I use Toro Super Recycler, Personal Pace, commercially and they really hold up. I was using Lawnboy Personal Pace mowers but, even though they are owned by Toro, they don't hold up well to commercial use, even at a comparable price. I also use a 32" Toro Walk behind, belt drive, with T-Bar steering and it is a fantastic machine.
I bought a Bolens Model 084 22" mower 5 years ago that I use as a weed-wacker on wheels & mini-bushhog. I beat the hell out of it on weeds up to 1/2" thick, often hitting small stones. It is still going strong. Never had a problem with it. Bought it new for $133 at Lowes.
I've never seen anybody walking behind a 72" mower. When I see people using them they're generally standing on a little platform that is towed by the mower.
Wrong! Anything you walk behind is a walk behind. If it walks like a duck........
Why would anyone buy one?
It was on sale:) Got it for $269. I'll learn....
Al
Just be sure to get one that has a Honda engine. The Honda engine mowers last forever. I got mine at Costco. If the engine in your old one blew up then you probably forgot to put oil in it, as not all lawnmower engines have automatic low-oil shut-off.
FYI - I researched and purchased an Airens 21" mulching with swivel wheels and a Kawasaki engine. Starts wonderfully, runs great, cuts great - BUT - at the start of this year, its 3rd season, I had to take it in because I could not get it started. I needed the carburetor replaced to the tune of $139, ouch.
YMMV
Honda made one. The housing self-destructed in about 3 years of normal use. I don't think Honda makes plastic mower decks anymore.
I'm wanting a Toro Super Recycler, Personal Pace, electric start, model 20067. I've somehow injured my right shoulder and pulling on the cord just makes me want to scream in pain. I'm hoping the electric start will alleviate that problem and the self-propelled will be nice, too. I used to mow my yard myself but got lazy the last 3 or
4 years and pay someone else to do it. A few weeks ago I mowed it and my legs were like lead!! Can we say out of condition? Anyway, the self propelled will be nice and I will be getting some exercise even though the mower will be doing the bulk of the work.I have a friend heading to Home Depot tomorrow to check if they are on sale at the end of the season. I'm sure wanting one, wish me luck!
Mom has a Toro with the Personal Pace and I can't stand it. Because it's a variable-speed system, it can't decide what speed to be driving at when you're maneuvering around things. I'd much prefer the mower's speed remain constant and I speed up/slow down as needed. (the "old-fashioned" self-propelled) See what the store's return policy is before buying it.
All the foregoing seems to prove the KISS principle. Keep it as simple as possible!
Until a few years ago and during the period from 1960 we had owned several mowers mainly second hand, patched up, adapted etc. And they worked well enough. About 1/4 acre of not too fast growing grass.
But with brand new 3.5 HP Tecumseh/Briggs and Stratton engined models costing in the range of $125 - $150 at big box stores such as Wal Mart, HH etc. we finally bought a brand new one around 2003. The only 'feature' it had was the engine shut off; now AIUI mandatory in Canada for safety. Fitted it with some adjustable height wheels that originally came off another old mower; took less than an hour even though the bolt nuts were rusted. It worked fine for several years, new plug change oil, sharpen blade etc. Every second year maintenance around $20 maximum.
Last year hit something and the 3.5 HP motor broke internally. Not worth time of fixing and didn't have spare motor or parts, so gave it away to fellow whose brother fixes them. They picked it up. Although we kept the adjustable height wheels.
Coincidentally someone advertised and then delivered a very old model, very basic mower for $40. Starts and runs perfect; and is very light for me (Approaching 75) to push and store away. Sharpened the blade this year using a file not a grindstone ** and fitted the adjustable height wheels (That's at least the third mower those wheels have been on!) Also used this cheap mower to mulch previous years leaves although compost some and burn some.
Couple of years ago daughter and son in law, who live adjacent, bought a self propelled model 4.5 HP I think; hoping it was easier for her when he is away. However she doesn't like it saying "it runs away". It is also heavier and it does seem to clog up more easily if grass is damp. Have used but prefer my older and lighter one.
The message from all this IMHO is that simplest is best, also safest, with fewer things to go wrong or need parts just at the time one needs to do mowing.
We always wear steel toed, shanked safety boots, mine must be 30+ years old and one of them still has the scars where one of the generations of mowers pulled out suddenly from under a bush and took leather off the toe of the boot exposing the steel. That night after taking off the boots had only a small bruise that had not interfered with completing the mowing.
A couple of years later a colleague at work, wearing only rubber garden boots, cut off two and a half of his toes! The cut off boot has been exhibited at safety exhibitions ever since (the dead and mangled toes were removed)!
So again; simplest is best. Low cost, minimum maintenance most of which one can do oneself.
Buy cheap, fix it yourself. After all it's only a mower one of the simpler bits of machinery. Now don't get me started about our third/ fourth hand snow blower; which we have rebuilt twice. Quite a bit more complicated!.
** Had quite a job getting the blade holding bolt out; looked like it might have not been off since first installed and judging by model the mower must be at least 40 years old! It looks like an old catalogue model? Found an older 17/32 half inch drive socket, hammered it on the somewhat damaged bolt head and needed quite a bit of effort to get bolt out. Tip; jam the wrench against something (such as the bench vise) and use both hands on the blade (I wear gloves to reduce bruising cos of the blood medication taken) to apply torque; having lifted the mower to a suitable (bench height). That's where that lower weight comes in handy! But got a 12 volt impact wrench somewhere must try that sometime!
Snip, snip, snip.
That's great, nice story, but I'm still wanting a self-propelled. If it doesn't perform as I expected it will be returned. But if you want to come mow my yard, I'll keep the older walk behind non-self propelled. But I insist you bag the clippings.
i like honda,if you can stand the cost,, but for a good cheepper mower, the yard man ,5-6 hp briggs with ball brgs wheels is a pretty good one for the money.
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I have to agree with this as my dad passed on his 6 hp Yardman mower to me 5 years ago, and it's still running well (must be at least 8 years old now). Had to replace one of the wheels (the one I pivoted on the most) and the air filter and sparkplug, but otherwise no problems. Starts up pretty well unless the temp is below 50F, then it gets a little cranky. Would not have been my choice of mower, actually, as I prefer the non-self-propelled cheapies, which are lighter and more maneuverable.
terry wrote in news:f0ca320d-aca5-4f9b-888f- snipped-for-privacy@26g2000hsk.googlegroups.com:
Well, you know there's gotta be some rotten minute meat chunks in there somewhere.
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