Printable View
Well, my old mower just bit the dust. I'll be heading out tomorow to pick up a new one. I need suggestions on a good mulching mower (I hate bagging). Trying to keep it between $3-4hundred range. Make & model #'s would greatly be appreciated. Thanks!!
My Dad bought aToro recycler push mower, he says it mulches very well, maybe $400.
I have a Craftsman, it works nicely, but can get bogged down in thick carpet grass. Its a self-propelled with front wheel drive. I really wish I could have got real wheel drive now.
If I had to get one now, it would be biggest motor I could find, big rear wheels, and rear wheel drive.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...&sName=&mv=cmp
I like how the 'gas' on that model for the self-propelled is always in hand reach.
The reason why I dont like front wheel drive, is because there's no weight on the front. It's always 'peeling out.' It doesnt screw up the lawn, but it doesn't help me push it either. With rear-wheel drive, you're pushing down on the back of the mower naturally, so its going to get more weight and more traction.
Big wheel rear tires made it easier for me to do 180* turns compared to the small wheels.
And of course, the bigger engine so it doesn't bog down.
That particular model also comes with the easy wash system. Basically, theres a water hose attachment on top of the deck. Just hook up a hose to it and turn the water on, it cleans out the bottom of the deck. Helps keep the garage cleaner as you dont have grass everywhere on it.
-Cody
I have a Toro Personal Pace with electric start that mulches very well but if the grass is even a little wet it clogs pretty easily. It does mulch well. Got mine at Lowes for around 400 bucks and been using it for maybe 5 years now. I'd buy another without hesitation.
George
Pretty much every push mower will stall with thick/tall grass. Toro, Craftsman, Honda.....
Just mow when you have to mow.
I've had Craftsman and Toro, Both do well.
I bought the cheapest mower at Lowes almost 6 years ago and it still starts on the first pull.
A lot of the lawnmowers use the same engines so performance in thick grass will be similar, although deck design can contribute to stalling/clogging as well. And easy starts are pretty much the norm these days. I bought a Snapper 21" rwd at the end of last season at Sears. Their model number is 37122. The Toro recycler was another strong contender but I didn't think the personal pace mechanism would work well on my very uneven yard.
The Snapper was clearly better than the Craftsman. Deck was much thicker, so less flex plus solid one-piece axle and ball bearing wheels. It also has a one lever height adjustment which is nice. Nothing fancy in this mower but better build quality. Plus - Made in the USA! It mows very well and has never left any visible clippings when mulching, even on fairly tall, wet grass. The only thing I wish it had that my old one had is a blade brake clutch but I don't miss it that much.
My vote would be for the Toro Super Recycler with Personal Pace. Best mower I've owned, hands down. The personal pace system works perfectly.
You could always get an electric mower then save up and buy a really nice Valhala power cord for it.I'm sure the Valhala would make any mower a mulching monster!!!:eek::eek::eek:
Great mower but a little outside of his price range.Quote:
Originally Posted by tcrossma
Latest consumer reports: - here are their quick picks that mention mulching. (I did not list electric mowers as you did not mention you were interested in them, but there were a few in the push mower category under quick picks - just so you know)
Push mower:
Lawn-Boy 10640
Price as tested: $240
Overall score: 67
Very good overall, this gas-powered mower was very good at mulching and excellent at side-discharging. It also was easy to handle.
Cub Cadet 11A-18MC
Price as tested: $240
Overall score: 66
Very good overall, this gas-powered mower gives a very even cut and is very good at bagging. It was very easy to handle and use.
Husqvarna 6021P
Price as tested: $200
Overall score: 65
Very good overall, this gas-powered mower was very easy to handle, with very good mulching. All other cutting modes were good.
Self Propelled mower:
Toro Super Bagger 20194
Price as tested: $690
Overall score: 84
Excellent overall, this gas-powered mower had excellent evenness of cut, mulching, side-discharge, and ease of use, along with very good handling. It was very good at bagging.
Toro Recycler 20333
Price as tested: $400
Overall score: 82
Excellent overall, this gas-powered mower was excellent at mulching and side-discharge. It also was very good otherwise and was easy to use.
Toro Recycler 20332
Price as tested: $350
Overall score: 79
Very good overall, this gas-powered mower was excellent at mulching and side-discharge and also was very good otherwise. It was very easy to use.
Lower-priced self-propelled, with some trade-offs:
Craftsman 37659
Price as tested: $360
Overall score: 72
Very good overall, this gas-powered mower was very good at all but evenness, which was good.
Toro Recycler 20330
Price as tested: $300
Overall score: 72
Very good overall, this gas-powered mower was excellent at mulching and side-discharge and also was very good at evenness and bagging.
Craftsman 37435
Price as tested: $300
Overall score: 70
Very good overall, this gas-powered mower was very good in nearly all tests. It scored good for evenness.
Yard Man 12A-18M7
Price as tested: $280
Overall score: 68
Very good overall, this gas-powered mower was very good in all categories.
Brute BTXPV22700E
Price as tested: $350
Overall score: 66
Very good overall, this gas-powered mower was easy to use, with very good handling, bagging, and evenness.
Lawn-Boy 10641
Price as tested: $270
Overall score: 63
Very good overall, this gas-powered mower is very good at mulching and bagging and excellent at side-discharge cutting. The rear-discharge chute does not come with the mower but can be ordered free from the manufacturer.
Craftsman 37624
Price as tested: $330
Overall score: 62
Very good overall, this gas-powered mower was very good at mulching, bagging, and side-discharge cutting. It was very easy to use.
We bought a Toro personal pace spring before last. Last summer was a breeze and pleasure cutting my yard. :D
This spring, one pull and off to have fun again. That personal pace feature is awsome. We paid about 350.00 or 300.00 for ours. Best mower I've ever operated.;)
Toro personal pace super recycler. Nothing else needs to be said.
Replace the blades on a lower end mower with Gator blades, keep em razor sharp and dont look back. It will splice the clippings really small which is what you need when mulching.
I bought the Husqvarna 6021P two years ago and could'nt be happier. I can't stand using a heavy self propelled mower especially on an embankment and I don't mind getting a little exercise while mowing the lawn.
Nice fairly light-weight push mulch/bag/side discharge with good Honda power and high rear wheels. The oem blade is awesome. The thing mulches so fine it's like sawdust. Side discharge works good with no clogging of removeable chute. Bagger works excellent, holds a lot of grass or leaves. Ball bearing wheels lets this mower roll with ease. Park it on uneven blacktop or garage floor and it will seek the lowest level. There is also a shut off valve in the fuel line. I'm pretty fond of the orange paint job too. 2 year warranty on the motor from Honda. Price was about 300 with tax.
IMO, I would stay away from Craftsman if I were looking at lawnmowers.
My parents bought the Craftsman version of my Husky mower about 4 years ago. I use it about once a week to cut my moms grass. It does get ridden hard and put away wet but I still feel it is pure junk. I'm pretty sure it has B & S power but it might be Tec. 6.5hp
Engine knocks under load since second season (4"-5" grass). Chute clogs easily. Engine vibrates. Engine bogs under load. It does start with one pull however.:rolleyes:
I don't know if maybe my little brother hit a rock with it and bent the shaft or something when it was new or what but it's the worst piece of crap lawnmower I've ever pushed.
BTW, this mower gets used only for trimming, and doing the front bank (about 40 degree) which is where it seems to have the most difficulty, a rider does the largest share of the yard. FYI.
This is the Changshu 5000SD. It has a single front drive system. Included in the box are a Mr and Mrs Wang. Mrs Wang is installed as the drive unit and Mr Wang as the control unit. There have been reports of stalls and irregular cutting when the units have been mixed up or wrongly installed. This is a highly engineered Chinese lawn mover and should not be compared to cheap Mexican knock offs that only last a few hours. If properly maintained the Changshu 5000SD will bring a smile to your face for many years to come.
+1 on the Toro Personal Pace if you can find it within your budget. Our old Toro lasted forever, when it died we grabbed one of these and it's been great.
I have a Honda and wouldn't trade it for the world (if staying with a push mower). It will vary if you have a large or small yard, flat or uneven/hilly yard or if you mow quite a bit or wait till it absolutely needs it. If it's hilly, I would definitely get RWD minimum and big rear wheels would also help along with as big of motor as possible (6hp and up). If you wait to mow, a large motor will handle the strain and bogging down better. This is why I went with a Honda. 6.5hp motor, dual blades for better mulching and typical Honda mower reliability. My stepdad has the same honda mower he bought 15 years ago and it cuts as good as mine at 4 years old.