The mowers that are sold in most department stores are light duty and will probably not last. Wheels, handle bars, and baffles under the mower deck are not designed for this type of service. The self propelled models are very light duty. I suggest you visit some of the mower shops. Usually these shops carry mowers that are better quality. Look for a model with ball bearing wheels. Look for handlebars that have additional bracing. The briggs Quantum and the Honda GC engines are inexpensive, but usually hold up ok. Sorry, I don't know if the Chinese engines have a reliable record. The Kawasaki engine is great, but I doubt if you need a premium engine . An expensive engine is just as dead as the cheap engine if you hit a rock. Avoid the models with a lot of control cables. For one acre, a side discharge model would probably work ok. I was given this information 39 years ago when I was looking for my first mower.

You are over analyzing. Either engine will serve you very well with reasonable care which is outlined in the owner's manual. Most manufacturers do not publish horse power figures because they are largely meaningless.Will 6.75 hp vs 6.5 hp really affect mowing performance and quality of life? I doubt if you would notice any appreciable difference. The things to watch out for are comfortable handle height, ease of operation and quality of cut. Do you plan to perform regular maintenance and keep a mower that gives a superior cut for many years ? If so, step up to a higher end unit such as Toro's SR or Honda HRX. If budget is more of a concern, the C/C will serve you well. Just stay away from the Chinese engines, service is a joke.

Hi RoadBike, Thanks for the response. I can't say I know what controlled differential steering is? If it did not have this, what would it have? The bigger cutting area should be fine in most spots. I can always weedwhack in a few areas, but this should be OK overall. Most of the yards are fairly wide open. And the weight would not be an issue- the furthest areas are only 2-3 blocks away. Good food for thought though.

Yeah, a 'refurbish' is only worthwhile as a project to do for yourself - I learned that many years ago when I 'fixed-up' old bicycles for people. You cannot possibly charge what it's worth because they could buy a new one for that. However, when our boys were young, they got some very cool bikes. I would work all fall/winter on them in the cold detached garage/workshop to get them ready for Christmas. One of my sister's grand kids still talks about the BMX I fixed up for him one year - red day-glo front, white mid and blue day-glo rear with black rims/spokes. This was about 1985. I've done mowers for myself and friends, but it's just not cost-effective for a shop to do. The LB 10201 on the right is my first LB. Somehow I kept it going for nearly ten years before finally selling it. Those, with the 'V' engine, were rolling nightmares.