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

honda ,toro or snapper.....what is the best self propelled walk behind mower?

Do you have criteria for what's important to you?  There's no one best mower for everything.

guality mower that will last but not overpriced 500-700 dollars ...rear driven ...good mulcher...cut a half acre of mostly flat lawn

Toro super recycler.  Mulches very well, rear wheel drive, around $500.

I will say that  there are three things I don't like about this Toro.  One, if you have to stop and start the engine often, develop some patience and strength.  This Briggs side valve engine is hard to start when hot, very odd. 

Two, the Personal Pace drive tends to stick in the forward and doesn't freewheel when no longer pushes on it.

Three, it has poor bagging capability.


My personal favorite mower is the discontinued John Deere 14SB or 14PZ.

The dealer told me about the hot starting issue....what causes it? Does effect the snappers with the same engine or just toro?

I talked to the snapper dealer today...they were at briggs training course and apparently that hard starting problem when hot affects the snapper also and there is a tech bulletin on how to adjust it....

Have you considered a push power mower?  Start and stop will not be an issue unless you are having a cold one during the session,  I will refrain from recommending a Honda  (HRX217 with a cheap GC 190CC engine).  It works for me well and no issue thus far with starting when cold or hot.  No leaky carb either.  It is getting a bit late for the mowing season so perhaps you can start this conversation next spring.

I have no regrets with my HRX217. It is the best mower I have ever had.

granville wrote: What about the Snappers with the Briggs Professional 875 Series OHV engine?  Have you considered those if you like Snapper?

Honda HRX217HXA.

Five years now -- still starts on the first pull. One start per use -- the engine continues to run (but the blade stops) while you dump the bag.

Best feature: the variable selection Bag/Mulch lever.

Worst feature: the wide plastic deck molding keeps blade about 1 inch away when edging around a tree or fence. (Thin metal decks allow much closer edging.) 

granville wrote:
Do you have details to this bulletin?  Please share.

aa335 wrote:

no ..i didnt see the bulletin......I had been talking to the dealer that day about the problem and he said they hadnt experienced that problem. Then a couple hours later he called me and said his mechanic had been at a training course and several dealers had raised the issue and briggs had responded with a service bulletin

slinger wrote:

how is the 875 series different?

I ended up putting the deck guard kit on my HRX217HMA to protect the deck sides from the various cement edging around my yard.




samdog wrote:

^^^  Well, what I'm trying to say is that the Honda will not cut close enough to a tree or fence, because the deck material is about an inch wide. So it leaves an inch wide strip uncut around a tree.

My Yardman has a thinner metal deck that cuts right up against trees and fences.

granville wrote:

It's an OHV engine, more modern....as opposed to the older technology L head like the particular 700 series mentioned earlier in this thread.  Also has more torque.  Some versions (like the one on some John Deere mowers) have pressurized lubrication w/spin-on oil filter.  I don't think that Snapper is using that version though.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/FQOorXrtbrQ?rel=0

are husky mowers any good? ....Ifound some leftovers at decent prices with the 190cc engines and solid front axle.....not many reviews out there ....do they cut as well honda ,toro,snapper lines?