So I'm doing some research on this because I need one for my small yard. This is just for very basic lawn care; I'm not a landscaper or anything nor do I want to be.

Along with the regular customer reviews at Sears, Home Depot, and Lowes, found this review:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home...g/4213501.html

After all that research, I'm probably just going to get a nice Craftsman RWD self propelled (so the wife can do it too) and even though my lawn is small, I'm thinking of getting a 3 in 1, with the bagging, mulching, and side discharge.

The Toros got great reviews and are no doubt better quality, but given what I need it for, I don't know if I can justify the extra 40-50% in price.

Any input?

 

I THINK I have this one
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...011&lpage=none

Works well. Easy to start and push. I do not use the mulching tho.

 

I just ended up getting this one because it was on sale:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...ear+Bag+Mowers

I'll probably give it a run tomorrow.

 

Did you add the turbo?

 

GReddy twins.... need wider wheels now though.... traction issues.

 

good move not getting the rear-wheel drive ones. I used to have one back in the day when I mowed lawns during college. They are GREAT for really big lawns, but if your lawn is tight and you need to make tight turns and maneuvers, they're a total PITA. Front-drive is better for smaller lawns, and no-drive is fine for a townhouse!

hey, I thought some guy told you you could have his old one?

 

i have a 6 HP Craftsman w/Briggs & Stratton motor. Had it for 4+ years, works great.

 

get a honda, it will last you forever, and wont rattle itself apart. You won't regret spending the extra money

 

Yeah, I do have a tight lawn, so I just got the one with the "high" rear wheels and that is non-propelled. I've used it once and do like it so far. Don't think I'll use the bagger, just the side discharge and mulcher.

The "guy" did tell me he could have his old one, but I hesitated and someone else took it fair and square so I'll let him have it.

 

Amen. I'm still kicking myself on that one. 5 years ago I bought a $300 Yard Machines with a 5.5hp Honda motor. The mower is falling a part expect for that jewel of a motor. Next season I'm getting a $600 Honda. Yeah, it's a lot more up front, but I won't ever have to replace it. My father has an 89 self-propelled Honda with a 4hp motor and I have to jog behind it because it's so quick and strong. The thing is like a rock. It's so stiff and transmits very little vibration to the controls. You really do get what you pay for.

 

+1 on Honda mowers. I happened to get lucky and pick up a refurbished one @ Home Depot. Retail price was $550, I walked out the door for $260. I sold it to my old roommate but nearly 5 years later, its still runs strong!

 

I have a small yard, I went to Lowe's and picked up a Troy-Built w/Briggs and Stratton motor. It was about $30 cheaper then the Troy-Built w/Honda motor, I didn't see the point in getting the Honda for the extra money.

I like it. At the time I bought it my yard was like a meadow, its got the side discharge, I figured it would take maybe two rounds to cut the yard since it was so freakin tall, but it still took only about 45 minutes and it only hiccupped once. Lowe's site is down right now can't show a pic. I believe it was like $225 out the door.

 

My friend had a Briggs on his log splitter, the housing cracked in half. He took the Honda off his pressure washer, bolted it to the log splitter, finished the pile then bought a new Honda motor for the pressure washer the next day


I've had Briggs run for years but there is a huge difference between them and Honda motors. (power/starting/noise/smoothness)

 

That mower ended up getting donated to a local Iraq vet so it's at a good home. I ended up coping a bagger jawns, I needed it for the weekend project.....

 

Toros have done me well.. That first one I ever used was Dad's old one. it was about 10 years old when I started mowing lawns, about 20 years ago. after about 5 years (It's 15 years old at this point), it started having problems restarting when hot. he took it in to have it checked out.. "you might as well just buy a new mower, mister"... he bought another toro..
he gave the old one to me to tear down and play with. I had it fixed the next weekend- just needed a carb rebuild.

toro #2 is still going today and it's about 15-20 years old now.

Before I got married I was living with my grandfolks' and mowing their lawn with their 10 year old Toro... When I got married and moved out, they decided they'd pay a lawn service to do it and gave me their old mower for my "new" house. that was 6 years ago this month, and it's still going strong.

So umm yeah. I like 'em Toros.
3 mowers, 45+ years between them and they're still running.

 

Cant go wrong with toro. When my grandpa first came to the country from England, he bought a 5HP toro ride own lawnmower. The thing was expensive, up till about last year, it was still running strong, the thing was over 30 years old. They moved to canada in 1976, and it was still running strong in 2007, but it was stolen. Biggest 5hp motor id ever seen, this thing was so cool, it had an actual gear box, with a seperate clutch pedal!!!!

Ive had a craftsman 6hp witht he briggs, ive never had any problems with it, starts up first to second pull every year, even when it doesnt get winterized. Ill be honest, ive never even changed the air filter, or oil..kinda neglect it, thinking about it now i probably should.

RWD mowers suck for tight areas..fwds are better, because if you need to make a tight turn, just pop the front wheels off the ground. dont have to disengage anything!

 

anyone remember the eager-1 engines?