Damn 20 year old mower - HELP?

[scottlr]

OK. We have a 20 year old Dixon ZTR. This POS has had something fall off of it almost every year since I have had it. Every freaking time, I just want to ditch it. But when it is working, I love it.

Every time I see a bill of $300 plus, I cringe. But a new one would be 20 times that amount. A lesser name brand would be cheaper, but....

OK, this is not a car. I do not depend on it for transportation to and from work, etc. But how damn long do you go with a mower, before you just give up and buy a new one? The 2012 equivalent to this mower would be about $6K. I have a 1 acre lot to mow.

So, do I buy some cheaper brand ZTR( I have to have a ZTR mower) and just get a new one in 5-6 years? Or do I spring for a new Dixon or Deere ZTR, and hope I don't have the same shit with it that I have had with this POS?

I am really starting to get tired of every 1-2 years, having to spend big $s to fix this POS. But still, fixing has and IS way cheaper than buying a new one. And it IS just MOWER. It is not a car.

If I buy a new 3-6K mower, how long before I am in the same damn boat? Almost every part on this POS has been replaced over the last 20 years. The transmission, chassis and body plastic are the only original parts.

When do you draw the line? A new one is like a decent used car payment. That seems crazy to me. For $200 or so, I can have it back in service for another year or so.


I am so frustrated over this damn mower!

Just now, I was mowing the lawn, and the chain jumped off. I look (it is a coomon thing to have happen on this POD), and one of the stupid plastic pieces has deteriorated, and needs replaced. OK, I can probably do this myself. BUT, I do this shit every freaking year!

Fix it again, or no? And why.

[Hwoltage]

Go to the Honda mower shop and finance a new one, $60 a month.

Problem solved.

[DGTCrazy]

What about picking up a used one off of Craigslist? I try to find folks that are moving and who either don't want to haul theirs, or they are moving into an Apartment/Condo and don't need one. My dad got one that way, and he paid about 1/3 of what it sold for new.

But for a 1 acre lot.......you really need a good Sit-Down mower, or a kid who needs a job!

[scottlr]

Yea, but all purchases seem to be more over the next 5-10 years, than just fixing this one. The real question is how long do you put up with it. A couple of hundred a year to maintain, or several thousand for a new comparable machine?

[Hwoltage]

Originally Posted by scottlr

Yea, but all purchases seem to be more over the next 5-10 years, than just fixing this one. The real question is how long do you put up with it. A couple of hundred a year to maintain, or several thousand for a new comparable machine?

Comparable? A brand new (running) and VERY reliable (Honda) mower is not really comparable to what you're dealing with now.

I'm not going to harp on it, but new mowers come with a very low monthly payment, usually with factory maintenance plans that go out several years; they are fuel efficient, quiet, comfortable, and reliable!

[Stratobuc]

Do they run well on ethanol / gas?

[Hwoltage]

Originally Posted by Stratobuc

Do they run well on ethanol / gas?

That is a good question. I would assume new mowers have the correct plastics engineered into the fuel system, but who knows. At least with marine engines, that seems to be the common issue. That and excess water absorption. Of course, this is a reliability issue.
As far as how well they actually run, I think a Honda would run pretty well on candle wax. They make a GREAT small engine. Their bikes, boat motors and mower engines are all VERY highly regarded. Their marine engines are VERY expensive but you really can't get anything better. The Mercs, Nissans, and Johnsons all go screaming by but the Hondas just purr...

[AnchorHoy]

Originally Posted by scottlr

do I spring for a new Dixon or Deere ZTR, and hope I don't have the same shit with it that I have had with this POS?

Neither

John Deere, Dixon, Husqvarna, Cub Cadet, etc. - even the Dixie Choppers (IMHO) - are 'homeowner grade' crapola that simply won't last like a Scag or an ExMark. You won't find either of the latter for sale at a BigBox store. Go to a place that specializes in OPE (Outdoor Power Equipment) and accept the fact that quality and reliability cost $, but the extra money you pay up front will be more than offset by the money saved in the long run

SCAG
ExMark

[Hwoltage]

For $200 a season you could hire a landscaping service.

[scottlr]

Originally Posted by Hwoltage

For $200 a season you could hire a landscaping service.

We may the winner here!

[sgv]

I have a Dixon 4424 ZTR from either '96 or '97. I love it. In the years I've had it, I've had to change the drive system once. The discs wore out. I bought a new one for $450 and it was like getting a brand new mower. Luckily, I was able to install the drive system myself. If I had someone else do it, it would probably be a $1500 job.

I have a small spot in my heart for my Dixon, just because I've had it and it's been so reliable for so long.

[Sidmore]

+1 for Craigslist - I scored a used Wheelhorse (pre-Toro) with a 3-blade 50" deck all in VG condition (including new seat & tires) for $1200 last spring.

[Tony Foran]

Originally Posted by Hwoltage

For $200 a season you could hire a landscaping service.

If you can get your lawn mowed for $200 a season, you sure don't need a ZTR.

Around here, you would have to put another zero on it.

[scottlr]

Originally Posted by sgv

I have a Dixon 4424 ZTR from either '96 or '97. I love it. In the years I've had it, I've had to change the drive system once. The discs wore out. I bought a new one for $450 and it was like getting a brand new mower. Luckily, I was able to install the drive system myself. If I had someone else do it, it would probably be a $1500 job.

I have a small spot in my heart for my Dixon, just because I've had it and it's been so reliable for so long.

I know what you mean. I this one is a 91. MAny of the repairs over the years were ones I just did myself. This latest part that broke will be another one of those.

Originally Posted by Tony Foran

If you can get your lawn mowed for $200 a season, you sure don't need a ZTR.

Around here, you would have to put another zero on it.

That seems about right for here, too.

[majorledhead]

While not a ZTR, I went with a used Cub Cadet 3200 off of craigslist. Its a $6000 tractor new that a got for $1600. I think it had about 250 hrs on it but was used on a nice level lot and stored inside. It seams like a hell of a machine and I have had zero problems in the two seasons I've run it. I believe that the 3000 series has been discontinued this year but other used deals are out there. I've heard good things about the Commercial Series Cub Cadet ZTR, but don't have any personal experience. But just like all brands, you probably have good and bad examples of the same modal out there.