Riding mower attachments, are they worth it?

[nnnnnate]

So after buying that old Craftsman rider from Jeremy (Hickey) a few weeks ago I've been thinking about the attachments that you can get. I've been looking for a cart on KSL and will continue to do so until I find one or just decide to build one myself. That is probably the most obvious attachment but I'm also curious about lawn rollers and dethatchers. I've noticed that I do have some high and low spots and wondered if the roller would even do anything (obviously rolling when the lawn is really wet) and I've never used a dethatcher so I just am not sure on that one. I don't know that I'll buy spreader because I already have two bigger ones (been trying to unload one for a while...) and don't need a third.

Do any of you guys with riders have attachments for them? What are your thoughts, are they worthwhile for cost and function?

 

[ID Bronco]

l have a thatcher and sweeper attachments. They both work great. The de-thatcher (thatcher) is an awesome alternative to power raking the lawn. I use it every spring and follow it with the sweeper. It reduces (not eliminates) the need for a hand rake.

I am actually looking at bagging attachments for my zero turn. still debating on that one.

 

[Hickey]

I'd really love to roll my lawn, but it seems like such an infrequently used attachment, I would hate to store it for use every 3 or more years.

I need to find a place that rents them.

 

[Unimog]

I'll just warn that the hydrostatic drives don't put up with a lot of torque use. At least my craftsmen doesn't. I have an aerator, but it takes so much torque that the transmission will overheat pretty easy - especially trying to go up any kind of hill.

 

[Hickey]

I'm not convinced that thatching is needed except for matted down clumps of grass right after winter. I never bag my lawn, and I can't imagine any golf courses bag theirs either. It's simply far too much refuse to dispose of. If my lawn is in good shape, it will breakdown the mulched grass quite efficiently.

Of course, it should be pointed out that I am an amatuer, and have no idea what I'm doing. But I do strive to make my lawn look as good as possible.

 

[nnnnnate]

The only time I've bagged is usually the last cutting off the year and I like thinking that the mulch helps the soil and grass to grow better, whether that's the case is another thing.

I guess I haven't been to worried about the space for storage because I have a pretty tall garage that I could hang anything up and out of the way without too much trouble.

I think I'd honestly roll a bunch more than once a year, especially if I had one in my garage. I'm thinking after a good strong summer storm or a week of wet weather. I always intend to aerate in the spring and fall but usually only get to the rental place once a year as well.

Maybe I should have asked whether these implements are or can be as good as the stand alone units you can rent. It also sounds like there isn't a huge set of people here with riders which isn't a huge surprise. I assume most of us live urban. For me price is the biggest obstacle to buying one. A cheap roller is $125, a cheap tilting cart is $150, is guess an aerator is in the same ballpark as well.

I don't know anything about hydrostatic tranny and mine is not that type. It's good to know though because I'm already scheming to get a bigger mower.

 

[Spork]

I got a tilting cart, I think hauling the kids is the only thing I've used it for...

 

[Hickey]

I have a cart similar to this one. It can be pulled behind the mower as well. It's somewhat usefull.

http://m.homedepot.com/p/Gorilla-Carts-1-200-lb-Heavy-Duty-Poly-Dump-Cart-GOR866D/204143839

 

[ID Bronco]

My lawn area is about one acre, and I have used and abused my cart. It still shakes behind the mower. My lawn is probably bigger than most but when I sodded it I used my mower and cart hard for three years. I just bought a nice Husky zero turn and am mowing just because it's fun. My kids actually want to mow now. Imagine that. Idaho winters are tough and the thatcher is awesome in the spring. The first time you do it or under big pines it will overwhelm you with debris. After that, its a once a year maintenance thing. The sweeper I bought on craiglsist for about $70 and the thatcher was also a craigslist find at about $20. Both had been used a couple of times.

I would rent the roller (when I rolled my yard I used my 4 wheeler because the roller was hard on my mowers tranny as mentioned before)