What made you buy a new lawn mower?

We replaced ours last year because my mom ran over a board with the other one and it didn’t shut off because she kept holding the handle down and after that it never would stay started. Don’t know what messed up but something did. We bought a used Craftsman riding mower last year too it’s a 2008 model. Does better than our Toro riding mower that’s a 2004 model we bought new at Lowe’s that is sitting under the carport because my brother in law messed with the wiring and now it backfires every time you shut it off.
 
I had foot surgery late in 2019 and needed a winter project since I wouldn't be working for 3 months. I scavenged a Toro Super Recycler (from 2007) with the Briggs flathead motor and fixed it up for the next season. Still using it but the motor has seen better days. It sounds like the start of some piston slap but the bore looks good on the cylinder. Will probably run another 5 years before I rebuild the motor.
 
16 year old Craftsman. Runs fine but tires are worn out, mower deck mounts are sloppy worn, and the steering gear is sloppy. Adjusting the deck for a level cut is nonexistent. Not enthusiastic about a total rebuild so I’m shopping now although there is really no new mowers in stock anywhere around me.
 
I swapped out my 20 year old Scotts 2348 to an Ariens apex 52 zt.
I wanted to cut down on the time it takes me to do my 2/3 acre of lawn.

In the past 5 years, I was fixing something on the Scotts every 3-4 weeks. I got pretty good at fixing it actually.
The power bagger housing was touching the ground, and would get a hole worn in it. I would fix it with layers of epoxy and hockey tape,
that would last a few weeks... Some of the anti-scalp wheels would hit something, and get bent out of straight.
Metal fatigue breakage on some of the heavy cast iron deck brackets...

I just got tired of fixing it. Dealer gave me $400 trade in for the Scotts, +single stage snow thrower attachment,
+wheel chain and wheel weights. Sold some stock, figured with recent money printing frenzy the
money is going to the dogs anyhow... so why not.
 
In my last house sale (back in 2009 when real estate was not a hot market), the buyer asked me to throw in my Wheel Horse 520H on the deal. I foolishly said OK figuring I would move "up" to a John Deere 345 which has turned out to be a money pit. I'm convinced JD is just like BMW, overpriced, unreliable, and expensive parts. The ironic part is one of my current close neighbors has a 520H that just grinds along while I'm in my shop fixing the JD.
 
Tornado took my Honda powered cub cadet self propelled mower. So I bought a Honda to replace it. 7 years so far and runs and cuts perfect. Have had no issues with this mower whatsoever.
 
I replaced a 5 year old MTD self-propelled mower with a Toro Super recycler becasue I needed a mower that cut higher (4 inches) and mulched better. I sold the MTD mower for $100.
 
I got tired of constantly having to mess with gas powered mower issues and went corded electric. After ten years the motor in my cheap one burned out. I got a new one on Amazon three years ago. Should have gone battery powered, but it's moot now because I started paying someone else to do it.
 
Bought a house with a one acre yard. My JD lawn tractor took too long to cut it (and I wanted a zero turn....the real reason). So I bought a Scag 48" and cut my mowing time more than in half.
 
Last 3 mowers have been curb finds. A Lawnboy 2 stroke pusher, A Toro 3speed with a Suburu 4stroke, Latest is a 4stroke Lawnboy with personal pace. My sit down was given to me. I have about 150-200 $ worth of parts into it . Its a 20yr old Craftsman LT 1750 hydrostatic. I rebuilt the Deck and replaced the battery and fuel pump. It is plenty of OPE for a 1/2 acre. The whole trick with free OPE is to spend less time fixing it than using it
 
I had an old toro personal pace lawn mower street find, The wheels needed replacement but I just used it as is till the wheel gears just wore off. I made it into a pushmower, Then I moved to the country and needed a new mower. Ended up with a toro super personal pace. Love the mower.The old toro had the flathead B&S while new one has the OVH B&S. One pull on the new mower to start.
 
have had a Deere LX 255 for 21 years now , had to buy a new pusher two years ago because my early 1980"s MTD gave up the ghost, replaced it with a cheapo from Walmart
I also have an LX255 with the 15 HP Kohler Command motor that's 21 years old. It has the 42 inch freedom mulch deck. The deck is perfect no rust and cuts just as beautiful as it it did when it was new. It has had ONE new battery after 13 years and still on it's 8 year old replacement. I've changed the hydro fluid three times with John Deere Hy-guard oil
It's been a pleasure to use every time. I won't get rid of it. The new hydro transmissions are wimpy compared to these older models unless you step up to the 500 series units they sell now.
How has yours held up?
 
My Troy Bilt with the Honda 160 has been awesome that last 13 years. The choke is wonky. I manually close it after starting it.
 
I just bought an EGO 2101 battery operated mower to replace a corded Black and Decker, which had replaced an ancient B&S powered Bunton that I inherited from my father in 1991 only use it for a small fenced in area and to mow around some trees. I use my ZTR for 99% of my yard.
 
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I bought my dad's 3 year old Husqvarna AWD push mower with the Honda engine, and his 3 year old Stihl weed eater for $300 because it was a smoking deal. He paid over $500 for the mower, and probably $200+ for the weed eater. I changed the oil, spark plug, and blade on it. It runs like brand new. I know because I borrowed it a few times when he first got it lol.
 
I get a kick out of the amount of hand wringing Bitoggers do on choosing motor oil for lawn mowers.
I’ve changed out my lawn mower which was 18 years old and it had nothing to do with engine wear, which by the way was pretty much non-existent. My latest mower is a Toro self propelled with a Honda GCV 160. It replaced the Craftsman self propelled equipped with a Honda GCV that was still running fine after 18 years.

This is why I changed it out.

1. A screaming deal came on on a brand new return. I knew the manager of the outdoor department at the local Home Depot and he gave it to me for half price. The original owner said he didn’t like the Personal Pace system because he felt like “ the mower took off on him” when he pressed the bar.
2. The Personal Pace push bar was way more comfortable than the hand grip on the Craftsman, and no, it doesn’t “take off”.
3. The Toro had an automatic choke that has worked flawlessly.
4. The old mower started to have minor leakage at the gasket and collected a black film. I guess I could have still given it a good cleaning.
5. The height adjustment lever was slipping and I had to wire it to keep it from dropping.

I still kept the old mower and use it on neighbours lawns and crappy areas of rough lawns.The old mower works great. The oil was was changed every year or two with whatever xw30 or 30 grade conventional “ lawnmower oil” I had laying around. Sometimes it was synthetic and sometimes not. Still does not burn oil. Here is a shot of the tag on the old mower.

Why did YOU buy a new mower?

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I got a new mower because I had a Ryobi electric mower and where the metal handle connected to the plastic deck failed. The deck had this plastic groove that the handle rode it and the plastic just kind of fatigued and folded over.
So, since I was kind of unhappy with the cut quality because I didnt think the blade spun fast enough to give it enough suction and lift, I replaced it with a Craftsman M100. Thus far, Im very happy. The cut quality is so much better, my lawn looks like a golf course.
 
95 year old father in law now lives with us, so I inherited his lawn duty. My JD LA115 was a bit small to take care of 2 kind of sizeable yards. Sold the JD for 400 bucks and bought a Cub Cadet ZT1 50" zero turn. The difference in cut is night and day. Wish I went to a zero turn years ago.
 
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