Let's talk Lawn Mowers...

J

JoMo

Veteran XX
My landscaper is in the market for a new mower. A riding mower is too expensive and unnecessary but a self-propelled walk-behind mower would be just fine.

I've heard the "Best" is the Honda mowers, with the HRX series the top series starting at around $599. Toro is supposed to be the second best based on my online research, with a majority of their mowers being around the $399 mark or so.

Anyone have either of these mowers, and can recommend whether the Honda is worth it for the price? Any other mower brands that are 'good' and won't fall apart like Chinese crap?
 
i only recently bought a self propelled, have always used riding, yard is inappropriate for push/self propelled but i got tired of spending more time repairing than i do mowing.

i bought a troybilt with a honda engine. it's performed fine this season but one season gives no indication really. i trust honda small engines though, i had an xr80 as a kid and have a honda generator too.

for me a huge factor was side discharge as my lawn is not a nice happy manicured lawn. its full of all kinds of shit and grows very quick + small mower + very large yard = its overgrown every week.

my brother is a landscaper, lumberjack, arborist and he basically said if you can get a honda engine, go for it. specifics depend on your lawn but honda is a safe bet for small engines.
 
It isn't a car, and a self propelled isn't going to have much go wrong if you take care of it.

I wouldn't pay double for a Honda, not that I've ever owned one but a decent name brand at half the price should be fine. Change the oil every year and the filter every few and it should be fine :shrug:
 
Troy bilt 21" electric start with a Briggs engine and front wheel drive. Do NOT get rear wheel drive or variable speed drive. Variable speed drive is a gimmick and the hand controls are like grabbing a hand exerciser. Although you could always velcro strap it down.
Grip-strength-exercises.jpg

Rear wheel drive is terrible for maneuvering around anything.
 
Scud411 said:
i only recently bought a self propelled, have always used riding, yard is inappropriate for push/self propelled but i got tired of spending more time repairing than i do mowing.

i bought a troybilt with a honda engine. it's performed fine this season but one season gives no indication really. i trust honda small engines though, i had an xr80 as a kid and have a honda generator too.

for me a huge factor was side discharge as my lawn is not a nice happy manicured lawn. its full of all kinds of shit and grows very quick + small mower + very large yard = its overgrown every week.

my brother is a landscaper, lumberjack, arborist and he basically said if you can get a honda engine, go for it. specifics depend on your lawn but honda is a safe bet for small engines.
Click to expand...

My neighbor has had nothing but problems with his riding mower over the last year. His mower is only 3 years old. He's out in his shed trying to fix it again right now.

I, err my landscaper, has a Troy-Bilt that has just started to fall apart, literally, after 9 years of use. The skirt ripped and the wheel broke the last time I mowed, all at once, and the B&S engine has started to miss from time to time, which may actually be a bearings problem.

Either way, I figure 9 years use for $299 isn't bad. The mower always started on the first pull and continues to do so. It is turning into more of a push mower though, and I mulch most of my clippings and anything but the shortest grass has a tendency to clump and the mower gets bogged down from time to time.

Is the Honda engine able to cut through anything without getting bogged down, and does the self-propelled system actually have some get up and go?
 
definitely yeah like my yard is a horrific pile of species. i just always use side discharge and if its way out of hand have it on close to max height.

seems to drive itself fine but again first season so this is as good as it'll get.

once its under control i set it to a height which is half the highest, i can't recall the specific measurements but this one could go pretty high which was a requirement for me. side discharge, front wheel drive and p good height were requirements, honda engine was a bonus. i just checked the model, tb240. has been working well for me.

gl regardless im sure whatever you end up with will work fine. you seem to know whats important.
 
9 years is a good run, but that machine should still have more life in it. If you like to tinker a rebuild isn't all that difficult a job.

Clumping? I've always dealt with clumping issues by:

1. wait to cut in the afternoon of a hot sunny day (drier grass)
2. resharpen the blades more often and keep the rpms up
3. like Scud says, double or even triple mow if you let the grass get way too long (I start with the deck height maxed and work down, never cut more than an inch or inch and a half at a time).

Good luck!
 
Scud411 said:
definitely yeah like my yard is a horrific pile of species. i just always use side discharge and if its way out of hand have it on close to max height.

seems to drive itself fine but again first season so this is as good as it'll get.

once its under control i set it to a height which is half the highest, i can't recall the specific measurements but this one could go pretty high which was a requirement for me. side discharge, front wheel drive and p good height were requirements, honda engine was a bonus. i just checked the model, tb240. has been working well for me.

gl regardless im sure whatever you end up with will work fine. you seem to know whats important.
Click to expand...

Thanks, the TB240 does have good reviews from the looks of things. Does the hose 'deck wash' feature actually work as intended?
 
Yeah... if you're getting clumping either two conditions are in effect:

Your grass is wet
or
Your mower blade desperately needs sharpening.
or
Both

Start by getting your blade sharpened.
 
Honda makes the best small engines, which is why they have the best lawn mowers and snow blowers. They are also made in the USA (Swepsonville, NC). You'll pay a premium, but it's one of the few brands that last these days.
 
Basically mow more often = less work overall. When it gets super long even if it is try it clumps and clogs and makes a huge mess.
 
tbh i dont use the hose deckwash thing but only because at the moment my hose is old and messed up so it leaks at the connection. you'd think i would buy a new hose but no i just thumb over the stream when i use it if i need to spray.

i imagine if you're not mowing a ton at once and you do it every time immediately that it works ok.

i just scrape off the worst of it every few mows and end of season ill give it a look over and good cleaning.
 
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