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I'm looking to downsize from my current ZTR to a walk behind to get back that passion I seem to have lost with keeping my my yard. I've always like the cut and finish of a walk behind but when I first bought my current home with a larger lot (1/10 acrew to 1/3 acre) I thought I needed something to make quicker work. I've recently made a decision to get back to a walk behind but I'm looking for something with a nice set of features. So here's my points for discussion:

1. RESALE PRICING?
My current mower is a 2007 model Snapper 250Z ZTR with an 18.5hp Briggs & Stratton and 38" cutting deck. The mower runs great and smooth and has never given me any running problems. Only faults are some minor damage to the side fairings around the motor, the large stack muffler was replaced with a slightly louder but much smaller B&S unit, and the hours are inaccurate. The hour meter current shows around 65 hours but I noticed last season that it wasn't rolling over and the lead to the power was unplugged. It's probably got somewhere around 90 hours on it if I had to guess. I bought it second hand in May 2008 with under 25 hours on it. I've been doing some searching, but I'm having trouble trying to decide what to sell the mower at for resale. I've only found one for sale on-line and they are asking $825 for an all original one with over 120 hours. Any thoughts?

2. SUGGESTIONS FOR NEW WALK BEHIND?
I've been out of the walk behind game for awhile so I've been reading up on what's out there now. The simpler the better honestly, but something self-propelled would be nice for those random occasions where the wife tries to surprise me and cut the yard. If I had to jot down my wish list of features, it'd go something like this:
3-in-1 cutting options
Variable or Multi-Speed Self-propelled (rear wheel drive preferred)
Wash Out Deck
Autochoke Engine (for 1-2 pull starts)
Swivel front wheels (for easier navigating my trees and landscaping)
Blade Brake
21"-22" cut a must (could be larger but so is the $$$$)
One or Two point deck height adjustment
I've been doing some shopping and landing on a couple options from Cub Cadet and Craftsman that have most or all of those options. The blade brake seems to be the hardest to find with swivel wheels and that's a feature I think I'd really enjoy. I'm open to suggestions and would like to hear from you guys.

This is only my second post, but I'm looking forward to learning more on these forums.

Re: Out with the old & in with the new...Resale Pricing and Replacement Suggestions

As you said, one of your only options with ALL of those features is Cub Cadet. I personally think you could expand your options and get a better mower if you forget about the 2-point height adjustment and swivel wheels. Unless you get a commercial 21" mower it shouldn't be too hard to turn.

Re: Out with the old & in with the new...Resale Pricing and Replacement Suggestions

You're right and the more I look the more I recognize that. I'm seeing some I like that will give me the blade brake but sacrifice the swivel wheels and simpler adjustment. The Hondas for example seem like a pretty nice option but they lack both of those. Some of the Toro options also look promising, but the Perfect Pace and some less that favorable reviews of it have me hesitant on those.

I've got about a dozen I'm looking into right now ranging in price from $400-$700 including a variety of the features I've listed above. The list includes some Snapper, Toro, Cub Cadet, Craftsman, Gravely, Husqvarna, and Honda options.

Is the blade brake clutch really a worthwhile feature?
What would you say is a must have in a self-propelled?
With a budget maxing out in the $600 range, what are some options you'd suggest I look into?

Re: Out with the old & in with the new...Resale Pricing and Replacement Suggestions

silvrbreez said:

You're right and the more I look the more I recognize that. I'm seeing some I like that will give me the blade brake but sacrifice the swivel wheels and simpler adjustment. The Hondas for example seem like a pretty nice option but they lack both of those. Some of the Toro options also look promising, but the Perfect Pace and some less that favorable reviews of it have me hesitant on those.

I've got about a dozen I'm looking into right now ranging in price from $400-$700 including a variety of the features I've listed above. The list includes some Snapper, Toro, Cub Cadet, Craftsman, Gravely, Husqvarna, and Honda options.

Is the blade brake clutch really a worthwhile feature?
What would you say is a must have in a self-propelled?
With a budget maxing out in the $600 range, what are some options you'd suggest I look into?

Click to expand...

I think the caster style front wheels are a +.

Re: Out with the old & in with the new...Resale Pricing and Replacement Suggestions

silvrbreez said:

You're right and the more I look the more I recognize that. I'm seeing some I like that will give me the blade brake but sacrifice the swivel wheels and simpler adjustment. The Hondas for example seem like a pretty nice option but they lack both of those. Some of the Toro options also look promising, but the Perfect Pace and some less that favorable reviews of it have me hesitant on those.

I've got about a dozen I'm looking into right now ranging in price from $400-$700 including a variety of the features I've listed above. The list includes some Snapper, Toro, Cub Cadet, Craftsman, Gravely, Husqvarna, and Honda options.

Is the blade brake clutch really a worthwhile feature?
What would you say is a must have in a self-propelled?
With a budget maxing out in the $600 range, what are some options you'd suggest I look into?

Click to expand...

I personally love the BBC.....it comes in handy if you need to empty the bag or something. I like the RWD self-propelled more than the Personal Pace features, but that's just me. I think a Honda or Toro would be your best bet.

Re: Out with the old & in with the new...Resale Pricing and Replacement Suggestions

I've had a few mowers I've fixed (and used for several mowings) that had the front caster wheels. The machines are TOO heavy and cumbersome to use. Even with the long wheelbase, it is difficult to stay in a straight line. When you get into a situation where you are mowing a slight drift to the left or to the right, you have to stop and lock in the wheels or you will be doing the crab crawl, slightly sideways. BUT, They are an easy sell because they LOOK cool.