I am looking for a riding lawn mower for our 2.5 acre lot. i can get a brand new one at lowes or HD for $1000. on craigslist, i cant seem to find a decent one for under $600.
why is that?
i know that tractors and the like retain value, but why would i even think about a 6 year old riding mower that needs a little work when i could have a new one with warranty for $300 more?

I know some older models are built better, but a 2 year warranty is a hard thing to argue with.

Dave

 

If I were buying a tractor I would want 30 years of reliability, not 2.

 

You could enter Lawn mower races!! better get the newest and best so you can be competitive.

 

Riding topless with a beer in both hands...

 

Get a new one.

 

Go to www.lawnsite.com and check them out. It's like s2ki for landscapers.

I bought a 36" cut Toro walkbehind for $500 seven years ago. It was an older model owned by a landscaper who had upgraded.

I just had it fully serviced for the first time for $400, and considering I use it about 25 hours a year it should be good for another 20 years.

If I'd bought it new it would have cost $3200 in 2001.

 

DiamnondDave2005, that funny, I used to hang around the same site when I was looking to purchase my mower. And I ended up with the same as you, a 36" toro walkbehind. But I got mine from a place in Buffalo (which I also found out about on that site). I haven't been to that site in a while but it was a great site, lots of info. Zero-turns seem to be dominating the tractor market but the OP should also consider commercial models. They are made to run thousands of hours, which equates into decades for the average homeowner. Plus the quality of cut is like nothing else.

 

Lawnnerdtacular!

 

Could you make it like this?

 

I love that I can find information about any topic on this website. SK2I rules!