I've owned a Honda HRX w/hydrostat drive for three years. It's hands down the best mulching mower that I have owned, including an older Toro SR. The twin blades aren't just marketing hype, they do work. It has around 90 trouble free hours on it.

Toro/Lawn-boy and Snapper are my choices. Honda hydro is great until the hydro goes out. The owner of these mowers usually dies of a heart attack when the Honda parts person tells them the price of repair parts.

Another vote for the HRX...far and away the best mower I've owned.

Thanks for the feedback. Isn't Lawn-Boy and Toro made by same company? Also, doesn't Snapper make at least some of John Deere's walk behinds? I would like to stay with a mower that is made in the USA- call be old fashion but.... My current cub Cadet(621 with rear drive and front caster wheels) does the job but after four years why wait for something to go wrong when the grass is growing like.... weeds. Also new stuff on the market and want the latest in technology. Thanks again.

Hondas are made in the US.

I'm in a similar situation, buying a new mulcher and wanting the best bang for the buck. Was pretty much settled on the Honda HRR216PDA over the Snapper 2167519B, that is until I saw the review for the LawnBoy 10694 on Consumer Guide(linked below).
I'm not looking for SP so the push models are right up my alley. And the Toro Atomic mulching blade, which comes standard on the LB, is suppose to rank higher than the Ninja and DualBlade of the aforementioned.

Good luck in choosing!

Here is a link that might be useful: LawnBoy Review

OK... narrowed down to either LB 10795 or the Toro SR4 20056. Pretty much the same mowers except that the Toro has a brake cluth and the LB doesn't but the LB storing feature is good to have. LB- $ 499.00 Toro- $ 599. Any thoughts on the two????

A follow-up on my purchase of the LB 10795.... I am very satisfied in the mower's appearance, functions, ease of use, and end results... that is the yard looks great! I have used it only once and that was to mulch. The mower really does a fantastic job in that not leaving any telltale signs of the chopped grass behind. The yard looks as if I bagged( what I would have had to do with my Cub Cadet 621 SP to get the same results). The Sens-e-speed drive system is really trick.... just start walking and the mower starts mowing... gives u the sense that the mower is going by itself and u are just walking behind... no effort! Easy to stir around and back up from trees and bushes. Has a choke that when engine starts... the choke will turn off by itself... no more fuel prime bulbs to push. Recommend this mower to anyone that wants a mower that is easy to use ... from one method to the other(bagging,multching etc.) and gives great results. CTH

A follow-up on my purchase of the LB 10795.... I am very satisfied in the mower's appearance, functions, ease of use, and end results... that is the yard looks great! I have used it only once and that was to mulch. The mower really does a fantastic job in that not leaving any telltale signs of the chopped grass behind. The yard looks as if I bagged( what I would have had to do with my Cub Cadet 621 SP to get the same results). The Sens-e-speed drive system is really trick.... just start walking and the mower starts mowing... gives u the sense that the mower is going by itself and u are just walking behind... no effort! Easy to stir around and back up from trees and bushes. Has a choke that when engine starts... the choke will turn off by itself... no more fuel prime bulbs to push. Recommend this mower to anyone that wants a mower that is easy to use ... from one method to the other(bagging,multching etc.) and gives great results. CTH

Pros on the 20056 are the BBC (blade brake clutch) and Super Recycler cutting system.

The 10795 has the 5 year warrenty, alum. deck, and Honda engine (which I prefer over the Briggs Quantum - mainly because the Honda has a bit more useable torque).

Given these 2 choice I would have gone with the 10795 too - especially for that price difference.

I would like to know more about the Insight cutting system

Look for a Toro Super Recycler, but skip the BBC unless you have difficulty operating a starter rope. The Toro SR engines start easily.

My 18 year old Troy-bilt mulching mower with the 4 hp Quantum engine still runs like new and starts on the first pull every time. I bought it new in 1989 and have used it every week during the mowing season. The original poweer baked paint is still intact and looks good. I bet if you could find a used one it would still outlast 90% of the new mowers on the market today.

I've posted another thread, but I saw a few votes here for the Honda HRX models. Anyone have any thoughts on the HRR models? The HRX's are getting a bit out of my price range.

awp, the HRX's are a bit pricy, but I got mine at Home Depot and used a 10% off coupon I found online. I called my local store and asked if they would honor it and they said they would.

kubotabx2200, I have one of those too, and it also still starts on the first pull. To tell you the truth it runs fine, and I haven't done ANY maintenance to it, just add gas as needed.
I have heard that the emissions of a lawnmower of this age puts out as much in an hour as 11 cars idling. So I'm looking for a new 2007 mulching mower.
Which of these has the finest mulch?

Ill put in a vote for snapper, I own 3 of their push mowers, 2 1987 models, and one 2004 model. Both the 1987 models still work perfect and have been well used by previous owners. Snapper's self propelled system is very simple and the only part I have ever had to buy was a drive belt. The 2003 model is what my family uses to cut the hills and we have mulched, bagged, and discharged with it. Does a great job all around.

I have the Toro 20056 and love everything about it EXCEPT the blade brake. I've never owned a mower with one before and I will never EVER buy one again. It runs like crap when the blade is not engaged; requires you to either start it with the blade engaged (very difficult) or let it warm up for 5 minutes before you engage it otherwise it dies; and vibrates so much the knobs securing the handles fall off so I have to go search for them in the yard.

Other than things directly related to the BBC, I love this mower. It runs amazingly smooth when the blade is engaged, starts incredibly easy, mulches like a dream, and the personal pace beats out every other self-propelled system IMO. Bagging is so-so, but I only do that maybe 5-times a season and the incredible mulching performance balances that out nicely.

I just wish I had gotten the 20057 OHV Intek version instead of the BBC Quantum version. Not that I dislike the Quantum engine, I'm quite happy with it. But $140 for the Intek is a MUCH better deal than $100 for the BBC. 20055 is your best bet if you don't want the Intek. Avoid the 20056 like the plague.

I just bought a Cub Cadet CC550SP yesterday and after using it this morning to cut my 3 week overgrown grass and I think it's Great. I set out to buy the CC989 after reading great reviews on it but after going to 4 Home Depot stores and calling the two other Cub Cadet dealers in my area could not find one.
I thought the caster wheels on the front were cool and the dealer had one in stock with the electric start but an extra $150.00 for the casters plus another $65.00 for the electric start would have put it at $500.00 (Twice what I had intended to spend on a mower.)
The dealer had a pallet full of the CC550SP's and the price I got by ordering it direct from www.cubcadet.com was $30 less than the price marked in the showroom.
I really wanted to give a mower with the casters a test drive but there were none available to try out.
Ended up paying $259.99 + tax and feel I got a great deal.
The mower came with a bottle of the right amount of oil and after reading the manual and gassing it up it started first pull out of the box. I really like the manual choke. I've had soooo many mowers that the little priming bulb drys out and cracks or splits.
I was a bit hesitant about the plastic cowl on the front that supports the front wheels and has a handy handle built into it but the thing has a 3 year warranty so I guess it remains to be seen if it holds up or not.
All in all I feel I made a good decision to get the C550SP. The 19" cut doesn't bother me because I usually only cut a half width with my old mowers and this one cut great at full width this morning, even on my tall grass. The single speed is still a bit too fast for my stride but a bit of adjustment on the little drive adjustment device allows you to "feather" the speed a bit, and it handles well with one or two hands on the bar. If you're on a budget, have an average size yard, and need a self propelled mower get this one.

My 14yo Honda Harmony may have "bit the dust" - but it was a good mower! I was out looking at the HRX series, and found the HRX217VKA at Home Depot at a $449 clearance price ($629 normal). This thing has no throttle and the "thumb drives" for self propel. The thumb drives make me nervous given some postings I've seen, but I can't even find this model on Honda's site! What's up with the autochoke? I've only found two comments on this model and both said they had to up the engine RPMs manually to get adequate power. Why woudn't I want a manual throttle on a lawn mower??

I currently own a Toro 20036 SP. It is slow. Looking to speed things up. Local shop recommended Honda HRB216TDA for $640. Any thoughts?

I'm thinking of buying the White #12AV839S290 self propelled mower, Any thoughts on this one.
Amazon has it for $249.00 and free shipping.

Thanks for any help

I just got a Cub Cadet CC550SP and it is a great mower. My yard looks much better after one cut. The suction on this mower is outstanding when using the bag. It's amazingly quiet and its the easiest thing to start. Starts on first pull EVERY TIME! Did not or would not ever buy from the big box stores. I did some comparison shopping and even though the models had same numbers the mowers had small differences. First being the wheels. Home depots mowers had these narrow hard plastic wheels and the one I got had 2" wide heavy duty wheels. At box store your new mower is sure to have loose bolts on it somewhere. At the store I bought mine, DEWYNNS in San Antonio Texas, they set up my new mower serviced it and step by step showed me all the features. Try finding someone at a box store who could even find where the lawnmowers are. In closing, don't rush out to lowest or home depot to try and save money. I spent the same amount of money at a store that just sells lawn equipment and the service was outstanding. I've bought a couple pieces of lawn equipment there and will only go there in the future.

i just bought a honda mower, a push mower, i didnt want a self-propelled,,but it was 389$ and it works real good,with the double blades,leaves no grass behind,,one bad thing,its a little hevier to push then my old craftsman ,and my 6 month old troy bilt,,i used the troy built,and it leaves some grass behind,waving in the wind,the craftsman was worse,but this honda doesnt leave anything behind, i like honda the best,,toro ,craftsman ,troy bilt,and most other mowers are an average mower.if you have a beautifull healthy lawn, go for the better mower,i did,,i love it

your all cursed

And YOU'RE apparently cursed with ignorance. Get it? :)

Hi Mowman, I have this crazy lawn mower passion and I have written many reviews on all types of lawn mowers. On my site you can find a lot of information on all types of lawn mowers, so that will make your puchasing decision a lot easier! Maybe you can let me know what type of mower you are looking for? Want a petrol mower or an electric one? Anyways, have a look at the lawn mower reviews I´ve made and read along. You might just find your new mower, today! www.top5lawnmowers.com Good Luck! And let me know if you need any advise. Bill

Bill,

Nice spam job, didn't you realize Mowman's post was in May 2007?

Business must be slow.