Yeah your right and I know that, it's like I said It depends on the unit you buy. The more expensive units could be set up the sealed bearings on the front wheels and spindles but more than likely you'll have greasing to do on any unit some where. The good units or walk behind mowers with all the fun bells and whistles will cost close to the price of the Grandstand and for the money difference there's no choice when I can have the best of both worlds with the GS and that's the reason I sold the G 1336.
You ask a question of another forum member here about Why would he hate B&S? Well let me answer. I've been mowing lawns for a good number of years and I've had plenty of experience with B&S stuff/engines over the years and I've replaced a lot of B&S stuff/ engines in that time so I know about the quality of there equipment and it hasn't changed. My last and final experience with B&S was a $600 electric start push mower that the wife used to mow with when she was helping me with the business.
She came to and asked to have the blade changed so I turned the mower up and I pulled the bolt to take off the blade and what happens.....a piece of the adapter plate falls off so I pulled the rest of the plate because I knew it would have to be replaced and what do I find..... The shear pin had sheared about half of the crankshaft off so I'm sitting here with a $600 mower that I end up throwing in the trash. Quality equipment and B&S shouldn't be used in the same sentence.
Now am I going to buy my mower like Snapper that went belly up and was and purchased by B&S... I don't think so. I mean really there already selling the Snapper push mower and Lawn tractors at Walmart and btw don't let anyone start talking about the B&S VG engine and I have to admit it's a good engine as it should be, problem is the engine isn't made by B&S it's made by Daihatsu. B&S
built them a plant in Japan in exchange for marketing rights for the motor here in this country, that's the reason it's a good engine. Sorry about the Rant Conner
Snapper didn't go belly up. Still make their mowers in the same factory they have been making them for years. Snapper, snapper pro, and ferris were bought by simplicity which was bought by briggs & Stratton in 2002. Just because the companies were purchased doesn't mean they were going under. You should know your facts before talking about companies. I Am not a fan of the low end briggs & Stratton products either, but Ferris and Snapper pro are quality machines. None of those low end briggs engines are even offered on those mowers. In fact, they have the same drive train options as all of the other brands (including toro). Answer this ?. Have you ever owned, or used a snapper pro or ferris mower? I know you haven't, so how can you give advice about the quality of their machines?
As for sealed bearings vs greasable, I will take greasable any day. Bearings need lubrication. When the grease in the sealed bearing breaks down, and it will, you will have to replace them sooner than you will with a bearing that you can keep lubricated. Just because it's sealed doesn't mean that it's made heavier. I grew up working on a 4000 acre cotton farm and used all sorts of heavy duty farm equipment. Just about every bearing was greasable.
