Want a simple yet tough push mower. Who makes one?

[pen]

I bought a good lawnboy insight in 2007 that has pooped the bed. Leaking oil from the breather, transmission went, new belt. Cost to repair is going to be about 125 if I buy the parts and do myself. I'm not going to however because the engine has had a knock under heavy load and on shut down for about a year (since before it started leaking oil, it's never been run low). Considering all of this I really hate to invest any money back into something that I'm unsure of.

Here's the situation, I LOVE this mower but won't consider buying another with the problems I've had in just 3.5 seasons of mowing. (also had to take it in for warranty work end of the first year on transmission)

What I really want is simple. Light aluminum deck, adjustable wheels, good tires (w/ bearing or grease fittings preferably) honda engine, no self propel, mulch or shoot, none of the bagger bull.

When I was a kid I rebuilt an engine on an old aluminum deck mower and it was awesome. Weighed next to nothing and there was no need for self propelled bs because that thing was so darn light. Also, being aluminum that deck never could rust. Just a great mower. Points froze and old man threw it in the dumpster when I was in college or I'd still be trying to run that thing.

My lawn is not flat but it's not too bad of a grade either and it takes right about an hour to mow. I know w/ a light enough mower I can go w/out self propelled but all the light mowers I am finding are junk.

Who's making a quality no thrills push mower?

This one looks OK but weighs 73lbs! http://www.amazon.com/Toro-Super-Re...2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1306756275&sr=8-2

At 55 lbs this isn't bad but a steel deck http://www.amazon.com/Husqvarna-702...1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1306756855&sr=1-1

Right now this last one is the front runner unless you guys know of other companies out there I can compare to.

pen

 

[mayhem]

About 6 years ago my old $99 20" mower died on me, so I went to Sears and grabbed a used Craftsman 21" mower. I think it was $150-175. Its got a honda motor on it, still starts on the first pull after sitting all winter outside, under a wheelbarrow every year. I do the oil every spring, plug every other and vacuum the air filter with the shop vac. Its light, mulches, has a rear bagger if I need it and is always ready to go...no self propelled nonsense to break on me. Looking at your links, I think my mower is almost the exact same one as that Husky in your second link...except mine has 4 identically sized wheels...probably the predecessor model. The motor is great, but I can't fathom spending $300 on a lawn mower I can't ride on...thats just me though, mr. cheap.

This is a great time of year to hit your local Sears and see what floor models thay have...I've had excellent luck with their clearance OPE, its all stuff that someone took home and for whatever reason decided to return. They clean it up, discount the crap out of it and give you the full warranty, so in my opinion you cna rarely go wrong.

No way I'm even considering that Toro...not uless it goes on 60% off sale.

My yard is far from flat, takes me about 2.5-3 hours to mow it start to finish...one tank of gas really.

I don't intentionally abuse my equipment, but the stuff does live a hard life. I have no shed or garage to store it in and I don;t have enough room in the basement to store it all unless I'm working on it, so the stuff stay outside in all weather, usually I toos a wheelbarrow or a trap over it, but thats about it. Very little has ever been needed in the way of repairs on any of my stuff...it usually wears out to the point of being irreparable rather than needing any real repair work. I've never owned a piece of OPE that has ever, ever had a bit of warranty work done to it...this stuff seems more or less dead reliable, even the cheap stuff.

 

[semipro]

I don't think there's anything out there like that. What you want sounds one I put together back in the 90s. I took a Lawnboy chassis (lightweight magnesium or aluminum, no frills) and mounted a 4 stroke engine to it with an adapter plate I built.

I hate 2-strokes and the pollution and smell they create (the Lawnboy was a 2-stroke). I wonder if you could do something similar and use a Honda engine? Honda makes great stuff. Their engines are a cut above.

Edit: Oh yeah; on the frankenmower I mention above I drilled passages in the wheel bolts to allow wheel lubrication via grease fittings.

 

[pen]

I don't think there's anything out there like that. What you want sounds one I put together back in the 90s. I took a Lawnboy chassis (lightweight magnesium or aluminum, no frills) and mounted a 4 stroke engine to it with an adapter plate I built.

I hate 2-strokes and the pollution and smell they create (the Lawnboy was a 2-stroke). I wonder if you could do something similar and use a Honda engine? Honda makes great stuff. Their engines are a cut above.

Edit: Oh yeah; on the frankenmower I mention above I drilled passages in the wheel bolts to allow wheel lubrication via grease fittings.

I hear you there. I was really ragging on my old man this weekend for throwing that old aluminum deck mower of mine out. I coulda found a used engine for it for next to nothing. Oh well.

While I don't mind spending money on things I hate spending money on things that are going to wear out. I'll put 400 down on one if it will actually last and not give me fits.

pen

 

[Hogwildz]

Buy an older used mower for $25 bucks or so, and worst case, pull the carb apart, clean it good , and you should have a decent running decently built mower.
Everything today is throw away.

 

[tw40x81]

12 years ago I bought a cheap MTD mower with a Techumseh engine with a fixed carb from Walmart. Before using it the first time I sprayed the underneath with undercoating. I run synthetic oil, change it every year, keep the air filter clean and it still working like new. I did break the handle a few years ago though.

 

[CJ-SR4ever]

I have a simple Briggs and Stratton that has lasted many years. Preventative maintnence is the key.

 

[woodsman23]

I have a 12amp electric and have never looked back. I use it around the house area and ride the rest. Works great and no dam gas! oil, smell, pull, filters,

 

[bogydave]

"Who’s making a quality no thrills push mower?"

Very good question. If you find one let us know.
Had a fancy expensive toro, it broke after a year.

Now I by in the fall, on sale, cheapest one available, use it till I can't make it run. (usually get 3 to 4 years out of one). Also am always looking at garage sales.
Use them for my trimming, small brush, rock finder & landscaping mower where the rider won't go.

 

[Mt Ski Bum]

http://www.lowes.com/pl_John+Deere_4294965567__s?Ntt=gas+push+mowers

John Deere makes some high quality mowers... I'd bet one of these bad boys could last a lifetime. Kinda pricey though, but then again nothing runs like a deere!

 

[JonOfSunderland]

Get a Toro 21" aluminum deck mower from the early 80's to late 90's. Lightweight, bulletproof. The chassis remained nearly unchanged for 20 years. Stay away from the Tecumseh engines. The Suzuki 4 stroke or any Briggs are good engines.

 

[pen]

Thanks guys. I looked through the used ones at a local shop and none of them were aluminum deck except the lawnboys and I don't really want a 2stroke (too much stink) even though they work well.

I'm buying this one http://www.amazon.com/Husqvarna-702...1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1306756855&sr=1-1 The husky 7021p W/ Honda engine, good wheels. Only thing is that steel deck. The guy in town will sell it for 279 and is great w/ warranty if there were a problem. Being very simple I hope it isn't an issue.

I looked at the John Deere ones but I wasn't impressed w/ any that weren't self propelled. Even then all they had was steel decks. My dad has an old john deere w/ an aluminum deck but it's about 1/2 in thick (or more) and heavy as hell, and hard to push w/ small wheels. But the thing is bullet proof.

The least impressed w/ any good named mowers I looked at was Cub Cadet. They had plastic wing nuts to be used for adjusting wheel height and to take the side shute one and off. One brush against a pole and they would be done for. A no name engine on them to boot.

Hope this works out better than the lawnboy I just killed.

Thanks guys.

pen

 

[festerw]

How about slapping a different engine on it. Harbor Freight has some cheap knock off Honda engines on sale frequently that get good reviews.

 

[BrotherBart]

Best thing I ever did was buy a 36" commercial walk behind at a landscaper's bankruptcy auction. The 54" deck that came with my Husqvarna tractor was just too wide for the uneven terrain on this place. Paid $125 for the mower and put a twenty dollar kit in the carb four years ago. The deck is 1/4" steel and will rust out somewhere around ten years after I am fertilizing flowers.

 

[kettensäge]

I bought a Sears at the end of the season about 7 yrs. ago 6.5 briggs. rear bag or mulch. Happy with it, but I can only buy a blade locally at Sears. Normal hardware store blades don't fit.

Hope the new Husky works well. Looks good!

 

[fishingpol]

Anybody remember the Flymo hovering electric lawnmower? Back in the 70's I think. They were as safe as Lawn Jarts.

 

[woodsman23]

www.flymo.at/node2417.aspx?nid=16702

 

[pen]

Anybody remember the Flymo hovering electric lawnmower? Back in the 70's I think. They were as safe as Lawn Jarts.

They still sell something like it. Reviews are not good.

http://www.amazon.com/Allen-XR16-16...2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1307057126&sr=8-2

pen

 

[fishingpol]

Just having fun with the Flymo comment. One of my first mowers I had purchased from an old gentleman who had a few at the end of his driveway. After a few weeks I noticed that the engine and deck were from two different mowers. It was lightweight, minimal wheel adjustment, no drive or mulcher. Just a plain mower. It worked great for a few years until I bought a Toro recycler which is great for shredding leaves and grass clippings. It still starts on the first pull and I have had it several years now. They had a basic model at Home Depot tonight no front wheel drive.

 

[heat seeker]

Anybody remember the Flymo hovering electric lawnmower? Back in the 70's I think. They were as safe as Lawn Jarts.

Maybe if they put a Nerf blade on it….

 

[CJ-SR4ever]

Cuts your lawn in seconds flat, that is if you can keep up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJNYCN1SHtw&feature=player_embedded

 

[btuser]

I bought a used commercial walk behind about 9 years ago and its as good as the day I bought it. I cut about 1/2 acre a week. A little overkill for the yard but I do not like mowing. I'm starting to wonder if the chemicals we dump on our lawn is causing the accelerated deterioration of the decks. Fertilizer was non-existant at my house growing up. My dad bought a cheap lawnmower and it lasted him 20 years. Of course, it wasn't really a lawn, but don't mention that to him.

 

[pen]

Just brought the husky home last night. Initial impressions are good. My yard has nice grass but it is pretty rough because of the annual stampede my neighbors cows go on when they get a March itch and break the fence making my yard look like a green moonscape for a bit. I just hope the wheels will hold up to it as big as they are. They sure do roll nice having bearings. The honda engine started right up and runs quieter than my old one. After a couple hours of easy use we'll see how much a$$ it has when I start mulching like normal. The chute opening is nice and large and should not clump things badly.

The deck is a little thinner than I'd like but I like how light it is.

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

pen

 

[Stegman]

If you're still looking, I picked up a tasty little Husqvarna push mower with a Honda engine at Bailey's last fall. It was $279 with free delivery. Thing has been fantastic. The Honda motor is what sold me as I've had problems recently with B&S engines.

 

[pen]

Now that I've used the husky for a few months I like it but it doesn't mow as well as the lawnboy I had. Either it's the deck design or the blade but for whatever reason the husky doesn't mulch as well as the lawnboy did. This does has a lot more power which is great. Overall, I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars if I were rating it.

pen