Mower recommendation

[4esorselrahc]

Originally Posted By: Dantheman
May I ask how much ?


Out the door for $780 (lists for $799). I've always wanted a premium Honda. Glad I got it.

 

[4esorselrahc]

Originally Posted By: dwendt44
You're talking $900 range for the better Hondas.
Think they have one that's over $1000.
Twin blades; Consumer Reports rates it the best.


It's a very good mower indeed. THe 6.5 hp engine seems like it has 10 hp at times and is considerably more powerful than the 5.5 hp engine (which I also have), and it starts on the first pull.

 

[Dantheman]

Out of my range I'm afraid .

 

[4esorselrahc]

Originally Posted By: Dantheman
Out of my range I'm afraid .


They also have the HRR and HRS series (mine is the HRX). The HRS starts at 389 (5.5 hp engine).

 

[dwendt44]

The lower priced Honda mowers don't do as good of a job.
The HRX series is the top dog.
But only John Deere mowers are priced higher.
Several $350-$550 range mowers are just behind the above two.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: FZ1
I got the "cheap" Honda. Single speed trans, self propelled, 4 blade on sale for $350. I just figured simpler is better. 4 yrs old,starts on 1/2 a pull. Love it.


That's basically what i've got, except it's a single blade steel deck and 8yrs/old. Paid the same for it back then. Since we moved ~4yrs ago, it's only used as a trim mower. One rear wheel adjuster bracket broke a year or so ago. It was an impressive piece. A machined casting that cracked & the wheel fell off. I mail-ordered a new one for under $30 IIRC. The cable for the single speed self propelled also frayed/broke, so now it's a pushmower. They are great mowers is you like one of the best. Do they mow better than a
Joel

 

[FZ1]

What do you mean "it doesn't do as good a job as the more expensive mowers"? It's just a Mower!! Lol.

 

[dwendt44]

Consumer Reports rates mowers on eveness of cut, ease of handling, how well it bags or mulches, etc., etc...
If you are concerned about those things, the better mowers are
'better'.
If you only want something that just cuts grass, the $160 push mower from Wal-mart will to that. Not sure how long it will do that, though.

 

[4esorselrahc]

Originally Posted By: dwendt44
Consumer Reports rates mowers on eveness of cut, ease of handling, how well it bags or mulches, etc., etc...
If you are concerned about those things, the better mowers are
'better'.
If you only want something that just cuts grass, the $160 push mower from Wal-mart will to that. Not sure how long it will do that, though.


It really is true. The premium Honda I have does it all better. Especially the mulching.

 

[FZ1]

My single speed Honda has 4 blades and cuts beautifully. The smoothest lawn cut on my block.....and it's a nice block!

 

[1sttruck]

A plebian mower with a blade that is sharpened on a regular basis will work better than an expensive mower with a dull blade. A plebian mower with a good, sharp mulching blade will work better than a fancy mower that has a crummy blade. I have some $1000 camera lenses but could never bring myself to spend that much on a mower, some people would never spend that much on a camera lens but would on a mower, while most not spend that much on either. Anyway, this year I finally gave away a Tecumseh powered mower that we bought used from friends for something like $75, which included a wheel barrow and some lawn tools. We used it for 15 years, and gave it away as a friend moved and gave us an almost new Briggs and Stratton powered mower. Take care of whatever you have.

'Linerless' bores are common in some motorcycles, to reduce weight and improve heat transfer.

 

[FZ1]

Agree. I buy a new blade for my $350 Honda every 2 years. It's $13 for the new blade.

 

[dwendt44]

"'Linerless' bores are common in some motorcycles, to reduce weight and improve heat transfer."

BUT, they aren't running on the bare aluminum; they chrome the bore or plate with other hardened material.
Nicasil, etc..

 

[TheTanSedan]

Originally Posted By: FZ1
Agree. I buy a new blade for my $350 Honda every 2 years. It's $13 for the new blade.


I keep several blades around at all times. Sharpened, balanced, ready-to-install (about every two/three weeks).

As for what mower to buy, I'm replacing the 10-year old $139 H/D mower with an old Snapper commercial that is being re-engined with a 6.5 Briggs. Doubt that any new mower will compete well for the money. This is an approach that may work well for someone with a known, good, small engine repair professional. All of my equipment goes to this one guy, and we've made every piece run just that much better (Mower, edger, trimmer, blower). My yard takes 3-4 hours per week to keep in shape, and the mower runs for more than two of those hours.

 

[addyguy]

Originally Posted By: dwendt44
Most auto engines that are 'all aluminum' still have iron liners.
Some have chrom bores or other harder plating.
I know of no auto engine that runs on the bare aluminum cylinder.


The Chevrolet Vega did.

'nuff said!

 

[Kestas]

So does Mercedes (S600?).

Aluminum bores can be good or bad, depending on the design execution. The Vega aluminum engine was a design abortion.

 

[Kestas]

Originally Posted By: Dantheman

... My back yard is hilly and I'm afraid that I may be starving the engine for oil on some of the steeper slopes. Does this sound plausible?...

Doesn't your owner's manual address this situation, like give a limit to the tilt?

 

[crw]

>> I have some $1000 camera lenses but could never bring myself to spend that much on a mower,

Ah, someone who thinks like me! I've got to save on my next mower because I'm lusting after the Nikon D90!

 

[Pete591]

I want to upgarde my D-50 Nikon to the D-90. Amazing camera.

Back to mowers. Hondas win.

Remember the old Jacobsen's? The 5+HP Commercial Lawnboys?
The 2 cycle Jacobsen edgers?

The Snapper with a Robbin's or Tec 2-cycle?

At least we still have our Honda's!!!!!!!!!

Please don't take my Kodachrome away....and believe it or not this may be Kodaks' last run of that famous slide film too as only one lab nationally still develops it.

Older can be better sometimes.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
So does Mercedes (S600?).

Aluminum bores can be good or bad, depending on the design execution. The Vega aluminum engine was a design abortion.


Exactly. BMW and Porsche also use Alusil blocks with no problem. That said, BMW tried the(supposedly) more durable Nikasil blocks on their I6 and V8 only to find that fuels with higher sulfur content eroded the cylinder walls. In the US only the V8s up to 1995 were affected. Munich spent a ton of money in the US and elsewhere replacing the affected engines with Alusil replacements.