Self-Propelled Walk-Behind Mower

[SCgarman]

Wilkey, I am in Manassas and why spend any money for the lawn? No rain= dead grass and dead grass= no need to mow!! And the grass is on its way to being dead!

[GP012]

Husqvarna with a Honda engine, but make sure you get it from a dealer instead of a big box store - the BB's get lower end models but charge the same price usually.

[joeypots]

A Toro from a big box store and a Toro from a garden center may be two entirely different grades of product.I bought a Toro from a box store and it was useless after 6 years. I maintained it properly but it just sort of fell apart.

I got a Snapper from the local garden center. What a difference. Same size mower weighs about half again as much. Very nice machine. Beware the Hondas. They make great products but I heard that the new small engines are now made in China and don't compare with the older ones.

[GernBlansten]

Wilkey I like my Honda.

I would suggest that with the current blends of fuel that anyone that has power equipment mix a little oil or fuel stabilizer in their fuel. As mowers and other equipment sits, the water in the ethanol can really foul up small carburetors and can cause the death of power equipment before its time. I am putting Marvel Mystery Oil in all my cans now. This helps provide a little protection against the water that is all the gas blended with alcohol now.

Just a suggestion. -the Pig

Great advice! I have been using SeaFoam for both my push and riding mowers after fouling the push's carb.

[thechenman]

The self-propeled lawnmower I use is the gardener, but I certainly don't walk behind him, and I sure as hell wouldn't ride him, but I would highly recommend using one.

[reliefdvm]

Between Honda and toro - hands down Honda. Pretty much all the Honda motors are good - the regular Toro will use residential brigs motors which don't last very long. If you don't mind spending a little extra cash go with a commercial walk behind. I've had a 36" Ransomes with a kawasaki motor for 20 years and it is not slowing down at all.

[CanuckSARTech]

I wholeheartedly agree with The Pig, also. Use either Stabil or SeaFoam as a fuel stabilizer, with high-octane (93+) fuel. A perfect combination for small, 4-cycle engines. And, use heavy weight 30 oil. Don't bother with a 10w30 year-round blend - you don't cut grass in freezing temperatures, so you don't need the low-viscosity balance. A good heavy-weight oil will reap dividends in those small engines. I use the above combination in all my 4-stroke power tools (lawnmower, trimmer/edger, pressure washer, etc.)

Good luck. Let us know how you make out.

[TM-US]

With the lawn mower and other power equipment, when it's time to put it away for the season, I run them dry until the engine dies and it won't restart. Is that a bad idea? I thought it would be better to run dry than to leave old gas in it. Anything that always has gas in it, has Stabil in it as well.

I run full synthetic oil in every engine that I own, whether it's a lawn mower or a car. I figure a single-cylinder small engine like a lawn mower undergoes more stress in a lot of ways.

[CanuckSARTech]

With the lawn mower and other power equipment, when it's time to put it away for the season, I run them dry until the engine dies and it won't restart. Is that a bad idea? I thought it would be better to run dry than to leave old gas in it. Anything that always has gas in it, has Stabil in it as well.

I run full synthetic oil in every engine that I own, whether it's a lawn mower or a car. I figure a single-cylinder small engine like a lawn mower undergoes more stress in a lot of ways.

Yes, empty / run dry, then remove the spark plug and put in a couple of sprays of fogging oil. Slowly pull the starter cord, to move the piston and internals around a bit, and therefore disperse some of the fogging oil inside, then give another quick spray of fogging oil into the chamber again before putting the spark plug back in. It'll smoke a bit when you fill it up with fresh gas and start it in the spring, but it should only last for 10-15 seconds max, and it saves your internals from winter seizing and damage.

And agreed. High quality HD oil, premium gas, fuel stabilizer, and every once in a while, "small engine tune-up" gas additive. That combo has never let my Dad or me down yet.

[LGC]

I just bought a lawn mower recently myself. I ended up going with a Husqvarna with a Honda engine. It starts very easily and operates very nicely. Hopefully it will last me many years.

[SurpriseMVP]

Wow, you guys really take care of your mower. My 8 year old Toro just died. I live in a climate where I cut grass year around so there is no "winter" season. My maint. schedule was as follows: add fuel & mow. Never changed the oil, never changed or cleaned the air filter, never changed the spark plug. I guess if I maintained it it would still run now but 8 years of mowing for $250 USD isn't so bad. The new mower just arrived today. Got a cub cadet because it was free through points. I might actually try to maintain this one, but knowing me it will likely not happen.

[Ginseng]

Hey there, folks,

Thanks for sharing your advice and experiences. In the end, I decided to go with the Honda HRR216VYA. It arrived today and was a cinch to get up and running. The mower seems very well put together, is of a reasonable weight, and pretty maneuverable. The self-propelled feature and the blade clutch are very nice features indeed. Gas tank is a bit on the small side as has been observed and no central height adjustment, but otherwise everything I could want.

Here I am getting it ready.

And here I am taking care of business with a JLP Petite Cazadores in mouth.

It was fast and mulches like a sonuvagun with those twin blades. Did the whole lawn in about an hour...abour 40% less than usual.

Wilkey

[Dbone]

That's a real nice mower you got there bro. The easy start makes firing her up something else LOL (I have the same mower). Enjoy