lawnmowers??

PhantomOG

so i just mowed my lawn for the first time (ah, the joys of homeownership) with a POS mower that was kindly given to me. it was just a cheapo side shooter that almost killed me with the flying grass and my horrible allergies, as well as make the sidewalks and driveways look like crap from all the loose grass.

ANYWAYS, I want to buy a decent mower with a bag catcher but I don't know squat about what's good or bad in brands etc. How many HP do I need for a relatively small yard with bermuda grass? What brands are good? Are they all the same?

Thanks for helping. I appreciate any and all advice. Even telling me to pay someone else to do!

EDIT: also need a good weedeater for the tight spaces so any suggestions there are also appreciated.

masanz1

Of course Honda makes a good mower but I like my Toro. I use a 5hp for a thick grass large yard. It does the job but I wish I had a 6.5. Mowers for me have been pretty much fool proof, as long as you take care of it like any other item(oil change, good blade), it should last a long time. As far as weed eaters all I can suggest is by gas powered

Polkersince85

FWIW, I've got a Honda pushmower (self-propelled, rear bagger) that I bought in 1978. Still runs good.

hoosier21

I hate buying them, what a waste of money. So with that I buy a model or two above teh cheap ones, to me they are all the same. The one I have is a Sears, waited for a return and took the discount.

VR3

We use a mower from the 60's...

It had its first oil change in 10 years last year..

TroyD

I'm with hoosier. I buy a decent (but not TOTL) mower. I look for decent wheels that adjust easy and a Honda motor. Briggs and Stratton sucks balls.

BDT

bobman1235

If you mow your lawn more often you wouldn't have as much mess...

Bag mowers are a pain in the ****. You're better off going with a mulching mower that "re-cuts" the grass into tiny parts that you can't see / don't make a mess.

aaharvel

Stay away from Cub Cadet.

ohskigod

craftsman is pretty good too, i got the riding mower (dude, its the only way to fly!!)

Mike682

I like BlueMD's mower:

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=8526&d=1113853559

cmy330go

+1 for Toro

I have a 10 year old 6.5 horse mulcher/bagger and love it. Still starts on the first or second pull, and burns no oil. Seems bullet proof.

shack

Toro. The one I have now is 18 years old and still going strong. The one before that lasted about 18 years. I've been mowing yards since I was 9 (43 years) and only used 3 mowers....All Toros. It is almost impossible to tear them up.

amulford

I wish I could get away with a push mower:)

Stay away from Briggs and Stratton engines. Go with a Honda or Tecumseh. For a 22" cut, at least 6.5 HP. The more HP, the less it has to work. I would avoid belt driven self propelled, also.

When you do buy a new one, buy an extra blade and learn how to keep it sharp. Makes for a nicer cut, and less work for the engine.

Keep the grass height to at least 2 1/2" to 3" and use a mulching mower. It self feeds the lawn, and you don't have to get rid if clippings.

For weed eaters I use Echo. I have one that is interchangeable, that is you can use different tools with the same power head. Might be worth looking into, as it is multi-purposed.

Danny Tse

My last lawnmower was from Montgomery Ward.....used it for 23 years. One oil change and changed the blade once.

Currently using bottom of the line Craftsman....not bad, but I should've spend a little more for a Honda. Nothing wrong with the Craftsman, just that some of the designs need better implementation.

Dennis Gardner

Sears has the 2005 models on clearance sale on their website. I have the Bob Vila model front drive with tall rear wheels, 6.75 hp, convertable side discharge for around $300 last summer. I've had Honda, Husky, and Snapper and the Craftsmen holds it own with them all.

For a trimmer, I got the Craftsmen $200 4 stroke model. Better than the Ryobi 4 stroke it replaced. I won't mix oil and gas again, hate the hassle of 2 tanks.

nadams

Find a used Lawnboy 2 cycle pushmower with a mulching attachment. Those 2 cycles never die, and can run on steep banks if need be. They don't sell new 2cycle lawnboys, due to emissions restrictions, but they really can't be beat!

dorokusai

If you had a bad experience with a B&S, it's because you never owned a real lawnmower.

ohskigod

My Craftsman has a B&S I believe.

PhantomOG

Thanks everyone. I think I'll look at the Honda and Toro models, maybe consider a mulcher as well.

I know I should mow often, but I just moved in and the grass was already long and it had been raining the past couple weekends.

unc2701

If your lawn is small enough, I can recommend the Black & decker electric mower. Takes a time or two to get used to and I wouldn't want to do more than a quarter acre with it, but its sooooo much easier to deal with than gas and it's got zero maintenence.

nadams

I would suggest a large stock of extension cords if you decide to go that route.

billbillw

I'm a Honda fan. I think the double blade setup they use is one of the best setups for both mulching and bagging. I picked up one from Home Depot as a "refurb". It looked like new, but it was about $150 cheaper, same warranty. I've been using it without trouble for a few years now. It always starts on the first pull.

unc2701

nadams wrote:

I would suggest a large stock of extension cords if you decide to go that route.

heh... haven't run over one yet. But the wife has nicked 'em a few times.

That reminds me of another advantage: They're light enough & start so easy that the wife will actually mow the lawn.

Pablo

If you have a small lawn, it probably really doesn't matter what you get (it won't get all that much use). My first B&S mower gave me quite a few years of good use (I bought it used for $50 bucks, and only replaced it when I moved 10 years later). The Honda's will probably never die on you, but they cost quite a bit ($500). Koller also makes a decent engine. Now I have a 25hp tractor with a 52" cut with a Koller.

bobman1235

Ha, random funny story. When I was a kid, and we first moved to NH and had a lawn, my dad went to a local hardware store (it was a chain store, I forget which one... Grossman's maybe) and financed a new mower. It was some deal where you don't pay for the first month, adn then you get a bill. And it was an expensive mower too. Well, he never got a bill. He even called them and made sure they had his address (without outright telling him he didn't get a bill). Never got a bill. A year later the thing broke, and he brought it in, and they serviced it, UNDER WARRANTY, despite the fact that he never paid a dime!

That mower lasted like 6 years.

Admittedly not the most honest thing to do, but.... free mower.

Demiurge

Koller also makes a decent engine. Now I have a 25hp tractor with a 52" cut with a Koller.

I think you mean Kohler, they're local here, just like Briggs & Stratton. Kohler makes a great product.

ND13

Another TORO owner here. Great mower.

getcha one!!!

Pablo

(sorry, your right it's Kohler. Koller makes faucets!).

shawn474

I've had lowe's, craftsman, toro and honda. The Honda in my humble opinion cut no better than the other models and was WAY more expensive. Right now I use a self propelled Toro with mulching kit and a 2004 craftsman rider with a mulching kit. In the price range, I don't think you'll get much better than craftsman. If you want to step up to the big boys like Honda or Deere, expect to pay as much for a push-mower than riders in the "cheaper" brands. Maybe you get what you pay for, but I change oil, filters and plugs seasonally and they run just as well and cut just as well as the day that I bought them. Just my humble opinion.

nebborjk

I have an entry level John Deere push mower. The model number is JS60 I believe. Bought it 8 years ago and have not had a single problem with it.

nebborjk

Knock on wood! This thread has jinx written all over it.