Basic, self-propelled push mower recommendation?

[Rmay635703]

I keep running a $99 Murray from 1998

Everything is broken and hardwired but motor, deck and blade is beautiful, runs great.

If you can avoid overpaying a mower is one thing that a $20-$50 restored Cherry antique can be a good buy as long as everything is cleaned, well oiled, easy start, no smoke/oil burning

 

[ripcord]

Who pays for lawnmowers? They're free by the side of the road all over the place.

 

[Fattylocks]

Who pays for lawnmowers? They're free by the side of the road all over the place.

Maybe where you live. Never any at the curb in my area.

 

[supton]

have read that mice like the wires in electric mowers

You would think that would be a self-rectifying problem…

 

[RyanY]

I don't have a specific brand/model recommendation but my advice that you buy more mower than you think you need. Nothing worse than buying new and then realizing a few years later that you want a bigger one.

I currently mow about .4 acre with a Honda 21" (not self propelled) that is 24 years old. It works well and fortunately I only need to mow about once every two weeks. However, spending 2+ hours mowing is not my idea of fun and I plan to get a wider unit when the time comes. Probably a 30"+ Cub Cadet or Toro unit, assuming they mulch leaves, etc sufficiently.

 

[Badgerstate]

I want to buy a new gas powered, self-propelled push mower and I'd like to stay under $350. I might push the price a little if there was some really enticing feature(s) worth the additional $$$. My yard is about 1/3 acre.

I can go to Home Depot or Lowes, but I'm I should also look at independent mower shops? Both Home Depot and Lowes have mowers with both Briggs & Stratton engines or Honda. Most of them are about 150-160cc engines. Most of the mowers I've owned had the Briggs & Stratton engines and they've ran great. I did have a mower a few years ago with the Honda motor and it didn't last very long...I was not impressed, but I woudn't object to buying another mower with a Honda motor. Maybe I just got a lemon once.

Does anyone have any mower brand and/or engine recommendations?

Thank you!

Ed

Craftsman makes some nice, basic mowers that are pretty affordable. Under $350 might be a stretch for one that is self-propelled.
Another thing that you should consider is electric. Cordless electric mowers are so good nowdays that gas mowers are kind of obsolete.
I used to have a Ryobi One+ 36v mower that was great but where the handle mounted onto the deck broke. Now, Ive got a Craftsman V20 mower and its great and much more solidly built than the Ryobi was. Between the Ryobi and the V20 mowers I had a Craftsman mower with a Briggs on it and it was OK but the deck was a mixture of metal and plastic and the motor had some gas leak issues from the air box. I took it back, said no more gas for me and bought the V20.

 

[jeepman3071]

Best bang for the buck is the Super Recycler. I own one with the Honda engine and it's fantastic. The Honda mowers are nice to use, but my experience has been they aren't the same mowers of the 1980s and 1990s. The hydro transmissions on them are finicky and very expensive to replace. I've replaced a few for customers, and the transmission itself is $250 from Honda. To me they are like luxury cars. Nice to use, expensive to fix.

 

[Badgerstate]

Best bang for the buck is the Super Recycler. I own one with the Honda engine and it's fantastic. The Honda mowers are nice to use, but my experience has been they aren't the same mowers of the 1980s and 1990s. The hydro transmissions on them are finicky and very expensive to replace. I've replaced a few for customers, and the transmission itself is $250 from Honda. To me they are like luxury cars. Nice to use, expensive to fix.

The thing is though, you almost never have to fix them. Before I moved to Ohio, I had 2 Honda mowers over the past 20 years and I ran the wheels off of them. One was an old Harmony 2 with the blade clutch. You couldnt kill it. I eventually sold it because I wanted one with the OHC engine and I ran that mower for the next 5 years (using it about 50 hours a year) with no issues.
When I moved to Ohio, I left it at the house for the new owner and last time I was home, they were still using it to this day.
The new Hondas are even better because the nicer ones have the plastic deck that will never rust and should, in theory, last forever.

 

[wag123]

Honda 21 in. 3-in-1 Variable Speed Gas Walk Behind Self Propelled Lawn Mower with Auto Choke HRN216VKA - The Home Depot

The Honda Self-Propelled 3-in-1 Variable Speed Lawn Mower with New GCV 170 engine and auto choke offers a simple, adaptable and reliable design. It efficiently adapts the mowing speed to match your stride

www.homedepot.com

I have not seen a good self propelled mower that sells for $350 or less in over 20 years.
+1 on the Honda. At $419 it is a little above your price range, but it is the least expensive self propelled mower that is worth the money IMO.
I would NOT purchase a 22" steel deck Toro Recycler (which is actually manufactured by MTD). It is a typical MTD product, built-cheap-to-sell-cheap. The 21" aluminum deck Toro Super Recycler is another matter. It is actually manufactured by Toro, lasts a long time (I have had mine for 27 years), excels at mulching, and is worth the $499 price. Don't worry about the Briggs engine that it has. Mine has a Briggs and it still runs good.

Toro 21 in. Super Recycler Personal Pace SmartStow 163 cc Briggs Walk Behind Mower 21386

We're not going to lie, you're gonna get a lot of double-takes when you're mowing with this suave-looking bad boy. Little do they know this hungry herbivore is a wiz at helping protect the earth, reducing

www.homedepot.com

Two additional words of advice... 1. purchase a rear wheel drive self propelled mower, 2. do not purchase a mower that has larger wheels in the back than it has in the front.

 

[dlundblad]

I have not seen a good self propelled mower that sells for $350 or less in over 20 years.
+1 on the Honda. At $419 it is a little above your price range, but it is the least expensive self propelled mower that is worth the money IMO.
I would NOT purchase a 22" steel deck Toro Recycler (which is actually manufactured by MTD). It is a typical MTD product, built-cheap-to-sell-cheap. The 21" aluminum deck Toro Super Recycler is another matter. It is actually manufactured by Toro, lasts a long time (I have had mine for 27 years), excels at mulching, and is worth the $499 price. Don't worry about the Briggs engine that it has. Mine has a Briggs and it still runs good.

Toro 21 in. Super Recycler Personal Pace SmartStow 163 cc Briggs Walk Behind Mower 21386

We're not going to lie, you're gonna get a lot of double-takes when you're mowing with this suave-looking bad boy. Little do they know this hungry herbivore is a wiz at helping protect the earth, reducing

www.homedepot.com

Two additional words of advice... 1. purchase a rear wheel drive self propelled mower, 2. do not purchase a mower that has larger wheels in the back than it has in the front.

FWD with larger wheels in the back for me at least did great on hills. Easier to turn too since the bigger wheels allow for more surface area on the ground.

 

[BMW Dom]

I have not seen a good self propelled mower that sells for $350 or less in over 20 years.
+1 on the Honda. At $419 it is a little above your price range, but it is the least expensive self propelled mower that is worth the money IMO.
I would NOT purchase a 22" steel deck Toro Recycler (which is actually manufactured by MTD). It is a typical MTD product, built-cheap-to-sell-cheap. The 21" aluminum deck Toro Super Recycler is another matter. It is actually manufactured by Toro, lasts a long time (I have had mine for 27 years), excels at mulching, and is worth the $499 price. Don't worry about the Briggs engine that it has. Mine has a Briggs and it still runs good.

Toro 21 in. Super Recycler Personal Pace SmartStow 163 cc Briggs Walk Behind Mower 21386

We're not going to lie, you're gonna get a lot of double-takes when you're mowing with this suave-looking bad boy. Little do they know this hungry herbivore is a wiz at helping protect the earth, reducing

www.homedepot.com

Two additional words of advice... 1. purchase a rear wheel drive self propelled mower, 2. do not purchase a mower that has larger wheels in the back than it has in the front.

The Toro has the best propulsion system

 

[Silverado12]

Spend a little extra and get a Toro Super Recycler with the Briggs motor. It will last longer so it will be cheaper in the long run plus less trouble at the same time.

 

[BMW Dom]

Spend a little extra and get a Toro Super Recycler with the Briggs motor. It will last longer so it will be cheaper in the long run plus less trouble at the same time.

Yes. I can vouch for the super recycler - I use it for about 5 hours a week, and it is awesome. Don’t skimp on the mower, or you will hate mowing

 

[DuckRyder]

Since we are vouching for much more expensive mowers than the OP was considering - I vouch for the HRX!

Honda HRX217HZA Mower | 21" Walk Behind Mower | Honda Lawn Mowers

The Honda HRX217HZA lawn mower offers the ultimate mowing experience. Featuring electric start, Cruise Control, Roto-Stop® blade stop system, and a 5 year warranty.

powerequipment.honda.com

 

[nomas]

What you're basically saying is : Go buy a 1996 Toro Super Recycler

You caught that too ?

 

[Silverado12]

Since we are vouching for much more expensive mowers than the OP was considering - I vouch for the HRX!

Honda HRX217HZA Mower | 21" Walk Behind Mower | Honda Lawn Mowers

The Honda HRX217HZA lawn mower offers the ultimate mowing experience. Featuring electric start, Cruise Control, Roto-Stop® blade stop system, and a 5 year warranty.

powerequipment.honda.com

Super Recycler is $500 with the Briggs motor. It's not that much more considering how much longer it will last. That Honda is close to 1K.

 

[jeepman3071]

The thing is though, you almost never have to fix them. Before I moved to Ohio, I had 2 Honda mowers over the past 20 years and I ran the wheels off of them. One was an old Harmony 2 with the blade clutch. You couldnt kill it. I eventually sold it because I wanted one with the OHC engine and I ran that mower for the next 5 years (using it about 50 hours a year) with no issues.
When I moved to Ohio, I left it at the house for the new owner and last time I was home, they were still using it to this day.
The new Hondas are even better because the nicer ones have the plastic deck that will never rust and should, in theory, last forever.

Unfortunately the ones I've had to fix were the newer models with the hydro transmission, usually just out of warranty. The older Honda mowers are the indestructible ones. Like anything else, the newer models aren't built to the same standard. Yes, the plastic deck is great for corrosion resistance, but I have seen a few cracked ones. The Honda mowers are very comfortable to use, but I just prefer the design of the Super Recycler, especially with the Honda engine.

 

[Duffyjr]

Honda 21 in. 3-in-1 Variable Speed Gas Walk Behind Self Propelled Lawn Mower with Auto Choke HRN216VKA - The Home Depot

The Honda Self-Propelled 3-in-1 Variable Speed Lawn Mower with New GCV 170 engine and auto choke offers a simple, adaptable and reliable design. It efficiently adapts the mowing speed to match your stride

www.homedepot.com

Never owned a Honda but when I was looking to upgrade from my 22" Recycler I test drove this Honda, granted it was only around the dealer's shop but what I didn't like is the lever to make it go, just the few minutes I tested it it was uncomfortable to push that lever with your thumb.

I also had a High Vac snapper for 17 years that had the little lever you basically held down with you palm on the right side, that was fairly easy to use but once you've used the Personal Pace system it's hard to go back to pulling or pushing a lever.

I to suggest a Tore Recycler and if you can afford it get the Super Recycler. I think the Toro TXP engine is a step or two better than a Briggs.

 

[jeepman3071]

Never owned a Honda but when I was looking to upgrade from my 22" Recycler I test drove this Honda, granted it was only around the dealer's shop but what I didn't like is the lever to make it go, just the few minutes I tested it it was uncomfortable to push that lever with your thumb.

I also had a High Vac snapper for 17 years that had the little lever you basically held down with you palm on the right side, that was fairly easy to use but once you've used the a Personal Pace system it's hard to go back to pulling or pushing a lever.

I to suggest a Tore Recycler and if you can afford it get the Super Recycler. I think the Toro TXP engine is a step or two better than a Briggs.

This. Once you use Personal Pace it's hard to go back. I forget what engine options they have with the blade brake clutch models, but both the Briggs and the TXP engine are nice. The TXP is a Chinese clone but seems very smooth. I have a Honda GCV on mine, but unfortunately it wasn't one of the engine choices with the blade brake at the time.

 

[DuckRyder]

Super Recycler is $500 with the Briggs motor. It's not that much more considering how much longer it will last. That Honda is close to 1K.

In for a penny in for a pound

mine is what 10 years old and nothing but oil changes and blades.