Recommend a quality push mower that will last.

[itguy08]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: itguy08

I think few mowers will make it 20 years. And the math doesn't make much sense if you pay more than $1k - I could buy 5 $200 mowers and if I get 3-5 years out of them that's 12-15 years before I break even.


Not sure why. Most must store them outside or not keep them clean.

My parents 1986 airens rider is perfect. The last mower I bought for my home is an 06 and in great shape, the last one at my parents other house is a 1995-ish mower, ad besides new wheels, has been fine, even with a Tecumseh engine.


Ours is stored in the shed, I pressure wash the deck underside a couple times a season and cahnge the oil/filter once a season. No real rust and other than the drive wheels wearing out it's been fine.

Our last mower was a piece. I went cheap and bought a return from Sears. Engine never really ran right. The drive system [censored] out by year 3 and then the engine stopped running right, despite new plugs and carb. Sent that to the junkyard as it was obviously a lemon.

 

[dwcopple]

Originally Posted By: Falken
Something with a B&S engine on it.
+1. I had a Toro Personal Pace with a Tecumseh on it and sold it for a massive profit and picked up a high wheel Craftsman with a 6.75 Briggs on it. The Craftsman is much nicer to push. That personal pace trans is junk and they fail frequently due to a cheap Chinese bearing on the pinion shaft. I had to rebuild mine and used a Timken when I did. Still sucked.

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: Robenstein
I too recommend Snapper. They seem to have good quality control and last a long time.


Agreed, I finally blew one up in '11 at 30 years old(yes it was a '81 model)... Since I had a nicer '83 Snapper with a bent crank, I spent approx $100 on parts to adapt a '04 Honda engine to it... I'm betting that deck will still out last the engine...

 

[dareo]

The best mulcher i've ever used to date is my Time Master with the TurfMaster ($1800 commercial version of the mower) blades installed. The twin 15" blades just do a great job. But you can't expect to mow it every two weeks and chew through it. No mower can do that outside of the commercial 36" walk behinds. But regular week long grass it does a great job. Better than any single blade mower I've had before.

I actually cut my personal lawn twice a week most weeks. Just so it can look perfect on Weds and Sat. With a 30" mower it takes me about 15 minutes and barely uses any gas. The clippings are totally gone with two cuts a week. It looks just like i used my old snapper hi vac and bagged it. However the stripes are wider and looks less busy than a 21" cut.

For the past decade, i have cut 6 lawns per week. The Time master has been a huge success in cut quality, and up to 50% time savings. Many times i can get all 6 lawns cut on a single tank, and that tank is very small. With a Toro 22" i'd fill up at least once per route.

If your small lawn takes 30 minutes, that is about 15 hours of run time per average season. Cut that down to 20 minutes with a 30" and now its only about 9 hours of machine run time per season. The B&S engine on mine is emissions certified for 125 hours run time. Since you are on BITOG, it will likely get very good oil change care and last double the emissions certified time. Spending more now pays off in your time, gas savings, and theoretical equipment lifespan.

Sorry to post twice about the same mower but i just really like it and wanted to make a case for its higher price point.

 

[whip]

I bought my Toro from a dealer about 6 years ago. It's been great.

 

[Hokiefyd]

If you've killed a Honda mower (what kind of Honda...they make residential and commercial grade) and a Toro mower, I recommend you step up to a true commercial grade mower. Any other Toro/Craftsman/MTD/etc mower is going to succumb to the same fate as your others. Gravely, Snapper, John Deere, older Lawn-Boys, older Hondas...these are all much higher quality than you can buy today.

I am curious, though. What failed on the Honda and what failed on the Toro? If we know what killed the old ones, maybe we can give suggestions on how to maintain the next one.

 

[Chris B.]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
If you've killed a Honda mower (what kind of Honda...they make residential and commercial grade) and a Toro mower, I recommend you step up to a true commercial grade mower. Any other Toro/Craftsman/MTD/etc mower is going to succumb to the same fate as your others. Gravely, Snapper, John Deere, older Lawn-Boys, older Hondas...these are all much higher quality than you can buy today.

I am curious, though. What failed on the Honda and what failed on the Toro? If we know what killed the old ones, maybe we can give suggestions on how to maintain the next one.


Here is my problem with the Toro:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...138#Post3026138

The Honda had all kinds of problems from not having enough power to mulch, not wanting to start, stalling out for no reason even on concrete. It was bran new too.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Man, that's tough luck! Neither of the problems with your mowers are all that common (but of course frustrating when they happen to you). I hope the next one you buy will be a good one!

 

[Audioquest]

I am the original owner of a 1991 Honda HRA215SXC mower that runs as good today as it did day one. The only problem I've ever had with it was some dirt got into the carb and it needed a good cleaning after 18 years. I ran the same air filter until this year! The steel deck is getting a little rusty, but that's to be expected. I'll never buy another brand than Honda.

 

[Chris B.]

How would this Snapper hold up? http://www.walmart.com/ip/Snapper-21-Sid...Product+Reviews

Also this Murry does not sound to bad and has a powerful engine:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Murray-21-Gas-Powered-190cc-Self-Propelled-Lawn-Mower/22094735

 

[mechanicx]

I don't have personal experience with those Snappers, but I've looked at them at Walmart and they seem like nice mowers for the price.

I think what has happened in the past is you had a Toro with too much stuff on like blade clutch, so more problems. And the Honda, well they do seem to have finnicky carbs. I think they are about as durable as a Briggs is but the carbs are more finnicky. And if it was a GCV160 and self propelled, while adequate for push mowers might be overtaxed for self-propelled.

Since it seems you don't need self propelled just a mulcher, want the mower to last a long time without repairs and lots of maintenance, and I assume closer to $400 or less, I would get a push mower without self propelled. The Briggs powered even with the auto-choke carb has been less finicky than the Honda in my experience. Isn't there a Snapper mulcher push available?

Get the non-self propelled model and try to keep the fuel tanked topped up and with stabil added and it shouldn't give you any problems for years to come.

 

[mechanicx]

Oh yeah of the two you posted I like the Snapper better than the Murray. I don't like primer bulb carbs and prefer the readystart, but some prefer the opposite. If it's self-propelled I prefer RWD, but I could be wrong. Then there's variable pace vs one-speed on the less expensive. A single adjustable cut heaight lever is nice on the higher level Snapper but it adds weight.

It's so hard to pick the right mower anymore.

I guessing Walmart doesn't have a push snapper? If I were buying self-propelled at Walmart, I'd lean the top model Snapper with an OHV briggs RWD, ball bearing wheels, single adjustment for cut height. Or a push mulcher with the best engine. I'd suspect the push mower even an inexpensive one would give the least problems long term.

 

[04SE]

My Honda HR214 is 3 years younger than me. It has countless hundreds of hours on it and starts first pull every time. It does smoke for a few seconds on initial start up but come on, it is 25 years old. The deck is aluminum/alloy and the only real thing wrong with it is the front wheel assemblies need replaced but that will cost more than the $50 I paid for it 7 years ago. I am contemplating doing a full restoration on it this winter and giving my Troy Bilt TB210 to a relative. The Honda uses half the gas that the TB210 does with its inefficient B&S flathead.

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: Chris B.
How would this Snapper hold up? http://www.walmart.com/ip/Snapper-21-Sid...Product+Reviews

Also this Murry does not sound to bad and has a powerful engine:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Murray-21-Gas-Powered-190cc-Self-Propelled-Lawn-Mower/22094735


I wouldn't swap one of my 1980s Snappers for one... FWD sucks...

Mowers like mine were $469 in 1987, now days are $700 -$800 depending on engine choice, though since B&S now owns Snapper that is probably the only choice...

 

[Hokiefyd]

That Snapper posted is a very low-grade lawn mower. It uses a plastic front axle assembly and uses a very inexpensive front wheel drive mechanism. You'll have at least as many issues with that as you had with your better Toro and Honda mowers.

I don't think you'll be happy with another consumer-grade lawn mower. You need a commercial-grade mower. Get an alloy-deck Honda HR215 or an older Snapper or John Deere used for a few hundred bucks. You'll pay the same as you will for a new mower, but it will be a much higher quality lawn mower.

My Honda HR215 has a commercial-grade engine, shaft drive (no belts to break), 3-speed transmission, Roto-Stop blade brake clutch, full ball bearing wheels, etc. It's a 2001 model and I've owned it since about 2004 or 2005. I've done nothing to it except keep it washed and keep the oil changed. It purrs like the day it was built, and it's 12 years old. I do 2-3 yards weekly with it and it has countless hundreds of hours on it. This is the kind of mower that will last a long time for you. Buy one a used one smart (or equivalent older Snapper or Deere), and it'll be the best $200 you'll ever spend on lawn equipment.

 

[dwcopple]

My dad just bought a new craftsman 3-in-1 high wheel push with a Kohler engine on it and it's a POS. I had to go mow their yard because they went to Virginia for a week. The thing nearly stalled in 4-5" grass three times and the highest wheel setting is still too low. I was very disappointed to say the least. He thinks it's great though, or so he says...

 

[afoulk]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
That Snapper posted is a very low-grade lawn mower. It uses a plastic front axle assembly and uses a very inexpensive front wheel drive mechanism. You'll have at least as many issues with that as you had with your better Toro and Honda mowers.

I don't think you'll be happy with another consumer-grade lawn mower. You need a commercial-grade mower. Get an alloy-deck Honda HR215 or an older Snapper or John Deere used for a few hundred bucks. You'll pay the same as you will for a new mower, but it will be a much higher quality lawn mower.

My Honda HR215 has a commercial-grade engine, shaft drive (no belts to break), 3-speed transmission, Roto-Stop blade brake clutch, full ball bearing wheels, etc. It's a 2001 model and I've owned it since about 2004 or 2005. I've done nothing to it except keep it washed and keep the oil changed. It purrs like the day it was built, and it's 12 years old. I do 2-3 yards weekly with it and it has countless hundreds of hours on it. This is the kind of mower that will last a long time for you. Buy one a used one smart (or equivalent older Snapper or Deere), and it'll be the best $200 you'll ever spend on lawn equipment.


I concur. I've seen a few of the silver John Deere mowers with the Kawasaki engine on craigslist lately. Besides those and the older snappers, I'd also recommend trying to find a used ariens/gravely with the Kawasaki. And then there are the older lawn boys. There's a reason 70's and 80's lawn boys bring more money than slightly used newer stuff

 

[Chris B.]

Ok I found a RWD Snapper with 7.75 hp for $348. That is a lot of power and should mulch well. It got mostly 5 star reviews. If I get self propelled I'm leaning towards this one:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Snapper-21-Sid...indingMethod=rr

If I get a push mower I'm leaning towards this Murry but the reviews are mixed so I'm not sure it is a good choice:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Murray-625e-Hi...Product+Reviews

Found a FWD Murray that got outstanding reviews. How do FWD mowers work overall? My lawn is mostly flat and even with a few bumps. Here is a link to this mower:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Murray-21-Gas-...indingMethod=rr

Here is another FWD Snapper that got great reviews but I'm still wondering on how well the FWD works:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Snapper-21-Sid...Product+Reviews

 

[punisher]

Originally Posted By: Chris B.
Ok I found a RWD Snapper with 7.75 hp for $348. That is a lot of power and should mulch well. It got mostly 5 star reviews. If I get self propelled I'm leaning towards this one:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Snapper-21-Sid...indingMethod=rr

If I get a push mower I'm leaning towards this Murry but the reviews are mixed so I'm not sure it is a good choice:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Murray-625e-Hi...Product+Reviews

Found a FWD Murray that got outstanding reviews. How do FWD mowers work overall? My lawn is mostly flat and even with a few bumps. Here is a link to this mower:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Murray-21-Gas-...indingMethod=rr

Here is another FWD Snapper that got great reviews but I'm still wondering on how well the FWD works:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Snapper-21-Sid...Product+Reviews


I would bet every one of those is an MTD.

Unlike some, I don't automatically condemn MTD mowers. They are not the best....by a longshot. My Troy-Bilt branded MTD has gone about 5 years and has been flawless. Combination of a Lowes sale, gift coupon, and an immediate need got me to buy it.

 

[Chris B.]

Yeah my Toro died a few days ago and I need a new one now before the lawn is to long. I don't have the $1000+ for a true commercial mower so I'm hoping a Wal-Mart Mower will last me another 5 years and then I can get a nice heavy duty mower that will last till I die...LOL