Ride on mower questions

naughtysmurf

If I purchased a new ride on mower for 5K approx, model unkown as yet, generally speaking

1. How often do you need to service?

2. How much does a service cost?

3. Are there any other general maintenance costs I should be aware of?

I would be cutting approx 1 1/2 to 2 acres every two weeks, march to october approx 17 cuts per year

The type of mower I would get for approx 5K, would it be suitable for the area I am required to cut?

Advice appreciated

5k is a silly amount to spend on a ride on mower, max 2 would get you a nice piece of kit

A local place near me does a mower service for 99.

Service once a year.

As for doing the servicing main things which are needed and can be very easily by yourself are

- oil - just make sure you get the right type, ask when buying. This is a job you do when changing the oil filter
- oil filter - again, ask what type when buying, but should be self-evident once you look at it. Once a year change this
- air filter - change once a year, again ask what type. Do it when changing the oil filter
- blade sharpening - you should get 2 years between sharpening. This can be an awkward job purely for access. Some of the bigger mowers have blade decks that rollout which makes the job simply to do. The actual sharpening take 5 mins to do, just the access and removal/reinstal can be a bitch. The blades themselves are only held with a single bolt, just getting to it safely is the problem. This can be addressed using ramps/jacks etc.

In summary, reduce your budget, For 5k you would be getting a mower way over spec for what you are cutting.

As an exmaple, a mate bought a second hand kubota mower for 6k, but he mows lawns all summer in estates, houses, schools etc