Adrian_Thompson wrote:
ProDarwin wrote:
The Honda whatever is the 22" self propelled model. I have the push it yourself model. Its great, light, always works, uses extremely little fuel (I fill my 2 gallon fuel can once a year). I had some problems with the original blade, but when I replaced it, I went with the twin blade setup and it seems to work very well.
Just discovered you can get a Honda powered Toro. IS it just the engine that makes the quality of the Honda worth it, or the whole thing?
As a former lawnmower repair person at a Home Depot warranty repair facility, I can safely say that the sticker on the Honda makes it more expensive. It is not a better mower. Add to that the fact that they are usually more complicated and parts cost more and it is a no-brainer for me.
All of them since about 2008 conform to the new EPA regs and they will all have carb issues with ethanol fuels. The higher end hondas use a hydraulic drive. The belt drives a small pump which hydrostats the axle. Its failure prone and $230 to replace. All of them will have the same cable/drive things go wrong.
Toro and Lawn Boy are the same thing. Get one with a Tecumseh, a Briggs, a Honda... doesn't matter. I personally prefer the Briggs from an ease-of-maintenance standpoint, although after 125 years of mowing you might drop an exhaust valve seat. Hondas are fine as well but parts tend to be way more expensive. Expect $10 for an air filter instead of $1.50 for a Briggs. The first thing to go on the Honda will be either the recoil or the rings, so you'll just have to mow in an oil cloud. Tecumseh is also wonderful.
The Briggs' starting feature is fantastic. There is no priming, no choking, just pull. If it doesn't start on the first or second pull, something is wrong. It uses a choke valve that is connected to a paddle and a thermostatic coil. When the engine is not running, the paddle springs one way and closes the choke. Once it starts, the breeze from the cooling blades on the flywheel push the choke open. The thermo coil adjusts how far it opens or closes depending on temp.
For dead nuts reliability, just get any Toro, Lawn boy, Poulan you like and run it. Honda is too complicated and expensive for what amounts to a functionally equivalent operation and cut. The only benefit I have seen to the Hondas is that they are available with the plastic deck. True, it won't rust, but it is highly susceptible to a stick or stone putting a window in it. Or if you drop it while unloading it, you'll snap the wheel off the deck and it can't be fixed.
For my money, a good old fashioned steel deck, Briggs powered rear-drive mower is what you need. In fact, I have never purchased a mower. I have always picked up one from a curb on trash day, cleaned out the carb, and ran it for another 10 years. Not kidding.
In fact... where do you live? I'll come get your old one on trash day and sell the motor off of it. 
