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Any recommendations for a sturdy, hard core, push lawn mower?

I really like the Snapper lawn mower (w/ 6 forward speeds). My last one lasted 18 years. Had to finally replace it 2 years ago. You can get it with a 'Briggs and Stratton' engine OR with a 'Honda' engine. A Snapper with a Honda engine is about $100 more. B & S engine is fine for my taste though. 6 hp and very realiable (cheaper on parts when you do need parts).

If you've got a fair amount of meadow to mow, you can't beat a good sickle-bar mower as a walk-behind. I like the Troy-bilt model:



This thing will eat brush and heavy grass without bogging down.

I don't know if the emissions standards for lawn mowers have changed, but I read a statistic that gas lawn mowers were a surprisingly large source of air pollution. Have you even considered an electric one?

MA

And are good for the environment and you'll get exercise too.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 4379195618



You can find many that still work after over 50 years.
Like these

My family has a manual lawnmower like shown above, and it has been great. We live in the city and have a small backyard, so we don't need much in the way of power. I can definately see that this kind would not be enough for someone with a very large lawn. Different mowers for different needs, just like tubas!

RyanSchultz wrote:Any recommendations for a sturdy, hard core, push lawn mower?

If you're looking for push (non-self propelled), Lowe's and Home Depot normally stock a 6.5hp unit that is a three-way (mulch, side discharge, and bag). The Lowe's brand (Troy-Bilt) is better and about $10 cheaper at around $180.

With 6.5hp, you will rarely bog down and at $180, they are nearly disposable with about a 5 year life, the way I see it.

I used a reel mower for 4 years at my townhouse. Works great as long as you get the blades sharpened every now and then and don't let the grass grow too high. But, of course, for a large lawn that would never do.

Now, I have a Craftsman with a Honda engine. It works fine for me.

Stefan

the elephant wrote:Those manual push mowers are actually called "reel mowers" and I use this one every two weeks:

Behold, the Scott Classic reel mower!!

Memory failedd me at the time, so I included a picture.

My mower died Monday. Probably won't be cheap top fix. 19.5 HP B&S twin.
I looked uop some parts, and need to take it apart and see what's broke.

Might get the boy/wife working with a reel though. The both need the exercise.
Sure, it'll take them a week to finish the yard. But that's just in time to start over:)

the elephant wrote: image

Thanks for the image too. I found another image there that is something I was thinking about making from old reel mowers.


Looks like it'd still be cheaper to make my own though...

Thanks everybody. 'good advice and good laughs too.

Here in the Southeast,we spend six months a year battling an encroaching
jungle.I have a Toro push mower-5 hp,a Toro string trimmer,electric hedge clippers and a 20 hp (Kholer engine) Husqvarna riding mower.I really don't need the Husqvarna but I wanted it.My grandson and I tour the neighborhood on it.

TubaTinker wrote:

Not a bad idea...I'd love to have goats some day. They are supposed to do a great job on the grass, unlike sheep who pull it up by the roots.

Someone I know who grew up on a "gentleman's farm" had goats that would go places in the car with them just like the family dog. Another person I knew who had the same kind of farm had goats that were also like dogs....they followed you around and wanted you to pat them and stuff.

MA, who likes goat milk WAY better than cow milk

I've got friends who keep their yard tidy with pygmy goats--and there's a "rent a goat" operation out here. I've been tempted, but I'm afraid that the dogs might not like the attention that the goats would get.

But goats will eat just about anything that's lower than their eye level, including poison oak, blackberry bushes, fir seedlings...