Self Propelled Walk Behind

[lakngulf]

I am in need of a new walk behind lawn mower. I have attached a fairly recent picture of the current grass that I have to cut. Also, I have been transplanting plugs of centipede into the area above the grass. This will give me a lawn about the twice the size it is now. I do not bag my grass, I just let it stay in the grass

I have always thought the big rear wheel type mowers would be easy to handle, but I am looking for any ideas you have about a good, easy to use, self propelled. I do not think a riding mower would work too well in the area. I would still need a smaller mower for some areas.

 

[Jim in ICT]

Look at a Snapper. Trouble free.

 

[Hawghauler]

Almost any pushmower should work. I have a Toro I like, but it is really just a Briggs and Stratton with wheels and a blade. To me the simpler the better.

 

[WayneB]

I have a JD 63 C (has caster wheels on the front). Really acts a bit like a zero turn mower (not really, but sort-of).

Makes it easy to get close to flower beds, edges, etc. I do not think John Deere offers it any longer, but it I would suggest you look around for a mower with casters in the front.

I actually have two of them, one at home and one at our summer camp!

Wayne

 

[alchemysa]

I have 2. Both are rear wheel drive. I would be very wary of a front wheel drive self propelled mower on slopes like that. A lot of the newer, cheaper self propelleds seem to be front wheel drive - even the ones with big rear wheels. I would guess that going up slopes you would lose traction with front wheel drive.

 

[westbrooklawn]

Look at Toro and Honda commercial models... spend the money now and run it forever.

 

[JCB]

Almost any pushmower should work. I have a Toro I like, but it is really just a Briggs and Stratton with wheels and a blade. To me the simpler the better.

Lak,

I agree with Hawg. I've got a simple Toro, that is basically just a Briggs motor with a blade and a cast deck and it has just been a beast. Eight years, and a couple spark plugs later and it still starts in one or two pulls.

It always amazes me the several time a year when I get that mower out, pull the cord and it starts first pull. Half the time I'm not even ready for it.

That Briggs came with a "Guaranteed to Start" sticker on it and it's the best motor I've ever owned.

Joe

 

[Bird]

I may have spent too much money, but I have the top of the line Toro walk behind with the blade override, personal pace self-propelled, electric start, 5 year warranty, etc.. I bought it in April, 2007. At the time, I did all the mowing of our yard as well as two daughter's yards. But recently, due to a bad knee, my wife, one daughter, and even a neighbor lady have used it on our yard. So far, everyone who has used it thinks it's the best they ever used.

But I agree, there's much to be said for simple machines, too.

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

I have a John Deere 14SB that I bought 15 years ago that I haven't had a problem with. Also have a Toro at our other property in NY and that has worked fine also. In fact set up to mulch I've been suprised at how high the grass can be without bogging it down.

 

[rekees4300]

As others have said get a quality mower like a Snapper, Toro, or Honda with front wheel drive and big wheels on the back. An electric start is nice also but the batteries are expensive. I agree about leaving the clipping on the grass. However, it's getting harder and harder to find mowers that don't have bags. Good luck in your search.

 

[Bird]

it's getting harder and harder to find mowers that don't have bags

That's news to me, but I haven't really shopped for a mower in 3 years, but I think Toro still offers the "3-in-1" like I have; bag, mulch, or side discharge and I've used it all three ways.

 

[rekees4300]

I haven't done a scientific study to determine the ratio of bagged to bagless mowers. Just based on my personal observations in the stores it seems only the cheap-o mowers are bagless and all of the expensive ones have bags. I've never owned a mower with a bag. Seems to me it's just extra work. :confused3:

 

[WayneB]

I think Bird is right, most of the mowers today are 3 in one types (higher priced ones)

 

[Bird]

I haven't done a scientific study to determine the ratio of bagged to bagless mowers. Just based on my personal observations in the stores it seems only the cheap-o mowers are bagless and all of the expensive ones have bags. I've never owned a mower with a bag. Seems to me it's just extra work. :confused3:

OK, I understand now. Yes, the cheapest ones sometimes don't have bags, but those that do have bags usually also have some way to use them without the bag. I definitely do want the bag myself. First thing in the Spring, I cut the grass just as short as possible, may even run the dethatcher over it then and go over it again with the mower with the bag. Then I fertilize and water. This time of year, I'm not using the bag, but I probably will when the leaves fall instead of raking leaves. When not using the bag, sometimes I mulch, but often I use the side discharge but mow in such a direction that the discharge is blown onto uncut grass instead of the cut grass. That means I'm going to chop those clippings again on the next round, so I get about the same result as mulching.

I don't let my grass get too tall, so this mower never sounds as if it's under any load at all, but I've mowed some for neighbors when they had let it get so bad that trying to mow in the mulching mode could bog down the engine; even kill the engine. So that's another time the side discharge is good.

In other words, during the year, I'll use all 3 modes.

 

[Bird]

I have been of the opinion that the rear drive is better than the front drive. I haven't had personal experience with either, but have done a little research and that seams to be the gereral opinion from what I can find. I think the commercial mowers are all rear drive.

From what I've seen, the front wheel drives are usually cheaper. I've only owned rear wheel drive, but I've used front wheel drive mowers and don't like them myself. Of course, now we're talking about personal preference instead of one actually being better than the other.

A former neighbor, young lady, came over Saturday and while my wife was playing with her two kids, she insisted on mowing our yard. She's used to their Craftsman front wheel drive and when she was about halfway through mowing our yard with my mower, she said, "I like this mower!"

 

[rekees4300]

I have been of the opinion that the rear drive is better than the front drive. I haven't had personal experience with either, but have done a little research and that seams to be the gereral opinion from what I can find. I think the commercial mowers are all rear drive.

I never had a rear drive so apparently don't know what I'm missing. With a front drive if you want to pause or go backward you just push down on the handle. There's no need to disengage the drive wheels. How does that work with a rear drive?

 

[Bird]

I never had a rear drive so apparently don't know what I'm missing. With a front drive if you want to pause or go backward you just push down on the handle. There's no need to disengage the drive wheels. How does that work with a rear drive?

Yep, that's the way the only front wheel drive mowers I've used worked; not bad. There are some different rear wheel drive systems that work different ways. Most of the ones I've used in the past were single speed and you pulled a lever or "bail" back to the handle to go, released it to stop or back up. That worked OK, but usually went forward too slow to suit me. But with my current Toro "personal pace" mower, you have an "upper handle" which can slide on the lower handle. The upper handle is what you have hold of and as you push forward the mower moves forward. The farther you push it, the faster it goes. So if you stop pushing, the mower stops. But the "pushing" I'm talking about is effortless, not like "pushing" a non-self-propelled mower.

 

[rekees4300]

Bird that sounds like a great feature. My mowers go at their speed instead of the other way around. Downhill I have to almost run to keep up.

Toro - Homeowner Mowers

 

[alchemysa]

With a front drive if you want to pause or go backward you just push down on the handle. There's no need to disengage the drive wheels. How does that work with a rear drive?

Thats a good point. Never having had a front wheel drive I hadn't considered that. Rear wheel drive can be a little awkward to maneuver around tight spaces, but I still wonder how successfully a front wheel drive pulls up inclines.

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

One of my mowers is rear drive and the other is front drive. It has been my experiance that the rear drive seems to maintain traction better than the front drive. No big scientific study just my personal opinion.