Last year I was living on a lot other than my own while our house was bing built. I already had a ride on but needed a push mower for many sections of this yard. Since it was only for one summer, I purchased a cheap mower at Walmart with a Briggs & Straton engine. I knew full well that B&S had sold its name to another company a few years ago and that their once respected quality had tumbled to 'laughing stock' ever since, but I wanted cheap.

Well that's exactly how long it lasted, One Year. Just long enough for the warranty to expire. I maintained it perfectly, did not abuse it and did not cut longer grass than it should. This summer, I did a section of my neighbors lawn for him and BANG! I haven't taken it apart yet but lets just say it won't start anymore.

The Honda engine advice is SOLID! You definitely get what you pay for.

I would look for a old used pusher with a B&S motor. My original pusher (my Dad gave it to me) had a B&S motor on it and is close to 25 years old, if not older. I gave it back to him about three years ago since I needed one with the large wheels on the back. My current mower with a B&S motor as well, was rescued from a trash pile in the front of a guy's house. (I checked with him before taking it.) The only problem was that he let condensation build up in the gas tank. Emptied the tank and cleaned the carb and good as new. I just check the oil before I use it each time and add as needed. I change it twice a year.

I also have a Craftsman rider that the owner of my current house left behind. The only problem was that the tires were flat. 17 plugs later, I have a perfectly good mower. I also check the oil before each use and change twice a year. I also sharpen the blades on both about every three months. I prefer to use the push mower for excercise since I hate running on a treadmill. Takes me about 1 1/2 hours to push the first acre (on a slope) plus weedeating and blowing and another hour to ride the second acre (open field). Don't know why I've never thought about putting a beer holder on the rider. DOH!

Just to be clear, if you can find an older Briggs and Stratton, I would agree with the above. Older models are a tough motor. There is one in my Troy Built lawn tractor that is still working seamlessly after 9 years of cutting an acre and a third. I'm not sure what year it was taken over by a new company but if you compare an older B&S engine with something you'll find in a store today, you easily will see that they have gone the route of lower end, mass market production.

Also, I second that a lawn tractor is not a high maintenance investment at all unless you buy an old beater. On the tractor mentioned above, I change the oil filter and spark plug every year, clean the air filter with some gas, sharpen the blades every couple of years and that's pretty much it. In nine years, I bought 1 new belt (it's hydrostatic) and had it tuned up twice. I repaired one flat tire by adding a 6 dollar tube. That's it for maintenance. Worry free yard racing.

However, if you can comfortably cut your lawn with a push mower, then I would still say don't bother with a ride on. Good exercise, you often need one anyways to get into tighter areas and the smaller engine produces less emissions.

Tom, my advice would be to forget the lawnmower, get the new TV you were asking about and relax.

Well, Michael, that is certainly my preference. The Tuttle Family CFO has a different view of priorities, however. She thinks we're already overcapitalized on interior resources.

I'm not very good at that whole "relaxing" thing. But JP's trying to help me.

Hey, come up to Iowa... The Iowa State Fair (largest in the country) is going on right now. If you time it right, you could pick up a couple of goats on the cheap... Easy to take care of, but be sure to keep them out of the neighbor's bushes...
LOL

Oh sure, the goats are cheap, but I understand that all subwoofers go "thump thumpity thump thumpity" in Iowa.

Yep, and you can by Natural Light real cheap. Just go down to K-mart and get a K-Pro pusher with a Tecumseh motor, you'll be fine until the wheel axels fall through the flimsy sheet metal on the mower deck.