I just want to say I went through hell trying to find a decent self propelled, mulching mower after my 11-year old Craftsman finally died. It was a very reliable mower, but didn't cut very even and was a mediocre mulcher. It seems the newer mowers are all about bells & whistle features when all I required was an even cut, and good mulching, and a reasonable self-propelled drive. My neighbor has an older John Deere that he loves, but the new ones suck because they sold off the line to some lower quality process, or so I've heard and read. So I started with the Toro Recycler 20334 from HD, and it seemed to mulch ok until I pulled it backwards over the grass to cut (which is a common move while mowing in a confined or irregular shaped area) and saw it clumping when the grass wasn't even very tall. My crap Craftsman out did that, so back to the store and traded it in and upgraded (+$100) for a Honda HRR216VXA. Well that one seemed more solid and the motor had a nice dependable sound to it, BUT 1) engaging the blade killed the motor at least once, and 2) the bagging chamber behind the mulch plug collected way too much grass due to a poorly designed mulch plug that doesn't fit snugly. I even called Honda to see if they knew anything, and of course they acted like it was supposed to be that way. Right. Also it left a small trail of grass behind the right rear wheel when mulching which I wonder if the gaping hole around the mulch plug could somehow be contributing to that, who knows. Either way I wasn't satisfied with that Honda either so I cleaned it up and returned it for a refund and went to Westlake Hardware and for an extra $30 bought a 20092 Toro Super Recycler because I read the Supers have a better mulching system than the regular Recyclers. Well I can finally say it does surpass both of the other mowers I had and I am very satsified with it. I imagine the high-end Honda is just as good but it's $200 more, which seems out of line for a walk-behind mower, also I heard Honda's parts are too high in cost. Also Toro is a U.S. company here in the Midwest which should help with price and availability in theory. Anyway that Super is a mulch monster, I really like it a lot. I don't know if the standard Recycler is some secondary line made just for HD, but it sucks compared to the Super, IMO.

Hondas are overrated. These aren't the Hondas of your father's generation of the early to mid 80's. They are plastic junk just like the rest. The Toros would be fine but many people do not like the personal pace drive system. You could check out the Lawn Boy model# 10604 for under $300 it's a great value and provides a great cut. Also has the Kohler engine which is superior to the Honda. Here is a link that might be useful: Lawn Boy

'What's different about the Super Bagger over the Super Recycler other than the engine and speed?' Everything. It's a different mower that Toro first fielded under the Lawn-Boy marque as the 'Insight' series. The Super Bagger a few years ago was the LB 10791. Toro just changed the paint colors and made it the Super Bagger. Very good mowers, with the top of the line being the commercial version. The Toro is the 22156. The corresponding LB was the 22271. In the above quote, what did you mean by 'speed'?

Man I hate to see cultural animus in a lawn site thread but some people just can't help themselves. Anyone driving an Anerican owned (that's right, I didn't say made because for anyone that doesn't know it Toyota has the largest percentage of US sourced parts and labor. Not Ford Chevy and especially not Dodge) can mainly thank Honda for bringing providing us with their superior engineered and produced vehicles that simply forced the US brands to step their game up. Anyone that says with a straight face that they have owned US and Japanese cars and had more issues with the Japanese vehicles is either horribly unlucky or is lying through their teeth. 20y ago there was no comparison between the two, from NVH to the blatant lapse in QC that allowed vehicles with panel gaps so large to leave the manufacturing facility that when one took a 88 Dodge Aries k down the highway it sounded like there was a wind machine blowing in the back seat. Give me a break. The engine tech on Honda machines are superior in myriad areas. They are much quieter, produce less emissions (don't let the fact you don't believe in climate change stop you from worrying about it...), more efficien power production and because of that much,much, much better fuel economy. On my old snapper with a Briggs mower I would seriously have to refuel once during each mowing session (that mower would have been ~14y old if it were still functioning) and now with my ~9y old HRT with the GCV160 I can almost mow my lawn twice before refilling and yea, the tanks has commensurate capacaties. That's almost a 400% gain in fuel economy. Doesn't take a brain surgeon to see that glaring advantage. The Briggs was about as hard to start as you could imagine, that's what caused me to kick it to the curb. The last stint of pulling the starter cable for 5m, foot on the deck sweating my you know what's off sealed the deal ( I'm not a tiny guy either 6'1" 190). My Honda has started first pull everyone in the 5y I have had it and this is a sissy pull pretty much just using my shoulder and arm strength. I'm sure there are some older B&S out thee that are freaks and just won't die that start first pull everytime but the fact is that is the exception and simply not the rule. If there is one weakness of the Honda mower it would be the carb. But if you don't let stale gas gumm it up and properly maintain the machine (IMO anyone that does not maintain their machines according to the factory guidelines should not be allowed the gear pleasure of caring for their lawn, it's ignorance of the highest degree).