Okay, so after years of mowing my larger property with a commercial ZTR, I've downsized to a new home with a considerably smaller amount of grass to cut. Having sold my ZTR I now need a good quality walk-behind mower to mow a 1/4 acre. Yes, that is not much grass but I'm looking for a very good mower that will perform well and be an investment for years to come. Here are my requirements: Lot has some steep slopes (30 deg in some areas), so self-propelled is a must. I plan to mulch almost exclusively so I need an excellent mulching mower. Lawn is here in Ohio and is fine blade fescu. I'm looking at two options right now.
#1) the new Husqvarna 22" AWD. The appeal here is the AWD. I would think it could drag me up the slopes (which would be ideal). Everything else about the mower seems to be high quality but I've got no other real experience with Husqvarna other than chainsaws which is pretty positive.
#2) a used Honda HRC216. I'm currently checking into this to determine # of hours run and maintenance but don't have that info right now. The mower looks to be in near-new condition from photos and was used for residential, not commercial mowing only. The appeal here is the quality of construction, hydrostatic drive, ball-bearing wheels, rust-proof deck and all the rest that made this mower such a favorite. Of course I'm hoping it will also give an outstanding cut and have great pulling power up the slopes.
Both machines are approximately the same cost. So, assuming the Honda is in good to great condition (but still used)... which would you buy? To muddy the waters a little more I would say that I would also entertain the idea of a wide-cut residential mower (26" - 33") to make the mowing job even quicker, but I want to stay within a $750 budget so that might force me to find a used machine, which I'm not opposed to so feel free to suggest other options than the two I listed. I'm really eager as a newbie on this forum to read some of your feedback! Thanks in advance to all!
#2
lawn mower fanatic
Something to think about is if you need extra power for thick grass. Because the Husqvarna AWD has a Honda 190cc engine on it, while the Honda HRC only has a 160cc engine on it. I am a Honda fan, but I have never used an HRC before, but Honda's are one of the best mulching mowers out there! :thumbsup:
#3
Ric
A quick opinion, I'd stay away from the Husqvarna AWD. Even though it's an all wheel drive its forward ground speed max is only 3mph according to spec's and I walk faster than that. The HRC216 that I assume is the self propelled version is what Honda claims is a commercial $1300 lawn mower and if he is selling it that cheap there's a reason and it probably isn't a good one. If i wanted to stay in the $750 price range I'd spend a little more and buy the Toro Timemaster $999 check the spec's
The AWD will drag you up hills. It is not an excellent mulcher. It has very good engine power. It does not throw a rod through the side when used on steep hills. It seems to run fast enough to keep 4 tall young men happy and busy, as well as one very active tall woman. It works one short middle aged man until he drops. Very nice mower.
