Export thread

Hey everyone. I am in the market for a new self propelled mower. I will be buying a rider soon but for right now I am stuck with being able to afford a walk behind, once I get the rider I will keep the pusher for a backup and to get into areas where the rider won't go, so I need something that will be durable and last.

I am looking at a few different brands and models but I have no idea what's going to work best for me. I had a Honda before, it had the GCV160 engine one it, I paid $400 for it. The mower worked extremely well, it started up and cut better than just about anything I have ever had. I replaced blades frequently and never knew why. It started to have some issues the longer I used it, the self propelled wasn't pulling that well and it had a vibration. At this point I hadn't used it in a little while, my wife decided to cut the grass while I was at work each time and I never got to use the mower. I took the mower to the dealer where I bought it for warranty on these issues. They called me and told me that warranty was denied because the mower had been "abused" I started yelling at them on the phone because I never abused the mower, it was washed, top and bottom each time I cut with it, oil changed every other cut, and so on.. They explained that the blades were worn almost completely away, the underside of the deck was worn away, and the crankshaft was bent. He asked me if I had dirt spots in my yard, I told him I did and he proceeded to explain that when you go over the dirt it gets pulled up into the blades and causes the damage that I had, as far as the shaft goes he said it was from hitting something.. I have a few buried rocks in my yard and get the occasional ding when going over them, I also have a gravel driveway and sometimes loose pieces get pulled into the mower in the grass. As it turns out, as I mentioned above my wife was using the mower when I was not home, apparently she has a theory that mowing over bare dirt areas makes grass grow, so she was getting out there and mowing the dirt causing the damage. I also recall her clearing an area of our yard that was overgrown with it, probably causing the damage to the crank.

I told you all of that to say this, I am really leaning toward another Honda, I have a fear though of bending the crank, I am reading things all over the net about these shafts bending, and I know first hand it can happen and costs as much to repair as the mower costs new. The sales person at the dealer I bought the last one from failed to tell me that the commercial mowers (with dark gray deck) have a hardened shaft whereas the normal (light gray deck) has a softer alloy shaft. I am not in a position to afford the better model at this time, so it would be another of the lower models, most likely the model hrr216. I am wondering if Honda has done anything to adress the crank shaft issue? Or is it still a problem, even with the brand new ones?

My yard is about 1.5 acres but the front is extremely hilly, very steep. There are bald spots which will get ran over, there are some rocks, both bigger buried ones and smaller loose ones. I told this to the sales guy, he said nothing but when I told it to the service guy he said the mower I bought was a bad choice! I mentioned the yard so that you guys would have an idea of what I am trying to do as I am hoping you can give me some advice on which mower to go with..

Here are the ones I am looking at

The Honda of course, Honda 21 in. 3-in-1 Variable Speed Self-Propelled Gas Mower with Auto Choke-HRR216K9VKA - The Home Depot

Toro recycler, there are 3 models, one with AWD, one with elec start, and one with blade stop. I am leaning toward the blade stop model Toro Recycler 22 in. All-Wheel Drive Personal Pace Variable Speed Self-Propelled Gas Lawn Mower with Briggs & Stratton Engine-20353 - The Home Depot

This Husky, but it has the same Honda engine Shop Husqvarna HU700H 160cc 22-in Self-Propelled High Rear Wheel Drive 3-in-1 Gas Push Lawn Mower with Honda Engine and Mulching Capability at Lowes.com

This Husky with a Briggs Shop Husqvarna HU725AWD 190cc 22-in Self-Propelled All-Wheel Drive 3-in-1 Gas Push Lawn Mower with Briggs & Stratton Engine and Mulching Capability at Lowes.com

Craftsman with Briggs platinum engine Craftsman 190cc Briggs & Stratton Platinum Series Engine, 22" All-Wheel Drive Lawn Mower - Lawn & Garden - Lawn Mowers - Self-Propelled Lawn Mowers

And finally, this Cub Cadet. http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/cub-cadet-sc-500-hw-21-in-3-in-1-159cc-high-wheel-self-propelled-mower-with-rear-wheel-drive-carb-compliant

I am looking to go and get one tomorrow, I have been mowerless for a couple of months now and since I have the money in hand I am ready to buy. Hopefully someone can reply tonight and advise which one of the ones above would be best, or if you have any other suggestions I am all ears, as you can see I am looking in the $399 neighborhood. Thank you for any help or advice!

Update: I went with the TORO with blade stop feature. I cut the yard with it as soon as I got home and I really like this mower. I bought it at home depot. I was there staring at the Honda and the TORO. The sales person wasn't very knowledgeable, I asked if the Honda's still had the crankshaft issue and he had no idea, said he had "never seen one with that problem". I told him about my last Honda and he said it should have been warrantied. I decided to go with the Honda but said " so, you're sure that if I hit something and the crank bends it will be under warrant?" He replied, "oh, not if you hit something" So, with that I went with the TORO. I think I made a good call, it started first pull out of the box and first pull every time there after. The blade stop is awesome and I like it even better than I thought I would. The self propelled mechanism is excellent, the my pace system is very well designed and works great. I really would recommend this mower.

I got twenty years off my Honda. It still runs but because of my own abuse, I was starting to crack the deck. It is a backup now.

I splurged and bought a Honda HRX217HZA. It is a very powerful beast. Very nice, electric start, blade brake, automatic choke, hydrostatic transmission. Lifetime warranty on the deck. Twin blades so it cut very nice. Clipping director so you can mulch or catch. If you have noticed, but most commercial mowers use Honda due to their reliability. Honda make all their own stuff. All the other mowers are a hodge podge of different companies. Some of the Toros have Chinese motors.
Even the cheap Honda would be good. BTW, the latest Consumer Reports listed their top 4 performing mowers were all Honda's. Honda had the best reported reliability according to the magazine.

Only mower I would buy new would be a honda, HRX217HYA to be exact. For all the same reasons. And I wouldn't let my wife use it. But sounds like u picked the right mower for u and good to hear it's working well for u so far. Getting good info about a mower from someone at a big box store can be hit or miss, u can usually tell from the first few words that drop out of their mouth if they have any clue what they're talking about. Sounds like the person u encountered did not but, again, sounds like u did enough research on your own to find the best one for u. Good deal.

Always go find your service center before buying from a big box store. See if a dealer is just as close and try them for price. It is faster getting them serviced at a dealer. The Toro mowers have a large following anyplace a large store carries them. They seem to last about as well as any other in their price range. Level your yard out or raise your mowing height if you are hitting rocks and dirt piles. One mower is a lesson and two is just plain your fault.