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  #1  
Old 11-28-2012, 08:14 AM
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Definitely Not SVX-Help with Lawnmowers

My 33 year old Lawn Boy mower (2-stroke engine) finally died last week. It is too time consuming and expensive to fix it. So, I am now in the market for a new mower. I have been researching different ones on the internet and have decided on another self-propelled walk behind mower with mulching bagging and side discharge capability. I have narrowed it down to models from 3 different brands. One of the brands is TroyBilt. I have no experience with TroyBilt products. Does anyone here have any experience (good & bad) with Troybilt outdoor equipment? If so please post your comments about your good or bad fortune with this brand.

Thanks.

Please don't recommend Craftsman mowers. I am the guy who has very bad luck with powered Craftsman products. I love their hand wrenches but not their power tools.
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  #2  
Old 11-28-2012, 08:29 AM
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Re: Definitely Not SVX-Help with Lawnmowers

I have been happy with my Toro mowers. And I agree, Craftsman sucks for mowers.

Troy is an MTD company, which isn't considered one of the better companies. A better MTD mower is Cub Cadet. They have a walk behind mower with front caster wheels. That's a nice feature. I think they are also pretty good at mulching, though not as good as Toro. My two favorite brands for mowers are Toro and Simplicity. Simplicity also make Snapper. They are also very good mulchers.

Within that, stay away from Tecumseh engines. Briggs is OK but there are better options. Honda makes a great engine but my experience is that their mowers suck at mulching.
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  #3  
Old 11-28-2012, 08:38 AM
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Re: Definitely Not SVX-Help with Lawnmowers

John Deere?

How big is your yard?

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  #4  
Old 11-28-2012, 08:53 AM
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Re: Definitely Not SVX-Help with Lawnmowers

What about Lawn Boy? Your old one lasted 33 years. They have Kohler engines and many options including electric start and Sens-A-Speed which adjusts to your walking speed.
I have an old Lawn Boy 2 stroke that still runs well and it is probably close to 30 years old. The smoke keeps the mosquitos away.
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Old 11-28-2012, 12:36 PM
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Re: Definitely Not SVX-Help with Lawnmowers

I can recommend Honda from my own use.
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  #6  
Old 11-28-2012, 02:44 PM
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Thumbs up Re: Definitely Not SVX-Help with Lawnmowers

Forget another machine, Larry; at your (our) age the only lawn boy involved should be the one you relish with 30 bucks to do the job while you supervise from the hammock whilst sucking down the Chivas.

Ron - from the lazy-boy.
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  #7  
Old 11-28-2012, 07:53 PM
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Re: Definitely Not SVX-Help with Lawnmowers

Get a rider, mang. My Ariens tractor has a beer holder, but could easily be modded for boxed wine.
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  #8  
Old 11-29-2012, 06:57 AM
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Re: Definitely Not SVX-Help with Lawnmowers

Gotta say it: mowed lawns for many years long ago and hated Lawn Boys. I want to hate Craftsman too but have ended up with a self-propelled and a second hand riding mower (couldn't refuse the price.) I treat 'em like a red-headed step child hoping to move up to something with a Honda motor but they don't die! Sorry I'm not really answering your question but if someone offers a good deal on a Craftsman, you might try to break your bad powered- Craftsman juju by accepting it. Also beginning to hear things about Yamaha motors being better than Honda.
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Old 11-30-2012, 06:11 AM
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Re: Definitely Not SVX-Help with Lawnmowers

Quote:
Originally Posted by WYOSVX View Post
I want to hate Craftsman too but have ended up with a self-propelled and a second hand riding mower (couldn't refuse the price.) I treat 'em like a red-headed step child hoping to move up to something with a Honda motor but they don't die!
+1

had a Craftsman self-propelled w/B&S motor for 10 years with no problems. sold it to a co-worker and its still running.

currently have a Craftsman B&S big wheel push for the past 8 years that never needs more than 3 pulls to start. it doesn't take the abuse that my first one did at my old house (only used for the perimeter and places the rider won't get), but it still gets 30-45 minutes of use per week when its warm out.

can't speak for newer ones, but i've never had any troubles with mine, other than i can't name drop that its a Honda or John Deere.
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Old 11-30-2012, 02:47 PM
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Re: Definitely Not SVX-Help with Lawnmowers

Don't buy z troybuilt from Lowes as they are made for lowes and share no parts that you can get from a troybuilt dealer. Also, a lot of the cheaper Honda motors have plastic cams in 'em or at least mine did. Lasted about 2 years.
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Old 11-30-2012, 09:18 PM
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Re: Definitely Not SVX-Help with Lawnmowers

I have older Cub Cadets and a Snapper RER 16hp Briggs 2 cyl.
The Snapper eats anything, but seems to be weak in the 'duribility' department. Stuff breaks off of it.
The Cubs will push snow, cars, mow, plow, whatever.
I was 'working' about 15 acres each month, so they take a beating.
The Cubs have to work year round. They drag logs, push snow, etc.
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Old 11-30-2012, 09:21 PM
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Re: Definitely Not SVX-Help with Lawnmowers

Quote:
Originally Posted by benebob View Post
Don't buy z troybuilt from Lowes as they are made for lowes and share no parts that you can get from a troybuilt dealer. Also, a lot of the cheaper Honda motors have plastic cams in 'em or at least mine did. Lasted about 2 years.
I drive past lowes daily. Have not darkened their doorstep for 6 years now. LOWES BLOWS!!
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Old 12-01-2012, 08:31 AM
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Re: Definitely Not SVX-Help with Lawnmowers

Quote:
Originally Posted by subi-crosser View Post
I have older Cub Cadets and a Snapper RER 16hp Briggs 2 cyl.
The Snapper eats anything, but seems to be weak in the 'duribility' department. Stuff breaks off of it.
The Cubs will push snow, cars, mow, plow, whatever.
I was 'working' about 15 acres each month, so they take a beating.
The Cubs have to work year round. They drag logs, push snow, etc.
Surprisd to hear that about the Snapper. I always heard good things about Simplicity/Snapper. Cub is definitely the high end of the MTD line. For push mowers I really like the high end ones with the front caster wheels. That is a great feature for a push mower. And their domed decks are pretty good at mulching. They aren't at the level of Toro for mulching but still pretty good.

Craftsman decks suck at mulching. If you don't mow twice a week when the grass is growing fast, the deck is basically a food processor that spits out a ball of goo every few feet and, in the process, misses a lot blades of grass due to the buildup under the deck. And when I bought mine it had a Tecumseh engine that drank oil faster than I drink water.

Every company that builds stuff for Sears puts lower end stuff in the mowers just like they do for Lowes.
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Old 12-01-2012, 08:38 AM
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Re: Definitely Not SVX-Help with Lawnmowers

Bad timing! I just sold a 20 year old 2-stroke LawnBoy that had been used for 2 years and sat for 18. Wasn't self propelled but it did all the other stuff on your list. It had the alloy deck and weighed next to nothing, so I never saw a need for the self-propel complexity. Anyway it's gone.

I don't have a push mower anymore. Rider is a Simplicity Broadmoor with Briggs v-twin, 15+ years old and still going. Lots of little things happen to it such as vibration cracks and stuff falling off and whatnot, but the expensive bits have been dead reliable.

I agree with a lot of the comments about big-box store mowers. Even if they have the same name, they're very often custom made for the big-box and the quality isn't the same as the ones at the local mower shop.

My suggestion is to find a local mower shop you like and buy what they sell.
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Old 12-02-2012, 06:08 PM
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Re: Definitely Not SVX-Help with Lawnmowers

Quote:
Originally Posted by wdb View Post
Bad timing! I just sold a 20 year old 2-stroke LawnBoy that had been used for 2 years and sat for 18. Wasn't self propelled but it did all the other stuff on your list. It had the alloy deck and weighed next to nothing, so I never saw a need for the self-propel complexity. Anyway it's gone.

I don't have a push mower anymore. Rider is a Simplicity Broadmoor with Briggs v-twin, 15+ years old and still going. Lots of little things happen to it such as vibration cracks and stuff falling off and whatnot, but the expensive bits have been dead reliable.

I agree with a lot of the comments about big-box store mowers. Even if they have the same name, they're very often custom made for the big-box and the quality isn't the same as the ones at the local mower shop.

My suggestion is to find a local mower shop you like and buy what they sell.
Lots of little things happen to it such as vibration cracks and stuff falling off and whatnot, but the expensive bits have been dead reliable.

That's the Snapper. It's 13 years old. It doesn't 'mulch' at all. It cuts the grass at the blade and throws the entire piece of whatever you are mowing about 10 feet. Stress cracks galore!
The city used it for 10 years to mow the flood control 'dikes'.
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