Lawn mowers

[Greenman]

Is there any point to looking at anything other than a Honda? I'm thinking about an electric start model (the wife is getting up there in years, wouldn't want the old girl to throw out a shoulder).

I have a craftsmen that's around 12 years old, it's a bastard model that was sold at Orchard Supply, and getting parts is a pain in the ass because no one on earth has ever heard of the model number.

 

[herm0016]

Nope. Just go buy the Honda. Its just easier that way. And not the cheapest one.

 

[Greenman]

Nope. Just go buy the Honda. Its just easier that way. And not the cheapest one.

Looks like $600 is the price. Not all that bad for rear wheel drive and electric start.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

I'm not a good steward of my home by any means. I haven't done yard work since 2008. But from 2001-2008 I used a Honda lawnmower and I barely took care of it. It sat in my garage from 2008 until late 2013 when I needed to clean out the garage for a new car. I gave it away and the guy managed to start it right there and then after sitting for five years.

Buy the Honda.

 

[Greenman]

I'm not a good steward of my home by any means. I haven't done yard work since 2008. But from 2001-2008 I used a Honda lawnmower and I barely took care of it. It sat in my garage from 2008 until late 2013 when I needed to clean out the garage for a new car. I gave it away and the guy managed to start it right there and then after sitting for five years.

Buy the Honda.

I hear ya.
I was serious with that comment about the wife mowing the lawn, she does it. It's a small lawn in the back yard. I used to do the yard work, until I got sick of looking at dead grass because of the drought we were having. I ripped out everything in my front yard and put in drought resistant shrubs and a drip system. Now all I have to do is blow the leaves that fall of the enormous oak tree a few times in the fall.

 

[herm0016]

i mean, if its that small i would go battery electric. no starter, no gas, no oil. i really liked my black and decker electrics when i had a 1/4 acre. the lead acid battery types. I have heard good things about the harbor freight atlas mower. its like 200 bucks.

 

[bigi]

Don't get gasoline one. I've seen more and more EV EGO units in my neighborhood. Yes, I have a 6 year old unit as well.

The new ones make hardly any noise, work fine and are pleasure to use.

 

[BoomerD]

Nope. Just go buy the Honda. Its just easier that way. And not the cheapest one.

Even the mid- grade Honda mowers are superior to almost any other home mower.

I'm not a good steward of my home by any means. I haven't done yard work since 2008. But from 2001-2008 I used a Honda lawnmower and I barely took care of it. It sat in my garage from 2008 until late 2013 when I needed to clean out the garage for a new car. I gave it away and the guy managed to start it right there and then after sitting for five years.

Buy the Honda.

I bought a Honda mower at Home Depot in 2010. Used it until we moved out of CA in 2012. I put it into "storage mode," (drained the gasoline, changed the oil, fogged the engine) and put it away. I'd give the starter rope a pull a couple of times a year...if I thought about it, but didn't start it again until 2019.
Put gas in it...started in the second pull. Ran it for about 30 minutes, changed the oil. Still starts on the first or second pull.

 

[iRONic]

i mean, if its that small i would go battery electric. no starter, no gas, no oil. i really liked my black and decker electrics when i had a 1/4 acre. the lead acid battery types. I have heard good things about the harbor freight atlas mower. its like 200 bucks.

Don't get gasoline one. I've seen more and more EV EGO units in my neighborhood. Yes, I have a 6 year old unit as well.

The new ones make hardly any noise, work fine and are pleasure to use.

Two winners!

Electric is the way to go. Get one from a manufacturer that has a leaf blower in their line. Bonus to get those oak droppings...

 

[Greenman]

I considered electric, but the plan is to move in two to three years. While I don't have the new place lined up yet, the goal is to have at least half an acre, with one acre being ideal (maybe two or three, I might need a goat and a horse or two). We're looking at a small community in the South, and compared to California, houses are cheap, and land is pretty much free.

Edit: Corrected most of the obvious spelling errors and missing words.

 

[Micrornd]

Lawn service FTW
1/2 acre, twice a month including edging $800 yearly.
Your in the "business", negotiate

 

[Torn Mind]

All new lawn mowers are neglect sensitive due to the design in which fuel will be forever soaking the insides of the carburetor. The vintage Briggs design was better in that regard, in which a neglected tank only has to be drained out and the holes in the carb were much larger.

I did obtain a very expensive Honda mower tossed out via Craigslist(three or four, actually), and the best one is also very heavy. If it's flat land, it won't make too much difference if it comes with self-propel, but Cali's landscape varies a bit.

 

[Greenman]

Lawn service FTW
1/2 acre, twice a month including edging $800 yearly.
Your in the "business", negotiate

The little woman does it for free, and makes me dinner afterword's. That's negotiating.

 

[herm0016]

You will want a zero turn for that anyway. Just get a chepo to get you by.

I picked up a toro zero turn and can do my acre in 1/3 the time vs my garden tractor. And I have my utility tractor with loader for snow and larger jobs.

Sell the garden tractor in the spring.

 

[Greenman]

I'm half way looking forward to having a large enough piece of land to need a backhoe. Or maybe a bobcat and a mini excavator, I could go either way.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Lawn service FTW
1/2 acre, twice a month including edging $800 yearly.
Your in the "business", negotiate

This is what I've been doing since 2008 when I was forced to move to working days. I told the wife it was a lawn service or a riding mower for her--she opted for the service. But down here in Atlanta with Bermuda-grass two thirds of the year it needs to be cut about once every five days or it looks like tall grass and that will quickly set off the HOA. So it is cut weekly 3/4 of the year and 1-2 times a month for the so called winter (ahem, second summer) months. I think we pay about $1600/year but that is because most of the illegal labor has been forced out from the small commercial and residential lawn care businesses.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Honda engines still have their issues, but the definitely seem to be dependable. I have one that lasted 8 years before it developed a timing issue. I couldn't easily figure out what was wrong, so I'm thinking it's not worth fixing based on age.

Most common issues are carb gunk. Use approved fuel treatment every now and then to clean out the corn syrup.

 

[Greenman]

I actually fixed my old craftsmen. Ordered parts off Amazon by eyeballing them. The Chinese knockoffs are so cheap that getting it wrong once or twice doesn't really matter. As it happens, I guessed right on the three I needed. Cost me 35 bucks and the damn thing will probably run for another 12 years.

 

[mindless1]

The Craftsman may have been made by MTD, so this could open up other brands they made and model #s to search for parts. Also some parts may be common to many if not every mower with same engine, so you'd look at the engine manufacturer manual for parts lists.

 

[Torn Mind]

The Craftsman may have been made by MTD, so this could open up other brands they made and model #s to search for parts. Also some parts may be common to many if not every mower with same engine, so you'd look at the engine manufacturer manual for parts lists.

The main things that vary are the throttle pull cables, the carb/governor assemblies, and how the covers and oil tube are attached on those Briggs flatheads.