I have about 9,000 sq. ft. of lawn to mow and I was going to buy a riding mower. I think a rider is too much for this size lawn. Now I'm thinking that I want a self-propelled mower with the front caster wheels. I saw a John Deere at Home Depot that looks promising. I want something with a pretty high hp motor. Tell me what to get.

I'm sure my neighbors already think I'm poor white trash and the goat would just confirm those suspicions.

Caster wheels don't work well on hilly terrain. I used to work for a mowing service and we had one mower that had those in front.  It was a real bitch to make straight passes on a hill.  Just something to consider.  I would definitely get a propelled mower with about 6hp.  I really like the old Snappers, but go with what you like best.

Goats mow all day and love you all night!

John Deere is like a sore dick. Hard to beat! Kind of pricey though.

You could get a cheap rider at Wallyworld and throw it away in 5 years. It'll be less expensive than paying for lawn care service but you have to sweat and use your valuable time.

My yard is pretty flat. I want the casters because when I get my landscaping done there will be lots of curves and it seems like the caster style mower will be able to follow the curves better. I never bag my grass so I want a mulcher. The Deere I was looking at is about $430.

I vote for Airens. Mine will bag, shoot it out the side, and mulch.  Been running this one for 13yrs now

Find either a used Scag or Great Dane.

You won't be sorry.

A 30yd x 30yd lawn?

You'd probably be better off giving someone a job.

Fill in the [url=http://www.toro.com/home/cgi-bin/selcmowr.cgi]Toro Mower Selection Guide[/url] and see what you come up with.

I'm on 10,000 sq ft (minus the house, of course) lot.  I'm VERY happy with the choice I made.  Good HP, rear wheel drive works well on the hill, one finger/hand mowing, easy rear bag/side discharge or mulch options.  Guaranteed starting, what more could you want?  (lectric start is an option)

I bought a Toro Recycler® Model: 20017 Personal Pace®






[img]http://www.toro.com/home/images/co_twpm_20017_lg.jpg[/img]

buy a push mower,
consider mowing cross training.we could all use more exercise.

Jesus is my saviour. Him, and Miguel. Once a week, they stop by with the pickup truck and their noisy lawnmowers.

arock,

I usually find that rum is to be immense mathemitic aid. With its benefit, I was suggesting a rough estimate of a 9000 sqr ft lawn to be about 30 yds x 30 yds. I know it's not exact – hence the ? I was just suggesting that with roughly that size of lawn, it may make more sense ($) for bunghole to hire someone. I was trying to be helpfull.

Little did I realize that the "Acreage Police" would be so vigilant and pounce so quickly and sarcastically, at my folly!

Lacking your precision, mathematical acumen and ability, I wait with eager anticipation the precise dimensions. So that you may display to all just how anal and petty an individual you really are – thus irradictating any lingering doubt that may still exist!

Ah, arock, I see you have withdrawn from the field (or lawn) of battle and deleted your post – that answer your question, Double Feed? I should have quoted the SOB in my response.

Few will understand what this, or my previous post was about. And, unlike you, arock, (if the position was reversed), I will not enlighten them and embarass you!

I know exactly what you mean, anyone of us can make a mistake about anything – especially mathematics. But why should someone who does not know me be so eager to pounce on my post and make an unwarranted, sarcastic (and erroneous) comment.

It's not the comment, it's the intent and motive that I reacted to. The irony is that it was arock who got the math wrong – consequently, he deleted his post.

Consumer Reports 2002 says:
Best buys:
Self-Propelled mowers:
White Outdoor LC210 $400
Yard-Man (by MTD) 12A-979L401 $430
Cub Cadet SC621 Swivel wheels $500
Cub Cadet S621SS Swivel wheels $530

Best mowers overall (top 5):
John Deere JX75 $800
Honda Harmony HRB215K3SXA $700
Honda Harmony HRB216TXA $700
Honda Masters HR215K1HXA $885
Honda Harmony HRB216TDA $590

Repair Problems (Best to worst)
Toro
Crafstman
Murray
John Deere
Honda
Lawn Boy
Yard Machines
Yard-Man
Lawn Man

Double Feed –

This is surely a storm in a teacup and certainly not worth your own or mt time. However, since you insist:

You probably did not see arock's response as he obviously deleted it to save himself embarassment. And, although I said that I would not do this – since arock has not had the guts to get involved – I will tell you:

arock charcterized my approximation of a 9000 sqr ft lawn as roughly 30yd x 30yd as – in his own pithy pharse – being "Mathematically challenged?"

That was all he said, no correction – just sarcasm. To repeat myself, it was the rapid  and unwazrranted response, that did not even allow him to check how mathematically "challenged" he might be that caused me to respond as I did.

Let's get on with our lives!

Go try out a Honda before you buy.  You may find one that fits your needs.

I purchased a Honda Harmony 5.5hp push model ten years ago to mow my flat, relatively small yard when we live in Kalifornistan.  When we moved to the [Free] Commonwealth of Virginia six years ago, I bought another Harmony...this time with the power drive option.  Both are mulchers, but I do occasionally use the bag option in the Spring when the grass is very thick.

The only maintenance I've ever done is change the oil and sharpen the blades every year.  Both work flawlessly and have never failed to start...easily and quickly, even after a cold winter.

My yard is about 10,000' sq. and we use both mowers.  I can't use a rider because of the positive (convex-like) slope of the hill in our front yard.  I would have to mow up and down and I can't do because I couldn't turn the rider around at the bottom of the hill without tipping the damn thing over.  So Mrs. lwilde uses the push mower on the flat areas while I attack the hill from hell.

I have owned Toros, Craftsmen, and assorted others but the Hondas have been my favorite by a mile.

One thing I like about these Honda models is the super strong polymer decks.  Firts mower I'd ever seen with a plastic deck.  Very strange at first...and I had some reservations at first but I'm a believer now.  Those damn things are virtually indistructible.  I often fail to walk the yard thoroughly before mowing and nothing...but nothing smashes through that deck when whacked by the blades.  I blew three holes in my Toro cast metal deck and dinged and bent the pressed metal Craftsman deck.  

Anyway...I like the Hondas.  My only gripe is that they are fairly pricey and I'd like another 1/2 hp.

Oh...they are pretty quiet too...if that's a consideration.

Good luck.

Sorry...here's the site:  [url]http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/why.htm[/url]

(One of these days...I'll get my memory back!)  [|)]

Buy anything with a Honda engine on it...

Many years ago, I worked for a rental company...

The ONLY mowers we rented were Hondas. They were beat into the ground,(as anything is from a rental co.) and looked like they had been to hell and back...
Some had fallen out of trucks, others had been rented out several hundred times...

They ALL had one thing in common...

They would ALWAYS start on the first or second pull of the rope...

And, like earlier stated, they are very quiet, and well balanced engines...NO vibrations to beat up your hands...  

dang...not a single lawnboy fan?

guess i'm old fashioned!

i still use nothing but lawnboys for trimming. durable, dependable and most importantly...light weight. the two-stroke design allows them to run on steep banks all day without engine bearing damage. even pressurized lubrication engines have an oil pickup that may become starved on steep slopes.

unfortunately, i have to finish mow three+ acres. john deere garden tractors do the bulk of my mowing.

John Deere is good,but I would suggest you get something your wife feels comfortable on.

 Bob [8D]