I just purchased my first house and I need a lawn mower. I'm looking for a
model for under $250.

I saw a Ryobi for $199 at Costco and Yard Machines brand at Home Depot for
$199. Are these brands any good?

Any suggestions would be great.


Mike

In article jjjma.443341$L1.126885@sccrnsc02, "Deitz"
wrote:

I just purchased my first house and I need a lawn mower. I'm looking for a
model for under $250.

I saw a Ryobi for $199 at Costco and Yard Machines brand at Home Depot for
$199. Are these brands any good?

Any suggestions would be great.


Mike

If you do not have too big a property you might want to try an electric
mower. I have used a Black and Decker Electric for 6 years or so to mow
about 5000 sq ft of yard. It is slightly cumbersome to work with a long
extension cord but you very rapidly get used to it. I like it because I
hate gas fumes and the noise from conventional mowers.

Roland

Deitz wrote:

I just purchased my first house and I need a lawn mower. I'm looking for a
model for under $250.

I saw a Ryobi for $199 at Costco and Yard Machines brand at Home Depot for
$199. Are these brands any good?

Any suggestions would be great.

Mike

If ya dont mind gas fumes, think about atleast a 5 horse mower. here in oregon
sometimes ya cant get the lawn mowed till early spring cause of the wet soggy
soil so the grass gets pretty tall and anything less then 5 horse is not good
for tall lawn grass. I seized my old Craftsman 3.5 horse a few times. I have
an MTD now and love it. It's got a big fuel tank that dont run out of fuel
every minute, plenty of power, the rear catch bag is big and dont fill up
every minute and catches all the clippings instead up dumping some back on the
lawn when the bag gets heavy and full. The bag hangs on the mower very nicely.
The exhaust is pretty quiet compared to the other one I had.

http://www.yardman.com/servlet/BrandSubcategory?ID=1

"Deitz" wrote in message
news:jjjma.443341$L1.126885@sccrnsc02...
I just purchased my first house and I need a lawn mower. I'm looking for a
model for under $250.

I saw a Ryobi for $199 at Costco and Yard Machines brand at Home Depot for
$199. Are these brands any good?

No. But anything for $250 won't be any good. You get what you pay for.

This isn't meant to be a sarcastic flame -- but a suggestion to look for a
name brand and pay a little more. Unless you don't mind throwing it out in
3-5 years.

-Tim

"Tim Fischer" wrote in message
news:5bAma.453365$F1.64998@sccrnsc04...
"Deitz" wrote in message
news:jjjma.443341$L1.126885@sccrnsc02...
I just purchased my first house and I need a lawn mower. I'm looking for
a
model for under $250.

I saw a Ryobi for $199 at Costco and Yard Machines brand at Home Depot
for
$199. Are these brands any good?

No. But anything for $250 won't be any good. You get what you pay for.

This isn't meant to be a sarcastic flame -- but a suggestion to look for a
name brand and pay a little more. Unless you don't mind throwing it out
in
3-5 years.

While I agreee that you get what you pay for, there is also the issue of a
dollar now and a dollar later. If what you can afford now is $250, then get
the best you can for that price and worry about what to do 5 years later,
later.

I bought a cheap mower for my second house (when the electric was too small
for the lot), kept if for 5 years, bought another mower that had what I
wanted when I could afford it and sold the old one to a neighbour that was
in the same place I was 5 years previously. I spent what I could afford.

If your lawn is small enough (or the cord is long enough), then consider
electric. No gas, no oil, minimal maintenance. According to this:
http://www.epinions.com/hmgd-Lawn_an...s-Black___Deck
er_18__Electric_Lawn_Hog_Mulching_Mower_MM575 you can get one for $180. Get
the one with the flipping handle and you'll be through your lawn in no time:
http://www.growinglifestyle.com/prod/B00005AKZH.html

"Jim Sullivan" wrote in message
...
While I agreee that you get what you pay for, there is also the issue of a
dollar now and a dollar later. If what you can afford now is $250, then
get
the best you can for that price and worry about what to do 5 years later,
later.

That's exactly what I thought when I bought the Crapsman I mentioned. My
brother and I both bought our first homes about 6 months apart. He bought a
high-end Honda Harmony mower, I cheaped out and bought a mid-priced
Crapsman, thinking it should get me by for at least 5 years, and it wasn't
the cheapest thing out there so it must be ok, right? As I also mentioned,
it only got me about 2 seasons, and only after spending an additional $75 or
so in repair parts to make it go even that long. I then junked it and
bought a Harmony myself, and now also a Deere SST16 tractor that I
absolutely love. Never again will I cheap out on tools I rely on regularly.

On the other hand, for things I don't use often (finish sander, "Sawzall",
etc) I routinely buy cheaper brands like Ryobi. There's no need to pay top
dollar for a tool you maybe use once or twice a year. A lawn mower, on the
other hand, is used every week during the summer season and therefore should
not be bought foolishly.

-Tim

I never had a Craftsman mower, but my first push mower was
something a neighbor threw away. I put a new set of points
in it, replace the needle valve he fiddled with and damaged
(which he must have thought was part of the problem), and
used it for about 3 years before giving it away to a friend
when I moved.

My 2nd was a green thing, maybe Murray or Rally with 3 1/2
hp briggs that is still going strong after 11 years. I
didn't take care of the deck properly however, and last year
bought a badly running mower from a neighbor for $5.00 and
swapped out decks (a friend scarfed up the motor a few
months later).

Point is, if you keep up with maintenance basics like the
air filter, oil, blade sharpening or at least balance, keep
a decent plug in it, don't allow the engine to become
encrusted with clippings (which allows overheating or can
bind linkages), and don't cut grass when the yard is wet,
almost anything should last a while.

Best,

Stephen Kurzban

Tim Fischer wrote:

"Jim Sullivan" wrote in message
...
While I agreee that you get what you pay for, there is also the issue of a
dollar now and a dollar later. If what you can afford now is $250, then
get
the best you can for that price and worry about what to do 5 years later,
later.

That's exactly what I thought when I bought the Crapsman I mentioned. My
brother and I both bought our first homes about 6 months apart. He bought a
high-end Honda Harmony mower, I cheaped out and bought a mid-priced
Crapsman, thinking it should get me by for at least 5 years, and it wasn't
the cheapest thing out there so it must be ok, right? As I also mentioned,
it only got me about 2 seasons, and only after spending an additional $75 or
so in repair parts to make it go even that long. I then junked it and
bought a Harmony myself, and now also a Deere SST16 tractor that I
absolutely love. Never again will I cheap out on tools I rely on regularly.

On the other hand, for things I don't use often (finish sander, "Sawzall",
etc) I routinely buy cheaper brands like Ryobi. There's no need to pay top
dollar for a tool you maybe use once or twice a year. A lawn mower, on the
other hand, is used every week during the summer season and therefore should
not be bought foolishly.

-Tim

My Craftsman self propelled is still running great after 8
years. Actually, it is running better every year then previous
year, as I learned to do a little basics maintaintance -
change oil/air filter at the end of each season, and change
spark plugs every a couple years.

The first 4 year of its use was rough, as I never changed oil
or filter. The first use in the spring was really difficult -
takes a great deal of efforts to start it. So when I finally changed
the oil at the end of 4th season, there were barely any oil in
the engine. And it was totally dark and muggy. The air filter
were completely covered with clipplings.

After that I started to do a little maintance at the end of season.
I even added a little gas stablizer at the end of last season. So I
was a bit surprised that the 1st pull of the mower this spring (last
weekend) started the engine.

The mower was not ferfect, I admit. It started to rust on the deck,
and I lost a nut on the wheel last summer - but found a replacement
from home depot, so no big deal.

So if you do take care your mower a little, it will probably run a
long time.

YJ

In article ,
Stephen Kurzban wrote:

I never had a Craftsman mower, but my first push mower was
something a neighbor threw away. I put a new set of points
in it, replace the needle valve he fiddled with and damaged
(which he must have thought was part of the problem), and
used it for about 3 years before giving it away to a friend
when I moved.

My 2nd was a green thing, maybe Murray or Rally with 3 1/2
hp briggs that is still going strong after 11 years. I
didn't take care of the deck properly however, and last year
bought a badly running mower from a neighbor for $5.00 and
swapped out decks (a friend scarfed up the motor a few
months later).

Point is, if you keep up with maintenance basics like the
air filter, oil, blade sharpening or at least balance, keep
a decent plug in it, don't allow the engine to become
encrusted with clippings (which allows overheating or can
bind linkages), and don't cut grass when the yard is wet,
almost anything should last a while.

"Jim Sullivan" wrote in message ...
"Tim Fischer" wrote in message
news:5bAma.453365$F1.64998@sccrnsc04...
"Deitz" wrote in message
news:jjjma.443341$L1.126885@sccrnsc02...
I just purchased my first house and I need a lawn mower. I'm looking for
a
model for under $250.

I saw a Ryobi for $199 at Costco and Yard Machines brand at Home Depot
for
$199. Are these brands any good?

No. But anything for $250 won't be any good. You get what you pay for.

This isn't meant to be a sarcastic flame -- but a suggestion to look for a
name brand and pay a little more. Unless you don't mind throwing it out
in
3-5 years.

While I agreee that you get what you pay for, there is also the issue of a
dollar now and a dollar later. If what you can afford now is $250, then get
the best you can for that price and worry about what to do 5 years later,
later.

I bought a cheap mower for my second house (when the electric was too small
for the lot), kept if for 5 years, bought another mower that had what I
wanted when I could afford it and sold the old one to a neighbour that was
in the same place I was 5 years previously. I spent what I could afford.

If your lawn is small enough (or the cord is long enough), then consider
electric. No gas, no oil, minimal maintenance. According to this:
http://www.epinions.com/hmgd-Lawn_an...s-Black___Deck
er_18__Electric_Lawn_Hog_Mulching_Mower_MM575 you can get one for $180. Get
the one with the flipping handle and you'll be through your lawn in no time:
http://www.growinglifestyle.com/prod/B00005AKZH.html

I bought a Craftsman with a 4hp Briggs on it, 7 years ago. Don't
remember the price. It easily cut through tall wet grass, but I kept
the blade sharp and that makes a big difference.

For 5 years it was used on a 5000 sq. ft. yard, but the last 2 years
were spent on a 20,000 sq. ft. yard.

This mower is still running great, but since I bought a riding mower
this year for that big yard, the Craftsman is just used for getting in
the tight spots.

My dad owned a K-Mart mower with a 3-1/2 hp Briggs engine for close to
20 years, (yards about 10,000 sq. ft.) so I think any mower with a
small Briggs engine will do just fine with regular oil changes and
other minor routine maintenance. I'll also mention that the reason
this mower lasted only 20 years is that the poorly designed handle and
grass catcher frame broke after 15 years. They could be rewelded but
usually the repair only lasted a year or so. When it became too much
of a hassle to fix every year he got rid of it, but the engine was
still running strong.

"Stephen Kurzban" wrote in message
...
Point is, if you keep up with maintenance basics like the
air filter, oil, blade sharpening or at least balance, keep
a decent plug in it, don't allow the engine to become
encrusted with clippings (which allows overheating or can
bind linkages), and don't cut grass when the yard is wet,
almost anything should last a while.


I'm sorry that just isn't true. My Craftsman was very well maintained. The
fatal flaw was the self-propel transmission. There was not even anything
that was SUPPOSED to be maintained with that.

Today's lawn mowers are much more complicated than the ones of the past, and
you can't assume everything can run forever "if well maintained".

-Tim

"Tim Fischer" wrote in message
news:P7jna.507838$S_4.552809@rwcrnsc53...
"Stephen Kurzban" wrote in message
...
Point is, if you keep up with maintenance basics like the
air filter, oil, blade sharpening or at least balance, keep
a decent plug in it, don't allow the engine to become
encrusted with clippings (which allows overheating or can
bind linkages), and don't cut grass when the yard is wet,
almost anything should last a while.


I'm sorry that just isn't true. My Craftsman was very well maintained.
The
fatal flaw was the self-propel transmission. There was not even anything
that was SUPPOSED to be maintained with that.

Ah, there's the difference. Self-propelled vs. Me-propelled. I've never
owned a self-propelled lawn mower, which may be the difference in my
Craftsman experience and yours. When you start to add complexity to the
mix, then yes, a cheap, self-propelled won't last. But a decent push mower,
with a B&S engine is going to last, provided you take are of it.

Since you aren't going to see a decent self-propelled for $250, the original
poster is probably not going to purchase one.

--
Jim Sullivan

You are correct on several counts - you can't get the
quality you used to be able to count on years ago, and you
can't trust something new has been properly inspected. You
have to inspect everything yourself before using it.

The 11 year old mower I was originally talking about had a
baffle under the deck that was just "in there" by force fit,
so before I even used the mower, I took a good look at it
and saw some traces of rust between the two pieces. I
removed the baffle, found lots more rust (surface rust) on
both surfaces - and cleaned and painted both before putting
it the mower into service. I can't recall, but I probably
also verified everything was tightened and where it was
intended to be, and I also looked up the info on when to
change the oil for the first time.

My guess is that had it been a self-propelled model (I need
the exercise and didn't consider one back then), one would
have to either rely on the reputation of the manufacturer
for the particular given model, or disassemble the
transmission and verify it was sound - and then still
probably plan on changing the grease/oil after a short
break-in period just to be safe. I guess reasons like this
are what make me want to buy used more and more these days -
so at least you know if what you are buying survived the
break-in period.

Best,

Stephen Kurzban

Tim Fischer wrote:

"Stephen Kurzban" wrote in message
...
Point is, if you keep up with maintenance basics like the
air filter, oil, blade sharpening or at least balance, keep
a decent plug in it, don't allow the engine to become
encrusted with clippings (which allows overheating or can
bind linkages), and don't cut grass when the yard is wet,
almost anything should last a while.


I'm sorry that just isn't true. My Craftsman was very well maintained. The
fatal flaw was the self-propel transmission. There was not even anything
that was SUPPOSED to be maintained with that.

Today's lawn mowers are much more complicated than the ones of the past, and
you can't assume everything can run forever "if well maintained".

-Tim

"Stephen Kurzban" wrote in message
...
I guess reasons like this
are what make me want to buy used more and more these days -
so at least you know if what you are buying survived the
break-in period.

Still can't understand that folks who buy $40K SUV's and multi-thousand
dollar vacations think a $700 mower is too expensive so they buy a $200 one
that craps out after a season or two.

You still CAN buy good quality -- you just have to pay for it.

-Tim

buy a push mower (not self-propelled)
also I have had great luck with Briggs and Stratton engines..

Deitz wrote:

I just purchased my first house and I need a lawn mower. I'm looking for a
model for under $250.

I saw a Ryobi for $199 at Costco and Yard Machines brand at Home Depot for
$199. Are these brands any good?

Any suggestions would be great.

Mike