Thread 2944420

The only manual trans mower still made is the Murray MT100. Am I dumb for wanting a manual for the durability, even if it’s less convenient when mowing around trees?

Should I only consider used mowers or just buy the MT100?

>>2944420 (OP)
I'd personally want an older lawnmower anyways because the newer stuff is all sheet metal garbage.

>>2944420 (OP)
I just wish manual transmission lawn tractors had a dedicated clutch for shifting on the fly.

>>2944420 (OP)
my parents have a hydrostatic john deer and they have had it as long as ive been alive, 37. unless its had a problem since ive moved out that my dad didnt mention which he wouldnt lol its been trouble free. now that i think about it every riding mower ive ever used has had a hyro drive

>>2944748
thats an lx prefix model right? those were absolutely bombproof tanks. the neighbor here runs his lx178 at wrap9 2x a week on 2 acres and has since he bought it new in like 1999
the new x series are planned obsolescence trash shit. my shop landlord has an x530 he bought new for like $8k and has had to replace the deck twice in 1500hrs from normal wear. every part on it is a $400 rape job from the stealership and is all just chinese pot metal trash

>>2944420 (OP)
Buy a used mower with a ground-contact rated hydro.

K62 minimum, K66 better, K71/72 or better would be best.

These tend to be servicable (drain plugs and filters etc.) and last for ages for homeowner uses.

hydrostatic isnt the issue, huge modern skidsteers are hydro. My kubota b8200 is hydro.

tufftorq hydros are weak. I ran across a forum post years ago from a cub cadet rep that said youd run out of traction before you blew up the axle on 2000 series tractors.

i took that to heart, this is version two, its pulled things you wouldnt believe.

ag tires, chains, loaded wheels and weights.

primo cub cadet is the initial dig pulling something stupid. you put one knee in the crook of the seat, the other leg gets a foot on the pedal, and you lean up and forwards as far as you can, modulating the front end shooting for the sky and the power such that you get the rear axle spinning and literally push the front end down with your hand, because you have the power to put it on its ass.

god tier is when you nail it just right and get to rip a 50 foot wheelie that geeeently sets the front end down as you get ripping.

For me, an important factor affecting choosing between a hydrostatic or manual transmission is the grade/slope and soil content that you're going to be operating the device on.

Our property is on hilly karst which can sharply degrade the overall lifespan of the transmission. If you're on flat alluvial soil you shouldn't have many other physical factors affecting it - ymmv but hydrostatic is great and easier to operate making turns/reversing/pulling in that environment.

>>2944728
They used to operate like this. My bothers old bowlens does.

>>2944420 (OP)
If you get a newer one with hydro trans you'll be find. Mine has a tuff torq k47 amd its worked reliably for 10 years. The k46 is one of the weakest tuff torq you can get. Its only a pve the tl-200 which is rhe very lowest.

I just use it to cut grass. Sometimes, ive towed a yard sweeper that gets quite heavy. I've also used it to haul around some pretty heavy carts full of item 4. It hasn't let me down yet...


If you can go a little higher and get k57 ot k58 you'll probably be looking at some garden tractors and stuff. I didnt need such a heavy duty equipment for my estate at the time.. but lately I am getting a heavier tractor.

>>2944420 (OP) (OP) #
If you get a newer one with hydro trans you'll be find. Mine has a tuff torq k46 amd its worked reliably for 10 years. The k46 is one of the weakest tuff torq you can get. only the tl-200 is weaker and is the very lowest tuff torq commonly found on the most inexpensive yard tractors.

I just mianly use it to cut grass. With the k46, ometimes, ive towed a yard sweeper that gets quite heavy. I've also used it to haul around some pretty heavy carts full of item 4. It hasn't let me down yet...


If you can go a little higher and get k57 ot k58 you'll probably be looking at some garden tractors and stuff. I didnt need such a heavy duty equipment for my estate at the time.. but lately I am getting a heavier tractor.

>>2944420 (OP)
Im looking at your Murray mt100 tractor and I get this is really fine.. go for it. The price is right. If youre just cutting grass.it will do what you need. I think its neat that you cam still get a manual.

>>2944958
Agreed. I wish the engine was a little more blast but the price is tempting

>>2945103
*more ballsy

>>2944420 (OP)
Modern riding lawnmower transmissions are junk whether they're manual or hydro. It has nothing to do with the technology being used and everything to do with these things being manufactured as cheaply as possible. Whatever problems you expect a hydrostatic transmission to give you in the bottom of the barrel price range, expect something very similar to happen with a manual as well. Those things are not indestructible. High quality riding lawnmowers do still exist, but you're not going to find them at Home Depot. You gotta buy those from a dealer and they're going to cost a lot more than the stuff at the big box stores.
There was a time when hydros were worse than manual transmissions in a lot of regards, but that was 40 years ago when it was a new technology. Any horror stories you've heard about hydro transmissions are either from the 80s or were just made up by people perpetuating a myth.

>>2945129
I work for a manufacturer and really want one of our mowers. They are just retarded expensive even with employee discounting. I may end up just paying a landscaping company to do it. 20k for a mower will pay someone for a long time to cut my grass. My Cub Cadet zt bit the dust last year and I horse traded through this summer for the neighbor kid to cut it.

>>2947672
>I work for a manufacturer and really want one of our mowers.
Exmark?

>>2947679
Bobcat bought Bob-cat several years ago. I've been affiliated with and/or working for Bobcat for 20+ years. The mowers are jam up high quality, I just can't stomach the money. I'd rather spend it on my boats and hunting. We've had some major acquisition flops over the years, Bob-cat isn't one of them. Some of the Steiner stuff is an absolute joke though. I'm embarrassed to be associated with the AT450. It would be a great slope mower, if it was an okay mower to begin with, it is not. Its getting re-worked by "our" people now, Steiner had retards in the engineering department.

>>2947683
what are your thoughts on ventrax

>>2947692
ventrac*

>>2947693
Don't pay for a machine, pay for the service department that is going to support it. If you have a reputable Ventrac dealer, run with it. My dealers support other OEMs, but Bobcat is the bread and butter. If you are slope mowing, you will throw tracks, learn to put them back on. Look for an OEM with a dry sump engine (we are adding that to ours). Some mowers are not designed to run slopes although they are marketed that way. If you have to pull down and level out every 15 minutes, you aren't operating with efficiency. Sump pump engines will dang near run upside down without detonating main and rod bearings. Remotes fail and they are not cheap. I don't care who the manufacture is, the remote will fail.

>>2945129
The stuff you can get at home pepot is fine if youre just doing one or two acres. The truth is most people dont need high dollar stuff. Those cheaply made machines still last a pretty long time.

If you're a guy who owns a lot of acres or a professional lawn service guy than sure that may justify buying fancy stuff. Most people dont need it.

As i understand it hydros are less prone to damage if you're blade strikes something solid, so they are actually far more durable.
Dunno, could be wrong, but there's a reason everyone is making hydro now.