I am looking to purchase another Craigslist mower for my yard. I am looking for brands/models to avoid as well as what is good. Specifics are, 21/22" cut, MUST be self propelled, prefer B $ S engine, no more than 8 years old. What has has a good reputaton out there. What should I avoid and look for as far as weak points. thanks
HELP ME PICK A USED LAWNMOWER
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I would only buy a Honda. Mine is almost 30 years old and sill runs like new. Never a repair in 30 years
Originally Posted By: philipp10
I am looking to purchase another Craigslist mower for my yard. I am looking for brands/models to avoid as well as what is good. Specifics are, 21/22" cut, MUST be self propelled, prefer B $ S engine, no more than 8 years old. What has has a good reputaton out there. What should I avoid and look for as far as weak points. thanks
And strongly prefer a front wheel drive, not rear. I have a Honda, don't like the controls and especially hate the rear wheel drive, so no Honda for me.
I am looking to purchase another Craigslist mower for my yard. I am looking for brands/models to avoid as well as what is good. Specifics are, 21/22" cut, MUST be self propelled, prefer B $ S engine, no more than 8 years old. What has has a good reputaton out there. What should I avoid and look for as far as weak points. thanks
And strongly prefer a front wheel drive, not rear. I have a Honda, don't like the controls and especially hate the rear wheel drive, so no Honda for me.
Your criteria would negate my best Craiglist freebie. A 20 something 21" Toro with a 3 spd transmission. It mulches and bags. It has a Suzuki 4 stroke engine. It needed a shoulder bolt for a height adjuster That is it. This spring will be its 6th mowing season. I change the oil once in a while, sharpen the blade every yr and clean the foam air cleaner. I run the carb dry after every use and dose the gas with a little MMO. The 3 speed Toro rear drive is a good system. I am not a front wheel drive fan.
Another good mower is a Lawnboy commercial mower that was used by a homeowner not a landscaper.
I would look at any mower that had more metal than plastic showing. Best of luck in your search.
Another good mower is a Lawnboy commercial mower that was used by a homeowner not a landscaper.
I would look at any mower that had more metal than plastic showing. Best of luck in your search.
You gotta be opened minded when it comes to buying what your chasing after.
New self propelled mowers are starting at $300. This is an example of what appears to be a decent mower at a fair asking price: https://columbus.craigslist.org/grd/4953169167.html
New self propelled mowers are starting at $300. This is an example of what appears to be a decent mower at a fair asking price: https://columbus.craigslist.org/grd/4953169167.html
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Originally Posted By: andyd
Your criteria would negate my best Craiglist freebie. A 20 something 21" Toro with a 3 spd transmission. It mulches and bags. It has a Suzuki 4 stroke engine. It needed a shoulder bolt for a height adjuster That is it. This spring will be its 6th mowing season. I change the oil once in a while, sharpen the blade every yr and clean the foam air cleaner. I run the carb dry after every use and dose the gas with a little MMO. The 3 speed Toro rear drive is a good system. I am not a front wheel drive fan.
Another good mower is a Lawnboy commercial mower that was used by a homeowner not a landscaper.
I would look at any mower that had more metal than plastic showing. Best of luck in your search.
my complaint with the rear drive is I have to release the handle at every turn-around as opposed to just lifting the front end. Am I off base with this? On my Honda, I don't like the rear drive because the control for it is so lame. Are other rear drive brands any better?
Your criteria would negate my best Craiglist freebie. A 20 something 21" Toro with a 3 spd transmission. It mulches and bags. It has a Suzuki 4 stroke engine. It needed a shoulder bolt for a height adjuster That is it. This spring will be its 6th mowing season. I change the oil once in a while, sharpen the blade every yr and clean the foam air cleaner. I run the carb dry after every use and dose the gas with a little MMO. The 3 speed Toro rear drive is a good system. I am not a front wheel drive fan.
Another good mower is a Lawnboy commercial mower that was used by a homeowner not a landscaper.
I would look at any mower that had more metal than plastic showing. Best of luck in your search.
my complaint with the rear drive is I have to release the handle at every turn-around as opposed to just lifting the front end. Am I off base with this? On my Honda, I don't like the rear drive because the control for it is so lame. Are other rear drive brands any better?
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
You gotta be opened minded when it comes to buying what your chasing after.
New self propelled mowers are starting at $300. This is an example of what appears to be a decent mower at a fair asking price: https://columbus.craigslist.org/grd/4953169167.html
Yea, I like the Craftsman. I have heard the front drive wheels strip out the gear teeth regularly. Not sure if its as bad as some claim (yearly wheel replacement).
You gotta be opened minded when it comes to buying what your chasing after.
New self propelled mowers are starting at $300. This is an example of what appears to be a decent mower at a fair asking price: https://columbus.craigslist.org/grd/4953169167.html
Yea, I like the Craftsman. I have heard the front drive wheels strip out the gear teeth regularly. Not sure if its as bad as some claim (yearly wheel replacement).
The problem with front wheel drive is that when you're traveling uphill, the weight of the mower transfers to the rear wheels and the front wheels will just start spinning. Kind of defeats the purpose of having a self propelled mower. Even more so if you're bagging.
If you have a perfectly flat yard and don't bag your clippings, FWD will probably be fine. If you have hills and/or bag your clippings, you definitely want RWD.
If you have a perfectly flat yard and don't bag your clippings, FWD will probably be fine. If you have hills and/or bag your clippings, you definitely want RWD.
RWD is great for rear bagging. My first 2 mowers were FWD Craftsmans and the maintenance was constant. I haven't had to mess with the Toro. Once you realize that tipp ing up the front wheels doesn't help. I start opening my grip until the rear wheels stop without letting go of the bail. After awhile it becomes almost as easy as pushing down to raise the front.
The OP's criteria open up tons of mower brands made by Husky and other OEMs.
I have an older Craftsman that has worked fine for about 6 years. I bought it used. It was made by Husky, I believe.
I actually had a mower pretty much exactly like the Toro another poster is praising in this thread. I sold it because the handling sucked big time. It was easy to disengage the blade accidentally when trying to disengage the drive for a turn, meaning you had to be constantly re-engaging the blade or ripping holes in the grass as you turned.
I was impressed with the build quality of the Toro, but it wasn't good at mulching and the poor handling made me go back to my old Craftsman.
RWD does have benefits in some scenarios, but in my yard the easier handling of a FWD mower is a huge benefit.
My Craftsman has only needed a couple repairs since I've owned it. I replaced the front wheels because most of the tread was worn off. I also replaced the belt. Other than that, I change the oil every couple years and sharpen the blade every once in a while.
I have an older Craftsman that has worked fine for about 6 years. I bought it used. It was made by Husky, I believe.
I actually had a mower pretty much exactly like the Toro another poster is praising in this thread. I sold it because the handling sucked big time. It was easy to disengage the blade accidentally when trying to disengage the drive for a turn, meaning you had to be constantly re-engaging the blade or ripping holes in the grass as you turned.
I was impressed with the build quality of the Toro, but it wasn't good at mulching and the poor handling made me go back to my old Craftsman.
RWD does have benefits in some scenarios, but in my yard the easier handling of a FWD mower is a huge benefit.
My Craftsman has only needed a couple repairs since I've owned it. I replaced the front wheels because most of the tread was worn off. I also replaced the belt. Other than that, I change the oil every couple years and sharpen the blade every once in a while.
Lawnboy with an F series engine. The most bulletproof engine they made. All SP models are RWD. Keep good 2 stroke oil mixed with with gas at 40:1 ratio (3oz oil per gallon), clean and reoil the foam air filter once a season. It will outlast you. Does not smoke unless theres something drastically wrong (look for clogged air filter or clogged muffler if you see smoke at 40:1.
You can find them on Craigslist for $100 or less in most parts of the country.
But, they don't make them anymore.
My daily driver is an early '90s S21ZSR currently. 4hp but you'd never know it. I've never been able to kill the engine no matter the height of the grass.
You can find them on Craigslist for $100 or less in most parts of the country.
But, they don't make them anymore.
My daily driver is an early '90s S21ZSR currently. 4hp but you'd never know it. I've never been able to kill the engine no matter the height of the grass.
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Originally Posted By: KD0AXS
The problem with front wheel drive is that when you're traveling uphill, the weight of the mower transfers to the rear wheels and the front wheels will just start spinning. Kind of defeats the purpose of having a self propelled mower. Even more so if you're bagging.
If you have a perfectly flat yard and don't bag your clippings, FWD will probably be fine. If you have hills and/or bag your clippings, you definitely want RWD.
Understand, makes sense. I do have a flat lawn and I do NOT bag so I am sticking with the front drive. I am sure the rear drive and moving the bail is fine and if I had hills, I would go that route. I guess I just go used to lifting the mower and want to stick with that.
The problem with front wheel drive is that when you're traveling uphill, the weight of the mower transfers to the rear wheels and the front wheels will just start spinning. Kind of defeats the purpose of having a self propelled mower. Even more so if you're bagging.
If you have a perfectly flat yard and don't bag your clippings, FWD will probably be fine. If you have hills and/or bag your clippings, you definitely want RWD.
Understand, makes sense. I do have a flat lawn and I do NOT bag so I am sticking with the front drive. I am sure the rear drive and moving the bail is fine and if I had hills, I would go that route. I guess I just go used to lifting the mower and want to stick with that.
Originally Posted By: stephen9666
The OP's criteria open up tons of mower brands made by Husky and other OEMs.
I have an older Craftsman that has worked fine for about 6 years. I bought it used. It was made by Husky, I believe.
I actually had a mower pretty much exactly like the Toro another poster is praising in this thread. I sold it because the handling sucked big time. It was easy to disengage the blade accidentally when trying to disengage the drive for a turn, meaning you had to be constantly re-engaging the blade or ripping holes in the grass as you turned.
I was impressed with the build quality of the Toro, but it wasn't good at mulching and the poor handling made me go back to my old Craftsman.
RWD does have benefits in some scenarios, but in my yard the easier handling of a FWD mower is a huge benefit.
My Craftsman has only needed a couple repairs since I've owned it. I replaced the front wheels because most of the tread was worn off. I also replaced the belt. Other than that, I change the oil every couple years and sharpen the blade every once in a while.
There are lots of the Craftsman around here for about $100. I think I will pick one up and see how it goes. Can always re-sell if I don't like it.
The OP's criteria open up tons of mower brands made by Husky and other OEMs.
I have an older Craftsman that has worked fine for about 6 years. I bought it used. It was made by Husky, I believe.
I actually had a mower pretty much exactly like the Toro another poster is praising in this thread. I sold it because the handling sucked big time. It was easy to disengage the blade accidentally when trying to disengage the drive for a turn, meaning you had to be constantly re-engaging the blade or ripping holes in the grass as you turned.
I was impressed with the build quality of the Toro, but it wasn't good at mulching and the poor handling made me go back to my old Craftsman.
RWD does have benefits in some scenarios, but in my yard the easier handling of a FWD mower is a huge benefit.
My Craftsman has only needed a couple repairs since I've owned it. I replaced the front wheels because most of the tread was worn off. I also replaced the belt. Other than that, I change the oil every couple years and sharpen the blade every once in a while.
There are lots of the Craftsman around here for about $100. I think I will pick one up and see how it goes. Can always re-sell if I don't like it.
There, you just answered your own question. If you want to get a few years out of a cheap mower, then your all set.
I recommend one of these with Briggs main jet to richen it up where it needs to be:
Lightweight, extremely powerful, unaffected by hills and all Lawn Boy 21" attachments work. I pick these up through the year paying no more than $50 and sell them looking like that for $150-$225 depending on options. Some get put into my rental fleet too if they look too shabby to make flip money.
Lightweight, extremely powerful, unaffected by hills and all Lawn Boy 21" attachments work. I pick these up through the year paying no more than $50 and sell them looking like that for $150-$225 depending on options. Some get put into my rental fleet too if they look too shabby to make flip money.
Originally Posted By: philipp10
my complaint with the rear drive is I have to release the handle at every turn-around as opposed to just lifting the front end. Am I off base with this? On my Honda, I don't like the rear drive because the control for it is so lame. Are other rear drive brands any better?
A RWD Lawn Boy or Toro with the personal pace type of drive controls would help out. My last mower was the LB version of that and I could develop a good pace with turning on just one rear wheel and hitting the drive control just as I was getting to the next line and just following the mower as it pulled away.
Or you can do what I did last summer and pick up a RWD mower with swivel front wheels and just keep walking at each turn. It also makes going around circular landscaping much easier. Mine is an Ariens Classic 21 with a 6.75hp Briggs. I think this one would hit all of your criteria except the FWD. Mine cut my mowing time from 45 minutes to 25 minutes on a 1/3 acre residential lot.
my complaint with the rear drive is I have to release the handle at every turn-around as opposed to just lifting the front end. Am I off base with this? On my Honda, I don't like the rear drive because the control for it is so lame. Are other rear drive brands any better?
A RWD Lawn Boy or Toro with the personal pace type of drive controls would help out. My last mower was the LB version of that and I could develop a good pace with turning on just one rear wheel and hitting the drive control just as I was getting to the next line and just following the mower as it pulled away.
Or you can do what I did last summer and pick up a RWD mower with swivel front wheels and just keep walking at each turn. It also makes going around circular landscaping much easier. Mine is an Ariens Classic 21 with a 6.75hp Briggs. I think this one would hit all of your criteria except the FWD. Mine cut my mowing time from 45 minutes to 25 minutes on a 1/3 acre residential lot.
Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
Anything that is a 2-cycle Lawn Boy.
Now, you have to find one.
This.
If that fails, an older "Yard Machine" Lowes thing will work too. They have 6.5 horse B&S engines and are pretty rugged. Most I have seen on CL aren't self propelled, but there are front wheel drive models out there.
Their parts seem interchangeable too regardless of age. Mine is actually a Frankenstein of a 10ish year old one and a 2 year old one.
*Keep in mind you are looking for a mower at the worst possible time though.. Just like snow blower shopping in the winder and car shopping around tax time. If you can wait until the fall, you might get lucky. I bought a LB Duraforce LB last fall for $25.
Anything that is a 2-cycle Lawn Boy.
Now, you have to find one.
This.
If that fails, an older "Yard Machine" Lowes thing will work too. They have 6.5 horse B&S engines and are pretty rugged. Most I have seen on CL aren't self propelled, but there are front wheel drive models out there.
Their parts seem interchangeable too regardless of age. Mine is actually a Frankenstein of a 10ish year old one and a 2 year old one.
*Keep in mind you are looking for a mower at the worst possible time though.. Just like snow blower shopping in the winder and car shopping around tax time. If you can wait until the fall, you might get lucky. I bought a LB Duraforce LB last fall for $25.
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