I've only seen a few comments around the internet about how the handles attach on MTD and MTD's other brands. The bottom end of the handle sits in a plastic slot, and then you tighten down from the top with a plastic-handled bolt that goes through the handle and into a one inch or so square piece of metal.
The rest of the entire area around the handles and along the back looks to be one big piece of plastic. Playing with it in the store, the plastic areas had quite a lot of flex in them when moving the mower or pushing down on the handle to tip the front wheels up.
I was shocked seeing this handle setup. I suppose all of that plastic could be designed to flex a lot, flex but not break, but I have my doubts. And if anything in that area breaks, it looks like you have to replace the entire rear plastic section.
I've read a lot of push mower review comments on the big box store websites lately. Lots of complaints about mowers not starting, wheels breaking, self-propelled dying, etc, but, surprisingly, only one negative comment about the handle attaching to so much flexible plastic. The handles in the store had a lot of slop in them due to the flexing, and it seems like a weak design, but with a lack of negative comments about it, maybe it's actually good? I snapped the metal handle on my 5+ year old Brute, so handle durability is important.
Here's an example of what I mean. Click on the picture and then zoom in with the zoom button.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Yard-Machines...r-Bag/504403196
It looks like all current MTDs use this design. Cub Cadet, Remington, Lawnboy, Brute, Yard Machine, Craftsman, some Snappers, etc. Along with some other brands.
Also, the slots at each wheel for the height adjustment are plastic nubs that the lever locks around. The ones in this picture look pretty big, but on some of MTD's other brands the nubs were very small.
