Next week moving to first larger property - 3.5 acres, probably half wooded. Minimal front yard work, but back yard must be about 1.5 acres. Half is open/flat. Half next to house has some sparse trees and rolls down and up. Alot of the yard has relatively newly established grass. Trees represent a fair amount of obstacles, but hope to group these in gardens to make it easier to mow.
First priority is to keep it mowed and looking good. I enjoy working outside, so time is not a major factor. Would like to tow a utility cart for sticks/leaves, do some aerating/fertilizing for the lawn, and support landscaping projects. Also need method to pick up leaves in fall.
Snow is not generally a big issue here, but last winter was a nightmare. This house has a long driveway, so I either need a seperate blower or blower capability.
Learned alot in two weeks of research, and looked at JD, Kubota, Simplicity, Craftsman, Cub. All dealers relatively close proximity. Got the best vibe from Simplicity, and for some reason drawn to those machines for full rollers, traction. Dealer says Regent but can go higher for snow blower/plow. Also showed ZT brochure that looked best for mowing only.
Any thoughts? Dont want to spend more than 5K and seems like I can do much better. Any comments on 3-4K price range? Is a used JD 277LX with bagger cart for 3K a better option? JD dealer pushing GT235 (4300) without much discussion.
Thanks,
-Jeff
First priority is to keep it mowed and looking good. I enjoy working outside, so time is not a major factor. Would like to tow a utility cart for sticks/leaves, do some aerating/fertilizing for the lawn, and support landscaping projects. Also need method to pick up leaves in fall.
Snow is not generally a big issue here, but last winter was a nightmare. This house has a long driveway, so I either need a seperate blower or blower capability.
Learned alot in two weeks of research, and looked at JD, Kubota, Simplicity, Craftsman, Cub. All dealers relatively close proximity. Got the best vibe from Simplicity, and for some reason drawn to those machines for full rollers, traction. Dealer says Regent but can go higher for snow blower/plow. Also showed ZT brochure that looked best for mowing only.
Any thoughts? Dont want to spend more than 5K and seems like I can do much better. Any comments on 3-4K price range? Is a used JD 277LX with bagger cart for 3K a better option? JD dealer pushing GT235 (4300) without much discussion.
Thanks,
-Jeff