First lawn mower choice help sub $400

[exotion]

Not made in America. More like partially assembled in USA.

 

[X-man]

The only thing about yard machines and mtd brand mowers I don't like is the transmission and wheels. It's all very cheaply made and will not stand up to the test of time (home owner) the deck, engine, handle and bag are all fine and with care will last a long time.

Both my push mowers are MTDs and I beat the living hell out of them. Never had any major issues.

I have noticed, however, that one of my mowers have extremely cheap wheels on them. They tend to flex easily.

 

[russbow98]

Hey all.

Looking to buy my first mower. Live in Cali, pretty small residential yard nothing special but just looking to make sure I buy a good unit for the price. Id like to make sure I get something that lasts for years to come. Last Lawn mower my brother bought from Home Depot for 200 literally had pieces breaking on first use. Metal snapping.. ugly

Couple mowers I was looking at is Toro recycler and cub cadet sc500z

Any thoughts on your preferable mower for sub $400? I really like the Cub Cadet but there arent to many reviews besides things like home depot reviews.

I highly recommend CONSUMER REPORTS RATINGS

 

[Carscw]

Cub Cadet SC500Z Ranking: ★ ★ ★ ★ Price: $450 Engine: 159-cc Drive: Rear-wheel Height Adjustment: One lever and both front wheels Cut Width: 21 inches Functions: mulches, bags, side-discharges Weight: 95 pounds Decibels (A Scale): 92 Likes: The Cub excels at sharp turns and corners, thanks to its front caster wheels. It also delivers excellent cut quality and received high marks for bagging. We were pleasantly surprised how spunky its 159-cc engine felt, even in tall grass. Dislikes: Those front casters need larger wingnuts for easier removal and tightening. Best Suited For: Medium-to-large yard with slopes no greater than 20 degrees. The casters must be locked for sidehill cutting. Like the Craftsman, the Cub struggles with push–pull mowing.


Honda HRX2174HY Ranking: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (Tied for Best Overall) Price: $800 Engine: 190-cc Drive: Rear-wheel Height Adjustment: Four levers Cut Width: 21 inches Functions: mulches, bags Weight: 96 pounds Decibels (A Scale): 92 Likes: The Honda shines when you have a great lawn ready to look its best. It delivered our highest cut and mulching quality. It's a pleasure to use, thanks to its drive mechanism, a silky-smooth hydrostatic transmission. Also, you can drive the mower without the blade spinning, and stop the mower and the blade while leaving the engine running. Dislikes: It bags well but not exceptionally. Best Suited For: Large, immaculate yards with lots of long, straight runs that require minimum maneuvering and have side or uphill slopes to 20 degrees. It handles tall grass easily, thanks to its large engine.


Husqvarna HU 675AWD Ranking: ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 Price: $300 Engine: 149-cc Drive: All-wheel Height Adjustment: Four levers Cut Width: 21 inches Functions: mulches, bags Weight: 89 pounds Decibels (A Scale): 95 Likes: The Husqvarna was the most versatile mower in this test. It's simple and maneuverable, and it leaves an excellent cut surface. It also outbagged everything else by a long shot. Its all-wheel drive will conquer just about any surface, even steep ones. If you can stand on it safely, you can mow it. We also liked that the drive system helps you cut an arrow-straight line. Dislikes: If you need to pull the Husqvarna backward, then you must first roll the mower forward a foot or two without the drive system engaged. Best Suited For: Medium-to-large yards with steep slopes that require a high cut quality and a need to bag. Lawn Boy 10732 Ranking: ★ ★ ★ 1/2 (Best Buy) Price: $290 Engine: 149-cc Drive: Rear-wheel Height Adjustment: Two levers Cut Width: 21 inches Functions: mulches, bags Weight: 66 pounds Decibels (A Scale): 92 Likes: A delightfully simple, light, basic mower. We were pleasantly surprised by how fast and effective it is despite its small Kohler engine. Dislikes: Adding a side discharge would make this mower perfect, especially for when you have to mow tall, damp grass. Best Suited For: Small-to-medium yards that require a high degree of maneuverability, push–pull mowing, and where bagging is not a priority. Capable of uphill and sidehill mowing to about a 20-degree slope.



Toro 20199 Ranking: ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 Price: $1049 Engine: 190-cc Drive: Rear-wheel Height Adjustment: Two levers Cut Width: 30 inches Functions: mulches, bags, side-discharges Weight: 132 pounds Decibels (A Scale): 96 Likes: The TimeMaster is made for yards that are a bit too large for a standard walk mower but aren't quite big enough for riding equipment. Once you get the hang of operating it, it's quite maneuverable. Plus, its fold-forward handle means it takes up hardly any space in the garage. Dislikes: None Best Suited For: Large yards with uphill and sidehill cutting on slopes of less than 20 degrees. Personal Pace drive system means that the mower goes faster the farther you push the drive bar forward, but this (and the mower's weight) reduces the mower's suitability for rapid push–pull maneuvering.

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Done by popular mechanics

 

[dunoon]

Check out Honda push mowers. NOT a cheapie with a honda engine, Sometimes you can get them on sale around $400. I like the blade clutch and the twin blades. I service a few and they have never have had a problem. I recommend them to my customers that are looking for a good push mower.

 

[transteach]

my choice is a snapper, with rear bag and rear wheel drive. I have worn out six of these doing yards while going to college. these mowers have more vacuum than any other I have tried and they clean better therefore. find the highest equipped one you can afford and take a demo drive,,,,transteach....oh yeah, they have good balance when turning.

 

[Graeden]

I had the Yard-Man version of the CC SC500Z (-self propelled) for 8 years before the motor finally gave out. It was a good machine. One thing I disliked was the caster wheels on hills. If you failed to lock them it had a tendency to "slide" down and it took allot of effort to keep straight lines. I also though un/locking the wheels constantly during mowing was a pia. That is just me though. I just replaced that machine with a Honda HRR216K9VKA and couldn't be happier. Start on the first pull, doe an excellent job mowing my weed laden yard, mulches better then any other mower I have owned, and I really like the handle set-up for the drive. I considered a Toro but the Honda was recommended over it due to the drive actuation. Also from my research Honda has the best reliability engine wise. My only concern with the machine so far is how easily the paint scratches. Something I never had with my Yard-Man/MTD. After pushing it around my shrubbery I noticed scratches on the side of the mower deck. And this was after first use. I have a feeling I will be painting this deck constantly or "wrapping" it with a paint protection product to keep the paint on the deck. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Marcintosh]

I have a small yard, and I've had great success with a Neuton mower. They're battery drive. They have decent support and frequently they offer free shipping (forgot to look where you're located-sorry). You might like to look into them

Outdoor Power Equipment for Property Owners | DR Power Equipment

 

[magbarn]

Would you consider spending just a few dollars over $400? The Honda HRR216K9VKA is at Home Cheapo right now for $399 + tax. Probably the best new mower in the < $500 range. Mulches/bags pretty well. The revised smart drive is nowhere near the stiff thumb killer it once was. I also like the versa mow like feature where you can switch between mulch/bag on the fly without having to find a plug. Some commercial operators even get a couple years out of this machine and that's a decade of use from a homeowner.

 

[Irrivirsible]

my choice is a snapper, with rear bag and rear wheel drive. I have worn out six of these doing yards while going to college. these mowers have more vacuum than any other I have tried and they clean better therefore. find the highest equipped one you can afford and take a demo drive,,,,transteach....oh yeah, they have good balance when turning.

I am curious about this and consumer reports ratings too because Snapper, MTD, Cub Cadet Troy Bilt have the same body. If they also have the same blades which I am not sure they do , I would think they would all cut the same.


I would also like to say I was a little hasty before. The Husqvarna I referred to has shaky wheels.