21" walkbehinds

[KillerShark]

I haven't seen too much listed on 21" walkbehinds. Surely I'm not the only one that's still using one. I currently own the Honda HRC216 commercial walkbehind... haven't had any trouble with it. Honda is pretty proud of it though, I paid $950 out the door about 5 yrs ago. So what are some of ya'll using?

[Eric ELM]

We have a JD 21" with the Kaw motor that is about 6 years old. It only gets used on a few accounts 1 day a week, the day we do the lawns with in ground swimming pools. It was close to $800 with the bagger and all the extras.

[Scag48]

I have a residential Toro Super Recycler II. It's also my primary mower. It's been a hard worker and it's about 7 years old. I put maybe around 50 hours on it last year and it only broke down once. I would like to get a Honda Commercial 21" but I'm gonna bid a couple large jobs (1 and 2 acre jobs) so I'm not gonna get a 21". Instead, I should hopefully get a 1994 Groundmaster with a 44" (I think that's the year). I think the guy wanted like $1200 for it. I asked this question a while back and some people thought I should go for it. I still like 21" mowers though. ;)

[Stonewall]

I have a 1989 Honda HRA 216 with a 2 speed shaft-drive transmission. Got it when I was driving a 82 Ford Courier in high school and mowing only with the 21". One heck of a mower. I dropped it out of the back of the truck less than a month after I bought it, but it never missed a beat. I think I paid over $800 for it back then. It only gets used once a week though.

[Grassman]

Some old Honda from around 87. Bought it used and barely use it. It starts right up though and is depedable. Don't know why, but I hate using a 21" mower. I'd rather scythe it with the weedeater. Russ

[oneEXMARKfan]

Just picked up 2 yards today and my 48" won't fit through the gate. Was wondering about the choices out there for 21" mowers. Never thought about them costing that much. Will prob. buy my 36" Deere WB back for 200-300.

[Grassman]

oneEXMARKfan, if it's in good shape, jump on it for that price! Russ

[oneEXMARKfan]

It was a good deal, and in good shape when I bought it (used)6 years ago for 400.00 ..used it for 5 years. and sold it last season for 600.00 to a good friend.......fixing to call him, and see if he want's to sell it for 300. or less. (I took excellent care of it while I had it, and he's only put about 30 hours on it. (belt drive....12.5 HP [FB460-V]

[Mowingman]

I run 3 JD 21" with Kaw. Engs. They run 6 days a week. The oldest is 7 years old and still does not use much oil. I think they're great machines.I had a top-of-the-line Honda once, worst mower I ever owned. Used it one season and got rid of it. It had no "guts". In haevy grass it would not mulch worth a darn. Engine would just bog down and die. Two dealers said it was fine and running properly. You couldn't give me a Honda.:(

[lawnman_scott]

If it cant be done with a 32 wb then i dont do it. Yes i am too lazy to walk lol.

[RMDoyon]

Husqvarna 580RSW

This thing is made by Airens and had a B/S Intek 6.5 HP.

I had to use ot on my very first account due to the fact I didn't have a trailer yet for my 48" WB. The lawn hadn't been mowed for two weeks and this thing never missed a beat.

This thing moves up to 4 miles per hour!

A very good mower and my dealer is only 2 miles from my house.

[MOW ED]

I got lucky and got a nearly new Lawnboy 4.5hp 21" mower from a guy who saw me at a hardware store. The mower cost me 200.00 and new they sold close to 500.00. It can side disch, mulch or bag. The 2 cycle was needed for the hills I did back then. I run Amsoil 100:1 in it and it does not smoke at all. 3 speed trans. I really like it, its light with a mag deck and easy to take care of. I use it on 3 properties a week for a total of about an hour.

[RB]

I mow primarily 3,000 sq ft. properties with 21" mowers. I've used all commercial mowers -- toro (hated it - too heavy); honda (used it for five minutes and took it back).

the only 21" commercial I would buy is a Lawnboy w/6.5 2cycle.

[jeffyr]

I have an old Sensation 21 with a flip handle.

[Grassman]

RB, what was wrong with your Honda?

[Brad]

I use Lawnboy 21" for my yards. Started with a push that was about 8-9 years old, that the kids had been using to mow up to 10 yards a week for a few years. Son went off to college and I inherited the lawns. I needed a second mower, so a friend was letting go of a Sears with a 6.5 self-propelled. I hated everything about that mower. Hard to engage/dis-engage the self-propel mechanism, didn't mulch good, didn't discharge hardly at all, the pace was so awkward that my legs killed me at the end of a lawn. Left uncut blades all over, so mainly used the Lawnboy push unit. Took my daughter with me one day, and I was using the Sears and she was using the Lawnboy. Not paying attention, she tried to mow down a 6 inch cast iron pipe. Well, the pipe did crack, but the Lawnboy didn't run quite as well after that. Finally, about 2 weeks later, the connecting rod finally let go. Ended up putting a used engine on that deck, and dumping the Sears and buying a new 6.5 Lawnboy Gold. It's nice, but the cut isn't quite as nice as the old Lawnboys give.

Right now, if I was looking for trim only mower and was using it just a few hours a week, I'd look for a used push Lawnboy in the want-ads, and run it and my other 2-cycle machines on the synthetic oil that's available to save having 3 or 4 different gas containers floating around.

Just my opinion!

Brad

[linky]

I have a lovely murry. It gets used about 20 min. a week.

[crs]

I have a commercial toro two stroke that I like. It is built very well and provides a clean cut for mulching or bagging but only so so for side discharge. I also have a couple of snapper residential mowers that are light weight but have held up extremely well, plus parts are dirt cheap for these machines.

[Mike (MLC)]

I use a JD 21" self propelled with a kaw engine. I got lucky on this mower. About 2 years ago an eldery lady was wanting to get rid of it, claiming it wouldn't work. She had some neighbor's look at it and even brought it to a mower shop to see what was wrong. She said no one could figure it out. So I took it home cleaned it up and replaced the spark plug in it. Since then it has been working great. Can't believe I got it for nothing!!

[Skookum]

I was going to buy a Toro Proline 21" about three years ago until I seen the ground speed on a Snapper. It is a fast little dude. I bought the Snapper after looking at just about everything I could find. The Snapper was about $100 less than the Toro at $625.00. I also liked it better than the Toro for the way it handled switching from bagging to mulching to side disharging by changing at the deck, not at the back or top of the bagger chute. I aslo liked the way the entire back of the bagger opened for dumping.

When I first got it, I was amazed at how much power it had along with the speed and the mulching. It also side discharged very well without messing with the discharge deflector like on most small 21" mowers so they will not windrow. Last Fall I was so unhappy with it and the way it mulched and even bagged, that I was going to go get that Toro this Spring. I talked to the Snapper dealer and he said he wanted to look at it. It had lost 600 RPM's due to a faulty spring problem that the dealer had a tech note about! That was roughly about 18% of it's power. Now, it has been fixed and once again runs like it did new and I have no plans to replace it just yet.

I really dislike the rear wheel drive of any of these mowers. Front drive is ten times easier in tight small places and on hills and slopes. I had three old Craftsmans with front wheel drive that were a breeze to use. In my opinion, this Snapper I have would be just about perfect if it had front wheel drive.

[HOMER]

I run an older Snapper. If I were going to buy a new one and had the money it would be the Metro from Exmark. I saw one the other day and it has some very good features. Oil filter, blade clutch, 3 speed tranny, all for $1100.00 + !!!! I still like it though.

[crs]

Hey , Homer

Go to a Toro commercial dealer and look at thier 21" mowers. It is the same machine if you get the kawasaki engine. Plus it is usaually cheaper at the Toro shop.

If you guys didn't know it Toro bought out Exmark a couple of years back. They got tired of trying to compete with the lazer so they bought the company so they could use everthing but the deck and call it a Toro.

[jason2]

Homer,

I have the Exmark Metro 21. Mine has the 6.5hp Briggs. It doesn't have the BBC(brake blade clutch). It is an option. I really like this machine, plenty of power, the cut is nice. The only thing I don't really care for is the location of the shifter. You have to reach down and change gears at the deck.

Otherwise it's a great machine and a huge step forward over my homeowner Honda.

[Stonewall]

Hey Eric,

Let's see some of those 21" stripes.:D

[David Gretzmier]

I love my toro pro line 2cycle 21". It has self propelled and 3 speeds, and the top is plenty fast. The thing is bulletproof, and has a posi-trac type transmission. Idont like the limited slip on snappers. Dave g

[summitgroundskeeping]

We run 2 Ariens 21" timming mowers. I got mine tricked, they move as fast almost as my walk behind. Can't bust them and I put them through he!!