Self-propelled mower---for 10 yr old

15 years ago

We are looking into getting a new lawn mower. We have a Lawn boy that we've had for about 10 yrs. It still runs but no longer has variable speed and uses a lot of oil/leaks---it has been through a lot though. It is also hard for our 10 yr old to use, especially in the back yard where we have a slope.

We would like to keep it under $350.00. So far we are leaning toward a rear self-propelled lawn mower at Sears---they seem to have what we want in our price range. Sam's Club has a front self-propelled mower I believe it is a Black Jack or something like that for $299.00, I don't know much about that brand. We also checked at Home Depot, similar lawn mowers are much more expensive though.

Any advice or suggestions? Is there a good site that compares front vs rear self-propelled mowers and brands?

Thank you,

Tyffanie

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Comments (6)

spyfferoni
Original Author
15 years ago
I just realized the mower at Sam's is a BlackMax.
1saxman
15 years ago
To start with, you want rear-wheel-drive. Second, stay away from Sears' mowers. Go to Home Depot and look at the Lawn-Boy.

Here is a link that might be useful: LB 10646
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What about Snapper, they have 2 different walk behind mower lines now. Their top of the line seems nearly identical to mowers they were making decades ago. Everything seems old time heavy duty. Which leads to a few big positives. Reliable proven design, dependable, and when yo do need a part chances are it will be available. (A problem I had with a 10 yr old Murray, sure those generic parts are available at big retailers, as well as some parts for more recent models, but they like to keep you buying new equipment every few years.) Plus they are mostly sold at dealers who are also service shops. When you need your mower serviced, the big retailer wont be the one you bring it to. Look at many of the mowers they have discounted in their discount area. Usually the ones returned for one reason or another often with the sticker of the local repair shop that serviced the machine. Snappers other line is new and designed and priced to compete with mowers sold at the big retailers. Im not sure about the dependability, but if you are using them with different teen operators and on Camp sized property with hills and such with enough area needed mow that two mowers would be needed to cut it quickly then it may be wise to purchase from an authorized service / dealer like Snapper. And the prices online at Snapper are suggested list only. When I got my new Snapper I had moved from a flat 7000 sq ft lawn to a sloped 20,000 sq ft lawn. Considering I had 3 times the amount of lawn, I definetly wanted self propelled, mulching, and a high quality motor. So I picked the old style Snapper mulching deck with the 6hp Kawasaki engine that is used on many commercial models for $599 , $100 under list without bargaining. If I had gone with the standard B&S engine it probably would have been closer to the price of the Deere yout mentioning since the mulch only B&S Snapper is listed at $499 and your planning to get two so you could probably get a nice deal. Ariens also makes a nice mower I was considering, but the Ariens dealer wasnt as close as my local Snapper dealer. Also considering the other equpiment you have it would be even more of a reason for me to buy from a Dealer / Service shop as opposed to a big retailer.
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canguy
15 years ago
I don't believe the average ten year old is big enough or mature enough to handle a lawn mower, especially on a slope. The handle will be about chin or chest high making it difficult to control. Our neighbor's 13 year old is small in stature and finds our Honda SP hard to handle so I do the mowing. Much safer.
1saxman
15 years ago
That's what I thought too, but didn't want to go there.
spyfferoni
Original Author
15 years ago
Our slope is not much of a slope, just a gentle one, but enough for him to complain about, although it doesn't take much for a 10 yr old to complain about. We only live on .23 and that doesn't include the house the garden areas and the flowerbeds, trampoline area, berry patch ect. Our son will be 11 in a couple of weeks and weighs about 120 lbs. We have a lot of families in our neighborhood, and most boys start mowing the lawns around here when they are 9-10 yrs old to earn money. I'm having a baby this summer and while my husband is capable and willing we thought it would be a good summer chore for our son. Last summer my husband couldn't because of some back problems so my son and I took over, and he did a pretty good job most of the time.

Saxman, we'll look into the Lawn-Boy. Is there a reason to stay away from Sears?

Thanks,
Tyffanie
1saxman
15 years ago
The Sears mowers are made by a giant power equipment manufacturer that makes most of the brands you would recognize - except Toro, Lawn-Boy and a few others. Because they can't infringe on patents, their self-propel designs are much more complicated and their decks/overall designs are very ordinary. Most of their self-propelled are FWD, which is great for a car but awful for a mower. The engines are fine - the same Briggs & Strattons most of them use, including the model I linked. Toro owns Lawn-Boy and has for twenty years. Warranty service is available at any small engine/outdoor power equipment dealer selling Toro. Parts will be available for many years. To me, the most important thing is you know where the mower really came from. If something goes wrong with it or you just need some work done, do you want to talk to the mower professional who will be working on it or the hardware guy?

Self-propelled mower---for 10 yr old

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Self-propelled mower---for 10 yr old

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