Quote :

"if by some chance you decide you want a ballin ass mower get one of the john deeres from a jd dealer, but they will run you ~$5000"

My dad bought one from the JD dealer in 1991. It had its first hardware failure this year...Bad ignition coil. Other than that it's had nothing but a yearly service and the occasional tire plug for over 20 years. Not a bad deal when you consider how badly I abused that thing.

[Edited on August 22, 2012 at 12:07 PM. Reason : l]

8/22/2012 12:06:23 PM

personally ive driven many zero turns and unless you have a huge yard and can use a commercial ztr i would get a regular riding mower, i have one with a 46" deck as i mentioned is awesome and love it, my yard is about .85 acres and it takes no time at all to mow at all

8/22/2012 10:18:59 PM

Are there any affordable, non-rental, options for some minor grading, digging, and hauling (like a bobcat); preferably that accepts various attachments?

8/28/2012 9:36:09 AM

only thing you could try is buying a used one and selling it when you're done. you could possibly break even.

8/28/2012 12:26:52 PM

depends on your definition of "budget". a compact utility tractor would do most of those and be the most versatile, but won't come cheap.

8/28/2012 1:36:11 PM

I was hoping for something used, in a similar price range to what it would cost to rent for a few weeks, so a few thousand?

8/28/2012 3:00:39 PM

are you kidding? I'd expect to pay no less than $8k for all that mess

8/28/2012 3:20:19 PM

renting is going to suck. I knew bobcats and similar machines were expensive; was just hoping that there could be another option that I wasn't aware of.

8/28/2012 3:23:32 PM

[no]

[Edited on August 28, 2012 at 3:27 PM. Reason : best option is to have a buddy with the equipment]

8/28/2012 3:25:53 PM

^you got any equipment?

8/28/2012 3:43:28 PM

no, i've got access to a tractor and box blade

and i've got a buddy with a utility tractor with a loader and forks

see how it works?

8/28/2012 4:46:58 PM

I've got a Bobcat. Tow it to your location, I'll do the work

8/28/2012 8:32:46 PM

sending PM

8/29/2012 10:06:09 AM

I just wanted to give some positive feedback on Gator mulcher blades. I picked up a pair for my 42" JD riding mower (el cheapo) for about $24. It's like night and day. Perhaps they're just gimmicky and the stock 3-in-1 blades were just that shitty, but I noticed significant improvement. I have bermuda and fescue and the new blades kicked ass in both without the bogging down and clumping I have become accustomed to. Given the price point, I think they're worth a shot if it's time for replacement.

8/31/2012 8:11:17 AM

let me know when you find some blades that will cut my fucking bahia in one pass. that shit's a bitch unless you've got a fairly nice mower.

8/31/2012 10:36:37 AM

the gator blades with the carbide blade edge have been a great buy for me. my 8 year old drug my nice neat coil of rubber coated 1/8 cable, formerly used as an overhead dog run, out into my yard. grass got tall, i mowed right over it. Result? 3-10 inch chunks of cable spewed everywhere, no visible blade damage.

9/4/2012 8:53:18 PM

I'm looking to buy a used riding mower. My yard is about 1/2 acre, and my budget is around $500. What should I be looking for? Any brand recommendation?

9/9/2012 11:30:27 PM

^ this looks like a good deal at $500 it has some issues the owner makes you aware of. Compared to what others used JDs go for it seems very reasonable.

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/grd/3260869914.html

9/10/2012 5:30:44 PM

Craftsman, Troybilt or Poulan weedeater?

All three have a 25cc model for ~$100-120. My Troybilt died on me today...cant get it to crank and after messing with it for about 4 hours decided just to scrap it and buy a new one.

Which would you choose? Any other better recommendations in the $100-$150 range?

9/15/2012 11:26:37 PM

You should be able to get a new Stihl for that price. I recomend that over any of the brands you listed.

9/16/2012 8:55:21 AM

new stihl for $100-150?

where?

9/16/2012 11:16:35 AM

iirc the Stihl I run (FS55) was around $190 or so a few years ago when I got it from Ace.

9/16/2012 3:36:46 PM

Ace has the fs45 for $159.

9/16/2012 3:51:39 PM

you get what you pay for. buy a fs90r once and never buy another trimmer as long as you live.

9/16/2012 7:22:20 PM

i've got a FS55. if properly maintained, there's no reason it shouldn't last the average homeowner a very long time.

9/16/2012 8:25:53 PM

well, I ended up getting a full suite of crafstman lawn mower equipment. hoping it lasts a few years at least. the discount I got was too good to pass up.

now to order a weed eater

9/21/2012 3:01:12 PM

any recommendations on a budget wood chipper? looked at harbor freight, but the cheaper one onl handles 1.25" limbs and I was hoping to be around 2-3".

9/23/2012 12:20:28 PM

get a stihl kombi km-90r for Chrimbus

add attachments over time...edger attachment, weed eater attachment, chainsaw attachment, hedge attachment

...profit

9/23/2012 1:32:37 PM

why do you want a wood chipper? if you're in the city, let them pick it up. if you're not in the city, burn it.

9/23/2012 7:29:09 PM

to chip wood.

not in the city. don't care to burn most of it; I can use some for composting and other for mulching around the back of the house/yard.

9/24/2012 10:43:51 AM

I'm checking out this mower. What would be a fair offer for this one?
http://pensacola.craigslist.org/grd/3311182995.html

10/6/2012 7:17:28 PM

can someone tell me if this is a good deal or not?
http://pensacola.craigslist.org/grd/3287637736.html

10/18/2012 12:13:11 AM

$100- yes
$1000- no

10/18/2012 12:48:59 AM

lol, it's probably $1000

10/18/2012 7:43:06 AM

it is not "commercial grade"

10/18/2012 8:29:14 AM

What would be a fair value for the JD?

10/18/2012 10:03:01 AM

very little to me

if you're only getting a 38" cut, why complicate things with liquid cooling? more shit to break.

10/18/2012 12:42:00 PM

I ended up getting the fs90r. hell of a trimmer and by far the best of any I've ever used.

10/18/2012 1:30:15 PM

good choice.

if that's your only piece of equipment that requires mixed fuel i also recommend running Trufuel 50:1. stuff is ethanol-free 93 octane fuel with synthetic oil and stabilizer. yes, it does cost $7/quart but it'll virtually eliminate any fuel-related issues.

http://www.trufuel50.com/ProductInfo.aspx





[Edited on October 18, 2012 at 9:39 PM. Reason : -]

10/18/2012 9:37:57 PM

how about this one?

http://pensacola.craigslist.org/grd/3328304425.html

10/22/2012 11:38:22 PM

Ooohhhhhhh thats pretty. I like it. Should last a few lifetimes.

10/23/2012 7:51:23 AM

^ &^^ yup, get it!

10/23/2012 8:20:19 AM

yeah... the bad part about posting that is .... i want it lol..

but i'll be a good bill..

Go get it... hurry...

10/23/2012 8:24:02 AM

pensacola? i assumed dude lived in florida...

10/23/2012 8:36:13 AM

well that makes it way easier to be a good bill.

10/23/2012 9:10:22 AM

Is that a good deal? I know next to nothin about these mowers. What should I pay attention to when I go check it out?

10/23/2012 11:03:29 AM

that mower should last for ever... its johndeer above their consumer grade crap.

i think it is a good deal.. as for things to look for my grandma hasn't had a problem with hers in 10 years so i wouldn't know what to tell you.

10/23/2012 11:08:17 AM

Quote :

"if that's your only piece of equipment that requires mixed fuel i also recommend running Trufuel 50:1. stuff is ethanol-free 93 octane fuel with synthetic oil and stabilizer. yes, it does cost $7/quart but it'll virtually eliminate any fuel-related issues."

thanks, ethanol does have me concerned. I probably need to go run my equipment asap as it's been a while. I also have a cheapo poulan 14" chainsaw, so I'll recheck what the ratio is and look into the trufuel option.

10/23/2012 11:18:22 AM

how does the 316 above compare to this one here?

http://pensacola.craigslist.org/grd/3348237571.html

10/23/2012 3:50:04 PM

that 316 up there appears to be missing its gauge wheels on the deck

10/23/2012 3:54:37 PM