I just replaced my 14 year old John Deere with this model. This was my first self propelled mower. I have a small almost flat lawn so I didn't really think I needed the self propelled feature. I've only used it once but after mowing the front lawn I was fighting the mower. Seemed like it was more work than the old mower. I don't mow in circles so in some areas the distance I mow ranges from 50' to as little as 5' so there is a lot of turning around or pulling the mower backwards. The back yard went much easier as it is basicly just a big oval. I think with time I will get used to the mower and it will be fine. It is a little hard to match speed to your pace. It goes from too slow to too fast very quickly but I think I will like it as I get used to it. Adjusting speed without having to reach for a lever seems like a good idea to me but like I said I have never used a self propelled model before. I also looked at the next model up with the plastic deck. This appealed to me because the reason I replaced the John Deere was the deck corroded through. I always cleaned under the deck after mowing like the manual said but it started to corrode the 2nd year I had it. I was surprised it lasted as long as it did. I also liked the the way you can split between mulching and bagging but three things killed the mower for me. 1. The handle was to ackward to fold compared to this model. 2. It was much longer which would make it difficult to handle around the walls and raised beds in my yard. 3. Price. $200.00 more. I think that if people take the time to get used to the controls this will turn out to be a good mower. Some have complained about no liner in the cylinder and the lack of pressure feed lubrication, but what good is designing an engine that will last 30 years if the rest of the mower is dead in 10?

1. Not normal at all. I have 3 seasons on mine and it has always idled very smooth. This is one of the smoothest and quietest small engines I ever owned. I own a couple Honda engines GX models that are not as smooth. 2. Not normal mines transitions very smooth from low to high idle. I only idle it down when shutting it down and 10-20 sec during warm up. 3. Slight drop when engaging PTO but remains smooth and nowhere close to stalling. To prevent the drop in RPM while engaging I ease the PTO on and you will not have any issue. I would drop it off to them and tell the dealer to make it right. It may have sat on his floor all winter and now the carb is varnished over from bad fuel or other fuel/carb issues. Have him start another one on the floor.

mark, i'm a big fan of the old hondas. i've never had a problem with grass building up to a point it stops the engine. are your wheels raised to the highest level? when the grass is extra tall, what i do is take a bungee cord and attach it so the rear door is open and the grass just shoots out, be careful not to be running over foreign objects. wear sturdy pants and safety glasses. you can clamp a mat or something to the cross bar on the handle to deflect the clippings. if you're bagging, make sure your bag is clean.

I am really tired today running between all the big box stores. At the end, I didn't option the lawn boy because I really can't justify the extra cost vs sears promo today. Plus, a technician at Rona's service center gave me a friendly warning about the Tecumseh engine, the supply of the parts might be good for next 2-3 years but can't promise anything at long run. I still have a thought that a good mower should last me 10 years ironed in my head... However, I really like the design of the lawn boy 10684, everything seems very well design and build quality is better than others. If it's around $350CND range and none self-propelled model, I would pull the trigger, no question ask. I went back to Sears and ordered the Craftsman 36933 model (3-in-1 with bag, side discharge, mulching), which has B&S 850 platinum engine (8.5 ft/lb torque), no choke and no primer needed. The price is just what I am aiming for, 289.99+taxes. The engine seems pretty well build but the rest of the parts are very standard, a regular every week lawn mower...