I broke down and bought a garden tractor, hopefully the last I'll ever need. Mowing is always a chore, but I'm actually looking forward to it this year.

Its a greenie...thats gunna cost ya when it breaks down!!!!!

It cost me before it broke down so why not after? Well at least I'm covered for the first 4 years.

why are there weights on the back? I usually see them on the front.

Heavy engine in front maybe?

Parts are surprisingly cheap for a JD Elvis...well in Australia anyway, and I would assume they would be even cheaper in the US. I bought a new head, complete with gaskets, valves, collets, springs, rocker cover etc for my grandson's LX100 11hp JD and it cost me about $120 through JD themselves. To go through a mower shop, the price jumped to around $300+.

very costly here....and every man and his dog has big green tractors.

It has a locking differential, but the weights on the back are for additional traction on hills or for snow plowing. Front weights are usually used to keep the front end down to counter the weight of rear attachments. As for parts cost, I don't think they are more expensive here than any other brand, but I do know they are kept available for JD tractors that are quite old.

Strange: your mowing machine is green, but your grass is brown... we usually don't need an expensive machine to cut brown grass

Aloysius wrote:

Strange: your mowing machine is green, but your grass is brown... we usually don't need an expensive machine to cut brown grass

Sure now you tell me, just how cheap are those brown grass cutting machines you use maybe I can still trade it in?

Nice tractor bigblue...It should do a nice job...

What has impressed me is the parts that ARE available from JD.
I hit a brick the other week hidden in long grass which stalled the engine, this coinsided with the blade drive idler wheel departing the deck and flying across the yard. The required bracket was immediately available and easily replaced.
Love the roo bar on the front of yours blue or are you preparing for more deer strikes?
I highly recommend the drink holder, a well designed addition.....
Put earbuds connected to an mp3 player/phone under your earmuffs and you even have stereo.
Hi ho silver lets mow.

I gave up gas powered mowers a long time ago. In Seattle they would never run the second season. I took them into the dealer and they fixed it but when I asked then to start it for me - no go. I bought a 120v electric - the kind that uses an extension cord - and I have never been happier. It cuts just like my retired 5 HP model but makes a lot less noise and I don't have to have it tuned up every year. It is a full size mower and it really surprised me with the power it has. I have had it f12 years now and I may have to break down and get a new switch handle for it but other than that and a couple of blades it has been maintenance free.

If I ever get a place with more than 1/4 acre to mow I might be forced to go back to internal combustion power but Maybe I can convince my wife that green concrete is better than grass. (not likely)

I love taking my dog out and walking around the yard. Looking out the windows and seeing the occasional deer, turkey or even bear now and then. In the Summer when the leaves are on the trees I can't see any of my neighbors houses and love that as well. I have over 300 trees I planted since buying this place and there are areas where it just looks wooded now. The problem is that as I'm getting older all of this is getting harder to care for and that's one reason for the new tractor, to make it a bit easier. The 600' driveway is great until it has to be cleared of snow. I'm not kidding myself so if I'm real lucky I'll be able to care for this place for another 20 years, but let me tell you that I'm not looking forward to living in a retirement condo.

My Dad had a JDeere for about 20yrs of service, several trips to the repair shop but nothing major. Was considering one myself as my yard is about 1/2 acre but the exercise I get from a rear-drive walk-behind is what I need and until I can't do that anymore I'm stickin with it. Takes me a good 1 1/2hrs to mow front and back yard and as far as walking distance, I measured wearing a Garmin GPS and it was about 2miles give or take a few backwards pulls and gettin under the hedges. It's good for ya, what the heck.

Suz
buyin a
goat instead?