My buddy is getting a lawn tractor. Maintaining about 3 acres. Price range about $2000-2500. What say the forum muses?

What's the ground he will be mowing like?

If it's 3 mowable acres of grass (not brush, pasture, etc), he needs to triple his budget or buy used. Otherwise, it won't last long if he gets a big box store grade tractor.

Hustler Raptor is a grass cutting machine for a budget mower.

quote:

Originally posted by Gene Hillman:
What's the ground he will be mowing like?

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
If it's 3 mowable acres of grass (not brush, pasture, etc), he needs to triple his budget or buy used. Otherwise, it won't last long if he gets a big box store grade tractor.

He has been using a box store tractor for 8 years. Someone is buying him a new one as a gift.

I don’t have a recommendation in that price range. I’ve got 3 acres and sometimes mowing seems like a career. Mine has a 48” mower deck, 42” is likely the best you can do for $2500.

I mow about that much where I have very nice turf. The ground is smooth with no rocks. I mow in about 1 1/2 Hours with a zero turn Kubota. I does just under 10 mph. I had a JD riding tractor that was about 3,500 but it was slloooowwwwwww. It was falling apart after about 3 years. My Kubota has 425 Hours on it and runs like the day I took delivery.
Mike

My Husqvarna was 1900 delivered online. It’s a 48” deck. I only mow 1/2 acre, but I have 200 hours since 2012 with no issues. I had the deck replaced last year under warranty (10 yrs). I expect it will go another 200 hours at least. That being said... it would not be good ok uneven terrain. If I had more bumps than a standard residential lot, both the cut and ride would be unnaceptable.

I am very happy with my Husqvarna YTA24V48. You should be able to find one in that price range.

I found a servicing dealer that was selling them for the same price as Lowes, but the mowers had not been parked out in front of the store all summer with the seats already dried out and faded.

I always think it's funny when people call a lawnmower at tractor.

I use a Gravely 42" zero turn at my buddy's place to cut his and it's nice. Been using it about 4 years.

I have a old Scott lawnmower at my house and a Massey Ferguson real tractor for the pasture.

He'll need to adjust his price range to buy new and not get junk.
Myself, I prefer the welded decks over the stamped ones. Will last quite a while longer than sheet metal. He may also look at a non-hydrostat drive. Cub Cadet (among others) are going to a sealed non-serviceable hydrostat rear end. Doubt those will hold up over time.

Someone is going to buy him one as a gift. Good on that person!

Whatever brand & model becomes the finalist, look up the track record of the hydrostatic drive (transmission/differential).
That seems to be the weak link in most in your price range.

Thanks all. He can't really adjust the price range since it's a gift from someone else. So it's get the best overall compromise and see how it works out. Just wondering if you had $2500 to spend on a tractor, what would you get?

I think the problem you're going to run into is nobody here is going to be able to come up with a recommendation for a mower that'll handle that job for that kind of money. Not new. Maybe something well-travelled that's in need of some TLC...

I think my John Deere STX38 cost near that, 26 years ago, and I wouldn't regard even that as adequate for the task described.

quote:

Originally posted by Oldrider:
He'll need to adjust his price range to buy new and not get junk.
Myself, I prefer the welded decks over the stamped ones. Will last quite a while longer than sheet metal. He may also look at a non-hydrostat drive. Cub Cadet (among others) are going to a sealed non-serviceable hydrostat rear end. Doubt those will hold up over time.

Someone is going to buy him one as a gift. Good on that person!

I agree totally with this. I bought a new Cub Cadet for $2000, and the sealed hydrostatic transmission died in 5 years (I mow a hilly 1.5 acres). I replaced it with a 25 or so year old John Deere GT275, and never looked back. The JD looks like crap (no hood), and has no modern amenities, but it runs like a champ, you can get parts for it, and the transmission is fully serviceable.

So, to directly answer your question, I would use the $2500 to buy a used, higher end (JD, Kubota, etc.) unit, preferably from a dealer, with a welded deck, etc., long before I would spend $2500 on anything new.

Considering the quality of the new lawn tractors from big box stores, with nylon gears and other parts designed to last only through initial warranty, I would not hesitate to get a good used one.
I bought a house with about 5 mowable acres years ago, noticed a Gravely two cylinder rider with 54" deck in the barn, got it included in my offer and it lasted twelve years with no troubles. It finally blew a head gasket but was a relatively inexpensive rebuild.
I would suggest visiting some power equipment dealers and looking at reconditioned equipment with warranty from brands like Gravely, Snapper, Toro.

ZTR.
Never. Going. Back.


It's a gift you say? Perhaps he could upgrade out of his own pocket...

I can't help but grin as I see my neighbors mowing at 2 MPH with their 42 or 48" tractors and I'm doing 3.5 acres faster than they do their ~1/2 acre lots. Of course I paid more for it than my first three cars... combined.
Some of the best money I ever spent.

I do realize this is of no help at all if he is tied to that budget...

AFAIK we're locked into that price range, and to tell the truth $2500 is pushing it. I think the "giver" wants to buy brand new. Also, it would probably be weird if he were to kick in extra. Sort of like looking a gift horse in the mouth.

So I guess we're stuck buying something we know is not technically the best. However, as I previously noted, my friend has been successfully tending his lot for 8 years with a tractor that is a more basic model than what they're looking at now. It should be noted that he is very mechanically skilled and has been able to make all needed repairs.

its a crying shame that he can't sell something or
offer someone a service to get double that amount of funds for that mowing job.

$2,500.00 is what people around here spend for a 1/3 or 1/2 acre lot, 5 times a month