I have read a few posts concerning these mowers, so I decided to check them out. I like anything that is a throw-back to the "old Lawn-Boy style". I can't say for certain, but it appears that they may be linked with Fradan Power Equipment. I think Fradan is a family owned, American company and I will support anyone who can make a name for themselves in a market that is controlled by big business. I have had a few Fradan backpack blowers in the past and thought them to be a decent unit. I had to order parts and found it pretty easy considering some of the other "off-label' companies I have had to deal with.
All of that being said, my thoughts on this Saber mower are only based on what I have read because I have not had my hands on one. I like the look of most staggered wheel mower decks. But I feel the presentation of this mower may be a bit misleading. Here is why:
They present this mower as "For the Professional Landscaper" and I believe that it falls short on many levels. The biggest being the engine. There is nothing "commercial" about that Briggs & Stratton. That is a low-end, consumer grade engine. The same engine that comes on the standard $149 Wal-Mart mower. This is the engine that Briggs distributes to compete with the lower end "china freight" stuff. The parts list is pretty slim, I think because Briggs has outsourced most of the parts. That particular engine is pretty flimsy, and I am a Briggs fan. The blower housing is plastic. If you pick the mower up by the handle and blower housing, the plastic shifts and you can dislodge the oil fill tube. I had a customer bring one in and say " I let my sister use this and it came back covered in oil, and now its leaking everywhere" Luckily no permanent damage was done, but it was a result of him loading into the back of his truck. Not a commercial engine. With Briggs, buying power dictates price. My guess is putting a true commercial engine on it wouldn't be as cost effective for a new company. My thoughts on the engine are, "NOT COMMERCIAL GRADE."
I am a fan of the deck design, what self respecting LB fan wouldn't be? I haven't had my hands on one of these decks, so I can make no comment on the craftsmanship or the quality of the metal. I am a fan of steel, ball-bearing wheels. Again, who wouldn't be? Let's not forget though, any of us can do down to TSC and buy four 8" steel wheels with BB for $6-$8 a piece. So while that is an upgrade, it doesn't make a commercial mower.
I feel too, that some of the statements made are a bit misleading. I took this straight from there website:
"The professional landscaper will prefer its old school side discharge bag which seldom clogs even when mowing wet grass, along with being able to remove and empty the grass catcher with ease."
Now a few things come to my attention when I read this. The first being any mower bag with a zipper is bad for commercial use. It is time consuming if they are not clean. They can be hard to open and close. The second is ( I may be totally wrong here, I don't cut commercially. I just fix the stuff) most of the commercial guys I know would cringe at the idea of a side-bagger being there "commercial go-to' Now I LOVE the nostalgic look of a side-bag and have a few that get used on my LB's, but anything that adds to the width of the mower and doesn't not increase the cutting path is counter productive. If it increases the mower's total width to say 28 inches, but still only cuts a 21 inch path, then maneuverability becomes an issue when time is the concerning factor.
I feel like the using that statement, worded that way, sounds like a ploy to catch the attention of a home owner that will focus on things like "commercial, professional, landscaper" and a homeowner that remembers LB's having a side bag, and that someone once told them "LB'S are great machines" Now again, I will restate that these are just my opinions, but if a company chooses to use catchy word phrases and misleading advertisement to make up for a sub-par product, then they do not get my vote. I can hear it now, customer comes in: : I paid $xxx for this mower and it is supposed to be commercial grade etc. etc. Then being the repair man, I get to hear about how awful it is, Like it's my fault they are being made and it's my fault they purchased it. LOL
I have not verified the MSRP or warranty associated with these Saber Edge Mowers, but if the $700.00 number being thrown around is anywhere near correct, I will say that they are WAY WAY WAY overpriced. I can think of far better ways to spend that kind of money. Again, These are just my opinions. I am not presenting anything as fact. If you don't agree with me that is fine, I need not convince you. I am sure there are some grammatical errors in here to that may get pointed out.
