I am still running my 1980 model YardMan purchased new for $3000. In all fairness, it is really a hydrostatic drive garden tractor with a 50 inch 3 blade belly slung mowing deck. Finally had to re-build the engine last season after rear main seal was taken out by a stiff u-joint in the hydraulic pump drive shaft. MTD wanted $300 for the replacement shaft, but I fabricated one with 4 new yokes, u-joints and a 3/4 cold rolled steel shaft and all for under $100 in parts/labor (machine shop)and I can grease this one. Engine rebuild (Briggs 18HP 2 cyl opposed) was another $300 to bore 20 over and parts.
Yard Man still makes a similar model (all steel) but most of the new ones are a bunch of plastic junk.
Dialtone

 

Regardless of what you think about the Japanese, racial epithets are not appropriate. I hope not to see anymore in this thread.

 

I've noticed also the quality on the John Deeres is going south. I have a 325 tractor that will never make it to the ripe old age my Cub did. Whatever brand you do decide to go with it's best to buy from a shop where parts are available. Big box stores generally only sell and don't repair. Hey after all they all break sometime.

 

I like the self-propelled's with the caster front wheels, easy turning. White makes one. As long as it doesnt have a Techumsa engine. My push mower is not self propelled.....could use the exercise. My riding mower is a white, I do like that. The best I had was a MTD with the 2 cylinder Briggs & Stratton. That thing was awsome.

 

1234567890

 

Over the last two days I've rented a power rake and an aerator, both powered by Honda engines. These machines were one year old, at the most. Sure, both started on the first pull and ran good, but...............I was less than impressed by the Honda engine on the aerator. Blowing blue smoke at startup on such a new engine is not to impressive, as was the low oil level. I returned it and didn't say a word. Hopefully it blows up and Honduh can replace it under warranty .

 

If it is a push mower you are looking for, I would buy the cheapest possible. The hondas are nice, but pricey. For what you are using it for (weekly use during the growing season) I think anything with a briggs is fine. I bought a commercial use lawnboy for my landscape biz and would never do that again.

 

TORO is the way to go, I've had them all and I like Toro is the best.

 

I agree with toro is the way to go. Just bought one, love it. steel deck, personal pace, starts first pull (guarneteed for 2 years) and i'm sure it will for a long time too. This one has rear back, atomic mulching blade, and a side discharge included. If you got the cash, and want to shove out 500 for a lawnmower, you can get a toro personal pace, rear bag, 5 year guarentee on the first or second pull start thing and the deck (aluminum), mulching capabilities out of the box, I think toro and lawnboy are made by MTD *I THINK, possibly wrong though. But the lawnboy's are starting to get the tecumseh engines (4cycle) that are the exact same as the toro's. I bought a craftsman mower in about 2000, and the front wheel's are allready tilting in, so are the back ones. Dont let this bother you though, cause i mow like 6 lawns in the summer, which means that that mower had alot more use than a single homeowner mower. If you are going to do alot of mowing, i'd go with toro, these things will last you pretty good.

 

I do lawn care for a about 24 folks and I use John Deer 112 yea its old as heck and it looks like been resurrected from the dead it has gone though two mowing decks since I have own the tractor and 2qts of oil a day. And it do,es not owe me a cent like my other junk I have had. So take it for what it is worth and buy a John Deer the only problem I have is I have to drive 45 miles for parts cause the dealer up street is big time scammer. So my advice to you is get some thing from a major tractor co & stay away from the wal-marts & the Home-depts they only sell tough away tractors..

 

Get you any mower with an American made engine. If everyone would maybe we would see more JOBS for AMERICANS.BTW Lawn-Boy is owned by Toro. From time to time I still see some old Lawn-Boys (1960's) with decal on the tank saying Mix 8oz. of 30wt. oil to one gal. of gas. LOL. OMC company built some great engines back then.

 

I agree with blkfordtruck an American made motor keep the jobs here. As far as that goes buy every thing American made show a little pride for your country..

 

I run John Deeres for everything. I have a '99 GT-235 with the 18hp V-Twin Briggs Vanguard and a 54" deck, not a lick of trouble out of it. I've mowed in very rough yards, and in very tame yards. Gives the same good quality cut every time, no matter where.

I also have a 1969 John Deere 140 Garden Tractor with a 14hp Kohler K-321 Cast Iron block single cylinder engine. I bought it in January for $300 and all I did was rebuild the carb and she fired right up, no smoke, no knocks. I'm in the process of restoring it to original condition. It will pop a wheelie if I push the drive stick too fast. It weighs 730lbs. with no deck on it or gas in it.

I do have a White/MTD tractor too. I got it for free and it runs. I use it to go in the woods to do any work that I'm afraid might scratch the paint on the Deeres. It has a Briggs 12hp I/C engine. You can't kill a Briggs I/C that has the cast iron sleeve.

I had a 1983 Simplicity 4211H up until October, when I sold it to pay for the JD 140. It was given to me for free in December of '02, just to get it out of the man's way. It didn't run then. I rebuilt the carb and it fired up. Put new belts on it, changed the oil, new fuel filter, new battery, and used it over last summer, sold it in October for $210 with a Craftsman Spreader I had no use for. It had a 11hp Briggs I/C engine, and a 36" cut. Hydrostatic drive too. It was a very economical little tractor. Only bad thing was that Simplicity is not a major brand around here, and parts are VERY high, higher than John Deere.

About 4 years ago, I had a Honda HT-3810 lawn tractor. It was the smoothest running rider I have ever run. But the starter died, it cost $500 to replace it. The Honda riders run very well, but when they break they will put a hole in your wallet in a hurry. I ended up selling it for $800, so I didn't lose much, I just wanted to sell it before it had another expensive problem.

Right now, I am repairing a 2001 Honda Harmony 216 self propelled push mower with the OHC engine. The local pawn shop is paying me to fix their non-running power equipment for them. They gave this one to me saying that it won't crank. Well it had no spark plug when I got it home. I put a new one in, and it wouldn't crank, so I sprayed some carb cleaner in it, it fired up, but wouldn't catch the gas (yes, I did open the fuel shutoff valve before I pulled the cord). So I kept on spraying carb cleaner in until it picked up the gas. It ran ok, but it won't idle, I'm going to tune that out the next chance I get to work on it. Also, it doesn't want to pull itself, So I'm going to have to examine the drive belt on it.

 

I have allways ran Scag and Exmark and some times John Deere, all are great mowers

 

Hondas are excellent. I prefer toros -- spend the bucks on either model and you will have a dependable mower for 15 years. Check out lawnsite.com-- ask which ones they prefer most are toros. I used toros only when I cared for lawns -- In 5 years of mowing all day, 8 months out of year-- I spent zip other than maintence fluids. try to get one with kawasaki, honda or suzuki engines-- they don't break. By the way toros are warranty to start for five years-- should tell you something....I disagree about new lawnboys they are in general unreliable even though they are owned by toro, while I do not wnat to sound unamerican-- the above engines are alot better than american. Worring about saving american jobs is a waste of time. Buy the best no matter where it comes from and maybe the manufactueres will notice as did the big three - I remeber when they couldn't compete in reliability. Truth be known alot of so called american products are built elsewhere- crawl under your ford truck -- where is that axle made- not american. We live in a global society-- buying american won't save jobs. Again not unamerican-- but sometimes truth hurts.