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Best mower/tractor for hills on a budget?

6K views 15 replies 8 participants last post by  spokes100 
#1 ·
Greetings! An age-old question I know, but I'm a bit confused as to which lawn mower/garden tractor would be best for our 2 acres of rolling hillside (without breaking the bank). I don't know the slope angle of my hill unfortunately, but I can tell you it makes a great hill for sledding in the snow! I am currently using a Sabre by John Deere (model 1848 -- originally a 18HP V-twin with 48" cutting deck), and it has served me well but is nearing retirement. My needs are simple: just mow the grass in the shortest amount of time without tearing up the yard, the equipment, or the owner and keeping it affordable. I mention garden tractors only due to their reputation of being better built than a standard lawn tractor; however they are also more expensive and come with features I would not necessarily need.

I've read several threads about possible K46 Tuff Torq transmission problems from the entry-level, big-box store lawn tractors (John Deere E-series, etc.) after continued use on hillsides. I think the 1848 Sabre (according to TractorData.com) has the K62 transmission and is considered to be belt-driven hydrostatic. (I don't know how the K62 compares to the current Tuff Torq transmissions.)

I've also read where most residential zero-turn mowers do not perform well on hilly terrain. There may be some out there in the professional grade category, but from what I've read I'm wanting to steer clear of ZTR's.

As manufacturers constantly change the names of their equipment, I am having a difficult time following a few older threads that might cover a similar topic and answer my question. So, here's the question... what do you use or would you recommend and why?

Any help you can provide is appreciated!
Thanks a bunch!
 
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#2 ·
What's your budget? If you want a comparable K62 or better transaxle you're looking at a $3500.00+ machine; for example Cub Cadet XT2 GX54D, XT3 GS/GSX, John Deere X390 or X5** series. You said you wanted to steer clear of a ztr, however the heavy duty residential & commercial steering wheel model Cub cadets are stated to do well on slopes & hills. Good luck.
 
#3 ·
DavisWV,

MYSELF, I would recommend a Manual Transmission (Transaxle) Model.

I have owned my 1987 Craftsman GT6000 for about 15 years now with NO problems.

I do all the recommended Maintenance and then some with mine.

I purchased it USED from a friend of mine for $100 since the Starter Solenoid was bad and it needed a New Crankshaft Output Seal.

Attached are two pictures of my Worker Bee! The first one is how it looked when I bought it. And the second, shows a couple accessories have been added just because...

The parts where cheap & easy "for me" to install.

Given that it is an older, but much more durable machine, I bought this, rather than buying a Brand New Riding Lawnmower that would have cost me about $1,500!

This is just my recommendation! There are TONS of good Riding Lawnmowers/Garden Tractors out there. It's all about RESEARCH and what your Mechanicaly WILLING to have/want to do.

Take care,
[emoji851]-Thomas (12)
Port Orchard, Washington


Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
#4 ·
#5 ·
Thanks all for your help so far.

cnymowinplowinsailin - Really appreciate the link to the thread! That does help put all things John Deere into a better perspective. Helps also do somewhat of a "quick" comparison when looking through used equipment listings.

tkskagen - Looks like a workhorse! I wouldn't be opposed to finding a good used machine, but I'm not much of a mechanic. What should I look for as far as number of hours on a used machine? For instance, not far from me is a GT235 with 1500 hours on it selling for $2k. Not a manual transmission though. By the way, do you know which of the currently-produced tractors have manual transmissions?

rudedawg - My budget is probably somewhere between $1500 - $2500 realistically. I saw some nice looking Cub Cadets online, and the XT1 GT54 looks like it has a K62 transaxle as well. Is there anything else (besides the transaxle) that I should consider for hillsides? tkskagen mentioned he prefers a manual transmission.

Thanks again for the help!
 
#6 ·
Thanks all for your help so far.

rudedawg - My budget is probably somewhere between $1500 - $2500 realistically. I saw some nice looking Cub Cadets online, and the XT1 GT54 looks like it has a K62 transaxle as well. Is there anything else (besides the transaxle) that I should consider for hillsides? tkskagen mentioned he prefers a manual transmission.

Thanks again for the help!
As stated above a gear drive would be a good unit for you also. The XT1 is the entry level lawn tractor but may last you several years of mowing with meticulous maintenance. Just to mention my brother lives in VA with a sloping yard and when his Craftsman LT bit the dust he bought a Cub Cadet rtz s w/42" deck, steering wheel and ezt non serviceable transaxle which he has had for several years now. He says he still uses and likes it but I do not think they even offer that one anymore though. Good luck.
 
#7 ·
Thank you rudedawg. Really appreciate the input. I'm thinking a new tractor of either type might be out of the budget, and I'm just not super comfortable with a zero-turn on our slope.

I don't necessarily need anything more than just a mower although I do like the idea of being able to pull a small utility cart behind on an occasional (1-2x per year) basis. If it weren't for our yard sloping, I wouldn't mind looking into the entry-level mowers (with the K46 transaxle), but the K46 is non-serviceable, correct? Would it make a difference if the K46 would have been serviceable, or is it just not built to handle the heat generated when mowing hillsides?

Does anyone know if the Tuff-Torque K62 transaxle on the 1848 Sabre is serviceable? I'm thinking if it is, maybe I can get a few more years out of my current mower, while I try to better understand what I need in a newer one to handle the hills on a regular basis. The Sabre (an entry level tractor from years gone by) has done well until recently and is now starting to become a little sluggish.
 
#8 ·
I'd run the saber until you either couldn't keep up with the service or it dies.

I'd also look at used JD mowers. Something with a differential lock would be nice for the hills. Even an old 318 in good shape would easily fit your needs. There are tons of options.
 
#9 ·
Didn't see any used 318's nearby, but I did see a 1998 JD 425 with 900 hours for $1950. That's a 20+ year old tractor... what would you all think about getting that old of a tractor?
 
#12 ·
It would be worth considering. My brother in law and sister still run a 425 as their main mower on an acre+ of lawn.

I guess it would depend on how good of an eye you think you have and how mechanically inclined you are. I grew up on a farm and have access to a shop that have about any tool you would need for a garden tractor (My dad's farm shop).

If you normally have someone else do all your service work on everything mechanical and you just have some screw drivers and a hammer out in the garage you may want to think twice about purchasing an older tractor.
 
#13 ·
Very sound advice from both! Thank you.
 
#14 ·
I missed your signature before. Thanks for being bold and committed.
 
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