I am looking for a new riding tractor. I am looking seriously at the Cub Cadets, and the Whites also, they are supposed to be an off-shoot of the Cub brand. Anyone got some stories or suggestions about these mowers/tractors would be great. Good or bad. I have considered others, but the deals are good on these brands here in my town, and I have no experience on buying new, always had junk. Any thoughts, later, BLT

 

The best value for a Mower that i have found(but can't afford right now)...is the John Deere ...model #110....for $ 1,795.....it has got a Kohler....17.5 horse engine...42" cut ...AND it's got that Solid front axle that is on the Cub Cadets. They are VERY overpriced from what i've seen. The deere is available AT Home Depot.....Also..you might try Lowe's...I don't know if they carry the John Deere line of mowers. My definition of a tractor means it HAS to have Front End Loader...or it can't Be a Tractor. So much for semantics...........fd

 

This might suit your need's!

I think it would make quick work of the yard mowing duties.

 

hahahahahaha, sweet wheels

 

The MTD's are good mowers. I bought an MTD yard tractor back in 98', and she's still in great shape today. It has a 12.5 HP motor, with a 38'' cut. The bagger is the worst design I have EVER seen. I spent most of the end of last summer putting that $300 piece of crap on. (I remember my neighbor's were watching me throw the plastic "hose" thing across my front yard lol) So, some advise, if you do get another MTD, DON'T get the bagger.

I'd also recommend a Toro residential riding mower. I've had a Toro walk-behind for about 8 years, and it is a great mower.

John Deere is good, but dang expensive.

I personally use Scag mowers (I'm a landscaper locally) and they are the best commercial mower I have ever used. But, I don't think your interested in commercial equipment.

Just my .0002 CentZ.

 

We've got a Craftsman lawn tractor. Gets the job done, plus Sears hasn't screwed us out of the extended warranty, even after 2 engines (both times, mice made a nest in the intake. The engines strangled themselves)

I'm not sure what model I have, but it works pretty good.

XXL

 

John Deere all the way. They're reliable, last a long time, and hold their value better than anything else out there. John Deere has the strongest service and support (dealer network) of any manufacturer. Cub Cadet is made by MTD, and the last MTD we had was a real heap, the transmission was gone in a year. The last Cub Cadets that were any good were made before 1982, because that's the last year they were made by International Harvester Corp, they sold the brand to MTD then. Simplicities are pretty good, but they are hard to come by in the South, and the same goes for parts for them too. Craftsmans used to be ok, but the service ain't that great anymore, my grandfather canceled the service program because the only thing they'd do was change a spark plug and charge $900 a year, whereas when he bought in to the service program, they'd come twice a year to change the oil, sharpen blades, and change the spark plug(s) for $300/yr. John Deere has the best bang for the buck. Judge your needs first, don't buy a 100 series if you have a lot to mow and vise versa, don't buy an X595 if you only have half an acre to cut, and also consider what else you might use it for, such as snow plowing, tilling, pulling small trailers, and other light duty tasks that you might use a riding lawnmower for. Basically, look at what you need, and what will suit your needs the best.

 

http://www.simpletractors.com

Check out these old girls.

 

I say go with John Deere, they are good and dependable and you shouldn't have any trouble. Like mentioned above, it depends on how much you mow as to what model to get. We have one that is three years old and haven't had any problems with it, except for a bad battery when it was new. My grandpa has one that is seven of eight years old and haven't had any problems with it. I would recommend getting a hydrostatic drive (automatic) and believe most John Deers have them. It makes it a lot easier mowing because you don't have to shift for changes in grass height or thickness.

 

In my search last year to replace the Cub Cadet I purchased a used Deere. It had everything I wanted and at a respectable price. I would have purchased a Ford/New Holland if I hadn't found the Deere. Check out the New Hollands. A very well built tractor. They offer as much or more than a Deere at a better price. When this Deere gets tired I'm opting for the New Holland. Just my .02. New Cubs are made by MTD. They are not the same as the older models. I'm not a big fan of purchasing a mechanical anything from a big box store. I prefer going directly to a dealer and then depend on service and reputation after the sale.

 

I love how others like to spend your money. First of all I would recommend a Toro or a Snapper, I don't know what they cost or even where to get them. However, I have seen these things run forever.

And on my other thought, if I could build one of these.... It would have massive <a href="http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=37919709&siteid=39251846">tires </a>and hydraulics so I could actually cut the grass, it would have a 52" cutting path and 36" of articulation to get over the bushes. For the engine it would be a Harley-Davidson 1200 Sportster with extra lound exhaust and maybe flames that I could turn off when I got close to the house. The reason I would usethe Hatrley is because I bought a totally smashed, brand-new one with a good motor and tranny for $25.

 

my small Deere RX rider is 15 yrs old and still running well. Only had a bad blade pulley ($14.00).

 

The whites are not bad for a cheap mower. We use them at work commercially and they are 10 years old. They are shot now but that is good for a disposable mower. John Deere dont waste your money. The quality of them is gone but the price remains. Toro still makes a good mower and if you want top of the line get a wheel horse. A brand that is also top of the line is Simplicity. They were voted somewhere to have the best cut of them all. Cub cadet is now owned by MTD and just arent the same as the old ones.
MTD, Murray, White are disposable cheap mowers but serve the small homeowner well.
Wheel Horse, Simplicity and Cub Cadet are brands that last 20 years or more.
What I would do is find a used high quality mower so you dont pay through the nose but still get results of a quality machine.
Between a cheap and quality mower you can feel the difference. Its like comparing a escort to a crown vic. Hope this helps

Dan 69 F-100 302, C4

on order 03 Ranger EDGE

 

If I was going to buy a new mower it would be a John Deere. I think the Cub Cadets are still a good mower, but like mentioned before they are built by MTD. They are the only MTD brand I would buy. They rest of the MTD built mowers i've seen are throwaways. I dont like the old simplicity's but the new ones aren't too bad. I worked on John Deere mowers when I worked at a Deere dealer. They are a little pricey, but you get what you pay for. Deere also makes the Sabre and Scotts line of mowers. They are more competitively priced with the MTD's but a better quality. If you plan on getting a used mower I would recommend a Deere or Cub Cadet. I have 2 Cub Cadets, and a Deere. One Cub Cadet is nearly 40 years old. Quality speaks for itself.

 

I work on mowers all the time and most of the real problem ones are because people don't take care of them.There is one guy that brings his MTD mower in every year for plug/filter/oil blades and all the basic stuff its a 15year old mower then there are the guys like me who pull wheelies in there craftsman and then bitch that it don't stand up.