Need to get a new mower....I am thinking about a new Toro Super Recycler. This will be my first new mower, all others were used and rebuilt.Are they good for getting rid of the clippings? Is there any other mower out there that is any better? Is the Personal pace system any good?
Thanks, Andy
I'm in the same boat. Best thing to do is get some type of mulching mower. My last one was a cheapo (can't remember the brand) from WallyMart, but it lasted 3 years, AND, that sucker would start on the first pull every time! (Son was using it at the end of last season and it threw a rod).
I'll have to watch this thread and see what the "experts" recommend....
It doesn't solve the clipping problem, in fact makes it worse (get a leaf sweeper and pile grass clippings by the back fence), but if you don't have a huge lawn and have lots of time, a European scythe is a great way to cut grass. No grass too high for it, either.
Just an alternative if you're getting a new mower. I cut an acre but I have _lots_ of time. You do a few swaths a day and by the time you get done with the whole lawn, it's a perfect time to repeat, at that size.
A scythe leaves a windrow of clippings at the edge of every ten-foot-wide pass though, indeed that's its original point.
With a European scythe, you're slicing grass, not whacking it. It's a very smooth activity. The blade rides flat on the ground, the curve of the back keeping the edge just off the ground, and the odd shape of the snath that holds it is to keep that geometry through the stroke.
Have had a Toro Super Recycler for three seasons. Have had no problems with it at all. Starts on the first or second pull every time.
I am close to 70 and without the personal pace system I doubt if I would be able to cut my own lawn much longer.
Best mower I have ever owned. Somewhat expensive, but worth every cent, to me.
Check Sears. I got a Consumer Reports top rated bag-or-mulch self-propelled with variable speed from them in 2003. Really nice. About $300. --- SJF
It would appear your needs are far different than most homeowners who might be reading this.
For most people who take good car of their lawn (don't over fertilize with high nitrogen fertilizer for example) and cut their lawn as often as they should, a mulching mower is a very good choice.
However if you are not able to usually mow when your lawn needs it, or have certain grasses in certain climates, then mulching may not be right.
There are some people who want to put an extreme amount of personal effort into their lawn to try and produce the putting green look. For them I would not suggest a mulching mower.
However from the majority of people who just want a very good looking lawn without speeding too much time or money, a mulching mower is a good idea.
I suggest checking the library for the latest review by Consumer's Reports (not the other consumer magazine that accepts advertising) and read the whole article, not just the final report and use that as a starting point for your decision.
Consumer reports has rated most all mowers in large tests in all price ranges, a good read. For mulching the Toro is probably very good . One main difference is a cheap B&S or Techumpsee engines may last 250-350 hrs, a good OHV engine can go 2000+hrs. If your lawn is fairly large and you cut often consider the better motors.
Ron,
That's a very >
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