Posted by MikeC on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 at 0:23AM :
In Reply to: OT But Value Opinions on Garden Tractor posted by Paul B on Tuesday, March 09, 2004 at 11:25PM :
A lot depends on how much ground you have to mow every week. I have a John Deere 325 that is the best L&G tractor that I have owned (it is number 4 and has lasted much longer than the others). My 325 is well thought out and well engineered, right down to the quick release mower deck (I can remove it in less than 5 minutes). It always starts, even after being parked all winter. In fact I plan to fire it up this weekend for the first time since fall. I have a 48" deck, and when I use it to mow my entire 2+ acres it takes around 2 1/2 hours to do. Other than normal tune up items I have never had to replace a part since I bought it in 1997. Even though the Deere is a more expensive tractor in my opinion they are worth it.
I also have a 1947 Ford 2N that serves as my primary mower and I pull a 60" Woods mower. I can do the entire 2+ acres in about an hour. The N also keeps my driveway clear in the winter and does a lot of work that the Deere just could not do. The John Deere now does all the trim and light work while I do the real mowing with the N. I wouldn't want to be without either one of them.
I don't know where you are located, but around central Iowa it is possible to pick up JD's from the central Iowa dealers at a pretty reasonable price. They have the demo units available that were used to run around the plants with for a while. Mine had about 50 hours on it when I bought it and was about 2/3 of the full price, including the brand new deck.
Depending on how much you have to mow, you might consider a larger tractor to get it done quicker. I've found that this gives you more time to spend with the Dodge...
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