Mowed for the first time

[vinvac]

Mowed last Thursday for the first time.

Not sure I like my new mower. Seems clunky to use. It is quieter than my Lawn-boy and seems to cut well. Of course it doesn't have the power of the two stroke engine. You can hear it labor in tall grass. The deck is made out of the same material football helmets are made of.

 

[brandon_w_t]

Thats a nice Honda! They are just about the best lawn mower you can buy! I would love one but they tend to be on the pricier side. We use a Toro thats about 12 years old. It's due for a good service. It is getting loud, and the wheels are pretty much worn off. It has been through a lot!

Have gotten to mow 3 times now. The grass is growing fast here!

Ours is similar to this one, but perhaps a little newer. Ours has a a black handle.

 

[scvacuumguy]

Did the initial scalping on my bermuda and then fertilized with Scotts. Yesterday (2 weeks later) I used some Ortho Weed-b-gone on the horrible dandelions growing and it has not accomplished too much as of this morning.

Time will tell!

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I used the Black and Decker last Wed

in preparation for the weekend company. I raked, weed and feed, etc. It's rained ever since. I plan to really 'manicure' both the front and back yards this year. last 2 years the backyard got sa 'lick and a promise', so to speak. It's still too coled to plant any flowers, yet.

 

[isufan11]

Morgan, I bought the same mower, it just doesn’t have the electric start. I did not like it. As you said it was very clunky and a bear to maneuver through the yard, and around obstacles. I ended up returning it and getting a Lawn-Boy 10627 from a dealer here in Des Moines. The Lawn-Boy is a very nice mower and I can weave in and around things like an obstacle course.

Of course now the challenge is to get the grass to actually grow. We purchased a house last fall and most of the new sod had died. This spring it is very patchy and looks horrid. I am having a company come in and power seed the entire lawn as soon as the landscaping is finished.

 

[kenkart]

If you have ever..

Used a Lawn Boy from the 50s or 60s you will forget all the new ones, they are light, start easily and have none of the aggravating safety features todays mowers have.

 

[vinvac]

Jon,

I hope I get to like the new Honda. Right now it just seems very awkward to use. My problem with Lawn-boy and Toro is the transmission in the self propelled drive. I replaced it in my Lawn-boy three times. They paid for it twice.. When I started to look for a new mower, Toro was out because of that. Handle height is a problem for me...

I know I am going to miss the two stroke engine and the old style Lawn-boy deck with the off set wheel.

Hans,

You are so right. I would love to find and old Lawn-boy in the bronze/brown color with the little round gas tank....that was the first mower I ever used...with the T style handle...you couldn't kill that mower. It was a 2.5 horse motor that would cut grass a foot tall.

 

[dysondestijl]

I mowed last night lol

 

[ultimatevacman]

I mowed my lawn today, I have a Bosch Rotak 320 lawnmower. It's not the best, but it does the job

- Joe

 

[turboace]

I have the same mower and love it. I think it's easy to use. I've never had any power problems either. Did you have it on bunny throttle? I love that it doesn't shut off when you let go of it. I find that if you pivot it around on the rear wheels while pushing slightly down on the handle it will turn on a dime. You will also find it gets heavy as it is able to really cram the bag full of clippings since they are so finely shredded because of the dual blade system. Really handy in the fall for picking up leaves. Enjoy!

 

[hoover1]

my mom mows the lawn at our house, she uses a troy bilt riding mower that we bought new back in 2007.

 

[vacuumman206]

Hondas are the best

I like Honda mowers, but the older ones; the HR214 and 215 series. Now those where Hondas best mowers. I have a 214sx and it is my favorite of the 4 I use. I used to regularly use a 1990 LawnBoy M21BMR but it has developed carb issues and the recoil screws keep coming out, so I'll just use my other 3 this season. My 2nd favorite is my John Deere 14sb. I would say it is near the Honda in quality and performance, but is heavier and the blade engagement requires 2 steps, whereas the honda only has 1. Downside to the older Hondas is they must have been designed for people 5' tall, because the handle is barely adjustable and at it's highest it is very short for me and I'm 5'9". I also own 3 1986/87 Honda HT3813 riding mowers. I know they are exceptionally reliable but the last 2 I've gotten turned into duds....that or I unknowingly destroy riding mowers. I've also got a 1982 Toro that has on several accidental occasions ran over small bricks and cut them up in little chunks, with no damage whatsover to the machine. That and a nice Craftsman I was given are in storage.

 

[vinvac]

Starting to get used to the new Honda. It is not a Lawn-boy and doesn't handle nearly as well, but it cuts and mulches much better. I don't bag, the yard is to large and it is expensive to have it hauled away.

Andy's advice about pivoting with the back wheels is very helpful. He is correct, it would bag a lot since it really mulches quite fine. I would have at least 3 garbage cans of clippings if i were to bag the whole yard. I try to mow at least twice a week if not three times when growing conditions are optimal.

 

[suckolux]

I think our 60s lawnboy was beige/ green? loved the speed control and the flip handle for power drive, never broke and it did have power, we had thick bermuda grass

 

[vac_whisperer]

I mowed for the first time las week. Seemed my walk behind mower labored a little in the tall grass. I think I'll fix this by putting in a different camshaft, one with a bigger lobe, so the intake valve can open wider and get more fuel in.

We also have a lawn tractor, but we use the walk-behind mower for trimming along the edges.

 

[jodan3399]

Treat it right and it will last you for years to come.

I have a old HR194 and a HR214 and love them both, 20 something years old both of them and still going strong with the self-propel they climb my hill better than I do some days.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

My 1984 Toro 20672 with its blade brake clutch (BBC) is still a great performer at over 25 years old. With a new carburetor and air cleaner, the engine now starts and runs great.

~Ben

 

[anthony]

lawnmowing

back in the 70s when i was an apprentice my boss used to vac his lawn after cutting with an old tank vac he and his wife liked things perfect

 

[dustin]

We have two push mowers, an old Snapper 2 cycle self propelled, and an old Sears Craftsman self propelled. The Snapper has every option available, the bagger, side discharge attachment, clip on dethatcher, and a spare bag. It really cuts well, and picks up all of the clippings, but being a 2 cycle (4 horsepower), it is smelly and loud. The Craftsman is pretty much a spare, and gets carted around to a couple lawnmowing jobs I have, but I don't think it cuts very well, and the self propelled mechanism never works right, either it slips the belt off and eats it, or the belt just slips, and doesn't drive the wheels. It runs well enough but is developing an oil leak. I always use the Snapper at home because it cuts so evenly and makes perfect stripes. I usually end up mowing once a week, but more if it rains. I like to let it grow about 2" before cutting it back down to about 2". I'm planning on doing it tomorrow, and hopefully I don't need to trim, because I burned up the electric trimmer last week... apparently the smoke pouring out means it's done. We have a gas trimmer but it is heavy and loud.