i will admit i am biased toward snapper (but for good reason) but u could spend at least a couple hundred on a new self-propelled mower that is not good quality (or a lot more on a new good-quality one) or u could get an older, solid, well-built snapper for probably between $100-$150 and have an excellent self-propelled mower that will still probably out last u and me. in the last 4 years i've come accross probably two dozen older snappers, ranging from free to $200, that were still excellent mowers. i wish i had kept more but i still have 4. but parts are cheap and readilly available. u can even get the old white steel ball-bearing wheels. that's my two cents.