Gonna buy a new push mower

[achiro]

Thinking about electric start so the boys and wife can earn their keep. ;)
Should I go with a Briggs motor? I see the Kohler in a lot of cheaper models. but does it really make a difference, seems like they all only last a few years before **** starts falling apart anyway.
Rear or front drive on the self propel? Seems like the rear would be harder to maneuver. With the front you just push down on the handle to lift the wheels off the ground.
Any brands to really look at?Snapper, troy built, etc?
Any brands to stay away from?

[KuppiKunta]

Get a Honda

/thread

[The Profit]

Or a Toro. My last one lasted 19 years. I now have the Toro Personal Pace. You don't need an electric starter with a Toro. It stars on the 1st or 2nd pull.

[Mjcpr]

I could pwn this thread, but I won't.

[oumartin]

We just bought a husqvarna electric start for work, Pretty nice but the battery charger plugin is cheaply built so have to be careful with that.

I'm partial to snappers. I've had one for 18 years and it still starts first pull and the self propelled has never been worked on in all those years and it still works like new.

I bought my son a cheap 200.00 snapper last spring and it starts by barely pulling on the cord. It's amazing how little effort it takes.

[StoopTroup]

Sears has a good mower for around $239-279 and they can more than likely pull start it..It doesn't take much. They all have primers and chokes so with a little instruction they should be right on top of it. By the time you have bought and paid for that Honda....you could have done it much cheaper with the mower Sears has and just as good.

Electric Start? You are asking for trouble IMO

[Turd_Ferguson]

Or a Toro. My last one lasted 19 years. I now have the Toro Personal Pace. You don't need an electric starter with a Toro. It stars on the 1st or 2nd pull.2nd this. Bought it in 2000. It still starts on the 1st pull. My 9 yr old daughter can start it.

[NormanPride]

I could pwn this thread, but I won't.
Hypothetically, how much would you pwn it? Because I bet I could hypothetically pwn it more.

[Whet]

I suggest a front wheel drive. I have a Honda push mower and a Rider with a Kohler engine, neither have given me trouble. Also, you may wish to re-think the electric start, because the Honda is very easy to start.

[StoopTroup]

2nd this. Bought it in 2000. It still starts on the 1st pull. My 9 yr old daughter can start it.

Same with my Sears. Mowers have gotten much better the last few years IMO. You just don't need to spend 5-600 bucks on one.

[oumartin]

I suggest a front wheel drive. I have a Honda push mower and a Rider with a Kohler engine, neither have given me trouble. Also, you may wish to re-think the electric start, because the Honda is very easy to start.


front wheel drive? are you retarded? :D


My moms crapsman is front wheel self propelled and I hate that thing.

come to think of the husqvarna is front wheel drive and I hate that about it.

[StoopTroup]

Also....if you are in Tulsa....go out to Haskell, OK. Go see my FIL...he owns the Mower Shop at the end of Town by the Propane Plant. He might have some used stuff laying around if you are looking for a used mower. He used to own the Otasco Store there back in the day.

[The Profit]

Also....if you are in Tulsa....go out to Haskell, OK. Go see my FIL...he owns the Mower Shop at the end of Town by the Propane Plant. He might have some used stuff laying around if you are looking for a used mower. He used to own the Otasco Store there back in the day.




OTASCO!!! Now that is a name from the past. Oklahoma Tire and Supply Company. Every town of any size had one of them. I got my first go kart from the OTASCO in Lawton.

[pott_2]

Avoid both Kohler and Briggs. Get anything with a Honda or Kawasaki engine on it. The Toro push mowers are bulletproof as well.

[Mjcpr]

Hypothetically, how much would you pwn it? Because I bet I could hypothetically pwn it more.

I could definitely pwn it. I made a homemade mulching mower out of my Walmart Muarray or whatever it is by using a car floor mat and a new blade. Don't tempt me, boy. :D

[jk the sooner fan]

i have a rear wheel drive Toro and love it -it starts on the first pull almost every time'

and as much as it pains me to agree with anything Stoop says - i also think the electric start is just asking for trouble

[KuppiKunta]

By the time you have bought and paid for that Honda....you could have done it much cheaper with the mower Sears has and just as good.




Credibility totally lost.

[Sooner_Tuf]

Honda Commercial or Hustler. The Hustler is a Honda Commercial painted different colors.

The electric start is more trouble than it's worth. If you can't pull the rope it's doubtful you could lift the gas can.

[Taxman71]

Just replaced a 10 year old Honda with another one. The new one has the plastic deck and is much lighter with better bagging. Never had any problems with my old Honda except the clutch cable (the one you hold down to make the self-propelled wheels move) broke off thanks to my 2 year old. Cost of repair was too high since the connection was way down in there. It still functions as a non-propelled mower that I use to chew through stuff I don't want my new Honda to get into.

[DRLSooner]

Front-wheel drive is crap. I seriously cant believe they still produce them.

I have 3 mowers.. a Honda at my casa, and 2 higher-end Craftsman at each of my grandmothers. Both of the Craftsman have the Briggs engine, I wouldnt touch anything else.

The Honda is by far the best of the 3, but I wouldnt have any trouble buying another Craftsman either. Take care of them and they last a long time.

My dad will swear by his Toro, which he has had forever.

[Tulsa_Fireman]

Thinking about electric start so the boys and wife can earn their keep. ;)
Should I go with a Briggs motor? I see the Kohler in a lot of cheaper models. but does it really make a difference, seems like they all only last a few years before **** starts falling apart anyway.
Rear or front drive on the self propel? Seems like the rear would be harder to maneuver. With the front you just push down on the handle to lift the wheels off the ground.
Any brands to really look at?Snapper, troy built, etc?
Any brands to stay away from?

It's a frickin' pushmower. Go cheap.

Get the Briggs, nothing less than 6.5 HP. Get a high rear wheel. Other than that, bells and whistles are just that. Bells and whistles.

All the orgasmatic love for Hondas in pushmowers is ridiculous. Yes they run. Yes they run well. Yes they're expensive as hell. Parts for B&S powerplants are stupid cheap and they're near bulletproof if you stay away from the "run cool" aluminum lined cylinders. And a retarded monkey can tear one down to the crank and rebuild it. So why blow your wad on a Honda? There ain't no point. The deck, wheels, and assembly will be broke to hell before either craps out. If you do your annual maintenance and take care of it like you're supposed to, you'll be fine and save cash in the long run.

[pphilfran]

It's a frickin' pushmower. Go cheap.

Get the Briggs, nothing less than 6.5 HP. Get a high rear wheel. Other than that, bells and whistles are just that. Bells and whistles.

All the orgasmatic love for Hondas in pushmowers is ridiculous. Yes they run. Yes they run well. Yes they're expensive as hell. Parts for B&S powerplants are stupid cheap and they're near bulletproof if you stay away from the "run cool" aluminum lined cylinders. And a retarded monkey can tear one down to the crank and rebuild it. So why blow your wad on a Honda? There ain't no point. The deck, wheels, and assembly will be broke to hell before either craps out. If you do your annual maintenance and take care of it like you're supposed to, you'll be fine and save cash in the long run.

I agree with this...

Also, the new mowers are much easier to pull start...some come with no chokes and pull start within one or two pulls...

One other word of advice...buy your mower at the end of the season and save 1/3...

[achiro]

Well I went down to our local mower shop and ended up buying a Toro. I honestly thought they would be more expensive than Sears or Lowes but it was the same price as the snapper and craftsman I was looking at. They were FWD this one is RWD. They didn't have electric start and this one does but the shop pretty much sold it to me for the price of one without it. It has a briggs motor as well. For the price they sold it to me, I'm pretty happy.

[KuppiKunta]

It's a frickin' pushmower. Go cheap.

Get the Briggs, nothing less than 6.5 HP. Get a high rear wheel. Other than that, bells and whistles are just that. Bells and whistles.

All the orgasmatic love for Hondas in pushmowers is ridiculous. Yes they run. Yes they run well. Yes they're expensive as hell. Parts for B&S powerplants are stupid cheap and they're near bulletproof if you stay away from the "run cool" aluminum lined cylinders. And a retarded monkey can tear one down to the crank and rebuild it. So why blow your wad on a Honda? There ain't no point. The deck, wheels, and assembly will be broke to hell before either craps out. If you do your annual maintenance and take care of it like you're supposed to, you'll be fine and save cash in the long run.

I blew my wad on a Honda cause I didn't want to have to spend my valuable time repairing crap, and I don't have a retarded monkey hanging around. To me, it was worth it to spend the money up front and have a quality, reliable mower. So when I'm ready to mow, I know it will be ready too. The only maintenance I have is changing the oil, spark plug, and filter once a season. Plus I like the way it mulches and I can change it to a bagger in just seconds. The deck isn't going to wear out, it's made out of the same plastic as football helmets, and just mowing the yard, it shouldn't take near the abuse.

Using your analogy, I guess I could by a Hyundai...it would get me from point A to point B a lot cheaper, but I prefer to get there in style.

[StoopTroup]

Credibility totally lost.

I might just have I guess....I'm guessing you'd have to hire someone to start a chainsaw for you.

[StoopTroup]

I blew my wad on a Honda cause I didn't want to have to spend my valuable time repairing crap, and I don't have a retarded monkey hanging around. To me, it was worth it to spend the money up front and have a quality, reliable mower. So when I'm ready to mow, I know it will be ready too. The only maintenance I have is changing the oil, spark plug, and filter once a season. Plus I like the way it mulches and I can change it to a bagger in just seconds. The deck isn't going to wear out, it's made out of the same plastic as football helmets, and just mowing the yard, it shouldn't take near the abuse.

Using your analogy, I guess I could by a Hyundai...it would get me from point A to point B a lot cheaper, but I prefer to get there in style.

My God....

How do you get around these days? All the full serve gas stations are gone these days. Is there a place on the GPS that finds them for you?

[StoopTroup]

Gas, air and fire. Think those three things and you'll figure out pretty quick why your mower won't run.

[Tulsa_Fireman]

I blew my wad on a Honda cause I didn't want to have to spend my valuable time repairing crap, and I don't have a retarded monkey hanging around. To me, it was worth it to spend the money up front and have a quality, reliable mower. So when I'm ready to mow, I know it will be ready too. The only maintenance I have is changing the oil, spark plug, and filter once a season. Plus I like the way it mulches and I can change it to a bagger in just seconds. The deck isn't going to wear out, it's made out of the same plastic as football helmets, and just mowing the yard, it shouldn't take near the abuse.

Using your analogy, I guess I could by a Hyundai...it would get me from point A to point B a lot cheaper, but I prefer to get there in style.

I apologize. Your time is pretty valuable. So much so you should sell it on eBay.

Point being, your blind concept of reliability and quality is just that for a piece of equipment like a push mower. A blind concept. I've got all the things you've just mentioned in an el cheapo with a Briggs powerplant, have only done standard maintenance like yourself, oil change, spark plug, filter, sharpened blades, enjoy a 1 to 2 pull start with it cold, enjoy plenty of horsepower, and have yet to have an issue with needed maintenance. This is its eighth season and it runs like a top, likewise with others I know who have similar equipment. And the only reason my rig isn't on it's 17th season is because the 3.5 HP Briggs I was in didn't have the HP I needed.

Think about it. Do you NEED overhead valves for a residential pushmower? Not to take anything away from Honda's equipment because yeah, it's good stuff. But again, it's a pushmower. There's such a thing as overkill and a Honda powerplant on a consumer grade pushmower is the very definition of.

[pphilfran]

I blew my wad on a Honda cause I didn't want to have to spend my valuable time repairing crap, and I don't have a retarded monkey hanging around. To me, it was worth it to spend the money up front and have a quality, reliable mower. So when I'm ready to mow, I know it will be ready too. The only maintenance I have is changing the oil, spark plug, and filter once a season. Plus I like the way it mulches and I can change it to a bagger in just seconds. The deck isn't going to wear out, it's made out of the same plastic as football helmets, and just mowing the yard, it shouldn't take near the abuse.

Using your analogy, I guess I could by a Hyundai...it would get me from point A to point B a lot cheaper, but I prefer to get there in style.

I am like you...I must be stylin when I mow...I detail the mower prior and after mowing....I used to mow in my formal wear but the tails on the tuxedo kept getting caught in the rear wheel...now I just wear my business suit...

A pic of my ride...

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii187/pphilfran/jd-1.jpg

[Whet]

How about just purchasing some goats?

[Tulsa_Fireman]

NOT UNLESS THEY ARE THE PREMIER OF GOATS WITH NO MAINTENANCE COSTS AND GOLD TRIMMED HORNS

[KuppiKunta]

I apologize. Your time is pretty valuable. So much so you should sell it on eBay.

Point being, your blind concept of reliability and quality is just that for a piece of equipment like a push mower. A blind concept. I've got all the things you've just mentioned in an el cheapo with a Briggs powerplant, have only done standard maintenance like yourself, oil change, spark plug, filter, sharpened blades, enjoy a 1 to 2 pull start with it cold, enjoy plenty of horsepower, and have yet to have an issue with needed maintenance. This is its eighth season and it runs like a top, likewise with others I know who have similar equipment. And the only reason my rig isn't on it's 17th season is because the 3.5 HP Briggs I was in didn't have the HP I needed.

Think about it. Do you NEED overhead valves for a residential pushmower? Not to take anything away from Honda's equipment because yeah, it's good stuff. But again, it's a pushmower. There's such a thing as overkill and a Honda powerplant on a consumer grade pushmower is the very definition of.

As a fireman, you have more off time than I do so yeah, I value my time. You got a mower that meets your needs, I got one that meets mine. I was willing and able to pay a little more so I did. It's my second Honda and when the time comes, I'll buy another one.

Like I said, the Hyundai will get me to the grocery store, but I'm still not gonna buy one.

By the way...the ebay comment has to be the lamest piece of smack I've seen on the board...and that says a lot!!

[Position Limit]

As a fireman, you have more off time than I do so yeah, I value my time. You got a mower that meets your needs, I got one that meets mine. I was willing and able to pay a little more so I did. It's my second Honda and when the time comes, I'll buy another one.

Like I said, the Hyundai will get me to the grocery store, but I'm still not gonna buy one.

By the way...the ebay comment has to be the lamest piece of smack I've seen on the board...and that says a lot!!

your honda is overpriced garbage. seller of honda, buyer of briggs.

your comment about hyundai is garbage and from another planet. i would do a comparative analysis for you, but something tells me you might be lost.

the ebay comment was both spot on and funny.

what's it like?

[purplecrayon]

i just pay a landscaping company to do it. problem solved.

[Sooner Tri]

When we got married, my wife's father talked me into buying a Toro, when I had planned to buy whatever was cheapest at Wal-Mart. I paid more that I thought I needed to, but went along with him to keep the peace.

It's now 21 years later, and that Toro still starts on the 1st or 2nd pull. Only ever had to do basic maintenance. I've long since handed the mowing duties to my now 18 & 15 year old sons, but the old Toro is still going strong!

[texaspokieokie]

we got a couple guys that do the whole thing for $25.

i prefer rear wheel drive on a mower.

had one with electric starter. not worth the extra do-re-mi. just something else to go wrong. sears mowers are fine. had a JohnDeere & it was very good, but expensive.

[Lawton4Life]

Whatever you do get, just make sure to change the oil, the oil filter, the exaus/muffler, the blades and the spark plug and it will last for a very very long time. All that is really easy and not every expensive. Much cheaper than buying or fixing said mower.

[soonerbrat]

i think you should get one of the old-fashioned ones without a motor.

[Taxman71]

My take: a good mower will last 10+ years. A couple hundred bucks prorated over that time is nothing. Get what you think is the best for what you can afford. Every manufacturer has some lemons and some owners are so savvy, they could get 250k on a Le Car.

[achiro]

Wow, I can't believe the stuff you guys will argue about. I totally agree with Kuppi in that when it's time to mow, I just want the damn thing to start. I know how to fix about anything on them but wasting time fixing instead of doing is not my idea of a fun day. It's pretty ridiculous to say otherwise.
I have a Mclane that is a hundred years old that I'm either going to modify and put a different carb on(can't even buy a filter housing for the one thats on it) or just replace the entire motor if that doesn't get it. That is a tinkering project though and if I had to get it done before I could mow, it would suck.

[achiro]

i think you should get one of the old-fashioned ones without a motor.

I have one and mowed my front lawn for the last two summers with it. The lawn looks fantastic with it but I've decided it's a bit more work than I want. :D

[KuppiKunta]

your comment about hyundai is garbage and from another planet.


Hyundai is Korean. Korea is on Planet Earth. I'm still not buying one.

[Turd_Ferguson]

Buy a Gravely with a sulky...best mower ever...

[My Opinion Matters]

I own a Honda, and I like it. Apparently that makes me a bumbling, effeminate philistine.

How other people spend their money on lawn equipment is srs bsnss.

[achiro]

I own a Honda, and I like it. Apparently that makes me a bumbling, effeminate philistine.
It's not just owning a Honda that does that for you. :D


How other people spend their money on lawn equipment is srs bsnss.

Apparently :O