# Garden Tractor Rip Off?



## Rollochrome (Apr 9, 2012)

I have bought 12 acres, of which, about 3 to 4 are mowable. The rest is scattered woods and moderate hills.

I need a tractor that will mow the 3 to 4, plus be able to pull a wagon with firewood or compost, drag a dethatcher for seeding a pasture, and perhaps pull a wagon full of children on a miniature hayride..

As I work up the continuum of lawn tractor to yard tractor to garden tractor, and up in price along that scale as well, I am wondering if I am just drinking the marketing Kool-Aid by thinking that if I drop $3000 on a Craftsman GT6000 that I am really getting a significantly different machine than if I bought one at half the price.

Conversely, the next size up is what they call a compact tractor, which look to me to be real little tractors, not mowers.

So am I better off going real cheap or financing a big boy real deal?

Is the medium between those two extremes, the garden tractor concept, just a fancy rip off that lacks the economy of the smaller models or the durability of the larger ones?


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## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

There is not an option for:

Look at Auctions, Craigslist, Scratch and Dents, etc.
Hunt for that 'diamond in the rough' or that once in a life time bargain.


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## Rollochrome (Apr 9, 2012)

Laura Zone 5 said:


> There is not an option for:
> 
> Look at Auctions, Craigslist, Scratch and Dents, etc.
> Hunt for that 'diamond in the rough' or that once in a life time bargain.


All I have been seeing on craigs is tore up abused garbage for too much money.

Sears has some remanufactured models, but in order for them to have something to remanufacture, that model had to have so many problems that it was deemed to be unfixable and was replaced. So im not sure I want to try on someone elses nightmare either


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## Eagle1 (Jun 1, 2012)

Buy at least a subcompact tractor with a loader and actually get stuff done. I've abused mine (doing things way too big for it) for 10 years (3000+ hours) and it's still does what I need. I've worn out box blades and loader buckets moving more gravel and dirt with that little guy. It climbs almost anything (if you are REAL careful) and cuts 10 acres or more every week. I haul 10+ cord of wood a year and it's my best helper when cutting, puts the logs right where i want them. I really need a bigger one at this time but that little BX has been beast and keeps right working.


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## Phil V. (May 31, 2013)

Look on Tractorhouse they have small tractors that would work for you.


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## powerdam1953 (Aug 9, 2012)

I have 12 acres similar to what you have. I bought a JD2320 with loader, mower, posthole auger and tiller and I use it a lot. It was expensive for me, but it has sure saved me a ton of hard work. It was 2 years old with 7 hours on it from a guy who wanted to start gardening but never had time so I got a great deal on a like new tractor with attachments and it still amazes me the time it saves


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## Bret4207 (May 31, 2008)

None of the above as far as the poll goes. For the money you are talking you can get something like a Farmall C/Allis B/Case VAC with a belly mower. There are actual farm tractors, not the lightly built "lawn tractors" Sears sell. Don't make the mistake I did. I spent $2600.00 about 10 years back on a Sears 25hp "garden tractor". It's been nothing but a nightmare. They are nothing like the old Sears tractors of my youth in the 60's and 70's. For that matter you can buy a Ford 8n, a tractor I despise, or even a later 600 series and a trailing 3 pt finish mower for around $3K if you hunt a bit.

Mowing 3-4 acres with a 42-52" lawn mower is going to take a significant amount of time. I grew up mowing about 5 acres with 36-42" machines. By the time I got to one end the other end was ready to start again.

The "compact utility tractors" sold today likely won't be running in 20 years friend. I've worked on a lot of them, take my word for it.


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

First I am not suggesting a lawn tractor, 
story, years ago, I have a friend, and we were visting him, 
He had a John Deere 111 lawn tractor, and had just replaced it with a new SEARS model the first time out a spindle broke in the deck, and was waiting for repairs,
he gave me the old mower, I replaced the motor soon after I got home with a 16 hp BS vanguard, that was nearly 20 years ago now, still running the 111 mower, (not that it has been problem free, I have put a number of bearing in it and belts,) but you call JD and they have the parts, But his sears is long gone, he only ran it a few years,

no I am not saying buy JD but there is a different in manufactures,

and normally we mow 2 acres, with it and at one time were mowing 7 acres, I got a 3 point mower for a larger tractor.

I would really recommend a step up from a lawn mower, 

even an ATV with a self contained pull behind mower,

When it is said and done there is no perfect tractor or mower, I got three tractors and the lawn mower and I still want another one,


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

There is no right answer. There are, however, a lot of wrong answers. Lawn tractors and the mower decks are built for one acre or less and will last maybe a half-dozen years with that limited use.

Run an engine under overload conditions and it will fail quickly. Spend money as an investment in a big ticket item and you wed yourself to it. If it needs a $200 part, you either buy it or throw out your $5,000 investment.

If I pick up an "end-of-life" lawn tractor for $300 and run it into the ground in a year or two, I'm still far better off than someone buying a $5,000 new unit and running it for six years.

If you've been around a few farms, you'll notice that most of them have at least two tractors. Guess why?

Consider a real compact tractor for pulling and a couple junker riding mowers with at least 16 hp and a 48" cut for mowing.


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## wannabechef (Nov 20, 2012)

Any mower under $8000 wont last cutting 3-4 acres weekly or biweekly...I do this for a living, buy a commercial mower or a real tractor with a finish mower. 3-4 acres weekly is a ton of mowing on a light duty mower with cheap spindles, blades, bearings and a thin stamped steel deck.

Most of your lawn tractor, JD included are made by MTD which are not know for high quality stuff.

A Toro ZTR has a hitch and either new or used commercial is a good choice...if used look for something under 1000 hours, 500 would be better. Look for something 48-60".

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab 2


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

wannabechef said:


> Most of your lawn tractor, JD included are made by MTD which are not know for high quality stuff.


I can not find conformation of that, 
I have found a number of sites that say that John Deere manufactures there own.


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## wannabechef (Nov 20, 2012)

farminghandyman said:


> I can not find conformation of that,
> I have found a number of sites that say that John Deere manufactures there own.


This maybe true, but I can promise you there is not 2 cents difference between an mtd mower and a jd in the same price range, still thin metal and cheap foreign made junk. A lawn tractor will not hold up to 3-4 acres a week..you will waste your money, time and the cut quality of a lawn tractor cannot compete with a commercial mower, the tractor will also be much slower requiring more time to turn around. Do yourself a favor and atleast look at a commercial mower made by Scag, Toro, Exmark, Hustler, Gravely or others...get a suspension seat if you plan to cut grass at any speed higher than what a lawn tractor will go...about 8 mph is top speed for cutting grass and leaving a decent cut, a lawn tractor will be lucky to cut at 4 mph or even travel that speed.

And those pull behind atv mowers, I have one made by polaris (simplicty) and its cut quality is horrible...I wouldn't sell it to my worst enemy.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab 2


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Like the one poster said buy a real farm tractor. Allis D 14/15/ Ford most expencie from the newer number series with live power, Moline 335 445, Oliver 55,555 Massey Harris 333,444 Mustang, or colt. All will handle all you want to do includeing front loader work and a good sized finish mower. 

I have a Massey Harris1953 Mustang that makes short work of mowing all the non lawn area that cut with a woods RM60 finish mower. Nearly as good a cut as the smiplicity lawn tractor does.

 Al


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

those little garden tractors are are for little gardens. really to small for any big jobs without enough weight to be safe pulling a trailor unless your on level ground . if you can afford a bigger tractor go for it there are somany more things that you can do with it.


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## plowjockey (Aug 18, 2008)

My neighbor mows 3 acres with a Sears tractor, similar to your $3k model.

He has had it for at least the nine years we have lived here (it's probably about 11 yrs old) and it has never been stored out of the weather - ever, until last year, when he finally built a shed.

He's fixed it a few times and it looks terrible from sitting out, but it seems to get the job done, just fine, for a tractor that has been neglected.

Personally, I'd buy (another) JD 318 with a 50" mower. I just got off my 20 year old model (tractor that is  ) after mowing 2.5 hrs non-stop.


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## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

Rollochrome said:


> I have bought 12 acres, of which, about 3 to 4 are mowable. The rest is scattered woods and moderate hills.
> 
> I need a tractor that will mow the 3 to 4, plus be able to pull a wagon with firewood or compost, drag a dethatcher for seeding a pasture, and perhaps pull a wagon full of children on a miniature hayride..
> 
> ...


 
..................Actually , you need a good riding mower , and a 50 to 70 hp diesel tractor , with FE loader , box blade and 8 foot brush hog , posthole digger ! Bigger is better , and IF you enjoy moving dirt and remaking the topography of your land for it's betterment you understand my point . , fordy


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

How often do you need to mow, and what kind of cut do you want?

Are you wanting a finish mower, or will a bush hog do the trick?


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## Rollochrome (Apr 9, 2012)

clovis said:


> How often do you need to mow, and what kind of cut do you want?
> 
> Are you wanting a finish mower, or will a bush hog do the trick?


Well I am assuming that between goats and cows that the pasture will not need cutting.

I am just looking to the maybe 3 or 4 acres around the house that is Bermuda and irrigated, with a somewhat steep decline on the back. I want to mowed reasonably well....not hogged.


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## Rollochrome (Apr 9, 2012)

plowjockey said:


> My neighbor mows 3 acres with a Sears tractor, similar to your $3k model.
> 
> He has had it for at least the nine years we have lived here (it's probably about 11 yrs old) and it has never been stored out of the weather - ever, until last year, when he finally built a shed.
> 
> ...


The problem is that the Sears and the Deere that you and your neighbor own are 20,000% better than the plastic and pot metal CRAP that is made today.

I went to a local Toro dealer yesterday and happened to walk past their repair yard while on my way back to the truck. I saw a man walking amongst 50 to 70 riding tractor disasters behind a fence. I walked back there and found that he was the mechanic. When asked who makes a good riding mower he laughed and said "no one". "They're all basically problematic garbage after the first year if you don't treat them like a precious jewel and pamper them." I asked him what HE would buy for my property. He said he would buy a commercial zero turn.

Not sure zero turns would do well on my rear sloping yard.....but I dunno what else I can look to at this point unless I want to fork out good cash for a locking differential rider that's toast in two or three seasons...


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## wannabechef (Nov 20, 2012)

Rollochrome said:


> The problem is that the Sears and the Deere that you and your neighbor own are 20,000% better than the plastic and pot metal CRAP that is made today.
> 
> I went to a local Toro dealer yesterday and happened to walk past their repair yard while on my way back to the truck. I saw a man walking amongst 50 to 70 riding tractor disasters behind a fence. I walked back there and found that he was the mechanic. When asked who makes a good riding mower he laughed and said "no one". "They're all basically problematic garbage after the first year if you don't treat them like a precious jewel and pamper them." I asked him what HE would buy for my property. He said he would buy a commercial zero turn.
> 
> Not sure zero turns would do well on my rear sloping yard.....but I dunno what else I can look to at this point unless I want to fork out good cash for a locking differential rider that's toast in two or three seasons...


Hmm, the mechanic and me see eye to eye.

What kind of slope? 3:1 is no prob on a ztr, 2:1 is walkbehind territory.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab 2


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

After mowing my big yard for 27 years with a used Sears SS 12 then the last 25 years with a Simplicity 6517 17HP I went bigger is better. A eXmark Z turn commerical 60 inch deck. A 4 acre yard that took 4 hours to just mow now only takes 1hour 45 minutes. My own yard took over a hour now is finished includeing the trimming in 30 minutes.







Quility of cut is as good as the fabled Simplicity cut.





*Get the Z trun dealer to demo one to see if it works on your hill. They do demo them here.*


Just for old time sake I mowed my back yard with a 41 year old simplicity Wednesday. I inhearted my father in laws tractor in 2011.





 Al


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

plowjockey said:


> My neighbor mows 3 acres with a Sears tractor, similar to your $3k model.
> 
> He has had it for at least the nine years we have lived here (it's probably about 11 yrs old) and it has never been stored out of the weather - ever, until last year, when he finally built a shed.
> 
> ...


The 300 series was the best mowers JD built. I've got a JD GT275 that my Mother in law gave up for dead that has been doing a good job this summer. Drug a dead ford ranger out of the way yesterday with it. The plastic hood is laying in a pile waiting to go to the trash.


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## swamp man (Dec 25, 2005)

Just for mowing and pulling a cart, a good Z-turn will do that and will handle a slope way better than a lawn/garden tractor. Bermuda grass ain't easy to cut if you want a clean appearance, being the reason that Bermuda golf courses, athletic fields, etc are generally mowed with something with hydraulic reel units. To cut it with rotary blades, they need to be sharp and moving fast under a deck design that generates some lift. I've done this for a whooooole lotta' years, and I'll take a Scag or a Hustler over anything. ExMark makes a reasonably durable machine, but the cut ain't as good and it won't handle a slope as well. I absolutely detest every Gravely I've ever been unfortunate enough to operate or maintain.
It's gettin' close to a good time of year to catch a bargain on a used z-turn with only a season of grass cutting on it.


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## bronc (Jul 17, 2013)

Years ago I tried to get by with a 25 hp huskavarna garden tractor then I bought a NH 60 hp compact tractor. Now the husky's only job is to mow my yard which is basIcally all its good for anyway no matter what the marketing and advertising says ... JMHO.


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## wannabechef (Nov 20, 2012)

swamp man said:


> Just for mowing and pulling a cart, a good Z-turn will do that and will handle a slope way better than a lawn/garden tractor. Bermuda grass ain't easy to cut if you want a clean appearance, being the reason that Bermuda golf courses, athletic fields, etc are generally mowed with something with hydraulic reel units. To cut it with rotary blades, they need to be sharp and moving fast under a deck design that generates some lift. I've done this for a whooooole lotta' years, and I'll take a Scag or a Hustler over anything. ExMark makes a reasonably durable machine, but the cut ain't as good and it won't handle a slope as well. I absolutely detest every Gravely I've ever been unfortunate enough to operate or maintain.
> It's gettin' close to a good time of year to catch a bargain on a used z-turn with only a season of grass cutting on it.


Kinda wrong to say an exmark wont handle a hill like a hustler or scag...I have a scag vride that will not handle even the smallest slope but a 60" ZD 26 that will handle some pretty steep slopes but nothing like my 40 Toro dual hydro walkbehind. Cut quality of the toro is far better than my scag or kubota.

Quality is very similar across the entire line of commerciwl mowers and there probably aint $25 in parts and steel differece between any of them.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab 2


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## Countrybumpkin (May 12, 2002)

Agree with the 300 series JD's being the best garden tractors...mine is a 1987, just last year the onan gave up the ghost and repowered with a briggs vanguard...still move 3 acres with it weekly and no problems-parts are easy to get also...


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## hefty lefty (Aug 22, 2013)

alleyyooper said:


> Like the one poster said buy a real farm tractor. Allis D 14/15/ Ford most expencie from the newer number series with live power, Moline 335 445, Oliver 55,555 Massey Harris 333,444 Mustang, or colt. All will handle all you want to do includeing front loader work and a good sized finish mower.
> 
> I have a Massey Harris1953 Mustang that makes short work of mowing all the non lawn area that cut with a woods RM60 finish mower. Nearly as good a cut as the smiplicity lawn tractor does.
> 
> Al


 One of the smaller "real tractors" with live hydraulics and PTO bought used is the best bet if you are not afraid of a little wrenching now and again. The 8N/2N/9N Fords are just the right size or a scosh bigger but no live PTO, rudimentary hydraulics and not enough gears are all problems. Later small gas Fords or similar Massey Ferguson, AC or, really, any tractor that isn't green and yellow will do. Three point hitch, live hydraulics, live PTO and gas are the catch words.

Diesel is better for machinery that will be used for long periods of time, have to idle a lot or for which fuel is going to be a significant cost. On your acreage fuel will be your least expense. Gas engines have no complicated fuel injection systems and are easier for non-experts to keep going. 

I don't have anything against John Deere except that the older tractors in the size you want are big two cylinder affairs, highly collectible and parts are very expensive. 

I don't think anyone will ever make new tractors in this country of this size and quality. 

There are import tractors and I have nothing against them. But they are expensive and not simple like the good old American ones. We have Kubota four wheelers at work and abuse them bad and they seem to hold up well.


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