Weedeater riding lawnmower

[thestinker]

Saw this at walmart and my 1st impression was what a hunk of junk. But, later and did some research on the web about it. It's designed for your inbetween size lots. Not quite big enough for a full tractor like the ones sold everywhere from 900 to 2000$ but still big enough that cutting with a push mower really stinks. It's a single blade 26 (I think) cut. It's small enough to fit through all my gates and into the shed. Keyed and pull start so that if the batery dies you can pull start it like a regular mower. And while it wasn't cheap at 650.00 it's much more reasonable than most riding mowers out there. Now it cuts grass great. I cut front, back and side yards plus gave the boy a mower ride in less than 30 minutes and still felt like getting out the edger weed eater and blower. It won't however pull a trailer of any kind nor will it climb steep hills. However, if you have an extra large city lot this might be something you would be intersted in.
Riley

[SARGE..g-47]

I looked at that tractor Riley and decided against it. The price is right but I kept thinking this won't work for me. I have a full acre and about 1/2 is an estimated 25 degree slope with berms to direct water run-off. I live in the foot-hills of the North Georgia mountains. I felt the size engine.. tranny.. running gear wouldn't stand up well considering the slopes and passed on the idea.

With that said and the comments you already made.. what is your best guess as to whether I made the right decision? It looks really attractive for flat country yards IMO but....

Enjoy your new ride...

[dewi1219]

Sarge, I think you made the right choice. IMHO for a 1-acre lot you need something more like a 40-50" or larger cut to make efficient use of your time. My yard, however, is a lot like Riley's and something like this would be perfect for me. In fact, I have been looking for a used mower much like the one mentioned (28-30" cut, rear engine, etc.). Growing up we had a Snapper rear-engine like that, and I cut our medium-size yard for years with it. We had a fenced in back yard (like I do now) and the smaller deck can go through walk-through gates with no trouble. Plus it can maneuver fairly easily around tight corners, trees, etc. without the expense of a ZTR or something like that.

[dbhost]

I looked at that mower... I am on a 1/4 acre lot with a bunch of trees. Just not enough land to justify a self propelled walk behind let alone a tractor of any kind...

[SARGE..g-47]

Sarge, I think you made the right choice. IMHO for a 1-acre lot you need something more like a 40-50" or larger cut to make efficient use of your time. My yard, however, is a lot like Riley's and something like this would be perfect for me. In fact, I have been looking for a used mower much like the one mentioned (28-30" cut, rear engine, etc.). Growing up we had a Snapper rear-engine like that, and I cut our medium-size yard for years with it. We had a fenced in back yard (like I do now) and the smaller deck can go through walk-through gates with no trouble. Plus it can maneuver fairly easily around tight corners, trees, etc. without the expense of a ZTR or something like that.

I think you are right in your sumation Dewi.. I've been arond muscle car restoration for years before retiring and I don't think it has enough hoss or drive train the hump the hills so to speak. I'll stick to a self-propelled. For years I used a straight push but finally circumstances ditated a self propel. I really can't justify a larger rider at this point with only an acre. I am just a hill humper by nature I suppose.

[crokett]

If you want a smaller rider, I'd watch CL for a Snapper RER. You can get those for a few hundred. I bought one in high school to use for my own mowing business. Easy to fix and parts were relatively cheap.

[JimD]

I have a little rear engine rider from Sears, made by MTD and sold under their Yard Man label. It has a grass catcher under the seat and I think it has a 28.5 inch cut and a 10 hp engine. It is powerful enough to handle the slope of my lot but I do not use it for two reasons. First, it scalps the grass. I have Bermuda and it shows the scalping by turning brown and it looks pretty bad. Secondly, it takes as much time to cut the yard as with a self propelled mower. I have too many natural areas and other stuff to cut around. And 28.5 inches is not that much more than 22 inches. I technically own only 0.6 acre but I have 300 foot on the street and the right of way along that is not counted in my acreage - so I am closer to an acre to maintain.

I did not get a Snapper when I bought mine for two reasons. First I thought I wanted electric start. I have now decided that was a mistake. The little batteries do not seem to last more than a year or two at most. And pull starting, especially if you only have to yank a time or two, is not such a big deal. Secondly, I wanted the integral grass catcher. That still seems like a valid consideration.

Jim

[tommyt654]

Scag 36 inch walk-behind with a sit-down sulky will cut more grass in less time than any rider out there. You don,t have to make those wide arching turns just cut ,turn it around and go straight back down the same line. Plus the 36 inch will easily fit thru most backyard gates. You can p/u a used one readily for 800-1000 dollars and their built like a tank. Usually a 16h.p. Kawasaki motor on the w/external oil filter. Great grass cutting tool IMO.,.., http://www.scag.com/swz.html

[sparkeyjames]

I use a Wards lawn tractor 11hp B&S motor and a 36in deck. Was originally bought by my father and only used for 7 or so years once a week. Then sat in the garage unused till 2006. Been using it now 4 years and it has a Sears Diehard motorcycle size battery that works without fail. Unlike most lawn mowers I think this one has a small alternator to charge the battery while it's running.

[thestinker]

Good move sarge

You made the right call sarge. Not so much based on size because the 3rd gear will move you arround pretty quick. So fast that with my almost 1/2 acer I don't have enough room to get into 3rd. Your problem is the grade. The owners manual says not more than 15 degrees. I made the ramp going into my shed 13 degrees and it had no trouble with that, but I don't think it would do 25 degrees that you have. However, if you are pretty flat and don't need to haul anything it's hard go beat for the price. I just bought a new 10 cu ft wheelbarrow about a month ago so I don't need a trailer. The only other thing I would want for this would be a bagging set up. I have 10 large oak trees and in the fall I battle leaves like crazy. However, since I won't be pushing a mower even without a bagging setup I won't mind running over the yard every few days to mulch up the leaves. Pls that's where the gigantic wheelbarrow and the kids come into play

[SARGE..g-47]

You made the right call sarge. Not so much based on size because the 3rd gear will move you arround pretty quick. So fast that with my almost 1/2 acer I don't have enough room to get into 3rd. Your problem is the grade. The owners manual says not more than 15 degrees. I made the ramp going into my shed 13 degrees and it had no trouble with that, but I don't think it would do 25 degrees that you have. However, if you are pretty flat and don't need to haul anything it's hard go beat for the price. I just bought a new 10 cu ft wheelbarrow about a month ago so I don't need a trailer. The only other thing I would want for this would be a bagging set up. I have 10 large oak trees and in the fall I battle leaves like crazy. However, since I won't be pushing a mower even without a bagging setup I won't mind running over the yard every few days to mulch up the leaves. Pls that's where the gigantic wheelbarrow and the kids come into play

Thanks for the skinny on the 15 degree slope in the owners manual Stinker. I had already made the decision myself but have several retired friends my wife and I have dinner with often during the week that have an attraction for the price even after I gave them my opinion of if they have sloped property. I will pass that on to those that do and the fact you are happy with it on the flat lands.

Know what you mean on the oaks. I have seven of them along with pine... sweet-gum.. dogwood.. you name it as this is basically the foot-hills of Appalachia. Some are in the main yard as grass cutting obstacles and the majority are on wooded area's as my yard is actually about 1 3/4 acre with trees surrounding that. I just use the slopes and blow the leaves into large piles. Then place a 20 x 30 tarp down-hill and rake onto it. At that point drag it to the street curb and make a head high pile about 30' long. I have to do that in Oct... Nov... and December to get them all before winter.

The municipality I live in has a large vacuum truck and tank that comes along once a week to vacuum them off the curb so not a major for me. I used to do that job hand raking them into large piles before the tarp. That was a 7 hour job but the Stilh leaf blower took reduced it to three hours. As for a larger rider... I can't see it in my future as long as I can still walk. I ain't lazy and there are many trees and berms so getting close and scalping can be a problem on the larger radius cutter blades.

Again thanks for your tips and the others that have chimed in with good info to pass along. Enjoy the ride as that machine looks good under the right circumstances which you seem to have!