# The demise of the $100.00 lawn mower



## Geoff (Jun 4, 2010)

Now that I'm a suburban drone again, I need a freakin' lawn mower.   I figured I could go down to the local discount store and buy a push mower with a Briggs & Stratton and no bag or self-propel features for $100.00.   The price was a stunning $175.00.  I'm of the school of thought that I can buy and discard 3 or 4 cheapo lawn mowers for less than it would cost me to buy a gold-plated Honda, pay for service on it when it breaks or when I forget to drain the fuel in the fall, and eventually give up on it 10 years from now.   My yard is tiny.   I don't need much in the way of a mower.

Looking around on the internet, I can find a 22" Craftsman 18 miles away at a Sears Outlet for $119.00 or buy the same thing at the Sears or a KMart 4 miles away for $30.00 more.   KMart also has a Yard Machines for $129.00.


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## drjeff (Jun 4, 2010)

I have what I call my "disposable" push mower that I use for around plant beds/trees/etc where my tractor/power bagger can't get too.  Bought the most basic MTD/Yard Machines mower at Walmart 20" cutting width, 3.5hp Briggs & Stratton engine, pull start - as I remember it was about $140/$150 when i bought my most recent one - I got 5 years out of the 1st one, with the only maintenance I did was just fill up the gas tank and add some oil every now and then (didn't even drain the tank for the winter months - probably why I "only" got 5 years out of it  :dunce: )  

Bought the same thing 2nd time around and it's now on it's 4th season - this time I'm actually doing some winterizing off it and it runs as smooth as it did the day it came out of the box.  FYI, it gets used once a week April - November, and by the time I've finished using it for all the trimming/edging in my yard it's been running for about 30 - 35 minutes and almost a tank of gas - so it gets a fair amount of use

My hunch is the Kmart Yard Machines one you mentioned Geoff is basically the same one that I have - simple, basic, dependable


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## Marc (Jun 4, 2010)

I used to get all my pushmowers at the dump or yardsales for free or less than $10.


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## wa-loaf (Jun 4, 2010)

I have a 22" push mower from Lowes with a Brigs and Stratton engine. I bought it for $150 2 years ago, you can have it for $50 if you want to pick it up. Only lightly used for 2 years. I think it's a 5hp. Might need an oil change but runs fine.


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## hammer (Jun 4, 2010)

I spent more for my pushmower but it was my primary lawn cutting tool at the time.  With the size of my lawn it's nice to have one that's self-propelled, but if this one dies on me I'd go with a HD/Lowes special.

I owned a Honda self-propelled push mower a number of years back.  Initially it was nice (ran smooth and always easy to start) but the transmission lasted only a few years before it started to slip.  Not worth the additional $$ IMO.


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## ctenidae (Jun 4, 2010)

Have an HD special of some description, Works as well as the WalMart specials we had as a kid, so I don't really have a good comparison. One thing I've noticed is the lack of a side chute sucks- the bag fills up really fast (plus, where are you supposed to dump the clippings?) but without a side chute, you can't not use the bag.


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## wa-loaf (Jun 4, 2010)

ctenidae said:


> Have an HD special of some description, Works as well as the WalMart specials we had as a kid, so I don't really have a good comparison. One thing I've noticed is the lack of a side chute sucks- the bag fills up really fast (plus, where are you supposed to dump the clippings?) but without a side chute, you can't not use the bag.



If you can close the chute, it probably is a mulching mower. As long as you don't let the lawn get too long the idea is it just chops everything up small enough the clippings fall back onto the lawn and helps to fertilize.


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## Talisman (Jun 4, 2010)

The $100 lawn mower still exists during the end of Summer sale.  The yard sale or share shed at the dump may get you through the season until the Fall sale.  Briggs & Stratton engines are easy to work on and many 'junk' lawn mowers need a new fly wheel key, spark plug or other easy repair.

Since you live in Cow Hampshah, have you considered a grazing animal for your yard?  They aren't just for companionship any more.


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## Mapnut (Jun 4, 2010)

Geoff said:


> Looking around on the internet, I can find a 22" Craftsman 18 miles away at a Sears Outlet for $119.00 or buy the same thing at the Sears or a KMart 4 miles away for $30.00 more.   KMart also has a Yard Machines for $129.00.




I have that Craftsman, I think $119 is about what I paid for it. It's a good mower, light and never fails to start.  My previous one was similar and it lasted 12 years with no maintenance whatsoever.


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## Geoff (Jun 4, 2010)

Talisman said:


> The $100 lawn mower still exists during the end of Summer sale.  The yard sale or share shed at the dump may get you through the season until the Fall sale.  Briggs & Stratton engines are easy to work on and many 'junk' lawn mowers need a new fly wheel key, spark plug or other easy repair.
> 
> Since you live in Cow Hampshah, have you considered a grazing animal for your yard?  They aren't just for companionship any more.



I'm now a Masshole for the summer.    ...and I'd have a serious problem if I waited until the End of Summer Sale.


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## ctenidae (Jun 4, 2010)

wa-loaf said:


> If you can close the chute, it probably is a mulching mower. As long as you don't let the lawn get too long the idea is it just chops everything up small enough the clippings fall back onto the lawn and helps to fertilize.



That's what I thought. Only, for $150, it doesn't so much "mulch" as "gum" the clippings, packing them tightly around the inside of the deck.


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## Marc (Jun 4, 2010)

ctenidae said:


> That's what I thought. Only, for $150, it doesn't so much "mulch" as "gum" the clippings, packing them tightly around the inside of the deck.



You're not supposed to mow the lawn in the rain, you know.


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## wa-loaf (Jun 4, 2010)

Geoff said:


> I'm now a Masshole for the summer.    ...and I'd have a serious problem if I waited until the End of Summer Sale.



$50 easy pick-up off of 495 on your way between VT and Dartmouth ...


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## ctenidae (Jun 4, 2010)

Marc said:


> You're not supposed to mow the lawn in the rain, you know.



But, that's the only time there's not something more fun to be doing outside.


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## Glenn (Jun 4, 2010)

I bought a "Poulon" last year at WalMart for the VT lawn. I call it the "Wal-Mow". It's got a 3.5 or 3.75 briggs. I'm so used to HP figures on lawn equipment; the cc stuff baffles me unless we're talking ATVs. 

Anyways, the thing chugs along just fine. The only thing you have to watch on those Briggs 3.5/3.75 Is the tank is mounted to the carb...that sometimes gets a bit loose, air gets in, and the mower will studder a bit. A quick tightening with a phillips head takes care of it.


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## ta&idaho (Jun 4, 2010)

Here you go: and a penny to spare. :grin:


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## Black Phantom (Jun 4, 2010)

Geoff said:


> I'm now a Masshole for the summer.    ...and I'd have a serious problem if I waited until the End of Summer Sale.



Why not hire a Groundskeeper???


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## Geoff (Jun 4, 2010)

Black Phantom said:


> Why not hire a Groundskeeper???



I was thinking about having the French Maid do it.


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## bigbog (Jun 4, 2010)

Geoff said:


> ......... I'm of the school of thought that I can buy and discard 3 or 4 cheapo lawn mowers for less than it would cost me to buy a gold-plated Honda...



HA!...funny how you mentioned the auto Geoff.   The top line John Deere tractor parked outside local HomeDepot's front entranceway is ~$250+/- below the price of my then-new 73' Toyota Corolla...~$3,400+/-....are those days gone or what..($350 = comprehensive coverage..upper NYS)...maybe hydrogen or some other fuel might bring back better days for driving.
Given as sometimes chincy as store-brands often get, my (Sears)Craftsman push with bag(best to have)..with a drivetrain is going strong on its 7th year.  Just a worn drivetrain belt in year ~5 but an easy order.  Not crazy about the rather short cutting surfaces on the blades(~5") but never a problem.


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## Black Phantom (Jun 5, 2010)

Geoff said:


> I was thinking about having the French Maid do it.



I am sure she can be cross-trained.


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## mister moose (Jun 5, 2010)

bigbog said:


> HA!...funny how you mentioned the auto Geoff.   The top line John Deere tractor parked outside local HomeDepot's front entranceway is ~$250+/- below the price of my then-new 73' Toyota Corolla...~$3,400+/-....Given as sometimes chincy as store-brands often get, my (Sears)Craftsman push with bag(best to have)..with a drivetrain is going strong on its 7th year.  Just a worn drivetrain belt in year ~5 but an easy order.  Not crazy about the rather short cutting surfaces on the blades(~5") but never a problem.



The top of the line Deere mower at Home Depot is still stamped steel and belt drive.  Go look at the ones at power equipment dealers.  If you want shaft drive and a forged axle you'll spend close to what a Hyundai goes for new today.  One big difference as well is the transmission, the better tractors move faster, you get a lot more done in less time.  I bought a used Deere 425, and have no regrets.  It's liquid cooled, 54" mower deck, shaft drive to the deck, hydrostatic transmission, 2 hydraulic circuits for attachments, and the mower deck is built out of heavy steel, good for the abuse that gets doled out around here.  One minor disadvantage is that the tractor, even without the mower deck on it, is wider than 48", which means it won't fit in a pickup should I ever need to bring it in for service.

One thing that bugs me about my sister's self propelled Sears mower is how slow it is.  It moves itself at the pace of a Lark scooter in a grocery store.  You can't push it faster since the wheels are turning at a fixed plodding pace.  Mowing with a lighter push mower that I can move at a regular walking pace is way faster.  The reliability of the Sears mower has been dismal as well, especially in the self propel belt and related covers.  Lots of stuff has just fallen off.

I bought a nearly new 20" MTD mower for trimming on ebay 15 miles away for cheap and it works fine.  I suspect it will last 20 years if I change the oil when it gets dark, change/clean the air filter often,  and keep the fuel stabilized over the winter.

The bag and/or mulch feature works fine if you mow every time it grows a half inch and mow when it's dry, and in the case of the bag, don't mind stopping every 5 minutes to empty it.  None of that occurs around here.  It's the chute baby.  I would _never_ buy a mower that had no chute option.

The included bag, auto stop deadman handle and liability premiums are likely responsible for the death of the $100 mower.


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## hammer (Jun 5, 2010)

mister moose said:


> The top of the line Deere mower at Home Depot is still stamped steel and belt drive.


The top of the line Deere tractor at HD is the bottom of the line Deere tractor at a power equipment dealer.

When I bought my tractor I was told that they do a good job of mowing as long as you have a level yard.  I have a sloped yard so I needed to upgrade to a tractor with a beefier tranny...I only went up one or two levels and the cost almost doubled.

My Sears self-propelled push mower has been pretty reliable...and I'm lazy about regular maintenance.  Of course, it only gets used for cut in work.


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## Geoff (Jun 5, 2010)

I showed up at the Sears Outlet in Fall River, Ma to buy the cheapo $119 Craftsman push mower that was on the Sears Outlet web site.  They had never heard of it and sold me a Briggs & Stratton "Brute" with rear bagger, a bigger motor, and better wheels for the same price.

Update:

I pulled it out of the box, unfolded the handle, attached the side chute, put in oil and gas, and mowed my microscopic lawn.   It started on the first pull.  For $119.00 plus tax, it works just fine.   I got my $100 lawn mower.


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