Advice Wanted For Buying A Lawn Mower

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Hello everyone. Last season I cut the grass on our small mobile home lot with a reel mower. Well it was a lot of work plus it did not cut well with our grass type. This year I want a basic push mower. I am trying to stay under $200 out the door including small gas can. I want to buy new. Why not buy used you may ask? I do not want to buy from Criagslist because who knows if the oil was changed....was the mower taken care of such as carb issues. I have been looking at the newer models of B&S engines and for my use it would seem I would be in the E series or EX series of engines for my small yard. I would be using high quality motor oil and fuel stabizer in the mower (such as Amsoil products). What engines and brands should I consider for my basic needs? Most of the push mowers out there are made by MTD and rebadged anyways.....and most are using the same few B&S engines on them. Thanks for your help.
 
If it is a small lot and you want new, I would just buy a $90 thing at your local box store. Perhaps try to find one with a Briggs?
 
All I've ever owned was used mowers that people either gave me , or picked from the trash. If I only get 10 years out of them and they blow up, I'm still ahead of people that buy new mowers every two years, because they don't take reasonable care of them.,,,
 
Try sharpening the blade on your push reel mower. It's easy enough to do and the instructions should be in the Owner's Manual or check internet/youtube. I used regular valve grinding compound I bought off Amazon. That's assuming that your push reel mower is adjusted properly, but if you have been using it for a while it probably need sharpening and adjusting. For a small lot a push reel is probably your best bet. Plus you get some exercise out of it.
 
Don't overthink it and don't get a high rear wheel mower. Run the sucker out of fuel at the end of the mowing season and make sure the gas tank is completely empty.
 
If your lawn is tall fescue like a lot of VA lawns, I can see why a reel mower may not be good.

Living in VA, don't be afraid to check mowers at Ace Hardware and Southern States. For me, I'd avoid any engines made in China. You'll find many Briggs engines now made in Mexico.
 
The reel mower was given to me last year. The blades were adjusted and sharpened using a hand crank tool and compound from Amazon. The reel lawn mower will slice paper like scissors but not cut my grass well due to whatever type of grass I have. I am not that against a used mower...however my experience in the past with doing so was not good. You get it home and rebuild the carb. Then you fire it up after an oil change and it smokes like a wood stove. For this small lot I do not think I can justify a $300 Honda lawn mower. I know people say "you get what you pay for", but most all the mowers that I am seeing no matter the name....have a select few of the same B&S engines on them yet have a wide price swing. I have seen cheap KMart lawn mowers last ten years or more because they were taken care of. I have also seen expensive Honda, Toro, and Snapper mowers last a few seasons because they were not cared for....(gas left in them, no fuel treatment, no tune ups, etc). In a nutshell does it have more to do with taking care of whatever I buy compared to what I buy?
 
The only used mower I would buy would be two stroke Lawnboy. They are pretty much indestructible and will cut down a tree if you can get on top of it. That being said, any lawnmower will last you a long time if you take reasonable care. I would never pay for the $300 plus Honda for what you need buy a Murray at Walmart with the classic Briggs and it will outlast you.
 
I am a big fan of buying used from craigslist. But when it came to replacing my junk mower, I found the prices way too high on craigslist. I bought a new Sears mower for $250. It was not the cheapest and I stayed away from self-propelled units.
 
A $25 craigslist mower will be perfect for your mobile home lot. Patience is key here....
No reason to have an expensive mower unless you are trying to lighten your wallet.

You have until May to buy one so check CR daily until you find the one you want. Ideally the "I bought this last year, used it twice and now it won't start ad"

Please don't buy a new one and please don't pay for any $$$ oil for it.

Put in leftovers from your cars ... It will be perfectly fine

This is life advice
 
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This might sound crazy, because I love engines, but I had a very small lot one time (took me 20-30 minutes to push mow) at a house I lived at for 7 years. I actually bought a Black & Decker electric battery push mower and loved that thing. It had plenty of power, was quiet, I never had to do anything to maintain it except charge it, and I never ran out of juice to mow with. I think they can be had for well under 200 bucks. I NEVER had a problem with the crazy thing. I could mow on Sunday morning without disturbing the neighbors. I sold it to the lady that bought the house when I moved. She still uses it.

Now I have 3 acres and have a Country Clipper with a 23 hp B&S Vanguard. IF you absolutely want a simple gas push mower, I would not give a hoot about what brand it is, just that it looks like it has a solid deck and either a Briggs or Honda engine on it. Right now around here, Menards has their "Brute" mowers with a 5.5 hp Briggs engine for about $180. They are made by MTD and are ofen sold at other big box stores under the Troy Bilt and Yardman names. Like the other poster said, if you can find one with large back wheels, that can be an advantage if you turn a lot.
 
I got the neighbors mower out of the garbage and got it running, smoked like crazy. The oil looked like tar. I don't think he ever changed it. I changed the oil, flushed it, changed the oil again. Started first pull every time still smoked like crazy. Nice OHV mower, self propelled, but the smoking drove me crazy and it got worse as you mowed. I sold it to a guy down the street for $15. Told him it smoked bad when it warmed up. Seen him a week later, no smoke. I stopped and asked him What The.. He said he put a new muffler on it. Go figure.
 
I bought a lawnmower at Home Depot for about $230 last summer. It was only when I went to drain the oil last fall that I discovered it had no drain plug. One is supposed to tip the mower on its side to drain. Not very happy about that.

Just ranting. Carry on.
 
Originally Posted By: Brybo86
A $25 craigslist mower will be perfect for your mobile home lot. Patience is key here....
No reason to have an expensive mower unless you are trying to lighten your wallet.

You have until May to buy one so check CR daily until you find the one you want. Ideally the "I bought this last year, used it twice and now it won't start ad"

Please don't buy a new one and please don't pay for any $$$ oil for it.

Put in leftovers from your cars ... It will be perfectly fine

This is life advice


Mowers don't grow on trees. I don't see any $25 mowers on craigslist where I live. They are more like $100-$125 and up for an old worn out POS.
Yeah, you might beat em down a $20. Or you could buy the $40 mower that states it leaks oil.
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Buying one that allows for a fuel filter would be a good idea. Then engines with tank mounted carburetors are very susceptible to fuel contamination.
 
I am having the same issue in my area. For what people are asking on Craigslist for a used mower in who knows what shape....I can get a new on From Wally's World. I will not be buying tomorrow or anything but I am researching what I can now to get the best value for the money. I am not wanting to buy a used POS and then sink time and money into it when I can get something new with a warranty and try and keep it working great rather than chase problems.
 
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