New Tractor follow up...


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Old 04-17-06, 06:49 PM
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Question New Tractor follow up...

Ok so I did some shopping around to see what model of Craftsman I wanted and now I'm not sure again here are the 4 tractors I'm thinking of now (I went from 2 to 4 choices so I think I'm going backwords!). All of them are twin cylinder with electric PTO and hydrostatic transmissions, basically I went with the smallest tractor in each brand that gave me twin cylinder and electric PTO. Prices are based on accessories and rebates/incentives and rounded.

Craftsman model 27590 - 26HP Kohler Pro V-Twin OHV, 48" deck, cruise, NO hour meter, 20x8x8 rear tires, 28" turning radius, 2 year warranty, $1,950.

Husqvarna model 27926 - 24HP B&S Intek, 48" deck, cruise, hour meter, 22x9.5x12 rear tires, 18" turning radius, 2 year warranty, $2,150.

Cub Cadet model LT1050 - 23HP Kohler Courage Twin Cylinder, 50" deck, cruise, hour meter, 20x10x10 rear tires, 18" turning radius, 3 year warranty, $1800.

Simplicity Regent 20/38, 20HP B&S V-Twin, 38" deck, cruise, hour meter, 22x8x8 rear tires, 12" turning radius, 2 year warranty, full deck rollers, $2,300.

Any one have good/bad feed back on any of them? I like the deck size and turning radius of the Simplicity. I like the price and everything of the Cub but not sure about the quality and the 50" deck might be to large. I was talked into the Craftsman until I saw the big turning radius, and no hour meter.

Help!!! I tend to over analyze all the details - at my current rate I'll be ready to mow with it by fall!
 
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Old 04-17-06, 09:11 PM
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Even though I don't like mtd's, the cub cadet sounds good... that simplicty has so much hp to such a small deck..... though for me, I'd get the husqvarna. I to am surprised about the turning radius on the sears one....
 
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Old 04-18-06, 01:08 AM
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I like the Craftsman and the cub cadet out of the bunch, mostly because of the kohler engines.
 
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Old 04-18-06, 05:57 AM
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Deck size...

I was starting to lean towards the Cub but I was worried about the 50" deck, that seems kind of cumbersom and I'm worried about it scalping some areas while leaving others long, my yard has a gentle role to it. Would the 4 corner rollers and the nose roler do a pretty good job of preventing that? The mowed area is only about 1/2 acre.

v8driver you mentioned the Simplicity having a big engine for such a little deck - is that bad or just over kill?

Thanks all for the input
 
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Old 04-18-06, 07:15 AM
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Simplicity by reputation, should give you the best quality cut. Fo a half acre, that would be my choice of those you listed, because of the quality of the cut, and tight turning radius.
 
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Old 04-18-06, 11:15 AM
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Originally Posted by gsr
I was starting to lean towards the Cub but I was worried about the 50" deck, that seems kind of cumbersom and I'm worried about it scalping some areas while leaving others long, my yard has a gentle role to it. Would the 4 corner rollers and the nose roler do a pretty good job of preventing that? The mowed area is only about 1/2 acre.

v8driver you mentioned the Simplicity having a big engine for such a little deck - is that bad or just over kill?

Thanks all for the input
Yeah thats over kill on hp.... but the small deck would cut a little better. 50 inch is a little too big and cumbersome to me too.
 
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Old 04-18-06, 01:04 PM
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2 vs 1 (cylinders)

Maybe I'll go test a couple of the Simplicities that is the only one from a local dealer rather than big box store. I've been told the 2 cylinder models are better than 1 cylinder because they are quieter and smoother running (not necessarily longer lasting). I guess I'll test the two and see if the difference is worth the extra money. If I go to single cylinder models there are several models from all 4 brands with smaller decks, engines, turning radius and price to chose from.
I like the price of the Cub but it has the biggest size overall which I'm sure is partially to draw in the bigger is better crowd when they are looking at all the options side by side - it dwarfs the Toro and John Deere's at Home Depot.

Thanks for all the help so far - any input or experience with the 2 vs 1 cylinder tractors I'd be happy to hear it.
 
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Old 04-18-06, 07:49 PM
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I do happen to have experience with singles and twins... my 12horse single synchro balanced engine will vibrate pretty good.... did have a 18 horse apposed twin synchro balanced engine which was pretty smooth...(sold the engine, badly rusted frame) and my new 18.5 intek single cylinder with the briggs avs system (anti vibration system) it uses new redesigned weights inside..... I can barely feel anything other then the bumps I hit in the yard.
 
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Old 04-19-06, 06:17 AM
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Thanks

I think I'll go test the 1 & 2 cylinder Cub and Simplicity. We have local small engine shops for both of them so I'd prefer to support them vs the big boxes. If I the new singles are really smooth that would help the budget a lot.
Thanks for all the input.
 
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Old 05-01-06, 02:08 PM
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Baggers...

So I've relooked at my budget and yard size and I've narrowed my choices to two - now I'm wondering about rear baggers - how well do they work, does the chute clog up a lot, are they a hassle? Where the dogs are and in the fall with leaves I like to pick up the clippings so they don't track them in otherwise I'd just mulch.

The two tractors I'm debating now are a Cub Cadet 1042 - it has a 19hp Kolher Courage engine, electric PTO, or a Craftsman Yard Tractor Model # 27668 with a 24hp B&S Intek Twin with manual PTO - in my mind other than the engine and the PTO the two have basically the same specs and price. Any comments on either?
 
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Old 05-02-06, 01:32 AM
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The kohler and electric pto make me lean towards the cub. I'm all for having the least troublesome features, and my experience is that those are less troublesome than the briggs and manual pto.
 
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Old 05-02-06, 07:42 AM
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Decision...

Thanks all I'm going to buy either the 1042 or 1045 Cub.

These are all subjective but in case others are comparing here's my reasoning. Besides the electric PTO, A few other benefits of the Cub I found over the Craftsman were the quick attach deck on the Cub vs the 4 pins on the Craftsman, a desk wash system, more information besides hour meter - voltage monitor, oil pressure, and oil change reminder, a right hand deck raise vs left hand on the Craftsman, Cub has a 3 yr warranty and 5 yr frame and deck warranty vs 2 year all around for the Craftsman, and to my body it felt more comfortable.

I did like the larger twin cylinder engine on the Craftsman but figure it's over kill for my needs.

Hopefully I'll get to pick it up this next week and if it ever stops raining maybe even use it.
 
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Old 05-02-06, 08:45 AM
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i just recently bought the 1042 cub and couldn't be happier...more comfortable than i thought it would be...Tractor Supply had a few 1042's with high back seats so i bought one of em..much better than those low versions...you get the free tractor cover by mail in rebate which takes 7-9 weeks it says...but heres my overall impression with 2 cuts already
1.the foot pads needs drainage holes UNDER them..they trap way too much dirt and water that just sits there
2.the cuts were even and clean
3.1 acre consumed about 1 gallon
4.the deckwash is SWEET but only on 1 side..gonna add a fitting to the otherside asap
5.the ride is very smooth and stable
6.the steering could be a little tighter but i guess all tractors have some play
7.headlights are bright
8.the motor is not as loud as i expected for a single cylinder
9.the cruise control works great
10.the seat has an adjuster lever which is nicer than having to unbolt the seat to slide it
11.stops on a friggin dime when you let off gas...be prepared
12.easy to remove deck if you have too
13.has 3 way blades and mulching kit included
14.mulches very nice as long as you stay at a slower speed
15.not sure what the grab handles are for yet
16.padded steering wheel feels solid and the padded seat has nice travel for the big bumps
17.front bumper looks wimpy wish they came with dual tube bumper like 1500 series
18.needs some type of compartment on the back somewhere for storage
19.the mower still has strong discharge of clippings at about 5-6feet(this will shoot a rock 20-30 feet no problem)
20.the price and feature compare to the JD 115 made this a better buy for me but couldn't find the LT1045 with the 20hp and 46 cut or i would have bought that 1 for $100 more...good luck
 
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Old 05-02-06, 09:45 AM
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TommyP

Thanks for the info, Glad to hear you are happy.
My debate between the 1042 and 1045 comes down to dealers and price. I can get the 1042 with high back from Tractor Supply but I've got a discount at Home Depot where they have the 1045 so I can get it for $100 less than the 1042. I'd prefer the 1042's smaller deck and Tractor Supply as the dealer but I'm not willing to pay more for it so I'm going to see if they'll knock 5-10% off.
Happy mowing.
 
 

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