| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/4/2008 5:43:42 PM | Sorry to disappoint you guys this isn't a question about relationships or anything like that. lol....
I just need some advice.
I need to buy a new lawmower...soon! I have a huge yard and a push mower. It's old, doesn't want to start and put a nasty burn on my finger today! So I am banishing to it ot the back of the garage forever!!!!!!
I want to get a self Propelled Lawn Mower but I don't know anything about them other than that they are kind of pricey.
Is there something particular that I should look for when buying one? I know tons of people have them. Do you like the one you have or could you recommend one?
And girls if you have one that you use and like ...please let me know!
Thanks in advance! | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/4/2008 5:45:41 PM | Go with a gas model.
Get a mulcher blade so the clippings get ground up and used to fertilize your lawn.
NO raking !  | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/4/2008 5:50:13 PM | Malley,
I should have put in the post. I do want a gas one and the one I have now is a mulcher type. It's just so hard to start and push! I have a few little hills that I have to go up and down. | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/4/2008 6:22:37 PM | I have a ten foot rider, wing mower, 4x4, with a 65 horse kubota Diesel!
Rated for 65 Acres a day!
All hydraulically driven!
I can't describe the feeling, cranking the tunes and cutting grass in this thing!
I'd cut yours too, but it would take me a while to get there! lol | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/4/2008 6:26:40 PM | I agree , gas, and a mulcher. I think most self propelled are basically the same.. things i would look for are ease of starting, reliability of motor, comfort..
we have one at world and the handle is low and you can't adjust it and it makes the job ten times harder i feel..hurts your arms and back.
If it were me i would go online and look at reviews of different ones and see what the common problems are and the common plus's are. | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/4/2008 6:33:52 PM | Really, there is not much to them. Self-propelled is always good, and you should look at the power rating of the engine. If you have a big yard, up the size a bit.
As far as starting it goes, I have ignored the "put a clean fresh fuel" advice for too long. After all, fuel is fuel, right? Nope. Made a lot of difference. Now, I often put the fuel I buy into the car (which can take it better), but never put a fuel over a month old into mower.
One other thing that someone showed me (and that works a lot better with two people). Before you start mower, you pump the little rubber dome a few times. And then as you start the mower, it seems to start up but doesn't catch on. What I do in those cases is to bend over, while it is trying to stall, and pump the button again several times again, while the mower is running. You are a smaller woman, so you may not have the reach (you need to hold the handle but be able to reach the button), which is where two people could perhaps do it better. But, if you can reach, that helps a lot in getting it started. | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/4/2008 6:41:06 PM | OOpps sorry alwaysme2 ... I misunderstood push mower. I thought it was one of those old manual mowers that you physically push around the garden.  | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/4/2008 6:48:01 PM | | well...I have a good 'ole Craftsman from Sears for the past five years and it still works great for me. Like others have said (and you agreed)..def. get the kind that has the mulcher..soooo much easier. | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/4/2008 6:55:34 PM | I would never get a self propelled...unless it was just about as light as a regular push mower.
My sister, on the other hand has a regular push mower with big wheels on the back, it rolls easier and is light! I'd say it's twice as easy and fast as a self propelled any day. | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/4/2008 7:03:34 PM | The Craftsman that I have is in need of repair... it's only 5yrs old.
I'd recommend either a LawnBoy or Snapper. They're the Corvette and Porsche in the lawn mower world. Be prepared to pay top price, but you'll still have it to hand down to your great grand kids! And if you're set on self-propelled, they've got 'em!!
Good Luck! | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/4/2008 7:09:47 PM | one word...GOATS....
they weed-trim-mulch-fertilize and are kinda cute if ya can get past the stench
dave | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/4/2008 7:22:38 PM | | Get a riding mower!!! If you have a huge yard, like I do, it'll really pay off in the end. I spent quite a bit on a self-propelled mower and it still wipes me out to do just the front yard, much less the back also. I ended up paying a gardener to do it 2 x month. My b/f has a riding mower and that's what I want now too. It's well worth the investment. | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/4/2008 7:29:38 PM | Before you buy a new one get some prices from lawn care guys to cut your grass. Some of their prices are hard to beat especially if you're busy working all the time. Or if you're lazy, like me.
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/4/2008 7:41:12 PM | | lawnboy insight platinum 10785 is pretty awesome. it senses how fast you are walking, and keeps up with you. if you give it a slight push, it pulls itself, and if you push harder, it pulls faster. | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/4/2008 7:47:56 PM | well since you want a push mower i d get a self propelled one atleast 5 hp and only rear wheel drive... personnally i get a johndeere thats what i got is 5 hp rear bager,rear wheel drive and has a alumuim deck.... i payed close to $1000 for it 13 years ago and cut tons of lawn with it and it still works.. rember you pay for what you get.. | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/4/2008 8:07:42 PM | ^^^
Ditto on the rear wheel drive, like a Snapper. I had a front wheel drive Craftsman and it was a POS, it had a little plastic cog that turned the front wheels, what a joke, it always stripped.
Oh, and even though I like Honda's for some stuff, mowers aren't their forte`.
Check out Consumer Reports, it's worth reading. | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/4/2008 8:10:16 PM | Mulch mowers are great if you don't like dumping grass clippings in a yard waste bin every week, and mow your lawn regularly enough that you aren't leaving behind gigantic piles of clippings in your wake.
I'm not really familiar with brands. I always just used what my parents had on hand. My dad was always too cheap to go self-propelled, though. I guess it didn't seem very practical to him when he could make me do it... Now I am happily at a point in my life where I don't have any lawns to mow... | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/4/2008 8:59:50 PM | Spend the money on a Cub Cadet, a John Deere, or a Lawn Boy.
Get a electric start, mulching, and all the gadgets.
If you but crap, well, you'll have what you have now. Most GOOD mowers have a warrantee. | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/4/2008 10:21:06 PM | Hmm yea, mulching mowers are good and all, but you have to decide on if to get a full time mulcher, (which has no discharge shoot) or one that can be converted back and forth in case you need to use it to catch leaves in the fall. Then you have to decide on a side discharge or rear bagger. Rear baggers are easier to use and hold more clippings, but you will have to ask about the ability to convert to a mulcher and the cost of the kits which don't always come with or sometimes are not even available on some models.
Always make sure you get an aluminum deck, the cheaper mowers may have a metal deck and will rust very easy.
Self propelled is great but make sure you get the most powerful engine you can afford to do the job. Minimum 5 horse, 6 to eight would be better.
Variable speed drives and electric starts are fun, but the more gadgets you add to a mower the more there is to go wrong and the more expensive. Plus this adds to maintenance which most people overlook. Consult the owners manuals and service them according to directions for long service life. If you just have to have an electric start there are models that have both a pull start and an electric start in case the starter motor fails. This is something to consider as these electric starts do often fail.
Stay away from Tecumseh engines, these are a cheap version of Briggs and Straton and usually fall apart much faster. B&G engines generally start on the first pull making electric starters unneccasary. Honda and Kawasaki engines do very well and are usually found on higher end models. Stay away from two cycle engines, these are models that you have to add oil to the gas. These are troublesome and much more difficulty to maintain and start, as well as having bad exhaust fumes and smoke.
Stay with well known name brands and long manufacturer warrenties and you will do fine. Most of the ones mentioned here are fine, but don't cheap out. Buying a cheap lawnmower every few years is acually more expensive than buying a higer end model that may last you ten. | |
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42 4 U
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Joined: 2/18/2008
Msg: 20 | |
| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/4/2008 11:06:45 PM | Ok,heres a great question for a dating site.
You could try craigslist,or the classified section of you're local newspaper.Lots of people seem to be downsizing,and selling things like that at very reasonable prices.If you're old mower is hard to start,maybe get one of you're mechanically inclined friends to tune it up.Also,when you cut you're grass for the last time in the fall,add some fuel conditioner to the gas that remains in the tank.When the mower sits over the winter,the gas dries out in there,and thats not good for it.If you're yard has hills,try pushing the mower perpendicular to the hill instead of up and down the hills.Hope this helps | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/4/2008 11:49:28 PM | alwaysme2
If you want a quality lawn mower that will last a long time but does not cost a lot, I highly suggest you buy a Honda mower. The one I will refer you to is a commercial grade mower and if you take care of it, a Honda commercial grade mower will last you many years. This one has plenty of power to handle a residential lawn with ease and the quality construction that is needed to last much longer then a average mower of the same size. Here is a link for you. You can't go wrong with this mower.
http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/products/modeldetail.aspx?page=modeldetail§ion=P2LM&modelname=HRC216K3HXA&modelid=HRC2163HXA | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/5/2008 6:49:57 AM | | forget the riders, they are for lazy people mostly, though i do agree some, but not most need one for they mau have 3-4 acres or more, i mow an acre with my self propelled lawn boy, the best you can get, it will last forever and very rarely if ever give you any problems, you may pay a bit more for it up front, but for the long haul you get more than your money out of it | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/5/2008 3:10:19 PM | Hmmm, well I am pretty lazy so a riding mower would be perfect! They are a little bit on the expensive side for me right now...but the idea of the goats just may work!!!! I have been wanting to get a pet :)
Thanks to everyone for the advice..I appreciate it! I'm going to research everything that you guys told me about. I wanted to get a new computer, but know I guess I know where my May incentive check is going to! | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/5/2008 4:54:50 PM | how big is your lawn? I got a push reel mower...... one human power(usually fueled by cold beer).... Get a workout every time you cut the grass!!! That is unless you have a few acres to cut..... Then its like a marathon... With the price of gas goin thru the roof I smile everytime I dont have to fill up the gas can.... and it cost 60 bucks brand new.... and I got airmiles.... ha ha ha
http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=1&cat=2,2160&p=51170 | |
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| Question about lawn mowers...
Posted: 5/5/2008 5:02:58 PM | | Sure fire method of getting the old one to start. Assuming it doesn't need a new spark plug. Pull off the spark plug wire. Take out the old plug - you can do it with slip joint pliers. Left to loosen/right to tighten. Take no more than an eye dropper of gasoline and put it down the spark plug socket. Replace plug, tighten and plug back spark plug wire. Will start right up. Always does. | |
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