mower question

[robert fling]

can anyone suggest a good quality smaller mower (21" or so) mower to use where i cant get my scag? i currently have a 21" toro that the carb is shot on. should i fix this and use it or is there a better mower to use for the job? any suggestions would be helpful. thanks in advance.

[GarPA]

well I've always been a Honda HR216 bigot...but the Toro 2 cycle pro model is on my shoppng list...demo it and you'll know why its a good choice...costs about a grand

[robert fling]

for that kind of money i can imagine why it is so good!! i am just starting out, can you suggest anything a little less pricey?

[GarPA]

to be blunt ...no...I used Hondas/Toros on my own properties for many years...and they were only run once a week and still they broke down occasionally...now using them everyday is even more reason to buy the better mower...I have friends who have bought these mowers used and they have been very satisfied...you'll pay about 60% or less of the sticker price and you should get a few years out it

[robert fling]

i think used will be the way i go. i will patch mine until i can pick something up. have you heard anyting about the commercial lawn-boys?

[TOSLC]

Yes, the commercial two stroke Lawn Boys are great. I own three, and one of the determining factors was simply not having to check the oil. With the bigger riders, and walk behinds the employees check the oil. However with a push mower they could care less! If it runs. . . it's got oil!

[GLS]

You might find some info here. (http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25005&highlight=deere)

[summitgroundskeeping]

best bang for the buck I think
Ariens
or
Gravely

I use Ariens and they are great, but I don't use them much (2-3.5) hours/week). If I used my 21" more than that I would upgrade to a Gravely. Check them out online.
ariens (http://www.ariens.com)
http://www.gravely.com

[Mykster]

When I first started I couldn't justify buying a brand new comm. mower. So I kept my eyes open to the local papers and found a JD 21" comm. mower. Paid $300 for it. The thing runs like a raped ape and has got an excellent cut. No problems at all thus far. It's about 5-6yrs. old I believe. Don't plan on ever getting rid of it.

[Wayne Offiler]

In my opinion, it is not worth spending a lot of money on a trim mower that will get little use. Mine gets maybe 1 hours use a week. Fact is, most places my 52" can't get in to can be done with my string trimmer ( its surprising what you can cut with long, sweeping strokes.)
Also, Toro makes a good 21". What is a "shot" carb? Are you mechanical? Maybe it just needs a good cleaning, especially the jets and needle valves; fuel inlets are often the culprit. At worst, a new carb would give you a good mower.

[lawrence stone]

Originally posted by robert fling
can anyone suggest a good quality smaller mower (21" or so) mower to use where i cant get my scag? i currently have a 21" toro that the carb is shot on. should i fix this and use it or is there a better mower to use for the job? any suggestions would be helpful. thanks in advance.

The carb on the 4.5 hp suzuki does wear out from the constant opening and closing of the throttle. A new carb from Toro is about
$60.

[Bill Davis]

The snapper 21's have always been a great mower for me and are the only thing that most smart LCO's in this area use. Have a good one, Bill

[Grasshog]

2 stroke Lawn boy. I bought one two years ago at a yard sale. $25.00. It even came with a bag. I still use it today.
No trouble with it yet. Well it is kinda hard keeping up with it when its running wide open.

[TMlawncare]

We purchased our first lawn boy self-propelled with mag deck and rear bagger about 13 years ago. The first 5 years it was used 5+hrs each day throughout the season. Four years ago we retired it to back-up duty and replaced it with a toro proline bbs w/ suzuki 2 cycle. The lawn boy tends to run forever if your use ashless 2 cycle oil (like opti 2 or lawn boy brand) and keep the filters clean. The toro proline is a little heavy but very dependable and will deliver one of the best cuts in the industry, while bagging or mulching. We will be buying our second one this spring, price, about $925 but will last for a loooong time. Once you start using a unit with bbs it will spoil you, especially while bagging.

[Tim Canavan]

It depends on how much you want (or can) spend and how often you plan on using it. I have both and I can't complain about either. They are both the best mower for the price you're paying. They both bag and mulch great. They will both last a long time as long as you take care of them (take care of the equipment that takes care of you!). The only downfall about a Honda is that it's a little too heavy. But it's a beast. We put alot of hours on the Hondas, but we also have a longer mowing season than you guys up north. Starting out, try the Lawn Boy until you get going. You can probably get a reconditioned one for about $100.00 off at a Home Depot if you have them up there. Don't forget about the Honda when you get bigger.:cool:

[Oldtimer]

I've been using toro 2 stroke mowers since 1985 and they are better than anything else out there. The carb does wear out and must be replaced periodically but a properly maintained engine will run for more than 3000 hours. I have seen many engines wear out 2 decks and still be going strong.

[Bladewielder]

For someone just starting out you need something that won't cost you a fortune (what if you hate the mowing game?) but is reliable and does a good job. For $199 at Home Depot you can get a Yard Machines 21" 6hp push mower that will hold up fine as long as you replace the cheap plastic wheels with steel/rubber ball bearing ones (which can be bought for $5 apiece at a farm supply or home-improvement store). Mine starts every time and it even rolled out of my pickup once at 30 miles an hour. If you mow a lot of flat areas a push is fine. However, if you are fighting bad hills a self-propelled is a better choice. Rear wheel drive go uphill well.

[keifer]

Originally posted by TMlawncare
We purchased our first lawn boy self-propelled with mag deck and rear bagger about 13 years ago. The first 5 years it was used 5+hrs each day throughout the season. Four years ago we retired it to back-up duty and replaced it with a toro proline bbs w/ suzuki 2 cycle. The lawn boy tends to run forever if your use ashless 2 cycle oil (like opti 2 or lawn boy brand) and keep the filters clean. The toro proline is a little heavy but very dependable and will deliver one of the best cuts in the industry, while bagging or mulching. We will be buying our second one this spring, price, about $925 but will last for a loooong time. Once you start using a unit with bbs it will spoil you, especially while bagging. does the bbs hold up my toro dealer said he would not go with it.

[proline32]

I have the Toro super recycler with aluminum deck and the 5.5 gts b&s engine, I got it out of this guys yard where it had been laying for a few years and fixed it up, that sucker cuts like a dream and mulches very well, I have tested out the proline 2 cycle mower and loved it but I will wait till I really need one...... Maybee santa claus will get me one this year. Anyhow, A halfway decent mower for around 450 bucks is a husqvarna SC21R. It's a higher end homeowner mower, I have one of these as well and it works really great during wet days, it cuts and bags grass nicely without clogging up and I like the single height adjustmet for the wheels, I bought it as a back up but have used it frequently. The draw back is that it is slower than my toros are( more for homeowners) but hey, you can't have everything.

[proline32]

Funny, I have never heard a toro dealer say that they would not recommend the BBC, usually they are always touting the BBC as a time saving feature.

[lawnman25]

:) Robert , I understand the just starting out delima . Been there myself. 8 years ago . I found a mower that I use as a trim mower and it bags , mulches , and throws . It is a fairly good machine even though it is not a commercial mower . It has a 6 speed transmission and it seems to be a fairly durable mower for the money . $ 300 to $400 price range . It is Yardman , they are made by MTD . They are not a "Homeowner" mower but a step in between . I have had mine for 3 years with very little trouble . I now own 2 of them . Both have the 6.5 h.p. Briggs Intec and they seem to be very durable . This is my alternative to high priced commercial mowers because I do not use mine heavily every day but just as back ups , and in smaller areas where I cannot get my Big machines in . I hope this is of help to you . By the way , you can purchace these at most hardware stores and Ranch suppy stores so they are easy to aquire.:blob3:

[proline32]

Yea, I had one of those yardmans too.... It was the first mower that I purchased a few years back that was new and it was and is still great, I recently just sold it to a homeowner for $100.00 bucks with some spare blades... That was a real workhorse for a while and a great engine too. I paid around $449.00 for it.

[GLS]

Funny, I have never heard a toro dealer say that they would not recommend the BBC, usually they are always touting the BBC as a time saving feature.
If you are referring to the Blade Brake Clutch, I would highly recommend it. I don't have a toro, I have a deere. It's great for transporting it from place to place, especially if you just want to trim certain locations or go somewhere a bigger mower can't, without cutting the grass on the way. Would you want the blades on your Z to run all the time? I know that's different, but the clutch helps a lot IMO.

[JJOHN22042]

I have Two Craftsman Mowers from Sears Both are used all Summer long. I change the Oil and Air filter and Both cut and run great for the money. Plus the Price is Good if it dies just buy a new one.