You can buy a pretty decent lawn tractor for that price that comes with a drink holder.

There is a Snapper and the Quick36.

Here is a link that might be useful: Snapper 26-inch Hi-Wheel mower

Thanks Metal & Perrymk.

'You can buy a pretty decent lawn tractor for that price that comes with a drink holder.'

True, but quality of cut with a cheapie like that is a major concern of mine. Also, I want the exercise and I have just barely enough room to store the walk-behind. Oh, and I don't like the 'ruts' left in my yard after using an extremely heavy mower. Love the drink holder, though.

'There is a Snapper and the Quick36'
Yeah, I've seen that Snapper, and the single blade scares me a little. It's got to take tons and tons of power to move that thing around. Plus, how good could it possibly mulch with a single blade operating in that big of a deck? I'll check out the Quick 36 and see how it matches up.

Thanks again, gents.

jim

Also look at the Murray Yark King 26 inch mower if a larger cutting area is your primary interest. A couple of guys on this forum have one and they like it. New they sell for about $350.00 on Ebay. Quality is pretty good from what I've read, but search the messages for more information.

BillyGoat makes a 26 inch mower, also with a single blade. It's built like a tank, but the quality of cut is not as good as my 21 inch Honda and Lawnboy. I also recall seeing a 33 inch BillyGoat at a dealers shop a couple years ago.

Thanks all. I just can't see using a same old single blade system that's been around for so long.

I need a good mulch

I have seen these same 33inch model mowers being referred to here as a Troy Bilt, also labeled/tagged as Sears-craftsman, Cub cadet, White and others. Not sure, but would be curious, who actually manufactures them.

I have had one of the 26 inch Yardman's referred to above for a couple of years with zero probs, mechanical or cut quality.

They are all made by MTD, just different colors.

FYI, the BillyGoat 33" has 3 blades, arranged in a triangle with a slight overlap.

I'm on my 2nd TB 33" widecut.These r awesome "residential" mowers.Unfortunately, MTD bot them out so this mower is no more.They make a Cub Cadet/Sears (MTD) 33" ,but its not the same.With the mulch plug in u can trim around trees easily with both sides of unit.Great 4 leaf mulching,just get 2 them before they r 2 deep.
About the only drawbax: early models handles tend 2 break easily,later models added braces.And if u hit something big with dual blades,they tend 2 get out of sync.
I will keep buying these units til I can't find them anymore!Bot a Cub Cadet 36" commercial for replacement,but it's 2 heavy & horrible for trimming around stuff.

RUN the other way from troy built as they are garbage. My 33" gives the worse cut I have ever seen. The Blade design is the apparent problem as they have a higher edge a few inches from the end of the blade which seems to blow the grass down instead of up. I have to double cut any where the grass is high or thick. The controls will also take a toll on your hands. Better of getting a walmart special, you'll get a better cut. If the later models got a change in blade design, maybe they perform better now. If so someone let me know as I will change the blades on mine. Never saw a blade before that had an edge almost all the way down the blade which is useless as only the first few inches at the end of the blade does all the cutting.

I've had my 33" walk behind for about 10 years now or whenever Troybilt was still making them. The only issue I have with it is that it only came with 8.5 hp B&S

Iv got one of these with a BS engine. After 10 years of great service, the exhaust valve stuck since it doesn't have a steel valve guide. Aluminum bore. Im wondering if a new honda engine would be a good choice. Or after 10 years should I just scrap it?

I've had one for 8 years and I love it. @ron - You do need to change the blades occasionally - usually every season I either change them or sharpen them. Sears and Cub Cadet sell a version of the same design - Troy, Sears, and Cub Cadet all are made by MTD. The differences are cables instead of rods and some redesign on the gear shift process. The Troybilt version has the sheet metal cover rather than the plastic on the newer models. @rerod most any "lawn mower engine" with a near HP rating should bolt right in as long as the output shaft is the same diameter and length. Here is a website for a direct replacement 12.5 hp bolt in Briggs and Stratton that I will use when my enging fails.

http://www.smallenginewarehouse.com/RepowerItems.asp?Brand=Troy-Bilt&Model=Wide-Cut

Hope this helps - Glen

My transaxle just died on my troy bilt wide cut. I've already replaced the engine with a 10hp Tecumseh when the Briggs died end of last year. Not sure if I wanna shell out the money for the trans right now, might just part it out. Unless anyone has a trans they would ship to NC for cheap.
If anyone wants some parts for thiers email me what you want and I'll see what I can do. Tecumseh engine is less than a year old, mower is a 34342 model from 2000, have the grass catcher and everything, only bad part on it is the trans.

I've been using the TB Wide Cut for 20 years now. It's not the newer MTD model but the original Troy Bilt. I don't know how they compare but I certainly got my money's worth. I even used it for two years with my landscape business so it's got about a million miles on it.

I have one of the original wide cut mowers and it has been great. I have been looking for a deck assembly and I can't seem to find one anywhere. I would hate to have to junk a perfectly good mower because I can't find a replacement deck. Anyone know of a place to get a replacement or good used deck??

SteveM4, Did you ever find a deck? I am in the same boat as you. Been using the TB for 20 years and it still runs great. Deck mount area is rusted out so would like to replace the deck also. Let me know if you had any success.

Just ordered a deck from Sears Parts Direct $170 shipped, and had to return it because the blade brake linkage isn't the same for my TB.

I've had no other luck....