Are you equipped for lawn maintenance?

[Concerned American]

That's why their deck metal is thicker mil than Husqvarna, amirite?

LOL, let me know when1 gauge causes any noticeable difference in performance. I've had both and the Husqvarna is head and shoulders above the JD. But it makes absolutely no difference to me whether you buy one or the other. Whatever turns your crank.

 

[Winco]

Yup, Javier has it under control.

 

[The Duke]

LOL, let me know when1 gauge causes any noticeable difference in performance. I've had both and the Husqvarna is head and shoulders above the JD. But it makes absolutely no difference to me whether you buy one or the other. Whatever turns your crank.

Like I said, I've had both. I kept the John Deere.

Both were reliable and cut good. The ernge mower had a 48" cut and the green only 38-42" or something like that.

I like the footpedals better. IMO, one has more control with a Deere.

The turning on both is good. They both cut good when running properly and are both pretty sturdy.

John Deere has a foot accelerator/decelerator.

 

[Concerned American]

Oh, I just had a heckuva time sharpening my blades..oh!

Yeah, I noticed the same thing with my JD. The Husq has a spring-loaded hinged clamp that only requires a medium sized screw driver to pop loose and the blade is off. New blade goes on the same way. Takes about 10 minutes total to replace a set of three blades on a 52" deck.

 

[para bellum]

hahahah phew? i'm a dumb woman- say what? I'm parking it for the year- we get really cold? now the big question? should I put fuel stablizer in the gas? we used to? i've heard no. since when?

Yes absolutely you should use fuel stabilizer unless you are going to use all the gas in the can immediately. I never do that with my yard equipment- I fill 2x 5-gallon cans of gas at a time, and it lasts me a long time.

You should also use non-ethanol fuel in all your gas powered yard machines if it's available in your area.

Most "it ran fine last year and now it won't start" complaints are due to water in the gas, and ethanol eating up gaskets and o-rings. Nowadays we are seeing plastic carburetors, never run ethanol through one of those!

Okay to put ethanol in your car, but leave it out of your gas cans!

Gasoline and (especially ethanol mix) is hygroscopic (it absorbs moisture from the air) and so the fuller the gas cans are, the less air in them, and the less water you can get in the gas. End of the season, empty or fill the cans- try to avoid storing half-full cans over the winter.

 

[The Duke]

Yes absolutely you should use fuel stabilizer unless you are going to use all the gas in the can immediately. I never do that with my yard equipment- I fill 2x 5-gallon cans of gas at a time, and it lasts me a long time.

You should also use non-ethanol fuel in all your gas powered yard machines if it's available in your area.

Most "it ran fan last year and now it won't start" complaints are due to water in the gas, and ethanol eating up gaskets and o-rings. Nowadays we are seeing plastic carburetors, never run ethanol through one of those!

Okay to put ethanol in your car, but leave it out of your gas cans!

Gasoline and (especially ethanol mix) is hygroscopic (it absorbs moisture from the air) and so the fuller the gas cans are, the less air in them, and the less water you can get in the gas. End of the season, empty or fill the cans- try to avoid storing half-full cans over the winter.

Meh, I just put 93 in my yard stuff. I just got fresh gas and still haven't run out the old gas. Next cut, probably. I need oil. Curse the oil bastards!
Oil went up during Bush and never came down. Ever. Not even like it should have with Trump.
Idk what I'm gonna find tomorrow, but I need oil and gonna get it.
It might cost me $12, Thanks, Bush/Obama/Biden/Harris.

 

[Concerned American]

Meh, I just put 93 in my yard stuff. I just got fresh gas and still haven't run out the old gas. Next cut, probably. I need oil. Curse the oil bastards!
Oil went up during Bush and never came down. Ever. Not even like it should have with Trump.
Idk what I'm gonna find tomorrow, but I need oil and gonna get it.
It might cost me $12, Thanks, Bush/Obama/Biden/Harris.

I remember buying oil at Wards before they closed for 29 cents a quart. I never dreamed we would see the prices we see today.

 

[Moonglow]

Facebook marketplace is a good resource for equipment and services.
View attachment 930350

Way over priced.

 

[para bellum]

Like I said, I've had both. I kept the John Deere.

Both were reliable and cut good. The ernge mower had a 48" cut and the green only 38-42" or something like that.

I like the footpedals better. IMO, one has more control with a Deere.

The turning on both is good. They both cut good when running properly and are both pretty sturdy.

John Deere has a foot accelerator/decelerator.

Both have foot controls. The Husqvarnas are available with fabricated decks at a lower price level than the JD's, and diff-locks too. So it just depends on the particular machine.

The entry level machines use the same engines, same transaxles, same electrical components, there is very little difference between them beyond the color of the shells.

I have terrain to deal with, and next year I will be in the market for a riding mower. I will probably go with a Husqvarna because the starting point for a machine with a locking diff is $1000 less than the comparable JD.

Edit: I take that back- that $1000 difference was the old days. It's more like $4000 now. The cheapest JD with diff-lock is the X570 and lists for $7,899 on JD's website. The comparable 48" Husqvarna is the TS248XD at $3,899.

https://www.deere.com/en/mowers/lawn-tractors/x500-series/x570-lawn-tractor-48-in/

TS 248XD Riding Lawn Mower

For a premium mowing experience, trust Husqvarna 200 series riding lawn mowers. The premium vinyl seat, the most comfortable in its class, features extra thick

www.husqvarna.com

 

[The Duke]

Yes absolutely you should use fuel stabilizer unless you are going to use all the gas in the can immediately. I never do that with my yard equipment- I fill 2x 5-gallon cans of gas at a time, and it lasts me a long time.

You should also use non-ethanol fuel in all your gas powered yard machines if it's available in your area.

Most "it ran fine last year and now it won't start" complaints are due to water in the gas, and ethanol eating up gaskets and o-rings. Nowadays we are seeing plastic carburetors, never run ethanol through one of those!

Okay to put ethanol in your car, but leave it out of your gas cans!

Gasoline and (especially ethanol mix) is hygroscopic (it absorbs moisture from the air) and so the fuller the gas cans are, the less air in them, and the less water you can get in the gas. End of the season, empty or fill the cans- try to avoid storing half-full cans over the winter.

I just use 93 octane in all my stuff. That way there's a cushion to degrade, maybe.

I gotta get oil. Oil went up in the Bush days and never came down. What's up with that?

Quarts of oil.

The cheapest oil I see here is $5.39/qt. Is there some cheaper oil somewhere?

quart of oil at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

That's ridiculous, it should be tied to the price of barrels.

Bush fucked the diesel pricing, too.

For since the early 20th century (1900s ya know)

diesel fuel is a byproduct of gasoline and was always a little over 1/2 the price of gas.

W. comes along and poof! Now diesel costs more than gas and that fucks everybody.

Everything wasn't designed to run like that.

"Clean diesel". W. should be hanged for the traitor that he is, and his daddy too.

 

[The Duke]

I remember buying oil at Wards before they closed for 29 cents a quart. I never dreamed we would see the prices we see today.

Yeah, you know that was back when you had to have church keys for quarts of oil.
And maybe the jam in spout.

It was in a paper can with tin on both sides.

Kinda like uh..Grand's biscuits.

I had an aunt that liked those. Yeah, whether her mom's were hard or soft, I liked hers better.

She'd put that dough on the counter and attack it with a rolling pin and..

Sometimes it wasn't so great. Even if they peeled the skin off the roof of my mouth and left it feeling

waxy, I still prefer my grandma's biscuits. Sometimes they'd be great! Other times notsomuch.

Sometimes I bet if I threw one at the window, it would break.

Here's the thing though:

After seeing how hard she worked on them biscuits, pfft, boy, you can't fault her for that.

 

[para bellum]

Edit: I take that back- that $1000 difference was the old days. It's more like $4000 now. The cheapest JD with diff-lock is the X570 and lists for $7,899 on JD's website. The comparable 48" Husqvarna is the TS248XD at $3,899.

I should say the comparable Husq is the TS348 XD, since the 248 is not made anymore (not sure why it's still on Husq's website). The TS348XD is the current model and $4,699, so $3K less than the JD.

That is still a huge difference and it's pretty hard for me to justify paying a $3K premium for a green paint job...

TS 348XD Riding Lawn Mower

Enjoy fast mowing anytime, anywhere with the Husqvarna TS 348XD. The ClearCut™ fabricated cutting deck and ultra-durable steel frame deliver superior, long-lasting

www.husqvarna.com

 

[The Duke]

I should say the comparable Husq is the TS348 XD, since the 248 is not made anymore (not sure why it's still on Husq's website). The TS348XD is the current model and $4,699, so $3K less than the JD.

That is still a huge difference and it's pretty hard for me to justify paying a $3K premium for a green paint job...

TS 348XD Riding Lawn Mower

Enjoy fast mowing anytime, anywhere with the Husqvarna TS 348XD. The ClearCut™ fabricated cutting deck and ultra-durable steel frame deliver superior, long-lasting

www.husqvarna.com

I seem to see things like a John Deere on that one. Like foot controls.

My Husqvarna was 48". it wasn't like that, though. Hand forward, hand back, or neutral.
It was a wider cut than the Deere I kept. It cut well, it did.
I'm sure the guy I sold it to it to is happy and I made a little money.

 

[para bellum]

I seem to see things like a John Deere on that one. Like foot controls.

My Husqvarna was 48". it wasn't like that, though. Hand forward, hand back, or neutral.
It was a wider cut than the Deere I kept. It cut well, it did.
I'm sure the guy I sold it to it to is happy and I made a little money.

Yeah, some of the older Huskys had hand controls. Everything today is foot controls.

My sister has a JD 100-series and it's a good mower, but she has a small yard and it's pretty flat.

What I like about Husqvarna is that they offer a diff-lock even on the entry-level 42" machines. They are the only manufacturer that does that. That adds lifespan to the machine if you have hilly terrain to negotiate, because the transaxle is the weak point on all those machines.

 

[SootedUpCyndi]

Yes absolutely you should use fuel stabilizer unless you are going to use all the gas in the can immediately. I never do that with my yard equipment- I fill 2x 5-gallon cans of gas at a time, and it lasts me a long time.

You should also use non-ethanol fuel in all your gas powered yard machines if it's available in your area.

Most "it ran fine last year and now it won't start" complaints are due to water in the gas, and ethanol eating up gaskets and o-rings. Nowadays we are seeing plastic carburetors, never run ethanol through one of those!

Okay to put ethanol in your car, but leave it out of your gas cans!

Gasoline and (especially ethanol mix) is hygroscopic (it absorbs moisture from the air) and so the fuller the gas cans are, the less air in them, and the less water you can get in the gas. End of the season, empty or fill the cans- try to avoid storing half-full cans over the winter.

Thank you. One more stoopid question.

should i put stabalizer in the mower for the winter. ???

The guy helping me says no. I always have.
dont trust what he says. Better to ask people Who know.

 

[para bellum]

Thank you. One more stoopid question.

should i put stabalizer in the mower for the winter. ???

The guy helping me says no. I always have.
dont trust what he says. Better to ask people Who know.

Not a stupid question at all. There is no need to put additional stabilizer in the mower, if the gas already has stabilizer in it.

If your gas does not have stabilizer, you should either:
1. run the carburetor dry and drain the fuel in the tank, or
2. put stabilizer in the gas, fill the tank and run the mower for a while to get the treated gas into the carburetor. Then you can just leave it that way over the winter. Shut off the fuel valve if it has one, but don't worry about running the carburetor dry, it's not necessary.

I use Stabil Storage when I fill my gas cans, and I never worry about running the carburetors dry or draining the tanks in the machines. It's better to fill the tanks in the equipment for storage, because it will prevent condensation in the tank, and that gas will be just fine over the winter. The machines always start first or second pull in the spring.

I take the gas I have on hand, and put it all into one or two cans, getting them as full as possible, and I leave the empty cans until next year to fill with fresh gas (which will get stabilizer when they are filled at the gas station).

I have 2x 5 gallon, 1x 2 gallon, and 1x 1 gallon gas cans. I usually end up with a 5 gallon and a 1 or 2 gallon that are full over the winter, which gets me going in the spring, and I do not have to run out and buy gas until the full 5 gallon is used up.

 

[SootedUpCyndi]

Not a stupid question at all. There is no need to put additional stabilizer in the mower, if the gas already has stabilizer in it.

If your gas does not have stabilizer, you should either:
1. run the carburetor dry and drain the fuel in the tank, or
2. put stabilizer in the gas, fill the tank and run the mower for a while to get the treated gas into the carburetor. Then you can just leave it that way over the winter. Shut off the fuel valve if it has one, but don't worry about running the carburetor dry, it's not necessary.

I use Stabil Storage when I fill my gas cans, and I never worry about running the carburetors dry or draining the tanks in the machines. It's better to fill the tanks in the equipment for storage, because it will prevent condensation in the tank, and that gas will be just fine over the winter. The machines always start first or second pull in the spring.

I take the gas I have on hand, and put it all into one or two cans, getting them as full as possible, and I leave the empty cans until next year to fill with fresh gas (which will get stabilizer when they are filled at the gas station).

I have 2x 5 gallon, 1x 2 gallon, and 1x 1 gallon gas cans. I usually end up with a 5 gallon and a 1 or 2 gallon that are full over the winter, which gets me going in the spring, and I do not have to run out and buy gas until the full 5 gallon is used up.

Thanks Thanks Thanks!
I saved your post so i can go back to it next month.
i'm glad i asked because he's doing none of that!

 

[para bellum]

Thanks Thanks Thanks!
I saved your post so i can go back to it next month.
i'm glad i asked because he's doing none of that!

What I didn't mention is that if you are using ethanol gas, I would go ahead and run the carburetors dry, and then fill the tank for storage. I never let ethanol sit in a carburetor over the winter, even with stabilizer in it.

It's probably okay if it has stabilizer, but ethanol is bad for o-rings and gaskets and I would rather just not deal with it.

My leaf blower sat unused for two seasons with gas in the tank, and it started on the first pull this year...

Oh, and when I say "as full as possible", don't go to the very brim! Gas expands when it gets warm, and you need to leave a little room for expansion or it will leak out onto the floor of your garage or shed. A "normal" fill is fine- just don't store a half-full tank or can over the winter if you can avoid it.

 

[Concerned American]

It's probably okay if it has stabilizer, but ethanol is bad for o-rings and gaskets and I would rather just not deal with it.

I leave Stabil treated ethanol gas in my lawn tractor, motorcycles, outboard through the winter and have not experienced any ill effects on those 4 cycle motors. I've done this for over ten years. I always run the two cycle chainsaws, weedeaters etc dry each time I use them. Have to say that I keep all the equipment in a climate controlled shop year round though.

 

[para bellum]

I leave Stabil treated ethanol gas in my lawn tractor, motorcycles, outboard through the winter and have not experienced any ill effects on those 4 cycle motors. I've done this for over ten years. I always run the two cycle chainsaws, weedeaters etc dry each time I use them. Have to say that I keep all the equipment in a climate controlled shop year round though.

I don't doubt it, and I did the same with my motorcycle but never went more than 5 or 6 months on the gas. Also kept it in a heated shop with a full tank w/Sta-bil over the winter.

None of my lawn equipment has ever seen ethanol or climate controlled storage (at least while I have owned them), and I've held real gas in the cans for 2 years with Sta-bil, and no ill effects or rough idling or hard starting.

Some years back I bought a Honda HR215 mower cheap from a guy because it was hard starting. I ordered a new carb from Plano Power Equipment and don't run ethanol in it, and it's been one-pull every since...