I have a Toro SP with the Honda engine and it seems OK,. I had an MTD with the same Honda engine and the SP broke several times but the engine was fine. I am an 8 month a year mower (S Fla) and this sandy soil is tough on mowers. You can't get more than a year out of a blade. The TV just had a segment saying basically that the Toro was a better deal than the Honda mower with the same engine.
I'm with ya on the JD. Had one years ago, was a good one, passed it down the line, should've kept it. The next JD didn't even last a year, complete junk for $500.
Bought a Honda, was under powered for what I cut. But, it cut really nice with the twin blades. This was not the self propelled model, sold it after
5 years to buy a self propelled.Thought Honda was over priced, so went with a 26" Snapper. But it was about $1200. Turned out to be the mower from Hell. High maintenance, expensive parts such as wheels. Within the first year, one of the drive wheels, split rim came apart. Not covered under warranty, cost me a $100 for one rim/tire. Next year, the other wheel, same thing.
Ok, gotta confess. Three weeks ago, bought a Honda HRX model, the one next to the electric start model. Not cheap, $700, but it sure does handle nice, and to see those fine clippings from the twin blades brought back some memories. Ahhhhh...Vrooom, vroooom!
That's the JD I had, or I think so. Had the caster wheels up front, what a POS! Had the self propelled go out on mine also.
Having worked for directly for JD some years ago, I should've known better than to buy their junk even with the discount.
That's been my experience too. Bought a SP and it was nothing but trouble and barely worked plus it made the mower heavy. Switched to a cheapie and it was so much lighter and maneuverable. It also lasted me 8 years and I never changed the plug, cleaned the air filter every couple years, and changed the oil maybe once or twice. Replaced it with a fairly cheap Sears/Husquavana but I actually liked the really cheap old one better - it had a bigger bag and better suction.
You have to wonder why the other manufacturer's don't do similar twin blade and deck designs to get the fine clippings and clean cut of Honda. In the grand scheme of things, it's not much $$ for a second blade.
Still using my 20 year old Honda self-powered walk behind. Never needed service. After sitting in my shed for 6 winter months, it started on third pull, thereafter it always starts on first pull.
I don't agree. Twin blades requires a lot more parts than bolting a blade on the end of a crankshaft.
Check out this site:
I'll kick in a couple chips on Honda mower engines. Mine is 8 years old. Starts on first or second pull after sitting all winter, then always on the first pull. Original plug, changed the oil once. I'll do it again this year. I don't bother with Stabil or draining gas. Same with the little 2 stroke Sears weedwacker of the same age, but I have to yank that one at least 5 times after the winter. The mower is a push Craftsman with Honda engine. Mulcher. Always heard they were good so when I needed a mower I didn't mind the small premium. Thing is, my previous experience with yanking on lawn mowers to start them is over 40 years old, so I really don't know how they stack up. Used an electric in my last place, and a B&D rechargeable my first 6 years here. That B&D mulcher was a good mower until the battery stopped holding a charge. I like those. But it was a lot heavier than the gas job.
--Vic
Bought a Honda (made in USA) tonight.
They've lowered some prices and you get an extra year of warranty if you buy before end of May.
I was going to get a push model with the optional dual blade, but the next step up was $10 more for self propelled and it includes the dual mulching blade that was a $40 option on the push model. It was $389.
A 3 yr warranty?
A 3 year extended to 4 years for my HRR. The more expensive HRX models are 5 + 1.
Manufacturers worry about adding pennies to the cost. Get the back of an envelope and sketch out how many parts you would need to add to the usual blade bolted onto the end of a vertical crankshaft design.
We used to have a neighbor who used a reel type of mower on his golf- green lawn and it did a beautiful job of mowing. The lawn was his life and he spent a good part of his time sharpening the blades.
But no thank you. We have a 1.6 acre lot with about 7' of elevation variance; and we also take turns mowing about 800 - 1,000 linear feet of street-side easement. We can tolerate a little less beautiful :^}
Our John Deere lawn tractor and the walk-behind Snapper make it a 1-5 to 2 hour job. Need more buildings and concrete.
RonB
"George" wrote
Typical retail selling price is at least 5X the actual cost of parts. On the Honda, the twin blade on the low end models is a $40 option.
Going from memory, there is the second blade, spacer, washer. longer bolt. Given the competitive nature of consumer goods, it would price a low end model out of the competition. The $149 special at the discount store offers very little aside from the low price.
How did you get the extra year warranty, all I can see on the 390$ unit is 3 years. I was thinking of using HD because shipping to me is free.
Just fill out the warranty
Receive a one year extended warranty on any HRX, HRR, or HRS mower!
Mail in a Product Registration Card or register your mower online within 30 days of purchase and we'll extend your warranty for ONE ADDITIONAL YEAR. Offer valid on all HRR, HRX, and HRS mowers purchased between March 1 and May 31, 2011.
That sounds like a great deal.
I think that honda is made in USA, the HD site says so.
Honda mower, or Honda engine on a generic mower? (My MTD something or other has a Honda engine.) I'm sure the mowers are in US, since it costs money to ship all that airspace in a mower. But I have no idea where the factory that makes the engines is.
-- aem sends...
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