Mower Review

- Which garden tractor should I buy?
I'm looking at two tractors for a gardening business: One is a mid-eighties Murray 18hp, cast iron rear end, comes with scraper, box scraper, turn plow, disk and cultivator (no mower!) and brand new ag rear tires. $750 The other is a mid-nineties Craftsman 19.5hp garden tractor with no attachments (and no sleeve hitch installed), but does have a mowing deck. $600 So with the Craftsman I'd have to invest in a $100 sleeve hitch, plus used plow, disk, cultivator and scraper blade. Which tractor would you buy given the two? I went ahead and bought the Murray, since others have said newer Craftsman tractors aren't anything like they used to be. I used to have a Murray lawn mower and it was garbage, so I was hesitant. This tractor is nothing like the smaller ones they used to sell. Thanks for your suggestions & advice!!

A On an "either-or" basis i'd go with the newer one, but neither one would be my first choice. the final choice would have to be based on how you plan to use it, is it for mowering or for the attachments? i have some of those attachments that i haven't used in years. myself, I'd work the price down on the Craftsman about $100 and make sure it is in good running conditions. check the oil and air filter for dirty condition [was it mantained?] make sure everything is operating correctly and there are no "band-aid" repairs. drive it and make sure it does the job you want it for, i.e. is the mower deck fully fuctional? is there a grass catcher if that's important? do they have manuals and spare parts? of course, my prefered tractors: John-Deere Cub Ford

- Rye Grass for my lawn?
How and where can I by a cheap Rye Grass that will come up every year, my yard is partly shady ,I have a very hard time with my grass getting strong enough to cut with the mower, it seems after 2 cuts the grass dies, like it don't have enough roots going deep enough, that's where I got the idea of Rye Grass because its tough, any sugestions of what type to buy? should I rent a cultivator to turn the soil over real good?

A There are other grasses that are more hardy than Rye. Bahia is one. Personally, I wouldn't have it as I consider it a pest. Once started it is almost impossible to get rid of. In your case, I suspect that your soil is the problem. Before you go to a lot of expense and work, get some 8-8-8 fertlizer and sprinkle it over your lawn. Wait a couple of weeks and see if the natural grass improves. Good luck.