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Lawnmowers

bigoutsidebigoutside Member Posts: 19,443
edited May 2012 in General Discussion
cut grass! and when you mow your lawn with tall grass, not only will it get shorter, but the lawnmower will park itself in the garage, like the guy at Earl May tells all his customers.

Comments

  • bigoutsidebigoutside Member Posts: 19,443
    edited November -1
    I've been using a battery powered lawnmower for seveal years. But we moved to another place with a little more lawn and its just getting to be too much trouble.

    I've got plenty of batteries to take me through the job, but the cutting width just isn't big enough. And it takes too much time to do all the walking thats involved.

    So I've got it narrowed down to a John Deere or a Husky.

    Deere has a B&S, Husky has a Honda.
    Both have variable speed front wheel drive.
    JD is a little bit more pricey.

    I was leaning toward the Deere when the sales guy tells me "this is the last year that Deere is going to be in the homeowner lawn mower line" which (if true) clinches it for me. I'll take a pass rather than search around for replacement parts in 5 years for whatever breaks.

    Advice?
  • bigoutsidebigoutside Member Posts: 19,443
    edited November -1
    What type and size do you use? Around my place I have a John Deere l
    awn tractor for the "back 40" and a Honda for the small cut in work.
  • bigoutsidebigoutside Member Posts: 19,443
    edited November -1
    I've usually had the decks rust out before the engine failed, but that was in the days of 2 cycle engines.

    I was surprised to see that everything seems to be four stroke now.
  • TooBigTooBig Member Posts: 28,560 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    honda motor[:D]
  • oldrideroldrider Member Posts: 4,934 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Honda- if it don't start, it's out of gas.
  • CubsloverCubslover Member Posts: 18,601 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Honda +1
    Half of the lives they tell about me aren't true.
  • saserbysaserby Member Posts: 1,873 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My understanding of the John Deere homeowner type mowers is they don't make them. They are made for them by the same company that makes most other mowers like Craftsman, MTD, Yardman, etc.

    Not that there is anything wrong with that. I'm just pointing out that IMO you aren't getting much for the extra money unless you see having a green mower as a status symbol.

    To clarify, I think this only applies to their smaller mowers. I know their mid size and larger tractors are supposed to be really nice.
  • bigoutsidebigoutside Member Posts: 19,443
    edited November -1
    That is a very good tip.

    With my battery powered mower, its got a polymer deck. I've sprayed cooking spray on it from time to time when the grass was a little bit wet. That worked pretty good. But it was more for keeping the bagger from cloging than rust.

    The Husky has a garden hose attachment.
  • bartman45bartman45 Member Posts: 3,008 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by bigoutside
    I've been using a battery powered lawnmower for seveal years. But we moved to another place with a little more lawn and its just getting to be too much trouble.

    I've got plenty of batteries to take me through the job, but the cutting width just isn't big enough. And it takes too much time to do all the walking thats involved.

    So I've got it narrowed down to a John Deere or a Husky.

    Deere has a B&S, Husky has a Honda.
    Both have variable speed front wheel drive.
    JD is a little bit more pricey.

    I was leaning toward the Deere when the sales guy tells me "this is the last year that Deere is going to be in the homeowner lawn mower line" which (if true) clinches it for me. I'll take a pass rather than search around for replacement parts in 5 years for whatever breaks.

    Advice?


    Go Honda, as that will be the brand Deere bring in to supplement their discontinued line of walk behind mowers due to that areas "not meeting financial objectives"......
    Be careful where purchasing any gas tool....if you've noticed, no big box store has a service department. I like the term "servicing dealer"...............
  • NavybatNavybat Member Posts: 6,849 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Toro Recycler. I have had one for 10 years now, and there must be a dozen in use in my neighborhood. It's like every third house owns one.
  • nmyersnmyers Member Posts: 16,875 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My Honda HR214 is 26 years old; I've never even cleaned the underside of the deck, & there's no rust.

    My Sears lawn vacuum is only 6 years old, & the B&S engine has to be repaired at least once every season; I will avoid that engine in the future.

    Neal
  • bartobarto Member Posts: 4,734 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    My Husky came with a Kohler engine.
    GET THE HONDA!!
    [:(!]barto[:(!]
  • footlongfootlong Member Posts: 8,009
    edited November -1
    B&S engies are flatheads. Valves in block.Like the first V8 Ford-1932


    Hondas are OHC. Like most modern Cars
  • grumpygygrumpygy Member Posts: 53,466
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Navybat
    Toro Recycler. I have had one for 10 years now, and there must be a dozen in use in my neighborhood. It's like every third house owns one.


    Even after not starting for months(winter) Pump the Primer and give it a Pull and Off it goes.
  • hdcolt51hdcolt51 Member Posts: 4,584 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by grumpygy
    quote:Originally posted by Navybat
    Toro Recycler. I have had one for 10 years now, and there must be a dozen in use in my neighborhood. It's like every third house owns one.


    Even after not starting for months(winter) Pump the Primer and give it a Pull and Off it goes.


    Just bought me a new one yesterday,hope the wife likes it[:D]
  • LesWVaLesWVa Member Posts: 10,490 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by saserby
    .. the same company that makes most other mowers like Craftsman, MTD, Yardman, etc.


    MTD = Boliens, Cub Cadets, Huskee, Murry, Yardman, Yard Machines, Remington and the MTD Line.

    John Deere = John Deere

    AYP (American Yard products) = Husqvarna, Craftsman, Poulan, and Rally

    Toro = Toro and Lawnboy

    Snapper = Snapper

    People around are quickly learning to avoid Husqvarna push mowers. They are finding that they are cheaply built junk and if they buy them from Lowes or Sears they have to be sent back to the factory in SC for even a simple basic repair such as a broken drive cable (very common problem).


    quote:Both have variable speed front wheel drive.

    Something to avoid at all cost. A front wheel drive push mower is useless unless you like pushing it more than it will pull itself. Especially when bagging or mowing on a slope.


    Snapper or a Toro/lawnboy. Either one would be my choice to invest in. But avoid the Toro models with the Chinese built Kohler engine.
  • bigoutsidebigoutside Member Posts: 19,443
    edited November -1
    Pulled the trigger on the rear wheel drive Honda (it came with the Honda motor)

    Seems pretty sturdy.

    Cut the lawn in about half the usual time.

    Thanks everyone for your input!
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