Need walk behind mulching mower replacement, please help!

ls3c6 · Jun 2, 2011

I'm cutting .75 acre in west michigan with a 1988 Toro 20622. This is a great mower, however before mulch kits were available and I never bag... therefore the 5.5hp suzuki engine and the mower's deck aren't up to par for mulching without bogging down easily on healthy dense turf. I never bag and never plan to.

I'm looking to replace it economically, I can't justify spending $800+ on a honda walk behind... if i'm spending that much i'll start looking at zero turns and riders.

I have the Toro SR 20092 in mind since it's around $500, is supposed to mulch well and seems to have enough power... however i've used the personal pace system in the past and much prefer the handle / BBC of my older toro.

Are there any other similarly priced options that perform as well if not better?

Grass ala Mowed · Jun 2, 2011

Guess I won't be much help. In my opinion my new Toro is one of the best things I bought in a long time. I love the personal pace and the Kohler motor hasn't choked yet mulching my lawn.

canuck88 · May 25, 2012

I can't believe that 5.5hp Suzuki bogs down with mulching unless a) your blade isn't sharp, or b) you are trying to mulch 1.5+ inches at a time. If you are trying to mulch more than 1.5" at a time (ie. you don't cut your grass every week), you'll need to go commercial and spend the money on something with a GXV160 engine or a Kawasaki (something with a lot of torque). Of course, this is just my opinion.

If you're willing to cut your grass more often (at least once/week), then I would recommend the Toro 20382 ($599) or the Honda HRX series ($599-699) - both are great mulchers.

ls3c6 said:
I'm cutting .75 acre in west michigan with a 1988 Toro 20622. This is a great mower, however before mulch kits were available and I never bag... therefore the 5.5hp suzuki engine and the mower's deck aren't up to par for mulching without bogging down easily on healthy dense turf. I never bag and never plan to.

I'm looking to replace it economically, I can't justify spending $800+ on a honda walk behind... if i'm spending that much i'll start looking at zero turns and riders.

I have the Toro SR 20092 in mind since it's around $500, is supposed to mulch well and seems to have enough power... however i've used the personal pace system in the past and much prefer the handle / BBC of my older toro.

Are there any other similarly priced options that perform as well if not better?

txzrider · Jun 4, 2012

your looking at spending at least 3 times that $800 for a zt. Unless you look for a nice used one on craigslist.

mano · Jun 4, 2012

Honda HRX217KVA has a bigger 190cc engine. So far it cuts effortlessly even on taller grass that used to stop my older Honda HRM with a 135cc. Also, the offset mulching blades turn the grass into much finer particles than the two aligned blades. FWIW I really like the smart drive.

Need walk behind mulching mower replacement, please help!

More options

ls3c6

Member

Grass ala Mowed

Well-Known Member

canuck88

Member

txzrider

Well-Known Member

mano

Forum Newbie

Footer Links 1

Footer Links 2