"The MTD Toro rider isn't death,..." I agree about MTD. Too many people shoot holes in MTD riders and don't give them the respect they deserve. Let me say that I bought a 12.5 HP, 46" cut MTD back in '91 (17 yrs. ago) for $949. After over 475 hrs. and oils changes every other year, all I ever replaced was a nylon gear in the starter ($1.00), 1 spark plug, 1 battery and the blades last season after 16 years use. I sharpen the blades 2x a season with a corse buffer wheel on an angle grinder. The reason the blades went was because one of the turned up pig ears on the blades wore thin from use and they broke off, if that didn't happen, the blades would still be good for several more years. 3 1/4" wide blades, 3/16" thick steel, very heavy duty. The engine is B&S I/O, one lung splash lube, always started and never misses. Two mowings ago the rider encountered a cement stepping stone (which my wife insisted she had to have). To my surprise, it didn't damage the 1 year old blades. One mow ago I got a "clunk" when I shifted the lever to forward. Yesterday while mowing I went up an small incline, the clunk turned into grinding; the transaxle had decided to call it quits. Today I went to Lowes and bought a JD LA105 which will take the place of the MTD in my shed. It will be delivered this Tuesday. I know that things aren't made the way they use to be made but, I hope to have this JD LA105 for the next 17 years. Bottom line, high end machines or low end machines can last equally as long given the proper care, matched to the circumstance and not abused. So, enough open season on MTD's and entry level John Deere's. Buy a mower to suit the end use and pay no attention to the chest beaters who opt to own the more expensive machines for nothing more than a trophy display.

I think that there are millions of people out there that don't have any trouble but also millions that end up scrapping their mowers because it is almost pointless to put them on Craigslist. Let's face it. There are a lot of people who should not be allowed anywhere tools or machinery. They never read Op Manuals, know how to use a grease gun or bother to change oil in their engine. They buy stuff, use it until it quits and then put it out at the curb for pick-up. They go back to the box store buy a new one and perpetuate the cycle. There are also people who think that a Deere lawn tractor is capable of the same work that a full-sized Deere Ag tractor is. They disregard the "lawn tractor" description and use it to jerk old shrubs and tree stumps out of the ground along with numerous other tasks that the tractor was never built to perform. The item that takes the most abuse is the trans-axle because that's what links the engine power to the ground. Someone figured out that average property owner puts 50 hours per year on their tractor. Ten years of average use equals 500 hours. The engines used in these tractors are supposed to give 1000 hours of use before needing rebuilding but that's based on the owner changing oil, filters and performing other routine maintenance diligently over that time-frame. The main problem with the low-end tractors these days is the hydro. The manufacturers decided to make the hydro's a sealed unit. Presumably, that was done to put an end to owners that put the wrong oil into the hydro's and also contaminated them with dirt and water out of sheer carelessness. Sounds like a plan but the only people it benefited were the hydro builders and the tractor manufacturers because of frivolous warranty claims. The problem with that idea is this. Thanks to time and heat, multi-grade oil begins to break down and change viscosity. When that happens, the hydro no longer performs as it should and if there are no drain and fill plugs, then life is not good for the tractor owner. The oil is critical because that's what transmits engine hp from the hydro's pump to the hydro's drive motor, just as the driveshaft in a car transmits engine HP from the transmission to the rear end and ultimately the rear tires. For the most part, these lawn tractors are pretty good machines providing the owners take proper care of them and use them as a lawn tractor was designed to be used. If I owned one, then it would have an hour meter on it for sure. After every two years of use, I would remove the trans-axle from the tractor, hang it upside down and let all the oil drain out of it for a couple of days. Then I would refill it with the correct oil and put it back into the tractor for another two years. When you do that, you are not only replacing the partially worn out oil but you are also removing contaminants that are in suspension in that oil due to the detergents the oil manufacturers add. High-end hydro's have oil filters to look after that problem. Low-end one's don't. No matter which brand of LT you choose, all you are truly buying is the name because 90 percent of the tractor's components are made by companies other than the one whose label adorns the hood. You are relying on them to select decent engines, trans-axles, tires, rims, electrical components, bearings, rod ends, springs, nuts, bolts, washers, drive belts and so on for your tractor. They just stamp out the chassis and some other metal bits and pieces before assembling everything. Find a dealer in your area that has an impeccable word-of-mouth reputation and buy your tractor from him. Get to know him because box store employees come and go and box stores do not perform warranty work on what they sell. They rely on the very dealer you should be doing business with so just cut out the middleman. Go and sit on all the tractor brands and if possible, test drive them if they have a used unit around or a demonstrator. Searching the internet is helpful but we all know that happy owners don't post on the internet but disgruntled ones do because they want to get even. Take your time, do your homework and then decide which brand you like, which deck width best suits your property and which dealer you feel really good about. It's your money and it's not chump change. You and that tractor will hopefully be married for at least ten years so this should be more than just an over-night fling. Think with the big head, not the small one. LOL

reply by theodocus struck me as coming from the desk of the ad agency of MTD. No mention of the actual operation that involves rolling over uneven terrain and jarring action from bumps and uneven spots and the fragile fabricated axles that bend and crack easily. Oh, there is also the bushings used in place of ball bearings: bushing use requires higher horsepower to move the newer units. The Deere has points and condenser; cost $5.00 and 9.00 respectively and the sears is a solid state igntion. Newer technology is wonderful as long as it is coupled with quality assemblage in a product. I have a 1968 Sears GARDEN tractor with a 12HP Tecumseh Heavy duty cast iron engine with ball bearings and cut with a 42 inch deck and also have a 1976 John Deere GARDEN tractor with a cast iron 10 HP engine with ball bearings and cut with a 42" deck and use both alternately for mowing two acres and for tilling and moving earth, etc.. Each has cast iron axles and mutli-speed hi-lo transmissions and EACH is used for plowing, snowblowing, tilling earth, hauling 1100 lb loads in attached large carts. EACH will run circles around the new 20 plus HP light LAWN tractors made today. Spend 5,000.00 and you will have a comparable heavy duty GARDEN tractor. By the way, good luck on getting even 10 years of use with the new wonders.

Just an adjunct - I read down thru to page 27! I now see that Husqvarna is sold at Sears and Lowes, IMO this is no different than Home Depot. However, I went to a Husqvarna dealer and I'm sure the lawn tractors they sell are not the same ones as Sears and Lowes sells. YES OR NO? I also gather than Husqvarna is not a great mower but just a better than Yard Machine, Toro whatever. EVERYONE seems to be in LOVE with John Deere. OK, so I just spent some time at their website. A bit more expensive but I do want quality, reliability and a product that will last a long time. IF I bought the $800 Home Depot YM then I know that is a bottom end machine not in the same class as JD. IS Husqvarna from a Huskie dealer in the same class as the JD? For instance, compare the Huskie YTH20K46 for $1600 with the Premium Koler 20 hp, 46" deck to the John Deere LA110 (per website $1650 basically the same as the Huskie but has a 42" deck where the Huskie has a 46" deck) or LA120 (per website $1850 $250 more than the Huskie again a 42" deck vs the Huskie 46") an apples to apples machine as the JD? I see the Huskie has a Koler vs the JD has B&S but similar hp but the LA 120 has a V twin. Not sure how to compare this other than 1 cylinder vs 2 cylinder tho I'd think the V twin is a stronger longer lasting engine than the 1 cylinder. Besides the engines, is the JD worth the extra money as far as construction for longevity and reliability? BUT the LA 130 has the wash port at $2000, is that worth an extra $150? I store the mower in the garage and wet grass stinks and will rust the deck. I presently push the mower up on car ramps and scrape it with a paint scrapper and I don't like to do this!!!!!! See I'd spend the couple hundred more today for value over say 12-15 years, a small outlay if worth it. Tom