Cox Stockman Series 3 Ride On Mowers

Good mowers – Had two Cox mowers, one Scout one Stockman, both have performed well under most arduous circumstances. As a friend said years ago when I was considering buying a ride on mower, "buy a Cox,they're bullet proof. " Show details

cox ride on stockman mower – I purchased my 17.5 hp stockman in around 2010 i am currently up to 978 hours with the same motor i service it myself regularly and have done my own repairs ie belts front wheel bearings , i am known in my area as the mad mower of mayanup .I have a 40 acre property which only part of is cropped for hay . I have had no stock for 9 years .The other… Read more

hilly areas i mow and i mean mow . the foot brake on mine went rather quickly, I find the cox to be a trully amazing machine the drive system works very well on my hilly slopes i always feel safe tho you must remember to adjust the rear drive cones its easy , and also the springs that help tension your cutter deck need changing now and then because they loose tension . and i always mow using 4 blades on my deck. .To make a quote [ there is but one and thats the mighty cox]

great mower, dont be put off by the whingers in here – I purchased a second hand Cox Stockman series 3 more than 2 years ago. Changed the oil in it twice, 2 lots of new blades, straightened out the steering once(my fault for catching the pine garden edging repeatedly), and it has been super reliable and regularly cuts my 2.5ha of grass great. I think the negativity on here is unjustified. Dont be… Read more ·  1

afraid to get one. I thrash mine, takes 4-5 hours to cut my grass at full speed, and it has never given a problem. Only money spent on parts other than maintainance was to replace the battery, and front wheel bearings that became flogged out. Besides, felt good to buy local as they are built in Brisbane!! Only bad thing I could say is that it feels a little small to ride, but then I am 6' 130kg.

Great Model - just needs a bit of tweaking – I have friends with all sorts of different mowers. I simply cannot understand why mowers need to have complex gearboxes and expensive balanced one-piece blades. The Stockman is my preference and I recommend it. My comments below are therefore more about improving the small things to make it better. This is my first Cox mower having had a couple… Read more

of Greenfield models before. The Greenfields were great but the alloy deck and drive disks are real problems. A Cox was a logical alternative.

I have done approximately 10 hours over the last 2 years. I installed an hour gauge to the wire plugs provided behind the ignition – something that would be a good standard feature.

It is a rugged mower and suits our block. The major problem are the things on the mower that are not rugged. I would suspect these have been added to later models for regulation reasons. Specifically, the foot switch to start the motor has wires underneath the plate and the safety switch to the cutting engagement lever sticks. The former gets knocked off and I think there is a real design issue here. maybe it needs a cover. The latter just gets full of dust. Also the bonnet is connected at the front with rather thin metal. I have hit and bent this many times. My strong suggestion would be a bumper bar. I note that there is provision for one and something I need to do.

I am having bit of trouble with the blade bolts. I just cannot seem to get them to last all that long and often lose blades. Unsure what is causing this

Cox Zero Turn – I have a Cox Zero turn ride-on mower. I have had a few things to learn: Honda engines have a vented float chamber and wasps can block the tube (should have a filter as i have now added) and the brake clutch (fantastic feature to prevent accidentally driving with brake on) needs to be adjusted for free play, just like a manual car clutch, this is… Read more ·  1

simple but you have to know about it (not emphasised in the handbook). It is a fabulous machine with a fully fabricated cutter deck. I can now do my half acre block in about an hour instead of the three hours it used to take, and a great feature is that there is no wear and tear on my right knee (which many ride-on models cause) I would absolutely recommend this as superior to any other mower I have seen or tried. My 25 year old Cox lawn tractor mower is still going strong (after a new cutter deck , which is AMAZINGLY still available after all this time) and is the backup mower for all my local family and friends. Cox deserves Australian consumer support, along with Coopers beers and Rossi boots and socks, all Aussie made and all of the finest quality in the world! Also, the Mowers and More agents in Coffs Harbour are fantastic professional people, top class mechanics and fast, friendly service.

Great Mower – I bought this my cox 4 yrs ago apart from replacing blades i have had no trouble i have it serviced each year due to the work it does i rate this mower and would not hesitate to buy another in due time

WASTE OF MONEY!!!!! – I bought a series 3 Stockman and it has done about 20 hours of work. In that time it has had about 200 hours of repairs done to it just for it to work. Electrical wiring failed, Front cover broke off, bearings wrong from purchase, wishbones on the wheels fall off meaning no steering and numerous other problems. Cox did not want to know about it.… Read more

PATHETIC. Paid good money expecting a decent product. RIPPED OFF.

Dont waste your money on this product unless you want no end of grief

Cox ride on - a lemon? – I agree with comments already made. Had to wait 3 months for a genuine part when we had no spark. Then later another 4 weeks to replace a belt and charged $140, a lot for a pensioner. Then blades would not stop when disengaged. Would not pull a greasy stick out of a fat pig's rubbish! Won't cut anything over 12cm tall.

Great rugged mower – We did a lot of research before buying our ride on about 3 months ago, which included reading all the negative reviews on this forum - despite the negative press, we decided to go with the mower service guy's advice and bought the Stockman series 3 which he assured us would cope with our rugged, rocky, undulating block. How right he was! We have… Read more ·  1

given the mower a real hiding over the past few months, gone through a few sets of blades and knocked a few dings into the cutting deck but it has not even looked like stopping. I don't work for Cox, nor have any reason for writing this other than to give this mower the kudos we feel it deserves.

It's not trendy looking, nor overly comfortable, but it cuts through metre high grass and mows down small shrubs, manages the rough terrain of our hectare block with ease and just plain does what we want it to do! We worried that the smaller fuel tank might be an issue, but we do the hectare with fuel to spare.

We have also used it on our suburban lawn, which is well kept, and it cuts as evenly and closely as our self-propelled mower - only downside is it doesn't have a catcher and is harder to manoeuvre around the trees.... but that's not what we bought it for.

If you want a lawn mower, for a bowling green finish, then this isn't the mower for you, but if you want a grass tamer, I doubt you'd find better. The fact that it's Australian made, is icing on the cake for us as we prefer to keep our $$$ in this country when possible. Rugged body, strong motor, simple controls. Large turning circle.

Stockman Series 3 problems – This is the second cox owned. First one was virtually trouble free and only decided to update because motor was wearing out. Have now owned the Series 3 for 5 years and had many problems. A wrong size bearing was fitted to the cutting shaft from purchase which caused all sorts of problems, and the dealer failed to help with the fixes. Can only use… Read more

to tow the trailer now as cutting is too problematic and think it's a waste of money spending on it. Will not buy another Cox.

Terrible product – I bought a series 3 stockman 4 years ago , it didn’t work the first time i used it and hafailed every other time i try to use it. cox wont fix it or give me a refund, looks like time to see a solicitor as cox have failed to provide me with what i paid for. cox tried to blame me for the fault, I have owned 5 cox ride on mowers and have mowed the… Read more

same property for 22 years?

then they got the dealer to fix it and he couldn't find fault with it ,then they used another dealer with no success, cox came out to fix and failed twice then they took it back to repair and it came back worse???? . basically got lied to and palmed off, cox mowers do not stand behind their product "at all" biggest waste of money ever"

Sad – I have had problems with the clutch cone. The first one failed after 5 hours. The dealer blamed my driving style. Cost $145. Now the second clutch is getting beyond usability after 6 weeks of easy riding. Add to this Very Obvious manufacturing designs flaw is the thing can barely cut grass over two inches high unless it's driven very… Read more

slowly.

Plus the head switch is cheap and Nasty!!!!

The rest of the machine is good, especially the Briggs and Stratton motor.

So Cox??? If you read these comments I suggest you do a recall on these components and revive your reputation. Your older stuff was brilliant but the new systems????????

Ps my first ever review on anything. Motor. Clutch cone. Seat. Lights. Slow/poor cutting ability compared to older modles.

My 2nd Cox Stockman and here is why! – OK.. so I am a woman...what would I know?. I live on 25 acres and 54 and this is my 2nd Cox. I now own a Series 3 and can only give it a thumbs up.I give it a good workout near every 2nd day for 5 months of the year (summer) and have never had any trouble. I service it myself and if I can do it anyone can. Reliable, easy to maintain, easy to… Read more ·  1

use. Just a couple of issues... I can feel like I am too forward and leaning into the steering wheel. But maybe that is because I am contantly mowing down hills!, and the cutting deck seems to not float over "bumps" as well as I would like skinning the lawn. Going slower over them helos alleviate this.

OK – Having never owned a ride on mower before and going to lots of mower places and explaining what i needed it for,i was led the cox series 3 because of the double back wheel traction what they dont tell you is that when you are towing up hill and stop the hand break is lowsy. After 1 hour of stoping and starting the hand break gave way and rolled… Read more

down a 7 degrees slope all. All i had in the trailor was mulch,after ringing the mower place and explaining what happened, he agreed the the hand break system was not up to standard on slopes,i said why didn't you tell me this when i bought the mower after all the discussion i asked what can be done to fix the problen,he said put a brick behind the wheel. What more can say but i can tell you i will be selling the bloody thing i dont blame the machine i blame the mower selling places. Good on slopy blocks for towing ,great forward and reverse pedal,easy to start, great traction up hills in wet conditions Noisy breaks, lowsey hand break on hills, when on full turning lock it dragsaround wearing out the tyres

Big thumbs down to Cox if I could rate lower than 1 star "I would" – I agree with Kellicameron on Cox Ride on’s, between myself and my neighbor we have owned five cox mowers, a Stockman Series-2 and 3, a New Generation, and two of the really old cox machines that are over twenty yrs old now and done thousands of hours hard work, the old one's go for ever and a day with very little trouble but unfortunately you can… Read more

no longer buy these models, all the machines that have been built in the last 15yrs or so and right up to the latest machines are utter rubbish and have many issues no matter which one you buy, save your money and walk straight past these or you will regret it. What did I like about it? mmmmmmmm I would probably say I liked the colour of it! Every thing from the terrible drive system, the steering on these is dreadful, the deck is weak, the seat is weak with thin gauge tin as a base and is very uncomfortable, the factory assembled the thing so the drive chain was not travelling in a straight line it destroyed the sprockets, broke teeth off the top one and bent the teeth on the lower one which by the way is a $340.00 part stretched the chain like you wouldn't believe and the chain scrubbed half way through the clutch cone linkage bar! the question would be ease if it asked whats not wrong with it!

Nightmare – If you read a good review about this mower, it's the manufacturer writing a bogus review. My Cox has been in to be repaired 16 times in a little over twelve months. The bearings in the cones, the steering, the electric's, the foot pedal etc. the only good thing I can say about this mower is the engine has had no problems (touch wood). I am a real… Read more

person and my mower is a total dud. Dont buy a cox simply because of the aussie tag. Do your home work, Cox is crap. Engine

Excellent – 1970 Model GT 1000 with the same friction drive as these two (Pommy) whingers. Still going strong. Needs a new motor but after 40 years what do you expect? Currently saving my pennys to get the Series 3 Stockman. Looked at many different makes and models and can't find anything that comes close. Admittedly the friction drive is no good on… Read more ·  1

hilly ground, but that's a given and very obvious for anyone with any sense of what a machine can and can't do. Nothing but admiration

Despite others experiances, ive never had a problem – I bought a the base 13.5hp 32 inch cut modle in 2008 and since have abused it within an inch of its life. it is used to tow very large loads of wood all over our property all winter and has probably done 400 hours of solely towing wood, horse manure and other rubbish around the place. i often use it to slash the grass in the roadside drain where… Read more

its very rough and ruggard and this is where is shows its true colors. if you want a bowling green you will have to spend another few thousand on a walker or similar but if you want an honest and reliable mower this is the ticket. ive never had it serviced by a dealer because it has never had a problem. apart from adjusting the cones with the tools and instructions provided ive changed the oil and filter once and the blades once in 5 years. this is not through neglect but honestly the oil never gets dirty and dosnt leak. still on the original battery which in summer only gets started a few times before the grass dies off anyway then sits for 3 months until something needs moving. i did tear the busing housing for the kingpin on the front end from mowing in ditches where i shouldn't have been but that was only a 3 minute fix with the welder and hasn't happened again. i have a feeling you can get a bigger twin blade deck for these, in which case you would get a better cut but for the normal lawn the 32 inch is totally acceptable. the mower will cut down 6 foot grass with relative ease when you removed the front deck skirt strip.

Honestly it wouldn't surprise me if the other reviews are fake from an opposing company as two reviews feature from the same reviewer saying different things and most of the reviewers only have 1 or 2 reviews. Never had an serious problem in all the years of abuse its had. The cut isnt all that even but no worse then any other single bladed mower. there are not enough cutting height positions on the base model, but you get use to it.

Mine has been a total lemon – Mine has been a total lemon. Did not get 1 hour of use before it stopped - diagnosis was a fuel line problem. Lights would not work and are still problematic. Assured the 40" cutter deck would 'eat up my yard' but never came anywhere near it and was replaced with a 32" deck (for nearly $1000) and it has been hopeless and cuts unevenly. Seat… Read more

stuffed up and had to be replaced - another $300. Main bearings, drive chain etc had to be replaced - nearly $800. Main drive chain has since broken after less that 20 hours work. All this and the mower has only done 224 hours of work but been housed undercover, serviced regularly and never hosed down. Even more disappointing, Cox never responded to my email to them. The thought that someone else might buy it from me Totally unreliable and has never cut properly

Terrible – · In response to the points mentioned by NoShyt in his/her "review" dated 14Jan11, this thread is for reviews of the Stockman Series 3 mower, NOT the 1970 Model GT. · The friction drive is NOT the same as on earlier models. I have had 3 years experience with a previous (second-hand) Stockman model which was approx 10 years old at the time I… Read more

believe. The friction drive, like the rest of the machine, was pretty much the same basic design, however the friction plates/cone were much less prone to over-heating and was capable of mowing very long grass on the same slopes that the Series 3 cannot grass half the height. This is again from personal experience with both of these mowers being used on the very same piece of land with slopes up to about 15 degrees. Whether the performance difference is due to the use of different materials, different design specifications etc, etc, I don't know and don't really care, the bottom line is that the friction drive system is NOT the same as on previous models. Similar design yes, the same no.

· I reviewed this actual product fairly based on my own personal experience with the actual model being reviewed over a period of 4 years - I was not whinging, just stating the facts based on my experience. I am not a Pommy (born in Alice Springs and lived my 40 years on farms and acreage in rural Queensland. I can't speak for the nationality of the other reviewer.

· The motor (as with the previous Stockman mentioned above) is very good (Briggs and Stratton) - never had any problems with it.

· This model was specifically marketed as being "Able to handle the tuff stuff as well as give the perfect cut to your manicured lawns". The Owner Operators Manual states: "When operating the mower on slopes greater than 10 degrees but less than 15 degrees for a prolonged period, you may experience minor clutch fade, should this occur, vary your mowing style eg: mow around some flat areas, then the slope followed by the flat area again. This will allow the drive to cool before travelling up the slope again." My personal experience (again not speculation) is that the clutch rapidly overheats on any slope more than about 5 degrees. Trying to actually mow up any slope more than about 10 degrees is almost impossible due to the amount of clutch slippage and consequent overheating etc.

· The friction drive system is designed on the same principles of a car's clutch. It allows slippage between the driving and driven plates if the pressure is reduced, allowing variable "road" speed whilst maintaining the engine speed. When full pressure is applied to the plates there should be no slippage when it is operated within the design limits. The design limits as stated in the Cox Owner Operators Manual is for the mower to be used on sloping ground up to 15 degrees. It is therefore not "a given and very obvious for anyone with any sense of what a machine can and can't do." I hold a degree in civil engineering and have operated and maintained engineering equipment and plant for approximately 25 years and have extensive mechanical experience on all sorts of machinery. A friction drive (dry plate clutch system) such as this should be capable of handling slopes of over 10 degrees without overheating, slipping etc, especially when it is specifically designed for such terrain, as stated in the Owner Operator Manual.

· The purpose of sites such as ProductReview is to actually review products, not speculate on a product without having any experience with it yourself, not based on a 40 year old product, and not to personally attack other reviewers who have actually had experience with the product and reviewed it accordingly. Low price, rugged construction (generally), good engine Build quality, drive system, cutting quality, general construction & design