Need help deciding on a tractor for a father's day gift (VANITY)

Self ^ | 6/8/05 | Self

[TSgt]

Forgive my vanity post, I never post them but I could use some advice and have assisted other Freepers with their vanity questions.

I'm buying my poor father a tractor for father's day so he doesn't die of heatstroke while push mowing his 1 acre lawn. I own a Craftsman twin cylinder 21HP tractor that I bought in 2001 and haven't had any problems with it other than replacing the deck but I’m hard on tractors.

I'm going to get one of 2 tractors and would like your opinion. If you were my father which one would you like to get for father's day?

Craftsman 19.0 hp 42 in. Deck Lawn Tractor Sears item #07127518000 Mfr. model #27518

Craftsman

OR

Cub Cadet 19HP* Kohler® Courage™ Single Cylinder Engine Model #: LT 1042

Cub Cadet

I can get either tractor for about $1,300.00

I prefer a twin engine tractor with more horsepower but don't believe he'll need it. He has a very flat 1 acre and isn't rough on tractors like I am so I believe either of these will do.

Any guidance or advice or personal opinions would greatly be appreciated.

Mike USAF

[Psalm 73]

Nothing impresses the neighbors like a Combine Harvester.
Now THAT'S a tractor.

[evets]

WWJD

[Jambe]

My concern with the Craftsman is that Sears is no longer Sears - it's KMART. Two years from now who knows what will be left!

Don't get me wrong, I own a bunch of Craftsman products and have always liked the way parts were available for them - but I suspect that could change.

My vote would be for the Cub or go GREEN !

[CrazyIvan]

"One thing to note, both Cub Cadet and John Deere have two line s of equipment. The inexpensive line carried by the big box home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowes. There is a higher quality line carried by the factory dealers."

That's probably the best piece of advice here. I have a "dealer grade" Cub that's thirty years old and gets worked constantly. It can be easily serviced and repaired even by an average mechanic. From what I've heard the "Walmart grade" Cubs are junk. My wife has a Saber, the discount John Deere line that she purchased before we met and it is also. The steering looks like something that some kid put together for a go-kart. Deere's top line stuff if very good. I live just miles from Deere's home in Moline and Deere owners are fanatics. They make Harley owners look complacent about brand loyalty! "I bleed green and will be buried in Moline" is just one of the slogans.

[myheroesareDeadandRegistered]

I know you have listed a choice between the Cub and the Craftsman, but I'd offer that you look at a Snapper rear engine. I've owned several different kind, including a Craftsman. The one that I've had the longest and have liked the best is a 70's vintage Snapper rear engine. The new ones they sell are still basically the same. I like the articulating frame, the way it can be tilted up for servicing the under carriage and the way it cuts grass. My place is rough in places and I not only use it to keep one acre mowed, but I often go "bush hogging" with it to claim som more yard from the rest of the property when the blade gets dull. This one was given to me about 7 years ago. The 8hp was busted. I replaced it with a used, iron sleeved 10 hp and it's been going ever since. I may have spent $200 on tires,batteries, belts and other parts in that whole time.

[Michigan Bowhunter]

Go with a real tractor like I have. 1950 Ford 8N.

He can have a lot of fun with it. If he cant mow the grass he can drive over it and squash it into the turf. He will be the envy of every man on the street as his will be bigger than any other guys on the street.

You could buy him a 6' finishing mower for it as well with turf tires

[Michigan Bowhunter]

Nothing runs like a Deer.....especially when it sees a Ford coming!!!

All John Deere products you see today are YANMAR products made in CHINA.

Dont support the CHINEESE

JD makes NO small tractors or mowers in the USA any more.

[OB1kNOb]

I can't speak to the Cub Cadet, but generally with anything Craftsman, Sears has made a killing making slight changes to basic maintenance and replacement parts that forces you to go to Sears to buy the part, rather than going to any basic parts store. And since you have to get it at Sears, they can charge more, i.e an air filter that costs $4, will cost $5 at Sears, or a pulley that may cost $10, may cost $15 at Sears. They are notorious for making slight modifications to basic parts in order to capture the parts market. That's my take anyway.

Oh, and as a father, may God richly bless you for making your poor old daddy's life easier. Your a good son.

[Phantom Lord]

[redcountyrepublican]

If the choice is between these two I would go with the Cub. Most of the ones in this price range are made by the same manufacturer. The thing I noticed was that the deck on the Cub has rollers on the outside corners of the deck which should make the cut smoother.

I have gone through 10 John Deere's in the last 15 years but switched to this one two years ago and found they are not only a lot cheaper they cut better and are better constructed.

 

Exmark Lazer Z® Liquid-Cooled 27-hp Kawasaki® Liquid-Cooled V-Twin engine with a 72” full-floating, UltraCut™ deck.

Exmark Mowers

[Coldwater Creek]

Could you become my child for a while? I have to mow a half acre with a push mower and it is nearly killing this old lady. Actually it is the humidity.

[cooldog]

How about a *real* (but very compact) tractor. I'm selling my '97 New Holland LS55H --- it has just over 150 hours on it. Pictures here

Hydrostatic drive, hydraulic deck lift ... nice. $1,800

[RichardW]

I'd lean to the Cub Cadet. I've lookwd at this model and it seems to be fairly well constructed. I do prefer the two cylinder engines however and would lean to a Kawasaki powered model. They are generally seen to be the gold standard among professional lawn service people. I have one in my John Deere LX280 and it is a true pleasure to cut my grass. But it priced beyond your target range. I also have one in my Scag professional mower and it hasn't given me an ounce of trouble. Suggest you look over at Lawnsite.com for the views of the pros.

I picked up a used Cub Cadet 1440 garden tractor yesterday for $750 and it has a two cylinder B&S Vanguard engine and still is running fine at 618 hours on the clock. All I need to do is repair one tire and replace the seat. The deck and mower still seems to be in perfect working order.

I'm not sure of what John Deere's marketing strategy is with respect to their mass retailers and dealers. These are not the same machines.

[Final Authority]

I have 1 acre of lawn and a 12 YO Murray, 12.5 hp and 40 inch deck. It runs as well as the day I brought it home. No cup holders though. Go with the one with the best cup holder.

[Hatteras]

Plowing these fields in the hot summer sun
Over by the gate lordy here she comes
With a basket full of chicken and a big cold jug of sweet tea
I make a little room and she climbs on up
Open up a throttle and stir a little dust
Just look at her face she ain’t a foolin me

She thinks my tractor’s sexy
It really turns her on
She’s always staring at me
While I’m chuggin along
She likes the way it’s pullin’ while we’re tillin’ up the land
She’s even kind of crazy ’bout my farmer’s tan
She’s the only one who really understands what gets me
She thinks my tractor’s sexy

We ride back and forth until we run out of light
Take it to the barn put it up for the night
Climb up in the loft sit and talk with the radio on
She said she’s got a dream and I asked what it is
She wants a little farm and a yard full of kids
One more teeny weeny ride before take her home

She thinks my tractor’s sexy
It really turns her on
She’s always staring at me
While I’m chuggin along
She likes the way it’s pullin’ while we’re tillin’ up the land
She’s even kind of crazy ’bout my farmer’s tan
She’s the only one who really understands what gets me
She thinks my tractor’s sexy

Well she ain’t into cars or pick up trucks
But if it runs like a deere man her eyes light up

She thinks my tractor’s....

She thinks my tractor’s sexy
It really turns her on
She’s always staring at me
While I’m chuggin along
She likes the way it’s pullin’ while we’re tillin’ up the land
She’s even kind of crazy ’bout my farmer’s tan
She’s the only one who really understands what gets me
She thinks my tractor’s sexy

She thinks my tractor’s sexy
She thinks my tractor’s sexy....

[weezel]

I used to be the set up man for a tractor and implement co. That means, I assembled the stuff. The cheaper cubs, at that time, were yellow MTDs. The expensive ones were as good as anyone made, but the cheap ones were about the same as anything you can buy at Lowes. Not to say they're not worth the money. One thing I checked on when I bought a new mower was the transaxle gears. A lot of them are plastic. You can look at the transaxle and get names, spicer etc, and numbers, and find out which are plastic or metal. BTW, I bought a huskee, a tractor supply brand.

[JZelle]

LOL! Man that's one purdy car!!

[pnz1]

We have a Cub Cadet and my husband is happy with it (I preferred a John Deere). He's pretty rough on mowers and hasn't managed to kill it yet, so it must be a pretty good one.

[meatloaf]

I'd suggest a bit more thought. I wish your Dad well. But thirty or forty years from now or whenever you inherit the tractor, you'll be better off buying a used Kubota B model that includes a standard diesel engine now. Not only will your father spend a lot less time mowing but the tractor will have a real pto with 3 point hitch and be able to run a long list of attachments ranging from a backhoe to any kind of mower you'd want. There's no comparison between a 20hp cast iron diesel and a 20 hp aluminum and pot metal gasoline engine. Besides that the tractor will still have several thousand hours of life left when you get it. The Sears or Cub will have been recycled long ago.

You also won't be buying parts that often. I bought a 30hp Kubota "lawnmower" several years ago and it was one of the best equipment decisions I made.

[P.O.E.]

Trade in that Hoyt-Clagwell: