Well, there's nothing little about that FJ180V Kawasaki motor! But it definitely is a powerful, nice motor. I had one fitted to an older Hi-Vac deck before Snapper came out with this combo themselves. Mine didn't even have a choke (just a primer) and it still started on the very first pull, even the first time I ever fired up the engine (it was new out of the box). I'm not sure what you mean by "cranked her up." You mean if you increase the idle speed? I don't know - you can try it but there's no reason to have it idle faster if it's doing well now. If you mean raising the top rpm, then you're talking about adjusting the governor, not the throttle stops. It won't change anything about the idle. But I wouldn't do that without a tach, and not without a goal rpm in mind. Responsible advice would be to recommend that you not to exceed the government limit of 3400rpm, which really means a little below that to account for variation.

Hello all.

Hi colosilverado. Did you get a chance to mow the green stuff with your Commercial Snapper Hi-Vac with the Kawasaki 6 HP?
If you decide to mulch will you use the Snapper Ninja blade?
Tell us some more about your new Commercial Snapper.

Good day.

I have used it a few times and love it so far. I will try mulching a few times and I'll probably use the Ninja that I bought with it. I am still in the experimental stages, so we'll see. She sure as heck did pull up a lot of the thatch. I remember thinking that I wouldn't even get close to a bag on the front lawn due to it not being very long yet and beased on what I would get with my previous mowers. Well, I got 2 bags and I could see a lot more green than I thought there was under that brown. I kind of expected the vacuum to really pick up other debris and it did some, but maybe not what I was expecting. I am using whatever comes on it from the factory for a blade and haven't cranked up the RPMs on it yet. I am still looking for a vibra-tach, but I am about ready to go to a shop close by and grab their tach with an LCD readout just to see what she is running at.
For having absolutely no tweaking done, I love the thing though. I love the speed adjustment and the fact that I can select anything I want, I love the bagging, I love the cut (I can't remember what our grass is other than bluegrass, rye and maybe some fescue) and I love that Kawasaki.
So far, I couldn't be happier. I got the caster wheels in case I want to add them, because I can do that with this model. The casters come with a mechanism that locks and unlocks them and a control assembly that you mount up on the handle with the other controls. That control you add with the casters is your typical heavy duty Snapper fare. The Commercial (mine is the CP216018KWV which is probably a year or so older?)has the metal wheels, more handle bracing and the ability to add the casters. I can't remember if there was anything else, but since this dealer was the only one to have the Kawasaki in this area (northern Colorado), I went home with it. The dealer was cool, showed me the tricks, let me pick whether I wanted the flap down bag (don't know the correct term) or the one that clips shut with a plastic clip. I went with the flapper-thingie because I am lazy. I think that the clip one is larger, but I don't know if it would really save me much time.
It really packs that bag, I know that. You can see the outline of the end of the bag in the grass.
It has been colder here in Colorado, so I haven't gotten to play with the thing as much as I'd like. I can't wait to see what it mulches like and how it works when I crank up the engine and get the blade situation that I want.

What is the blade that you Snapper guys really like with the extensions?

I am really having a hard time not going out and buying some older Snappers and LawnBoys to play with......

I almost bought that exact mower myself due the Kawi FJ180V engine.

I went and talked to my dealer and he used that model for 12 years now. He is just starting to replace parts on it!

But I want to mulch and he said that the Toro's are better at mulching and the Snapper leaves stragglers so I ended up buying Toro's new PT21 model 22164. I just ordered it last week and it should be arriving any day now.

Just need it to warm up here in Michigan first though!

Let me know how you like that mower. It really appealed to me also because of the Toro mulching reputation and the Kawi. Was it that mower that I read about that the FJ180v engine didn't have the filter? I have seen that there are different versions of the FJ180V, so I was curious as to the differences. Maybe there isn't.
I wanted some larger pictures of that Toro PT21. I know...I shouldn't care about looks, but I like to see them anyway.

Let me know how you like it! I couldn't tell what the bagging system was like, so post some pics and reviews!!! Good luck!

The 12-year-old Snapper would have had the Kawasaki FC150V, which is a slightly smaller 5hp motor very similar in size/power to the Honda pushrod 160cc motor. It had a good reputation as well, and was used on lots of Snapper, Toro, and John Deere mowers. The basic differences for the FJ180V that I know of would be: 1) various crankshaft dimensions used on different brands/models of mowers; 2) having fixed or variable throttle; and 3) having the oil filter extension setup. You can add the oil filter setup to any of them just by removing a metal plate that takes its place. You can add the variable throttle panel to the engine as I did if you're a little more adventurous.

You are right that the Toro 22164 does not have the oil filter, I looked it up on Toro's website since they had the manuals posted. But talking to my dealer and others that should not really matter as long as I clean the air filters and change the oil on a regular basis.

I just have a small yard, 85 x 130, but I was sick of owning junk mowers. I hope to get 15+ years out of this mower.

I will post pictures and thoughts on it when I get it. I did get a handle added to it, like the one that is on the 20057, since I have hills that I have to mow with.

I'm anxious to see pictures of that Toro! Heck, if you can add that oil filter, that is very nice to have the option. If it isn't needed, no biggie, and if you end up wanting it, you can add it. Very cool. Mattv21, that sounds like great info.

Hello all.

I have my Snapper CP215517HV set up for mulching using the Snapper Ninja blade. I only tackle dry grass with the Ninja blade.

Good day.

Did you ever get your Toro? Let's see some pics because that one was of interest to me!

I love my Snapper so far. I really like the power of the Kawasaki. I can't believe how well it does on fuel. I have been experimenting with it still....mowing at lower RPMs to see how much torque it makes without spinning it up. It handles stuff that my old mower with the 6HP Quantum wouldn't have handled without bogging or dying.

I also love the cut. I am only bagging right now, so we'll see how I like it when I put the mulching blade on it. My wife couldn't even hear the mower from inside the house when I mowed a few weekends back. I haven't run it at full tilt yet and haven't gotten the tach/hour meter yet.

I couldn't be more pleased. My wife and I like it way more than my dad's HRX217. There is no way I'd go with those box store mowers anymore, either. Those things are getting to be so cheaply made that I can't help but notice the cheap adjusters, wheels, handles and such.
Sadly, the Toros, Lawn Boys and JD's are exhibiting the same 'features' anymore. I realize that Snapper is making some low-end mowers with the cheap crap also and branding some mowers. That is why I was so interested in that commercial Toro with the Kawi and the Ariens. I just wanted something that was made more like they used to be and not something that WalMart or HD have dictated the quality of in the interest of keeping them cheaper.

You won't catch me buying anything with B&S anymore....at least not their Quantums. My neighbor maintained his properly, I was so-so and so was my other neighbor with his. They all died about the same time. They all exhibited hot-start problems, too. Maybe that is normal for a 5 year old engine? All of them were 5 years old.
I talked to 2 different shops and they said that those Quantums are actually at their highest operating temps after you shut it off. They said that there's no way to remedy that. I will buy something with a Tecumseh before a Briggs, that's for sure. I referenced that somewhere, where I left a mower with a Tecumseh outside and it sat under a snow drift for 2 months with old fuel, old plug and air filter and after some priming, it started right up. I let it run awhile, shut it off for a few days and went back out and primed....bingo, it started. No, I didn't treat the B&S like that, but I knew I was getting a new mower this spring and didn't care about that crappy Yard Machines mower.

I'm glad that I went the dealer route, he is open all weekend since he also is in a nice old-fashioned hardware store.

I let my 8 year old son mow with the Snapper a little yesterday, keeping a close eye on him, of course. I now have a new way to threaten my dad...to send my son over to mow his lawn. He was just making paths where ever he felt like it, but it was fun to watch.

Hello all.

Glad that you are happy with your Snapper mower colosilverado.

I don't own any Toro mowers.

Waiting on the rollout of the new LawnBoy commercial model.

I'm going out this afternoon and do lawn duty with my Snapper CP215517HV.

Good day.

I am still debating whether to get a Lawn Boy 2 stroke to play with just to have something different as well.

That commercial Toro looks like a great unit. I've got nothing against any particular brand of mower. The Honda GCV range of motor seem nice and quiet and my dad's mower might outlast mine with that Xenoy deck. Time will tell. I'm trying my arse off to take care of this mower because I do want it to last a long time. There are some great posters here that have some great, insightful posts.

Well, I know nobody really cares, but I'll keep posting in case it helps someone down the road.
I went to my folks' and decided to mow my dad's lawn since he always helps us with so many things. He has the HRX217TDA that I referred to earlier. While I can definitely tolerate that mower, there are a few things that I like better on my Snapper and nothing that I like better than my Snapper. Of course, the Snapper costs more. Maybe down the road I'll change my tune. I'm glad that my dad got the Honda to compare my Snapper to. He loves the Honda and I love my Snapper. If the tables were reversed, I'm sure I'd love the Honda and he'd love the Snapper.

The Honda seemed to have a little less power and the tranny is definitely harder to use. I couldn't get the thing out of 1st after I mowed in 2nd for quite awhile and needed to slow down. Is there some trick? I had the selector basically down toward 3rd and it was still in 1st. It seemed 'sticky' also, although the controls looked okay. It took me awhile to get used to the proper position to hold the bails/handle. I kept wanting to hold wider because of my Snapper. I got used to it though and the actual mowing experience was fine. The cut seemed nice and the Honda is quieter than that Tecumseh by a long ways. I gave him that YardMachine with the Tecumseh back and compared them. I told him that since he has the room, keep the YM for a spare.
I can't stand the bagging ability of rear baggers now that I am used to the system on my Snapper. I have gotten spoiled by the way the Snapper packs that grass in there. I kept feeling the Honda's bag and when it was 'full' and blowing some grass out because it was 'full', it was only 2/3 full when I went to empty it. I tried to get it to fill more without blowing it out, but it wouldn't. My Snapper bag is FULL when I go to empty it. Oh well..

I do like the Versamow on the Honda though. That is a cool idea if it works. My dad wanted to compost, so that is why I bagged. I did use his Honda last year in mulch mode and it was a good mulcher in that it didn't leave trails, that I recall.

Overall, the Honda is a nice mower and much better than anything my dad or I had previously. I expect that it will last a long time as will my Snapper.
I don't think you could go wrong with either!

colosilverado,

I did buy the Toro 22164 mower and I have used it 3 times now. I will post pictures tomorrow since I the day off.

I am very impressed by the mower.

Starting:
- One prime and it starts right up. Does not even need a full pull to start it up.

Time:
- I cut my mowing time from 1 hour to 35-40 minutes. Impressive.

Power:
- Holy cow is all i can say. I have a section in my lawn that gets double coverage from my underground sprinkling, gets extra fertilization from my dog peeing there. This section grows much taller and thicker than the rest of the yard. The old Craftsman would usually bog down or even stall and I would have cut it twice for it to look OK. With the Toro I can go through this section at full speed and mulching and it just goes through it like butter, does not even bog it down.

Spousal approval:
- My wife was playing with the kids in driveway when I was mowing and she noticed how fast I was going and how the mower was just going through it all with no issues. She told me tonight she wants to mow. I got the thumbs up that it was OK that I spent 800 for this mower versus the 250 I spent in 2000 for the Craftsman. Whew!

I am hooked!
- My neighbor was out mowing with his Craftsman as well and he was going very slow through the yard due all the rain we got and it was still stalling out. I am a believer.

Sweet, glad you love your mower. These Kawasaki engines make it easy. I am sure you have a great mower! The wife factor is a nice bonus. I had my wife along when I bought it and she really likes it.
I am hoping that the investment is worth it. It seems to be so far. I know that the cost is high up front, (I have over 9 into the Snapper with the casters, mulching setup, Dealer Line oil), but I am hoping to not have to replace the thing forever like a lot of the other Snapper guys. I'm sure your Toro is the same. I couldn't see spending $400ish on something that I didn't think would last longer than my Yard Machine. Looking at the controls on some, the engines on others and the wheels on others, I could see failures happening more easily. Not that they won't happen on my Snapper and not that a cheaper box store mower won't last with maintenance. I just know how my luck runs and how the stuff I have spent more on in the past has held up.

Either way, at least we're members of the new mowers club!