any recommendations on riding lawnmowers (BIG gadget)?

The grounds guy here used to use a Honda rider. I thought it was a cadillac until he traded it off for the Deere. The JD is a stupendous piece of gear. He uses two here, a diesel tractor with a brush hog (4100) and a rider (LX 178) Sweet mowers.

The Honda was nice, but finding service for it was a bit of a bear. When we did find service, it was very expensive. So were parts, and it took a good while for parts to come in.

The Deere is no problem. It runs and runs and doesn't complain. My father in law just got a 178, but still kept the one he had when my wife was a kid. He has no problem getting service and parts for either the brand new one or the archaic one.

I'd buy one myself, but I can use Dad's or work's at any time. Why buy the cow when you can have the milk for free?
 
I abused a Snapper for 14 years. It's low center of gravity made mowing east tennessee hills and gullys covered in crab grass a predictable task.

I only gave it up when I hired a lawn service.;)
 
My 7 year old Coast(MTD)is about to give up the ghost, so I've been shopping around, too.

Looked at all the "store" brands and then stopped in the mower shop to pick up a part for the old one.

He is a Snapper dealer, so I looked at the mowers he had. Talked to him for a while and looked at a couple of used mowers as well as the new ones. Two grand was more than I wanted to spend so I went home to think about it.

I went back today and he had just gotten some new ones in. Nothing fancy, just a bare bones mower. Seems Snapper had built a run of rear engine riders for Wally World. Snapper gets bought by a new company and they decide that they don't want their mowers sold by WW, so they put 'em in the dealers.

I asked the guy about repairs on this type and he said the only time they ever see one is when it's 20 years old and has never had even minimal maintenance.

10hp Briggs, 28" single blade, bare bones mower, $1098. I bought one and put it to use.

It's handles different from a lawn tractor type, but I like it. It actually has grease zerks on it and a rack on the back so you can stand it on end to get at the blade for sharpening.

The blade drive belt is under a cover on top so you can change or adjust the belt with out having to take the mower deck off.

I've got a little more than an acre and I think it's gonna do just fine. Check 'em out.
 
Hi,
I have 10 years on my Snapper rider rear engine. Nothing breaks and it can be stood up on it's rear end to take up very little space. I mow about 1 acre.
Enjoy, Ken
 
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