On Sep 10, 4:54?pm, snotbottom wrote:
Most self-drive mowers that I'm familiar with use a belt to transfer
the power from the motor shaft to the gearbox for the front wheels.
Lack of drive usually means the belt is slipping and needs tightening
or replaced.

My experience is just the opposite, all those I've owned employed a
pressure clutch... but then it's been many years since I've owned a
self propelled push mower... if you've enouhg lawn to require self
propelled you're much better off with a riding mower.... self
propelled are just too darned heavy to use in the push mode, sand
there are always lots of instances when self propelled can't be used.
Self propelled also breaks down much more often, I wouldn't own
another.

I've recently noticed that push/self-propelled mowers aren't nearly as
nicely engineered functionality-wise as they used to be... they are
all so darn heavy and so cumbersomely bulky. Years ago I could buy a
light weight 18" rotary with an aluminum deck (some even magnesium)...
I don't think anyone makes less than a 21" width anymore and they are
all of steel, very heavy and the decks unecessarily high. I recently
decided I wanted a narrow lightweight mower for mowing between the
plants on the sloping banks of my small creek... can't find one
anywhere.