Toro-Super Recycler

Oh, does it matter that I may or may not need a actual PUSH mower?

If I end up where I want to be, I will not need a transmission equipped unit.

So I guess the question really becomes, which is the better brand for a mower WITHOUT a trany and one WITH a trany?

Check out snappers line of regular push mowers, they do make some of the best designed back wheel drive systems on the market and if you find you don't need self propel then their regular push mowers are good as well.

Can somebody sum up Snapper vs. Toro for me? Toro seems to have a better warranty, but folks seem to really like the Snappers. ?????

A VERY GOOD FRIEND OF MINE HAS A SNAPPER TORO/LAWNBOY DEALER , HE TOLD ME THAT THE SNAPPER EAST SPEED/ HI VACS WILL CUT & OUT LAST THE OTHERS. I HAVE SEEN 3-5 YEAR OLD TOROS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ABUSED WHEELS ARE WOBBLY CABELS BROKEN SELF PROPELL NOT WORKING. HE SAID SNAPPERS ARE A MUCH BETTER PRODUCT.

Okay, but in the Snapper line what exactly am I getting for paying 100 bucks more for the 2167519B HI-Vac push over the R196017B Mulching Mower push? Is it a overall quality thing? They have the same warranty and engine model (though the HP is a bit higher in the Hi Vac).

jopopsy,
Also being a tractor guy, if I had to downsize it would be to a Better 32. I would not look at the 600-700 dollar 21 inch models. Though you have missed this last winter sale, if you aren't in a hurry you can wait till next winter sale for a decent price. Check out the Better Outdoor Products - YMMV

If not getting self propelled be sure to look at weight. Snappers are heavy. I like Snapper self propelled models though. Why not get self propelled? I'd want self propelled for any amount of mowing. Check out the Lawn-Boy lineup too. They are newly redesigned and may offer engine options and pricing that may be better than their parent company line of Toro.

I have a Honda HRR216PDA. It's not self propelled. It starts easy, runs quiet and can mulch, side discharge or rear bag (all attachments included). It's also very economical on gas.

Here is a link that might be useful: HRR216PDA

also ir you get self propelled... look for a seperate speed vs engine control. Snappers have a very elegant method to control walking speed vs engine speed. fro very slow to a run.

If Toro were a Toyota Snapper's a Nissan. If Snapper's a Chevy Toro's a Ford. Get it? Reasonably cared for you'll be happy with either.

Is Toro actually made by Toro, and is Snapper actually made by Snapper? I read (but don't know if its true or not) that Snapper was made by MTD.

In the riding mower realm, MTD = Junk (well, at least in my and many other's opinion).

????

Yes Toro is made by Toro and Snapper is made by snapper. Snapper is good stuff. They were bought up by Simplcity who was bought up by Briggs and Stratton. - Kris

I happen to like the Toro Super Recycler. But I think that you will find that mowers in the same price range from the major manufacturers will be very close in quality. It's a very competitive business.

With proper care a $600 mower from Honda, Snapper or Toro should last for a long time. As you move up in price from the entry-level models sold at Home Depot you will find that less-noticed features like controls, wheels and transmissions are generally built better. The engine on almost any mower will last 2 decades or more with proper maintenance and yet that is the one component that gets the most attention from buyers.

My suggestion would be to try comparable models at a dealer. I happen to think that Toro personal pace drive is the best power transmission system around, but not all on this forum share that view.

Roadbike, I completly understand. On the tractor forum I was a big advocate of the JD X304 as it was the sweet spot in the 'botique' tractor line. Heads and tails over what you could by at a big box store, but not so over the top that you were wasting your money. It had plenty of things that were upgraded in it, but the price was reasonable for what you were actually getting.

I guess I'm going through the same thing on the push mower end. I may not have much grass to mow, but I don't want wheels falling off the machine or handles that rattle loose after 1/2 hour of mowing, etc. I want a nice reliable piece of equipment that is a good value when compared to a 200 dollar Crapsman. If that means I have to spend the 400 on the entry Toro or Snapper, fine. If that means I REALLY need to spend 600 or 700, I don't really care. What will really get my goat is pissing away the $$.

Not many folks said anything about the Honda mowers. Anybody have any impressions on them vs. Toros or Snappers?

First, I agree with what Roadbike has posted above. And I advise people to go to a real dealer and try out the various high quality mowers, because a lot depends on which mower's controls feel best to _you_. Also, it depends on which dealers are in your area. For instance, some towns may not even have a Snapper dealer. I would want dealer support for any mower I bought. Ariens is another brand that comes to mind, and it has a lot of similarities to the Snapper drive system but is a unique deck and bagging system. John Deere mowers (real ones, not the crap Lowes sells) are quite good, but pricey.

As for Hondas, I have no doubt they are good mowers and engines. My _impression_ is that you pay more for similar performance and that their premium drive systems are slick but complicated and not easily repaired/replaced. But lots of people swear by them, so they are obviously pleasing a lot of owners.

My vote is for a Honda....Keep your eyes open, do some research & be patient. I got lucky & found a very lightly used Honda commercial 21" push mower on Craigslist. I am a tool snob & as the saying goes I try always to buy the very best I can afford at the time. I have been throughly impressed with the Honda, especially when it comes to bagging. I am not exaggerating when I say it's like a vaccum cleaner with how well it picks up grass & leaves. It does have the hydro tranny & if that thing goes out I'm sure my opinion might change, but I've had it for 2+ years & I still get excited everytime I crank it up (which usually takes one pull).

I purchased a Honda HRX217hxa. As for mulching this is the best self propelled bagger/mulcher I have ever used. Starting is easy also.
I have seen many posts about Honda Transmissions having problems.
Yes, but by looking at the models, they got 10 to 15 years of use on the tranny. And most tranny problems were due to improper cable adjustments.
Most of the MTd units rusted out and never saw 5 years of use.
As for the Xenoy body you can't go wrong. And some people say if you hit a rock it will break etc. Well, if you don't check out the site before mowing you have no business operating a gas mower.
My last mower was and still is a HRB215sxa. Excellent mower, but it did not mulch well. Maybe the new blades on the 217 helped the mulching.
If you want something cheap then you do not want a Honda.
I recommend the HRX217 100%.

I agree that Honda is at the top in reliability and performance, but the dealer experience can be souring (see my recent post in this section about a carb problem on my brand new HRX machine...).

are Yard man push mowers any good? i have about a half acre of yard and don't need anything too big or expensive. they have Honda Engine's and i don't car about bagging and such what is the best to get to cut my grass..PERIOD

I bought a Snapper HiVac top of the line electric start model about 5 year ago after my wife said she wanted to mow with a walk behind. I decided to get the electric start to make sure she didn't have any issues with starting it. Since then she maybe has used it once or twice, but I use it all the time. Moctly edging areas the mower can't get to and some high weed areas along the fences. I added the Castor wheels to make moving it around easier. This Snapper is one tough mower. I use it basicall like a walk behind bush hog. It will tackle most brush with the best of them.

If I were to do it over again, I'd by the exact same mower without the electric start. It starts ismply on one or two pulls every time and the electric start only adds wieght.

I don't think you could go wrong with a Snapper.

P.S. If you really like Deere's, last time I checked Snapper had begun making Deere's walk behind mowers. They look like Hi Vacs painted green.

Hi, just bought our first house and it's time to head out and buy a mower. My budget is tight so I'm looking for something in the $300'ish range, rear wheel propelled and reliable, if that combo is possible. Seems to go along the same lines of the original post, so decided not to make a new thread for this.

I narrowed it down to two choices. The Toro 20073 from Home Depot or the Snapper SPV21675 from Sears. I really like the "Personal Pace" propulsion system on the Toro... but I understand the Snapper is probably a better quality machine, so if that's the case, I'd rather go with quality over the Personal Pace. But going along with the "Snapper quality" theme, the Snapper I'm looking at is the new SE line which is the only one available at Sears, so perhaps corners were cut to get to this price point? There's a lot of choices in Craftsman, but haven't heard the best about them, so I guess I'm avoiding them. Any opinions are welcome, thanks!

I just bought a Toro 20066 and it has revolutionized my mowing. I owned a Toro 20016 which is still going strong but was time consuming on 1/3 acre. The 20066 flies and I can jog with it and it keeps pace.

The bag on the 20066 is much better than the 20016 as it no longer 'pops off' when it hits a bump. The real wheel drive has some serious torque and the engine is much quieter than the 20016.

Recommended!

We use a Honda residential self-propelled https://bestoutdooritems.com/best-gas-lawn-mowers/ thick aluminum deck, easily replacable wheels, steel handle and the ubiquitous Briggs 5HP. None of this blade brake, throttle cable, safety switch stuff. I have one and love it. Starts up on the first pull and works as promised by Honda. Sine we only use it on a couple of very small townhouse backyards a week it should last for years.

Snappers are good.

I vote for the Snapper , currently . 2nd Honda . Stay away from Troy built anything !

So Mowernut , all Hondas Hivacs back in the Day produced awesome cuts especially within bagging , mulching was their short coming . However with Ninja or Gator Mulching Blades , this function was improved . The newer lower profile models also seem to leave random cuts . Yes , even new blades should be sharpened , also altering your deck level can improve cut quality . The HRXs twin micro blade systems were a nightmare due to the turbulence caused by the second blade. Most owners went to a single high lift style blade with a spacer to resolve this complaint .I said in the other thread you created , a New Toro may solve your current issues , nothing guaranteed ! lol.