If you are looking at a mulching mower go with the Toro Super recycler series. They cost about the same as a HRX Honda.

I have a Master Series Honda because I prefer to bag, but the Toro SR would have been my first choice for a mulcher.

I bought the Honda HRX a few months ago and it is fantastic. It has 2 blades so the mulching is great. It is also very quiet, powerful and fuel efficient. Pricy, yes, but worth it to me.

Proximity to service is a consideration. Other makes to consider are Ariens, John Deere and Lawnboy. Deere's are not great mulchers, so maybe Deere is out, but you should get good results from Ariens or Lawnboy.

In terms of best mulching performance - I have a Toro Super Recycler and it mulches fantastic. It also bags well and can be used for side discharge (I don't have the attachment for it so I can't tell you how well it works). The new SR4 Toro Super Recycler has a side discharge door so it should be easy to use if needed.

My 2 cents
Toro - Super Recycler is priced competative, great mulching deck, great warrenty, lots of dealers, Personal Pace is awesome, Personal Pace sucks (depends on type of lawn and user preference. Wish they offered the Intek on a few more models.

Snapper - Forget the reliability questions - these are pretty much bullet proof on the major parts, lots of engine choices, cost for a bag and mulch combo typically higher than a Toro once you buy all the accessories, dealer network less robust than Toro (varies by location)

Ariens - Similar to Snapper in features, drive system and price. LM21 comes ready to bag and mulch. Heavy!! Not a large number of dealers but given based in Wisconsin it seems like Chicago should have a large Ariens customer base.

Honda - Good. Lots of features. Pricey. Plastic deck on HRX too flexible for some. Some report mulching in wet does not work well. Frankly - a SR4 is lot easier to use.

Lawnboy - Line-up of Insight mowers is based on Toro Recycler (one step down from Super Recycler). Good mowers, but if you want maximum mulching performance start with the Toro SR4, Honda HRX and Snapper Mulcher series and figure out which fits your budget, location and feature preferences.

Jim

Navigator:

I have two Snapper self-propelled mowers, one with a steel deck, and one with the aluminim or magnesium deck.

The aluminum decked unit was a curb side pick up that I did a complete tune up on and replaced the flywheel shear key about 10 years ago. Still running good with a 20% mix of STP in the oil.

The steel decked one which was given to me at about the same time was never tuned by me, just oil changes and routine maintenance on the engine. It recently died due to spark failure. I have a spare magneto which would be the worst case scenerio for it, but I did not feel like resurrecting it. I ordered and just received the shipment yesterday of a new Briggs Qauntam 6.5 HP engine from Harbor Freight for $159.99 plus $8.99 shipping. Harbor Freight gives me 30 days to return the engine with "THEM" paying the return shipping if the engine does not fit.

With the size of the engine cover, this thing would look right sitting in my Geo Prizm and is going to be awesome as the new power plant on my steel decked Snapper.

Keep your Snapper and buy a new engine. Snappers are easy to work on, cut great, and the old steel decked units seem to be better made than the newer ones. I say that on the basis of my neighbors newer steel decked Snapper with a 5 HP OHV Tecumseh engine that seems to flex more in use than my older steel decked unit.

Once I get the new engine on my steel decked unit, I am going to sell the aluminum decked unit which has a spare 3.5 HP Brigss engine, 3 Snapper high lift blades, a steel side discharge chute, and bagger assembly with bag. The only reason I will sell it is because the design of the deck does not allow putting a new engine on it so that the head of the engine faces forward instead of facing to the left. With the head facing forward, I can tilt it to either side without having oil entering the cylinder and I can cut across my slight inclines in both directions for the same reason. The old 3.5 HP engine works, but starting the new engines is a lot easier and I am not getting any younger.

Keep the Snapper, replace the engine!!!!!!!!!!!

Bountyhunter

Toro Super Recycler

Toro Recycler, BUT I love to adjust my Honda so that some of the grass is picked up and some is left on the lawn as mulch.
I usually open the adjuster just enough that the mower will not clog up or leave visible clippings in the recently mowed path. Just a thought. Brad

Toro Super Recycler, not even a hint of clippings after I cut the lawn, cut grass is turned into what looks like sawdust sized mulch

Understand I do not regarding the non-liking of the Personal Pace system.

Push and the mower moves. Cease pusing and mower stops. If only kids and wives were so well-behaved!!!!!!

I mow for a Church and this year we bought a Toro SR4 SuperRecycler with Aluminum deck, personal pace and a bagger. I can't say enough good about it. It is FANTASTIC. Personal pace you would love, there is no lever to throw to put in gear or fight with when you want to pull it backwards or are in a tight spot to move in. Just push or pullback on the handlebar and go at your own speed. It mulches great and this year I've been mowing every 3 to 5 days because of all our heat and rain. For the past 3 weeks I have had to bag everytime because the grass is very thick and always wet and I've even bagged in the rain. When bagging it never leave a speck ofgrass behind. These are my thoughts!

Bessboro--

Thanks for the review of the '05 SR. Your experience and the experiences of other forum contributors who've bought one lead me to conclude that, although the old (pre-'05) ones are good, the new ones are even better with their side discharge opening and true rear discharge bagging to go along with the excellent mulching system that was carried over from the old models.

IMHO, anyone who is looking for a premium mower owes it to themself to check out an SR4---it's the best value for the money among today's premium mowers. I'd especially urge any L-B owner whose green machine has finally bit the dust to look at an SR4. Even though it's a Toro, it carries on the L-B traditions of durability, light weight, and maneuverability.

All good choices. Out of the three Snapper gets my vote. Watch the Toros, there has been an issue with the wheel tangs snapping off from stress fractures with the alum. contruction, requiring replacement ($300) of the entire deck. It's not a one piece stamped deck. IMHO at this price point construction could be better but I prefer steel decks. You might want to give Ariens a look, nice durable equipment.

Buy a Lawn-Boy 10684 or 10685 and keep the change in your bank account.

These are $339 and $379 respectfully. I have owned 3 Toros: 20017, 20041 and a SR self propelled (forgot model). My pick of the 3 is the 20017. The Tecumseh engine has performed better than the B&S in my experiences. I did not like the SR series. The quality of cut was not as good as the others or the LB.

The 10684 handles like the SR but produces a better quality cut. All the others that you have mentioned may last longer under heavy use. It sounds like your mower will not be strained and should last many years if maintained properly. By the time it wears out you may be able to buy a robot mower at today's prices.

Good luck.

I must go against the grain here - got the top of the line Toro Personal pace with electric start and it lasted one cutting season as a trimming mower only ! (we use a JD for most of the 2 acres...)

EVERY start was a hard start with "backfire like" hard clunk of the drive shaft from the hard electric start...
eventually it locked up - presume it broke the mower shaft...

and quotes of repair are more than a new mower....

fyi - it WON'T be a toro :)

johnboytoo, IIRC, those Toros all have at least a 2-yr warranty and the SRs have a 5-yr warranty. Why don't you return it for repair or exchange?

Honda may have good engines, but the plastic decks on their more expensive consumer line would be a deal breaker for me. I would much rather buy an aluminum deck Toro or Lawnboy or a steel deck Snapper.

I use to work for Honda as an internal auditor and audited Honda Power Equipments plant in Swepsonville, North Carolina. The plant management told me Honda made the switch from aluminum to plastic to cut costs. I got a Honda Harmony mower for my brother at a company discount. Even though he only uses this mower sparingly as a trim mower and is careful with his equipment, the deck cracked. To top it off Honda delivered this mower without an air filter element and my brother did not catch their mistake until he was doing preventative maintenance, approximately one year after taking delivery.

A neighbor bought a plastic deck Honda Harmony a few years ago and did not like its maneuverability and lack of mulching power and gave it to his mother. He bought a much cheaper Troy Built and likes it much better.

The Lawnboy Insight Platinum, the Toro Super Recycler, or the Snapper HI-VAC would be better choices than the plastic deck Honda mowers and the Toro and Lawnboy are significantly less expensive. I would choose the Toro if you primarily mulch and the Lawnboy or Snapper if you primarily bag.