NFT: Nft: Lawnmower recommendations?

does everything I need it to do and so easy to switch between Mulch, Bag, and discharge

and that price range will find you a good one. Maintain it. I just thought of a thread idea. Stand by.

I mow a half acre by hand with it for the past 6 years and it turns over first pull every time..

Be sure to get a mulching mower and buy the mulching plug

I was shopping a few years ago and my neighbor said whatever I get just make sure it has a Honda engine.

He knows more about lawn care than Randy knows about self-pleasure.

I have a Honda quad cut, that mulches, bags, or discharges and I use it on half an acre the past 5 years.

zero issues.

annual maintenance and that's it.

for over 20 years and sold it before I moved to Florida. I never had a problem with it. I'd own another in an instance...though I'm done with lawn care. :)

In comment 11636411 haper said:

Quote:

I was shopping a few years ago and my neighbor said whatever I get just make sure it has a Honda engine.

Forgot to clarify my neighbor works in construction and uses small engines constantly, specifically generators. Said he was reluctant to switch to Honda but he was amazed how much better than any other small engine out there.

In comment 11636417 pjcas18 said:

Quote:

I have a Honda quad cut, that mulches, bags, or discharges and I use it on half an acre the past 5 years. zero issues. annual maintenance and that's it.

I have the same mower, I only change the oil annualy

I mow a half acre, mostly flat but heavily treed and shrubbed lot. Used a walk mower for many years before upgrading to a tractor to make mowing easier and quicker, but have always maintained a walk mower for trimming around greenery and small spaces that I can't do with the tractor.

I've had a front wheel drive Craftsman, a high end rear wheel drive Toro, and currently own a mid-level rear wheel drive Honda. The Craftsman was garbage. The Honda cuts and mulches better than the Toro, but the Toro was far superior in every other way. It didn't cost much more than the Honda, either.

Compared to the Honda, the Toro started easier, started a WHOLE LOT more reliably, had better gearing for best walking / cutting speeds, had more comfortable handles and better controls, was easier to maintain (with grease fittings for the rear axle), didn't care which way you turned it over to scrape out the deck (the Honda very definitely does - if you turn it on the air cleaner side, you will have to replace the air cleaner before it will run again), and had a cast aluminum deck that would not rust versus the steel deck on the Craftman that rusted out and on the Honda which will eventually rust away.

The Honda is slightly smaller and a bit lighter than the Toro was, and does have dual (stacked) blades which account for the better cut and superior mulching performance, but also are double the price to sharpen, and mower blades should be sharpened and balanced at least once a season.

The front wheel drive Craftsman was a total pile of shit after seven years. Among other problems the deck rusted out and that's the kiss of death. Sears did provide service parts for it, but I had to wait several days to a couple of weeks every time I needed anything. I did rebuild the drive train twice and the engine once to get a few more years out of it. In retrospect, I should have thrown it away after about four or five years. And I would never have another one.

The Toro lasted me for fifteen years, and I finally sold the tired old thing for something like $50, but it would still cut grass just fine.

I am now dumping the Honda, which I used strictly as a trim mower, after about ten years because I am sick of its piss-poor starting characteristics and don't need it any more anyway. And I would NOT buy another one or recommend the brand to anyone.

Here's a few general recommendations.

If you are going for a self-propelled, go with rear wheel drive because those systems are built better, work better, and last much longer.

Mulching is the only way to go because it helps your yard look better after mowing and provides free fertilizer from the chopped up cuttings.

Easy, reliable starting is really, really important because you want it to run when you need it.

Easy to use controls and comfortable handles really count a lot if you have to spend much time mowing.

and abuse it pretty regularly. Going on 5 years now without incident.

$350 6 years ago and I run it a lot. I mow 3/4 acre, 1 to 2 times a week from April though November. In the fall months I eat leaves with it.

Great mower. Starts every spring with one pull. Great for mulching or bagging. It's self propelled (rear drive) and the floating handle ensures the mower moves at whatever pace you desire. It has an electric ignition which I never use and forget is even there.

Toro recycler is great. Cuts really nice too.

drive.
And large rear wheels are better than small rear wheels.

.

got it off craigs list used 3 years ago for 100 bucks. Works great, minor maintenance. New blade was like 10 bucks on Amazon, of course i checked that after trying to file the blade sharp for 45 minutes.

and got a toro model from sears in around there.

like others have said, if you take care of it, change oil and maintain, etc, it should last a long time.

started first pull this spring after running out gas last fall with startron (on bbi's heated recommendation) and changing oil before putting away for winter.

Whatever you choose, how you handle fuel will be a big factor in how well it runs. Never use old gas, and always use fuel stabilizer in a fresh can. Run the mower out of gas at the end of the season so you don't have stale gas sitting in it over the winter. If your mower has a fuel cutoff valve, use it after every mowing and run the mower till it shuts off. That will prevent gumming of the carb and fuel line.

Got a used one
The BEAST!!!!!! - ( New Window )

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm going to start researching and searching fr deals

that Red Dog just shared, but he stole my thunder.

It's been very reliable, and it's actually a very effective mulcher (dual offset blades and a good amount of power), and being able to mix mulch/bag is nice on occasions where you let the grass grow a few days too long.

I think there are some ergonomic issues and it's surprisingly heavy, which when coupled with a very touchy self propulsion system, makes it a little hard to work with in tight spaces and around landscaping.

It has to be kept really clean as well as the much->bag mechanism (essentially a hunk of plastic that slides over the discharge by a handle on the top of the deck) can get packed with clippings and dirt build up very quickly. I generally have to hit mine with the hose after every use (which is good practice but sometimes I simply don't have time). I'm really surprised at how well the grass and dirt cakes on to a thick and well coated plastic deck.

They last forever. The last one I had lasted 17 years and I'm not the type that takes utmost care of mowers. I'm on my second one and have had it 5 years now without incident.

Push models are lighter and much easier to maneuver. I've had both and got rid of a self propelled model to go back to a push mower because of the weight and lack of maneuverability .

you can get a mower for less than $50 bucks. Most people throw away their mowers when all they need is a $10 part.

They are very simple machines. They need..
1. fuel
2. compression
3. spark

That's it.

Usually, the issue is fuel. However, it can be a fouled plug too.

Test for compression. Easy way to do that is to pull the starter rope. If you get a lot of resistance then there is decent compression. If it pulls too easily then you may have a compression issue which can be verified with a compression test.

Then, pull the spark plug. Re-attach the boot to the plug and place it next to a piece of metal on the mower. Pull the rope and if you see a spark then you are good there.

The last thing it could be is fuel supply and this is most likely the issue. If the mower passed the first two tests above, then this is a cheap fix. The most you would be in for is replacing the old fuel, possibly a carb rebuild kit for less than $10. And/OR a new rubber fuel line for about $10.

So, where am I going with this? You have an opportunity to purchase a higher end machine that would normally cost you A LOT of money. Lawn mowers are items that you should not be afraid to buy used if you have any clue at all how to use a few basic tools.