What's a Good Push-Mower (please)

[stihl sawing]

Scored some freebies yesterday.

My son called me and ask if i wanted a pushmower, I said yeah, maybe what does it look like. Brand new he said, he hardly used it. He said the guy across the street was gonna toss it cause it wouldn't run. My son said he only mows his yard about twice a year and it was knee high when he last used it. I told him to get it and i would look at it. I was kinda doubting it was any good. When i seen it i knew it wasn't used much, He had broken a wheel where he got mad and threw it. I got that glueing right now. I put fresh gas in it and primed it and it started first pull. I mowed a lot of grass with it to see if it would die, Never did. When i first started with it he had the deck sittin on the ground and mowing knee high grass. No wonder it wouldn't work.The second mower he said take it too. It runs too. And he gave him an old shinny brushcutter, Said it run good last time he used it. I have not tried to start it yet.

This one runs but i haven't had a chance to really look at it yet.

Anybody know if these were good models.

 

[lawnmowertech37]

nice collection there stihl

that shindaiwa is built tough just like the Old Homelites were i happen to have a few shindaiwa parts but not many i think i will take some photos and post them products sometime in the next week or so

i even have some brush blades for the shindaiwas

as well as the stihl trimmers

i also have some Green machine brush blades
calvin

 

[stihl sawing]

Thanks calvin, I don't know what any of them need yet. The craftsman mower don't need anything. The shinny i haven't looked at. I wouldn't put much in it as i have a FS250 brushcutter. I noticed it don't have a gaurd though. The other mower has a tecumseh engine. never liked them, guess because i couldn't never get one to work right.

 

[stihl sawing]

Well i see why he trashed this one, It will start up and run good for about ten minutes and then will start pouring gas out of the carb and the air filter. You can turn it off and it will continue to dump gas untill the tank is empty. I took it apart thinking the float is sticking and it still may but it moves freely. Checked the float level and it looks right. I dunno, It has done it four times even after disasembly of the carb, But i never could make a tecumseh carb work right either.


http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii51/rlevns/motorcycles045.jpg

 

[AngelofDarkness]

Well i see why he trashed this one, It will start up and run good for about ten minutes and then will start pouring gas out of the carb and the air filter. You can turn it off and it will continue to dump gas untill the tank is empty. I took it apart thinking the float is sticking and it still may but it moves freely. Checked the float level and it looks right. I dunno, It has done it four times even after disasembly of the carb, But i never could make a tecumseh carb work right either.


http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii51/rlevns/motorcycles045.jpg

Might be something blocking the needle from seating, or the needle is messed up. Also, make sure the float itself doesn;t have a hole in it, it will fill up with gas and sink, I've seen it more than once.

 

[stihl sawing]

Might be something blocking the needle from seating, or the needle is messed up. Also, make sure the float itself doesn;t have a hole in it, it will fill up with gas and sink, I've seen it more than once.

I blowed it out and didn't see anything that would cause it too stick, The needle looked ok it didn't look wore out or tip broken. I did take the float off to see if it had gas in it but it was dry. I dunno, Thanks Aod for the reply.

 

[stihl sawing]

Buy a carb rebuild kit, and make sure the float diesn't have fuel in it
(Or replace the float).

I fixed my push mower yesterday :drool:

The fuel tank had black flakes in it... looked like someone had
coated the inside of the tank with truck bed liner and it flaked
off.

I filled the tank with laquer thinner and then with gravel and shook
it for about an hour... worked great!

Next time I'll mix lacquer and gravel & shake for 1/2 hour, then dry
gravel for 1/2 hour.

Yeah, Probably will get a rebuild kit. The gas tank is really clean although it did have old gas in it.

 

[parrisw]

Front drive is fine if you arn't going up any hills. I have a front drive Craftsman with 6.5hp Briggs on it. I love it. Have had it for a few years now, no troubles with it.

 

[jlh26oo]

Yeah I really like the larger rear wheels, especially on push mowers. Problem is, I can't find any that are actual push mowers (I.E. not self-propelled) that are of any higher quality than the disposable models in the big-box stores. I guess anyone who is going to pay more for a better mower doesn't want to push it. But I actually mow faster when I push myself on a big rear wheel mower. I can "instant reverse" with all four wheels on the ground, maneuver around obstacles faster, and all the power goes to the blades (though I.D.K. if what's lost to the drive in S.P. versions with equal H.P. is significant or not). I bought a 5.75 H.P. Murray from W.M. for $159, and it was great for the two years I used it. Never bogged down even in thick, wet grass, but was found D.O.A. in my dad's barn after not running it for a few years (and blades/deck rusted).

So I think I'm going to pick up this one, but if anyone is familiar with the craftsman line can clarify- is it side-discharge only, per item title (and no mulching plate shown in photo), or 2-in-1 mulcher/side-discharge (as described in detailed specs)? The build probably isn't much if any better quality than the $100 Wal Mart push mowers, but I'm hoping the engine is at least more powerful (though as stated 6.75 probably = 4 H.P. in todays adjusted ratings)!

Well just an update, I ended up picking that model up last year & it was great for what it is. Just took it out of storage for the first time yesterday, and started right up on the second pull.

It's obviously of very low build quality though. I remember the first time using it I twisted it just wrong once, and I think I heard the blades hit the edges of the deck (?!) or something, but the silver lining of having a cheap sheet metal deck is that it is so light. An on tall wheels there's nothing to pushing it. That was a huge factor in not splurging for a higher end model- even if I DID ever find a 22" push model with high wheels and big engine, it probably would have weighed 2x as much. I'll have to keep my eye open for one though, because I am realistic about the life span of this one (and they've since discontinued it completely). Maybe it will last a few years anyways. It does not get bogged down even in tall thick weeds, engine is plenty powerful. And makes a nice cut too.

Overall I'm really satisfied with it.

 

[046]

forget walk behind mowers... just scored a Kubota riding lawn mower with a 3 cylinder diesel.

 

[Stihl Alive]

I didn't read this whole thread, but I've done/do a lot of push mowing in fenced in areas. I HATE self propelled mowers. Just get one with the big rear wheels, no fancy levers or switches, and enough HP for hte grass you'll be cutting.

//my 2 pennies

 

[K9-Handler]

How much?

forget walk behind mowers... just scored a Kubota riding lawn mower with a 3 cylinder diesel.

046;

Mind if I ask what you paid for it? My dad is WAY past mowing now (89) and I was considering selling his.

Always had overheating problems. Might be related to the fact that in the first week he owned it the head gasket blew. Dealer took it back and fixed it, but I'm not so sure...

 

[K9-Handler]

Is it safe to say that Toro is of much better quality than the crafstman models at the Sears down the road?

:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:


That was a joke, right?

 

[AOD]

Snapper circa 1984

Toro GTS 2-smoker, mid-80's vintage. I think that has the Suzuki 2-stroke that will run virtually forever. I bet I will kill the blade clutch and drive systems long before the engine goes on that thing. I'm feeding it Stihl HP Ultra at 50:1.

I am bumping my post from last summer to underscore my original point, and to point out the irony of a mower thread when there's 4" of snow on the ground.

 

[brinkwolf]

If you have the money go Honda or Husqavarna. I have both and they are great mowers.

 

[AOD]

If you have the money go Honda or Husqavarna. I have both and they are great mowers.

Husky doesn't make their own mowers! At least not in the US. they're just rebadged Poulan mowers based on older AYP designs.

Hondas are good but parts for them are ridiculously expensive, especially any parts for the drive system. I would look for a Snapper, Toro or Deere with a good engine.

 

[CentaurG2]

046;

Mind if I ask what you paid for it? My dad is WAY past mowing now (89) and I was considering selling his.

Always had overheating problems. Might be related to the fact that in the first week he owned it the head gasket blew. Dealer took it back and fixed it, but I'm not so sure...

All depends on the condition, hours, deck size and attachments. The Kubota g1800 and g1900 in good condition fetch around 2000-3000 with around 700-1000 hours. You can ad a little more money if it has the 4 wheel steering option. These were great mowers with the 4ws option. Way overbuilt and very expensive when new. I think they went for around $9K new. ZTR’s pretty much put them in the grave.

 

[Dok]

In junior high, high school I had a good lawn business going (early 80's). I used dad's Snapper Hi-Vac and wore out two engines in that time. That was a great lawn mower. I remember replacing parts on the deck but it never wore out. Are Snappers sold today anywhere near that build quality?

This is a great thread. I actually thought for a second about buying a new lawn mower when I went outside barefoot into a foot of snow :monkey:

Dok

 

[AOD]

In junior high, high school I had a good lawn business going (early 80's). I used dad's Snapper Hi-Vac and wore out two engines in that time. That was a great lawn mower. I remember replacing parts on the deck but it never wore out. Are Snappers sold today anywhere near that build quality?

This is a great thread. I actually thought for a second about buying a new lawn mower when I went outside barefoot into a foot of snow :monkey:

Dok

Yep, and still Made in USA too. They're one of the last good domestic manufacturers left. Snapper even refused to sell mowers at Wal Mart because they did not want to have their name attached to a rebadged junk machine.

Friends of mine bought a new Snapper Hi-Vac 2 summers ago and that thing is SWEET!

 

[Saw Bones]

front or rear self-propelled.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks

I have a Snapper with a 7HP Briggs engine. Great mower. I would imagine any of the major brands would be fine. Get the biggest engine you can afford, I always used 3.5 or 4 HP. The 7 hp is very impressive.