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?

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?

You might want to just get one with a mulcher blade too instead of bagging.

wrote:

Looking for a new self-propelled mower for hopefully less than $300.

You'll probably get better answers at http://opeonthenet.com/ - but I
saw this at Samsclub last week and wondered if it was 1/2 as good as
the 10 [?]yr old Honda that I bought used for $100 5 yrs ago.

Any opinions from Honda owners?

If it is 1/4 as good, it is worth $300. I'm in NY so mine sits idle
from Oct-May. It lives outside and sometimes I forget to throw a
board over it so it becomes entombed in a snowdrift. I don't drain
the gas or take any precautions. It starts on the first or second
pull every time. I change the oil and sparkplug after the first time
I use it in the spring. I've replaced the blades once- and I spent
$35 this year for a new bag. Otherwise, I just run it.

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.

Mowers are not complicated. Buy a manual, hang out in repair
groups, and you can keep any mower going for a real long time.

Jim

On May 13, 9:08*am, George wrote:

You might want to just get one with a mulcher blade too instead of bagging.

I second that. If your time is worth anything to you, you'll make up
$300 in no time by getting a mulcher blade with powerful engine to
handle the re-chopping of grass bits.

Plus, you'll save money on fertilizer to some extent.

On May 13, 12:08*pm, George wrote:

You might want to just get one with a mulcher blade too instead of bagging.

Thanks. My yard has LOTS of weeds and it's always been my impression
that mulching will just keep re-seeding them.

On Wed, 13 May 2009 09:16:28 -0700 (PDT), mike
wrote Re Lawn mowers under $300?:

On May 13, 9:08*am, George wrote:

You might want to just get one with a mulcher blade too instead of bagging.

I second that. If your time is worth anything to you, you'll make up
$300 in no time by getting a mulcher blade with powerful engine to
handle the re-chopping of grass bits.

Plus, you'll save money on fertilizer to some extent.

Ditto on that.

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?

I bought a self-propelled mower with a Honda engine from Costco a few
years ago. I can't even remember the brand of mower and I'm too lazy to
go out to the shed to look. IIRC, it was around $200.

I did add an adjustable throttle to it.

on 5/13/2009 11:57 AM (ET) wrote the following:
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?

I was in a HD a couple of years ago and they had a Poulan 4 cyl. self
propelled bag/mulch mower for $100.
Works great and relatively quiet.

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

On May 13, 11:36*am, wrote:
On May 13, 12:08*pm, George wrote:



You might want to just get one with a mulcher blade too instead of bagging.

Thanks. *My yard has LOTS of weeds and it's always been my impression
that mulching will just keep re-seeding them.

Use weed killer weeds seed anyway, mulching is easiest and best for
the lawn. I think most mowers are china made now and cheap in price.
In 1973 I bought a 4 hp Toro self propeled for about 350$, last year I
bought a 6.75hp Toro self propeled for the same price, 350$. For a
motor that will last 2000 hrs get a Honda or 2 stroke Lawn Boy or
commercial grade Cub with maybe a Kawasaki engine or commercial grade
B&S, my first toro lasted 300 hrs or so, I have no idea on what is
quality now in other brands but they dont cost much. OHV should last
longer by design.

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?

Check on Craigslist for a heavy-duty used mower. Take it to a mower repair
shop for a tune-up, blade sharpening, etc. It'll be as good as new.

Last year I bought a 12HP Snapper riding mower for $200 It was built - I
think - in 1986. I also bought two cans of red spray paint. Looks and acts
like new.

You should be able to find a good one in that price range. The cheap parts
will be things like wheels and handles, both of which can probably be
replaced with better quality when they finally die.

If you have never used a self-propelled mower, particularly the less
expensive models that don't have a clutching mechanism in the drive gear,
you will probably find yourself digging a few divots the 1st few times you
use it. Generally you can't push/pull in the way you would a
non-self-propelled model without lifting the drive wheels off the ground.
Of course that means you are doing more of the work you were trying to avoid
with the self-propelled to start with! The best way to use it is to pretend
it is a riding mower - that is follow it around and avoid having to stop and
back up any more than you have to. You might end up walking a little
farther than you would normally as you maneuver around the trees and shrubs,
and even going back over areas you already cut as you go, but it ends up
being easier in the end run.



wrote in message
...
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?

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?

I can suggest some features, but not brands:
* Big rear wheels make moving over stairs and through boggy spots
easier.
* Swivelling front wheels make turns easy. You don't have to lift the
front of the mower to turn.
* Engines with iron piston sleeves last longer.

The others' suggestions are good:
* Consider mulching instead of bagging. Mulching is only a problem if
you over-fertilize in a desert area (where grass clippings don't rot
quickly).
* Go to a local repair shop and check the used mowers. They'll sell
you a high-end mower for a low-end price. They'll also tell you which
models are the most reliable.

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX USA

"ransley" wrote in message
...
On May 13, 11:36 am, wrote:
On May 13, 12:08 pm, George wrote:



You might want to just get one with a mulcher blade too instead of
bagging.

Thanks. My yard has LOTS of weeds and it's always been my impression
that mulching will just keep re-seeding them.

Use weed killer weeds seed anyway, mulching is easiest and best for
the lawn. I think most mowers are china made now and cheap in price.
In 1973 I bought a 4 hp Toro self propeled for about 350$, last year I
bought a 6.75hp Toro self propeled for the same price, 350$. For a
motor that will last 2000 hrs get a Honda or 2 stroke Lawn Boy or
commercial grade Cub with maybe a Kawasaki engine or commercial grade
B&S, my first toro lasted 300 hrs or so, I have no idea on what is
quality now in other brands but they dont cost much. OHV should last
longer by design.

From the ads I've seen self-propelled mowers start at around $300.
Personally I would not want to buy any mower that has a Tecumseh, B&S, or
Honda engine. That doesn't leave very much, at least in this price range.
Tecumseh used to have a longer proposed engine life than B&S but I doubt
that's true these days. I don't particularly like the Honda OHC (GC)
engines--just a cheap, crappy engine that says Honda on it. Their OHV
engines are pretty good but I don't think I've seen one on a mower. I had a
lot more problems with Tecumseh carburators than with B&S. Bottom line for
me would be in agreement with ransley to get the OHV engine. I've had good
luck with Chinese generic OHV engines. Every bit as good as a Honda OHV
(GX) engines, as far as I can tell so
far. Some Honda parts even fit, such as the ignition module.

I have a front-wheel drive self-propelled mower and it'll go up fairly steep
slopes easily. I have a rear-wheel drive riding mower and it won't go up
the same slopes. Based upon this if I was buying a new mower I'd probably
go with front-wheel drive. This may be apples and oranges but it's about
all I have to go on. In case you are wondering it's a Sears mower with a
Tecumseh engine and I put a B&S carburator on it. It was free.

I got a Toro mulcher last year for about $300. It does a great job,
especially on leaves.

Wanted a Honda, but they are too expensive.
wrote in message
...
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?

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.