My secondhand Brute Walmart special is finally on its last legs. After a new rear wheel, magneto, and a couple of carb clean outs it's worn out.

I need a new mower, and I don't know what's good.

Dad told me he likes his Honda from Northern Tool, but Honda quit selling gas mowers in the US.

I was going to get the Toro from Ace, but my grandparents have gone through 2 of those in 5 years.

Looking for gas, self propelled. No other options really necessary.

No electric. I have electric trimmer and blower but the St Augustine and size of the yard rules that out.

I'd like to spend around $500

60" Hustler Raptor XD.
Your welcome,
- The OB


*jk. Sorry, I can't help you with the self-propelled world*

We have a lot of rough terrain on our place and a lot of what I mow is kinda like refined "pasture". Only right around the ranch house is nice yard grass.
So my mower takes a beating. Have been through Toros like throw away toys. The same with the box store brands.
Husqvarna has held up really well and so has the heavier duty John Deere's they sell at the dealerships... not at Lowe's or Home Depot.
My nephew has a landscaping company and he put me on the JD's and Husqvarna.

Do you have to buy new? You can find a nice Honda on FB marketplace for 500. Otherwise just get the best option from Lowe's or HD. Most of them are made by MTD, mostly all the same mowers with different paint. I have a Toro with a Kohler mower that used to be my yard mower but I hacked up and turned into a brush cutter and it won't die - so I'm partial to that. I replaced it on yard duty with a Toro powered by Honda.

I don't "have" to buy new, but I've never had a new mower. I've always pieced together older ones or hand-me-downs. I'd like to finally get a new one so I'll have some time to use it without repairs or random breakdowns, at least for awhile.

cryption said:

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I have a Toro with a Kohler mower that used to be my yard mower but I hacked up and turned into a brush cutter and it won't die - so I'm partial to that.

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What did you do? This sounds like one of those projects I might like to try, if it's not over-the-top dangerous.

I have a fearless buddy who does crazy things and made one with either a chain or a steel cable and I wouldn't get around 5 miles of that thing. He also likes to mess with black powder canons and 3-wheeled motorcycles that he makes himself. Last I checked he was still alive. Damnedest thing, too.

I got a 21" Troy-Bilt self-propelled that is going on 10+ years. It's been used and abused and still runs like a champ. Honestly, may have changed the oil in it once or twice since buying it new.

I have a craftsman self propelled that is on year 5 and starts on the first pull every time. I have been very impressed with the craftsman "commercial grade" trimmer too.

If Honda quit selling gas mowers in the US, then what gas powered Honda did I buy from Home Depot this spring?

They announced it in May

Stick with Honda or Briggs for the engine. That is about the only input I have for you

Honda!! EOT.

I've used an Armando for years. Does a great job, totally maintenance free and gives me tamales for New Years.

Toro makes a Recycler. They also make a "Super Recycler". The super recycler is a lot tougher built. The deck is cast aluminum vs the light weight metal deck of their other mowers. The super recycler also has a 190cc engine. The super recycler grinds the clippings into much finer pieces. Night and day difference between the 2 options. I have a super recycler and enjoy it.

Burdizzo said:

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Stick with Honda or Briggs for the engine. That is about the only input I have for you

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Agreed. Go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy one off the shelf. Riding mowers are different but for push this will be fine.

That's good info. I saw those on the Ace website.

The Rib and the Riblets are at the coast next week so I'll have some time to shop in person.

dahouse said:

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They announced it in May

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Did not know that. Went and read up on it, looks like they will have parts available for the gas mowers at least for a while.

I'm still running the Walmart WeedEater I bought during an internship in 2007. Thought I'd get a year of two from it, but it JUST WON'T DIE!

The company that made it, and several other house brands, sold off to Husqvarna a few years back and they've since discontinued. So in short time parts will be unavailable. But for now, that Briggs fires of first or second pull every time.

Husqvarna with a Honda engine

Electric is GTG. I mow my st aug every 2 wks with Ego on second notch from top. Long and thick, no problem.

My.honda mower sounds like an out of tune diesel. Backfires etc...time to get maintenance done on it.

Toro self propelled are poorly made. I had two at our ranch and the drive mechanisms stripped within a year and wheel bearings are made of plastic. Maybe ok if a pure push mower but then all Toro would make would be the deck and handles.
You can go to Lowe's or Home D. And grab the front or back wheels on a self propelled Toro and they are lose and wobble brand new.

I've got a Honda self propelled here in SA that I've had for at least 20 years. No issues. Air filter and oil changes when needed. It laughs at death.

Also, a Lowe's red $100 push mower that has been down in Flour Bluff that has maintained our yard for 15 years. It has a B&S engine that needs routine tune ups, pull cable replacement, etc. It's surpassed nine lives but still functions as advertised.

Snapper with a Wisconsin Robin 2 cycle engine

I have a 20+ year old Toro 2-cycle commercial with a Suzuki engine. The benefit is a) it runs on the same mixed fuel that my trimmer and blower runs on and b) provides a little extra torque for longer or wet grass. You can't kill that engine if you tried. Finding them in great shape (i.e. looks included) is impossible, but there are some parts still available and finding them in running shape that can be put into working condition to go another 10+ years shouldn't be much of an issue. No oil changes, just use decent gas and oil, tune it up every year, and go.

If you don't want to go that route, you should be able to find a 4-cycle Toro commercial with a Kawasaki engine for about $500-700. It will look a little beat up, but again, these things are easily reconditioned and once you start using them for residential work, they run forever. You might even be able to find one in really good shape that a commercial business is getting rid of because they aren't using any (or many) 21" mowers anymore.

I'd seriously consider going one of these routes over a new, consumer lawn mower that, even taken care of, will only last a few years. The engines on the mowers are fine, albeit they aren't designed to run more than a few hours a week; it is everything else that have a short shelf life, especially when driven hard. The commercial mowers are built to be run 30+ hours a week and all but trashed out. A word of caution: the push mowers (which I recommend for cost purposes) ARE a workout. The self-propelled ones will cost you a bundle. The all-steel decks are heavy compared to the composite decks of the consumer ones.