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#1
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Lawnmower..front vs. rear drive
With the front drive, if you want to go around a corner, you push down
on the handle. Then, the front wheels are off the ground. Much easier than lifting the machine off the ground. I've used both. -- Christopher A. Young You can't shout down a troll. You have to starve them. .. "NickySantoro" wrote in message ... I have to get a new mower soon and have been seeing a lot of rear drive types advertised. Are there any significant advantages or disadvantages to the rear drive as opposed to the front drive I am used to? |
#2
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Lawnmower..front vs. rear drive
rear wheel drive is the only way to go with mowers, for this reason...
"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message ... With the front drive, if you want to go around a corner, you push down on the handle. Then, the front wheels are off the ground. Much easier than lifting the machine off the ground. I've used both. -- Christopher A. Young You can't shout down a troll. You have to starve them. . "NickySantoro" wrote in message ... I have to get a new mower soon and have been seeing a lot of rear drive types advertised. Are there any significant advantages or disadvantages to the rear drive as opposed to the front drive I am used to? |
#3
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Lawnmower..front vs. rear drive
"Bob M." wrote in message . .. rear wheel drive is the only way to go with mowers, for this reason... "Stormin Mormon" wrote in message ... With the front drive, if you want to go around a corner, you push down on the handle. Then, the front wheels are off the ground. Much easier than lifting the machine off the ground. I've used both. -- Christopher A. Young You can't shout down a troll. You have to starve them. . "NickySantoro" wrote in message ... I have to get a new mower soon and have been seeing a lot of rear drive types advertised. Are there any significant advantages or disadvantages to the rear drive as opposed to the front drive I am used to? I don't get this idea that a rear wheel drive is maneuvered around a corner any differently than a front wheel drive. The rear wheel drive model has a differential in the powered axle and it will pivot on a dime, so to speak, with the handle depressed and the front wheel raised. I've had two. I make 90 and 180 degree turns by pressing down on the handle and swinging around with drive usually engaged. SJF |
#4
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Lawnmower..front vs. rear drive
"SJF" wrote in message
news:G9g5g.9618$9c6.8901@dukeread11... I don't get this idea that a rear wheel drive is maneuvered around a corner any differently than a front wheel drive. The rear wheel drive model has a differential in the powered axle and it will pivot on a dime, so to speak, with the handle depressed and the front wheel raised. You do get it, partly. If you push down on the handle on a front-wheel-drive mower, the front wheels are in the air, spinning uselessly. You do the work and guide it. Push down on the handle of a rear-wheel-drive mower and the driving wheels are still on the ground. The mower does the work, you just guide it. This is why rear-wheel-drive mowers are better, IMO. |
#5
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Lawnmower..front vs. rear drive
I don't get this idea that a rear wheel drive is maneuvered around a corner any differently than a front wheel drive. The rear wheel drive model has a differential in the powered axle and it will pivot on a dime, so to speak, with the handle depressed and the front wheel raised. I've had two. I make 90 and 180 degree turns by pressing down on the handle and swinging around with drive usually engaged. I own and use both types of mowers and do believe there is a difference. Yes you can push down on the handles of a rear drive but it does not slow the machine unless you actully pull back on the mower or disengage the drive. Engaging and disengaging the drive becomes a matter of habit with the rear drive. My place is covered with stumps and rocks. Say I am walking along a a given speed and want to mow around a tree or rock. You need or want to slow the machine way down to negotiate the obstacle, perhaps even make a complete 360 degree turn. With the front drive this is easy. Just push down on the handles to disengage the drive for a moment. The front drive will pull the mower around the tree and can be easily slowed and pivoted by pushing down on the handles (which is easy to do). With the rear drive you would have to lift up on the handles to get the same result, essentially picking up the whole mower. Otherwise you have to repeatedly disengage the drive to slow the machine. When I am in this situation while using the rear wheel I sometimes actually hold the mower back to prevent it from going too fast. So anyway, I have three strategies for slowing and turning the rear wheel drive. With the front drive there is one simple strategy, push down on the handles and pivot the machine leaving the drive engaged. Both mowers work well enough, for sure, but the front drive is a bit easier to use around obstacles in my humble opinion. If I only had one mower it would be a rear drive because they have a better choice of speeds and also because they handle better in tall grass and rough ground. |
#6
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Lawnmower..front vs. rear drive
"Lawrence" wrote in message oups.com... I don't get this idea that a rear wheel drive is maneuvered around a corner any differently than a front wheel drive. The rear wheel drive model has a differential in the powered axle and it will pivot on a dime, so to speak, with the handle depressed and the front wheel raised. I've had two. I make 90 and 180 degree turns by pressing down on the handle and swinging around with drive usually engaged. I own and use both types of mowers and do believe there is a difference. Yes you can push down on the handles of a rear drive but it does not slow the machine unless you actully pull back on the mower or disengage the drive. Engaging and disengaging the drive becomes a matter of habit with the rear drive. My place is covered with stumps and rocks. Say I am walking along a a given speed and want to mow around a tree or rock. You need or want to slow the machine way down to negotiate the obstacle, perhaps even make a complete 360 degree turn. With the front drive this is easy. Just push down on the handles to disengage the drive for a moment. The front drive will pull the mower around the tree and can be easily slowed and pivoted by pushing down on the handles (which is easy to do). With the rear drive you would have to lift up on the handles to get the same result, essentially picking up the whole mower. Otherwise you have to repeatedly disengage the drive to slow the machine. When I am in this situation while using the rear wheel I sometimes actually hold the mower back to prevent it from going too fast. So anyway, I have three strategies for slowing and turning the rear wheel drive. With the front drive there is one simple strategy, push down on the handles and pivot the machine leaving the drive engaged. Both mowers work well enough, for sure, but the front drive is a bit easier to use around obstacles in my humble opinion. If I only had one mower it would be a rear drive because they have a better choice of speeds and also because they handle better in tall grass and rough ground. Most self-propelled machines now have a continuously variable drive speed so the difficulty of speed adjustment is pretty well eliminated and it's easy to slow down quickly or to propel in short lunges. SJF |
#7
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Lawnmower..front vs. rear drive
Most self-propelled machines now have a continuously variable drive speed so the difficulty of speed adjustment is pretty well eliminated and it's easy to slow down quickly or to propel in short lunges. SJF What you are referring to is a hydrostatic transmission and would include reverse. You say most machines have one? Can you could give even one example? I own 4 self propelled mowers and only one of them has such a drive. It is a $2100 walk behind brush mower. Any mower having such a feature would have at least a 32 inch deck and be considerd a commercial mower. 17 inches is the typical deck size for a residential walk behind mower. Here is a link to show you an example of my mower: http://www.snapper.com/field_brush.html My own search for such mowers can be found at this link: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&l...& btnG=Search My search confirms my personal experience that front-wheel drive 17" mowers have but one speed. 17 inch rear drive mowers often have multiple speeds but apparently never do they have a hydrostatic transmission. The smallest mower with such a feature has a 32 inch deck and runs into the thousands of dollars. I would be happy for you to prove me wrong so that I can go out an buy such a mower. |
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