"SyrianPrince" wrote in message
...
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

We have an older MTD 38" just sharpened the blades (have the burn to prove
it) and it is back to cutting great again SWMBO is not complaining yet. I
don't get to ride it, she likes the outdoor stuff, hell the lounge needs
looking after as well.
Be prepared to fork out for batteries on a regular scale, unless they take a
conversion to a proper 12v battery like from a car, motorbike batteries are
not up to it.
An old dude like Len was a mowing contractor here a few years ago and he
would sharpen his blades each night. Mind you he used it all day every day
as well. Well that is my 1/50th of a dollar worth.
Jim


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