Lawn Mowers (NF)

[Gerritt]

Well with Spring in the air and me being able to see my lawn I was reminded that I need to purchase a new Lawn mower... Yay me! My old hand me down Craftsman gave its last trim job last fall and is now in Lawn mower heaven...may she RIP

 

So My lot is about 30x105ish? and the grass is really thick...

 

What do my fellow OFNr's recommend? any brands to avoid?

 

I have a budget of 500.00 for this purchase if that helps.

 

I found my Craftsman had a hard go of it if I let the grass grow for more then a week.. do I want a side discharge? rear discharge? Bagger? Mulcher?

 

Soo many choices.. I just want a decent unit within my budget...

 

 

So if you had 500.00 in hand what would you buy and for what reason?

 

Thanks for the help guys.

 

Gerritt.

[tjsa]

I found my Craftsman had a hard go of it if I let the grass grow for more then a week..

Gerritt.

 

Your's had a hard go??, lol, try using an electric after a month of growing :D (I hate yard work, hence the month of growing)

 

I am probably gonna pick up a mulching mower, GAS POWERED, this year, probably from CTC.

[danc]

Look for something that is at least 5 or 6 hp Gerritt. It's amazing what you can mow down with a little more hp.

[Kawartha Kev]

I bought a Toro Super Recycler a few years back and couldn't be happier. It is like a mulcher but cuts even finer so nothing is left of the clippings. I wouldn't bother with any type of bagger the only options to consider are self propelled vs push and electric vs pull start. The more bells and whistles the greater the price and the more things to go wrong I got the basic push model with a pull start and have had no problems. Self propelled is nice for hills though fortunately my yards flat. I also like the fact it is a 4 stroke so its cleaner and you don't have to worry about the gas mix just my personal preferance although I use the 2 stroke Lawn Boys at work in the summer but they tend to smoke and break down when somebody mixes the wrong gas.

 

Good Luck Kawartha Kev

[Daplumma]

Tiller!!Just kidding.Seems that most are the same nowdays.The motors will prolly outlast the stamped steel frame.The Shiny green John deer and Cub Cadets are not the same as the ones you used to get.Just restickered MTD's and Murry's.You can go cheap and buy the store brand and expect to replace it in a few years or spend more on a name brand and prolly last about the same amount of time.I did have a lawnboy 2 stroke that I really liked but it died after a decade or so.Mostly I use a Bobcat Zero turning radius or the bushog but I think that may be overkill for your lot.Hopefully someone in the repair business will give some more insight.You may want to just check out some yard sales and save a ton.

Joe

[Whopper]

I have a rear bagger Toro that I have had for well over 15years and love it. Believe it or not, besides fishing I really enjoy yard work.

 

Whopper

[iceguy]

Toro or lawnboy nothing else. With proper maintenance it will last you 20 years. Keep the blade sharp and balanced especially in the spring.

[Daplumma]

Forgot about Toro..very fine machines

Joe

[Pigeontroller]

HONDA!

[Bernie]

Several neighbors have Hondas. One fella bought one and it now seems to be the trend. I may look at one myself when my old beater fails me. They are more money but not sure how much more.

[Canuck2fan]

Have you ever thought about raising goats? They mow and fertilize and you can sell the milk from the females. I am sure someone on here can tell you how many you will need for a lot that size....

[Mike the Pike]

Gerritt not sure what to recommend I have great success with Honda products.

 

I bought a Briggs and Stratton from Wallmart in 1992 3.5hp rear bagger It just will not die runs like the day I bought it.Don't get a side bagger there a pain in the A-- to manuever.Like DanC says go with more horspower after years with 3.5hp I will go 5 or 6hp next time.When I get back from a 2 week holiday and the grass is long the little 3.5hp struggles with the tall grass.

 

Alot of good products to choose from.MTP

[Puckhead]

To be honest, I don't think brand matters much... I got a B&G at Walmart 6 or 7 years ago and it's great. I think it cost me 250., 5.5 hp. I think the brand was MDS but it was briggs and straton under the hood - and its great - no matter how hard I treat it - it just won't die. It's not really about the price. Some of the mass produced good brands are junkier than the "cheaper" smaller brands. I wouldn't be too hung up on the brand. I would look at engine, profile (max height available - a lot of the newer models are too low and if you have a couple weeks growth, yikes). I will say that I know the john deere's are bullet proof. Had a friend that had it for a million years... never skipped a beat.

 

Mulching option is good if there is enough hp on it. Low hp + mulching + tall grass = swearing.

Edited March 25, 2007 by Puckhead

[Terry]

merc 2.5 hp

they don't make a lawn mower

 

but flip it around and it makes a pretty good weedwacker, then throw it on the boat as a kicker....2 birds with one stone

 

well that's what I told my wife

[taper]

Honda 's are great and they are always rated low for their power. They are pricey but it will last if you take care of it.

[Fisherman]

If you're interested, check the Sears.ca site, they have honda powered models on sale until June. 5.5 and 6.5 hp. I have one coming soon, rear bagger, rear drive.

[motv8tr]

I too need a new mower, but I don't have your budget. I haven't made up my mind what one to buy, but I do know I'll be getting one that's a mulcher...no raking or emptying the bag for me, my lot is 100x150, and I remember when I had a lot a bit smaller, I was emptying the bag every other pass.

 

Maureen

[boatman]

Mulching mowers are not the same as regular mowers. If you want to do a proper job of mulching you can't let the grass grow too long. You can only cut 1/3 of the length of the grass at a time. Also, they don't cut straight so you have to cut in different directions each time. Blah, blah, blah...

 

Sounds like you need a regular mower. Buy anything with a quality motor (Briggs, Honda, Tecumseh, etc.). Sears Craftsman have contracts with only quality motor builders so you can't go wrong with them. I think Tecumseh makes their mowers now and Husqvarna makes their chainsaws and such.

[Sinker]

I'm not so sure about the mowers with more power. I bought a new craftsman with the 6hp engine and I swear its got less power than my old 3 hp lawn boy.

 

Nothing worse than haveing to slow down so the mower can catch up.......and I'm not that fast!!

 

I prefer to use the lawnboy, and the new one sits in the shed collecting dust. My lot is large (100x150), and has a bit of slope on it, so the lighter the better for me. I had the self propelled unit too......still not enough power once its driving the wheels......got rid of that......got the craftsman and its collecting dust.......I love my lawnboy.......theres no stopping that thing. As hard as I can push it, thru long grass......it just eats it up!! It revs much higher as its a 2 stroke......blows smoke like crazy too.....but that keeps the bugs away in the spring!!

 

My next new one will be a lawnboy hands down........theres no stopping them.

 

Sinker

[Daplumma]

Have you ever thought about raising goats? They mow and fertilize and you can sell the milk from the females. I am sure someone on here can tell you how many you will need for a lot that size....

Wont work..Goats are browsers..much like deer they eat a bit of grass and a bit of your roses.Sheep are grazers they will eat mostly grass but not so much of the weeds if you have any.Sheep need to be shorn yearly and you have to ctch them and hold them for the shearer.Not much fun and much harder than starting a lawnmower.Just so you know going into it.

Joe

[lew]

I've got a no-name with a 3.75 Briggs & Straton 4 stroke up at the trailer that I bought for $165 about 10-12 years ago and this thing has more enery than the Duracell Bunny. I change the oil every couple years along with a new plug and it just keeps on going.

 

Even when I cut the grass up there for the 1st time in May each year, after sitting under a tarp all winter, it'll still usually fire on the 1st pull.

 

I blew the muffler off it last year and it now sounds like a race car, so I'll have to replace that, but so far that's the only problem I've ever had with it.

 

I don't think you always need to spend big $$$$ to get quality.

[Guest Trophymuskie]

Funny thing I've used a Canadian Tire tractor for years now but I still use a push mower for the edges and the ditch which is a 5 foot steep hill. Now this mower is the cheapest Tecumseh gas mower you can get. It's hilarious as I don't do the ditch every week, maybe every month and I may have to raise the front of it or it will stall in the long grass but that sucker runs like a charm. Also take notice that I bought that Tecumseh mower well used back in the mid nineties for $100 and used it for years to mow my 100 x 200 lot before I got the tractor.

[Jer]

All I can say, is stay away from the Yard Works from CTC.

 

I went through two brand new units in a couple years. Hit the smallest little stump and the crankshaft is bent, mower is garbage...costs more to replace the motor than the whole mower.

 

After the last Yard Works crapped out, I went and bought a used LawnBoy for a $100. Hands down the best lawnmower I've ever had. 6.5hp but a 2-stroke which keeps the weight down. Cuts and mulches the longest grass I can find and never bogs down. Now I know why the new LawnBoys start at about $600.

[John]

Hey Gerritt,

 

Nothing wrong with Sears Craftsman, but go with a Honda powered mulching model. Forget about a self propelled model they are more trouble than they are worth. Mow your lawn as frequently as is necessary to make sure that you only remove a maximum of 1/3 of the height of the grass. Mulch the clippings and leave them on the lawn.....and....don't cut too short, 2" minimum and 3" is better especially in the heat of the summer...

 

J...

[Eddyk]

I havent hade to cut my grass yet as I just bought this house.My problem is that the lot is 100 x300 and I dont know if I need a push mower or a ride mower. I guess Ill find out soon enough.LOL