Yanmar diesel  It has 4wheel drive  a three point with a quick hitch  that fits the tiller , 3" water pump a small torch ,and the old Lincoln "hard hat " welder  ,three different sprayers  and fence winders.  and it has a 62' mower deck and a 54" snow blower. Then there is the two wheel cart  and all the other pulling jobs it does .  If all I was to do was mow grass I would get a JD 1400 series 4wheel drive diesel with the front mounted 72" deck .