On May 13, 10:57*am, wrote:
Looking for a new self-propelled mower for hopefully less than $300.
I'll be mostly bagging on a flat lot less than 1/4 acre with lots of
turns around shrubs and trees. *While performance is important,
reliability is the most important consideration. *Not being
mechanically inclined, I need to know that whatever I get can do the
job it's supposed to do without a lot of messing around or running to
the repair shop with it, warranty or not.

Any suggestions for reliable mowers in that price range?



This is not exactly wanted you asked for but I did buy a Toro electric
start, self-propelled lawn mower at Home Depot 3 weeks ago and my lawn
is much less than 1/4 acre. It does have the bagger feature or if I
choose, I can mulch, but I'm a fan of bagging my clippings; love the
look of my yard rivaling a manicured golf course. I haven't tried the
mulching feature yet so all I can report on is the how well the bagger
works. After mowing my overgrown lawn due to copious amounts of rain
the bagger did not leave one blade of grass on the lawn to be tracked
back into the house.

I did opt for the electric start mower as I injured my shoulder about
2 years ago and found the pull cord on my other mower to be agony.
Most likely the new Toro would have started with the minimum amount of
effort, but the key start is certainly a breeze. This mower also has
a wash out port which is another nice feature; first time I've ever
seen one of these and makes cleaning the blade and underside of the
mower a snap.

If I remember correctly H.D. does have other Toro lawn mowers in a
lower price range ($300-$350). These of course don't have the
electric start feature but are self propelled. The self propelled
mowers are the only way to go if you are using a walk behind machine
in my opinion, much easier to use and makes the job quicker, too. I
was through cutting my 'jungle' in 2 hours flat and it's a job that
takes at least 3 hours with my other mower when the grass is not
overgrown.