Export thread

Wondering what are the best self propelled walk behind mower......cutting about half acre .....looking for a good quality mower

Alot of people like lawn boys. I own a toro self propelled that I like. I Also use a Troy bilt self propelled with no complaints. And the hondas are popular but I've never used one.

I have a Honda push. Has been a great mower. I just don't use it anymore. Mow most everything with a Z-turn now.

I too have about 1/2 acre and like my Toro. Pricey up front, but it has a 5 year warranty and 5 years worth of free blades with the owner care program.

granville said:

Wondering what are the best self propelled walk behind mower......cutting about half acre .....looking for a good quality mower

Click to expand...

snapper,toro ,lawnboy,honda, husqvarna,cub cadet, ariens, just to name a few,all have different models in their lineup with different features that you might want that someone else might not want,which means good for you but maybe not for someone else.with your half acre i would lean more towards a high end homeowner model or commercial duty.personally i would lean towards a good dealer bought mower(that's just me).try out several models on the floor and see if one 'fits' you any better than another.blade type and deck design go a long way in quality grass cutting. ask your neighbors if they have opinions on a model they like.check when sales are going on in your area.check which ones have better warrantees. i, like you will be looking for a good wb mower in the spring to replace 3 others. good luck in your search. you might find excellent deals on good used mowers on C.L. and classifieds

Good point there LandN, you might want to "buy a dealer." A good dealer is worth the money, prices really aren't that much more and if you need warranty work or service, you can take it back where you got it; the big box store doesn't have a service department. I'd dealt with my dealer for years on stuff I bought when I lived in another state. He also took my old mower in trade. I'd have been happy to get $25 on top of not having to sell it myself and he offered me $90. I had one heck of a poker face as I accepted his offer. Needless to say, when I need a new chain saw, etc. ...

Most dealers will price match the box store price.

Hiya,

First find a local dealer you like to deal with and then see what they have for commercial duty 21" mowers. Don't bother with consumer grade mowers or the trash at the retail stores, you will get 2 to 5 or so years out of them at best before things start breaking. (The consumer models at local power equipment dealers are far better than the retail box store junk but still aren't commercial duty)

The last two 21's I bought for my mowing business were Snapper Commercials with Wisconsin/Robin engines. I kept them for myself when I sold the business over 20 years ago and they are still running great. They cost me $750.00 each back in 1990, best money I ever spent on 21's.

My 2 cents,

Tom

I'm happy with the LawnBoy personal pace - this works great !
The LB was purchased from Kerrys of Mechanicsburg for $412 in August of '06.
Its engine is so-so, but the overall design is very good.
Now I need a mower better suited for half an acre, particularly bagging .. the little bag does not cut it...not with all the rain we have had this year..
Of interest is the Ariens with the castor wheels, but I need the large bag..

I use a Toro and I love that thing, Briggs & Stratton just makes great engines. I had a craftsman before that and it was old and ran like crap. I suggest Toro.

What about this from Toro 30" self propelled
Toro | Timemaster

I think most lawnmowers have "small bags." I normally mulch, but when bagging I park my wheelbarrow nearby. I can dump the bag in the wheelbarrow twice and then put a full bag on top and take it to my compost pile etc. This year I wasn't composting and just put my lawn and leaf bag stand nearby and kept dumping the bagger. Ended up with nine 33 cu ft bags of leaves.

Derek said:

What about this from Toro 30" self propelled
Toro | Timemaster

Click to expand...

I am seriously looking at tha mower....just wating to see it in person

Sir, why must you be in Virginia ?
I could use the bags of leaves.
It seems as if people around here have stopped bagging and giving away their leaves, much to my dismay.
O'er the years I have scrounged hundreds of bags - only to have them "disappear" into the soil...and now I'll be doing this again.
A tarp on the ground to replace a concrete slab
Tons of leaves and garbage and grass and manure
About 3 years later, I'll have something to add to my soil.
A fair amount of work, but its therapeutic and necessary.
Lawn mowing in York County during this past year....what a battle....rain...rain...rain...expect for 7 days, the grass never really dried.
Even now some places are still flooded with water and ice.
My backyard is a candidate for rice fields...

1) Virginia is where the Navy left me.
2) My ex lives in NY and I appreciate PA being a buffer. :laughing:

I normally put the leaves on my flower beds and vegetable raisd beds where they also disappear but I was fighting the last of a bad hip and just needed the leaves off my lawn so as to not kill it. Sitting here now with a 8 day old hip replacement and feeling better already. Doctor said the old hip (OEM bone) was "totally gone." I'll be able to keep up with the yard and garden better this year.

Derek said:

What about this from Toro 30" self propelled
Toro | Timemaster

Click to expand...

Most interesting.
I hope that Kerrys of Mechanicsburg has these this spring.
30" is exactly what the doctor ordered.

That looks sweet!

1) They provide the 3 in 1 standard. Even if I only discharge once or twice, I want that option. My parents bought the mulch only mower with their last JD tractor. If it rained and you had to cut much, you had to do it twice. Otherwise the mower would load up and break the $100 timing belt used to keep the two side be side blades from hitting each other. Whoever designed and okayed production of that mower should be sentenced to mow the Amazon jungle for the rest of their life.

2) It has a clean out port. I can't get the deck as clean with a plastic putty knife, bristle brush and a hose as that port does in 90 seconds!

Grass ala Mowed said:

That looks sweet!

1) They provide the 3 in 1 standard. Even if I only discharge once or twice, I want that option. My parents bought the mulch only mower with their last JD tractor. If it rained and you had to cut much, you had to do it twice. Otherwise the mower would load up and break the $100 timing belt used to keep the two side be side blades from hitting each other. Whoever designed and okayed production of that mower should be sentenced to mow the Amazon jungle for the rest of their life.

2) It has a clean out port. I can't get the deck as clean with a plastic putty knife, bristle brush and a hose as that port does in 90 seconds!

Click to expand...

The Toro could well be the very best mower on the market , after all, they have been at it since day9.
And, IIRC, the Lawn Boy was made by Toro...the LB is/was an excellent mower.. I love the "PersonalPace". .
I'd like to see Toro offer the Honda engine; hopefully , the B & S is sufficient.
Mulch only may be OK for some grasses, some areas. Here in PA , where it rains nearly day, one must have options to suit the conditions.

A very cool looking mower. Toro is taking some really big steps and from what little I have heard have prepared well. Toro customers are taking some steps as well buying the new products. Im looking forward to the spring lineup at HD and what few Toro dealers are in my area to see just how they play their hand this year.

A little confused over here.When you guys say "Dealer",who are you speaking of? I'm leaning on going to SEARS to check a few self-props out,but I dont think you're talking a big chain like SEARS are you? I too have about a 1/2 acre yard,but it has a drop down wall of about a foot at the halfway point,so no rider will do for me.Help on the "dealer" talk please.Thanks.