View Single Post
      05-20-2020, 02:35 PM   #2
CTinline-six
Hoonigan
CTinline-six's Avatar
United_States
6825
Rep
3,000
Posts

Drives: '09 328i, '98 Wrangler
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Connecticut

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
I've worked on small engines for 15 years as a side business.

For riding mowers, avoid a zero turn unless you plan on buying a top of the line commercial Gravely, Scag or Ferris. The homeowner ones have cheaper hydro-static pumps that are big $$ to replace, and will cost more than the machine is worth down the road. For 0.8 acres I'd get a riding tractor like a Kawasaki powered John Deere X-series (top of the line) or something like a Husqvarna which is more mid level but still pretty well built. Avoid cheap box store junk, the money you save will be paid back tenfold in aggravation. As an example, a friend bought a Cub Cadet from Lowes last year. He had an issue with it stalling out after about 10 minutes of use. It had a "full" warranty, but they charged to pick it up as well as a diagnostic fee. They also had it for 5 weeks before it was even looked at. My 2005 John Deere garden tractor gets used for mowing, snow blowing, hauling, and leaf clean-up and has close to 1000 hours on it now, with just simple maintenance and a new set of blades and belts every once in a while.

Snowblowers: Ariens or Toro, the size of the machine depending on your driveway dimensions.

Blowers: If you have a small yard, I would consider going with battery powered. No maintenance like a gas one, easy to use, no issues trying to get it running again after long-term storage. With power equipment, you usually get what you pay for. My philosophy of buy once, cry once has worked out well so far.
__________________
"Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."

-Dr. Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park
Appreciate 5
Rmtt8211.00
King Rudi13154.00
unluky7524.50
Murf99314114.00