Rookie Homeowner: First mower buying questions

[junts]

Hi,
I'm a rookie to this site as well as to the whole experience of home ownership. I live in the G Boston area with an suburban yard of about 1/4 acre. I've been looking up online & in the store for that elusive first mower. Hereunder are my parameters & questions.

Parameter:
1. Self propelled
2. Price <= $400
3. Level yard
4. I would like some choices for cutting style.

Questions:
1. Is the best time to buy (price wise or getting the best bang for the buck) a mower in the fall or in the spring?
2. Logically I feel rear-wheel drive is better but I would love to hear opinions about using front wheel drive
3. Which engine is better @ the price level I'm looking @?
4. I'm seeing lawn boy mowers for $189 (with B&S / Kohler engines) @ HD. Are these worth the price or just a piece of junk?
5. What parameters especially with the engine or other mechanical parts that I should checkout while going through the specs?

 

[KennyV]

WELCOME to these Forums....
The fall/winter is going to find a lot of inventory reduction sales, there is not going to be many 'revolutionary' new inventions from year to year, so you will likely not loose out on something new in Next years model just because you are buying this years model...

A good place to start looking will be Honda... :smile:KennyV

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

I agree with KennyV. As for FWD vs. RWD, I would definitely choose rear-wheel drive. If you have any hills or want to bag, you will be pushing the mower more than you want to if you choose FWD (because the front wheels will go off the ground). Personally I would not buy a $189 Lawnboy, but that's just me. I would look at Honda's, or at least a mower with a Honda engine, but hey, I'm a bit biased! :wink: Toro's are good, too. Try to get a mower from a dealer if you can avoid Home Depot.

 

[itguy08]

Problem with buying now is most places are clearing out inventory so there will be sales but inventory will be very low. You could mail order but that's a PITA if something isn't right.

I've shuffled a Craftsman FWD around since 2008. First on a smaller suburban lot and the last 1.5 years on a .4 acre lot. Starts fine and runs well. The only weak spot is the drive wheels. I've replaced them like clockwork every year on the .4 acre lot as at 3.5 miles per cut, the plastic gears in the wheels are done by the end of the season

RWD is marginally better if you bag or have hills. It can be a PITA to turn. With FWD you lift and turn and put back down. Hills have not been an issue for me with FWD, I just lift up a little on the handle and the mower digs in and goes up the hill.

Never been a fan of Honda. Their stuff is vastly overrated (in everything they do), and when it breaks it will cost more than a Briggs or Kohler to fix. Maintenance is key to longevity and Briggs is decent, as is Kohler. Even the Chinese knock offs are decent as long as you maintain them.

 

[Dscheoeder83]

I picked up a husqvarna 7021p on sale for $249 used it about 3hrs this weekend cleaning up leaves. Was pretty impressed with it. The choke on the Honda is kinda strange but got used to it by the end of the day

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

I picked up a husqvarna 7021p on sale for $249 used it about 3hrs this weekend cleaning up leaves. Was pretty impressed with it. The choke on the Honda is kinda strange but got used to it by the end of the day

Oh, that's one of the mowers that you push the choke "lever" above the air filter and then it vibrates back (see picture). I used a Lawn Boy that had it....it is something to get used to.

(http://i3.ytimg.com/vi/2vM0bTLb_mI/hqdefault.jpg)

 

[Dscheoeder83]

Yep that's it, it actually starts creeping back as soon as you pull down the flywheel brake presence bar