I am going to need to buy a new power lawn mower before next summer. I want a small, basic, no frills model, NOT self propelled.
Would I get cheapest purchase price by buying close-out fall model on sale, or would they be cheaper early next Spring?
I live in Denver Co, where we have several winter months of no mowing.
Thank you..... Lee Carkenord
Do your math Bozo, what do Bozos save in 6 mo or get on sale discounts. Also is it a250 hr Tecsuchsee or a 2500 hr Honda
Go for left over at Lowes or Home Depot but wait till there is no chance of selling any more and ask for a deal. Many years ago there Lowes had some neat lawn tractors for $1850. I had a crappy one and a friend needed one so I told him to try a negotiate a deal with Lowes. Got them for $1300 each at the end of the season.
I bought one from Sears last fall. Clerk says we gotta get them outa here and put in Christmas goods. Got about 10% off the regular price. Watched the pricing this spring.
On closeouts you may not find the model you want. With Sears, it seems that the best ploy is to watch their repeated sales and buy when your chosen model is featured--regardless of the time of year. Don't know how the other retailers do.
SJF
summer.
model on
I've only bought one NEW mower in my life. The used ones have been MUCH better deals. Of course, you need to be able to do basic repairs to make it so.
Bob
My push reel mower only cost me something like $80
And you get a better looking cut than ANY rotary mower can give...regardless of cost!
20 years ago, I bought a Craftsman 4 HP front wheel drive lawn mower for about $300. I am still using it. The chrome handles are rusted. It is all chipped, bent, and filthy. I destroyed the drive wheel fenders when it got caught in a chicken wire fence, which also bent the chain drive shaft for the drive wheels. I banged the shaft somewhat straight, and it still has a little wobble, but it still works the drive wheels. All that I have changed on it was the oil, spark plug and rope pulley. It starts on the first pull every spring after having been stored in an outside shed all winter. So far, I figure it has cost me about $15 a year to own, minus gas, oil and replacement blades. ($300 / 20 years)
I get by with the cheapest discount store model in the spring. Some last a long time and others don't.
If it's a small lot, consider a push reel mower. The things are a LOT easier to push than power mowers. American Lawn Mower Company
18" is nice, or the Scott's 20" (also made by ALMC though) for a bigger lawn, or Great States, which again is ALMC I think. You get a nice quiet walk, and easily do it in stages because there's no ritual about starting and stopping, and you can hear birds, if your neighbor isn't mowing anyway.You do need a way to cut _long_ grass though, in case you get behind; so a power mower available or borrowable is probably necessary too.
Also, for sharpening the blades, take very literally the need to wipe off _all_ the grinding compound in their simple instructions; spend an hour at it in fact, or the blades will quickly grind themselves dull again.
Other than that, it works great.
I use a scythe on long grass myself, but find it's just a great hobby and doubt it will be widely shared
I use a Brill:
YMMV, Rich
I was thinking of mentioning Brill, but didn't - it's a great mower, makes a really neat squnching noise when it cuts, but IT DOESN'T CUT MANY TYPES OF GRASS.
Unfortunately the more common American grasses seem to be in that don't-cut set. These it squeezes but does not cut, leaving dead white grass tops nicked at various heights from various passes over the lawn. Also squeezing but not cutting makes the mower very hard to push, in addition to not cutting.
If you want to try it, and it cuts the type of grass you have, I'd go with it, it's great. They have a return guarantee, though I'm not the type that ever returns things that aren't simply DOA myself.
There isn't much cutting width on Brill in any case, if you have a lot to cut. You'll make a lot of passes.
But a great sound, and a nice walk.
Look around for a used one Often a small engine guy will fix them up and sell them for cheap.
Buying the cheapest mower is no bargain. It will be crap in a couple of years and frustrate the hell out of you. Last time I had a cheap mower, I'd get so worn out getting it started that I'd be too tired to cut the grass once it was running.
You might do as I recently did.
I was at Lowes in my town getting some 2 inch PVC for stock, since my supplier was out, and I noticed that they had a few mowers out front. SOME of them were returns, and carried the same warranty as the new ones. There was a 21 inch Troy Built with the self propel feature, and rear bagger, side discharge, or mulch, with a 6 3/4 HP B+S on it...it looked brand new, but it had been returned. The service sheet on it stated:
Problem: Will not start Repair: Added Fuel.
Ohhhhkay...
I really was thinking Lawn Boy, and was looking at a new one, but I noticed that the price on the mower was marked to $199 and it sold in the store for $299... I saw the employee that was working the outside Lawn and Garden area, started talking about mowers in general, and when he pointed out that very same mower, and commented on the price, I stated that I would buy it if it was $120.
I have a new Troy Built now....
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