never had a bolens, but i've had both mantis and troy-built, i think they are excellent--as long as i am the only one to use them! the same fate happened to both, the men in my family decided to use them, both on sod-and packed ground.the troy built stripped gears out on sod, the mantis case cracked using on hard ground--it went back to the factory to be repaired-and cracked again the first time it was used. i now have the troy built repaired, with a hands off policy-- i only use it on the soft garden dirt, or flower beds. i'm supposing, but dont know, the bolens would be the same. incidentally-- I loved them.