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I'm sure this question gets asked all the time, but I'm new here and looking for my first self-propelled mower. I've been using a Fiskars reel mower for almost 4 summers now and while I've enjoyed the quite mow, my yard is probably just beyond the type of yard that is ideal for that type of mower. So I'm ready for a gas engine!

The max of my budget is $400, but I would ideally like to keep it closer to $300.

1) Is this a good time of year to buy a mower (end of the year sales) or is better to wait until spring?
2) I've reviewed Consumer Reports guide to mowers. Is that good advice to follow?
3) CR referenced a few models from Honda, Toro, and Troy-Bilt as the better ones. What's your take?

Like I said, I'm sure these questions have been answered a thousand times so feel free to just include a link to an older post. I appreciate your help!

Usually can't go wrong with a Honda or toro. Either would do.
And yes this is the time to buy a mower. Try a local dealer. I'm sure they'd like to clear the floor for next years models so they'll bargain.

How big an area? I am assuming its not to large if your using a reel mower. Really any Honda or toro will do you good as long as you follow the maintenance rules.

Closer to 300 I would get a 21" toro personal pace with either toro brand engine or the briggs not the Honda clone motor.

6string said:

I'm sure this question gets asked all the time, but I'm new here and looking for my first self-propelled mower. I've been using a Fiskars reel mower for almost 4 summers now and while I've enjoyed the quite mow, my yard is probably just beyond the type of yard that is ideal for that type of mower. So I'm ready for a gas engine!

The max of my budget is $400, but I would ideally like to keep it closer to $300.

1) Is this a good time of year to buy a mower (end of the year sales) or is better to wait until spring?
2) I've reviewed Consumer Reports guide to mowers. Is that good advice to follow?
3) CR referenced a few models from Honda, Toro, and Troy-Bilt as the better ones. What's your take?

Like I said, I'm sure these questions have been answered a thousand times so feel free to just include a link to an older post. I appreciate your help!

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I've had several mowers, over the years. The last one I purchased, about 5 years ago, has been by far the Best....TORO ReCycler, Personal Pace.

Most of the major brands will be built well enough for your satisfaction over the years. Toro, Snapper, Honda and others make a decent mower. From the sound of your using a push Reel (I sometimes do that) the yard is not too big for any rotary mower.

Late Summer and Fall are usually decent times to buy a mower and you can find some pretty good sales. Sears just had a $249 Craftsman on sale for $179. Amazon had a $219 Poulan on sale for $149 delivered to your door. If you hunt around you can find something you like.

I would not put 100 percent of my faith in Consumer Reports. I use them as a benchmark, and most of the time they are decent, but you have to go on your own personal needs. So many mowers today are re-branded after manufacture. Craftsman is obviously built by other manufacturers. Troy Built is actually built by MTD (Modern Tool and Die) and even LawnBoy is now owned by Toro. Lots of re-labeling done in the outdoor power tool industry. I'd not get too hung up on brand if your goal is just to mow the lawn with a decent mower that starts reliably for 10 years or so. If you are really into an heirloom quality machine that will last for a lifetime, then you have to narrow the focus down a bit.

Your budget should be OK as long as you find a good sale, and depending on what you expect in a mower. If you want mulching, bagging and self propel, you pump of the price a bit. If you just want a simple push mower with side discharge and mulching, your choices are going to be wide.

I paid $679 for my Snapper Commercial model in 1985 but I'm still using it today after thousands of cuts in three homes. That kind of quality can be handed down for generations if you take care of it. Or, you can take the philosophy that your mower is for your use for 10 to 15 years and after that you don't care because you can always buy another one, then a less expensive mower is just fine for you.

Good luck in your search.

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.

Thanks for all the feedback. I had never thought of searching our dealers (vs. box stores) until visiting this site. I see that I have a Toro dealer in the area that I had never heard of. I might have to check them out.

exotion said:

How big an area? I am assuming its not to large if your using a reel mower. Really any Honda or toro will do you good as long as you follow the maintenance rules.

Closer to 300 I would get a 21" toro personal pace with either toro brand engine or the briggs not the Honda clone motor.

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I think our yard is about .4 acres. Gradual incline in the back yard. A sharp, yet short incline that separates my property from my neighbor's.

Carscw;

That Husky for the price seems like a screaming deal. Those are really handy reviews. Thanks for posting.

OP;

You should have a nice picture now of your choices! For the size of your yard, you have a lot of choices.

bt3 said:

Carscw; That Husky for the price seems like a screaming deal. Those are really handy reviews. Thanks for posting. OP; You should have a nice picture now of your choices! For the size of your yard, you have a lot of choices.

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I found it in popular mechanics.

Carscw said:

I found it in popular mechanics.

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I am not in the market as I'm happy with my mowers, but if I was, I'd probably jump on that Husky for the price VS features. AWD and those features for 300 bucks? That's a good deal. Good to see a LawnBoy in that review doing so well. I'm way more into 2 stroke when it comes to LawnBoy, but that's not a bad deal either on that mower. But for the same price, I'd go with the Husky and the AWD.

bt3 said:

I am not in the market as I'm happy with my mowers, but if I was, I'd probably jump on that Husky for the price VS features. AWD and those features for 300 bucks? That's a good deal. Good to see a LawnBoy in that review doing so well. I'm way more into 2 stroke when it comes to LawnBoy, but that's not a bad deal either on that mower. But for the same price, I'd go with the Husky and the AWD.

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I like the two stroke lawn boys for mowing the ditch along the road. Four stroke smoke to much when they get on a steep pitch.

We looked at the husky. My wife things it's to heavy when turning around.

Carscw said:

I like the two stroke lawn boys for mowing the ditch along the road. Four stroke smoke to much when they get on a steep pitch.

We looked at the husky. My wife things it's to heavy when turning around.

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I only had one 2 stroke I think it needed adjusted I mowed a small 5x5 section with it cut nice ran nice the lawn in that square died a few days later lol

exotion said:

I only had one 2 stroke I think it needed adjusted I mowed a small 5x5 section with it cut nice ran nice the lawn in that square died a few days later lol

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That's to funny.

Carscw said:

I like the two stroke lawn boys for mowing the ditch along the road. Four stroke smoke to much when they get on a steep pitch.

We looked at the husky. My wife things it's to heavy when turning around.

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I grew up on 2 acres with 1 acre of lawn. It was out in the country and we had a large ditch running along the road.

My Father (RIP) had a power Reel mower from REO that did a very nice job, and another Rotary REO with CRANK START. Remember those? Neat, I wish I still had those.

But for ditch mowing, he had a "TORO FLYMO". It was 2 stroke and had no wheels. It was a "Hover Mower" and VERY light. It looked like a little hover craft and floated over the lawn from blade pressure. Great for mowing ditches. I was able to find a picture online of a FlyMo;




I also found a Youtube of that 1953 REO Reel powered mower my dad had. Brings back memories.

bt3 said:

OP;

You should have a nice picture now of your choices! For the size of your yard, you have a lot of choices.

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Definitely! I appreciate the help!

I ended up getting a Craftsman with a Honda engine that I got on sale. I've used it five times now and it performs great for my yard. Although, I'm not one to let my grass get too tall so I haven't exactly put it to the test. Thanks for all the feedback. This forum was really helpful.

Hondas and Toros are great choices. End of season sales are a good though but you have to be quick to get them before they sell out.