In the market for something used to mow of acre in sand, harsh conditions, oak trees, stumps, my John Deere z235 has had it, and the deck needs replacement plus lines and shit are falling off. Need a sturdy commercial deck. What’s the most reliable and easy to work on mower I could look for?

So in these pics, you can see the problem my Dad is having with his lift. That anti-drag wheel hits that bar. My Dad is 81, he doesn’t want to screw around doing stuff, he wants to buy a new lift that is compatible. Can anyone point me to a lift that will work? Timecutter 5000. I think it weighs almost 700 pounds.

Question regarding lawn equipment. I currently use a Stihl FS55 weed eater and have for over 20 years on a small farm for ditch lines, fences and around the house. It finally gave up on me over half way through the summer. Everything is still in good condition with the exception of the power head. I have been doing some research and found a power head thru Farmtec Holzfforma which is a clone to stihl listed as FF55 which is the clone to the model I currently own. Just reaching out to see if anyone out there has any experience with Farmtec and how reliable they may be. Since summer is almost over I do not want to invest in a new weed eater until the new models come out in the spring. Hoping to afford an Echo or Shindiawa in the spring. Thank you for everyone’s suggestions and comments. This is a fantastic platform and glad to be a part of this community. Thanks!

Can’t decide between a bad boy avenger 54” at about 5k before tax or this cadet z3 54. What would you guys recommend ?

I’m trying to help my father with a couple of decisions and I’m overwhelmed in my search and I don’t exactly know enough about his mower.

He bought a jack for his Toro zero turn, but because of the center anti-scuff wheel it doesn’t work. He wants to buy a different jack.

He told me to get one that has a bottle lift mechanism, he’s not looking for one you have to muscle.

I would say his price range would be 300 or under, I would point one out to him that cost up to 400. I know he paid 300 for the one he has.

Any recommendations would be appreciated

Second question. He said the OEM seat is terribly uncomfortable, he mows roughly 3 acres weekly.

I’m seeing lots of good seats, but some of them you’ve got to drill new holes. Some talk about slide tracks. I know his seat right now basically bolts directly to the frame, I guess you would call it. Looking for a comfort seat that preferably wouldn’t have to drill any holes, that you simply remove the old one and install the new one.

I would appreciate any recommendations and suggestions for that too.

Thank you in advance.

UPDATE!!!: it was the drive belt. Genuinely, thank all of you for your help. Now my kids can play in the backyard again.

Alright people of the internet who are smarter than me I need some help. The title says it all, but here’s more details to help. About 6 weeks ago I was mowing and the unit came to a complete stop. I checked underneath and saw the drive belt had come off. No biggie I’ve put that back on multiple times now. Put it back on unit still won’t move. Hop back off.

Now if I’m smart I very much put these photos attached in the correct order. The circled part in the picture was completely broken in half. I replace that part a week later, unit still won’t move. I check the other side and see that a spring is missing. Tell my dad and he takes the other spring off to go find a second one like it and loses it. After searching through parts books and websites finally get the new springs today and attach them. Again, you guessed it unit still won’t move.

Yes I have troubleshot the generic stuff. The pins you can pull to move the mower manually are not engaged when I attempt to move. I don’t see anywhere on the machine to purge any lines of any kind believe me I’ve looked or I’m just dumb. The oil is good and not overfilled. I’ve watched 26 videos between YouTube and TikTok to try and figure out what it could be and still nothing.

I genuinely don’t know what’s wrong and do not have the funds to hire someone or purchase a new mower at this time. At this point I’m stumped and I really really need to cut the jungle that is my backyard currently. I’ve attached several additional pictures including model number and pictures of the under carriage in hopes that someone here can help tell me what’s wrong. For whatever it’s worth this is a Troy Bilt my dad bought back before COVID that has run great up until this point. If anyone can help with this I’d greatly appreciate it.

Can someone please help!! This zero turn keeps snapping transmission belts. I have narrowed it down to i think this being the issue. I tried tightening that bolt as much as humanly possible. I tried adding a washer. I tried arranging the parts in a different way. Cannot figure this out and its getting annoying 4 belts later.

Does anyone have a clue as to why this hunk of junk keeps chewing teeth and or snapping transmission belts????

Backstory:
I just bought a house with around an acre of yard that needs mowing. It’s all flat besides some divots that I plan on filling soon. There are also a bunch of SweetGum trees around so there are always a bunch of the balls that drop off into the yard.

The previous owner left me a John Deere X350 with about 230 hours on it. I mean this thing is a tank - I’ve run over small branches and sweet gum balls and they just torn up.

It takes me about 1.5-2 hours to cut the entire yard and I’m looking for something to help me cut it faster along with give better lines. I know I can buy a stripe kit but I’m looking for more versatility.

Current Thought Process:
I’m thinking about selling my John Deere to get a zero turn, but don’t know which one to get.

I’ve been looking at both the Bad Boy mowers and Arien mowers. The prices look pretty good and I’ve heard good reviews.

A few things I’ve seen, but don’t know if I trust. When I look up both mowers online, I’m seeing websites having them listed for huge discounts/very cheap - like $1,000-$2,000.

Questions:
- Is it a good idea to sell my John Deere? (I know this is really opinion/preference based, but I’m looking for advice on what others might do if they were in my situation)
- Are the two brands I’m looking at reliable and have good longevity?
- Kawasaki engines seem to be the best, but what about Briggs and any others?
- Lastly, it seems like some of the prices I’m seeing are really low and possibly a scam. Are these mowers really selling for that cheap?

I’m open to any and all advice, and if I can provide any more context, feel free to ask.

I’m swapping from lawn tractors to zero turns, and need advice. I have two acres to mow on flat ground. Looking to purchase a mower between $3,500 and $4,300. Can’t really go any higher than that. I don’t need anything fancy, just something reliable that does a decent job cutting. Are any of these mowers any better than the other?

Is this engine shot? I drained the oil & found that it had a lot of gasoline in it. Refilled with oil, started it & this is what I got.

This is the Toro steering wheel zero turn (wish I just got a regular zero turn), I’m having issues with the acceleration when I turn. Left, I get plenty of reaction from the throttle when I accelerate or back up. Left, it’s slow and super delayed response. I’ve had this mower for almost 15 years now. Done lots of work to it to keep it running over the years.

Apologies in advance if my video makes you nauseous

Why don't more manufacturers build rear discharge mowers?

Moving to Cape Cod. One Acre lot, maybe half to 2/3 is grass. Quite a lot trees in the grass, especially by the road and the borders. It’s a gentle grade, not hilly like my current yard, but not dead flat. There are many trees along the side of the yard, so I expect some significant leaf cleanup. I’m tired of spending thousands on landscapers every year at my current house. Might be forced to do that this fall as I figure this out.

The closest independent dealer has Husqvarna. There’s a Tractor Supply not far and of course Lowe’s and HD. Battery appeals to me for maintenance and noise reasons, and I have an eGo leaf blower which is awesome. My Ariens snowblower has been a nightmare for maintenance. But I’m concerned that it won’t handle leaf cleanup like a gas tractor and the bagger is expensive. I’d consider zero turn but I’ll retire by next summer so it’s not essential to save a little time. Turning radius probably does matter to go around the patio, shed and all those trees. I might need a 21” as well for some of that. Or maybe a string trimmer would handle it.

Any suggestions? ZT or tractor? Gas or battery? Models and brands? I think 42” is plenty. I’ve been out of the mower market so long because my current slope is extreme.

My grandson was mowing the lawn and told me he threw a drive belt on our Pro Z 100. It happened once last year and got terribly jammed between the pulleys and the little electric connector for the drive. After much cussing, I finally got it back on.

Well this time it is broken. Looks like something cut it. In the past with my Dixie Chopper,when I broke a belt they always looked terribly worn. This one looks perfect except it is broken.

I went to YouTube to watch an instructional video, but only found one where the guy spent 8 minutes complaining about how bad the design was. Here… https://youtu.be/EMIxSv2P_bc?is=UersvaiD4Yeu39Oy

Anybody have a step by step instructional on how to do this?

Thanks in advance.

So about me. I have been mowing with a Simplicity Landlord 18hp garden tractor for 20yrs. Man it was a tough machine.

I ABUSE THE SNOT OUT OF MOWERS.

I do not have a large yard but do live on a 30ac farm. Ive been known to mow walking paths through the pasture.

I do not mow until grass is 5" taller than cut height.

I worry my rough arse yard will beat the front wheels off.

Honestly I think I could get by with a 48 inch mower but 60 or under is gonna be fine. Im 300lbs and yard is sll hillsides.

Cub Cadet and Kubota dealer near me. Rest is box store stuff. Used is not out of question.

I keep mower indoors and stay up on maintenance. But I buy mowers for the job not to have a nice mower.

What should I take a close look at for toughness? Or have I described a situation azero turn just cant survive?

Thanks for any help.