I can't comment on the Lawnboys due to not having used one. I know that of the self-propelled mowers I have tried out, the Snappers are the most maneuverable. When being driven by the self-propel system, they are still the only mowers that have a fully open differential and are therefore able to be pointed anywhere at any time. When not being driven, they are very freewheeling and have virtually no drag being pulled backward or spun around in their own length for a 180* turn or more. When I moved into my .42-acre lot last winter, I had several years' worth of the prior owner's leaves to mow up. I put my 3-bushel bag on (bigger than most other mowers' bags) and went to town. I think that day I emptied the bag about 20 times (60 bushels worth). The yard looked great when done! And like you, I have a number of obstacles and odd-shaped areas to mow around. I wouldn't want to use any other mower for this job. I will say that you are making slightly apples:orange comparison between that Lawnboy and Snapper. The Lawnboy has a much less powerful, much smaller (outside dimensions) and lighter flathead Tecumseh engine on it. That Kawasaki is a big, long, front-heavy engine that adds ten pounds to the mower and moves its center of mass further toward the front wheels. It's going to feel heavier when you raise the front wheels to turn it, no doubt. A more fair comparison would be the Hi-Vac with either the Briggs Quantum (a direct competitor to that Tecumseh) or a Honda GCV160 (more power and all the advantages of OHV but just as light as the flatheads - but still not as powerful as that Kawasaki). I can't say about the 2007 with certainty, but Snapper made these versions in the past. These versions with smaller, lighter engines will seem considerably lighter than the Kawasaki, at the expense of some power.

It's a really, really simple device. It is literally just a wire on a spool, and you twist the spool cover to shorten or lengthen the wire that is sticking out of the outlet. At some free length, while holding the device flush against the engine case, the wire sticking out will find it's natural frequency and suddenly go into an obvious and wide oscillation. You just wind the spool in and out until you find this point (with the engine at WOT). The spool is calibrated in rpm numbers, and so you read the rpm that it says once the wire oscillates, and you have your speed. The only brain power required is to realize that it will also oscillate at multiples of the true rpm. So if you are at WOT on your Briggs and get an oscillation at 1500rpm and at 6000rpm, you know you need to bring the spool back to 3000rpm and verify, because that will be the true rpm (unless your engine is _really_ broken!). By the same token, it will work on a 2-cylinder engine just fine. I suppose on some really nicely balanced engine setups and firing orders (such as an even-firing inline 3-cylinder or 6-cylinder) it would be harder to see the oscillation, but otherwise it will theoretically work on any piston engine.

the new ones have the same drive sys as 30 rys ago. nothing has changed on it -at least on the hi vac model which is what i suggest you get for its all around versatility. i would get the top home model of even the commercial model with kawi engine 180fc model. with the comm you get metal wheels and extra handle bracing etc. it actually worth the exrta $ and may be the last mower you ever buy. just remember you need a very strong motor for the ninja sys like the kawi. i dont know what other engines they offer at this time in the comm line . at briggs wont cut it -no pun intended . theyused to sell a homeowner model with kawi and steel wheels w/ninja standard. if they still sell this -this is the one i would get. was a great deal i remember.

The Snapper in the two pictures is a "push" mower, not a self propelled. It is early 1980's vintage. The wire bail just below the top of the handle is for the "Zone start" control. Zone start is a dead man control which must be squeezed to start the engine and keep it running. Also, if you release the zone start the engine will die. This was a safety feature mandated by the CPSC in the early 1980's to cut down on injuries. The four thumb nuts on the handles are designed to be loosened so the handles will fold like a "Z" to permit storage. The control on the upper left handle is for the engine throttle. Also note that there should be a fuel shut off below the tank. It is a quarter turn valve below the gas cap. there is also a small label near it. Good practice is to shut the valve, then run the engine until it dies to get all of the gas out of the lines and carburetor when you are through using. This helps reduce the formation of gum in the carburetor. Lastly the engine is an earlier "Classic" version, not a "Quantum" even though it has a rectangular tank. Decent engine, but only about 3 1/2 hp. The Quantum's are usually rated 4 to 5 1/2hp.