Hey guys,

I'm looking for a good lawnmower under $500. I've got a backyard and a front yard to mow now. What's the general opinion on electric vs gas? Any specific recommendations?

Thanks!

CR recommended Toros when I bought a new one last year. I absolutely love it.

I was considering teasing you in another thread that now you'll need a lawnmower....

Just bought a Craftsman. Hope I didn't make a horrible mistake, but there we are.

I'm thinking about getting a push reel mower for my next house. They are supposed to give a better cut, plus they are quite, no exhaust, etc. I have no idea if I will like it or not. Currently I use a cheap gas mower (yard machine) that I bought used and it gets the job done.

Oh, Jeeeez, not a Craftsman?

Wow. That's all I can say.


Wow.

Well, he waited almost an HOUR for advice, Mark. I mean, really, we failed him, don't you think?

YOu can buy a nice power a lot less than $500, but then again I get a Deere discount.

We have a 16 year old Lawnboy that has done us well. With fall knocking on our door, this should be a good time to buy one I would think. It is definitely a BAD time to be thinking about buying something like a snowblower (yup. We are going to FINALLY get one this year.)

I bought one a couple years back, a Toro. It was a bit more than $500 but it was worth it imo. Haven't had a bit of trouble with it.

Before this I had a ....................Craftsman. Had trouble with it from after about the first season.

I will never buy anything from Sears again. I've had a lot of duds. One of them was a Craftsman lawnmower. Perhaps they've improved them. I bought the most expensive push, self start, front wheel drive one they had back in 2000. It lasted 3 years before the metal broke that held the big rear wheels in place. Then they couldn't fix it. The parts mfg didn't supply those particular parts anymore.

I then bought a Snapper for about half the price. I've been happy with it ever since.

I got rid of the lawn in the back yard and my front lawn is so small I can cut it in 5 minutes using a reel mower.

When I was younger I was convinced the only reason my dad had me was so that I could take over the lawn mowing duties for him.

I hated doing yard work.

I guess it worked out for the best, me moving to Arizona. No one out here has a lawn. Just gotta plug in an air blower and move the dust off the rocks.

Cutting the lawn?

Cop neighbor: Hey! I'm out here mowing and doing yard work. Why don't you?

Me: 'Cause that's what boyfriends are for. You should get one.

Cop: I don't think Jan would like that.

Me: I don't get it. Wives can be so weird about that stuff.

Cop: I know, I'll talk to her.

Bob:

Ken: Just so you know, I was only teasing about the Craftsman mower. After the rest of the posts, I didn't want mine to also be a "negative" in your mind.

PM me your email address!

Our new across the street neighbor apparently mowed our lawn for us yesterday morning. Very cool. The day before they came over, introduced themselves, and gave us some rice krispy treats.

And Ken gets to experience the famous Southern hospitality. Cool.

Your neighbors sound nice. Start hitting them up to watch the kids for the weekends.

And free white-trash snacks, too!

For what it's worth, my parents (initially) and I (these days) have been using the same Craftsman power mower for about 20 years now. You change the oil and scrape the crud off every so often and it just keeps working.

Before that I was given the task of returning a light-duty electric Craftsman mower to the local Sears. Motor had fried. I found out later that the "power boost" handle had been taped down for 4-5 years, so I'm surprised it took as long as it did to burn out.

I suspect there are a wide range of Craftsman mowers, with different engine vendors and different manufacturers. Some of them seem to be really good, but I imagine that they also have some "lots of features, not much price" versions which aren't as solid. I was taught to always buy "basic and heavy"

Snerk. I'll remember not to do that. It's got a Briggs and Stratton engine, so I guess that's pretty good.

My yard machine has a Briggs and Stratton engine and I have had no problems with it over the last 3 years that I have owned it.

That job's been taken, though we'll have some sort of enforced reciprocity, I'm sure.

Oh yes....

Ken, I suppose that I don't have to ask "Why Virginia?". As to the mowers, in the May issue CR rated the Honda and Toro models at the top, but some of the Craftsman models(you didn't mention which you got)were close behind in performance. Their 5 year reliability data put the Craftsman just a statistically insignificant 2% behind(16% vs 14% needed repairs).

Both my wife and I were thinking the same thing: "I wonder what they want..."

Southern hospitality meets California paranoia!

How'd that get by me this afternoon? I AM losing it.

You have to have had it to be losing it.

Bazinga.

You're refering to your hair, right?

Zap!

My Craftsman is still running well(Briggs motor) after a dozen yrs or so. The belt is slipping bad on the drive wheels though.

I have quite a collection of grass cutting machines push and riding. They even have names.

George is a Massey Ferguson 35 diesel. Production was from the late 50's. Still runs. It is an antique.

Eva is a John Deere 212. Production from the late 70's. Kohler cast iron engine, superb build quality. They don't make mowers like this anymore. Still runs.

Eva 2 is a Toro ZTR (zero turn radius). Production from 2010. Super efficient cutting, cuts down on trimming and the quality of cut makes my property look like a baseball field. The most fun mower to drive. Second year with it, no problems at all.

Grunt is a 2 cycle Lawn-Boy push mower. Year of production unknown as it was picked off the side of the road that someone had for garbage pickup. The pinnacle of push mowers and my absolute favorite of the bunch. I use this to plow through feet tall grass that the riding mowers can't get to. Wet, dry it doesn't care. Goes through grass and tall weeds like butter and never clogs.

Marcy is a 2 cycle Lawn-Boy with bag attachment. I don't use it that much honestly because you have to use the bag. Good for lawn directly around the house. Production was from the 80's.

Randy is a Murray $70 - $120 dollar push mower jobs. A "beater mower" used for cutting ditches. One lasted 2 years, the other is going on 5.

Grunt?

Randy?

Any mowers named Mark?

Sounds like you have a heck of a lawn to cut,nice!

I have a Black&Decker lawn mower that cuts my whole lawn with one charge(big lawn)which is very good I thought. It has been about 3 years since I bought it, I like it.

Its a nice property, about 7 acres. Not huge but not small. Only about 3 acres is cut 1-2 times per week during the summer months including trimming. 2 acres of fields is cut about 3 -5 times and the rest is left for nature to run wild. With the Toro ZTR it only takes a few hours for the bulk of cutting. There is an abundance of trees planted throughout the entire property that is native to the Carolinian forest.

Honda. Extremely dependable. $500 might be a push though.

Well, I might find out how well the mower works tomorrow. Or how well I know how to mow a lawn (not at all).

Ha! Let us know how it goes.

If you are not using a mower with a bag attachment, the proper way to cut is to have the grass clippings blow to the cut side and not the uncut side.

Or mulching where it does not blow out the side or back but chopped finer and is 'pushed' back down. It is tough to go through heavy or wet grass when mulching depending on how strong your mower is.

My personal favourite as I don't have to deal with grass clippings - more time to enjoy my Axioms!

Not a push mower but I thought that I'd chime in and say that my 97 Troy Built lawn tractor just refuses to die. It spent all it's winters outdoors from 97 to 2006 before I had a garage and most of those without even a cover because they kept ripping during blizzards. The cowl is gone thanks to my wife's need for speed but it is still starting first turn of the key (choke turnover doesn't count) and I've only replaced minor parts, belts muffler etc. The drive belt adjustment is seized up and requires the odd nudge from a fine tuning instrument (hammer) but otherwise it just keeps rolling.

Nice when you get something that actually lasts. It seems rare these days.

Well, I haven't had a chance to read the manual and figure out what additional items I need to buy yet (oil, gas, stabilizer, gas can, what have you), but my neighbor came over and mowed the front and back yards yesterday.

That neighbor is a keeper!

Let's recap, shall we?

On 9/5, your neighbors gave you rice krispy treats.
On 9/6 they mowed your lawn.
On 9/11 they mowed your lawn again.

I don't think it really matters what brand of mower you bought, does it? Why don't you just give them the manual? Hell! Just give'em your GD new lawnmower!

Or...................
was mowing your lawn just part of the devious plan where they hid a murdered body in your back yard? Perhaps the Krispy Treats had a sedative that knocked you out during the digging phase?
Or....................
should I just put down that Boris Karloff compendium that I picked up at a yard sale?

How are you going to repay his kindness? You don't even make beer!

Well, Ken can show him his hat collection? Maybe even let him try on a few?

"Here, this one should keep you nice and shaded next time you come over and mow. Too bad you aren't a neighbor to my friend Peter. He makes his own beer. I bet he'd let you look at a bottle if you mowed his lawn."

Late to the lawn party but I'll add I own a Craftsman mower with the Honda motor and have had no problems for 7 years now.