Mowers Reviews

I think this mower does a pretty decent job for what it is. It is very light weight, is well made and easy to use. It just can't compare to a power mower (it's sort of like an electric razor), and it does not work well if you have lots of tree roots or a hilly property. If you have a smaller lot, or if you want to alternate it with a power mower, it's a nice alternative. A few years ago, I hired a landscaper to come twice a month and used this on alternate weeks and that worked well. But if you use this as your primary mower, unless you have a very small lot, you will probably be disappointed.

I think this ia a wonderful push reel mower. You do have to remember it is what it is though- I only use mine in the spring when the grass is still growing fairly slow because you can really only cut about 1/4"-1/2" with ease.I bought mine basically as a exercise machine as I already had a power mower and have loved it for that reason. Sometimes in the summer I will alternte mowing with the power mower and then mowing with the reel mower in between just as a "trim up". I think if you buy one for what it is and understand that you can't cut 2" off and it won't mow twigs and such that the Brill is a great reel lawnmower. My kids love to mow with it also and they are 8 and 5 years old. Highly recommended by me.

This is a well built SMALL mower, this unit is great for smaller areas that you want to look great. I would not use it to mow a large lot, but the grass would look great if you had the time.

edit: After less than a full season with this mower, I have radically changed my mind. I was much too kind to this unit in my original review below. Unless you have a completely tame (re: complete flat and weed free) 1/8 acre yard and ONLY mow when it is COMPLETELY dry, don't buy this thing.

My parents swore by Toro for years, but that was then.... It seems that Toro has changed since when I was a boy and not for the better. As I state below, their customer service was excellent when I had a problem out of the box, and it may still be that way, but my five year old, $150.00 Murray while not as fancy as the Toro (not as many bells and whistles) works better and with fewer problems.

By "better" I should explain that I mean that we can mow our whole acre and half and not have to clear out the undercarriage or the chute. By "better" I mean that while I have had problems with the wheel drive system on both machines, but the Murray took four years to develop them and need replacement parts, and they are cheap and easy to get and replace.

With less than a years mowing with this Toro the transmission that drives the front wheels is completely shot. I am now waiting for the repair shop to call and tell me if Toro will cover it under the warranty. Who knows how long they may have to wait to get a new one. Toro should, and probably will cover the repair but who needs this kind of problem with a virtually new machine.

The other thing I have learned not to be too crazy about is the air filter and it's location. These little paper things (about twice the size of my big thumb) are $6.00 a piece at the "Big Orange" and we go through them like water. I do have a compressor at the house and I do blow the element out frequently, but this thing sucks in everything because of it's location and it's size. I would like to see a bigger element located out of harms way... up if possible and with a washable foam element.

$300.00 plus is just too much money for this kind of aggravation.

Original text: These are still available at the Home Depot (Big Orange) where we bought ours. We've had ours for less than a full season now and our "yard" is rather difficult, but my impressions are that it is generally a good mower though not a great one.

First it is powerful enough to handle nearly everything... except a clogged chute which it does frequently in our yard.

I don't know about the "guaranteed to start" system. It doesn't seem to start any easier or harder than anything else. I believe this advertising "spin" is to make the buyer feel more comfortable with the purchase. However, the engine is a good one overall.

We have found the mulching system to be totally unusable as it only makes the clogging problem worse.

If you switch back and forth between the rear bag and the side-chute as we do you should know that the grass plug that is to be removed when using the bag gets stuck as the underbody collects clippings.

All in all, it is easy to work on with standard tools and, in our case, the high wheels are a blessing for better maneuvering on uneven surfaces.

Our bagger had a defective frame (a weld broke during it's maiden voyage), but Toro supplied one quickly and at no cost/no questions.

For the average homeowner with the average yard, this machine will satisfy and then some... maybe.

I hope this helps you and good luck with your own dreams.

I must say, I've never had as many missing parts in a shipped item as this one. Missing upon arrival were the owner's manual, two knobs for the height adjustment levers, two bolts and nuts, a cotter pin and a hub cap! Damn Amazon, you can do better than that! Now I have to call the manufacturer and get these parts on my own.

The mower itself started without problems and seems to run smoothly. It does not, however mulch very well. We'll see how it goes with some different height adjustments on it's "maiden voyage" tommorrow.

I ordered this mower for the Briggs and Stratton 6.5HP (B&S) Quantum Engine and the self pacing self propelled mechanism. After waiting 3 weeks I got a 6.75 Techumseh engine and the self propelling mechanism is an odd mixture of push forward, pull back that is anything but self pacing for me. Would have been nice to state correct engine on mower and to have a better explanation about how "self pacing" mechanism works?.

Not long after my previous rant, I had the displeasure of having one of the wheels on my mower all but disintegrate, literally. The plastic center of the wheel broke entirely away from the bolt. This wasn't brought on by a loose bolt, excessive force, or any other bizarre act of god. Rather, it was through normal wear and tear (keep in mind I only used the mower 6 times before this happened). Upon calling Lawn Boy/Toro, I was basically told in so many words that they wouldn't send me a replacement wheel, and that it was my loss. Needless to say, I went to Wal Mart and purchased a steel wheel for $5.97, which was consequently of a better quality than the wheel that actually came with the mower in the first place! Also, while on the topic of wheels, for those of you who know a thing about mower wheels, the small hole in the middle of the tread of a mower wheel is for adding lubrication to the moving parts via means of a small oil can. Well, after taking the wheel off the mower, I quickly noticed that the standard rim on a lawn boy wheel is a 1/4" inch solid piece of plastic that is entirely separate from the actual tread. Thus, it is IMPOSSIBLE to actually put oil on the moving parts. Rather, the oil just lays inside the tread. This mower is junk, the customer service is poor, and I'll never purchase another Lawn Boy in my life, period, or any other product of the Toro family. Finally, to add to the other individuals who wrote responses, this mower is HEAVY. Between the 14 gauge deck, and the 6.5 hp engine, it's is virtually impossible to use on a steep bank without cutting off a foot. Oh, and one other thing. This mower really doesn't leave your lawn looking spectacular. It really only gives you an average cut. In fact, the only product I despise more than a Lawn Boy is a Craftsman. However, my neighbor gets a much better cut from his Craftsman than I do from my Lawn Boy. barlett@usachoice.net

The mower came ready to go... I added the supplied oil, filled the gas tank and pulled three times.

I find this to be a good simple mower with a strong engine, only complaints would be (1) a cutting blade that needs a better edge and (2) the stupid plastic deck gaurd can cause clogging when discharging wet grass out the side.

I own the Lawn-Boy model# 10363. The difference being my mower is self propelled. The mower was shipped UPS to my door step in perfect condition. I unfolded the handle, and added the included oil, and I was ready to cut some grass.

Someone mentioned in their review they bought this mower because it's a 2 stroke motor? It's powered by a 4 stroke Tecumseh engine. I have owned the mower 2 years. I never changed the oil, serviced the spark plug, or even cleaned /replaced the air filter, and it starts on the first pull, and runs like clockwork. The only servicing I have performed is sharpening of the blade. During season I mow my dense Floratam lawn on every third day, and once a week in the winter. My mower doesnt get a break. It is in service 12 months a year. I have had zero issues with my Lawn-Boy mower.

My trusty 5 hp 9-year old Murray mower "disappeared" from my backyard. Thus began the search for a new mower.

Consulting Consumer Reports Magazine I found this mower to be rated a best buy. I don't know why... The mower looks great. That's the good news.

The mower arrive in good time (Amazon has been great in this regard), but it arrived damaged. Not uncommon I would guess, since there was no packing in the box!!! Rattling around in UPS trucks and apparently dropped from great height, the rear wheel adjuster lever was bent and twisted and jammed into the wheel. Luckily I'm handy and 45 minutes and one bandaid later I was adding oil and gas and heading for the lawn.

Thank you Consumer Reports, but here's my review: The cut left a noticeable number of blades standing proud above the others, thus requiring two passes to properly shear the lawn.

This mower likes to be heard. Its Briggs and stratton engine would easily drown out the din of a nearby locomotive. Buy this mower, buy good ear protection.

This mower will really shake you up. Something's not quite balanced. I checked the blade, although it came dull it was balanced just fine. If you're mowing for more than 15 minutes expect numb hands.

Wow ball bearing wheels... give them a good spin and watch them come to stop after about 5 seconds. One wheel wobbles noticeably. Compared to my old Murray with sleeve bearing this clunker is a pain to push.

A mulching mower should convert blades of grass to confetti which magically disappear in the turf. This mower leaves a trail of unmulched blades on top of the turf.

And what power...? its six point five horsepower engine bogs down in the more lush areas of my lawn. My old 5 HP would mow down these areas without losing an RPM.

Finally, go to the Yard-Man website and try to find a path to submit a question, good luck, it's next to impossible. Buried deep within their site you can find a phone number (not toll free), but no email address in which to ask questions (ie. complain) about this fine product.

Consider this mower only if looks are important -- it's darn good looking.

We purchased this mower based on it's good reviews. It worked great the first year, never a problem - BUT - the second year we used it only a couple of times and the starter string broke and we couldn't fix it ourselves - the mulching mechanism wasn't mulching the way it should - it was going to cost us $100 just to get it fixed - forget it - we went out and bought a craftsman instead.

This mower is excellent. I purchased the same mower from my local Wal-Mart and found no problems with damage. The reason I purchased it at Wal-Mart for an extra $35 was because every item I have ever recieved from Amazon was damaged.

I have also had the occassion to contact the MTD customer support department. They have an excellent staff. I found their website very easy to navigate if you have any computer knowledge at all. Only someone with less than a 3rd grade education would find their site difficult.

People complaining they can not find a toll free number to contact them should try reading their model number tag on the mower. The toll free number is listed very plainly, plus it is in the owner's manual numerous times.

There's a reason its $$$ cheaper than the nearest competitor. I bought one and put 4 hours on it before I returned it to the store for a refund.

The IZT drive system is weak. The drive system has one box that contains both pump and wheel motor with a lot of aluminum parts inside. That was what failed on mine after mowing twice with it. Something went wrong with the right-hand side transmission, the thing would only travel in circles. It would run good until it got hot (~ about 30-45 minutes) then it would slow down and make some terrible noises.

The deck adjustment system and the height indicator are a joke. The indicator went missing after the first 30 minutes of use, it just fell off. I did find it before I ran over it and stuck it back on.

Its poorly designed - when you sit on the seat with the engine running, the seat pushed the plastic shround on the engine against the flywheel and it shaved part of the shroud away.

I'm a huge fan of B&S engines but when you pointed this mower uphill the engine started missing and burned enough oil to emit a huge cloud of blue smoke - no mosquitoes here.

I took it back to the store and got a refund. Then I spent another $1000 and bought a Simplicity ZT1844 with a Kohler, BDP-10 pumps and seperate wheel motors. The Simplicity is a mowing machine.

This mower is nearly $600 less than the nearest competitor which. Makes it appealing to the budget buyer. BUYER BEWARE!!! I bought this mower new in April and mowed with it for 5 weeks before the right hand hydro went out. It was in the shop for an additional 5 weeks. When I finally got it back I had the pleasure of using it another 3 times before it was stolen. The belt constantly came off for no reason. I could mow in 18" tall grass for an hour and it would stay put but it would come off mowing 4" grass. I struggled for hours trying to get the belt to stay on for any period of time. Finally I took the belt covers off and figured out how to get the belt back on in a few seconds. JUST WHAT YOU WANT TO BE DOING WITH A BRAND NEW $2800 MOWER RIGHT? Also the rear tires are too small to go uphill(they spin like crazy). Whoever stole this mower got themselves a gem. I would strongly urge you to look elsewhere! Like the old saying goes you get what you pay for!

For almost $3000, this had better be one hell of a mower, and considering that the operator rides on it and it has a drink holder, and can handle 1-1/2" stems (for those who let their lawns go for 6 months at a time), it probably is. It also occurs to me that as long as you stay on your own property, it's probably one of the few vehicles that you can drink and drive with (not that I'm recommending that, considering what would probably happen if you strayed off your lawn and ran over your neighbor's kid's lawn toys with it, or worse).

Back in the 60's when I was a kid, having one of these big riding mowers marked you out as the king of conspicuous consumption on your block, maybe even more so than having a new Cadillac parked in the driveway.

Anyway, for completeness, I include the following. The manufacturer proudly states that the other specs on this home lawn-care behemoth are: "Zero-Turning Radius 42" rider, 17.5HP Briggs Intek, 42" cutting deck, hydrostat, belly mount deck, electric PTO, 18 X 9.5 X 8 rear tires, 11 X 4 front tires. High seat back, arm rest, drink holder, 2 year limited warranty."

And as Jeff Goldblum said in the first Jurassic Park movie, "And there you have it." I can't wait to go out and buy one and annoy my neighbors with such an ostentatious display of conspicuous consumption.

FROM DAY 1 THE MOWER HAS BEEN TROUBLE IT STARTED OFF WITH THE MOWER SHUT-DOWN WHEN IT GETS HOT. THEN WE WHEN ON TO VERY HARD TO START. IT HAS NEVER PULLED IT'S OWN SELF EVEN ON FLAT LAND. NOW 1 YEAR IN TO IT ALL THE SEVICE MAN STATES "CHEEP MOWER TIME FOR A NEW ON." DON'T MAKE THE $350 MISTAKE I DID RUN A WAY

I purchased my Yard-Man in Jan 2004. Mower worked fine until I hit a rock while mowing in November 2004. I took the mower to a Yard-Man authorized service center where I was told I needed a new blade hub (holds blade on to shaft) but that it was a simple repair. Long story short, it took 7 weeks to get this part! The owner of the repair shop told me MTD is notorious for their poor parts distribution. I made a complaint to customer service via their MTD website. My reply was a link to a FAQ section that explains not every part can be kept in stock and that some orders may take 14 days. Basically they blew me off. As this is my only recourse, I would advise not to buy any MTD product because of their poor customer service.

i need a new lawn mower for my business and this is the first one i seen with a 7.0 hp engine on it.i need the extra power for tall grass.

Century 87151 Taiwan piece of junk, spade terms inside are so loose, the wires fell off, heat sink on power transistor so loose it rattles.

This model has served me well under severe abuse. In weather ranging from wet, freezing cold to desert heat, this charger has lasted for several years. It was connected for long periods of time to a 3500+ amp bank of deep cycle RV batteries for the purpose of full recharge and than maintenance.

This looks like a great idea, but it just doesn't cut my grass. If I get a running start, it might cut a few blades before it chokes. Now I understand why Europeans don't have lawns - they can't figure out how to make a machine that will mow grass. Sorry, but scissors would be faster.

I admit, I have never cut a lawn before. In an effort to save on costs of hiring someone, I decided to find a nice quiet reel mower for the small patch of lawn in back. I did pretty extensive research and came upon this model, top seller in Europe somewhere, as I recall. Anyway, after a bit of a tousle putting it together, mainly because I could have used another pair of hands beside my own, I pulled it out onto the lawn to watch it do its stuff. And work it does. Really. I am surely no expert on lawn mowing, and the first time I used it I tackled much overgrown, high grass on slopes in wet weather. All supposed no-nos for a reel machine. But this thing really works. It seems to cut well. It obviously takes longer than a power mower, but I wanted to enjoy the silence, and I like the exercise. It is light to carry, easy to handle, and I only give it 4 instead of 5 stars because this is the first mower I have ever owned and have nothing to compare it with. But if it can plow through my hilly, tough, high, wet grass, surely it can do the same for you. I am really enjoying this machine.