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Old 06-10-2005, 04:19 PM
mm
 
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On Thu, 29 Sep 2005 13:05:07 GMT, G wrote:

I have about .4 acres to mow. Originally I was looking


I"m leaving the rest of the post. I thought you said 4 acres. This
is why most people write 0.4 acres, because you don't know what my
monitor or room light is like or how good my vision is, etc. There
are lots of typos on the net, and if there seems to be an extra space
between t and 4, no one will think that is strange.

Most of what I wrote is fully applicable to the smaller lawn you have.

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


ROTFLOL. I thought the choice would be between self-propelled and
riding. In JHS and HS, we had about 1/3 of an acrre, counting where
the house was. With a self-propelled mower**, it took 90 minutes for
the front lawn and 90 for the back. If we figure you'll go twice as
fast as I did, that will be 18 hours to mow the lawn.

**Admittledly I kept the engine running slowly and that made this
model proceed quite slowly.

They do make self-propelled with one throttle for the engine and a
separate one for the speed the mower travels. I don't think they are
common though, they probably all have big engines (see below) and the
maximum mower speed at any given time is I'm sure limited by where you
set the engine speed.

AFAIK, It is better to have the front wheels driven than the rear. I
had to shift to neutral all the time to pull the mower away from the
trees etc. With front drive, push down on the handle and the rear
wheels move freely while the front is off the ground, ass uming no one
is in front of you to get hit by stones or sticks or pine cones.
Seriously, it's immoral to injure someone this way, and these days
you'll be liable, and you have to make looking the automatic first
step all the time. Otherwise you'll forget to look on the infrequent
occaions someone is there.

the more complex a mower (i.e. Propel vs. push), the
more things can go wrong,


We had a Moto-mower. I think the transmission did break once in the 8
years we lived there. They don't use that style of transmission
anymore, but I don't know if the new ones are better or worse.
"Transmission" is an overblown word, maybe the wrong word. It was
just a clutch, a little box 3 by 3 by 3, with a belt, a pulley , and a
couple 45 degree gears and a lever.

and I'm 30 & fit so a push
should not be an issue.


LOL. I was 12 to 18 and fit. My land in Indiana was totally flat.

Now that I see you mean point 4 acres, it will be a lot of exercise to
push the mower, but I think you can do it. And riding mowers have
major problems around obstructions, like others have described.

Land is mostly flat, backyard
slants up about 30 degrees.


Thirty degrees!!!!! You don't think it will be hard to push on
that! BTW, if it is really 30, you have to go sideways, not up, and
they say not even down. I think, or the mower will fall over ON you.
Even if you go sideways on the hill itself, somewhere you will be
pushing your mower up that hill, over and over..

If I were you, I would absolutely borrow your neighbor's mower before
I bought anything***. I think you have no idea of what this will be
like. If he won't let you mow your lawn (unlikely) offer to mow part
of his.

***It's a good way to get to know your neighbor. But don't mow near
the rock garden or any place else you might hurt the blade. Just
leave that stuff for next time. It's a bad way to get to know your
neighbor if the first thing you do is nick his blade, or worse. When
you are mowing one swath, you can keep your eyes on the next swath to
see if there are any rocks that you're going to hit next time. Not
necessary most of the time, but probably is the first time you mow the
lawn. There are kids around here, and I keep finding white stones
that are used in a bush or flower bed. It comes and goes but
sometimes I keep finding them in my yard.

If he has a riding mower (likely) keep going down the street until you
find someone with a push mower. If he thinks he can win an ally in
the push mower brigade, he'll readily lend you his mower, because he
thinks he's smarter and stronger than those with riding mowers. He
may well be, but you should make sure in advance that you want to be
like him.


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-


The larger rear wheels mean nothing on really flat land (whether level
or not). They are there to help you go over rough land, curbs, etc.
The same reason a bicycle can handle ridges and bumps

bagging.


And you're going to bag too! Do you realize how many loads there are
in 4 acres? 50? Just a guess. I predict with a wlaking mower you
will never finish, even the first time. I never bag. it's good
fertilizer

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


Does it have a throttle? 6.5 make a lot of noise, for no good reason
unless you're trying to mow a baby forest. Even 3 HP make too much
noise to run at full speed. You can run most engines, especially
big ones, at half throtte, even in the spring, and still mow the lawn
fine, including mulching. 1/3 throttle would be enough when the
weather has been dry. IF it has a throttle.

BTW, when I didn't have a "mulching mower" I duct-taped a business
size envelope over the grass opening and voila, a mulching mower. I
only did this in the fall when I wanted to mulch the leaves. It
worked fine.

I would think every engine, especially on lawn mowers, would have a
throttle, and they used to, but lately not all do. I have a mower
with no throttle coontrol but seemingly a place to connect one. I
also have a Craftsman with no trottle and NOWHERE to connect one.

I may keep it for its other features and wear earplugs, but I'm very
unhappy about this lack.

Also 6HP engines weigh more, and that will matter a lot when you are
pushing the mower. A couple years ago I had one push mower that
didn't start, but I borrowed one from a friend, and 've been keeping
my eyes open and I've found 4 mowers in the trash. 3 looked brand
new, although one of those was made in 1978. Some are 6 or 6.5HP and
some 3.5 I have to lift one side to get it up on the cement slab where
I store it during the summer, and with some of them, I can just twist
the handle and the right side goes up. Others are so heavy I can't do
it and I'm afraid I'll bend the handle. I have to go up to the side
of the engine, bend down and lift it up, and push it on the slab at
the same time. No big deal, but it would be if I had to push the
thing everywhwere.

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 buy alsmost everything second-hand. Your house was second-hand,
right?

Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.
  #17   Report Post  
Old 10-10-2005, 12:04 AM
evolutionman 2004
 
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"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.


  #18   Report Post  
Old 15-11-2005, 03:14 AM
Jake H.
 
Posts: n/a
Default Craftsman lawnmower opinions?

On Thu, 29 Sep 2005 13:05:07 GMT, G wrote:
Any opinions on Craftsman push mulching/rear-bagging
mowers, specifially the 38886? Oh yea, it's B&S 6.5hp


For some reason, I have had absolutely terrible luck with Sears
Craftsman lawn mowers... and yet I keep going back because they are
the least expensive (when on sale) and I am not rich. This last
time... after my 2 season old Sears Craftsman side discharge with a
4.5 HP B&S engine cracked its block (no, I didn't hit anything) and
started leaking oil everywhere... I bought another Sears Craftsman
like you have described but with the 5.5 HP Honda engine. I really
thought the Honda engine would make a difference, but all I got was an
insane level of vibration (hand blisters every time I use it) and
terrible, terrible performance, especially when mulching. I have
complained and brought it back to Sears twice with no satisfaction.
They would not give me a refund. All they would do is rebalance or
replace the blade, but its obvious that was never the problem. I am
so disgusted with Sears I could scream. If I ever buy another
Craftsman lawn mower, someone... anyone... please shoot me and put me
out of my misery! :-(

Jake
  #19   Report Post  
Old 15-11-2005, 05:25 AM
tightwad
 
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Default Craftsman lawnmower opinions?

I'm not sure who is making mowers sold by Sears under the Craftsman name
now.
Sears cares little about the quality of the Lawn Mowers and other items
itsticks the name Craftsman on these days.
They will milk the Craftsman name until everybody finally realizes it is
no different than the cheap throwaways available at Walmart, Lowes. Home
Depot, etc.
You have to look at every aspect of the mower you anticipate buying.
Even John Deere Mowers are mostly manufactured by whoever will meet John
Deere's price point of the WalMart marketing philosophy clones. John
Deere still manufactures all of its John deere labeled Commercial
mowers, I believe.
Briggs bought Simplicity, Snapper and a number of others.
The who owns what has changed so much, in the last 3 years, I cannot
remember just who is manufacturing what and for who.
Thanks to Wal Mart there is not much American Made Quality left out there.
  #20   Report Post  
Old 15-11-2005, 01:55 PM
Jake H.
 
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Default Craftsman lawnmower opinions?

On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 22:25:11 -0600, tightwad wrote:
I'm not sure who is making mowers sold by Sears under the Craftsman name
now.
Sears cares little about the quality of the Lawn Mowers and other items
itsticks the name Craftsman on these days.
They will milk the Craftsman name until everybody finally realizes it is
no different than the cheap throwaways available at Walmart, Lowes. Home
Depot, etc.
You have to look at every aspect of the mower you anticipate buying.
Even John Deere Mowers are mostly manufactured by whoever will meet John
Deere's price point of the WalMart marketing philosophy clones. John
Deere still manufactures all of its John deere labeled Commercial
mowers, I believe.
Briggs bought Simplicity, Snapper and a number of others.
The who owns what has changed so much, in the last 3 years, I cannot
remember just who is manufacturing what and for who.
Thanks to Wal Mart there is not much American Made Quality left out there.


I hear you loud and clear. But where does one turn today who is not
filthy rich? Which line(s) of lawn mowers and lawn/garden tractors
are truly designed and built to last without going $$$commercial$$$ ?

Or did I just answer my own question?

I thought that Honda engine was the answer to all my past Sears
Craftsman woes. It was not. While it hasn't failed to start or
started leaking oil or exploded yet... the performance is absolutely
abysmal and the vibration is nothing short of astonishing. I just
shake my head every time I use it. :-(

Jake



  #21   Report Post  
Old 15-11-2005, 04:22 PM
Mel M Kelly
 
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Default Craftsman lawnmower opinions?

Tightwad hit the nail right on the head. WalMart has run all the good
little companies out of our area. Sears has gone downhill so bad it is
terable. But as for the Honda Motor, If Sears won't do
anything I think I would contact Honda. The Honda Co really stands
behind the products with that name on it. After you contact Honda Sears
might change there mind.


From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley




  #22   Report Post  
Old 15-11-2005, 04:28 PM
Mel M Kelly
 
Posts: n/a
Default Craftsman lawnmower opinions?

Dixie Chopper is making a Residential Model now. It costs some bucks but
it is made to last. It even has a stainless steel deck to stop the rust
out problem. I am lucky in the fact the factory is only 20 miles from me
and there is dealers everywhere around here.


From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley




  #24   Report Post  
Old 16-11-2005, 03:53 AM
Joe Canuck
 
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Default Craftsman lawnmower opinions?

G wrote:

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...



Consider your mower a long term investment and purchase the best you can
afford at the moment.

Craftsman also make mowers that are Honda powered. Honda power is
definitely better that B&S.

  #25   Report Post  
Old 16-11-2005, 01:50 PM
Jake H.
 
Posts: n/a
Default Craftsman lawnmower opinions?

On Tue, 15 Nov 2005 21:53:18 -0500, Joe Canuck
wrote:
Consider your mower a long term investment and purchase the best you can
afford at the moment.
Craftsman also make mowers that are Honda powered. Honda power is
definitely better that B&S.


Joe - I am experiencing extremely high vibration levels... felt back
through the handle and with audible/visual handle chatter... with my
new Sears Craftsman lawn mower with the 5.5 HP Honda engine. Can you
shed any light on this? After two lengthy visits back to their shop,
Sears insists there is nothing currently wrong with it and will not
let me try out a different one or give me a refund. So much for buyer
satisfaction.

Is it normal for Honda engines to cause handle vibrations so sever
that you get blisters pushing it for 30 minutes? I have owned many
lawn mowers in my life, most of them from Sears I am sorry to say, but
nothing that came close to vibrating and causing blisters like this.
Any ideas?

Thanks in advance,
Jake


  #26   Report Post  
Old 16-11-2005, 04:24 PM
 
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Default Craftsman lawnmower opinions?


Joe Canuck wrote:
Consider your mower a long term investment and purchase the best you can
afford at the moment.

Craftsman also make mowers that are Honda powered. Honda power is
definitely better that B&S.


I would look at mowers for long term use in this order:

all honda (fairly expensive, but worth it)
John Deere
Cheaper model with a honda engine.

Going any cheaper might give you grief later, but most people have not
used a good mower to know how much better they are new not to mention 5
years later.

You get what you pay for.

Kirb

  #27   Report Post  
Old 16-11-2005, 09:04 PM
Joe Canuck
 
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Default Craftsman lawnmower opinions?

Jake H. wrote:

On Tue, 15 Nov 2005 21:53:18 -0500, Joe Canuck
wrote:

Consider your mower a long term investment and purchase the best you can
afford at the moment.
Craftsman also make mowers that are Honda powered. Honda power is
definitely better that B&S.



Joe - I am experiencing extremely high vibration levels... felt back
through the handle and with audible/visual handle chatter... with my
new Sears Craftsman lawn mower with the 5.5 HP Honda engine. Can you
shed any light on this? After two lengthy visits back to their shop,
Sears insists there is nothing currently wrong with it and will not
let me try out a different one or give me a refund. So much for buyer
satisfaction.

Is it normal for Honda engines to cause handle vibrations so sever
that you get blisters pushing it for 30 minutes? I have owned many
lawn mowers in my life, most of them from Sears I am sorry to say, but
nothing that came close to vibrating and causing blisters like this.
Any ideas?

Thanks in advance,
Jake


Definitely not normal. Was it like this new? Take it back and be firm &
polite while insisting they rectify the issue.

If no satisfaction, return it for your money.

  #28   Report Post  
Old 16-11-2005, 09:38 PM posted to alt.home.lawn.garden
Stubby
 
Posts: n/a
Default Craftsman lawnmower opinions?

Jake H. wrote:
On Tue, 15 Nov 2005 21:53:18 -0500, Joe Canuck
wrote:

Consider your mower a long term investment and purchase the best you can
afford at the moment.
Craftsman also make mowers that are Honda powered. Honda power is
definitely better that B&S.



Joe - I am experiencing extremely high vibration levels... felt back
through the handle and with audible/visual handle chatter... with my
new Sears Craftsman lawn mower with the 5.5 HP Honda engine. Can you
shed any light on this? After two lengthy visits back to their shop,
Sears insists there is nothing currently wrong with it and will not
let me try out a different one or give me a refund. So much for buyer
satisfaction.

Is it normal for Honda engines to cause handle vibrations so sever
that you get blisters pushing it for 30 minutes? I have owned many
lawn mowers in my life, most of them from Sears I am sorry to say, but
nothing that came close to vibrating and causing blisters like this.


Check the bolts that hold on the motor. Twice (over 17 years) I've
found the motor on my tractor was being held by about 2 bolts!
  #29   Report Post  
Old 17-11-2005, 02:34 AM posted to alt.home.lawn.garden
Jake H.
 
Posts: n/a
Default Craftsman lawnmower opinions?

On Wed, 16 Nov 2005 15:04:19 -0500, Joe Canuck
wrote:
Definitely not normal. Was it like this new?


It was like this since day one... or, more specifically, on the first
day I started it up and ran it. And no, I never hit any rocks! There
was not a single ding visible on the blade.

I could hardly believe how bad it was. I always thought Honda engines
were supposed to be so smooth!

Take it back and be firm &
polite while insisting they rectify the issue.
If no satisfaction, return it for your money.


I have returned it twice so far. My apparent mistake was not
demanding a refund immediately and allowing them to tinker with it...
twice... for more than 5 weeks (elapsed time) each visit. I honestly
thought they would fix the damn thing. They obviously didn't.

After the second service, they took the position that the mower was
running normally and that there was nothing more they could (or would)
do for me. At that point I demanded a refund, but they said no way
after so many months (5 months to be exact at that point) even though
over two months were spent in their shop and it had been run by me a
grand total of 4 times. Oddly enough, the only scratches on it at
that time were scratches put there by the Sears repair folks. No
joke.

Jake


  #30   Report Post  
Old 17-11-2005, 02:35 AM posted to alt.home.lawn.garden
Jake H.
 
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Default Craftsman lawnmower opinions?

On Wed, 16 Nov 2005 15:38:26 -0500, Stubby
wrote:
Check the bolts that hold on the motor. Twice (over 17 years) I've
found the motor on my tractor was being held by about 2 bolts!


I will do that! Thanks for the tip!

Jake

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