Buying First Home - Mower Questions

[Swurgen]

Great forum, fellas. I came here from a google search because I had some general questions about stuff I need to buy when I close on my first house at the end of the month. We lived in my grandmother's house growing up so I've done the lawn/yard maintenance for years. We had a small push mower and bagged all of the clippings. That lawn was decent sized but smaller than the one I'm getting (1.4 acres in New England some of which is wooded).

I have to buy a mower. Through friends at work, I have some access to lawn mower mechanics. Not best friends like they'll work on it for free but friends like I can be sure they're doing a good job. I'm figuring for that reason, I'll definitely buy something used. I want something to last, but not cost an arm and a leg. What sort of budget should I realistically be setting and what brands are currently in favor? I would love to spend only a couple hundred bucks but I know that's not being realistic and I'll probably have to go just north of a thousand. Chalk it up to the price of owning my own home.

I searched a lot of old mower threads and I'm open to any tips you guys may have. Maybe opinions have changed since those old posts were made. This place is a goldmine of non-Toyota information if you're like me and not ultra-handy or mechanically inclined. I'm really surprised there's not some huge homeowner type forum online somewhere.

I work outside all day and I'm figuring that after 8 hours in the sun at work, a ride on mower is the only way to go with this much grass to cut. Thoughts?

My main question is if I get a ride on mower with mulching blades, can I get away with not bagging my grass? I think we have to pay for anything we dump. I can get rid of it in the wooded area behind my house but the smell of wet grass clippings is among the worst in the world and that stuff is just going to build up over the years. If I don't bag the clippings, is the yard going to be disgusting to try to walk through?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Ebag333]

I work outside all day and I'm figuring that after 8 hours in the sun at work, a ride on mower is the only way to go with this much grass to cut. Thoughts?

If I could afford it I'd use a riding mower for my 50 square foot lawn.

My main question is if I get a ride on mower with mulching blades, can I get away with not bagging my grass?

Mulching is actually good for your lawn. The key is to do it often. If you cut off a small amount, then it'll fall between the blades of grass and basically become fertilizer. If you cut off too much at once, then it'll just sit on top and could even kill the grass (block sunlight).

If I don't bag the clippings, is the yard going to be disgusting to try to walk through?

If you mulch, you'll get grass clippings stuck to your feet for maybe a day or two, depending on how long the clippings are. The shorter they are the less they'll stick. I wouldn't consider it disgusting, just have to brush off some clippings before you go in the house. Again, this is mostly solved by cutting the grass often, the more often you cut it the less clippings you'll deal with.

 

[Bill6840]

"Mulching is actually good for your lawn. The key is to do it often. If you cut off a small amount, then it'll fall between the blades of grass and basically become fertilizer. If you cut off too much at once, then it'll just sit on top and could even kill the grass (block sunlight)."

X2 on the mulching and mowing frequency. I mulch and it really helps. I also bag occasionally and use the clippings as mulch around red maples and crape myrtles. The trees seem to appreciate that bit of nitrogen.

Also, some (if not most) grass types should not be cut too short. A taller, thicker lawn tends to crowd out weeds and is usually healthier.

Good luck with the new house!

 

[Michael Hanson]

I have mulched my yards for 12 years,no problem. I prefer Honda and John Deere products,they dont need many repairs. MIke

 

[shfd739]

My only experience with riding mowers is a late 80s model Snapper rear engine-think Forest Gump. My dad had it from new in '87 till giving it to me in '07. We sold it last year when we moved to a small yard that wouldnt even turn around in. I think we sold it for $200 within 48 hours. Lots of interst in it. It's a basic, simple mower that cuts well and needs little maintanance. Dad bought a Husquvarna zero turn in '07 that he now swears by, but I have very little experience with it.

One of those older Snappers may fit the bill as a simple rider that will get the job done.

Now Im using an old 2 stroke '76 model Lawn Boy push that I will never give up. It cuts when newer mowers have bogged down. It's noisy, smelly and mixing gas/oil is a pain but the neighbors hate it and I love it. Still cuts great and starts first pull after a couple pushes of the primer knob.

 

[RavenTai]

I had just under an acre in ATL, about half of it grass and it was a many hour long chore with a (self propelled) push mower, have 6 acres now, mostly forested but maybe an acre of driveways and clearings riding mower is well worth it, have an old John Deere 12Hp mower with a 39" deck, picked up for less than your budget, I can mow more area in less time with the rider, only problems have been the points need polishing if it sits for any length of time and belts,

My cleared spaces are small and odd shaped so I spend a good bit of time either backing up or coming around for spot below the (considerable) turning radius of my mower, a ZTR would save me a lot of time but that is generally more $, in large open spaces you can mow in a spiral with a more conventional steering mower and do just fine,

What I really want is a compact tractor, mow, brush hog, loader, scraper etc, but thats out of both of our budgets.