Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Here's my situation - I hope someone can offer some suggestions that will help me select a good mower. I have a new 1500 sq ft lawn, dead flat with LOTS of curved edges but no trees or shrubs. It certainly doesn't need much of a machine, but my kids are getting to the age that they might want to start cutting neighbor's lawns which are a little bigger (up to 1/4 acre) and have some slopes and obstacles, so I would like to get a mower with enough capabilities to handle more difficult cutting. Good mulching performance is a priority because I don't have anywhere to dump the clippings except the trash can. It needs to be safe for a (sane) young teenager to handle.

I was considering a Neuton electric but have trash-canned that idea because of battery concerns. So I am thinking a good quality small gas powered rear bagger/ mulcher would be best. Self propelled would be good, but not absolutely essential. I like the idea of castor front wheels for the maneuverability.

One machine that has caught my eye is the Ariens SLM21 SW ($639 MSRP), but I think it may be overkill. Also, I don't know anything about the Kawasaki engine and it seems pretty darn heavy at 125 pounds. Comments?

http://www.ariens.com/lawn_products/walk_behind_mowers/slm_21_sw/

One other choice is a Honda Harmony  HRZ16TDA ($539 MSRP). It has a steel deck (tho lighter gauge) like the Ariens but weighs only 92 pounds. It has 3 speeds rather than the infinitely variable system of the Ariens.

http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/ModelDetail.asp?ModelName=HRZ216TDA

And finally, the John Deere JS63C (MSRP $550) seems like a good choice. It reportedly is an excellent mulcher. But I don't see a power ratin for the Briggs engine...

http://www.deere.com/en_US/ProductCatalog/HO/servlet/com.deere.u90785.cce.productcatalog.view.servlets.ProdCatProduct?

Are there other highly-maneuverable (castoring) small push mowers I should consider? I kind of like Honda engines, but otherwise don't have any real preferences there. I really don't like MTD stuff, so that rules out a whole mess of brands.

Please help. Cost isn't a major factor, but I would like to stay at less than $600 from a discount store.

Thanks very much

I purchased an ariens brand new a couple of years ago.  after the first few times i used it the drive started to slip so i had to push it and it was heavy. i had the dealer adjust it and it worked for the rest of the summer. the next season it started again. i kept saying to myself " i should have purchased a direct drive mower "  just before this season started i found an ad for a honda sxa mower on craigslist. it was only used 3 times and the guy got moved out of the country for his job so he listed it. i got it at a steal so i purchased it. i then listed my ariens and sold it. i was praying that i did not make a mistake because i never tried the honda on my lawn. the weather broke  and i used the honda for the first time. i must say that it starts,cuts,moves much much better than the ariens. i have mowed 10 times with it so far and cant imagine using any other mower. the honda's are a little pricey but "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR" i am a 100% honda mower man now. but as for snowblowers i love my ariens.

I'm with Emmo, the Snapper would be my chocie. I like this model, the P217018BV Hi-Vac with the 7HP Briggs Intek OHV for $669.00. Add the front castors if you think you need them and the Ninja Mulch Kit. I like the Kawasaki version too but the price is more and we're getting higher than you wanted. Dealers will deal on these things some too. You could always add the castor wheels later if once you tried the mower you still thought you need them.

The Hi-Vac gives you much more suction and lifts the grass up to be cut better. You also get the hi-lift bagging blade which combined with that deck will even suck up pine needles. It makes bagging damp grass much easier! Oh yea, great for leaves. It's not a rear bagger but I like the three in one decks anyway.

Snapper Hi-Vac

OH yea, Husqvarna makes a castor wheel model for under $500.00

I also agree with Emmo aswell. Snapper makes great mowers and have for years. We owned a highvac Snapper that was made in 1990 and that thing really sucked the grass up better than most mowers you see today except for the mower I am going to buy lol.

I forgot about the Husqvarna Marshall............

It has the Honda engine but doesn't have the lock on the fly feature for the castors.  A must have for me........maybe not if your yard is as flat as a table.

Ahhhh, I didn't even check for that. Screw that one then.

http://www.snapper.com/mulchers.html

http://www.toro.com/home/mowers/superrecycler/20053.specs.html

http://www.toro.com/home/mowers/superrecycler/20054_specs.html

http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/ModelDetail.asp?ModelName=HRX217TDA

I think I would think lightweight before front caster wheels.

If you get a good mulcher you won't be dragging a bag of grass around half of the time. Everyone likes something different.

Propelled or push? Hard to help you there. Propelled, rear drive, better tracton, especially with bagger. Front drive, real easy to turn when you lift the front off the ground. Push, most a lot lighter.

I'm not a good judge, but I like the Super Recyclers. We don't have many Snapper/Simplicity dealers.

I like my Super Recycler too.......The reason I went to a Snapper was the lack of caster wheels from Toro.

Hey guys not trying to get off the subject. Where do you think I could find a Nija blade the cheapest for a 33inch snapper? So far I have found it for 55& 50 is that about right?

mikefla1 wrote:
That's right on the money! They're pretty much dealer bought items.