I need a new lawnmower. Does anyone have any recommendations or opinions on brands? Troy-Bilt, Toro, Cub Cadet, etc? Personal experiences, reviews, etc., are welcome.
It depends on what you plan on doing with the mower. If you plan on just mowing an acre or less of grass and want a lower end but still somewhat reliable mower that will be cheaper, go with the Troy-Bilt. I would not go any cheaper than that, as I have seen many problems with the Bolen's (also put out by MTD). As for a good mediocre mower, the Husqavarna or Cub Cadet are both very reliable, somewhat reasonably priced and will be with you for years. I would compare this to the higher end Craftsman's with Hydro transmissions, as the Troy-Bilt is still gear driven. Then of course if you want top of the line, go to any John Deere specialist, such as Revel's, and buy a nice John Deere. Now mind you, you will pay a lot more for the John Deere and it will be reliable, but everything eventually breaks, and you really need to way your options such as how much your willing to spend vs. the top consumer rated models. Good luck! PS: If you plan on maintaining the mower yourself, make sure you check into things on the mower such as how easy it is to replace belts, blades, oil, filters, and batteries as well as their replacement costs. I know Husqavarna at one time had a spring loaded bar on the top of the deck that you pulled back and released that let all the pressure off the belts and made it super easy to change them. I'm sure other models have similar features but I don't know of any specifics off the top of my head besides this one. Hope this helped!
Actually, when we were struggeling first time home owners, we bought an MTD riding mower from Tractor Supply with the Briggs and Stratton engine. It's still going strong 12 years later, and DH used it as a brush hog when we first moved into this house 7 or 8 years ago.:shock: I think he was trying to kill it so he could get a bigger one. :lol: It's always been kept in a shed though, never outside and he maintains is fairly well. It still looks new. He's not OCD about it, but he takes care of it. On the other hand, an old neighbor of ours bought a later year and had nothing but trouble out of it. Go figure!
Troy-Bilt, MTD, Yard Machines, Yard Man, Bolens are all made by the same company. When I used to sell lawnmowers several years ago, the Troy-Bilt mowers caused the most problems followed by the "automatic" MTD/Yard Machines. Go with a plain MTD/Yard Machine/Bolens/Yard Man...the one without the automatic transmission. It will last for years and years if you keep it maintained. My dad has had really good luck with Murray mowers over the years as well.
That's what died on my Troy-Bilt ... the transmission. Now I'd like to be a little more educated before I buy.
I would check an old Consumer Reports to see which got better marks. I started out with a Murray and I found out that it was made by someone else too. I now have a Craftsman and I'm sure that it is made by someone else, but there is a world of difference.
I'm trying to decide if I really need the self-propelled ... that kind of annoyed me at times. I do want to be able to mulch or bag or use the side discharge ... and I dont like having to mix oil and gas together.
By all means, do not get self-propelled. We bought a Craftsman ten years ago and have never had an issue with it.
I love my Troy Built. Before we had a Craftsman that was a kick butt mower. That thing would do wheelies!
Scott's Riding Lawnmower (Manufactured by John Deer), beat the hell out of it and never had a problem.
I have a Craftsmen from Sears that I bought in 2003. Briggs engine, riding mower. No problems. I added an hour meter so I would know when to change the oil etc, and have about 150 hours. I would recommend Craftsmen for a riding mower or puch mower.
I've got just about an acre of property, but I prefer to use a push mower ... I actually like the exercise and tediousness of going back and forth ... back and forth ... but maybe I'll check out the Craftsman brand.
I think as long as you get one of the major brands you will be fine. I would just recommend that you get something with a Briggs and Staton engine.
