Buying a ride on mower-new,used or rebuilt?

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Buying a ride on mower-new,used or rebuilt?

Cruciblewrecker

72 posts

Master Geek

#268618 28-Mar-2020 22:17

Hi all,
I'm looking at maybe purchasing a ride on mower next Spring to mow the vacant lot next door and the grassed area at the end of my street because the Auckland Council contractors rarely mow it and when they mow it they do a terrible job. It is worth paying more for a new one that comes with a warranty or is it worth taking a gamble with a used/rebuilt one from Trademe/one of the smaller outdoor power equipment shops?

pipe60

127 posts

Master Geek

#2449201 29-Mar-2020 08:55

Depends on what sort of budget you have,if the areas to be mowed are rough u will kill a cheaper new one very quickly as they are designed to mow short flats lawns.There are some good buys in the 2nd hand market main items to check are the deck condition always the 1st thing to fail(rust),followed by service history on motor and transaxle.

Cruciblewrecker

72 posts

Master Geek

#2449356 29-Mar-2020 12:25

pipe60:

Depends on what sort of budget you have,if the areas to be mowed are rough u will kill a cheaper new one very quickly as they are designed to mow short flats lawns.There are some good buys in the 2nd hand market main items to check are the deck condition always the 1st thing to fail(rust),followed by service history on motor and transaxle.

The vacant lot has a gentle slope on one side and a steeper sleep on the other with two flat areas connecting them and the grassed area at the bottom of the street is the same except for the area that is sharply sloped and can only be done by a brush cutter. As for the long I plan to cut it down to a length a ride on can handle with my brush cutter first then put the mower over it.

MikeAqua

7785 posts

Uber Geek

#2450094 30-Mar-2020 15:04

Having owned and used a few ride-ons, I would say: -

- Don't skimp on horsepower.

- Get one with a shuttle pedal, so you can switch between forward and reverse, handsfree

Mike