Garden / mowing tractor any built these days with a horizontal shaft engine

[Tony Quiring]

Our JD330 looks like typical riding mower in general size.

Has front and rear PTO each with separate clutch, hydrolic lift for deck or 3 point in rear, quick connectors in front for accessories.

5 ft wide tiller pro shaft driven on rear.

We added turning brake from the 340, ordered the valve and lines for dual circuit in front but have not added yet.

16 hp diesel horizontal.

About 900 pounds In weight.

There are many options, but you are looking at the commercial side, home depot does not carry these, you need a tractor you go to a tractor store.

Expect to pay well...

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[Pete Deal]

Another kubota vote here. I’ve had quite a few variations over 25+ years. Never bought anything but filters, blades, hoses etc. never had one let me down. Currently have 6 pieces of equipment with kubota Diesel engines.

 

[52 Ford]

Yes, I saw that too, and so my comment.
Engine output shaft is vertical, mower spindles are vertical, the better
proven (in the field) method.

The big Exmark I was looking at had a batwing deck. 144" cut. Hydraulic motor on the deck(s)? You already need to run a pump to drive the wheel motors.

Not sayin' it's better, looks like what they did, though.

Kinda like the big golf course mowers.

I used to work on a farm that had a New Holland compact tractor with a 3 cylinde Yanmar and a belly mower. 72" cut? SUPER comfortable to mow with. I don't remember ever taking the deck off. I know the height adjust was hydraulic. I think the blades were mechanically driven just like a rear mount finish mower.

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[alcosteam]

This particular tractor happens to be a 2000 model year Simplicity Legacy with the 24.5hp Briggs Daihatsu diesel in it and a 5ft mower deck. They were not cheap tractors to buy new and were available with a small 3 point hitch and a small loader setup as well as many other attachments. The mower decks are shaft driven off a front pto point.
My last mower was a 1991 Deutz Allis 1920 Ultima, of course gas powered, it and the Legacy share most of the deck parts and some of the attachments. After picking up the Legacy about 13 years ago I rarely used the Ultima and other than keeping the 5ft mower deck off of it, I sold it and the attachments several years ago.
This evening I picked up the Legacy and moved it up by the back garage and took the valve cover off, all the valves are free. Next move is going to be to remove the injectors and do a compression test. It will actually try to fire but belches black smoke while doing so. Oddly it appears oil was squirting out from between the block and head, and you can see the track of oil across the grass where the flywheel was slinging oil and it started acting up and then finally died. I am hoping for the best of just a bad head gasket....

 

[tmt]

Walker makes horizontal shaft engine mowers. The pto driven mower deck flips up 90 degrees to make blade maintenance a snap Cut quality is second to none!

They have models with grass catchers built on the mower, if that is something you want/need which also doubles as a leaf vacuum. When full, flip a switch and it dumps your grass, if you want to get fancy they have a grass catcher that rises to about 5 feet off the ground and will dump into a trailer or pickup bed.

 

[DDoug]

The big Exmark I was looking at had a batwing deck. 144" cut. Hydraulic motor on the deck(s)? You already need to run a pump to drive the wheel motors.

...and so you must have a horizontal shaft engine for those pumps ????

 

[red beard]

There doesn't seem to be many companies making true garden tractors anymore. Sub-compact tractors have taken a big chunk out of that market. John Deere and Simplicity/Snapper (both owned by B&S) are the only ones I'm aware of. If you need a horizontal shaft engine then you would be looking at the higher end garden tractors Simplicity Legacy XL or the JD x700 series. But really, the last time I looked at those, the price was close enough to a Sub-Compact like a JD1023E/1025R or a Kubota BX you might as well spend a little more and get one of those.

 

[ShaunM]

But really, the last time I looked at those, the price was close enough to a Sub-Compact like a JD1023E/1025R or a Kubota BX you might as well spend a little more and get one of those.

I don't have any seat time on a JD 1-series or Kubota BX, but the specs alone just don't make them worth the cost of entry to me. However, they sell a bunch of both so somebody sees the appeal. They have less HP, more expensive consumables (tires, filters, fluids), are 4X4 standard (read more maintenance), and heavier to transport.

The OP sounds like he already has real tractors that can do real work. The 1-series are for hobbyists. One of the biggest appeals to me for the X700 series is the available all wheel steering. They don't turn as sharp as a ZTR, but far better than two wheel steering. I don't think I can go back after using AWS. Then, when mowing season is over and it's time to move snow, throw on the plow or blower. The ZTR? That's gotta be stored all winter. No thanks.

 

[Bill D]

Be careful about horsepower ratings. A real tractor has legal definitions about horsepower. A glorified lawn tractor can claim whatever they feel like for hp.
I believe it has something to do with getting a federal insured bank loan. Similar to trying to get a bank loan on a home made aircraft.
Bill D.

 

[greif1]

I kind of bought a tractor by accident (a Kubota BX2230 at an estate sale). I needed a mower and it was close enough that I could drive it where it needed to be. Turns out I did need a tractor! I don't have the front end loader that many do, but the mower deck and 3 point accessory connectors on the back make it very versatile. Also, way sturdier than "riding mowers".

 

[GregSY]

Bill D beat me to it...but not all Horsepower is the same.

My Cub Cadet riding mower has a 22HP Kohler gas engine. My former Kobuta L2350 had a 23.5HP engine. Assuming the first 22HP were equal...those last 1.5HP's must have been Clydesdales because the Kubota would do about 50 times the work of the Cub.

 

[DDoug]

Bill D beat me to it...but not all Horsepower is the same.

My Cub Cadet riding mower has a 22HP Kohler gas engine. My former Kobuta L2350 had a 23.5HP engine. Assuming the first 22HP were equal...those last 1.5HP's must have been Clydesdales because the Kubota would do about 50 times the work of the Cub.

Mini Modified/Diesel Tractors Class 2 In Action At Westmoreland Fair - YouTube

 

[Ries]

I am with Shaun about the John Deere's with the 4 wheel steering. I have an X 534, and it kicks butt.
Everybody has different needs- I have a diesel yanmar tractor, but you cant get a belly mower for it, so I use the JD gas powered x534 for mowing, its fast and powerful.
My situation requires bagging about 2 acres, and just mowing another 3 or so- and the Zero Turns are crappy for bagging, while Deere has a decent, workable and large capacity bagging system- mine has 3 bags.
Obvio, if you dont need to bag, or you must have diesel, that dictates your choices.
Its true genuine Deere parts can be pricy, but most standard stuff- blades, belts, mower wheels- are available aftermarket on ebay, amazon, or at tractor supply much cheaper.
and a Deere has much better resale.

 

[52 Ford]

...and so you must have a horizontal shaft engine for those pumps ????

I've never seen a vertical shaft engine that size. The biggest I've seen was about a 750CC V twin gas engine. Those big mowers are more like 1.5L.

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[Bill D]

I think outboard boat engienes are vertical shaft. They go well into the hunderds of horsepower.
Bill D

 

[52 Ford]

I think outboard boat engienes are vertical shaft. They go well into the hunderds of horsepower.
Bill D

Very true!

I was thinking specifically of garden tractor type engines (Kohler, B&S, Kawasaki, and Honda to be specific).

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[Bill D]

When Gravely tractor stopped making their 7.5hp engine they switched to Japanese 12-13hp engines to keep equal hp.
Bill D

 

[SVE Performance]

Try looking at Ingersoll garden tractors . Bill

 

[DDoug]

I've never seen a vertical shaft engine that size. The biggest I've seen was about a 750CC V twin gas engine. Those big mowers are more like 1.5L.

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...and did the OP request a 12' wide mower ?

 

[DDoug]

My situation requires bagging about 2 acres, and just mowing another 3 or so- and the Zero Turns are crappy for bagging, while Deere has a decent, workable and large capacity bagging system- mine has 3 bags.
Obvio, if you dont need to bag, or you must have diesel, that dictates your choices.

99% of the time I agree with you, and yes, I don't see many Zero turn mowers with a bagger.
However, been seeing a neighbor using a commercial Zero Turn (I think Kubota, but he won't stand still long enough...) I see it has a very different bagger, with a clamshell grass chamber, it hinges open at the top, to dump.
I see him mowing a 5 acre field as well as the yard around the house every week, seems to be working well.
He has had various other Zero Turn mowers in the past.