"G" wrote in message
k.net...
I have about .4 acres to mow. Originally I was looking
at self-propelled, but have been convinced by a long-
time mower friend (this is my 1st house and I've NEVER
mowed before), that a push-model is good enough. That
the more complex a mower (i.e. Propel vs. push), the
more things can go wrong, and I'm 30 & fit so a push
should not be an issue. Land is mostly flat, backyard
slants up about 30 degrees. Obviously, electric not an
option.

After looking at Consumers Reports and reading a lot of
stuff in general, I'm considering the Craftsman 38886.
It's a push, large-rear wheels, with mulching & rear-
bagging. I wish I could find out if it is ball-bearing
or not (I'll go this weekend to look at it and hopefully
the salepeerson would know....we'll see....is there any
way to tell myself?)

Any opinions on Craftsman push mulching/rear-bagging
mowers, specifially the 38886? Oh yea, it's B&S 6.5hp

Thanks a ton, trying not to make a bad decision
considering I've never owned a mower before, and I
figure a $220 Craftsman is better than spending $700 on
a Honda HRX217HXA now that I have mortgage payments...

I have a 20" Craftsman Eagle mulching mower. It's about 15 years old.
Parts are available from any small engine repair shop or home improvement
center. Like the Eveready bunny, it keeps going and going. I've replaced
the wheels, starter cord, filters, plug, and had some carburetor work done
on it last year. Still runs fine. The only problem with Craftsman mowers
are that they're built from several suppliers (MTD, Briggs & Stratton,
Kohler) and the parts they use this year may change in the future.


For 0.4 acres, if you're only going to mulch with it, a push mower would be
suitable. However, if you're going to bag the clippings, consider a
self-propelled, especially for the incline (30 degrees? - steep). Those bag
changes get pretty tiring after awhile.