They are not real Snappers, just rebadged MTD or AYP stuff. Look at the drive system, definitely not a Snapper friction disk rear drive system, just a standard Muuray, AYP, MTD belt driven front gear box type. I'd stay away and get a real Snapper (a bit more dollars though).

Looking at the Snapper site, it looks like they have given in to the consumers (read that cheap consumers)and are now trying to compete with the box stores with cheaper models. Thay even have one for 300 bucks without even being self propelled. Snapper has always been a favorite push mower for 2 reasons to me, Hi-Vac and the disk drive system. I wonder if they make the new belt driven front drive units or are they imported?

I don't think they are just rebadged AYP or MTD stuff. They seemed better made than that when I looked at them, with heavier steel components. I think that Snapper is trying to make some money, they are in business with this as a goal. I believe making money is something they are struggling with. I bet probably 98% of the mower buying public out there gets their mowers from Sears, Lowes, Home Depot, and Walmart. Snapper is making a smart move to compete for this market. All this being said, I bet they are decent mowers that will perform as well or better than the other "consumer" mowers in this price range.

In one way I hate to seen the new lower end Snapper mowers, but, if it keeps them in business, it is a good thing. I can see wanting to compete in a wider range of the market.

I havn't seen on e in person yet, but from the photos it is a different design from AYP Craftsmans. Dave

They have nothing to do with MTD or AYP (Electrolux). They may look similar to untrained eyes.

They are really cheap, and some of the designs are carryover from Murray, which was acquired out of bankruptcy by Briggs & Stratton. Both mower deck contour and self propelled designs are typical Murray. As another poster says, you're only getting a Snapper label, nothing else.

BTW, Briggs also controls Snapper through their acquisition of Simplicity.

IT looks like on Snappers web site that dealers might be selling these too. I didn't see any at my local dealer.

I have owned one of the new 21" Snappers for about 2 weeks. It is the self propelled model with 6.75 Briggs engine. I have mowed 4 times since purchase. It started on the first pull out of the box and has each time that it is started. My wife (who was not in favor of the purchase) and others have stated that the lawn looks better than when mowed with my LB 10684.
I usually keep a mower 2 years, sell it and buy another. I was hesitant to make the change this year because the LB is an excellent mower. I have owned Snapper HiVac, Toro, Husqvarna, Cub Cadet and others.
I rate the LB and Toro above the others until this mower. It is heavy, however it seems to be very sturdily built. Not sure about carry over parts or frame, however this is no Murray mower.
I have owned Snapper HiVacs their quality is at the top.I would take this above them for quality of cut.

Is your lawn thick? How well does it mulch? Thanks, Dave

So, I stopped in at my local Sears Hardware store. They had them. You almost wouldn't know it, they were on a rack in the back of the lawnmowers section. I pulled one out to look at it. It seems to be very well made, even though the wheels look plasticy, they have rubber tires on them and they do have ball bearings. The mower is heavy and seems to be made of a heavy gauge steel. The only two things I didn't like is that there is no deck wash option on it. The second thing is there is a bracket under the deck, well made, but it's open on one side and I'd be worried about grass clippings building up in there. You'd have to turn it over and clean it out. Overall, it seems like Snapper did a good job on it. And they are cheaper than some of the Craftsmans on the floor. I would consider it, although I'm still pulling towrds a Toro SR4. I like the thought of a aluminum deck. We'll see. Just thought I'd share my thoughts. Dave

The Sears Snapper is very close to the 2008 John Deere JS25 but costs less. The Deere has their "Mowmentum" speed control while the Snapper controls speed by a simple grip lever. Personally I think I prefer the Snapper system -- I don't think I want the mower speeding up every time I push (or bump) the handle. Other than that, the two machines look to share the identical deck and both have the 675 Briggs. Can't tell if their are differences in the actual transmission. The one-lever height adjustment (both machines) is great and very simple - wonder why every mower doesn't have this? I had a cheapie Murray or MTD many years ago that had this, and it was a great feature that I liked a lot.

I can't justify big bucks for a mower since I have fairly small lawns. The Tecumseh on my old Craftsman (a truly lousy performer, but it did run reliably for 11 years) gave up so I'm researching new machines. I think I've settled on the Snapper, which can be had at dealers or online as well as Sears. The electric start model at Sears goes on sale for $359, seems like a lot for the money. The Deere JS25 (no electric start) is $429 at my local dealer here in California.

The Snapper SE series is still made in the US. Most mowers in this price range, including those from Toro and Lawn-Boy, are not.

I checked them out this spring, seemed pretty decent for the price. They are not a premium mower, but what do you expect?

These mowers are also available at Snapper dealers. Personally, I don't like buying anything from Sears, their listed full prices are always high and their products always on sale. This is to make you think you got a great deal on a premium product when in reality you paid a fair price for a value-line product.

plmn, thanks for mentioning that the Snapper (and the Deere, too) are US-made. In this day and age most things are made in Asia, but I like my money to stay at home whenever possible.

I picked up the Snapper today. Assembly consisted of unfolding the handle, routing the pull cord, and plugging in the battery charger. Literally less than 3 minutes. Not that a lawnmower is a challenge but it really is nice not to spend an hour fussing with the thing. I like the features and design of the Snapper better than the other under-$400 mowers I saw. It's not a commercial machine, but I am not a commercial user. Will it last as long as a $1000 machine? Doubt it. But I bet it will last a good long time cutting my lawns here at home.

I respectfully disagree about Sears. With any retailer, it's the buyer's responsibility to evaluate the product, know the pricing and make your choice. I don't buy a lot at Sears but sometimes their sales are pretty good, or they have the thing I want when others are out of stock. In this case, the Snapper dealers I checked were at full retail, and a long drive from my house... Sears is about 2 miles away and sold me the electric start Snapper for $359, which is about $40 less than the dealers would do. One good thing about Sears is you can get parts from them as well as from Snapper. Lots of folks agree with you about Sears, but personally I find Home Depot to be much more painful to deal with. It usually is an ordeal just to find someone there to help you get a pallet of plywood or load of decking.... good luck if you actually have a question!

The grass is too wet to mow today.... I'll report back on Snapper performance in a few days after I give it a run.

My neighbor two doors down bought one and he loves it and it seems to do a pretty good job on his lawn. I'll stick with Toro because I prefer their Personal Pace SP System.

Well, I mowed the back yard today with my new SPV21675E. All I can say is, I'm kicking myself.... for not getting a good machine like this YEARS ago. I coulda saved many, many, many hours.

I was bagging the clippings, and the performance was astonishing. My old "pile-of-unmentionable" mower would require me to stop after about 1 to 1-1/2 rows to empty the bag, which never got more than 25% full. But if I didn't empty it I was treated to a clogged deck & chute and grass clumps all over the lawn, a real pain to rake up. This Snapper requires 1/5 the stops. Not a typo - 20%. The clippings get packed into the back of the bag. In fact, if you run the engine without the bag, the machine will blow the cover plate open about an inch or so. Coming from what I had, this thing is just great! And, it doesn't blow clippings all over the patio.

The self propel also works great. If I pull the handle all the way I have to walk FAST to keep up, but not unreasonably so. I couldn't believe how fast I got through the job. The manual says 4.2 mph, which is a good brisk pace. The simple lever system for controlling the mower is easy and natural. I'm glad I chose this over the Deere JS25 (which is essentially the same mower) - I'm convinced that I wouldn't like the Deere "Mow-Mentum" system as well as the less flashy Snapper control. My lawn is dead flat so I can't comment on hilly terrain performance but it seems quite strong and traction is good.

The evenness of cut is outstanding - I couldn't ask for any better. It's quite a bit better than the one Honda commercial mower I borrowed (sorry I don't know the model number) but then again this is a brand new blade and I doubt the Honda blade was freshly sharpened. In any case, the grass looks beautiful.

I never wanted an electric start before and just got it this time because I got a good price on the machine. But I would now recommend it. It is really great just to turn the key after emptying the bag without bending and yanking and vapor lock on a hot day... it was 100 here today, and that key start was absolutely decadent! The Briggs 675 is one of those "no-prime, no choke" engines and started instantly every time. There's no throttle on the engine - it runs full throttle all the time. Fine with me - faster blade means better vacuum and better cut. The self propel speed control is so easy and smooth you don't even really think about the lack of a throttle.

I had a single-point height adjustment mower years ago and loved that feature. I still do. So easy to fine tune the height, no pain, no strain. This is a great feature and will spoil anyone fast.

Cleanup was pretty easy. I always hose off the under-deck. I had a mower rust out once, so for the past 25 years I rinse off the underside of the mower and have never had any problems with rust since. Then I run the engine for a couple minutes to blow dry. Easy. I do think those machines with the topside hose port would be cool, especially if you fit a quick disconnect. But unfortunately Snapper doesn't have it. Still, it was only a couple of minutes to get the machine cleaned up.

This Snapper isn't a commercial mower and it may not last as long as those do. But I have to say that it is the best running, best performing machine I, as joe average homeowner, have ever had. I'm very happy with how quickly and effortlessly I was able to complete the job, and how good the grass looks. The bagging performance is, once again, unbelievable. Next time, I'll try the mulching... but I have an old Toro "Recycler II" mulcher so even if this Snapper doesn't do as well at mulching I will still be a happy camper (I bag mostly). If you are looking at $200 mowers, step up to this one. You will not regret it! I haven't actually used the equivalent $400 Toro or LB or whatever. So, they may be great, too. But you won't be unhappy with the performance of this Snapper.

"I usually keep a mower 2 years, sell it and buy another."

HUH ???

did anybody find out if these mowers are the same as you get at a snapper dealer? The Sears mowers are quite a bit cheaper than the retail prices for the similar looking dealer mowers.

I have nothing but great reviews on this Snapper mower - it mulches to fine and bags perfectly. The B&S 675 starts with a mere partial pull, the construction is way sturdier than any mower in the $339.00 (sale price) price range. Ball bearing wheels will free spin for at least a minute with just a slight spin. I'm impressed with the traction and at full speed is faster than I care to trot behind. I installed an aftermarket "Quick Disconnect" deck wash I found at Lowes for $15.95. This is no re-badged MTD, it's way too stout!