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Hello All,
I am in my 60's and try to help some fellow Seniors who can't cut their own lawns due to health reasons.
On average I try and cut 5 lawns a week and I have a Craftsman i bought three years ago that has been
steadily falling apart. I had to replace the rear wheels due to the rubber falling off, replaced two front wheels due to
the cheap plastic gearing that disintegrates, the front wheel drive quit working ect. If I can come up with the money I might have to buy another mower for next summer! Can you recommend a brand & model that you think would hold up for me? Really Appreciate any help! Thanks!

A high end honda will last forever if you take care of it. Nice of you to help your neighbors

Buckwacker said:

Hello All,
I am in my 60's and try to help some fellow Seniors who can't cut their own lawns due to health reasons.
On average I try and cut 5 lawns a week and I have a Craftsman i bought three years ago that has been
steadily falling apart. I had to replace the rear wheels due to the rubber falling off, replaced two front wheels due to
the cheap plastic gearing that disintegrates, the front wheel drive quit working ect. If I can come up with the money I might have to buy another mower for next summer! Can you recommend a brand & model that you think would hold up for me? Really Appreciate any help! Thanks!

Click to expand...

What type of budget are you talking about? The Honda mentioned would be a good choice but can be rather pricey.

Ric said:

What type of budget are you talking about? The Honda mentioned would be a good choice but can be rather pricey.

Click to expand...

While I'm a big believer in "you get what you pay for", I think the recent models of the Honda lawnmowers have been very poorly engineered/designed. My son mows 4 lawns a week, and the HRX217 I bought him at the beginning of this spring did not last him through the full mowing season. And he takes pride in taking good care of his equipment (cleaning, oil and filter changes, blade sharpening, etc.). While we would tend to write this off as a Honda anomaly, I bought him a newer HRX model a little over a week ago. It lasted three yards before the cord pull no longer functioned. In returning it to the Home Depot from which we purchased it, the associate there wheeled it into the back of the store, where there were 3 other Hondas of the same model sitting there, returned with the same problem. While I think Honda earned a great reputation with its past models, my experience says that they have some serious problems with their newer models - and their brand is going to suffer. For their price points, these mowers should be more reliable than they are.

Honda has a very good reputation in the industry. No denying that. I have never owned one.

I did purchase a commercial Snapper in 1987 and have used it weekly ever since. Every summer it mows and mows with no issues whatsoever, just an oil change twice a summer and a new spark plug/air filter once a year. Other than that, nothing. No issues. None. It has steel wheels, quality deck, a commercial Wisconsin Robin Engine (no longer available) and a very reliable drive mechanism for self-propel. I think if you look at a quality Snapper, John Deer, Honda or similar mowers you wont be disappointed. Like the previous poster, I have heard that Honda is somewhat lacking on quality build "lately". Just keep your eyes open and compare. I'm sure you'll be fine.

Let us know how you make out and how your new mower is doing when you get it.

Good luck.