Buy a new or used mower?

[atgcpaul]

I want to step up to a gas mower from my corded B&D Lawn Hog. My yard is
just big enough that after 3 seasons, I'm sick and tired of winding the cord
just so around the yard to cut the grass. It probably takes me twice as long
as it needs to. And if the grass has gotten too long, I struggle.

I'm thinking of finding a regular gas mower off Craigslist. Is there a sweet
spot on price? I don't really want to spend too much. I do want a bag. Any
brands to search out or avoid? I'm thinking $100-$150 is what I want to spend.

As long the mower starts, is there anything I should really be looking for? I
guess the obvious stuff like rust holes and sputtering. I don't really know my
away gas engines but I know when a mower is running well and when it's not.

Thanks,
Paul

[conwaygolfer]

I used to have a self propelled and loved it. But my yard was on a slight hill. If your yard is flat, any regular push mower will work. I would find one with the bag on the rear. When on the side, it gets in the way.

Conwaygolfer

Just wondering - where in Md. are you? I used to live in Silver Spring.

[dewi1219]

I have had bad luck with Briggs & Stratton engines from the last 3-5 years. If you're buying used, it's hard to go wrong with a mower with a Honda engine, but it will likely be difficult to find one in your price range.

I currently have a mid-90's Lawn Boy, which has a cult following. It uses a 2-cycle engine, unlike the current models. Since you mix the gas and oil, like a weedeater, the engine always has fresh oil in it. It also doesn't have a valve train like a 4-cycle engine. For these reasons, I think a 2-cycle engine may last longer if taken care of. YMMV though. The Lawn Boy also has an aluminum deck which will never rust.

[dbhost]

Why go used? For $199.00 you could get a new Husqvarna from Sears...

The big things I look for in a mower are...

#1. HP Rating / Engine. I typically would pick a Briggs & Stratton or Kohler Engine equipped mower, 5HP minimum, 6 or better preferred.

#2. Mulching. I started out bagging, I tried mulching by being lazy, I stayed with mulching because my lawn loves it.

#3. High wheel (the large rear wheels) makes it MUCH easier to navigate tight corners.

#4. Bagging. Even with mulching, you don't much every time you mow, or your lawn will get matted, at least I found that to be the case with St. Augustine grass... I mulch one week bag the next. Rear bagging is better than side.

#5. 4 stroke motor. 2 Strokes are rare, and no longer available new in most areas if at all. They burn dirty...

For the risks you would take, no warranty and no real knowledge of how it was cared for, you are FAR better off buying new. At the very least, don't pay more than $100.00 for a used push type lawn mower... And even then, the blade better be sharp, the mower recently tuned, and the oil clean!

Be careful with buying used in the spring, a lot of people don't put up their mowers right in the winter, and problems aren't always immediately obvious. I kind of jinxed myself over the winter of 2008-2009 and forgot to drain the gas. I managed to clear it up but had to run a HIGH concentration of SeaFoam engine treatment in it to clean the carburetor.

I think I'm good to go this spring though. New starter pull cord, new adjuster knobs (AKA Rockler T bar knobs, 5/16"), new plug, wire, air filter, and fresh oil. Starts easily on the first pull and doesn't bog down even in tall thick grass...

FWIW, my mower is a 2001 Craftsman 21" high wheel mulching / rear bagger with a Briggs & Stratton 6HP engine. It's old, it's ugly, but it sure works good...

[LCHIEN]

i think gasoline lawn mowers have a very limited lifespan before the engine needs rebuilding which costs as much as a new mower. I think we're talking about 5-6-7 seasons. And that's providing that the mower was well cared for, e.g. recomended oil change each season, clean the air filter etc.

Given that lmiited lifespan I would think a 3-4 year old lawn mower would be worth well under half its original cost and I would look with suspicion upon any unit that could not prove it was less than a couple of years old.

[tommyt654]

O.K., Here,s where I feel some expert advice may be warranted. I have a 35 yr old Snapper mower that I inherited from my fathers estate which up until about 4 yrs ago still had the original B+S 4 H.P. motor on it. All we ever did to that mower each yr before the grass cutting season began was change the oil, sharpen and balance the blade and clean and re-oil the air filter. I used it commercially up here in Atl as a trim mower for about 8 mo,s before it finally sucumbed to the constant abuse by my employees. Then I put another used B+S motor and put it back to work, sold it to a guy for $75 after I injured my foot after it had been sitting in the storage shed outside the house unused for 7 mo,s. It started on the 2nd pull. Honda,s have inheritly bad transmissions in the self-propelled versions, don,t know about the push models, but I,d venture to say just take a look at your local lawnmower repair shop and see which brand you can count the most of and don,t buy it.

[Pappy]

I just use mine for trim work that the tractor can't get to so when my last one died, I hit C/L. $35 for a high wheel, rear bagger, self propelled. (I git mySELF behind it and propel it!) At that price, if I get 2+ seasons out of it I am ahead.

I would have to look to tell you the brand or HP of the motor. It is probably the quuitest running mower I have ever had.

[docrowan]

I swear by Briggs and Stratton engines. I change the oil, spark plugs, and filters in my riding mower, push mower, tiller, and edger every year - all with B&S engines. I have no trouble out of the 5 and 1 year old mowers. I had some trouble out of the 20 year old edger my FIL gave me, and had to do a good bit of work on the 30 year old neglected tiller I bought used. Both run good now and do the jobs they are intended for.

I'd be a little leary of buying a used one if I wasn't confident in my ability to work on it, though. If you're using an electric on your yard now, it can't be too big. Given you're willing to go up to $150, I'd go with a new gas mower with a little larger cut than your electric. I'd guess your electric is about a 21 inch.

[3thumbs]

I bought a new Snapper and used it for 15 years, and sold it when I moved for 30% of what I paid for it new. I bought a new Toro when we moved here several years ago.
My advice is to buy good stuff. You get what you pay for, and if you buy junk you will pay for it in the long run.

[Daryl]

Buy new, for the small savings of buying old, you may get the previous owners problems.

My BS mower is going on 7 years old, soon I will pull it out, top off with last years gas, prime and like every year, it will fire up after no more than three pulls of the cord.

[cabinetman]

I've got a hand-me-down John Deere that after 10 years the transmission went. So, When I got it, I removed the transmission and made a push mower. It was a bagger and I converted it to mulch, and I mulch every time. The guy that gave me that mower, bought another, that the trans died, and gave me that too. Now I have a backup mower.

I've had B&S, Honda, and Kawasaki engines and had good service from each.
.

[Shep]

I bought a used Lowes special that had a B&S engine that was two years old when I bought it. They owners wanted $75, I talked him down to $65. The thing runs great. It's not self propelled, but it can mulch and has a 22" deck. Other than normal maintenence, there's not much I have to do. I've used it for 3 years now, and I plan on using it a lot more.

[LinuxRandal]

While you may not know much about mowers, how mechanical are you in general?

What about your lawn, can you describe it and layout? This will help with specific recommendations, such as front, rear, or human wheel drive.

Check out YouTube and you can find out how to rebuild/repair a mower. This also helps with basic maintenance. I sharpen the blades, change the oil (always remember to check this), and put new gas in them, and they are good to go. I have had to rebuild a carburetor, replace broken ropes, replace cables, and tires. I've replaced two machines due to rust (lasted 10 years + Each) and several others, due to finding/being given one that had some feature I preferred (not having to use different gas, rear wheel verses front or no wheel drive, not worn out bag).

For basic lawn care (the types most around here, have used electric for), I prefer a plain push mower (not powered) with a motor the appropriate size for the type of grass (some grasses are tougher, others grow taller). Or if one wants a self propelled (hills, older users, etc), I prefer a rear wheel drive (push down to go up hills) and that will need a larger motor then a push mower.

[Greg in Maryland]

Paul

I have a Honda self propelled rear bag lawn mower that has performed flawlessly. It must be 15 years old and there have been no problems at all.

New Honda lawn mowers are expensive no doubt, but well worth the cost. I think that a used Honda mower, if it could be found on Craigs list could be attractive.

Good luck!

Greg

[atgcpaul]

Thanks for suggestions, everyone. I still haven't made a decision. I have about 1/3 acre but the lot is long and skinny. It's borderline for the electric. I have at least 150' ft of cord on it. I have a flat lot so no real challenges except for a fence and trees and shrubs that get in the way. That's the only reason I want to go gas. I am sick and tired of mowing around the cord and repositioning it out of the way. I inherently don't trust the battery life on the cordless ones.

I am good mechenically and could probably figure out how to fix it or ask my dad so that's why I'm still leaning towards used except for half of the advice here. I can't help it; I'm stubborn like that.

If there are no killer deals on CL I'll probably go new