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I have 2 weed eaters I watched your video and got them running. Thank you for your videos. I am learning how to work on small engines and you help me learn more.
I bought my Husqvarna from a large dealer that only sells Husqvarna products. It is not sold in box stores as it has the 22 horsepower Kohler twin in a 42 inch deck. Also have an 18 inch Husqvarna chainsaw. No problem with either one of them. Great products.
I've had my Craftsman yard tractor for 20 years now, with a single cylinder, and the only thing I have changed is the spark plug, blades and the oil. No complaints. The one banger is still running great!
That's when Craftsman was sold and backed by Sears and built to their standards. Any and all parts were readily available from Sears also. Those days are gone, unfortunately.
I have a Craftsman from Sears from the 90's and was told that they are junk, but I was able to get in fixed in 2021 and it's hanging in there! I have a Briggs & Stratton from the 1970's bought at J.P. Penney, and it is still a monster. A twenty year senior to the Craftsman!
For the John Deere oil change, you can get a kit to convert it back to a regular oil system for around $20. I got three new cheap E120s for lawn crews to run and as soon as they each were due for the first oil change I swapped them to the old style system. $60 is $50 too much for an oil change, especially with three units getting 150-200 hours a season each, so 10-12 oil changes per year saves me $500-600 a year converting back those three units
I did the same on mine. The other issue with the EZ Change other than the exorbitant price is that you are only changing about half the oil so you never do a complete oil change.
Exactly! Between the cost and the half-ass oil change it’s definitely worth it to convert to the old system. Only time I’d say it’s a good idea is for a homeowner who can’t handle their own oil changes and only put 20 or 25 hours on it a year so only changing half the oil doesn’t matter if they swap it once a year
@@drwisdom1 they are extremely well engineered, takes a lot of innovation and smarts to engineer that much value for shareholders into their product ;)
Definitely agree, first thing i did was change out that quick change (actually means quick cash for JD). Mower is nice, still have to clean that deck but not too bad. Overall,would have gone with zero turn style on my 3/4 acre place,but it is what it is. Thanks Chickanic!
That broken down XMark would make a great restoration video! Thx for all your videos. The time you take to carefully show each step in a repair sets your videos apart from most others. Well done!
I have a Craftsman from Sears from the 90's and was told that they are junk, but I was able to get in fixed in 2021 and it's hanging in there! I have a Briggs & Stratton from the 1970's bought at J.P. Penney, and it is still a monster. A twenty year senior to the Craftsman!
This site is always worth a thumbs-up, but it's sure discouraging to see what passes for equipment now. The Tecumseh on my 45-year-old Garden Way still runs strong, although the spindles on the mower itself have been replaced several times. The engine is also a single cylinder, a type of engine that is perfectly reliable if it's built properly. Tens of millions of one cylinder motorcycles and older lawn care equipment have been superbly reliable since forever. We're just being dealt crap these days.
A lot of truth and honesty in your review. The big box store mower are built for a price point. Stay away from the single cylinder, MTD stamped decks, and plastic transmissions. Keep up the great content!
after going through 3 or 4 of the lowes mtd type mowers, i started buying 50-60 year old cub cadets for a few hundred each and use those. for the price of 1 of these lowes mowers i can have a fleet of half a dozen old ones that are easy to work on with most parts readily available and are classic pieces of american made machinery. and they look good too.
The new smaller batteries are AGM, or non-spillable type with glass mats. They're somewhat better from a safety perspective because they don't vent and can be turned on their side, they're also more durable because they don't really lose electrolyte as quickly and can take some abuse since there's no liquid sloshing around. As long as the CCA numbers are the same, they're theoretically better batteries.
I noticed the sticker says 11 amp hour which is around a quarter of the output of a standard car battery. Not sure it matters for turning over a small engine though. Maybe smaller is better in that case.
That same Technology Battery is in my BackUPS power supplies for my PCs. I get 2-3 years out of them and they cost around $30. I get the units for $5 at Thrift stores with dead or missing batteries. Regular lead acid batteries sulfate. That is to say they shed lead off their plates and it deposits at the bottom of the battery case. When the mound reaches the plate the cell shorts out and the battery dies. Sometimes you can shake the battery and break the mound away for a few more uses. I think the AGM batteries is a smart move.
I worked an assembly line at MTD years back. The Cib Cadet, craftsman, and others seemed the same but there were subtle differences most often that made the cub cadet ever so slightly better.
It's odd that the Craftsman tractors still have steel hoods and the CCs have gone to all plastic. I think MTD should make a Craftsman ('garden tractor') w/ locking diff/ fab deck in their lineup. They seem to reserve that for Cub Cadet only - but you get a plastic hood and cheap brush guard.
There is a line of Cubs with fabricated mowing decks, instead of the usual stamped decks found on all riding mowers (John Deere, Craftsman, etc.) at the big box stores. The fab decks are 11 gauge steel, vs 13 gauge for stamped decks. The fab decks have lifetime warranties, and I know Cub does honor them. Beyond the decks, the Cubs have better quality parts. Considering the Craftsman mowers cost virtually the same as the Cubs, I'll always take a Cub over a Craftsman any day of the week.
I have a Craftsman T1800/ 42” rider with twin cylinder Kohler motor to mow our one acre, it’s been trouble free. I bought it before our local Sears went out of business, gave a little over $1,000.00 when they had a friends & family sale. Your right about time to start mowing again, but with all of the rain we have a small lake in our front & back yard.
I’d like to provide one big plus on the Ariens Apex. What sold me on it was serviceable hydraulics with filters. If you plan on keeping a mower super long term, that was a huge selling point.
My hydraulics on my Grasshopper (made in Kansas) look serviceable too. But since the interval is 1000 hours, in 15 years of ownership (after buying used) I've never touched them.
The hydraulic drive systems are not built by Ariens they are industrial components, depending on their specs, good units have large hydraulic reserves and filters built into the units. It costs more, but it is worth if for the customer long term. I like Pharris as they have full suspension, which takes quite a bit of shock loading off of the drive units and the operator's bottom.
You guys gotta be kidding you never heard of a hustler they were the guys were invented 0 turning runs forever cost a lot, but they’re well worth it the best I’ve ever used and I’ve used them all
New mower prices are insane. Glad I bought a second mower a few years back for $1600. 24 HP Intek, 46 inch cut. My toughest mower is a 2000 Poulan Pro 42” cut. I purchased it for $2000 from Sears in 2000. That mower has been tough as hell. Still going strong. I have abused it and it still runs great. Blades, battery, oil, and belts are the only things I have had to replace. Mostly blades. Replaced belts once. Replaced battery three times.
Our next door neighbor has an old Toro. It hadn't been started for at least 5yrs. I swapped the battery, checked the oil (which was clean), pulled the choke & hit the key! At first for some reason it wasn't getting fuel. So I pulled off the fuel line at the filter & blew into the tank from the top. Something came out of the line & gas began to run. I hit the key again & ol' Red Rider came to life! Enjoyed rolling the lawn with it.
spot on about the Ariens ztr. great mower . 40 yr small engine shop here. We are Lowes warranty center . We see very few of the Ariens in for repairs .
I’m a big fan of Craigslist free stuff. I score free lawnmowers routinely. Most need a good carburetor cleaning and a routine tune up and the blade resharpened. Usually up and running for $50 bucks.
I remember when that Forest Gump special was around $1000 and that wasn’t long ago. I was blessed to buy a lightly used Toro time cutter for that back in 2015. Started a weekend lawn business and it paid for itself very quickly. Great stuff as always.
I’ve been through so many different brands of riding mowers it’s crazy.. i just broke down and i bought a nice size Bad Boy mower and i absolutely love it.. it’s a heavy duty mower just under a commercial mower.. it has a 60 inch deck and very thick steel.. you can stand on the deck and it doesn’t budge.. i paid over $5000 for it but I’m satisfied for sure, hopefully it will outlast all the others that I’ve been through..
18 yr-old Craftsman 42" LT2000 w/single cylinder. I keep spare spindles on hand - like you say, they definitely go out if you hit something and I do. Fortunately they're easy to find and not particularly expensive. But the engine has (knock on wood) continued to hold up fine.
Your video is the most practical overall opinion (review) and best I have heard for anyone wanting to purchase a rider for mowing their yard. Great tips on Mfrs, construction and possible service issues from a Lady who sees these machines pass through her shop. Fine job and well done there Chickanic!!
Just found her today I luckily just bought a Ariens edge 52” from Lowe’s today and I had the same opinion she understands the industry has a lot of colors lol definitely glad I did my homework trying to avoid MTD stamped deck issues
Hey Chickanic..on that exmark you have on the trailer don't paint the fuel tanks..use Kiwi liquid shoe polish instead ..it won't flake or peel you will be amazed..I've used it in so many applications ..try it you'll see..just make sure the tanks are really clean..Cheers 🥂🥂🥂🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
@@5roundsrapid263 I've used that before..it didn't last for me..used it on my 07 F-150 cowl screens mirrors and running boards about a month they needed it again..the shoe polish has been on it for about a year..and it still looks great..a lot cheaper..lol.. i don't tell everyone because they might laugh..Cheers 🍺🍺🇺🇸🇺🇸
@@carlmorgan8452 well Carl...if I'm buying a used mower i don't want one that looks like it's been stored outside..if you don't believe it try selling one good running mower that looks bad .. It won't happen..i know this because i fix and resell them.
I have a 2006 Troy-Bilt 50-in zero turn. They only build it for 1 year and then they switched in 2007. It's built so much better than the other models and I'm so glad I bought that one when I did. I haven't had any issues from it. One PTO switch and almost 20 years.
husqvarna 46 rider here,...was a return paid 1300. had choke outa adjustment hard start,...magneto air gap excessive,i changed wheel bushings to actual bearings,after fixing a few issues its been reliable, i also added a tubular bumper, i keep the deck pressure washed,and use wd40 😊...i also added L.E.D headlamp bulbs,
Great video and overview of the "Big Box" mowers. A few years ago I bought a John Deere riding mower, but got it from a John Deere Dealer vs Big Box store. When time for an oil change came along I spent the $25 on the kit to get rid of the EZ change system and use a standard spin on filter. Best thing I did as $60 to change only half the oil is dumb!
A high quality mower that's often overlooked for the smaller lawns are the Snapper rear riders. The Hi-Vac series with a bagger will pick up pine straw along with everything else. They were once equipped with Honda engines but later Briggs.
I just bought a Bad Boy Rogue (Commercial) 72' deck with the Kawasaki FV 1000 35hp engine. As a mechanic, I am vey impressed with the openess of all the components. Eveything is very easy to get to. The deck is 3 gauge (1/4') with 3/8' side plates. It has a great suspension system with an adjustable suspension seat...love it !!
One other thing to watch out for on the John Deere is to avoid those plastic transmissions on the lower-end models. Easy to spot, just look at from behind and you'll see that plastic housing around the rear axle.
@@disco4535 you don’t get rid of the k46 plastic trans until the ~$6000 x380 or x390. And the x380 still as an internal oil filter. The x390 has an external filter. I think both are k58. Then the x500 series moves up to the much beefier k72 with diff lock. I just went through this and ended up just getting an older shaft driven diesel deere for less money. Take a look at models like the gt225/235/245, gx325/335/345/355 or like an LX255. Those are all 900-3500ish depending on model/location/condition and have beefier transmissions, some with diff lock.
In may 2016 i bought my first ever rider a 48" Husqvarna and the triple bagger unit from Lowes with a 10% off coupon, I change the oil and sharpen the blades every 2 years and blow out the air filter once a year and it's a beast. I absolutely love it
Back in 2018 I bought a Toro SS5000 Timecutter Zero Turn. It's been great so far. Normal maintenance , blade replacement, oil changes, etc. are cheap to perform. Stamped deck has survived 5 years so far with no rust out. Had to replace spindles due to noisy bearings but the replacements are about $70 for all 3. The jewel on the SS5000 is the Toro designed and built 26.5 HP vertical twin engine. This thing is a powerhouse! Easy starting, quick to warm up and never quits. Even the battery lasted 4 years before requiring replacement. This was a great deal at $3200 back in 2018.. I imagine they cost more now but this one seems to be worth it...
I convert those JD easy oil change systems back to old school. There are kits to do that. It's cheap and simple. You remove all that and install a nipple into the block and install a normal oil filter. Also, when switching them over, you will find that you will be adding significantly more oil to fill and that is because the Easy fill system does not allow for removal of all the dirty oil. I convince everyone of my customers to do this. Check it out. BTW, I think you are the best on here!
We have the 30 inch Troy Bilt riding lawnmower and we've had it for almost 7 years now. Wasn't that expensive, and it fit between our chain link fence gate to get into the backyard. We have it serviced every February before mowing season hits, and we've never had a problem with it. That switch near the mulcher cover was annoying at first, but it hasn't been a problem since we first bought it. It's an easy fix. Steering hasn't been a problem. One of the best lawnmowers I've ever used. Heck, I even gave our neighbor the second key and he uses it on his yard. Older, with breathing problems, and all he has to do is put gas in it. Like our little Troy Bilt.
I have a 1980s Simplicity (owned by Briggs and Stratton) rider, that I repowered with a single cylinder Tecumseh (10hp). Went from a crappy 12hp briggs that was worn out to a strong running 10hp techumseh, that I bought new old stock a while back. Love that thing and have less than 250 dollars in it.
Simplicity rocks. Dealer only, but worth it. All USA 🇺🇸... the genuine article. A used Conquest or Prestige (with Real hydrostats) is an investment you won't regret 😉 The more recent ones have Full suspensions and higher-speed trannys so you can mow quicker. Also true automatic traction control (and a diff lock). Mine's got real power steering, a rear hitch and a Johnny Bucket on the front. Also doesn't need choking and works Perfect👌. Snap up a used Simplicity and win the game 😉
I'm running a 11 year old Husky YTH24V48. I've replaced a couple of belts, one spindle and had to reweld the front deck support after an unintended collision with a solid object. The engine is going strong. I dread the day when the old Husky won't get the job done. Current pricing for that model is up $1100 from what I gave for it in 2012. Thanks for the great videos, I've learned a lot!
On the exmark, I use "Mother's back to Black" on the plastic trim and fuel tank, etc. Very easy to use and returns a nice shine while cleaning off the dirt and fade. On the big box store mowers, I was told by a John Deere mechanic that the models sold at bigbox stores are not the same as those sold at a Deere dealer. Motors and other drive components are cheapened down to compete against the other brands. You get what you pay for.
One of the differences I noticed is that the mowers sold at a dealer have a bearing on the front wheel shafts. The ones sold at the ‘box’ stores have a bushing that wears out sooner. You can buy the bearing and retrofit your cheaper mower once the bushing wears out.
I had a Cub Cadet for over 15 yrs, was great until belt issues started. Bought Husquvarna & am loving it. I have many acres to mow & no issues..yet! Love your videos
Something to remember when buying a big box store mower is that they are not gone through . They have a 3rd party company that slaps on whatever isn't on it and they take it to the front. The tires are often over inflated , the deck levels are way off and so on. You really need to go over these mowers good when you get it home.
I agree. I bought a Craftsman ZT three years ago from Lowe's and I have been happy with it but I checked it over really well before using it. The rear tires were way over inflated, the front tires were way under inflated and the front wheels needed some grease.
and box stores don't repair a damn thing ! They slap local fixers stickers on them ! They must get a commission for that. Or the local repair shop pays Lowes to do it !
I worked at Lowe’s for 28 years!😢 You are correct! You’ll be lucky if they have any air in the tires, or a battery that’s charged. There are no mechanics at lowes. Everything broken is sent out to be fixed. The only people allowed to work on JD is the local John Deere dealer. Lowes can’t even take them out of the crate they come in. Your warranty is void otherwise. In the last 5 years, lowes corporate office has eliminated all assembly people, and most delivery drivers. Everything is half a$$ done by a 3rd party that doesn’t give a sh•t whether it’s done right or not. They get paid by the piece, they don’t get paid to care. I think I was the last one at our store who gave a sh•t whether your mower even started or not. Lowe’s doesn’t care about their employees or their customers. And they sure as hell don’t care about your $3000 lawnmower! That’s your problem!
@@triumphmanfulthey don’t put any repair stickers on them lol. The John Deeres sold thru Lowes will have the local dealers stickers as they set them up at the store before sale. The other brands don’t have any local servicer stickers on them lol
Bought a Craftsman T210 going on 3 years ago. I compared it to a similar John Deer setting next to it. Craftsman had better comfort by far. Higher back seat. Better feel as far as turning goes. Near zero turn turning ability which going on 3 years for me has been awesome. That higher back seat was a huge plus for me. I mow about 1 acre where I currently live then over 3 more on property I am currently developing into a small farm/homestead. I was personally not impressed with the John Deer at all. The craftsman is very quiet as well and my neighbors owns a John Deer and the thing sounds like a Sherman Tank when he mows lol. No kidding we hear it plain as day inside our house and are always very pleased when he finishes mowing 😂. My family says they don’t even know I am mowing unless they are in a room close to where I am mowing at the time. Could not be happier with that T210 Craftsman. It rides great cuts even and with the ability to steer so tight combined with the hydrostatic drive my mowing time was cut in half or better. Love this thing. Hope it holds up. I usually take families older broken down mowers and fix them then run them till there is nothing left. It was a cheap way to save a lot of money over the course of my life. At near 60 I finally decided to spoil myself for a change. I am glad / thankful the good lord gave me a very strong mechanical ability allowing me to fix pretty much everything I have owned my entire life. Its saved me tens of thousands over the course of my life. I gotta say though having a mower you can walk up to and pretty much count on to do its job every time is nice. I will say there was an issue with this particular model back when I bought it. The deck drive belt jumped off a couple times when I hit heavy grass. I had seen videos about it and people were trash talking this mower. So I took a look. Grabbed the pulleys one by one and sure enough there was one loose. The bolts were never tightened at the factory. I tightened them and checked the others which were all good. Never a problem since then. It was brand new but I was not a bit upset. I expect human error with most anything these days as quality seems to no longer be a priority. Terry
You couldn't GIVE me a craftsman ANYTHING. Bought one of their weed eaters years ago and it worked for one and a half uses and started having issues with it. Bought my Deere 3 years ago and aside from it being noisy It's been one of the best things I've ever bought. It'll actually last too, so there's that.
I just bought a JD mower from Lowes. it is 48", 3 blades, twin cyl. to replace a craftsman that is not old but keeps braking. (front tires popping off, broken frame) We have two acres on a side hill with over half in lawn converted from field. We decided to keep the Craftsman for mowing around the house and as a backup. The JD is much heavier and stronger and the triple blades provide a more even cut on our rough ground. I see people in our community with a riding mower, on lawn that would be hard to break a sweat with a push mower. Again the Duty Cycle make a big difference in the life and reliability of a mower.
I have ariens I bought about 3 years ago for my lawn business, and as of right now it has 570 hours on it and have had very little issues with it, only problem I really have had are the front tires, otherwise I can’t complain about it. I will be getting another one after this one.
Delivered a nice even cut, has the super tight turning ability ua-cam.com/users/postUgkx1VWTrayKBdCKAjzAcZ_Eg4dhHTae3LkN also recommend I was looking for, and is just a blast to drive. It takes a little bit to get used to driving one after driving a normal tractor style, but once you've got it, you've got it. If you're cutting lines, you have to be careful spinning the mower around or the back tire will dig a bare spot. Just take it nice and slow during the turn and then it's back to full throttle across the yard!
The sticker shock has thus far deterred me from replacing my 16 year old Husqvarna, but the speed of a ZT is definitely is siren song having roughly 7 acres to keep up with. But so far despite using it more like a brush mower I've only had to replace 1 spindle.
i bought this lil 10.5hp, 38" cut from Sears in 1997. 8 years with the battery it came with and i beat the spindles off that thing 3 time a side.. lol its the model that had the tall spindles. best lil lawnmower iv ever had. start up every time. after 12 years i got 200 bucks for it. i have a Resto Mod Murry now with a modified deck and engine. thank u for the video, i know the time it takes to film and edit.
Thanks for the video! I noticed a big change in the JD zero turns at Lowes this year. My 5 year old basic 42" JD zero turn has a hydroformed heavy deck on it. I always liked it because it cleans itself below pretty easily and doesn't collect debris in corners etc. That heavy deck will not bend before the mower stops against an obstacle. However, the newest JD zero turns at Lowes THIS YEAR have a lighter gauge deck on them. The easiest way to tell is that the decks are green instead of yellow and they have a curved reinforced rod around the outside of it. I went over and picked up on the deck and was surprised at the lighter weight and thinner metal used on the deck compared to my old model. I suspect the newer lighter deck will not be as durable over time.
Actually the decks on the z300 series( if that's the ones you're talking about) are pretty decent. They're all accel deep decks and the 42" ones are 12ga steel and the 48 and 54" ones are 10ga steel. I'm not sure what year the accel deep decks started,but it was around 2015 2016 somewhere in there. I think that they used the edge decks before that. I'm pretty sure they're 12 or 13ga. In any event they're solid and well designed.
@@Justintm theres the edge deck that's on the 100 series tractors that are 13ga steel,the accel deep decks on their residential zero turns and 300 and 500 series tractors that are 10 ga,and the professional tractors and zero turns that get their 7ga high capacity deck. Even a 13ga residential deck will last for 20 years if you keep it clean and dry. The deeper high capacity decks will allow you to mow faster in even deep grass. The accel deep and high capacity decks do have more robust mounting hardware and are built to take more abuse
One thing about the newer Accel decks is the blade is almost even with the lip of the deck so you get no warning of a root or something. I bent my deck the first go around the yard. Then bent it again. I was messing around with my old mower and realized the blade was at least 3/4" higher than the lip. I hardly ever hit roots with that mower. My brother in law also got the same mower and he hit a root on his first go around at his house. Bent the deck. He had to buy a new one. I managed to massage mine close to normal.
My 32 year old STX-38 is still going strong and it has a 12 HP single cylinder Kohler Command engine that occasionally puts out some smoke. Back when even the low cost JD's were built better than most mowers today. Good to know Cub Cadet is just a MTD like the Craftsman. If I had to buy a new mower today, I would search for a used one in good shape. The new ones just are too much money.
I am still using my STX38 that is only 26 years old. Black deck that has more welds than steel on it. I do hate shifting gears to forward and reverse though and the valve guides are bad but it keeps on cutting. The muffler stud bolts are rotten so the muffler is just kind of hanging there but I just turn the headphones up. I got a S240 that is ok.
These days it's almost a better deal to buy a used heavier-duty unit that's built to last thousands of hours rather than spend the same amount on one with cheap plastic parts and non-serviceable drivetrain that starts having problems after a couple hundred hours. Servicing and maintaining reliable equipment is a lot easier than dealing with poor quality that breaks on you at an inopportune time.
Thanks, great advice as usual. You’re not kidding, sticker shock! Like twice what my YT4000 cost 12 or so years ago. “Craftsman” apparently changed manufacturers. The old YT4000 parts all seem to cross to Husqvarna parts which are usually less expensive than Craftsman. The advice on spindles is right on. Usually a rock breaks it before the bearing goes bad. Luckily the genuine Husqvarna spindles are not expensive, though it is still a pain in the neck to change them. I have wood sticks cut to length to wedge the broken off mounting tabs below the deck so I can back out the bolts. If there isn’t enough of the tab left to wedge, I use a Dremel tool to cut it off. Sometimes you can grab the tab remnant with Vise-grips.
Bought a Mtd 12 horse 38" thirty years ago replaced deck belt once blades twice starter last year added a rear tire tube one spark plug and replace batteries every three four years.I cut half acre+ every week during growing season
This would have been great information to have about 2 years ago when I bought my Cub Cadet. Since I bought it I have put spindles on about 3-4 times a year.
@@jeffstanley4593 Same here. I got a old 1998 Ferris Pro Cut Z 61" that has had the greasable spindles changed once a couple of years ago. I changed the original drive belt last year finally because it was cracking. The belt is a 4 rib serpentine like 106" and is $140
GE made an excellent electric tractor back in the late 60's to early 70's called called the Electrak. Used golf cart batteries on a 3 acre property, Had a 3 motor 3 blade front mounted deck that didn't trample the grass before cutting it. Worked very well cutting below spruce tree branches too.
Just looked that up, really cool I had no idea. But I can't imagine the performance would be great for anything more than a half acre of flat ground lol.
Something else to think about, some riding mowers have a safety that kills the engine with the blades running when you try to back up from a tight spot. Craftsman riders have the key switch with backup enable spot to keep the engine AND the blades running when you need to back up (saves wear on the blade drive belts).
Thanks for all your info and videos. I noticed you didn't say much about husqvarna .I have a ten year old lgt 2654 that lowe's told me was garden tractor (could handle ground engaging implements) the trans is not that strong there is a problem where the axle bolts to the frame .but all and all been a good tractor. 450 hours
the comment about an 11.5HP engine on a rider...my first tractor was a 10HP Craftsman single cylinder Briggs, with 42" deck. I mowed professionally with that mower for 5 years. LOTS of repairs but it was FANTASTIC. Later had a Deere rider with an 11HP Kawasaki twin, another fantastic mower that punched above its weight...used it to mow my 5 acre lot for several years...nothing but gas, oil changes and belts for all that work...
After 2 failed riding mowers, a Ryobi and a used MTD, my wife and I just got a great deal on a returned and refurbished Husqvarna at Lowe’s for $1200. 22HP. Still comes with full warranty.
Try finding a modern woman that could compete with this genuine woman. I myself spent a few years in the power equipment industry after retiring from the automotive industry and I can tell you, this young lady knows her stuff. I absolutely love a woman with brain power. Thank you for your videos with true "know how" and proper terminology. No B.S.
The first thing I did to my JD S170 was bought the kit that JD sells to replace the quick change oil system. I also don’t think your getting a complete oil change with this system
For sure, at best it’s only changing out about 2/3rds of the oil. I also converted our lawn crews three E120 s to the old system as soon as they were due for the first oil change
Great Video ! I had a Cub a few years ago .I loved the Kawasaki 18 Horse twin .I had the 42 inch stamped deck and no PTO. I hated the deck. It never could mow thick grass, the belt would slip !I tried a bunch of things to get the belt to do right but no dice! Leveling the deck was torture ! but when you got it dialed in ,it cut a beautiful lawn . In your video ,I thought I heard you Toro doesn't make a commercial rider . I went o their website and they do in fact make them but you ain't gone see them at a box store.
It's amazing that all companies seem to be cutting costs, raising prices and making things as cheaply as possible. Seems like they are Preying on people who only shop brand rather than features. Thanks for the video.
Been watching your channel for a while now. Have fixed 2 push mower with the help of it. But I have a POULAN-PRO for over 7 yrs and the most problem I have with it is the spendles cutting a 1.78 of land. I try and fix my own mowers and other people. I only know one other guy like you here in Moultrie Georgia his name is Calvin of MTPOWER. Keep up the good work and may you stay blessed for your honesty and kind guidance.
The batteries are now an AGM battery. I just bought a craftsman T2400 last year from Lowe’s and that was the first thing I noticed. Smaller form factor cause it’s a different chemistry. Plus they can dip much lower without causing damage to the cells and still come back from a recharge. Plus an AGM can be set in any orientation which likely opens up new manufacturing plans for the maker I’d think.
I’m planning on retrofitting my easy change JD this year. It is a great mower. Although, I like the look of the lawn after I cut with my 21” 2006 snapper, but the rider gets to cleanup afterwards. ✅ Thanks for all you do👏
We got a Husqvarna 26HP Kohler engine with a 54” deck and hydrostatic drive. It has a monster bag system on back because we live in the burbs with a ton of trees . Gives a nice smooth cut. It gets stored outdoors all year long with only a cover over it and has no rust anywhere.
I got an ariens edge 52" from lowes earlier this year, its been a big improvement over my 25 year old craftsman, takes me less than half the time and it discharges the grass very well, even if its a little tall it doesn't leave big chunks in the yard. $3500 was a little much to come off of, but 2 hours of mowing cut down to 40 minutes with a nicer final product.
very happy with mine too so far. just bought it last week, had an issue with the battery completely draining within a couple days but Lowe's ended up giving me a bigger battery and said they've gotten the same complaints with other brand mowers they sell too.
I think the batteries in the craftsman items may be a small motorcycle style AGM battery instead of the traditional sealed lead acid batteries they've always used. They're supposed to last longer, but they don't. Also, anything you buy at lowes, home depot or tractor supply are made to be cheaper than the ones at a dealer. I did a comparison when working at an mtd dealer with a yard machines. Walmart had the same model for $10 less than ours. We bought one to compare. Looked exactly the same, but slightly different model number. Ours had 3 rings on the piston while theirs had 2. We also did the same with an Ariens from Lowes. Things were put together cheaper than the ones we sold. Had so many come in for service where ours barely came back for anything other than maintenance. There's a John Deere dealer near us that won't even take the equipment in if you bought it from lowes.
I believe you're right about those batteries being AGM. I saw those for sale st a Subaru dealer and I had to ask the mechanic what the belt was (for a car) because they have the same voltage and CCA as a lead acid battery but cost twice as much and all he said was "saving weight". So, if you are building a track car and you are looking at every option to shave pounds off your curb weight then that will take about 5 or so right there. Oh and if you live in extremely cold climates AGMs do not freeze either. Since no one mows in the winter and you might be storing that lawnmower for 6 months out of the year, well ok then. But aside from that chop out that plastic, crimp a couple of terminals on there and save your customers money.
It's well-known that WalMart negotiates to get slightly different model numbers with certain manufacturers in order to meet a price point. They do this with everything from car batteries to televisions. Given how much that John Deere claims it doesn't have different mowers for different retailers (i.e. same model number equals same mower) that JD dealer isn't refusing to service the equipment because it's inferior quality, it's because you bought it from Lowes instead of from him. This isn't unheard of from dealers. If people can go to Lowe's and get the same mower cheaper, they will. This is particularly true that now you can get some of the heavier-duty semi-commercial mowers at Lowe's that used to be limited to dealers. The difference with big box mowers is that when they set them up they're often slapped together, so you might have to make adjustments to the deck, check the bolts, etc.
"We grow rocks in Arkansas." I had no idea what I was getting in to when I moved here but I'd have to agree with you on that comment! The blades on my John Deere X739 look like I've been cutting steel I-Beams due to the rocks on my property. I have to say that I'm very happy with this mower. Now with that said, I didn't buy it. I had it thrown in on the house deal and am very happy that the previous owner agreed to let us have it. The thing is a beast. Goes everywhere I point it and has never given me trouble.
Good advice, thank you again. I bought lawn mowers at Sears for years and it's a shame that Sears is gone. The best was the one with the larger wheels on the rear and I think was a Briggs and Stratton engine, gave it to my son when I bought the Husqvarna I now have, big mistake.
In my area (New England) I bought a Kubota z231 with a 42 inch welded deck and a Kawasaki twin for $4000 with zero percent interest. Those Ariens zero turns look to be pretty rugged.
Just subscribed today and enjoy the presentations. Saw this one and appreciate the commentary about stamped vs. fabricated decks. My first zero turn was a Toro (I forget the model) and I literally beat it to death over 7 seasons on 5 acres. Stamped deck, rusted out, blown spindles. Fast forward to a new zero turn, a Bad Boy ZT Elite that I bought in Mississippi in 2016. Less than 100 hours on it now, but I maintain it and the Kawasaki engine like they say. Since my wife and I now live in central Arkansas (hello, neighbor!) and since Bad Boy has their HQ in Batesville, AR, maybe a word or two about these machines. My research and experience with this machine indicates they're pretty stout from a construction standpoint, the Kawasaki engines (I have an FR730 2-cylinder) are excellent, and the only problem I have with it is that it's very sensitive to tire pressure. That, and the odd duck balancing of the deck can lead to stripes where you don't want them. Skag or Gravely might be a better overall machine, but they cost major $$$ when, as a homeowner, I just don't need that much machine. I needed more than the Toro offered, though.
I've never bought a new riding or walk-behind mower. All of my yard equipment, along with most of the appliances in my home, were bought cheaply used, or were curbside rescues. Nearly all have made it to at least 20 years and are still working. There has been such a bumper-crop of shoddy design and manufacture over the past 10 years, only now 'enhanced' by outrageous post-pandemic prices!
Thanks for NOT overcomplicating the explainations. Just means I don't need to use extra brain power. Great assortment of topics. Keep up the good work.
We got an Ariens this year from Lowes. Got the 52" one at $3999. I really like it being a larger fella. It's seems to sit me at the right height and is easy to get out of the seat after a few hours of mowing.
One piece of advice I would like to give anyone looking into buying a new mower, avoid the big box stores, if your going to be spending a few thousand dollars then go to an actual dealer who not only sales the mower but has repair facilities for your mower, that way you can get your mower repaired at the same place you bought it from and avoid playing phone tag.
Nope. I did that. I bot my Toro from a dealer place. Crappy service. I wud have been better off buying from Lowes, wud have saved me $$ up front during the sale & not disappointed with the service a yr. later when I needed help.
@benk4881 military discount basically pays the taxes, one thing I did was change the oil,filter after 3-4 hours to get the metal shavings out of the new engine' that's something that's overlooked.
Bought my John Deere S120 at a dealer for that reason. While buying the sales guy said it doesn’t matter where you buy them, they all come to his store for repairs no matter where you buy. So there you go.
I have the older version of that craftsman t2400 I have the t240 and one of the things that I like compared to the other brands is the turning radius it can turn on a dime and the deck has really good air flow compared to deere husqvarna and cub cadet
Love the channel and I finally have something to add. Ha. Anyway, after years of getting screwed by craftsman riding mowers, 14 years ago I got the 42 inch zero turn time cutter with the Kawasaki motor. It was a workhorse that gave me zero problems and I abused the the heck out of it. Did Have to replace a belt and a solenoid last year but the motor and all was all still tip top...EXCEPT (there's always and EXCEPT) the stamped deck. NEVER buy a stamped deck unless your just going to mow the white house lawn and maybe not that. They bend, a get all out of shape. I live in Oklahoma and our maple trees have a lot of above ground roots and a few rocks here and there. I've had to take a sledge hammer to the deck more than once to get it back in shape. This year, mower still running great, the deck was gone. The ejection side was mostly gone as was the rubber cover. the blades were the only thing level. Hated to say goodbye to a friend, but wife said she wanted me to. So I did my home work and found the Toro I wanted in the same 42 inch deck (I've made my yard to accommodate that size as with width of door way to shop and gates. Found the one I wanted with a very sturdy fabricated deck. They also have a reinforced rim at the bottom for added strength. Has lots of other things like the electric set brakes that are unreal how good those are. They upgraded the wheels and other things that give great access to the top deck, battery ect. Only thing is I'd rather had the Kawasaki 22 hp motor but they had that on the larger unit's and 42 is what I needed. Got the Kohler motor in 22 but I found that they had fixed the issues with them (I hated all Kohler motors because they were just trash) I want motors and unit that outlast everything else if take care of. I do. I love my toro and at Texoma Utility Equipment in Durant Ok. I found one at about 700 bucks cheaper than Home D and Lowes...everywhere else, that had them at $3,699.99 (just say 3700). Toro had a small sale that brought them down a couple of hundred but I fell into this sale at Tex Utility and bought mine for $3, 029.00 before tax. WOW. The same exact one. I love it. I've mowed my lawn a couple of times a week to figure out exactly the right setting to get the 3" cut and proper deck level. (A bit of advice to new zero turn folks. If your not cutting level, first check for a bent blade then check the air in your tires. level with adding or letting out air in a tire. It works) Also, clean your underneath deck after mowing. My toro has the water hose adapter but now and then check to see. If you mow in a bit wet grass and with that and dust, it will turn to cocreate under your deck. Take care of you mower like your car. Do the maintenance on time and keep her clean. Sorry to kidnap the OP. I have learned a ton here and you have probably addressed the above but I wanted to help with my small knowledge. Plus, I wanted to give a slight review of Toro mowers. They are tip top as is this channel.
Fall of 2020 I was walking out the door of a Lowes having gone in for paint. As I came out I saw an Ariens Icon 42 with a price tag of $1499. I asked what about it was wrong. Nothing. They really didn't know why it was at that price but there it was so of course I took it. Been using it since. It's terrific.
I turned the stamped deck on my 50 inch White Horse rider to a fabricated deck as various parts developed cracks and holes. Most of the reinforcing was around the spindles as you might expect.
Despite the gouging on full display when showing the prices, it was still very enjoyable because of the music. So I did a chairdance, and it was good. Stay gold.
I had a L-Head 11 HP single Briggs in the 80's. It was a Dynamark lawn tractor. It had plenty of power to mow with the 44" deck. Not all horsepower is measured the same.
Thanks for Watching! Find a link to all of my "Must Have", Favorite Tools HERE!! www.amazon.com/shop/chickanic?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_aipsfchickanic_9ERPFPBNGQ924P8NS63B
Do you know if any troy bilt decks would work on a cub cadet lt1042?
Got me a craftsman from 1987 26 or 28 inch deck I forget but still running like a champ
My 1993 Craftsman 42 inch deck with single cylinder Kohler 14 hp is still going strome also.
Have a 43 year old snapper rider still going strong.
Different brands, Case, Simplicity, AC but yah old iron ;)
New stuff complete garbage
Its hard to kill a snapper
Our personal mower at Eliminator Performance is a Snapper, love the simplicity of the drive system and easy to work on.
Don't know how old my Snapper Zero turn is.
I have 2 weed eaters I watched your video and got them running. Thank you for your videos. I am learning how to work on small engines and you help me learn more.
As I make my first feeble attempts at creating YT videos I remain inspired by you. Thanks.
If I can do it, you can and will! Keep at it!
I bought my Husqvarna from a large dealer that only sells Husqvarna products. It is not sold in box stores as it has the 22 horsepower Kohler twin in a 42 inch deck. Also have an 18 inch Husqvarna chainsaw. No problem with either one of them. Great products.
I've had my Craftsman yard tractor for 20 years now, with a single cylinder, and the only thing I have changed is the spark plug, blades and the oil. No complaints. The one banger is still running great!
The older singles are solid engines. It's the new ones that are junkers.
That's when Craftsman was sold and backed by Sears and built to their standards. Any and all parts were readily available from Sears also. Those days are gone, unfortunately.
I have a Craftsman from Sears from the 90's and was told that they are junk, but I was able to get in fixed in 2021 and it's hanging in there! I have a Briggs & Stratton from the 1970's bought at J.P. Penney, and it is still a monster. A twenty year senior to the Craftsman!
20 years ago was a long time ago !
I got my craftsman in mid 80's, so almost 40 yrs now. Still runs strong. I even had a mowing business for 2-3 yrs of that.
For the John Deere oil change, you can get a kit to convert it back to a regular oil system for around $20. I got three new cheap E120s for lawn crews to run and as soon as they each were due for the first oil change I swapped them to the old style system. $60 is $50 too much for an oil change, especially with three units getting 150-200 hours a season each, so 10-12 oil changes per year saves me $500-600 a year converting back those three units
I did the same on mine. The other issue with the EZ Change other than the exorbitant price is that you are only changing about half the oil so you never do a complete oil change.
Exactly! Between the cost and the half-ass oil change it’s definitely worth it to convert to the old system. Only time I’d say it’s a good idea is for a homeowner who can’t handle their own oil changes and only put 20 or 25 hours on it a year so only changing half the oil doesn’t matter if they swap it once a year
@@nodsib You make a solid case that the John Deere is poorly engineered.
@@drwisdom1 they are extremely well engineered, takes a lot of innovation and smarts to engineer that much value for shareholders into their product ;)
Definitely agree, first thing i did was change out that quick change (actually means quick cash for JD). Mower is nice, still have to clean that deck but not too bad. Overall,would have gone with zero turn style on my 3/4 acre place,but it is what it is. Thanks Chickanic!
That broken down XMark would make a great restoration video! Thx for all your videos. The time you take to carefully show each step in a repair sets your videos apart from most others. Well done!
@@Rockjock007 your just mad because she can fix things better then you.
@@alexandercopeland2849 right lmao this doofus can’t even sharpen his own blades and he’s trashing this intelligent woman.
I have a Craftsman from Sears from the 90's and was told that they are junk, but I was able to get in fixed in 2021 and it's hanging in there! I have a Briggs & Stratton from the 1970's bought at J.P. Penney, and it is still a monster. A twenty year senior to the Craftsman!
Transmissions keep breaking down. Swopped some and still bad. Crappy QC
WTF is JP Penny?
@@billbonu1639 A chain of stores started by Irish brothers. JC Penney
This site is always worth a thumbs-up, but it's sure discouraging to see what passes for equipment now. The Tecumseh on my 45-year-old Garden Way still runs strong, although the spindles on the mower itself have been replaced several times. The engine is also a single cylinder, a type of engine that is perfectly reliable if it's built properly. Tens of millions of one cylinder motorcycles and older lawn care equipment have been superbly reliable since forever.
We're just being dealt crap these days.
A lot of truth and honesty in your review. The big box store mower are built for a price point. Stay away from the single cylinder, MTD stamped decks, and plastic transmissions. Keep up the great content!
So the John Deere s100 is a stay clear?
after going through 3 or 4 of the lowes mtd type mowers, i started buying 50-60 year old cub cadets for a few hundred each and use those. for the price of 1 of these lowes mowers i can have a fleet of half a dozen old ones that are easy to work on with most parts readily available and are classic pieces of american made machinery. and they look good too.
The new smaller batteries are AGM, or non-spillable type with glass mats. They're somewhat better from a safety perspective because they don't vent and can be turned on their side, they're also more durable because they don't really lose electrolyte as quickly and can take some abuse since there's no liquid sloshing around. As long as the CCA numbers are the same, they're theoretically better batteries.
I was coming here to say the same thing. Most new cars have AGM batteries now, too.
Time will tell if these batteries will work and last.
I noticed the sticker says 11 amp hour which is around a quarter of the output of a standard car battery. Not sure it matters for turning over a small engine though. Maybe smaller is better in that case.
@@RaffaPed Riding mower batteries are only about 150-300 cold cranking amps, so that sounds about right.
That same Technology Battery is in my BackUPS power supplies for my PCs. I get 2-3 years out of them and they cost around $30. I get the units for $5 at Thrift stores with dead or missing batteries. Regular lead acid batteries sulfate. That is to say they shed lead off their plates and it deposits at the bottom of the battery case. When the mound reaches the plate the cell shorts out and the battery dies. Sometimes you can shake the battery and break the mound away for a few more uses. I think the AGM batteries is a smart move.
I worked an assembly line at MTD years back. The Cib Cadet, craftsman, and others seemed the same but there were subtle differences most often that made the cub cadet ever so slightly better.
My cub cadet Rzt 50 I bought in 2007 is still going strong ...I just had to get the deck welded back together a few times 🙄
The CC has some beefier parts throughout.
It's odd that the Craftsman tractors still have steel hoods and the CCs have gone to all plastic. I think MTD should make a Craftsman ('garden tractor') w/ locking diff/ fab deck in their lineup. They seem to reserve that for Cub Cadet only - but you get a plastic hood and cheap brush guard.
@@cooldood1025 Plastic hoods are a good thing
There is a line of Cubs with fabricated mowing decks, instead of the usual stamped decks found on all riding mowers (John Deere, Craftsman, etc.) at the big box stores. The fab decks are 11 gauge steel, vs 13 gauge for stamped decks. The fab decks have lifetime warranties, and I know Cub does honor them. Beyond the decks, the Cubs have better quality parts. Considering the Craftsman mowers cost virtually the same as the Cubs, I'll always take a Cub over a Craftsman any day of the week.
I have a Craftsman T1800/ 42” rider with twin cylinder Kohler motor to mow our one acre, it’s been trouble free. I bought it before our local Sears went out of business, gave a little over $1,000.00 when they had a friends & family sale. Your right about time to start mowing again, but with all of the rain we have a small lake in our front & back yard.
I’d like to provide one big plus on the Ariens Apex. What sold me on it was serviceable hydraulics with filters. If you plan on keeping a mower super long term, that was a huge selling point.
My hydraulics on my Grasshopper (made in Kansas) look serviceable too. But since the interval is 1000 hours, in 15 years of ownership (after buying used) I've never touched them.
The hydraulic drive systems are not built by Ariens they are industrial components, depending on their specs, good units have large hydraulic reserves and filters built into the units. It costs more, but it is worth if for the customer long term. I like Pharris as they have full suspension, which takes quite a bit of shock loading off of the drive units and the operator's bottom.
@@davidquinn9676 grasshoppers are the best not sure why people don’t pay the extra money and get a quality mower
You guys gotta be kidding you never heard of a hustler they were the guys were invented 0 turning runs forever cost a lot, but they’re well worth it the best I’ve ever used and I’ve used them all
@@jamesmiller8591 I've heard and shopped them all. I picked the Ariens because of cost, durability, and specifications for my non commercial needs.
New mower prices are insane. Glad I bought a second mower a few years back for $1600. 24 HP Intek, 46 inch cut. My toughest mower is a 2000 Poulan Pro 42” cut. I purchased it for $2000 from Sears in 2000. That mower has been tough as hell. Still going strong. I have abused it and it still runs great. Blades, battery, oil, and belts are the only things I have had to replace. Mostly blades. Replaced belts once. Replaced battery three times.
Our next door neighbor has an old Toro. It hadn't been started for at least 5yrs. I swapped the battery, checked the oil (which was clean), pulled the choke & hit the key! At first for some reason it wasn't getting fuel. So I pulled off the fuel line at the filter & blew into the tank from the top. Something came out of the line & gas began to run. I hit the key again & ol' Red Rider came to life! Enjoyed rolling the lawn with it.
I have a 20 year old craftsman lt2000 with a single cylinder Kohler 17hp Command Pro. The engine is great. Still going strong.
I have the same thing. So much stuff is broke on it but it runs and I cant afford another one.
spot on about the Ariens ztr. great mower . 40 yr small engine shop here. We are Lowes warranty center . We see very few of the Ariens in for repairs .
I’m a big fan of Craigslist free stuff.
I score free lawnmowers routinely.
Most need a good carburetor cleaning and a routine tune up and the blade resharpened.
Usually up and running for $50 bucks.
I remember when that Forest Gump special was around $1000 and that wasn’t long ago. I was blessed to buy a lightly used Toro time cutter for that back in 2015. Started a weekend lawn business and it paid for itself very quickly. Great stuff as always.
Not too many have the Gumption to start a business like you did, congratulations and all the success bernie
I’ve been through so many different brands of riding mowers it’s crazy.. i just broke down and i bought a nice size Bad Boy mower and i absolutely love it.. it’s a heavy duty mower just under a commercial mower.. it has a 60 inch deck and very thick steel.. you can stand on the deck and it doesn’t budge.. i paid over $5000 for it but I’m satisfied for sure, hopefully it will outlast all the others that I’ve been through..
18 yr-old Craftsman 42" LT2000 w/single cylinder. I keep spare spindles on hand - like you say, they definitely go out if you hit something and I do. Fortunately they're easy to find and not particularly expensive. But the engine has (knock on wood) continued to hold up fine.
we have a GT5000 that is trashed with only 150 hours on it
Your video is the most practical overall opinion (review) and best I have heard for anyone wanting to purchase a rider for mowing their yard. Great tips on Mfrs, construction and possible service issues from a Lady who sees these machines pass through her shop.
Fine job and well done there Chickanic!!
Just found her today I luckily just bought a Ariens edge 52” from Lowe’s today and I had the same opinion she understands the industry has a lot of colors lol definitely glad I did my homework trying to avoid MTD stamped deck issues
I have absolutely no idea why I am watching this when I do not have a lawn to mow! Must be the great, factual, no-nonsense presentation!
I have a lawn and a mower, but all I could think about is motor boats. :P
😂😂
@@rusmokin😆
Hey Chickanic..on that exmark you have on the trailer don't paint the fuel tanks..use Kiwi liquid shoe polish instead ..it won't flake or peel you will be amazed..I've used it in so many applications ..try it you'll see..just make sure the tanks are really clean..Cheers 🥂🥂🥂🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
There’s a spray called Back to Black I’ve seen at auto parts stores. It’s made for faded bumpers and trim, but it should work for tanks, too.
@@5roundsrapid263 I've used that before..it didn't last for me..used it on my 07 F-150 cowl screens mirrors and running boards about a month they needed it again..the shoe polish has been on it for about a year..and it still looks great..a lot cheaper..lol.. i don't tell everyone because they might laugh..Cheers 🍺🍺🇺🇸🇺🇸
Who cares about looks ..... just run
@@carlmorgan8452 well Carl...if I'm buying a used mower i don't want one that looks like it's been stored outside..if you don't believe it try selling one good running mower that looks bad ..
It won't happen..i know this because i fix and resell them.
I have a 2006 Troy-Bilt 50-in zero turn. They only build it for 1 year and then they switched in 2007. It's built so much better than the other models and I'm so glad I bought that one when I did. I haven't had any issues from it. One PTO switch and almost 20 years.
husqvarna 46 rider here,...was a return paid 1300. had choke outa adjustment hard start,...magneto air gap excessive,i changed wheel bushings to actual bearings,after fixing a few issues its been reliable, i also added a tubular bumper, i keep the deck pressure washed,and use wd40 😊...i also added L.E.D headlamp bulbs,
Great video and overview of the "Big Box" mowers. A few years ago I bought a John Deere riding mower, but got it from a John Deere Dealer vs Big Box store. When time for an oil change came along I spent the $25 on the kit to get rid of the EZ change system and use a standard spin on filter. Best thing I did as $60 to change only half the oil is dumb!
@gordonhutchinson2949 Dont know why everyone does not do this.
A high quality mower that's often overlooked for the smaller lawns are the Snapper rear riders. The Hi-Vac series with a bagger will pick up pine straw along with everything else. They were once equipped with Honda engines but later Briggs.
I had an old 70's Snapper with a 30inch cut,one bland, best cutting mower I've ever had.
I'm glad i bought my Murray Select 42" 17.5hp Briggs back in 2019 for $900, brand new on clearance at Walmart and still running and cutting today.😊
Can’t beat the old Murray
I’ve put several new engine on last year and expect to do the same this year
@@philliphall5198 well its been 4 years since i boughtit,with the original battery and i haven't had any problem with cranking it.
Had to get to 12:50 to hear -- "Scag" & "X-Mark" are my top pick. Thanks!
I just bought a Bad Boy Rogue (Commercial) 72' deck with the Kawasaki FV 1000 35hp engine. As a mechanic, I am vey impressed with the openess of all the components. Eveything is very easy to get to. The deck is 3 gauge (1/4') with 3/8' side plates. It has a great suspension system with an adjustable suspension seat...love it !!
One other thing to watch out for on the John Deere is to avoid those plastic transmissions on the lower-end models. Easy to spot, just look at from behind and you'll see that plastic housing around the rear axle.
Good looking out
The pot metal transaxles are bad enough. But plastic......yikes.
Which series doesnt have that?
The plastic manual trans was on the JD E100, and was discontinued 2021. All JD trans are hydrostatic now.
@@disco4535 you don’t get rid of the k46 plastic trans until the ~$6000 x380 or x390. And the x380 still as an internal oil filter. The x390 has an external filter. I think both are k58. Then the x500 series moves up to the much beefier k72 with diff lock.
I just went through this and ended up just getting an older shaft driven diesel deere for less money.
Take a look at models like the gt225/235/245, gx325/335/345/355 or like an LX255. Those are all 900-3500ish depending on model/location/condition and have beefier transmissions, some with diff lock.
In may 2016 i bought my first ever rider a 48" Husqvarna and the triple bagger unit from Lowes with a 10% off coupon, I change the oil and sharpen the blades every 2 years and blow out the air filter once a year and it's a beast. I absolutely love it
Back in 2018 I bought a Toro SS5000 Timecutter Zero Turn. It's been great so far. Normal maintenance , blade replacement, oil changes, etc. are cheap to perform. Stamped deck has survived 5 years so far with no rust out. Had to replace spindles due to noisy bearings but the replacements are about $70 for all 3. The jewel on the SS5000 is the Toro designed and built 26.5 HP vertical twin engine. This thing is a powerhouse! Easy starting, quick to warm up and never quits. Even the battery lasted 4 years before requiring replacement. This was a great deal at $3200 back in 2018.. I imagine they cost more now but this one seems to be worth it...
I convert those JD easy oil change systems back to old school. There are kits to do that. It's cheap and simple. You remove all that and install a nipple into the block and install a normal oil filter. Also, when switching them over, you will find that you will be adding significantly more oil to fill and that is because the Easy fill system does not allow for removal of all the dirty oil. I convince everyone of my customers to do this. Check it out. BTW, I think you are the best on here!
We have the 30 inch Troy Bilt riding lawnmower and we've had it for almost 7 years now. Wasn't that expensive, and it fit between our chain link fence gate to get into the backyard. We have it serviced every February before mowing season hits, and we've never had a problem with it. That switch near the mulcher cover was annoying at first, but it hasn't been a problem since we first bought it. It's an easy fix. Steering hasn't been a problem. One of the best lawnmowers I've ever used. Heck, I even gave our neighbor the second key and he uses it on his yard. Older, with breathing problems, and all he has to do is put gas in it. Like our little Troy Bilt.
Same, I bought a used one years ago and havent had a single problem with it. Nice little mower
I must have lucked out. I bought a craftsman mower about eight years ago and never had a problem.
I have a 1980s Simplicity (owned by Briggs and Stratton) rider, that I repowered with a single cylinder Tecumseh (10hp). Went from a crappy 12hp briggs that was worn out to a strong running 10hp techumseh, that I bought new old stock a while back. Love that thing and have less than 250 dollars in it.
Simplicity rocks. Dealer only, but worth it. All USA 🇺🇸... the genuine article. A used Conquest or Prestige (with Real hydrostats) is an investment you won't regret 😉
The more recent ones have Full suspensions and higher-speed trannys so you can mow quicker. Also true automatic traction control (and a diff lock). Mine's got real power steering, a rear hitch and a Johnny Bucket on the front. Also doesn't need choking and works Perfect👌.
Snap up a used Simplicity and win the game 😉
I'm running a 11 year old Husky YTH24V48. I've replaced a couple of belts, one spindle and had to reweld the front deck support after an unintended collision with a solid object. The engine is going strong. I dread the day when the old Husky won't get the job done. Current pricing for that model is up $1100 from what I gave for it in 2012. Thanks for the great videos, I've learned a lot!
i bought their 46” husqvarna riding mower in 2016. still going strong today. use it a ton. paid $1300 back then…
I agree 100% with your mower
Choices! Great video!❤️❤️
Good Morning Jeremy!
@@Chickanic mornin! It’s
That time ! Grass is knee high here in talty Texas!
This is actually a really useful video, especially at this time of year. You brought up some ideas I would never have thought of!
On the exmark, I use "Mother's back to Black" on the plastic trim and fuel tank, etc. Very easy to use and returns a nice shine while cleaning off the dirt and fade. On the big box store mowers, I was told by a John Deere mechanic that the models sold at bigbox stores are not the same as those sold at a Deere dealer. Motors and other drive components are cheapened down to compete against the other brands. You get what you pay for.
One of the differences I noticed is that the mowers sold at a dealer have a bearing on the front wheel shafts. The ones sold at the ‘box’ stores have a bushing that wears out sooner. You can buy the bearing and retrofit your cheaper mower once the bushing wears out.
Bought the basic Ariens almost 8 years ago. Only oil changes and upkeep. Love it. The John Deere is a Pain in the butt.
I had a Cub Cadet for over 15 yrs, was great until belt issues started. Bought Husquvarna & am loving it. I have many acres to mow & no issues..yet! Love your videos
You are becoming a super star Bre! Love this channel
Something to remember when buying a big box store mower is that they are not gone through . They have a 3rd party company that slaps on whatever isn't on it and they take it to the front. The tires are often over inflated , the deck levels are way off and so on. You really need to go over these mowers good when you get it home.
I agree. I bought a Craftsman ZT three years ago from Lowe's and I have been happy with it but I checked it over really well before using it. The rear tires were way over inflated, the front tires were way under inflated and the front wheels needed some grease.
and box stores don't repair a damn thing ! They slap local fixers stickers on them ! They must get a commission for that. Or the local repair shop pays Lowes to do it !
I worked at Lowe’s for 28 years!😢 You are correct! You’ll be lucky if they have any air in the tires, or a battery that’s charged. There are no mechanics at lowes. Everything broken is sent out to be fixed. The only people allowed to work on JD is the local John Deere dealer. Lowes can’t even take them out of the crate they come in. Your warranty is void otherwise. In the last 5 years, lowes corporate office has eliminated all assembly people, and most delivery drivers. Everything is half a$$ done by a 3rd party that doesn’t give a sh•t whether it’s done right or not. They get paid by the piece, they don’t get paid to care. I think I was the last one at our store who gave a sh•t whether your mower even started or not. Lowe’s doesn’t care about their employees or their customers. And they sure as hell don’t care about your $3000 lawnmower! That’s your problem!
@@triumphmanfulthey don’t put any repair stickers on them lol. The John Deeres sold thru Lowes will have the local dealers stickers as they set them up at the store before sale. The other brands don’t have any local servicer stickers on them lol
@@jray5363 ...And THERE'S your dinner!
Bought a Craftsman T210 going on 3 years ago. I compared it to a similar John Deer setting next to it. Craftsman had better comfort by far. Higher back seat. Better feel as far as turning goes. Near zero turn turning ability which going on 3 years for me has been awesome. That higher back seat was a huge plus for me. I mow about 1 acre where I currently live then over 3 more on property I am currently developing into a small farm/homestead. I was personally not impressed with the John Deer at all. The craftsman is very quiet as well and my neighbors owns a John Deer and the thing sounds like a Sherman Tank when he mows lol. No kidding we hear it plain as day inside our house and are always very pleased when he finishes mowing 😂. My family says they don’t even know I am mowing unless they are in a room close to where I am mowing at the time. Could not be happier with that T210 Craftsman. It rides great cuts even and with the ability to steer so tight combined with the hydrostatic drive my mowing time was cut in half or better. Love this thing. Hope it holds up. I usually take families older broken down mowers and fix them then run them till there is nothing left. It was a cheap way to save a lot of money over the course of my life. At near 60 I finally decided to spoil myself for a change. I am glad / thankful the good lord gave me a very strong mechanical ability allowing me to fix pretty much everything I have owned my entire life. Its saved me tens of thousands over the course of my life. I gotta say though having a mower you can walk up to and pretty much count on to do its job every time is nice. I will say there was an issue with this particular model back when I bought it. The deck drive belt jumped off a couple times when I hit heavy grass. I had seen videos about it and people were trash talking this mower. So I took a look. Grabbed the pulleys one by one and sure enough there was one loose. The bolts were never tightened at the factory. I tightened them and checked the others which were all good. Never a problem since then. It was brand new but I was not a bit upset. I expect human error with most anything these days as quality seems to no longer be a priority.
Terry
You couldn't GIVE me a craftsman ANYTHING. Bought one of their weed eaters years ago and it worked for one and a half uses and started having issues with it. Bought my Deere 3 years ago and aside from it being noisy It's been one of the best things I've ever bought. It'll actually last too, so there's that.
I just bought a JD mower from Lowes. it is 48", 3 blades, twin cyl. to replace a craftsman that is not old but keeps braking. (front tires popping off, broken frame) We have two acres on a side hill with over half in lawn converted from field. We decided to keep the Craftsman for mowing around the house and as a backup. The JD is much heavier and stronger and the triple blades provide a more even cut on our rough ground. I see people in our community with a riding mower, on lawn that would be hard to break a sweat with a push mower. Again the Duty Cycle make a big difference in the life and reliability of a mower.
I have ariens I bought about 3 years ago for my lawn business, and as of right now it has 570 hours on it and have had very little issues with it, only problem I really have had are the front tires, otherwise I can’t complain about it. I will be getting another one after this one.
Delivered a nice even cut, has the super tight turning ability ua-cam.com/users/postUgkx1VWTrayKBdCKAjzAcZ_Eg4dhHTae3LkN also recommend I was looking for, and is just a blast to drive. It takes a little bit to get used to driving one after driving a normal tractor style, but once you've got it, you've got it. If you're cutting lines, you have to be careful spinning the mower around or the back tire will dig a bare spot. Just take it nice and slow during the turn and then it's back to full throttle across the yard!
IMO, the Husqvarna's are made pretty well. I've had mine for a while and it's held up quite well
The sticker shock has thus far deterred me from replacing my 16 year old Husqvarna, but the speed of a ZT is definitely is siren song having roughly 7 acres to keep up with. But so far despite using it more like a brush mower I've only had to replace 1 spindle.
That inflation's going through everything. Everything has doubled in price or more.
i bought this lil 10.5hp, 38" cut from Sears in 1997. 8 years with the battery it came with and i beat the spindles off that thing 3 time a side.. lol its the model that had the tall spindles. best lil lawnmower iv ever had. start up every time. after 12 years i got 200 bucks for it. i have a Resto Mod Murry now with a modified deck and engine. thank u for the video, i know the time it takes to film and edit.
I have a ariens I bought 3 years go now that I bought new and have had zero issues . Definitely dont regret buying it. They also have a small battery
Thanks for the video! I noticed a big change in the JD zero turns at Lowes this year. My 5 year old basic 42" JD zero turn has a hydroformed heavy deck on it. I always liked it because it cleans itself below pretty easily and doesn't collect debris in corners etc. That heavy deck will not bend before the mower stops against an obstacle. However, the newest JD zero turns at Lowes THIS YEAR have a lighter gauge deck on them. The easiest way to tell is that the decks are green instead of yellow and they have a curved reinforced rod around the outside of it. I went over and picked up on the deck and was surprised at the lighter weight and thinner metal used on the deck compared to my old model. I suspect the newer lighter deck will not be as durable over time.
Actually the decks on the z300 series( if that's the ones you're talking about) are pretty decent. They're all accel deep decks and the 42" ones are 12ga steel and the 48 and 54" ones are 10ga steel. I'm not sure what year the accel deep decks started,but it was around 2015 2016 somewhere in there. I think that they used the edge decks before that. I'm pretty sure they're 12 or 13ga. In any event they're solid and well designed.
Yellow deck color is the older and stronger made deck?
@@Justintm theres the edge deck that's on the 100 series tractors that are 13ga steel,the accel deep decks on their residential zero turns and 300 and 500 series tractors that are 10 ga,and the professional tractors and zero turns that get their 7ga high capacity deck. Even a 13ga residential deck will last for 20 years if you keep it clean and dry. The deeper high capacity decks will allow you to mow faster in even deep grass. The accel deep and high capacity decks do have more robust mounting hardware and are built to take more abuse
One thing about the newer Accel decks is the blade is almost even with the lip of the deck so you get no warning of a root or something. I bent my deck the first go around the yard. Then bent it again. I was messing around with my old mower and realized the blade was at least 3/4" higher than the lip. I hardly ever hit roots with that mower. My brother in law also got the same mower and he hit a root on his first go around at his house. Bent the deck. He had to buy a new one. I managed to massage mine close to normal.
My 32 year old STX-38 is still going strong and it has a 12 HP single cylinder Kohler Command engine that occasionally puts out some smoke. Back when even the low cost JD's were built better than most mowers today. Good to know Cub Cadet is just a MTD like the Craftsman. If I had to buy a new mower today, I would search for a used one in good shape. The new ones just are too much money.
parts are now chineeees
I am still using my STX38 that is only 26 years old. Black deck that has more welds than steel on it. I do hate shifting gears to forward and reverse though and the valve guides are bad but it keeps on cutting. The muffler stud bolts are rotten so the muffler is just kind of hanging there but I just turn the headphones up.
I got a S240 that is ok.
These days it's almost a better deal to buy a used heavier-duty unit that's built to last thousands of hours rather than spend the same amount on one with cheap plastic parts and non-serviceable drivetrain that starts having problems after a couple hundred hours. Servicing and maintaining reliable equipment is a lot easier than dealing with poor quality that breaks on you at an inopportune time.
Thanks, great advice as usual. You’re not kidding, sticker shock! Like twice what my YT4000 cost 12 or so years ago. “Craftsman” apparently changed manufacturers. The old YT4000 parts all seem to cross to Husqvarna parts which are usually less expensive than Craftsman. The advice on spindles is right on. Usually a rock breaks it before the bearing goes bad. Luckily the genuine Husqvarna spindles are not expensive, though it is still a pain in the neck to change them. I have wood sticks cut to length to wedge the broken off mounting tabs below the deck so I can back out the bolts. If there isn’t enough of the tab left to wedge, I use a Dremel tool to cut it off. Sometimes you can grab the tab remnant with Vise-grips.
Bought a Mtd 12 horse 38" thirty years ago replaced deck belt once blades twice starter last year added a rear tire tube one spark plug and replace batteries every three four years.I cut half acre+ every week during growing season
I have an El Toro SS4225 that I bought 10 years ago and it still runs perfect and the more I see these prices the more I think I love my Toro
This would have been great information to have about 2 years ago when I bought my Cub Cadet. Since I bought it I have put spindles on about 3-4 times a year.
Cub Cadet = MTD Junk. Stickers are cheap.
3-4 times a year? I have a Hustler commercial bought in 2005 that has had all three spindles replaced once.
@@jeffstanley4593 Same here. I got a old 1998 Ferris Pro Cut Z 61" that has had the greasable spindles changed once a couple of years ago. I changed the original drive belt last year finally because it was cracking. The belt is a 4 rib serpentine like 106" and is $140
GE made an excellent electric tractor back in the late 60's to early 70's called called the Electrak. Used golf cart batteries on a 3 acre property, Had a 3 motor 3 blade front mounted deck that didn't trample the grass before cutting it. Worked very well cutting below spruce tree branches too.
Just looked that up, really cool I had no idea. But I can't imagine the performance would be great for anything more than a half acre of flat ground lol.
Something else to think about, some riding mowers have a safety that kills the engine with the blades running when you try to back up from a tight spot. Craftsman riders have the key switch with backup enable spot to keep the engine AND the blades running when you need to back up (saves wear on the blade drive belts).
I just bypassed the switch on mine... not a Craftsman. May be a personal preference, but at times, it is more efficient to cut going backwards.
One of the most irritating safety features ever!
Thanks for all your info and videos. I noticed you didn't say much about husqvarna .I have a ten year old lgt 2654 that lowe's told me was garden tractor (could handle ground engaging implements) the trans is not that strong there is a problem where the axle bolts to the frame .but all and all been a good tractor. 450 hours
the comment about an 11.5HP engine on a rider...my first tractor was a 10HP Craftsman single cylinder Briggs, with 42" deck. I mowed professionally with that mower for 5 years. LOTS of repairs but it was FANTASTIC. Later had a Deere rider with an 11HP Kawasaki twin, another fantastic mower that punched above its weight...used it to mow my 5 acre lot for several years...nothing but gas, oil changes and belts for all that work...
After 2 failed riding mowers, a Ryobi and a used MTD, my wife and I just got a great deal on a returned and refurbished Husqvarna at Lowe’s for $1200. 22HP. Still comes with full warranty.
Try finding a modern woman that could compete with this genuine woman. I myself spent a few years in the power equipment industry after retiring from the automotive industry and I can tell you, this young lady knows her stuff. I absolutely
love a woman with brain power. Thank you for your videos with true "know how" and proper terminology. No B.S.
I found a really simple, no cost way to never have another bad experience at Lowes.
CRAPSMAN mowers !
The first thing I did to my JD S170 was bought the kit that JD sells to replace the quick change oil system. I also don’t think your getting a complete oil change with this system
For sure, at best it’s only changing out about 2/3rds of the oil. I also converted our lawn crews three E120 s to the old system as soon as they were due for the first oil change
Great Video ! I had a Cub a few years ago .I loved the Kawasaki 18 Horse twin .I had the 42 inch stamped deck and no PTO. I hated the deck. It never could mow thick grass, the belt would slip !I tried a bunch of things to get the belt to do right but no dice! Leveling the deck was torture ! but when you got it dialed in ,it cut a beautiful lawn . In your video ,I thought I heard you Toro doesn't make a commercial rider . I went o their website and they do in fact make them but you ain't gone see them at a box store.
It's amazing that all companies seem to be cutting costs, raising prices and making things as cheaply as possible. Seems like they are Preying on people who only shop brand rather than features.
Thanks for the video.
Been watching your channel for a while now. Have fixed 2 push mower with the help of it. But I have a POULAN-PRO for over 7 yrs and the most problem I have with it is the spendles cutting a 1.78 of land. I try and fix my own mowers and other people. I only know one other guy like you here in Moultrie Georgia his name is Calvin of MTPOWER. Keep up the good work and may you stay blessed for your honesty and kind guidance.
The batteries are now an AGM battery. I just bought a craftsman T2400 last year from Lowe’s and that was the first thing I noticed. Smaller form factor cause it’s a different chemistry. Plus they can dip much lower without causing damage to the cells and still come back from a recharge. Plus an AGM can be set in any orientation which likely opens up new manufacturing plans for the maker I’d think.
that was my suspicion. also less susceptible to vibration. but more expensive usually 30-50%
I’m planning on retrofitting my easy change JD this year. It is a great mower. Although, I like the look of the lawn after I cut with my 21” 2006 snapper, but the rider gets to cleanup afterwards. ✅ Thanks for all you do👏
Conversion kits are fairly low priced. Very easy to do.
That's my plan as well as soon as I get to my first oil change.
I love watching you. You are a blessing to all of us who work on our small engines.
We got a Husqvarna 26HP Kohler engine with a 54” deck and hydrostatic drive. It has a monster bag system on back because we live in the burbs with a ton of trees . Gives a nice smooth cut. It gets stored outdoors all year long with only a cover over it and has no rust anywhere.
As someone possibly looking to get a zero turn I am glad I have found your video
I got an ariens edge 52" from lowes earlier this year, its been a big improvement over my 25 year old craftsman, takes me less than half the time and it discharges the grass very well, even if its a little tall it doesn't leave big chunks in the yard. $3500 was a little much to come off of, but 2 hours of mowing cut down to 40 minutes with a nicer final product.
very happy with mine too so far. just bought it last week, had an issue with the battery completely draining within a couple days but Lowe's ended up giving me a bigger battery and said they've gotten the same complaints with other brand mowers they sell too.
Craftsman lasted you 25 years and you went with another rand, wow!
@@timcunningham6932 that craftsman was made in America 25 years ago and the new ones arent!
I think the batteries in the craftsman items may be a small motorcycle style AGM battery instead of the traditional sealed lead acid batteries they've always used. They're supposed to last longer, but they don't. Also, anything you buy at lowes, home depot or tractor supply are made to be cheaper than the ones at a dealer. I did a comparison when working at an mtd dealer with a yard machines. Walmart had the same model for $10 less than ours. We bought one to compare. Looked exactly the same, but slightly different model number. Ours had 3 rings on the piston while theirs had 2. We also did the same with an Ariens from Lowes. Things were put together cheaper than the ones we sold. Had so many come in for service where ours barely came back for anything other than maintenance. There's a John Deere dealer near us that won't even take the equipment in if you bought it from lowes.
I believe you're right about those batteries being AGM. I saw those for sale st a Subaru dealer and I had to ask the mechanic what the belt was (for a car) because they have the same voltage and CCA as a lead acid battery but cost twice as much and all he said was "saving weight". So, if you are building a track car and you are looking at every option to shave pounds off your curb weight then that will take about 5 or so right there. Oh and if you live in extremely cold climates AGMs do not freeze either. Since no one mows in the winter and you might be storing that lawnmower for 6 months out of the year, well ok then. But aside from that chop out that plastic, crimp a couple of terminals on there and save your customers money.
It's well-known that WalMart negotiates to get slightly different model numbers with certain manufacturers in order to meet a price point. They do this with everything from car batteries to televisions.
Given how much that John Deere claims it doesn't have different mowers for different retailers (i.e. same model number equals same mower) that JD dealer isn't refusing to service the equipment because it's inferior quality, it's because you bought it from Lowes instead of from him. This isn't unheard of from dealers. If people can go to Lowe's and get the same mower cheaper, they will. This is particularly true that now you can get some of the heavier-duty semi-commercial mowers at Lowe's that used to be limited to dealers. The difference with big box mowers is that when they set them up they're often slapped together, so you might have to make adjustments to the deck, check the bolts, etc.
"We grow rocks in Arkansas." I had no idea what I was getting in to when I moved here but I'd have to agree with you on that comment! The blades on my John Deere X739 look like I've been cutting steel I-Beams due to the rocks on my property. I have to say that I'm very happy with this mower. Now with that said, I didn't buy it. I had it thrown in on the house deal and am very happy that the previous owner agreed to let us have it. The thing is a beast. Goes everywhere I point it and has never given me trouble.
Good advice, thank you again. I bought lawn mowers at Sears for years and it's a shame that Sears is gone. The best was the one with the larger wheels on the rear and I think was a Briggs and Stratton engine, gave it to my son when I bought the Husqvarna I now have, big mistake.
In my area (New England) I bought a Kubota z231 with a 42 inch welded deck and a Kawasaki twin for $4000 with zero percent interest. Those Ariens zero turns look to be pretty rugged.
Kubota are well made and better than John Deere Lawn Tractors.
Just subscribed today and enjoy the presentations. Saw this one and appreciate the commentary about stamped vs. fabricated decks. My first zero turn was a Toro (I forget the model) and I literally beat it to death over 7 seasons on 5 acres. Stamped deck, rusted out, blown spindles. Fast forward to a new zero turn, a Bad Boy ZT Elite that I bought in Mississippi in 2016. Less than 100 hours on it now, but I maintain it and the Kawasaki engine like they say. Since my wife and I now live in central Arkansas (hello, neighbor!) and since Bad Boy has their HQ in Batesville, AR, maybe a word or two about these machines. My research and experience with this machine indicates they're pretty stout from a construction standpoint, the Kawasaki engines (I have an FR730 2-cylinder) are excellent, and the only problem I have with it is that it's very sensitive to tire pressure. That, and the odd duck balancing of the deck can lead to stripes where you don't want them. Skag or Gravely might be a better overall machine, but they cost major $$$ when, as a homeowner, I just don't need that much machine. I needed more than the Toro offered, though.
Yeah I see how these mowers have significantly gone up in price in last 2-3 years and they can just sit on the lot as far as I'm concerned.
I've never bought a new riding or walk-behind mower. All of my yard equipment, along with most of the appliances in my home, were bought cheaply used, or were curbside rescues. Nearly all have made it to at least 20 years and are still working. There has been such a bumper-crop of shoddy design and manufacture over the past 10 years, only now 'enhanced' by outrageous post-pandemic prices!
Keeps me motivated to maintain my old LT1000. Can't afford to replace that old beast! new one is nowhere near as good either!
Keep repairing what you have, they'll get the message.
Thanks for NOT overcomplicating the explainations. Just means I don't need to use extra brain power. Great assortment of topics. Keep up the good work.
We got an Ariens this year from Lowes. Got the 52" one at $3999. I really like it being a larger fella. It's seems to sit me at the right height and is easy to get out of the seat after a few hours of mowing.
John Deere AUC12916-KIT will convert engine to standard oil filter. ~$40
One piece of advice I would like to give anyone looking into buying a new mower, avoid the big box stores, if your going to be spending a few thousand dollars then go to an actual dealer who not only sales the mower but has repair facilities for your mower, that way you can get your mower repaired at the same place you bought it from and avoid playing phone tag.
Nope. I did that. I bot my Toro from a dealer place. Crappy service. I wud have been better off buying from Lowes, wud have saved me $$ up front during the sale & not disappointed with the service a yr. later when I needed help.
7 year old bad boy and the tires still hold air, oil and filter change are all i have done to it 5 acers with an abundance of trees@@TexasLocalProduce
I ended up buying a S100 JD from Lowes, I received a 10% military discount, saving $249. The dealer wouldn't have given me that.
@benk4881 military discount basically pays the taxes, one thing I did was change the oil,filter after 3-4 hours to get the metal shavings out of the new engine' that's something that's overlooked.
Bought my John Deere S120 at a dealer for that reason. While buying the sales guy said it doesn’t matter where you buy them, they all come to his store for repairs no matter where you buy. So there you go.
I have the older version of that craftsman t2400 I have the t240 and one of the things that I like compared to the other brands is the turning radius it can turn on a dime and the deck has really good air flow compared to deere husqvarna and cub cadet
So far so good with my T240, and yes the turning radius is awesome.
Love the channel and I finally have something to add. Ha. Anyway, after years of getting screwed by craftsman riding mowers, 14 years ago I got the 42 inch zero turn time cutter with the Kawasaki motor. It was a workhorse that gave me zero problems and I abused the the heck out of it. Did Have to replace a belt and a solenoid last year but the motor and all was all still tip top...EXCEPT (there's always and EXCEPT) the stamped deck. NEVER buy a stamped deck unless your just going to mow the white house lawn and maybe not that. They bend, a get all out of shape. I live in Oklahoma and our maple trees have a lot of above ground roots and a few rocks here and there. I've had to take a sledge hammer to the deck more than once to get it back in shape. This year, mower still running great, the deck was gone. The ejection side was mostly gone as was the rubber cover. the blades were the only thing level. Hated to say goodbye to a friend, but wife said she wanted me to. So I did my home work and found the Toro I wanted in the same 42 inch deck (I've made my yard to accommodate that size as with width of door way to shop and gates. Found the one I wanted with a very sturdy fabricated deck. They also have a reinforced rim at the bottom for added strength. Has lots of other things like the electric set brakes that are unreal how good those are. They upgraded the wheels and other things that give great access to the top deck, battery ect. Only thing is I'd rather had the Kawasaki 22 hp motor but they had that on the larger unit's and 42 is what I needed. Got the Kohler motor in 22 but I found that they had fixed the issues with them (I hated all Kohler motors because they were just trash) I want motors and unit that outlast everything else if take care of. I do. I love my toro and at Texoma Utility Equipment in Durant Ok. I found one at about 700 bucks cheaper than Home D and Lowes...everywhere else, that had them at $3,699.99 (just say 3700). Toro had a small sale that brought them down a couple of hundred but I fell into this sale at Tex Utility and bought mine for $3, 029.00 before tax. WOW. The same exact one. I love it. I've mowed my lawn a couple of times a week to figure out exactly the right setting to get the 3" cut and proper deck level.
(A bit of advice to new zero turn folks. If your not cutting level, first check for a bent blade then check the air in your tires. level with adding or letting out air in a tire. It works)
Also, clean your underneath deck after mowing. My toro has the water hose adapter but now and then check to see. If you mow in a bit wet grass and with that and dust, it will turn to cocreate under your deck. Take care of you mower like your car. Do the maintenance on time and keep her clean.
Sorry to kidnap the OP. I have learned a ton here and you have probably addressed the above but I wanted to help with my small knowledge. Plus, I wanted to give a slight review of Toro mowers. They are tip top as is this channel.
Fall of 2020 I was walking out the door of a Lowes having gone in for paint. As I came out I saw an Ariens Icon 42 with a price tag of $1499. I asked what about it was wrong. Nothing.
They really didn't know why it was at that price but there it was so of course I took it. Been using it since. It's terrific.
I turned the stamped deck on my 50 inch White Horse rider to a fabricated deck as various parts developed cracks and holes. Most of the reinforcing was around the spindles as you might expect.
would appreciate seeing something similar only with the big box store push mowers, thanks for the great videos
Looks like my cows might have to mow my yard this year for the price of those 👍 great video
Goats and sheep
I have an older JD LA145 . I do regular maintence on it and have had 0 issues with it . I like it very much .
Despite the gouging on full display when showing the prices, it was still very enjoyable because of the music. So I did a chairdance, and it was good.
Stay gold.
I had a L-Head 11 HP single Briggs in the 80's. It was a Dynamark lawn tractor. It had plenty of power to mow with the 44" deck. Not all horsepower is measured the same.
We had an earlier model of Dynamark with a Tecumseh engine. Ran like clockwork, until the axle bushings all wore out. We used it for 30 years.