Best Pushmowers Ever (List)

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What about the Husqvarna all wheeel drive mover. i think it uses a honda engine. This Lowes link describes it.


http://www.lowes.com/pd_421867-63311-961450011_4294747214%2B4294965511__?productId=4346383&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=Husqvarna
 
I'm sure the Husqvarna is a fine modern mower, and it's probably on-par with the likes of premium Toros, residential Hondas, premium Craftsman mowers, etc. Which is to say, it will be a good quality mower that will probably deliver many years of service. For someone used to a commercial grade mower, the operator controls and levers won't likely feel as sturdy, and the handle may not feel as sturdy. Being a steel deck, there may be some deck flex not found in alloy decks.

And with two residential grade transmissions instead of just one, the likelihood of some type of drivetrain failure is probably higher than with a FWD or RWD.
 
Originally Posted By: JTK
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
If only a person could put a Snapper disk drive and a US Briggs engine on a Toro aluminum deck...

That's a good point about the blade and deck design affecting how loud a mower is. Not just the engine is responsible. I wonder if a different blade would make a difference or not, and if the Snapper is a side-valve engine that could be a factor.


I actually purchased and tried a standard mulching blade for this snapper. It was slightly less noisy, but still painful enough where I just went back to the much better mulching (for me) ninja blade.

I dunno if the engine is allowed to rev faster because it's a "commercial" version? I don't have a portable tach to measure unfortunately. You're right though. The engine is quiet, it's just the whoosh from the deck/blade that's deafening. I use earplugs or muffs with it.


JTK, did you find the ninja blade to cut a whole lot better than the regular mulching blade? I just bought a hi vac and was going to get a ninja blade and side cover for it, but talked to someone that used both before and he preferred the cut of the regular mulching blade to the ninja. I was leaning towards the regular mulching blade or a gator blade
 
Originally Posted By: afoulk

If i'm not mistaken, the Wisconsin Robin 2 strokes on the snappers were actually made by Subaru. I think they had a deal with Wisconsin engines to market them under the Wisconsin Robin name. that's why you now see Subaru Robin engines now. Wisconsin did make a 4 stroke engine for them however. Now Suzuki did make 2 strokes for Toro, as well as the Lawn boy m series. And that brings me to the one I would like to add to the list besides all the other lawn boys, the m series. They don't get a lot of love, but those that have them have said they are one of the best bagging mowers ever made. And I love the sound of that Suzuki oil injected 2 stroke, sounds like a tiny snowmobile:)


Oops I think you might be right. My bad I typed my post kind of fast.

Also:

Lawn Boy Four Stokes...SACRELIGIOUS. Not allowed on the list!
Electric Lawnmowers.....AGAIN, NO! (where do you put the oil??)

laugh.gif
 
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Originally Posted By: afoulk

JTK, did you find the ninja blade to cut a whole lot better than the regular mulching blade? I just bought a hi vac and was going to get a ninja blade and side cover for it, but talked to someone that used both before and he preferred the cut of the regular mulching blade to the ninja. I was leaning towards the regular mulching blade or a gator blade


Really awesome mulching with the ninja blade. Pretty good with the standard blade. Problem with mulching is, everyone's mileage will vary.
 
Originally Posted By: Team_FAST
Lawn Boy Four Stokes...SACRELIGIOUS. Not allowed on the list!


"Sacrilege"

And Lawn-Boy used 4-stroke engines long before Toro bought them. They've been long a part of Lawn-Boy's history. They're not as common as the 2-stroke engines, no. But the engine alone doesn't make the mower.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
I'm sure the Husqvarna is a fine modern mower, and it's probably on-par with the likes of premium Toros, residential Hondas, premium Craftsman mowers, etc. Which is to say, it will be a good quality mower that will probably deliver many years of service. For someone used to a commercial grade mower, the operator controls and levers won't likely feel as sturdy, and the handle may not feel as sturdy. Being a steel deck, there may be some deck flex not found in alloy decks.

And with two residential grade transmissions instead of just one, the likelihood of some type of drivetrain failure is probably higher than with a FWD or RWD.

Thank you. My yard is small but with a terraced area. Hill and speed control is important. Also durability.
smile.gif
 
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Originally Posted By: JTK
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
If only a person could put a Snapper disk drive and a US Briggs engine on a Toro aluminum deck...

That's a good point about the blade and deck design affecting how loud a mower is. Not just the engine is responsible. I wonder if a different blade would make a difference or not, and if the Snapper is a side-valve engine that could be a factor.


I actually purchased and tried a standard mulching blade for this snapper. It was slightly less noisy, but still painful enough where I just went back to the much better mulching (for me) ninja blade.

I dunno if the engine is allowed to rev faster because it's a "commercial" version? I don't have a portable tach to measure unfortunately. You're right though. The engine is quiet, it's just the whoosh from the deck/blade that's deafening. I use earplugs or muffs with it.


I'm surprised the deck/blade would be so loud. I never seen people saying they were before. I'd just like to find a mower that has a good commercial quality rear drive without back drag and good maneuverability like the Snapper seems to be. And ball bearing wheels and solid construction would be nice. The Snapper has all that and at a good price, but I wouldn't want a mower too loud.

Maybe a the Hi-vac is quieter and maybe with a standard mulching blade.
 
I have worked on tens of thousands of lawnmowers over the last 25 years or so. IMO the Toro Commercial 21" mowers with the Suzuki 2 cycle and Suzuki 4 cycle engines were easily the best 21" mowers ever made. This is especially true when you compare self propelled mowers. Besides the bull stout Suzuki engines, these mowers had a heavy steel blade adapter support yoke and a 25mm forged steel crankshaft. Because of this, bent crankshafts were eliminated. The decks were an extremely heavy/thick aluminum alloy and almost impossible to crack/break. I have seen them after they fell off the back of trailers and pickups on the highway and they were not destroyed! The down side is that they were extremely heavy and VERY expensive. The last of them with the Suzuki engines were selling for $1200, in the 1990's! Some of those mowers are STILL in daily commercial use!

The Lawnboy M-Series engines were NOT Suzuki engines, they were Lawnboy's own engines, the last engines that Lawnboy designed and built before they went bankrupt and sold out to Toro. They were excellent engines, but IMHO nobody's lawnmower engines were as good as Suzuki's. Nobody's elses engines could survive ingesting as much dirt as some of the Suzukis that I have worked on over the years and still be running (with completely worn out throttle shafts I should add). The amount of abuse these mowers could survive still amazes me!
 
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Good point. The older Toro commercial 21"s had "crankshaft support". Last new one I saw, the asking price was something insane like $1600. Not sure if it was the most expensive new 21" ever, but they were up there.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: Team_FAST
Lawn Boy Four Stokes...SACRELIGIOUS. ("Sacrilege") Not allowed on the list!


"Sacrilege"

And Lawn-Boy used 4-stroke engines long before Toro bought them. They've been long a part of Lawn-Boy's history. They're not as common as the 2-stroke engines, no. But the engine alone doesn't make the mower.


The two stroke engine most certainly made the product!

Lawn Boy evolved as a product from Mr. Evinrude and the Outboard Marine Corp leveraging their two stroke outboard motor technology. They used two cycle engines on their mowers from day one. It was and remains to some, the foremost defining attribute of a Lawn Boy lawnmower. It certainly differentiated them from a large segment of the market.

I don't know exactly when Lawn-boy started offering four stroke engines on their products, but within the context of what made them a great mower, its not very significant. A shame really. My personal opinion of course.
 
I think we may have arrived at a somewhat of a consensus for the two stroke Suzuki powered Toro! I had honestly forgotten about these. Indeed a very outstanding and durable mower. Just found a couple locally for sale on Craigslist......$300 to $350 seems to be the going rate for a gently used one owner example.
 
Originally Posted By: wag123
The down side is that they were extremely heavy and VERY expensive. The last of them with the Suzuki engines were selling for $1200, in the 1990's!

I bought one new in 1988 for about $700 and sold it in 1994 for about $400, IIRC. It did about 20-30 residential yards per week, nearly year-round, during that time. That thing had a transmission above all else at the time. One reliable and durable machine that never complained a day in its life.
cool.gif
 
Since I have owned, or still own several of the mowers you guys mentioned, I should add my opinion.

A) And the winner of the best all time 21" mower ENGINE is:
Snapper Mower with the 2 stroke Wisconsin Robin engine. The reason being is for the commercial unbreakable feel. The ability to run many years in a commercial application. This mower engine combination, when used to bag fall leaves, acts like a vacuum cleaner with impressive suction. No leaf, stick or twig remains on the ground and is safe. It would probably pick up a quarter from the ground (and give you change back). Cons> Very heavy. Also, the pull chord takes so much effort to start, it will wear your arm out, if it doesn't start by the 3rd pull. For this reason alone, I sold mine (even though it had less than 100 hours on it).

You occasionally still find this mower/engine combination for sale on craigslist.

B) The winner of the best 21" mower of all time is:
Toro mower with the 2 stroke Suzuki engine. This is the one which made landscapers mourn, when they were no longer made. Able to last many years in a commercial application. The cons> If you need a new coil, be prepared to pay around $100 for one.

I have one, that was restored by a MidWest Toro dealer in like new condition. It is more of a mower for show, not a "daily driver." This particular dealer makes a nice profit restoring these two stroke mowers each winter.

Second runner up goes to Lawn Boy with the E series, 2 stroke engine. With it being 6 1/2HP, it is the most powerful 2 stroke 21" mower engine made (maybe 4 stroke too)! It is real sweet, has a high power to weight ratio (and weighs no more than 70 lbs). I own one with the commercial Orange 1 gallon gas tank, and orange, steel wheels. It also has a 3 speed transmission. Lightly used ones on eBay have been for sale for over $1000.
 
Originally Posted By: Team_FAST
The two stroke engine most certainly made the product!


I think it was a significant part of the product. The most defining aspect of a traditional Lawn-Boy to me was the staggered-wheel deck. Some other manufacturers had that design (just as some other manufacturers have offered 2-stroke engines), but Lawn-Boys are as known for their distinctive green staggered-wheel decks as for their powerful and durable 2-stroke engines.

Originally Posted By: Team_FAST
I don't know exactly when Lawn-boy started offering four stroke engines on their products, but within the context of what made them a great mower, its not very significant. A shame really. My personal opinion of course.


Lawn-Boy's first use of a 4-stroke engine was actually way back in 1958. It was the model 2200 and featured a 3.5 hp Briggs & Stratton engine. The 1959 model 2210 and model 4210 also used the same Briggs engine.

(Lawn-Boy also, by the way, also offered electric motors. The model 1000 (from the year 1956) was a 120 VAC electric lawn mower.)

The 4-stroke engine took a break from Lawn-Boy until 1982, when Lawn-Boy began to use the Briggs & Stratton engine again. The first use of a non-Briggs 4-stroke engine was 1993, with a Tecumseh TVS115 engine.

I agree with you that the 2-stroke engine is a major part of Lawn-Boy's heritage (and certainly a major contributor to Lawn-Boy's reputation for durability), but they've also been using 4-stroke engines for a long time.
 
Originally Posted By: Best F100
Since I have owned, or still own several of the mowers you guys mentioned, I should add my opinion.
A) And the winner of the best all time 21" mower ENGINE is:
Snapper Mower with the 2 stroke Wisconsin Robin engine.
B) The winner of the best 21" mower of all time is:
Toro mower with the 2 stroke Suzuki engine.

I agree with you except that the order of my choices would be flipped.
I work on and have sold both machines (actually all three counting the Lawnboys).
The problem with the Commercial Snapper is that the disc drive system needs constant attention to keep it in good working order, and Snappers are not immune to having a crankshaft bent. If you want to compare repair costs, check out how much it costs to replace a crankshaft in a Robin, and also add up the yearly costs of keeping a Snapper self-propelling properly. The commercial guys around here (Texas) mow year around and they are VERY hard on their machines. The ground around here is very rocky and many tree roots grow on top of the thin soil rocky ground. Also, as dry as it gets around here (we are in the midst of a historic drought), all of the fine dirt blowing around plays MAJOR havoc with the equipment. I can't think of a worse environment to run outdoor power equipment in. It doesn't take the commercial guys very long to figure out which machines will hold up and which machines won't. They can destroy even the best homeowner grade machines within several weeks or just a few short months.
 
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I've only got about 100hrs on my Snapper 21" disk-o-matic, but I haven't had to adjust it since the day I unpacked and setup the machine. Friction disk looks new yet.
 
Originally Posted By: wag123
[Also, as dry as it gets around here (we are in the midst of a historic drought), all of the fine dirt blowing around plays MAJOR havoc with the equipment. I can't think of a worse environment to run outdoor power equipment in.


So with Historical droughts, How much mowing is really needed?
 
Virtually all commercial properties have sprinkler systems as do a large percentage of residential properties.
Most of the commercial grounds maintenance guys are on contract, and most of them are required to cut on a weekly basis, whether the grass NEEDS to be cut or not. Later in the summer when some of the grass is almost dead on some of the properties, these are the ones that turn into dust/dirt bowls when the machines are run over them. This fine dirt is really hard on the equipment!
 
How about the old bob-cat M21 mowers. Those things were built like a tank...heavy aluminum deck, old school 4hp Briggs with pto if it was self propelled, and even had a third crankshaft bearing bolted fast to the underside of the deck for extra support. I hope to find one someday (preferably a self propelled model) and restore it. just the hand levers for the self propelled system look 4 times the size and heft that are necessary.
 
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