Best mower with a 50" deck or bigger ?

[cubs4lifeofme]

Looking for the best mower for a 3 acre mow every week or so. What do the pro's recommend ?

 

[digger]

Looking for the best mower for a 3 acre mow every week or so. What do the pro's recommend ?

Here's my choice. ;-)

 

[digger]

Here's my choice. ;-) View attachment 137414

Or switch it up if I get bored.

 

[digger]

Looking for the best mower for a 3 acre mow every week or so. What do the pro's recommend ?

Actually the 1811 is a pretty slick mowing machine.

 

[wh cc guy]

This one works good for me.

 

[cubs4lifeofme]

I heard the lo boys were underpowered ? 2 of them close to me both with tranny shaft or clutch problems...is this common ?

 

[cubs4lifeofme]

Actually the 1811 is a pretty slick mowing machine. View attachment 137417

how big of a deck do they have ?

 

[cubs4lifeofme]

I believe 60 "

 

[digger]

how big of a deck do they have ?

50" is the biggest they offered for the 1811. I run a 44" in mine because of the angle of the road ditch.

 

[mgonitzke]

1872 with 60" deck would be my choice. Complete overkill for my yard, but it works great.

 

[cubs4lifeofme]

gonna hafta find one of them. thank you looks awesome

 

[eleedom]

I heard the lo boys were underpowered ? 2 of them close to me both with tranny shaft or clutch problems...is this common ?

I’ve had a 184 for about 4 years, as well as a 71 for 20 years. I like the 184 because it rides much better than the smaller tractors. The 184 also can move some serious snow with weights and chains. The 184 also has greater torque than the one and two cylinder Cub Cadets until you get up to the large, newer CC’s. You can mow 4-6” of grass in 1st gear with a properly tuned engine on premium gas and sharp blades. A normal yard could be mowed in second.

 

[spndncash]

I know this is a tractor discussion and let me say I am a loyal cub tractor owner and enthusiast.
I have 3+ acres of grass. If you want to cut grass - go with a zero-turn. I mowed for eight years with 782 and ten years with a 2182 60" deck. I cut my both my fuel consumption and my cutting time in half with a 17 hp 42" zero-turn. I have since picked up two additional zero-turns - both Cubs, a 23 hp 50"(freebie that was falling apart-a full day of welding, straightening, fabricating and about 250 dollars in parts) and a 20 hp 48" ($450 ebay deal 400 hrs - bad hydro - 80 dollars in parts to rebuild and it runs great). The grass looks better, the cuttings are very fine, they throw clippings very far (with the chute up), and they are very quiet by comparison. I would not go back to a tractor for mowing the yard. - *Fields are a different story but i use 1946 technology for that!

 

[mgwin]

All the replies are great suggestions. Even Charlie's showing off! LOL!
If you just want to mow and get done quicker, I suggest a commercial grade zero turn.
Let me explain my reasoning.
I used a Snapper riding mower (28 in. cut) for over 30 years. Beautiful cut, but was super slow. I could not work full time, mow the yard, and attend community college at the same time, so I asked some locals that mowed for a living what they suggested. I liked the looks of the SCAG mowers, because they are built heavy. They all said it was top of the line, and almost indestructible. Fifteen years later, it is still going strong with no problems.
Here are some "two's" to help explain things better.
I have been mowing the grounds at my church the past few weeks. The first week, two other people mowed with two regular lawnmowers. It took them two evenings to finish, and they started about two hours before I got there. I just ran the weed eater.
The next week, I took my SCAG and mowed everything in one evening by myself!
I am not knocking anyone's preference, but for mowing, I love my zero turn. Just don't ask me to plow the garden with it! LOL!

 

[cubs4lifeofme]

A friend of mine Mower lawns fer a livin.. he say the same thing and has an x mark...just before the warrantee went on of the drives failed...thinking this is a weak spot ? Also I ha e a few hills and was told not good because you burn out something holding the front end up this hill.

 

[mgwin]

I heard Exmark was a pretty good mower. I wasn't too impressed with them because I saw too much plastic when I looked them over. I have owned my SCAG for fifteen years, and have had no issues at all. Going up hill is no problem for my zero turn.
Another guy I know mows from daylight to dark six days a week, and has been using Torro commercial mowers for years. He is pleased with them also.
Just make sure you are looking at real commercial mowers.
The only drawback I see with zero mowers is they are only mowers, nothing else, but that is ok by me!

 

[spndncash]

I have a cub RZ23/50 residential ZTR with 1181 hours on it. it was run extremely hard and almost never serviced(thanks mom!). The deck was beat and dragged but it still amazingly worked. After refurb, I still cut with it weekly but I expect it to fail in the next year or three. so... I bought its replacement ->cub 20/48 with a fab deck - was run into a pond (at 400hrs) and one hydro failed not long after -hydromotor, charge pump and swashplate and its as good as new. The ariens 1742 (no hour meter but its 20 years old and cut my mothers 6 acres until the 23/50 replaced it) is a poorly designed unit but it never fails and also has no value so Its in my barn and I use it a few times a year.

As far as a commercial unit, they are designed to cut grass 40-80 hours a week and basically mow as fast as my 53 year old body can run! If they were less expensive I would own one. One of my college jobs was landscaping for a Walker mower dealer -these are expensive commercial units with decks up to 72". Walker offered a dozer blades, broom, trip bucket, bed edger, leaf blower, snow blower, cab, lights, sprayer and other optional accessories. I only used the snow blower and leaf blower but they were amazing. the "tractor" was very powerful and went almost anywhere. they are basically a reverse tricycles with excellent traction. Walker, Ferris, Scag, Dixie chopper exmark etc all seem a "last mower" choice for most home owners. 200-300 residential hours of mowing a year equates to 1-2 months of commercial mowing. In the end I love a traditional tractor!

 

[mstewart]

If you hate cutting grass and just want to mow the 3 acres as fast as possible, get some brand of zero turn......
If you have time to actually enjoy mowing, think about a Super Cub or a Cyclops with a 54 or 60 Deck......
The 1863/1864 with 54 deck is a good choice....

My yard is 3 acres and I use a 2182 with 60 Haban, or a 2072 with 60 Haban, or a 1541 with either 46GT or a 50C deck and enjoy every minute ....

My neighbor who also has 3 acres and hates cutting grass, bought a zero turn.....

 

[mgwin]

Mike,
I like the one in the middle.
I will have something else to mow with one day, when I restore my Haban sickle mower.

 

[bkattner]

Mike, how do those three compare? I'd like to get on a Super with a 60". Right now I've got an 1861/54GT and 782/50C. Mowing about 2 acres,