Hi,
two cents from me on the mower for you to put in your mix
I have a two yrs old 18 hp MTD 42 inch deck 'yard tractor' 8 speed . i use
it on about one acre or so of a little rough in places paddock and the house
surrounds. so far am pretty happy with it overall. i have no other
experience with rider mowers. its got a mulching attachment which just
blocks the chute and deposits the clippings on the ground rather than send
them flying out the side. it is less effective if the grass is thicker/
longer /wetter. i use it on the house surrounds if the grass is short, and
never on the paddock.

I have found that if you don't thrash it or go too fast for it to cut then
it's pretty tough. there are a couple of guards over the belt pulleys which
have had the bolts or screws fixing them to the deck vibrate off. I did
screw one down but even that vibrated off. it also happened to a neighbour
who had hers welded to the deck. I have found that i can get by with out
them but you might want to look at the relative safety of this. there is
also a cylindrical rubber cover for the brake clutch pedal which cracked
quickly and slid off . i no longer use it.

like any mower i reckon you have to be careful with running over rocks
stones sticks etc. I have ruined three blades by running over hidden rocks.
part of mowing i guess in some respects but to be avoided when a replacement
is 30 plus dollars and there are two blades to the deck. I have also been
through three deck belts from having the longer grass clog it up. if you get
clogged at all you have zero time to disengage the blades and clear the
blockage before the slipping belt heats up and disintegrates. also can be
pricey. but i have found that using non genuine parts is much cheaper and so
far they are as strong and reliable as the genuine. i have not replaced
either blade or belt since i switched to non genuine, but of course i try
harder to care for the equipment than i used. the engine is briggs and
stratton seems good sound strong and reliable. i have run over one piece of
stray fence wire and punctured the tyre but put a tube in and it's fine.
seat adjusts for the shorter folk in yr household who want to see the snakes
on the lawn more clearly by cutting the grass every five minutes, and it
rides smoothly enough if a little loud (85 db rated), but muffs take care of
that. so far so good over all and cost a little less than 4 grand two yrs
ago. i can't see what else might go wrong with it but i reckon it will soon
enough.
just a summary of my rider mower adventures. most ppl i have spoken to all
recommend / swear by different models so what does that tell you? think
about how close yr dealer / spares place is to you. the fwd / reverse lever
and the gears/ park brake are below the seat in between your legs which is
awkward for rapid changes ( and very difficult if the seat is adjusted way
forward) but if you sit for a bit at the same speed its not much of an
issue. also has two always on headlights which i don't need and they seem to
be just one more thing one might need to repair /replace
anyway hope this is some help ask for more if you want
love and peace
SyrianPrince


wrote in message
...
Does anyone know where I can find some independent
reviews/comparisons/prices of available ride-on mowers?

I'm looking for something to cut 2-3 acres of grass (not lawn!!)
- ground a bit uneven and grass long.

Strength, easy cutting, robustness and reliability are more
important than price.

All things being equal I would prefer an Australian made one.

All suggestions/experiences welcome :-)


___________________
Graeme Challinor