What would you recommend as being a good machine for a novice to learn on? I'd like to learn to take care of one myself, and specifically be able to change parts and make repairs, and I have literally no experience.
Get an older, non-self-propelled, rotary mower. You can find something like that on CraigsList and other places. And don't pay more than $100 -- you may even find one for free.
Kryten,how much do you mow?as two stroke said you can get used push mowers next to nothing.If you need a rider start with something cheap,try C.L. I've seen some pretty good buys on my local area.Make sure you try it out before buying. russ
Something simple with a Briggs & Stratton engine would be a great starter. No bells, no whistles. When you start adding self-propelled and other fancy stuff, that's just more stuff that you'll have to learn to fix.