What lawn mowers are considered good enough for residential lawns?

[Freddy_Kruger]

I'm not going to afford one of these, I'm just dipping my toe in the lawn care business and I was planning on just picking up a Toro at HomeDepot then another if I'm so inclined. 21" wb 6.5 hp self propelled... should be good enough to start with eh? I don't wanna spend 4 grand on a space age lawn mower just yet.:confused:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/mowerconsultant/work/DSCF4205trio.jpg

[Trinity Lawn Care, LLC]

I am not going to get on you with the "You should buy commercial". If you only have a few accounts a residential machine should work. However, keep in mind that they are not made for the abuse of heavy commercial use. Most residential machines are made to be used on average once a week 20 - 40 times a year. If you are using it for commercial use you could be putting a year or two wear and tear on the machine in a week. Make sure that you take care of the mower, and as soon as you can you get a commercial mower. You will find it will be more dependable, it will cut down on your time, and even though it costs more it will be more profitable. Hope this helps.:)

[Signature Landscaping1]

Yea, a home depot mower is not going to last, shop around for a used or new 36'' commercial mower. Youll be more sucessful if you buy commercial.

[chriscraft]

Toro makes a great indestructable commercial mower, I use them. they are BEASTS but around 1,100 bucks It will last you near a Lifetime if you take of it check it out. This is a 21 " mower by the way

[chevytrucks84]

For years the company i worked for used a couple of troy built 33" walk behinds. It had a briggs I/C motor on it (i want to say like 8.5hp) and we had great luck. We took care of about 25-30 lawns a week with it. You can pick them up at Menards for about 1000 (around here anyway) or with electric start for slightly more. It is a great mower to get started with until you are on your feet and can afford a ZTR

[LawnBrother]

Everyone (including me) is going to tell you to buy commercial as soon as you can afford it. I do, however have a 01 toro personal pace (residential mower) 21" that has seen about 4 seasons of moderate use, and aside from the handlebars coming loose at the halfway point and having to be reinforced and a few other minor repairs, it has done me pretty well. It gives a great cut in all but the really thick stuff, too. So, if you really cant afford a commercial, I would recommend a Toro PP Super Recycler if you are doing 15 or less lawns a week and it should be fine for a while, and is probably the closest you can get to a commercial 21". The thing to consider is that this mower costs over $500 new. You could have a 21" Toro Proline for around $1000 or so, and it will give a nicer cut, last MUCH longer than a residential mower, and you will be more productive because it is faster than a PP, and it bags better also, if you're into that. You will also have less down time due to repairs. Keep in mind too that for $1500 you should be able to find a decent 36" or 44" commercial WB that you can REALLY mow some grass with. So I say buy what you can afford, then save up and go commercial grade asap, you can still keep your residential for a back-up.

[Freddy_Kruger]

good info, thanks guys.

I'm going to see if I can even find a proline around here, another thing, I don't believe I've ever seen a large 44"wb on residential properties here in winnpeg same with Zero tun equipment, I almost never see that.

But I'm a sucker for gadgets:cool2:

[JTM]

When you guys say a WB what do you mean i appreciate any info

[JTM]

WALK BEHIND sorry thats a new guy for ya i just figured it out sorry for any inconvience

[PMLAWN]

good info, thanks guys.

I'm going to see if I can even find a proline around here, another thing, I don't believe I've ever seen a large 44"wb on residential properties here in winnpeg same with Zero tun equipment, I almost never see that.

But I'm a sucker for gadgets:cool2:

That gives you the opportunity to be King of the Hill. Buy a commercial mower and stand head and shoulders above the rest.

[kingofbling]

Yea, a home depot mower is not going to last,

I was talking to a guy who was cutting my neighbors lawn with a Wal-Mart brand mower (it started with a "M") the other day and he told me he has been using the same (2) brand mowers since 1998, he told me has never changed the oil (just added more). The only things he has done is replace/sharpen the blades. I must admit the only thing i noticed wrong with the mower was the red paint looked faded. Actually had a nice clean cut on the lawn to.

Seeing that makes me doubt what some people say, if a walmart mower can last 8-9 years and still work then why bother spending more money.

By the way the guy said he cut 10-15 lawns a day with those two mowers.

[Madstriper]

Home Depot also sells Honda walk behind mowers, consumer models.
They will last you a year or two if you are 5 small yards a week or so. The one I bought was 399......bags or mulches.........will discharge with a purchase of the extra piece. Folks on here say they wont hold up, especially if its bouncing around on a trailer. I keep mine in the back of a pickup, and have had zero problems. I keep the blades sharp, check fittings to make sure nothing is coming loose, clean the air filter with every use, and change it when necassary, and RUN PREMIUM FUEL! I also turn the gas off and run it out at the end of each day I use it. It has cranked on the first pull every single time I use it, assuming that I turned the gas back on and choke it(choke only the first crank of the day, usually).
So, my suggestion would be to get a Honda, and when you build up enough money and or need for a larger mower, you can still have a good trim/backup mower.

[rfed32]

look around see what u cld get used if not i would at least go with like a good toro or snapper from a commercial lawn mower slaes place it will last lil longer than a home de pot brand....good luck oh yeah i will tell u to buy a commercail trimmer b.c i went thru 3 home depot brands last year and i just went today and bought two new echos from my local shop....good luck with everything

[ArkansasLawns]

If you only have a few yards try a Craftsman with front wheel drive and a Honda motor. The drive might not last a full season but by then you could afford to buy a commercial walk behind. If you have to put it into the shop, go back to sears and the warranty should cover it for the first year. I did this for first two years and still have a couple of craftsman that I use on a few yards because the customers like the grass cut taller than what my HRC216 (Honda) will cut it at.