I need to get a riding mower

[xtratoy]

Never buy a John Deere! trash, Buy the Cub or a Honda!

Really??... I have a 2005 JD LX280 and in 19 years all i have done is regular engine oil changes , 1 battery change and one transmission oil change. That is trash i can live with.

 

[Killer Bee]

Kubota have done very well for us close to 40 years. I rode the 6200 and 8200 with belly decks back in 80's when my folks had a mowing contract for 6 large apartment complexes and a big motel on I70. Folks got these zero turns about 20-25 years ago and the 6200 was traded in. All three Kubotas still going strong. Farm duty work, house, barnyards, 1/4mi driveway, road ditches, woodland access trails and property lines, etc. Hard working and smooth cutting even in 100+ degree summers and low maintenance. Only major repairs I had to rebuild the deck on mom's 6 years ago, center blade miter box stripped spiders. I rebuilt all three boxes, bearings, shafts, seals, and blades for about $750 in parts. They take care of business just about anywhere. Good luck!

dad ran the big one anywhere it would go and some

rebuild job and parts run - two days in vacation mode

those machines cover a lot of ground

almost 40yo 8200 doesn't like to be left out. Retired from mowing but still a great small chore tractor, carry-all platform, log splitter, spray boom, etc.

 

[WV460hunter]

Well, many of us probably use our lawnmowers a lot more than we use our guns.

I definantly don't want to .. I don't live in a house development of some such place. Living in the country my lawn gets mowed when I get to it usually once every 2 weeks I don't care if it is high or not .. lol I hate grass

 

[Taterman]

Well I actually ran the mower out of gas today, and after filling the tank it still won't start. Hours later it still smells like gas 20+ feet from it but I didn't see any leaks or spill even a drop of gas when I filled it.
Any ideas? Could the fuel filter have gotten clogged from that?

 

[Fox Mike]

Well I actually ran the mower out of gas today, and after filling the tank it still won't start. Hours later it still smells like gas 20+ feet from it but I didn't see any leaks or spill even a drop of gas when I filled it.
Any ideas? Could the fuel filter have gotten clogged from that?

Water in the gas can?

 

[Dave P.]

Well I actually ran the mower out of gas today, and after filling the tank it still won't start. Hours later it still smells like gas 20+ feet from it but I didn't see any leaks or spill even a drop of gas when I filled it.
Any ideas? Could the fuel filter have gotten clogged from that?

Was this the old Bolens you bought ?
If so it's likely you sucked some "crud" into the carb when you ran the tank dry. Most cheap fuel filters have pretty large screen openings and let
a fair amount of stuff through. If you replace it and that motor has a fuel pump, go to a filter with a 10 micron rating and flush the tank and
lines as well. If the carb picked up some debris two things could have happened.....a blocked jet preventing fuel flow...or a bit of debris has
gotten between the inlet needle and seat allowing the engine to be flooded, which would account for the fuel smell.
Either way it's pull and clean the carb time and as mentioned above do the rest of the fuel system as well before installing your freshly cleaned
carburetor unless you want to do it again soon.
Take a look at the engine oil level to be sure fuel also didn't flood into the crankcase as well....it's pretty common.
When done with all that check your fuel cans for water and crap in them.

 

[LGC42]

That last sentence made me laugh out loud.

 

[Actnbill]

I'd take off the carb and clean the heck out of it..... check to see if fuel runs out the line from the tank.......put in a new fuel filter too....

 

[Taterman]

Thanks guys. I've never worked on a carb before so a may be out of luck on this. And Dave, it is the old Bolens I bought.
The worst part is I don't know anyone who works on them since we just moved her a couple months ago and I don't even have a trailer to move it.

 

[Dave P.]

Thanks guys. I've never worked on a carb before so a may be out of luck on this. And Dave, it is the old Bolens I bought.
The worst part is I don't know anyone who works on them since we just moved her a couple months ago and I don't even have a trailer to move it.

Learning is good for the brain...look for the good old you tube videos...very basic hand tools and attention to details should get
you through it. Old used equipment is always a learning experience!

 

[Taterman]

Learning is good for the brain...look for the good old you tube videos...very basic hand tools and attention to details should get
you through it. Old used equipment is always a learning experience!

Thanks Dave. I'm just not sure I have it in me.

 

[arfmel]

"That last sentence made me laugh out loud."

It's tough aiming precisely enough to get it in the little hole on the can.

 

[arfmel]

Check the oil dipstick. If the float valve in the carb is stuck open, fuel can flood the engine and end up in the oil. That might be causing the fuel smell (and no obvious leaks). Sometimes gently tapping on the carb with a screwdriver handle will "unstick" a float valve. If you got gas in your oil, you need to change the oil.

 

[Actnbill]

Check out Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.... there's always guys looking for odd jobs....probably can find a tractor-tuner-upper to come by...

 

[instructor]

Nearly 17 years ago purchased a John Deere Model D130 riding mower to mow my somewhat less than an acre of lawn. To date have spent just over $200 for maintenance and repairs which is accomplished by the local dealer, and he picks it up and delivers when the work is completed. The mowing is not a rough piece of land and smooth and normal so to speak, but the service this mower provides is outstanding to me and me being 81 years old will say the mower will outlast me.

 

[gramps]

As a Toro, Honda, Simplicity ( who just ended north American distribution ) and an ex John Deere dealer I've a couple of
thoughts. First thing is you basically get the quality you pay for...equal equipment will be equal money, NO manufacture
is magic and can get around that idea. Second buy something big enough for the job...personally if I was mowing 1.5 acres
and planned on doing it for several years I'd budget somewhere in the $3800 to maybe $5000 with the higher end getting
better service life and a slightly bigger cut. 50-54 in deck range is about right to most people with that size lawn.
Look around your area at brands well represented at SERVICING dealers, pick one represented by a least a couple of dealers
in your area so you have choices for parts or service if needed. At the same price points the name brands are sorta interchangeable
amongst each other.
Now if a customer comes in and says they're moving to a condo in a few years and don't care how long it lasts, fine go cheap $2000
to $2800 range, to me those are short lived throw-a-ways on 1.5 acres. Now before someone comes along and says " I've got this
$899 machine that I've used for 37 years and it still runs great ".....good for you, go buy a Lotto ticket.
On the other side is a young guy comes in and says I'm living in this house for the next 47 years and never want to buy another mower
then the costs start to look more like $8000-$10,000.
Next thing is myth busting a bit...IF...IF the model number/skew on the "box store " and the dealer unit is the same, it's the EXACT
same machine. A Toro 75750 as an example is the same at Lowes or Home Depot, Billy Bob's, or Toro .Com ..same damn thing!
Regionally in my area dealers and box stores are pretty much the same price, once and a while a promotion or inventory issue
might effect that, but generally speaking about the same pricing.
On the industry side of it Toro and John Deere are brands that'll likely be around for years of support and historically have been good
about that with older equipment.

The reason a lot of mowers are the same, is because they are all made by the same company, MTD. Troybilt, Murray etc. I mow 6 acres. I bought a new Troybilt, and it started shucking parts in 2 months. I still have it, but the deck hasn't worked in years. I use it to pull my small trailer with yard tools. Last year, I ruined a JD LA 115. Runs great, but the deck gave up the ghost. Since the Troybilt, I don't buy new. I buy a cheap rider $200-500, then run it till it drops, and buy another. I traded my local small engine person an EAA Bounty Hunter in .45 Colt for the Craftsman I have now. 42" cut 18 hp, the smoothest steering on any mower I have ever had.
gramps

 

[DGW1949]

Deck size is a big consideration. A 42" deck will fit on most small cheap 48" utility trailers and through most shed doors. Anything bigger will require deck removal or a substantial trailer. Bigger decks can choke on taller grass especially if you mulch. I mulch so I have to slow down way more often than I did with a 42" deck. 20+hp and a 42" deck will tear through most anything that doesn't bend the blades. Of course a bigger deck covers more ground but if you have to crawl because the deck is choking on tall dense grass any time advantage is lost. I don't do Zero Turns because I need a hand free for my drink.

That's been my experience also. Plus, a 42" has fewer blades, deck bearings, and belts to fool with than the ones with bigger cuts....and don't even talk to me about a 2-cyl air cooled engine on a riding lawn mower, especially a Briggs. Nothing but junk.

DGW

 

[gramps]

Tractor Supply is likely open, now.

Our TSC only sells stuff! No fixie!!! Grrr
gramps

 

[Taterman]

That's been my experience also. Plus, a 42" has fewer blades, deck bearings, and belts to fool with than the ones with bigger cuts....and don't even talk to me about a 2-cyl air cooled engine on a riding lawn mower, especially a Briggs. Nothing but junk.

DGW

That's what this mower has, an air cooled Briggs.
Well I found the gas leak. One of the lines was slightly loose and I saw it dripping the last of the gallon and a half I added the day before. Right on the grass in behind the house. I got a hose clamp this morning to fix that and also a new fuel filter. Hopefully that will get it running again.
Wish me luck!

 

[gramps]

That's what this mower has, an air cooled Briggs.
Well I found the gas leak. One of the lines was slightly loose and I saw it dripping the last of the gallon and a half I added the day before. Right on the grass in behind the house. I got a hose clamp this morning to fix that and also a new fuel filter. Hopefully that will get it running again.
Wish me luck!

Good luck!!! What you found and did sounds reasonable!!!
gramps

PS I don't have the funds to buy lawn/garden tractors in the $600+ range anymore. Dealers are 40" away to begin with.