..well I've been lurking the used sites for a replacement mower..I had a sears 21" & its going to be replaced.( never sears lawn equipment again for me. parts usually have to be Ordered on line...wait 10 days or more, & HIGH shipping charges..sears su*k!!) anyway I found a 33" cut self propelled walk behind troy build..dealer NEW left over for some time.. list $1399.00 on sale, last one for $699.99..I did a little checking & heard negative reports for the thing..such as uneaven cut leaving a "Ridge line" of grass,wheels in front failing after little use,blade mounts falling out.. .its a 9hp Bridges/stratton engine..any comments & thanks in advance.

 

Troy-Bilt is a MTD product. If you want my personal opinion stay away from anything MTD makes. Some things will last a while and others won't last a week. On the flip side, MTD products are usually a lot easier to get parts for than AYP products (who make Craftsman mowers).

Unfortunately, between AYP and MTD they make just about everything you can buy at chain stores.

EDIT: Saw you mentioned the Troy-Bilt was from a dealer. You may want to do some homework. I don't know if Troy-Bilt from a dealer is the same as Troy-Bilt at Lowes/TSC/etc. For example, John Deere tractors at Home Depot are NOT the same as the tractors at a dealer. Could have changed in the past year or two since I've been out of the market, but Scotts made the JD tractors for the chain stores last I knew.

 

A lawn professional in Houston who has been in it for years gave me the following advice. "It is not the brand of mower, but be SURE it has a Briggs and Stratton engine." I know some of the mowers have a 5 year warrenty.
FWIW

 

I don't really know if I agree with that advice. We had more B&S stuff come in for repair than anything else. I have figured out that some people swear by B&S and some people swear off of them! (Just like the big three trucks I guess).

Honda has some small engines out for mowers. Personally, I would go that route. Honda has come a LONG way in the small engine department.

 

I prefer to be sure that it has a Kohler engine. I've learnt from experience to stay away from Briggs and Tucumesh both at all costs. I'm still running a 1992 Sears 18hp Kohler magnum garden tractor that Dad bought new. it runs great, has never been rebuilt and parts are just a click and 5 days away through Sears parts.com although the only thing to go bad in 15 years is a wear bushing in the steering and the switch on the dash for turning the blades on. My former in-laws have went through 3 John Deeres purchased at the local deere dealer in this same time frame and only mow about an acre compared to my 3 acres. The decks and steering mechicanism failed on all of them. The Deeres aren't built a bit different than the MTD mowers until you step up into the heavier garden tractor models. Same stuff different color but more cost. Unless your buying a bigger garden tractor type model pretty much all of the little lawn tractors are built the same. I would shoot for one that you can get parts for the easiest and that you have seen around awhile.

 

I've got a husquavarna with a kohler 15 hp for the last 8 or 9 years and it has given me no trouble whatsoever. I just change the oil and air filter and it does the rest. It has about 180 hours on the engine.

 

The old, original Troybuilt products were built like tanks with fully welded seams on the housings.

The newer MTD stuff, not so much. ....everything is stamped parts.

I bought a Troybuilt snow thrower in '96 powered by a Techumseh Snow King 8hp engine.
It still runs strong like the first day I bought it.
The housing is a little scratched, but still tough as nails.

 

"...heard negative reports for the thing..such as uneaven cut leaving a "Ridge line" of grass..."

That is exactly what I am experiencing with mine. Overall, it runs great, starts every time, I can't complain about stuff breaking. Had mine for 8 years now but it cuts UNEVEN, drives me mad.

Keeping the blades new and sharp helps with the unevenness but it's kind of a pain.

Otherwise, I think it's a pretty good little tractor and the B & S engine has been solid.

 

Hey grantx5..here is a copy & paste from some research I've done about the en-even cut..taken from another site and pasted )
****The only real flaw is the blades, not much lift to them so if your grass is long and thin or really dry it tends to want to leave a ridge in the middle. I modified a set of blades from another mower that had taller sails and they work fantastic but it takes a die grinder and lots of patience to do that.***

Thanks for the great information on this site !!!!!!!!!!

 

Great info, thanks.

 

my personal preferance is anything with a honda engine.

are you only looking for a walk behind?

 

we have them at work. they are stupid IMO. i would never buy one for myself

brett