“This site is not about me – but this page is!”
Hi, I’m Paul Sikkema.
The primary purpose of TodaysMower and Mycountryacre.com is not to sell you the most expensive lawn tractor, but to give you enough information so you make the best decision when purchasing the best tractor for you.
I don’t have all the answers, I am not going to tell you what to do. I just want to be part of the conversation so you can make the best decision for you. Feel free to leave a comment after any post and my readers and I will help you.
I would like you to not only get the best deal on your new zero-turn mower, lawn tractor, or garden tractor, but get the best one for your needs.
Here is my disclosure and privacy policies for you to read: Disclosure Policy Privacy Policy
Everyone has a hobby, something they really like and enjoy doing. Some people collect stamps, others go hiking, camping and fishing. I happen to like buying used commercial lawn mowers, fixing them up and reselling them. I have had dozens of different types, brands and ages. You can go here to see some of the types I’ve owned over the years: Pinterest – Mowers I have owned
I also go to the bigger trade shows and have a few trusted dealers who give me the “scoup” on the brands they sell. I can tell you the best and the worst. I know zero-turns, lawn tractors and garden tractors.
And even better for you….. I built, owned and operated a 400 property lawn and landscape company in the Chicago/Northern Illinois area. I was one of the first companies to switch to zero turns and the first to implement the standon mower. These new methods allowed me to reduce my man-hour costs by 70% over the traditional methods. (Yes, 70%) I’ve spent more hours using and maintaining my own mower fleet than most of you want to know.
I know mowers (and snow blowers) well enough that I am regularly invited to the manufactures factories. Todaysmower.com and movingsnow.com have been listed as two of the most trusted review sites on the web. Of the thousands of other sites that offer reviews on L&G products only Consumer Reports rates higher for trusted information.
I repeat: The primary purpose of this site is not to sell you a zero-turn mower, lawn tractor, or garden tractor, but to give you enough information so you make the best decision when purchasing a new one. I would like you to not only get the best price on your new lawn tractor, but get the best one for your needs. (Yes, I do get a small commission when you go to Sears, Amazon, The Home Depot, Tractor Supply or Northern Tool websites and buy the tractor, but I also lose the commission if you buy the wrong one and return it.)
For 2017 TodaysMower is going to focus on residential zero-turn mowers, lawn tractors, and garden tractors.
I will also review some very innovative accessories and attachments for your mower.
Today’s residential lawn tractors are designed to mow off 1 to 2 inches of grass, 1 to 2 hours a week, 25 to 30 times a year. If you use them this way and maintain them properly they will last you 5, 10 years or longer. They are not built as heavily as the mowers built 30 years ago, but in many cases they are built better and they offer a vastly superior cut, more comfort, more features, are easier to use, have better fuel economy, and much lower emissions than your 30 year old riding mower. Being lighter they are easier on your lawn.
If you are spending more than 2 hours a week mowing your lawn you may want to consider a commercial zero-turn mower.
The information on this site is accurate ONLY to the extent of the information I have available at the time the article is written. I get my information from my own hands-on testing, my own hands-on observations, the manufactures experts, the manufactures engineers, the manufactures literature, the manufactures website, other authoritative websites, word – of – mouth, press releases (verbal, video, print) and actual owners experiences of the equipment reviewed. If I get the information wrong, the brands are welcome to send me a clarification and I will gladly include it within this site. Brands, you can send me information at thetoolboxhero@gmail.com
If I can’t verify the facts I will state that the information is just a rumor.
For those of you who care …. I compare most of these tractors to the corresponding Craftsman model. I don’t feel Craftsman is the best, this just gives us a baseline to accurately give you a way to pick the best mower for you. I don’t care if you buy a John Deere, Simplicity, Ariens, Hustler or Cub Cadet – as long as it is the best one for you.
This site is part of my ToolBoxHero Organization.
ToolBoxHero consists of TodaysMower.com, MovingSnow.com, My Country Acre, and ToolBoxHero.com Each site has a specific purpose, yet each site is part of my goal to help you find the right product for your home and how to use that product. I’m here to have fun and help you in the process!
I am a freelance writer with lots of experience. I am not associated with or receive special compensation from any of the retailers, manufactures and distributors that are reviewed on this site. From my many years of working at the forefront of mower technology I do know some of the engineers and manufactures personally and I will point this out when appropriate.
I share with you my views and knowledge. I do everything I can to provide the best information I can. I never provide false information on purpose. But the fact is that I’m only human … I can, and most likely will be, wrong at times. Hey, it happens. But basically, the point of this sentence is to tell you that by using this site, and by reading my posts, you do not hold me liable for anything.
By The Way, Using Information From This Website
Permission is given for the downloading and temporary storage of one or more of these pages for the purpose of viewing on your personal computer, tablet or cell phone. The contents of this site are protected by copyright under international conventions and, apart from the permission stated, the reproduction, permanent storage, or retransmission of the contents of this site is prohibited without the prior written consent of www.todaysmower.com.
Reproduction, distribution, republication, and/or retransmission of material contained within this website are prohibited unless the prior written permission of www.todaysmower.com has been obtained.
In general though, I will give permission to use quotes or parts of the site as long as your directly reference todaysmower.com and leave any embedded links intact.
Seamus
Great site. Wish I had seen this years ago. I have an Ariens lawn tractor made by Husqvarna. The transmission went after 3 years (just past the warranty). The tractor works great, just no reverse. I found the part number for the transaxle online and it is $350. I am thinking that if I can find a similar mower someone has with a bad engine I can get it for $100 or so and use the transaxle in my Ariens. The question is how do I determine what other tractors used that same transaxle. The brand could be Husqvarna, Craftsman, or Poulan. My Ariens tractor is a 22 HP, 46 inch. “A22A46”. The model number is 960460056.
Paul
Hi Seamus, to get parts listings go to this site https://parts.ariens.com/. You must have the model and serial number off the nameplate to see the manuals.
If your transmission is silver it was made by Hydro Gear or Tuff-Torq. There is a part number on the transmission case and you will have to get the same part number for a replacement.
If your transmission case is black it was made by General Transmissions and most likely is not bad – just the top of it is full of dirt and debris. Blowing the top clean with an air compressor works the best to clean it.
After you get it clean, try it. If it still doesn’t work go here. You have an RS800 trans. General Transmission Troubleshooting and repair. Follow the steps for troubleshooting, watch the videos and don’t be afraid to call them for help. GT is very willing to get you back running.
royclar@yahoo.com
hi paul i want to buy a garden tractor wich is beter for plowing snow with Troy-Bilt Super Bronco 54 GT or cudcadect gt54 from roy
Paul
Hi Roy, Both tractors are basically the same. The only real differences are the engine, color and seat. I would spend some time with the dealers and buy from the dealer you like the best.
Terry
Hi Paul,
A friend of mine told me I could buy a dual can bagger attachment for my Craftsman lawn tractor through your site, however, I don’t see any buttons to click on for such things. You also don’t give a phone number with which to reach you.
Can you help?
Thanks,
Terry
Paul
Hi Terry, Just reply with the model number of your tractor and I’ll give you the link. The model number is the number under the seat that starts with 917. or 247.
Tom
Paul,
After reading your material I decided to buy the Poulan Pro 960420184. When I try to buy it on Amazon I get a message that it cannot be delivered to the address. I tried several different addresses but none work. What is the problem?
Thanks,
Tom
Paul
Hi Tom, I can’t even guess because I don’t know what city, state you live in. Are you using a P.O. Box or an address outside the U.S.?
Tom
Dohhhh…. I live in California…and I tried several actual addresses (not PO boxes) in different cities. It seems this is a non-California product possibly. I did a test and tried to have it shipped to Reno, Nevada and that works! Can you recommend an equivalent Poulan Pro model that will ship to California? I am needing to mow about 2 acres and it does have some rough ground and slopes.
thanks…
Ron (Woodstock, GA)
Thanks for your reply, Paul. Do you know the year that the Craftsman GT 5000 series began offering a locking differential?
Paul Sikkema
@Ron, I really don’t know that much about older Craftsman Tractors. Anyone?
I suggest you go over to mytractorforum and ask there.
Ron (Woodstock, GA)
Hi Paul,
I have a 1974 Sears ST/12 Garden Tractor that has served me well for 40 years now but is finally giving up the ghost. I mow about ½ acre, but with significant hills, and a certain section causes me to have to shift my weight to the side to balance the tractor. It would be very difficult for me to have to keep my foot on pedals and I definitely need a locking differential.
Also, one of the items I have had to replace numerous times over the years is the metal insert in the hub of the front wheels that gets worn because of riding across the slant of the hill. I cannot go straight up and down the hill, the slant is too great. So I need my replacement tractor to be able to handle the sideways torque on the front wheels.
Any suggestions? Thanks.
Paul Sikkema
@Ron, I actually don’t have a solution for you under $10,000. There are very few mowers designed for slopes greater than 15 degrees and they all cost between 15 and 60 thousand. Here is one Shibaura.
For only 1/2 acre I suggest you take a look at Toro Lawn Mower. 30 in. TimeMaster Variable Speed Self-propelled Walk-Behind Gas Lawn Mower with Electric Start
. Wear shoes with good traction.
Christina
Hi Paul, Thank you for the great info! I have read for hours on your site (both last year & this year) & am still stuck.
I have 5 acres, of which 1 acre is flat lawn around the house, about 1/2 acre is flat paddock around a barn (lots of grass & daily piles of horse manure), the rest is in pasture. We would mow around the house & barn weekly, the pasture about once a month. Would use the GT regularly to haul a cart for tools/picking up brush, etc.
The pasture has a small creek very shallow (usually barely a trickle) which runs through it. Where the creek has pretty steep slopes, we weed-eat the steep slopes & mow only the gently sloping part. We mow up & down the slope, the safe way.
Last year I bought a 2013 Craftsman GT6000 to replace a 20yr old Craftsman garden tractor. While I loved the turning radius on the GT6000 and the 54″ cut, I HATED that this thing got stuck (yes, stuck) 3 times. One time a back wheel dropped into a very shallow small depression. There wasn’t enough power to the other wheel to maneuver it out. I was astounded. I had to lever the tire up, brace it with a board & push the machine out by myself. Two times it simply wouldn’t chug up a very slight incline that it’s predecessor laughed at. Also, it seemed to be poorly balanced. I always felt as though it was about to flip on the slightest slope. I don’t think I am expecting anything unrealistic, as the old gt laughed at these things. My husband also had the GT refuse to go up a slight slope.
….So, should we look at the 2014 GT5500 or is there a better choice (Maybe a Husqvarna)? I’m OK spending about 3K. Thank you so much!
Paul Sikkema
@Christina, It won’t help to look at the G5500 or a new Husqvarna unless you want to buy a new one with a locking differential. Husqvarna GT54LS.
The transmission in your old tractor was about 60 lbs heavier than the transmissions in the all the new tractors today. Because of that it had better traction. Your old tractor’s engine was also heavier. Your old tractor felt more stable because of that extra weight.
Todays tractors are rated for no more than 15 degree slopes. If you are having traction problems many owners add weight. Wheel weights are the easy way to go.
.
Other owners add fluid to the tires or fill them with liquid rubber to increase the traction. If you add the wheel weight so or fluid the tractor will have more traction and feel more stable. Some owners add chains but that is not a good choice since you have the flat lawn around the house.
I know you know this but many owners reading this comment won’t. Owning a mowing service and mowing in a wet year like this one, my zero-turns were always getting stuck. Sometimes it would be so bad that they would mow ok but if the operator had to stop on the lawn the zero-turn would sink in and get stuck. We learned to lift the deck up if it felt like we were getting stuck. Many times that extra inch is all we needed to get unstuck or keep from getting stuck.
By the way, the Raven MPV-7100 that I am using this year weighs twice as much as the garden tractors (over 800 lbs) I have no traction problems with slopes and hills. It has a very low center of gravity so it also feels really well in a ditch. DR Power is now selling it.
Christina
Hi Paul,
Well, I’m back…..last year we couldn’t find the Raven or the Husquarvna you suggested, so paid someone to cut around the house let the horses maintain the pasture. We have no need for snow plowing, or other ground-engaging attachments-we need is a cart to move hay & tools & brush-nothing much
I decided to get a Raven tomorrow from Lowes (though very concerned if it needs repairs-nearest service center is 100 miles away & Lowes won’t repair it on-site, but will arrange shipment to the center, and every second it’s away the grass will keep growing).
Just saw your review of Garden Tractors….and wonder if either the new ProSeries 54 inch Garden Tractor or the JD 500 series would be better than the Raven? . The local JD dealer is quite rude so am concerned about speed of service, plus the expense of service calls, $100+.
BTW, I’ve recommended your site to the Lowe’s mgr, and just about anyone who is interested in machines. I think you are amazing!
Thanks so much!
Paul Sikkema
Hi Christina, Nice to have you back!
I would be concerned about the Raven myself especially if Altaquip is involved with the repair. Altaquip has a good service network on the east coast but they do’t have enough service center west of the Ohio River. It sounds like the Raven is not the best choice.
No matter how great the X500 is if you don’t like the dealer – you won’t like the mower. That said, Is there another dealer within driving distance?
The X500 is a nice tractor – it will last you years. But you can buy two of these new Pro series Craftsman for what one of those X500’s will cost. The trade off becomes do you want one tractor that will last 20 years or buy another after 10 years? The way Lawn Equipment is changing in 10 years you may be able to buy a new one that doesn’t need gas.
Keep asking, I’ll keep answering.
Teresa Holly
Hi my name is TeresaHolly I have a Crafts Man mover I need model 917.255560 Serial# 111891s007819 if you can help me please I need a key for my lawn mover thank you
Paul Sikkema
Hi Teresa, Your mower is old enough that it uses a standard ignition key. If you want to get it from sears go to searspartsdirect.com then search for part number 109310X. It will be $4.48 plus $8 shipping.
Or you can go to any local mower shop or hardware store and buy and lawn tractor ignition key. Here is a picture of the key.
Print this picture to take with you.
The key does not have to say craftsman on it. The hardware store key is just a plain metal key.
Marilyn Molter
Am trying to find instructions for removing deck and changing blades on YT3000 model 28924 purchased in 2009. Manual does not include. Can you help?
Paul Sikkema
@Marilyn, Here is a youtube video that show how to remove the deck and replace the blades.
I have a lift table so I don’t have to remove the deck but I am going to change to a MoJack this year. A lot of owners are purchasing a MoJack lift so they don’t have to remove the deck everytime they want to replace the blades.
Here is a link to look at it.
EZ Tractor Lift
Jim
I was considering the purchase of a Craftsman 20390 yard tractor. I just received a sale flyer which shows a tractor called Craftsman Pro Series 22 hp. I could not find this tractor on the Sears Website. Could you please provide some information on it and advise if this would be a better choice than the 20390 for residential use on a lawn of about 1 acre with the hills of a sand mound?
New Hope, PA
Paul Sikkema
@Jim, It looks like the Sears Hometown stores will have an enhanced line of Craftsman tractors called Craftsman Pro. They all have Kohler 7000 series motors, reinforced decks and a 3 year defects warranty. Here is a pict of one:
Dan
Hi Rick- I wasn’t sure how to contact you, so I decided to do it through the reply section of your website. You seem to know a lot about tractors, and I really need your help. I’ve been trying to get answers for 2 weeks from Sears, and other websites without any success. I just bought a Craftsman LT2000 Model-28885 21hp with a 46″ deck, and I want to get it set up for snow removal for this coming Winter. I know that a lot of Craftsman lawn tractors are made by other companies, and the parts are interchangable. I need a snow blower attachment, and a vinyl snow cab for my 28885. I know that Sears sells models 24837 & 24838 snow thrower attachments. Will one of these fit on my tractor, and if not is there one out there that will. Also is there a snow cab that will fit on it. I hope that you can help me out, and I thank you for your time……Dan