Recommend a quality push mower that will last.

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

Chris B.

Joined
Mar 16, 2003
Messages
3,771
Location
Colorado
I have had a really bad string of luck with my Mowers the past few years. Long story short My Honda was a piece of junk and had all kinds of problems so I bought a Toro. It is 5 years old and it too is going south. I want a push mower(or very reliable and proven self propeled mower) with at least 6.5 hp and that will do a great job mulching. I would like it to last 20+ years mowing my tiny 5,000sf lawn that takes 30 minutes a week to mow. I'm open to any brand.

I had a Murry for 10 yars that was running great still but I won the Honda in a drawing so I gave the Murry away.....what a mistake! Are Murrys still good mowers? How about Craftsmen? Thanks guys!!!
 
Get one of the Toros that doesn't have all the blade clutch monkey-motion- one that just stops the ENGINE to stop the blade. That's the weakest point, IMO, and it adds a lot of cost, too. A simple Personal-Pace Toro without blade clutch or electric start is hard to beat for cost/year of operation. And I'm also a fan of Briggs power in the usual "6 foot-lb" (used to be 6hp) range. Smaller than that and they're junk. I for one just haven't had good luck with Honda engines either, so I'm with you there. But my Toro is holding up just great. And yes, I have an even older (1994) Murray that's still going, but the deck itself has just about had it. Its gotten to where it flexes and has some fatigue cracks where the handle brakets are welded to the deck, plus you can't get drive wheels or transmission bits and pieces anymore.
 
I would suggest a John Deere or Husqvarna or Simplicity. But look at the dealers as well at Lowes or HD. Lowes carries John Deere but make sure you get a top quality engine with the mower deck. Most will be self propelled. I have an Airens that I got at HD with a Kohler Courage engine (made in China). Its a super mower. I would include that on my list but of slightly less quality than the 3 I listed.

I prefer the front self propelled as I can just lift the front a little turn the mower and set it back being propelled.

But I have never tried one rear propelled.

Avoid anything MTD. They look good in the store but fall apart. I believe Craftsman is MTD and a bunch of others.

I would also suggest a Toro, but you had bad luck with it.

I have 3 Husqvarna pieces of OPE, riding mower, backpack blower and chain saw. All bought used and in super shape.
 
What's wrong with the Toro? I know I was griping about the self-propelled drive on it until I found the tensioner to tighten the belt. Now it's just awesome again.
 
Deere model js61. Bags, mukches, rear drive its close to 20 year old, probably get another 20.
 
Murray went bankrupt years ago with debt owed to Briggs and Stratton. Briggs took over and I am seeing some new products, but to me Murray is not the best. I bought my stepfather a wide body rider 13 years ago. Engine and transmission are great, many of the bolts on body have come loose.
 
Expensive Recommendation: Toro Timemaster 30

You will be done faster, with less gas, and less run time on the entire machine per mow. They do cost a good bit more at $999 but man is it a sweet mower compared to a 21 or 22 inch.

Toro is great but you need one of the higher end residential models or they are just as bad as everything else imo.
 
MTD Brands, FYI:

Bolens
Columbia
Cub Cadet
Farm King
GardenWay
Gold Series
Gutbrod
Gutbrod-Kehrer
Lawnflite
Mastercut
Mow Master
Mow Master Mastercut
MTD
Novotrac
Rasentrac
Remington
Ryobi (sold at Costco)
Troy-Bilt
Ventzki
Ventzki MTD
White Outdoor
Yard Machines
Yard-Man
YardWorks
 
My Toro Super Recycler is a great mower. 5 year warranty from a dealer is actually a warranty too. Never buy power equipment from a big box store.
 
Something with a B&S engine on it.

I had a Brute lawnmower that I bought from Walmart that had a Briggs engine on it and it worked very well.

Just make sure when you get a lawn mower you locktite some of the bolts on the wheels and stuff.
 
We have a year old Toro with the blade stop. It has been pretty good, but not a great mulcher. The engine is decent, B&S 190cc class. The blade stop is a great feature. I don't know what they cost, but I like the engines on the higher end Toros better (the ones with the black bags, vs. white). I almost wish we'd have gotten the Honda with similar features and the plastic deck (grass doesn't stick, no rusting, etc.), but it was $700 vs. $400 for the Toro. The Honda also has two blades, so it'd be a much better mulcher. One thing I don't like about our Toro is that the height adjustment needs to be done separately on all four wheels, and is a PITA.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris B.
I had a Murry for 10 yars that was running great still but I won the Honda in a drawing so I gave the Murry away.....what a mistake! Are Murrys still good mowers? How about Craftsmen? Thanks guys!!!


Too funny...not really, but I just went through the same thing. My fancy Honda powered Troy Bilt with all the bells and whistles was falling apart around the motor and I just wanted to get back to the basics of mowing. Got tired of pouring money into it just to keep it running.

I just finished mowing the yard with my new Murray 22" push mower. It has a B&S 500e series with OHV. Primer bulb, very simple to operate. It is quieter and smoother than the Honda. Little less power though. However without self-propel you don't need it. Overall it seems like a solid mower. It was $169 at WM.
 
How about one of those old red snappers with "snapper" in white across the front? Just reblade and put a new engine on.
I have run cheap flathead units for years. Cheap to buy, work 5-10 years, run on any fuel, then replace.
 
I have a troybilt simple pusher with the gcv160. I have mowed for three years with it. For almost a year of that I cut 2.3 acres with it due to a [censored] riding mower. Never missed a lick.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald

Avoid anything MTD. They look good in the store but fall apart. I believe Craftsman is MTD and a bunch of others.


I think Craftsman is AYP (div of Husqvarna). Ours is and has been decent. Its a 2008 model and worked from 2008-2012 on our small-ish, under 1/4 acre. 2012 and this year its doing our .4 acre plot. Replaced drive wheels (common issue as they all are plastic geared) and one bent wheel bracket. But the rest is holding up well and parts of our yard are hilly and bumpy.

I think few mowers will make it 20 years. And the math doesn't make much sense if you pay more than $1k - I could buy 5 $200 mowers and if I get 3-5 years out of them that's 12-15 years before I break even.
 
My approach would be to look old school:

Honda HR214 SX with the alloy deck

Or

Lawn Boy 10323 Silver Series 6.5hp two stroke (the last two stroke Lawn Boy ever made) and in my opinion the best.

Find them on Ebay, or Craigslist. This is the Team FAST option (and you get discounted admission into the Torque and Recoil Club)
 
Originally Posted By: itguy08

I think few mowers will make it 20 years. And the math doesn't make much sense if you pay more than $1k - I could buy 5 $200 mowers and if I get 3-5 years out of them that's 12-15 years before I break even.


Not sure why. Most must store them outside or not keep them clean.

My parents 1986 airens rider is perfect. The last mower I bought for my home is an 06 and in great shape, the last one at my parents other house is a 1995-ish mower, ad besides new wheels, has been fine, even with a Tecumseh engine.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Cujet
Repowered (Honda 190) Snapper commercial mower won't start. Haha, I'm officially old.
Replies
19
Views
638
tcp71
M
New lawn mower
Replies
15
Views
619
MountainManDan
G
looking for a zero turn or lawn tractor for my son
2
Replies
24
Views
340
RhondaHonda
Ausfahrt
Self propelled mower. Gas or electric?
2 3 4
Replies
68
Views
3K
LenMac
J
Looking for a new lawn mower
Replies
17
Views
2K
LenMac
Back
Top Bottom