There could be any number of reasons for CR not to have included Snapper; some probably make sense, some are probably absurd in keeping with typicaly CR "methods." One reason might be that Snapper mowers aren't sold at HD, L, WM, etc. and are therefore not likely to be on the radar of the typical purchaser. You probably won't go wrong with either mower; the Toro SR is certainly a very fine machine.

when they did test them -they always cane in dead last in self prop. reliability-and rightly so!

Not sure why you think CR would hate them......
Snapers are a small player so I can understand why they may not be in the CR test group.

Why do you need CR to tell you about Snapper mowers -- Forrest Gump bought himself one after he hit the jackpot in the shrimping business, so that ought to tell you something! :-)

Snapper from a dealer is good-Snapper from Sears is junk.

i have a snapper hi-vac with a kawasaki commercial mower .it is almost 3 years old never a problem with it . only drawback is it is expensive at $969.00 at todays price.the cut i get with it is superb. i cut bermuda with it and sharpen the blade every 3-4 cuts.i keep about 5 ninja blades and rotate them.the only lawnmower i would ever own. plus its manufactured about 30 miles from my house .helps keep georgians working

Hey ryandd - I too get CR magazine, and was curious about the poor reviews they gave of Snappers until I realized that they were testing the version Sears sells, which is nothing like the Snapper Hi-Vacs & Mulchers you'll find at a dealer. The Sears Snappers are made cheaply, and have a reliability problems. If you decide on a Snapper, go to a dealer and buy a "real" one. Remember... you get what you pay for.

Also a question for "paulga" Does Snapper still reside in McDonough, GA? The labels on the mowers & boxes indicate somewhere in Wisconsin now. I can't remember what city though. Because of that, I was thinking they left Georgia.

Snapper was bought by Simplicity several years ago.

I believe Briggs & Stratton owns Snapper now.

I bought a Snapper commercial quality, self-propelled mulching mower with the Kawasaki engine 3 weeks ago. This is unquestionably the most powerful self-propelled mower that I have ever owned. There is no grass too tall or too thick for this mower; and it gives a very nice cut. I bought this mower because I was tired of getting my 5 year old Toro Personal Pace Super Recycler repaired on an annual basis. Of course, time will tell if I have spent wisely - the Snapper was expensive - but it feels like a well built, serious mowing machine as opposed to my Toro which flexes like crazy. Either way, I will no longer buy a Toro.

Hi..
I have a snapper mulcher and a super recycler. I like them both but I prefer the snapper. The Snapper is a MUCH better mulcher IMHO. With the Ninja blade it produces a much finer mulch and is far less likely to leave lines or clumps of unevenly mulched grass. I use a very sharp gator blade on the toro but it is no match for the snapper IMHO. My Snapper has the OHV Briggs 6.75 and it is clearly stronger than the 6.5 Quantum Briggs. My Snapper is an older 6 speed but as great as the Toro personal pace is I like the feeling of the older Snapper drive system. If your in a hurry the Snapper will really move out...you will jog behind it.

I read CR and I simply don't get it.

I had a honda (the really early one) It was nice but not problem free and NOTHING is built stronger than the Snapper.

i also agree nothing is built as well and will outlast a snapper

I bought a Snapper CRP2160KWV (the commercial mulcher with Kawi engine) last year and so far I'm very happy with it. I've never owned a Toro SR or the Honda HRX everyone raves about, so I really can't give a good comparison of these.

During the late summer, I mow the bermuda grass higher to 3" or 3.5". IMO, at this height the stock Ninja blades were not producing enough upward lift to provide a clean flat cut. I installed a Gator blade and noticed an improvement in the uniformity of cut. The Ninja is a superior mulcher to the Gator - the Gator leaves slightly longer clippings. When mowing at lower heights, as I do in the early growing season, I'm not sure the Gator will be necessary, so I'll be installing the Ninja blade back soon to see if it makes a difference.

This mower is a tank and the Kawi engine is a great powerplant. Last year I had to go a couple weeks without mowing once so the bermuda was much thicker and taller. This mower went right through it and didn't show any signs of bog down. My previous mower (an older Snapper with a less powerful briggs engine) would often bog in this situation, even at slow walking speed.

I have no plans to sell this mower, but if I was forced to get a different mower, I'd try a Toro SR or Honda HRX just to see what the fuss was about.

BTW, the only big difference between the commercial and residential Snapper mulching mowers is the steel wheels on the commercial, vs plastic wheels on the residential.

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread...

But I've had a Snapper from Sears for over 2 years, model 21675 I believe, which is the same as the homeowner grade John Deer. The machine has been flawless. Bags and mulches well, and does a good job of sucking leaves and such of the lawn. The one-handle height adjustment is something that I use a lot and wouldn't want to do without. Electric start is cool, but when the battery is dead the Briggs always starts on the first pull. All for something like $350. Probably not suited for daily commercial use but it's been a great machine for me - no problems & no regrets.

"But I've had a Snapper from Sears for over 2 years, model 21675 I believe, which is the same as the homeowner grade John Deer. The machine has been flawless."

There are a large number of negative comments about mowers sold by Sears found on the Lawn Mower forum. If they were representative of all mowers sold by Sears that would mean mowers were being returned in record numbers for replacement under warranty or repair. Sears would have to convert it's retail stores into repair facilities to handle the business.

The never-ending problem with Sears mowers is little more than a few stories that are repeated often enough that an urban legend is created on this forum. Someone remembers a story told by someone else and the story self-perpetuates. And some of us practice a kind of brand elitism that assumes anything sold by a a large retailer like Sears is shoddy quality.

Sears has sold a lot of brand name and house brand mowers over the years and it is inconceivable that buyers would keep coming back if quality was that poor.

Well, i started both of my Snapper Riders today, and exercised them around my yards. One is the 33 inch cut, 12 h.p., Briggs. Has the hi-vac bagger, which is great for dead leaves, of which i have a great amount every fall season. This machine was sold new in 1983, to me. I use it every year! Had to re-power it several years ago. The amount of time it gets put on it every year, tends to wear out the engine every so often.
the smaller Rider is an 8 h.p., repowered about 4 years ago-don't know how old it is, but it ain't no spring chicken! I use it in the rough areas. Has no bagger. Deck has some holes, but runs and drives well! I like the good visibility of them, and the ease of turning and driving. And, i like them much better than a lawn tractor type of machine.

Some years back, i read that CR would charge the mfgrs of lawn mowers, etc., a fee to put good reviews of their products in the magazine. Snapper went on their reputation, and declined. People who can't trust their brains to visualise the superior products, from the mundane things that are being produced for the masses (sheep), buy CR, and think their reviews are perfectly even! NOT! Their magazine is all smoke and mirrors!
JMHO: Rusty Jones