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Hi,

My first mower is a Yard Pro XT 7 (self propelled, rope start). It's 5 years old and I'm having some problems with it. Not sure if big or small, but in case they are big problems, I want to start thinking about my next mower.

My next mower, I want something that will last longer and be as repair/maintenance free as possible. Electric start would be preferable, but not if it means more possible maintenance problems. It has to be self propelled because my yard is not level and I find it hard to push the mower. My lot is about 150ft by 100 ft and that includes a house, so its not much to mow. It takes me about an hour because of the grade and shape of the yard.

I read about the Toro 20384 and don't think it would work because "personal pace" doesn't sound like a good idea on my yard. I need to do a lot of turns and there is a lot of backing up when mowing on a downgrade. The front yard is tough because there is like a 70 degree (guess) downgrade towards driveway and street. Not sure if they make one without personal pace.

I read about the ego battery mower and am worried something like that won't last very long. But I do like that it seems like it would be less maintenance.

In addition, I'd like the parts to be readily available so that in case it does break, I won't have trouble fixing it. I'm hoping that if I buy a decent mower, I won't need to fix it at all. How likely is that? Maybe I am fooling myself, and I should be looking at going through a reputable lawm mower shop? I know a lot of you are in that business and so you have a bias, but I would still consider your opinions. To that end, can anyone recommend a good place near Westchester NY (10601) zip code.

Finally, if I wanted to do maintenance through a shop, what would the recommended maintenance costs be for such a lawn mower? Would I bring it in to the shop once a year and pay like $50 or is it more like $100? Just to do the required, oil change, sharpening, spark plug, carb cleaning , etc. I ant to get an idea on how expensive the new mower would be vs my old mower. So if the mower is $500 and the maintenance is $50 a year, if it lasted 10 years, it would cost me $100 a year. Whereas my old mower is $200 and maybe $50 in maintenance in 5 years. So that is $50 a year. In that case, it makes sense for me to buy another throw away mower instead of something more expensive. But on the other hand if the new mower is maintenance free and it cost $500 + $50 in oild over 10 years, then that would be comparable and less of a hassle than my current mower.

Thanks,

The Toro model 20384 will do just fine for your situation. Your worries are unfounded. It will handle backing up and turning better than any of your other choices. I recommend you do your own yearly maintenance, except blade sharpening, which would only cost about $25/ year. Yes, I know it costs $700 MSRP when you can't find it on sale, but with proper care I tell my customers they can get 15-20 years use out of the cast deck personal pace mowers. On sale they should be between $625-650.

Rivets said:

The Toro model 20384 will do just fine for your situation. Your worries are unfounded. It will handle backing up and turning better than any of your other choices. I recommend you do your own yearly maintenance, except blade sharpening, which would only cost about $25/ year. Yes, I know it costs $700 MSRP when you can't find it on sale, but with proper care I tell my customers they can get 15-20 years use out of the cast deck personal pace mowers. On sale they should be between $625-650.

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Thanks!
15-20 years + doing my own maintenance makes the numbers look alot better. About $17-28/year more for something more dependable and hopefully easier to use. I will trust your judgement on the personal pace.

Any recommendations on sellers in my area (10601)?

I recommend the Honda HRR216VKA. $250 less than the Toro and a better machine for two main reasons:

1. Engine: The Toro has a Toro TXP engine (I think it's made by Loncin). The Honda has a Honda GCV engine. Parts are much more expensive for the Toro (just take a look at the parts lists if you don't believe me.) I can't comment on the performance of the Toro engine because I've never used one. But I've used several of the Honda GCV engines commercially, and they are bulletproof. Reliable, lots of power, always start right up and run like clockwork. They will take all kinds of abuse and just keep on going.

2. Drive system: I've used both the Honda Smart Drive and the Toro Personal Pace drive systems. I can't stand the Toro system because you have to push the mower to make it move. For flat, wide open yards it's probably fine, but for tight corners, turns or slopes you need something better. The Honda Smart Drive will pull you up a hill and it makes the mower much more maneuverable.

This is just my experience. I mow about 12 yards per week with my Honda HRR216VKA, my Toro sits in the shop 7 days a week.

I ended up delaying my lawm mower upgrade until now. Is the recommendations on this thread still valid? Anything better come along since 2016?

Yes.

sdlawn said:

I ended up delaying my lawm mower upgrade until now. Is the recommendations on this thread still valid? Anything better come along since 2016?

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Yes. Honda redesigned the HRR and HRS series, and now they're even better!

primerbulb120 said:

Yes. Honda redesigned the HRR and HRS series, and now they're even better!

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What is the model number for HRR? I was expecting HRR217VKA but the honda site only lists 216. https://powerequipment.honda.com/lawn-mowers/hrr-series-lawn-mowers

I do see the HRX217, but I don't think I want leaf shredding. How does that work anyways. If in the fall when the trees dump a ton of leaves on my yard, I can just mow it? Doesn't seem possible.

Yes, leaves can be mulched into the lawn but there is a limit. It's best done on a regular basis as they fall such as weekly rather than trying to do it all at once. For heavily treed lots, especially if the turf is thin due to shade, the results will generally not be satisfactory.

Still trying to figure out the model thing. Looks like websie says HRR2110VK and HRR216K10VKA are the 2018 models. I don't know why there are 2 models?

Anyhow, I search for it on homedepot.com and it comes up with one with reviews from 2014+ on, so how do I know it's the right model. Do I have to go into the store and verify the model?

Also, looking for reliable retailers near zip 10601 that can sell it for ~400. Any suggestions? Does it matter if the place has bad reviews online? As long it is brand new, it should be no problem right?

max tool online is $389 with free shipping. Never used them, but they have good reseller ratings. Anyone recommend them? Or is going local the best way.