What 21 " mower do you guys use

[dogdad]

I have been using the Honda 216 hydro mower for several years, but seem to be dissatisfied with my latest one (about 1 1/2 years old) . I really enjoy the hydro transmission, but the mower seems to be not like the earlier models. I also have a Gravely Pro 50 Hydro walk behind and a new Hustler Z also. What do you guys and gals use out there or what do you recomend for a 21' self propelled mower that bags and mulches. Thanks for any opinions

[stslawncare]

for starters do a search! to answer ur question i have a 22" craftsman mower self propelled, high wheel, mulcher/bagger. its about 3 years old, has gone through a lot, and all i have had done was a tuneup this past month and one oil change prior. thats not counting the blade maintenance. has a really good cut, easy to use, starts first pull, btw its a 6.5 hp. got it for $350.

[BOTURF]

ihave 3 ariens right now and getting ready to buy a honda commercial 21 in cut

[Scraper]

Scottie...chill out dude.

Dogdad...I have been using the same MTD for the past 6 years. Only sees gated pools. I don't see the sense in paying a lot of money for a piece of equipment that isn't going to be utilized that often.

[longslawn]

John Deere commerical 21". Have 2 and both are excellent mowers. A little pricey though.

[AltaLawnCare]

I'm not gonna play Lawn Site Cop!!!:D


I bought a used LawnBoy 4.5 two stroke. It suits me great for no more than I use it.
;)

[kutnkru]

Sensation 21" with the metal mesh catcher. 3.5hp briggs that screams all day long when the others out there wont work at all. ;)

Kris

[stslawncare]

not trying to be ls cop, great question and its been a while since asked however i feel its important to remind new comers about search feature, i did answer his question however didnt i? i myself have a question on this topic, what do u guys think about the new john deeres with caster wheels?

[Cutter1]

4 toro proline 4.5 hp suzuki. Run till you drop!! They can take a beating and keep going. I would not buy anything else. A little pric, but in my opinion worth every cent.

[kutnkru]

Originally posted by stslawncare
... what do u guys think about the new john deeres with caster wheels? I think they are following Cub and White who are following Snapper who followed Ariens.

These units are nice to have around if there is alot of tight, contoured landscaped areas to get between and around. If its hillsides your concerned with -FORGET IT!!!

Hope this helps. :)
Kris

[stslawncare]

i believe the wheels lock also for such an instance?

[65hoss]

21" what? Don't carry one. Anywhere I can get a 21" I can get the 36". No need to slow down.

I have a Honda 21" bought in the early 80's that still cranks on the 1st pull. I used it as a kid getting started. I think I used it 1 time all year.

[Davis TLC]

5 year old John Deere 21" commercial mower. I don't use it too much just around a couple pools.

[dhicks]

I have a 21 inch Cub SC621. I like it. It bags and mulches real nice. Also, the cutting height can go up to 5" or is that 6"? Anyway, nice mover for $450.00.

[GreenQuest Lawn]

21" MTD 3.5hp

Bought on the side of the road for $35.00

If it lasts one yr I will just buy anouther.

[keifer]

I have a honda 216 but looking at the deerewith the casters. I use the honda about 2 hours a day and runs great but can't mulch as good as a crapsman i had many moons ago plus the bagger is kinda small.

[edward hedrick]

20" Kawaski. its a MTD mulch mower repowered w a 5hp Kawasaki. works for two lawns don't need to bag.

[wolfpacklawn]

I use Toro commercial 2 cycles. Around here they cost about $1100. Very good machines that last forever and can really take a beating. I agree with 65hoss though; a 36 makes much more sense for almost every case.

[bubble boy]

wow, $1100? up here i pay 1195 Cdn.

is that the 3 speed w/ suzuki?

[TGCummings]

I have 2 21" Toro Proline Recyclers that cost me about $2000 total. I bought 'em when I decided to make the switch to 100% mulching.

A year later (give or take) I bought a 36" Exmark Turf Tracer HP with Micro-Mulch kit and have become a little disappointed to find out my $1000 mower mulches far better than my $4000 mower. With the Toro 21s, you'd be hard-pressed to find a trace of grass. Absolutely no different than bagging. With the 36", grass is left caked up on turns or when having to back up.

For mulching purposes, Toro Recyclers are unbeatable, IMO.

[kutnkru]

I dont think that I could use $1100 worth of MTDs in a career for a trim mower -LOL!!!

I guess that why eXmark has put their bag on the toro homeowner so that LMO will buy them for $600 instead of an MTD every other year at $200. Personally I like the option of a new set of tires for $20 bucks each season, and Im off an running. Throw in an oil change for my Sensation a season and I could continue to runn like this for 44 years before I spent $1100 -thats assuming the motor will run that long. :D

I just dont see spending sooo much cashflow to have a unit that sits mostly on the trailer or in the shop. I too agree with Hoss that if you can cut it with a 21 you can definitely cut it with a 36 (usually). I keep the 21 for small fenced in areas that are just too small to turn the 36 around in -LOL!!!

Kris

[TLS]

Lawnboy staggered wheel Commercial push. Not used all that much, but will last forever. Now I just gotta find that oil drain plug, and nobody seems to stock oil filters either!

[TGCummings]

Kris,

Unfortunately, it's the $4000 36" mower that too often sits on my trailer while my $1000 Toro push makes the money... ;)

[Cutter1]

I got two left over brand new toro prolines with the 4.5 hp suzuki in the spring for $700 each. This guy sells them out of his house and obviously sells them a lot cheaper than my dealer. My dealer wanted $950 for the 4.5 which they are no longer making. He wants $1100 for the new 5.5 hp suzuki, which is ridiculous for a 21.

[TLS]

WOW! $1100 big ones??? For a 21" mower? For that price they ought to cut by themselves! I thought $399 was a lot in 1987 and they only went up to $599 in 1998. Not that bad. Lets see those MTD's last 14 years~! BTW both still start on first pull! The old one doesn't even have a primer!

[Scraper]

TLS...the only thing about the MTD is is that I got it for $100 it might cut an acre a season and it is still going strong after 5 years. So even if it dies this year I spend only $300 in push mowers every 15 years. :) Yes...mine still starts on first pull too. ;)

[kutnkru]

TGC
Back in the late 80s when I attended HS near Stockton I remember the lot sizes were not very large for the most part, and it seemed that you could not find a non-gated backyard -LOL!!!

Have you considered a 32" model. This might help you get thru the thousands of gates your clients possess and save your legs all that pushing (well at least the extra walking). ;)

Has the Gilroy Garlic Fest already passed??? I couldnt remember if that was a fall or springtime event.

Kris

[TGCummings]

Kris,

The Garlic Festival passed in mid-summer. :) It's one of those things where I've been living 20 minutes from it for 30 years and have yet to attend one. Funny how these things work... ;)

You're absolutely dead-on about the area. If I could go back in time a year and a half, I would've purchased a 32" instead of a 36". Much, much less money. Easier to get through the gates and if it turned out I still used my 21" mowers more, it wouldn't be such a kick in the pants for the (mostly) wasted investment. Live and learn. ;)

[eslawns]

I use an Ariens with swivel front wheels. I had a Toro 3 speed: crawl, slow, and run. The Ariens is infinitely variable and the swivel wheels make using it effortless. It has 3 aggravating design flaws, but once you know how to get around them, it is the best 21" mower I ever used by far.

I also have a Murray rear bagger that I have had since before I started my biz. The S/P system is awful, and the handle is flimsy, but it does an awesome job of picking up leaves.

[TotalLawn]

I have an Ariens 21" w/ caster wheels. Very easy to use & sometimes I feel like I am RUNNING behind it.

I have the 32" Toro that I use whenever possible. Sometimes it just can't be done.:(

[JimLewis]

You can save money and use whatever you want. And some other lawn mowers definitely are lighter. But Honda HRC 216 Hydrostatics are the best of the best. That's all we use. And we use the $**t out of them.:cool: (e.g. 20-25 lawns per day 5 days per week) Nothing else withstands that kind of abuse.

[casey]

Originally posted by jimlewis
But Honda HRC 216 Hydrostatics are the best of the best. That's all we use. And we use the $**t out of them.:cool: (e.g. 20-25 lawns per day 5 days per week) Nothing else withstands that kind of abuse. ]\

Same deal with the Lawnboy comms. Wish I had put an hour meter on some of our older units. Plus you can effectively side discharge & lift a LB which you cannot do with the Honda hydro.

[kutnkru]

Originally posted by frog
... & lift a LB which you cannot do with the Honda hydro. EAT YOUR WHEATIES SON!!!
I pulled em off and put em on a truck all summer two seasons ago -LOL!!! Cripes even the smaller amigos could do that -LOL!!!

[casey]

Originally posted by kutnkru
EAT YOUR WHEATIES SON!!!
I pulled em off and put em on a truck all summer two seasons ago -LOL!!!

The Honda commercial hydro weighs in at 126 pounds vs 60 some odd pounds for the LB com. I assume you are referring to a gear or homeowner version.

[TGCummings]

Jim,

Are those Hondas a bagging mower? I use my Toros because I haven't found a mower to last or mulch better. ;)

[Sammy]

Honda.:cool:

[jdjoe_97]

Hey guys. I use Lawnboy Silver Series with the 6.5 hp Duraforce 2 cycle engine. I have three of them and they are minature bush hogs on four wheels. The power is unbeleive able and have had no maintance issues at all. They cost about $360 for the self propeled model, only complaint is the speed is a tad slow but nice when its 95 out. Joe