Both are made by Toro in USA(They own Lawn-Boy) and are of equal capabilities and quality. Very similar mowers. The Lawn-Boy is the newer design with some of it's ergonomic stuff like the folding handles etc. The Snapper SE series you mentioned is available at Snapper Dealers as well as Sears and is a lower price mower than the "normal" Snapper we are used to. I recommend the Snapper Hi-Vac for either mulching or bagging. The Toro and Lawn-Boy units are excellent machines as well.

'Very similar mowers'

Actually, not. The Platinum has the hi-dome deck, unique to the LB 'Insight' Series. The steel version on my LB 10684 has been a great mulcher. The LB uses a Tecumseh and the Toro a B&S with the same 6.75 torque rating. They both have 'Personal Pace' (LB calls it 'Sensa Speed'). Neither mower has a 'transmission' per se - the constantly-slipping drive belt and control mechanism is the 'transmission'. The box on the axle is a gear reduction and turns the axis of rotation to the axle, like the 'rear end' of a vehicle. The LB does use a different box than the Toro, and it doesn't have the greasable clutch housings at the rear wheels (these do not grease the wheels). In their advertising they claim it is a new-designed unit, so maybe it does eliminate the pull-back problems with Personal Pace. The hose port on the Toro is a gimmick. On mowers without it, you just direct the hose stream under the deck and it does the same thing. You have to tie down the bail to let it run while you hose it in either case unless you want to stand right behind it and get wet. I can't comment on the Toro's abilities, never having used one. Good luck on making your choice between these two fine premium mowers!

Thanks, that's the kind of info I'm looking for. The salesman had told me the grease zerks were for the wheels but I didn't think that sounded right.

When you say "pull-back" problems, do you mean when it is running it is difficult to pull backwards? I do have some tight areas that I usually go back and forth on without turning around. Not a big deal, but I don't want the job to take longer with my new mower.

PP has a clutching action that frees the wheels for easy pullback, but it requires the mower to coast forward about 12" with the sliding handle all the way up. In tight quarters it's hard to accomplish this sometimes without smashing the mower into a foundation or flower bed. When you try to pull it back then, the wheels will turn but they drag. Like I said, when this happens to me my trigger finger starts twitching and my blood pressure skyrockets. I don't need it. Anyway, the LB is supposed to have solved that problem but if so, why the heck isn't Toro using it?
Don't listen to a word a mower salesman says. Most of them don't know a damn thing about mowers and they misinterpret what they've been told.

lawnboy did not solve that drag when pulling the mower back, had a platnum 10795 still had to push the mower forward ahead to release the wheels even said this in the manual.I NOW HAVE A SNAPPER NO MORE ISSUE.

Thanks for the posts.

That does sound rather frustrating. The Toro at least has a solid bar underneath the PP that may help somewhat I suppose by giving you something to push on without engaging the drive, but still...

My yard is also fairly new and rather bumpy due to uncooperative weather when seeding, and after further reading on here it sounds like that may be an issue for PP as well.

I like Snappers but the Hi-Vacs are pretty spendy and heavy, and I'd prefer an aluminum deck. I'll take a closer look at the SEs, but I'm concerned the drive train durability won't be as good on those and again, they have a steel deck.

Either way, I think I'll verify return policies and may wait until our mowing season begins before I purchase.

I looked at Honda, Toro, and Lawnboy. The LB seemed cheaper to me. The handles look very thin, and the wheel assembelies looked cheaper. It was between the Toro and the Honda(made in the USA by the way) and I decided on the Toro. I havn't had any problems with pullback on my mower. I release the pressure, and I can pull it back right away. The main reason I went with the Toro was price. I bought it in late October, and the Toro dealer was much more flexible than the Honda dealer. Being spring, I don't think any dealer will be flexible.

I suggest that you check the mowers out and give them a run at a local mower shop.