Best lawnmowers, snow and leaf blower. What do you use?

[Kolyan2k]

Hoping to move to a house soon. Will probably need to purchase lawnmower right away and all other stuff later as well. Any recommendations? I was looking at zero-turn mowers....lot is like 0.8 acres

[CTinline-six]

I've worked on small engines for 15 years as a side business.

For riding mowers, avoid a zero turn unless you plan on buying a top of the line commercial Gravely, Scag or Ferris. The homeowner ones have cheaper hydro-static pumps that are big $$ to replace, and will cost more than the machine is worth down the road. For 0.8 acres I'd get a riding tractor like a Kawasaki powered John Deere X-series (top of the line) or something like a Husqvarna which is more mid level but still pretty well built. Avoid cheap box store junk, the money you save will be paid back tenfold in aggravation. As an example, a friend bought a Cub Cadet from Lowes last year. He had an issue with it stalling out after about 10 minutes of use. It had a "full" warranty, but they charged to pick it up as well as a diagnostic fee. They also had it for 5 weeks before it was even looked at. My 2005 John Deere garden tractor gets used for mowing, snow blowing, hauling, and leaf clean-up and has close to 1000 hours on it now, with just simple maintenance and a new set of blades and belts every once in a while.

Snowblowers: Ariens or Toro, the size of the machine depending on your driveway dimensions.

Blowers: If you have a small yard, I would consider going with battery powered. No maintenance like a gas one, easy to use, no issues trying to get it running again after long-term storage. With power equipment, you usually get what you pay for. My philosophy of buy once, cry once has worked out well so far.

[BimmerDimmer6]

+1 zero turns are for prof landscapers. Get yourself a good ol' riding tractor with cup holder so you can drink beer. That's the only way I'd build up the courage to cut my yard.

[Marmugmotleocay]

I have everything Honda : HRX217, HRM215 lawnmowers, UMK422 weedeater, FG110 tiller and HS520 snowblower.

[wdb]

I bought an Ariens IKON "zero-turn" last year after my Simplicity tractor finally gave its last full measure after 20+ years. I wasn't crazy about it at first, because I found it pretty hard to handle. But somewhere along the line last year I found myself just getting on with it so I guess I figured it out. I spend dramatically less time mowing with the zero-turn than I did with the tractor. I also tow a cart and use a lawn roller with it. Not as convenient as the tractor for that stuff but it can be done. My second choice would have been another Simplicity tractor. Still a pretty sturdy piece. Look for a fabricated deck if you want to buy something that is going to last.

We have a Honda HS928 snowblower, with tracks. I hear the new ones had some teething issues, but they also have independent track control and are easier to turn than my beastie. I got tracks because I was sick and tired of having push and shove to keep my old wheeled unit moving. I even had tire chains on it. Proper tracked blowers get down there and just go through it. With snowblowers there is an enormous range of sizes, powers, and capablities. Get what your driveway needs.

Stihl is my small engine vendor of choice. Chain saws, blowers, that stuff.

[Kolyan2k]

I see, Kawasaki powered aren't cheap )) ..so what size would you recommend for 0.8 acres? Also bagging, discharging, or mulching?

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by Kolyan2k

I see, Kawasaki powered aren't cheap )) ..so what size would you recommend for 0.8 acres? Also bagging, discharging, or mulching?

An X300 series Deere with 42" deck should be a perfect size for .8 acre. Those machines also take a plow or snowblower, so it could eliminate your need for a second piece of equipment.

Personally I mulch everything, I have a mulch kit on the deck of my tractor and it grinds up all the leaves so no need for bagging or leaf blowing. Mulching also provides nutrients for the lawn.

[M_Six]

My neighbor. He was in construction and did landscaping on the side. His construction job went south with the pandemic, so I hired him (as did several of the neighborhood folks) to take care of the lawn. He's busier than ever now. He's got some high end equipment, too. He blasts out his own lawn, mine, and another neighbor's in about two hours. And I don't have to risk my ankles on my lumpy-assed lawn.

To the OP, though: Toro. My Toro fires up every spring on the second or third pull after sitting all winter. After the first mow of the season, it fires up first pull every time. Had it for about a decade now.

[ericsbestshot]

I have a cub cadet xt2. Its above the model you can get at box store. I ordered it from a landscaping equipment store. Cub cadet offered 0% interest for 24 months as well. I've had it for a couple of years and it does a great job.

[Kolyan2k]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

An X300 series Deere with 42" deck should be a perfect size for .8 acre. Those machines also take a plow or snowblower, so it could eliminate your need for a second piece of equipment.

Personally I mulch everything, I have a mulch kit on the deck of my tractor and it grinds up all the leaves so no need for bagging or leaf blowing. Mulching also provides nutrients for the lawn.

Yes I though about getting a plow as well and read that about mulching too.

[Kolyan2k]

Originally Posted by ericsbestshot

I have a cub cadet xt2. Its above the model you can get at box store. I ordered it from a landscaping equipment store. Cub cadet offered 0% interest for 24 months as well. I've had it for a couple of years and it does a great job.

Looked at those too. I think they use higher end engine from Kohler

[corn18]

I bought a John Deere X540 with a snow blade for $4800 used. It had 76 hours on it. I used it for 3 years and and sold it for $4800 (had 176 hours on it). Sold it because we moved to a house with no yard. We are moving again and have a 1/2 acre yard. I will probably get another low hour John Deer X5xx with a plow.

[vreihen16]

After 15 years of cobbling together broken lawn tractors, I threw in the towel and hired a lawn service last year. You can't put a price on sleeping in on weekends instead of dreading mowing the lawn...well, you can and for us it is $35 every two weeks.....

[P1]

Honda makes great mowers. Stihl makes great edgers.

[Kolyan2k]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

After 15 years of cobbling together broken lawn tractors, I threw in the towel and hired a lawn service last year. You can't put a price on sleeping in on weekends instead of dreading mowing the lawn...well, you can and for us it is $35 every two weeks.....

I dont know the prices yet. Will ask previous owner who he used and what he paid. Although I think he cut grass himself with Craftsman tractor. For 40-50 bucks every 2 weeks, I can probably afford that, if its 100+ then I am not sure

[roastbeef]

Honda for lawn mowers, stihl for leaf blowers. /thread

[9M71]

Ariens snowblower hands down!

[grocerylist]

I use a Fiskars StaySharp Max Reel Mower and an Echo SRM-225 gas trimmer but I only have a 4800sq ft lot.

[Alfisti]

I have been absolutely FLOORED by the abysmal design on most battery powered trimmers. Even the serious ones have atrocious ergonomics or design floors.

One only fed line (no manual feed) when the spool stopped spinning and you hit the gas, absolutely ACHINGLY slow, like pulling teeth, just insane.

The next required you t hold three buttons down to operate thing in the name of safety, like FUCKING HOW!?!?!?!?!

Bought a Honda mower a couple years ago and regret it as I hate maintaining engines and wife just gets crabby if i spend any time changing oil or the plug or the air filter, she doesn't get it and is generally cuntish about such things. Should have just gotten a strong battery powered one.

[dreamingat30fps]

Larry is my favorite. Never had an issue with Larry. Everything else I've tried has been a pos compared to Larry. First I bought some electric pile of junk, what a useless machine that was. If dealing with the 100ft cord wasn't bad enough, if that shit was more than like 5cm tall it wasn't cutting shit. Then I bought some little old gas powered pos from a friend and that worked ok for maybe a few weeks until I upgraded to Larry. Almost 10 worry free Larry years.

[AlpineWhite_SJ]

I’ve always used Honda or Honda powered Toro mowers. Lawn hasn’t ever been big enough to justify anything like a riding mower or tractor.

No snow, so not pretending to know anything about snow blowers.

Leaf blower it’s a black and decker corded electric. Decent power, but the downside is you don’t have the throttle to modulate the strength to properly control the stuff you’re blowing like you would on a gas powered backpack style one. I usually end up blowing it all in a broad pile and finish up with a broom. Good exercise anyway...

[Rmtt]

I don't have a big yard. I do have a riding lawn mower....but typically end up using my push mower to do the entore yard as I can finish it up by the time I get the riding mower out!