Help me choose a push mower... plz !

15 years ago

I think I've narrowed it down to the following 3 push mowers just looking for a little input before taking the plundge........

will be using it in conjunction with riding mower on 3/4 acre unlevel, rough(ish) & bumpy yard...

1) TORO RECYCLER 20331

Engine Briggs & Stratton Engine

Power Rating 6.5 ft-lb Gross Torque**

Power Train Warranty 3 Years*

Guaranteed-to-Start Promise 3 Years*

Starter Recoil

Drive System Variable Speed Front Wheel Drive

Cutting Width 22"

Deck Material Steel

Washout Port Standard

Mulch, Bag, Side Discharge Standard

Warranty 2 Full Years*

Approximate Weight 83 lbs.

VS.

2) LAWN BOY 10645

Engine Briggs & Stratton ReadyStart

Engine Power 6.5 ft-lb Gross Torque**

CARB Compliant Available in California

Drive System Push

Power Train Warranty 3 Year*

Tru-Start Warranty 3 Years*

Starter Recoil

Cutting Deck 20" steel deck

Cutting Modes Mulch, Bag and Side Discharge

***I've read that it doesn't actually side

discharge and have yet to see a pic

indicating that it's even possible***

Easy Turn Wheels Standard

Tires 7" Front, 8" Rear

Cutting Height 1-4"

Weight 66 lbs.

Warranty 2-Year Complete

vs.

3) TROY-BILT TB542

Easy to use from the start! The TB542 walk-behind lawn mower comes equipped with a dependable, easy starting 160cc* Honda engine, featuring an automatic choke release that prevents engine flooding. Its 12" rear high wheels make it ideal for smaller yards with uneven terrain or other obstacles. What's more, a choice of side discharge, mulching or rear bagging puts you in control, with a standard 2.3-bushel bag included.

Â Automatic Return Choke System (ARCS) prevents engine flooding

Â 21" steel deep-dome mulching deck

Â 3-in-1 convertible - side discharge, mulch or rear bag

Â Standard 2.3-bushel grass catcher

Â 12" rear high wheels for added manueverability

Â 9-position fingertip deck height adjustment

Â Standard deluxe bail

Â Fully assembled with oil included in carton

Â 2-year limited warranty

Â 160cc Honda engine

TORO: $299 + tax : pros:22"deck, 3-in-1,Highwheels,

self-propelled, hefty warranty,

local service center.

cons: self-propelled (i've heard

horror stories about failing

selfpropelleds)

LAWN-BOY: $259 + tax pros: self-propelled, hefty

warranty

cons: no high wheels, 20"deck,

self-propelled (i've heard

horror stories about failing

selfpropelleds) no side discharge (even though it states it as a feature... it's not there.. look as picks of it... it's a mulching deck only)

TROY-BILT: $249 + tax pros: honda gcv160 engine, no self

propelled systme to worry

about failing, high wheels,

high(yet limited) reviews,

and it's the cheapest of the

bunch.

I'm seriously torn between the TORO & TROY-BILT.. but am flip-flopping worse than John Kerry on the campaign trail about which to get............. I need some input...badly... HELP ! ! ! ! ! !

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Comments (3)

metal
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I wouldn't buy a mower without self propel unless you have a tiny yard with no inclines. Also, I would never buy a Troybilt for more than $100 (and only then if there were no other options).
1saxman
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
The mowers you're considering have next to nothing in common - no wonder you can't decide! Try to find three with the same size and capabilities to pick from. The Toro/Lawn-Boy drive systems are dependable. For a 3/4 acre bumpy yard, I would definitely want a self-propelled 22", and rear-wheel drive is preferred on a mower. No high-wheel mowers have RWD. The subject of high-wheel mowers in general doesn't get much play here, because in order for the high wheels to make the cutting smoother on bumpy ground, all four wheels would have to be high. Of course there's no such machine, but the premium Honda mower does have 9" tires all-around. I'd want at least 8" wheels all-around on the mower for your yard. I think the Toro is your mower, but I would take the 20332 with RWD.
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nobux60_gmail_com
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hi. In response to your post, I have owned two self propelled walk behind mowers. One was a rear wheel drive and the one I have now is a front wheel drive. The first I had many years ago was a Toro, and now I have a Craftsman 22 inch.
At first I wondered what is the purpose of having front wheel drive when rear wheel does it all. But I found that they both have advantages and disadvantages. With rear wheel drive, the traction seems a little bit better, but the front end has a tendency to float more especially when the bag starts to get full, and with quick take off from a stop. For some reason, this isn't quite as bad with the front wheel drive Craftsman.

But with front drive, more effort is needed to push the mower up a hill especially with a bag of grass behind. Rear drives shine in this, but you need to keep the front down (on both types) to cut the grass. One big thing about the front wheel drive Craftsman that I like is that I can make a sharp left or right turn without taking it out of gear just by raising the front end up then dropping it back down after the turn.

For my own preference, the next mower I would get would probably be a Toro again with a Briggs & Stratton engine being a must. Briggs has been around a lot longer than Honda or the others and has been making engines since the late 1800's. They are tough engines, "tried and true," and has stood the test of time. I don't need to buy a Jap lawnmower for that.