New Tractor Purchase - Thinking about Snapper

16 years ago

Hi everyone. I just found this forum and what a great wealth of information it is. Everyone here seems really passionate about tractors.

When my wife and I purchased our first home with 1 acre of lawn the previous home-owner gave me his Toro 12-32" RER for almost nothing. I'm guessing it's a late 80s model. It has run admirably for me for 6 years but it is finicky and sometimes refuses to start - I think it might be one of the three safety switches that might be causing the problem. I've given it tune-ups but am now reluctant to put anymore money into it. I might just let it give out (if that ever happens) and I admit I'm slightly excited about making a big purchase on a new "toy".

So I started researching and looking into what I would get if the Toro failed. Wow, there is a lot to consider. I would only be mowing 1 acre and towing a 40" aerator. The Toro has trouble towing the aerator if there is any slight hill involved. Originally I budgeted $1500 but quickly found that buys very little these days. I think I can swing $2000 but $2500 would be pushing it. I want something that will last and will pay a little more for it.

I looked at the following:

- Husqvarna and Craftsman didn't have anything that interested me and I wonder about Craftsman quality these days.

- Kubota T1570 and T1670 looked possible but I didn't like the way they fit me.

- JD LA100 series looked decent for the $$$ but I'm just not sure how solid it is. Turning radius is just OK and I wonder about quality when I read the posts here about the LA100 series.

- Toro's small riders are now MTD built and I am staying away.

- I strongly considered the Cub LT1042 or LT1045. For the price ($1700) it appears to have great features and is solidly built - not sure about longevity. It was my top runner until I found the Simplicity Regent / Snapper LT200 series.

The Regent has some great features but I'm not sold on the lawn rollers (more chance to spread lawn diseases) and the infinite cut height (why do I need that? seems more of a pain).

I think I'm going with the Snapper LT2042 (20 HP, 42" cut) and 4 gauge wheels. List is $2350 and the local dealer has one on the floor for $2050. I'm hoping he'll go lower if I buy at the end of the year. The twin bagger is $425?!? That's more than 1/5 the entire tractor price and it's just plastic, sheesh!

Please let me know if I am missing a deciding factor or if my decision making seems sound. There's nothing I can find in the 15HP, 38" cut range unless I get a Snapper RER and they are as expensive as a tractor.

I'm worried a lawn tractor of this size is a step up for me and may not be needed. The Snapper has a great 14" turning radius but I'm afraid I'll lose some manueverability. Compared to my Toro 12-32, all of these 38"-42" cut tractors are b-i-g.

Sorry for the long post, I just want to get into the forum action and ensure I'm considering everything before I purchase (IF I purchase...still need to rationalize that).

Thanks, Chris

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Comments (12)

lkbum_gw
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Regent comments:

I have a Broadmore (large Regent) and the rollers provide stability for the deck. The area I mow is Fesuce and slightly bumpy. My old mower (murray) had a tendancy to dip and bounce on the yard. It had anti-scalp wheels (4), but I ended up with a fairly chopped up yard. My experience has been that the rollers on the Simplicity deck keep it level, regardless of how the tractor is pitching. Being from georgia, this is MAJOR Snapper country. I looked at them and decided on the Simplicity and have been very pleased with it.
simplicityworker
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Just so there is no mistake. I work at Simplicity and We make the bigger riders for Snapper. The only difference is we painted the Snappers red and put Snapper Decals on it. Oh and the newer ones we make cheaper because Briggs owns us and don't care about quality as much as profit. So take notice to how the tractors are exactly the same and go for the lower priced one. Or find a used Simplicity it will last you longer and save you because it was make tougher.
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I'm not familiar with all the snapper models, but the snapper you are looking at may be comparable to the simplicity Regent. The aft rollers on the deck, allow the deck to traverse the turf somewhat independently of the mower. I have a fairly rough fescue lawn and as the tractor pitches and rolls over the clumpy fescue, the rollers keep the deck level, providing an incredibly scalp free cut. The deck is suspended at the front of the mower and then it rests on the aft rollers. Since the rollers span the lenght of the deck, they keep the deck level. Anti-scalp wheels do not work near as well, at least in my case. The rollers also allow the yard to be striped (the patterns you see on baseball fields), this is something that comes with the rollers on the deck, but if you do this, it takes more time to mow, although it is something different to do. I would look closely at the decks on both mowers. You may not have the need for the rollers. I would also check to make sure you are comparing similar models. At that kind of price difference, if they are the same with a slightly different deck, the Snapper would be a no brainer as long as it gave you the cut you wanted.
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lkbum_gw
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
simplicityworker,

The snappers I looked at had a totally different deck. Maybe the larger ones are the same, but the Regent/Broadmore lines are NOT the same. Regarding B&S, you need to get on with your life. It's done and IF B&S changes the Simplicity line (and to the best of knowledge they have not), you can whine then. But until then, Get over it.
simplicityworker
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
ok. I'm getting
lkbum_gw
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Sorry for the harshness of that last post. The same thing happened to me in the early 90's. Start looking to the future. You obviously have a lot of commitment and desire to make the best. You had no control over the changes that occured (much like myself). Be proud of what you did and carry it forward to new and hopefully better ventures.
dave11
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hi Cvette. In response to your question, I'll say that I also shopped around quite a bit for a tractor earlier this year, and settled on a JD LA120, which I bought from a JD dealer in April. I've been completely satisfied, and would say that the tractor exceeds my expectations. There are a few small things I would change to make maintenance a bit easier, but I'm hard to please in general. I have a yard composed of one rolling acre of grass, but mainly bought it for it's plowing ability, which I haven't had a chance to try yet. I also had checked this forum when I was getting ready to buy, and though every brand had it's proponents and detractors (no pun), I felt JD was the best bet. No regrets.

Best of luck.
duke88
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I got the LA120 also , but made a few changes like putting a angled grease zerk on front axle pivot so I could get a grease gun on it (front deck hanger in way) I'm also going to turn the left deck spindle about a quarter turn so I can grease it without taking the deck off (just remove plastic cover ,right spindle zerk no problem).... I even bought a mini grease gun w/hose & still can't get on zerk. I also changed the front wheel bushings to X300 bearings. The first time I put gas in it it had some in tank so I got 2 gals (2.1 gal tank manual says)and put it in and it didn't quite fill it , wondered about that and now I see on JD site the made a mid year change and put a 4 gal tank on the LA120. Overall for my needs it works great.
cvette
Original Author
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks everyone. I will reconsider the LA100s because they are not tipping the budget.

I'm just concerned that 5-10 years later I will be spending money for repairs and transportation costs (I don't have a means of transporting a tractor this large) and still surpassing the budget. So I'm trying to find the most reliable machine I can - if it costs $300 more, I'd consider it. Then again, everyone wants a reliable machine.
lkbum_gw
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Cvette,
If your're buying from a dealer, a common negotiating point is service and transporting the machine for service. Ask the dealer if he'll throw in transporting the machine to his shop for LIFE ( for warranty, routine service and repairs). Most dealers will say yes, they should write this on your sales contract/receipt (get it in writing). They get a customer for life, they are really set up to perform this task and they make money on routine service and repairs. As I'm sure you've noticed on this board, it seems all machines need something every now and then. If you have narrowed it down to a couple of brands, I would let this be my decision point.
cvette
Original Author
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Good idea - Thanks lkbum
duke88
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
cvette.... I bought my LA120 from local JD dealer and needed valve adjustment & something to do with the compression release (wouldn't start after warmed up) , they sent a pickup & trailer to my house within a couple hours and took it back to their shop ...fixed it and brought it back next day and said if you have any other problems give us a call and we will come and get it. I don't have anyway to get it to the dealer either. Even the lumber yard here (small Iowa town) will deliver no charge also ,even if it's only a 1/2 doz 2X4s.
cjsm
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
If your looking for longevity and $2500 is about the max you want to pay, I give you two options to consider.

1. JD X300 series. JD is offering incentives on the X series now.
2. Used 2004/05 JD LT 160. You can find one of these for about $1800 w/low hours. I used to own one and it is a cut above the JD 100 series. It is a 16 hp w/42 deck w/a stronger frame.

My opinion only but something to consider.

New Tractor Purchase - Thinking about Snapper

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