Sam's Club [samsclub.com] has
Yard Force 22" Self-Propelled 3N1 Gas Mower w/ Briggs & Stratton 675EXi 163cc Engine for
$249.98 w/ free shipping for Plus members. Membership required.
- Self-propelled rear wheel drive
- Made in USA Briggs & Stratton 675EXi 163cc Professional Series engine
- 3-in-1 Cutting Options:
- Rear bag, mulching, side-discharge
- ReadyStart® Engine Technology: Check & Add™ oil never needs changing
- Class leading single-handle height adjustment
- 22" steel deck
- Cutting Height: 7-position single lever height adjustment: 1.25" – 3.75"
- Wheel Size: 12" rear / 8" front
- Handle: Folds in center with quick-turn knobs
- Warranty: 2-year warranty on engine & chassis
81 Comments
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Good: Bag fills up all the way and decent size bag. Mulch very well. Lightweight.
Bad: rear wheel drive is pretty useless and hard to operate except you are owing straight ground and uphill only. Slope down will make you run. Pulling back and pushing forward is very very hard in corners and turn around tree. So many times hit my trees. Jerky and extremely fast fast when front wheel are up.
Another thing I felt is driving stick shift car where constantly self propelled need to turn on/off when pulling backwards. In front wheel you can pull keeping front wheel slightly up and very very easily and still self propelled running.
Hope this comment helps before buying regardless of price.
Yes great suction power and bagging was just perfect and bag size is just right compared to many other which has very small or 25% smaller than this. However leaking grass and fly on you from top side. Must be sealed. Mulch / Cut was very good and liked it.
Bad things are
1. Rear wheel drive self is bad bad bad. If all weight is on rear end that is case most of the time then mower jump like crazy horse. Out of control. Many corners area where you pull mower back and forth is pain in ass and must let self propelled handle to go. But, if you have front wheel you can alway have front wheel drive engaged and pull mower back on rear wheel keeping front wheel up in air slightly. My yard has many trees and corners around and slopes as well. For straight yard without any trees it may be ok.
2. handle/lever for self propelled is far to reach by finges and very awkwardly designed. Dumb design and very bad unless someone customize/modify.
More update I will post next use. Bust mostly this is going back for me due to rear wheel drive which must need to be on/off all the time that I hate. Front wheel drive only.
Anyone has opinion on rear vs front drive?
I guess I'll check Harbor Freight for a portable lithium grinder or Dremel that I can plug into a 125w inverter.
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There are lot's of issues with my Honda that I won't go into here, and I'll never buy another one, but just focusing on the rear wheel drive, I don't like it, and vowed never to buy another one of those whether Honda or any other brand. Since the weight of the mower is mostly on the rear wheels, mine began to lose traction and the wheels started to spin when the tires got a little wear on them. Not completely, but enough to notice and make you have to push harder which sort of defeated the point of a self-propelled mower. I've had it three years now, and at this point, I'm going to have to replace the wheels very soon or just live with a $600 push mower. If the grass is a little damp, forget about it. It's completely ineffective. It becomes a heavy push mower. My advice — If you end up getting a rear wheel, get large back wheels with deep tread, and be ready to replace them when the tread gets a little wear. The less tread, the harder you have to push. None of the front wheel drive mowers I've owner have done this, especially after only a couple years of use. Most of the front wheel mowers engage "gears" in the inside of the wheels which are plastic and will eventually wear out, but mine have always lasted many years before this happened.
Also, the transmission required to make rear wheels push the mower vs pull it, is heavy and always engaged. You can't lift the front wheels like you do instinctively with a front wheel mower, in order to pull it backwards without resistance from the transmission. With front wheel, when you cut under something and want to pull the mower back, just lifting the front wheels slightly by pushing down on the handle bar, disengages the front wheel drive whether you have it engaged or not. Not so rear wheel. On my Honda, even when the transmission is not engaged there is still resistance. You end up working much harder when you are pulling the mower out from under bushes that you have to get under. If your yard is level and always cut short, you may be happy with a rear wheel, but don't miss a week then try to cut it when it's damp. The phrase, "spinning your wheels," will take on new meaning.
At some point, I'm going to write an extended review of my Honda. Fewer purchases have I made with higher expectations and greater disappointment than this — not the least of which is the rear wheel drive. The next good deal I see on a reputable front wheel drive mower, the Honda is going on Marketplace.
Yard Force 21" Gas Mower with 20V Leaf Blower https://www.costco.com/yard-force...39363.h
My point was in regards to normal mowers like this one where you have to pull and release a lever to get the wheels to start and stop spinning. With front wheel drive you just lift up the front end and turn but with rear wheel drive you have to release and reapply the lever every time you turn.
Yard Force 21" Gas Mower with 20V Leaf Blower https://www.costco.com/yard-force...39363.h
If you have a very small lawn an electric would be fine.
My parents have a 40V blower and its fine for small, quick jobs. Anything else I go for the Stihl handheld blower or backpack blower. There is no comparison in run time and power.
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