Thanks for this. Just got a new house and need a mower. Buying the FWD Toro because my neighbor saw me eyeing his Honda mower and put double locks on his shed. He's very un-neighborly.
I lock mine up in the garage simply because it’s super common for people to drive by and snag mowers. Given it’s not easy anymore to get a Honda, it’s best practice to lock up. Not paranoid, just the world we live in
Kudos for reviewing gas mowers. The prices on these things are ridiculous! The puzzling exit of Honda from lawn and garden no doubt gives Toro an edge using Briggs. Maybe we can get some sanity back in the EPA regulators enforcing NetZero cult adherence.
I agree. We have a 2011 Recycler 20333 that went through a couple years of neglect. It used to be my father's. I cleaned it up and do regular maintenance on it now, and it has been a solid mower.
Great overview, thanks for all your insight. I am in the market for a new push mower, I have been having such a battle with myself regarding the Toro Timemaster vs a Super Recycler. I have watched your reviews a number of times and still can't decide. I am not the most handy with fixing things and that's what scares me the most about the Timemaster. Do you think the Super Recycler is a better option then? Appreciate your videos. Your neighbor to the East (Rochester).
Why is it that no matter what Lawn mover that is reviewed, every single one has negative issues with them. For this reason it is very difficult to decide on one or the other. It's like pick the best of the worst.
Honda hrx217 is the best walk behind mower get 1 while you can because Honda is getting out the lawn mower business. Just change your oil and air filter should last 20 years plus. I know because I use these mowers commercial where I can't use my Walker riding mower.
If you want to see and use the best made mower on the market, you'd have to look at the SNAPPER brand. 190 cc Briggs & Stratton engine. Rear wheel drive using a friction disk (like a snowblower), manual select lever speed control (not like the silly "personnel pace" system of TORO), lever control engine speed control, mulch, bag, side discharge. Also can come with electric start. If taken care of, they will last a lifetime, mine is well over 20 years old and look and runs like new. Once tried you'll never want another brand. Also made in Wisconsin, USA.
I bought the SCAG 21 inch pushmower with the 5HP Kohler engine. SCAG also makes a 7HP version. I think last year was the first year SCAG made a 21 inch mower, they've had the 30 inch out for about 5 to 7 years. For what little I use a push mower in my mowing service, it's a damn good mower.
@@GarageGear Probably Lowes has regional distribution centers, all with some differences in stocking inventory due to local preferences or availability.
Very disappointed with the lineup at lowes for push mowers I remember you used to have husqvarna, Troy built, bolens, Honda.. my first push mower I used when I was a kid was a early 2000s Bolens that we got for 90 dollars those mowers today under the craftsman name are crazy priced 270 dollars for that?!
Craftsman, Bolens, Troy Bilt are all the same - they’re made by MTD. The Husqvarna walk behinds were garbage. Honda got out of the business altogether.
Thanks. It seems that quality has been slipping to say the least. I'm not a fan of FWD. I'd rather have an actual "push" mower over FWD. They seem to wander when trying to maintain a straight line, and they're terrible going up hills. Or at least the ones I have tried are. I'm glad we picked up a Honda HRX217HYA last year. That and the old John Deere JX75 have been good mowers.
Good video, JB! Nice of the folks at Lowe's to let you film in the store. Gonna hit Home Depot next? Also, I'm still stuck in the days of engine power being measured by HP. This CC thing requires too much math for me... :P
Thanks Mace! Only one employee said something and once I told him what I was doing he was like “okay!” Home Depot is most likely next. We’ll see how they are. Me too my friend! HP was much easier to determine power back in the day. I wonder if this video will hurt their battery sales.
It seems we get fewer and fewer gas models as time goes by. I somewhat understand the appeal of an electric mower but the reality of an electric mower is also pretty clear: you will be dropping $200 to $300 every 3 to 5 years on a new battery. That's no small thing when considering the lifetime cost of a lawnmower.
As for most of my lawn I use a riding mower (Nearly 2 acres of yard), I only ever used a push mower for trim work and as such I had always just bought the cheapest 20" side discharge mower I could find. The last one was a 20" Murray 3.5hp with a Briggs Classic I bought in 2000 for $99.00 at Walmart. I used it for 23 years until the deck finally gave out on it (engine still works fine). I had considered a Bolens from Lowe's to replace it with, but they were out of stock for most of last year so instead I bought a Stihl FS 56 RC-E string trimmer from my local Ace and changed the head from the bump-n-feed type to an auto feed (Stihl Supercut 20-2) as I tend to accidently bump the ground more than I should and the auto feed doesn't care if I hit the ground, lol.
I brought a 42 inch Troy Bilt lawn tractor off of Facebook marketplace for $700. It was freshly service with new blades. I think this is a way better deal that these push mowers that go for $350 without self propelled and close to $600 with self propelled just for it to bog down in somewhat tall grass.
Operator error with backing up with the personal pace Toro. It only took me twenty minutes of mowing to learn what the cause was and made a small adjustment and have never had an issue since.
Perhaps you should watch this video WHY DOES MY TORO SUPER RECYCLER 21564 NOT BACK UP? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Ay8dEhTBwFs.html 👍
I’m hesitant with another Honda as I have a Honda one 4 or 5 years old and the self propel doesn’t work anymore. It was repaired once under warranty and that lasted another season, the wheels spin when it’s up but not nearly enough torque to move on the ground through the grass. So idk I’m between the 550 dollar dewalt 163 cc and the Honda 170cc
@@GarageGear I was very close. There’s a 50 dollar difference between them. The dewalt has some plastic on the build at the front and rear of the deck which was the only thing I didn’t like, but it has the bigger wheels in the back and the Briggs and Stratton motor. I ended up getting the dewalt, Honda probably would have been fine too, I just can’t get over the self propel system breaking on it twice, makes me feel like maybe it’s a design issue or somthing. Granted it’s 4 years old. I cut the overgrown back yard and the front yesterday worked great. Very fast which is what I wanted. Also has a side discharge which the Honda didn’t have. Wish I could upload a pic to show you
We bought Toro last year old its and, other day it stop running I want to check the key under the flywheel and its good but nut loose turn nut came loose on the flywheel tightly nut it back up start it up she was ready to go it was probably made on a Friday everybody's in a rush to get out of work thank you for the video
Another great video JB! With Honda not in the lawn and garden picture anymore, unfortunately, I think the other brands are the benefactor. I’m not a fan of the Toro personal pace drive system. In my opinion. You put away the snowblower for the season yet? Have a great weekend bud!
The John Deere blower is still on the tractor. At least for a few weeks yet. The Troy-Bilt (the beast) was never used so will run out the gas, spray it down and put her to bed. What's going on this weekend? Cheers my friend.
@@jaybooth4815 got it! Crazy we didn’t use our equipment that much this season! Maybe next year! Just editing all day today. Might as well since it’s snowing. Enjoy your day my friend!
Just found a brand new Honda HRN216VYA in town. $899 at Home Depot; I got it for $650. I've got two newer walk behinds, one Honda and one with a Honda engine, so I'll store it.
The damage that happens is from how the get moved around. The are Cramped. They are moved from the manufacturer to the distribution centers to the store by a machine that squeezes the boxes to move them.. Can move depending on the model of mower, 6 or more at one time.
Don't buy any of them. Head on over to Home depot RIGHT NOW and get hundreds of bucks off a Honda mower. You'll never need to buy another one in your whole life.
Honda is not making lawnmowers anymore in the US. So their will definitely be incentives to get rid of the last ones. Just get 1 trust me you won't regret it.
At my local Home Depot they still sell the Honda Mowers and have them in stock! I don’t need a new mower I’m gonna keep my John Deere mower running for a long time. Built much better than todays junk.
I would recommend to anyone looking for a new mower to grab one of those Hondas. Even if they have the recall from last year with the can shaft issue. I would fill out the warranty paperwork and use that bad boy until it dies 30 years down the road!
There was a stop sale on them later in the season. That have some repair recalls on them. You’ll hear about those once I get mine opened! 👍 have an awesome weekend bud!
i bought a New out of the box toro 21564 and can't get the electric start to work. the battery is fully charged,get nothing when i push the start button down. any ideas of what it could be and how to check it out?
I’m going to buy the 2023 honda and roll the dice. dual cutting blades. Ariens razor looks good as well….but briggs isn’t what it used to be and planned obsolescence with their mowers, snowblowers is a problem in terms of parts. But when you do use the razor… compare it to your neighbors honda. Thank you for all your videos.
I'm in the market for a mower. My powerstart lasted 1.5 years. Terrible. I don't plan to get these Toro because they don't have side discharge. I'm currently between Troy Bilt or a GreenWorks 80v.
I think the right solution is to find someone locally who buys & flips used mowers, and buy something a few years old. Plus, you'll have someone who can work on it, and show you how to use it.
Wouldn’t the proper answer be none of them? Buy from a local dealership. They set it up, service it out, and provide support. Does Lowe’s or any other box store?
Great content! I just bought one of those Toro Recycler Max 22-in. So far I'm really happy with it. Haven't had any issues with pulling it backwards. I do wish it had a little more vacuum power - not as strong as my 12yo Husqvarna AWD was. I was sad to let that one go, but no more parts. I wanted the Super Recycler, but couldn't bring myself to spend $800 on it.
We have 3 at our Lowe's, the same 2 craftsman you showed and a fwd self propelled version of the 140cc craftsman. Terrible selection, our home depot still has some Honda mower's. Home Depot video next?
Hey my friend! Troy bilt is a sister company of MTD and craftsman. The mowers are identical and re-badged with Troy bilt logos. No difference at all other than the name.
I have never bought a new mower. I buy good used troybit or Bolans push mower. I have had little trouble with both mowers and I do my own repairs on them for little cost and the parts are low cost.
Best mower is the Honda HRX217 second is the Toro Super Recycler in my 55 years of mowing and I’ve used about all the name brands over the years. The Honda has given me the second best cut ever and it’s my go to because of the ability to mulch. The best ever cut was my commercial Snaper walk behind but their plug you had to add for mulching was horrible.
What I've noticed is the gas powered have gone way up in price and the cordless have gone down in price. The gas powered are illegal to sell in California and I think that will apply to all states eventually.
Chances are if its being sold at a Big Box store its seriously flawed. I learned this the hard way 4 years ago. The best mowers are not sold at Lowes or Home Depot. And yeah....Lowes.....the surveillance screens all over the place are cringy and the main reason why I skip Lowes all together.
Whers the review for that Ariens? I was looking at buying that model with the dual blade but there's no info on it. how is it?? I had the Toro 21564 and it didn't have enough power to go up my hill alone, and the wheel constantly fell off due to the rough terrain of the back yard. And like you, I HATED how big the personal pace system was on tight turns in the front yard. Hoping the Ariens solves these issues.
I have a 7.25 Briggs Quantum on one of those craftsman precision style decks and that cuts shockingly well but never had a problem with clumping or mulching. I have done a few things to it and also put on a better blade so maybe that will make a difference. Would highly suggest rust proofing in some way out of the box… metal is very thin on those decks as well.
I've had 3 craftsman gas mowers in the past and the one I got from lows had a oil leak and it burned up the engine so it was junk the other 2 I got from sears and the one I had the hole engine was lose
I don’t know why the personal pace system has gotten so bad on these mowers, I actually tried out one of these new ones and I was shocked at how bad they were. My 2005 Toro personal pace backs up without issue but this feels like trying to drag a sled filled with bricks when you try pulling it back. Another thing is that it just feels flimsy, the parts rattle and squeak when the mower runs and it only makes the experience worse.
Hey BCSERK they have cut a lot of corners. The super recycler I got was made in Mexico. We are a long way away from an American made toro. Glad I sold mine last year! I’ll keep my 2004 commercial 21! Have a good weekend bud!
@@GarageGear Did you take a loss when you sold it? I mean it was brand new… asking cause I might sell mine after only 3 uses end of last season. Which model Honda would you go for if you could? I’d like to see if any are still available in my area. Thanks JB
@@apexiumim2741 if you can knab an hrx you’ll be good for a long time! I sold the toro for $575! Paid $700 for it. I make my money back on the RU-vid views so I’m not worried about it. Sold really fast in like 3 days.
@@GarageGear Found some Hondas for sale brand new… but over $2300 CDN!!!! Ya, that’s not happening 😂😂 I’ll use my new toro ($1100 cdn) this season and see how it goes while watching the razor reviews you’ll be pumping out. 💪💪
SCAG, Ferris, Ex-Mark, and Wright are four brands that outperform all the other names you listed, with the exception of Toro, which is also owned by Ex-MK. Now a part of me wants to suggest Cub Cadet or Deere to your viewers. But I will wait until they start making a great push-mower - CC has one but they are not consistent with them - like other brands.
I’ve seen a few videos already on the Ariens Razor having the same issues with locked wheels like the super recycler. It had other design flaws as well.. like cheap quality height adjustment lever that snaps out easily while mowing. Can’t wait to see your review JB!
What are your thoughts on the Stihl gas models? I wanted something without a steel deck, so Toro, Honda, Exmark and Stihl were the only ones I found. I was going to grab a Honda with the Nexite deck, but since they dropped the lifetime warranty on it it's a pass for me. I want something long lasting as it will likely be the last gas powered one I'll buy.
Hey gord toro and Exmark Commercial mowers are great! I would avoid the homeowner models. Backing up issues. The stihl is good. Want to see how sturdy that single handle bar is though! 👍
I should listen to my wife more. She does almost all of the shopping, and she's always telling me how expensive things are. Looking at those mowers in your video, and the prices, I now believe her. Great video though.
@@alissarottingen8486 hey Alissa! They are both owned by the same manufacturer MTD. If you’re interested in both just get the one with the features that work best for you! If you have any more questions let me know. 👍
You are right on the craftsman for sure i was mowing a over grown yard and the main reason why it stalked out was because it didn't mulch it but that was the first time that has happened in 5 years and like you said if i had the bag it wouldn't have done that
The best gas mowers I’ve worked on are the John Deere with the aluminum deck and Kawasaki engine. The Ariens brand mowers, and Honda lawn mowers. Everything you mentioned at Lowes except the mower with the aluminum deck is throw away junk.
Not to bash the big box stores but the quality on all those mowers are problematic. I think this is one of the reasons Husqvarna pulled out & went the dealer route.
Basically, all walk behinds except for Honda, which are no longer made, are garbage. It truly is sad that there isnt a quality american made and owned option. Seems like there is a market for a new product...
I have a new Toro lithium, it sucks, wheels fall off in 2nd hour, battery shorts, and on-line Toro will not take it back! They do not take back. Their rear left geared wheel unbolts itself from the bracket, it self destructs! Their repair dealer literally told me "with Toro, its Buyer Beware". I have a Toro case number, a BBB case number, and a US Consumer Product Safetry Commission number. Save yourself and learn from my mistake, and stay away from Toro.
Front wheel drive sucks on hilly terrain. I hope my Honda runs forever. I feel for those shopping for a new mower. Come on Honda, start making for the USA again.
Great video again JB...I actually can't believe I'm watching a lawnmower video when mean while still haven't had any snow!! Lol nothing nowhere near snow blowing material arrrrg....that's only because I've been dyingggggg to try out my new used snowblower I bought in 2023 summer and installed an impeller kit when I discovered your channel...now to be 63degrees on Wednesday....oh well I'm not sure if I wanna modify my lawnmower as it may cause my lawn to die lol 😂😂.. Thanks JB!! For sharing again.. and taking the time to do these videos From "The Round The Outside Guy" from Hamilton Ontario lol
You got it Rob! What a weird season this one was. At least we get an early spring out of this. And soon a solar eclipse lol! I’ll having some fun with my 1971 ariens over the summer stay tuned! 👍
I miss when Husqvarna made Craftsman mowers, look at how cheaply made they’ve become now…just wow. Had one for a minute and it the quality was comparable to a plastic toy and it felt like a toy. Got rid of that and bought two of those 22inch fwd Craftsman’s from 2007 with the actual big rear wheels, the “big” rear wheels they put on those mowers nowadays are a joke. These prices are a just as much of a joke, almost $400 for a cheap basic push mower? Are they serious? I bought a 22inch Craftsman with fwd fully loaded in 2012 for $275. Unbelievable. Not a fan of these new OHV engines either they’re forcing on everyone who wants gas. Awesome video and sense as well!!
@@jmbugno poorly built. They had a zero turn catch fire at an equipment expo 2 years ago and the only way to put it out was to bury it. Won’t catch me buying one. Don’t want my garage blowing up.
@@GarageGearI have a Kobalt 80V lawnmower and so does my dad The Kobalt 80V (Steel deck version) is very reliable and not heavy had mine 5+ years now my dad 4+ years now
