Toro or Honda

bgillette79

Which of these would you buy and why?

http://www.toro.com/home/mowers/recycler/20017.html


or

http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/M...Name=hrr216tda

I picked these because they are under $400

oddjob

I have had very good luck with Honda's over the years.

vinman

I love the Toro I have. Off hand I forget the model, but I have the one like you're looking at with the key start. It will start with the key or by pull. Toro's Personal Pace self propelled system is great. Instead of pulling the bar down and the single speed like most mowers, The PP is built into the handle and the mower goes as fast or as slow as you do. The faster you walk, causes you to push more on the handle and the mower goes faster. If you walk slower you push less and the mower goes slower. I had two Craftsman mowers previously and without going into Sears' terrible service dept. the toro makes them look like real junk.

mt232

I had a landscaping business for 10 years. I always thought of the Techumseh as a throw-away engine, but I never replaced a honda engine. Sold my business with the Honda's still running. Since then I bought a similar Honda and it has been great.

handy man88

Stick with Honda. I have the Z with the caster wheels up front. They build great mowers with great engines. The only thing I found lacking was that the mower itself is not as high quality as the engine, but that's saying a lot. Honda parts are expensive though, and must be purchased through a Honda dealer.

oldgoat

I would probably go with the Honda. I've never had a Honda but have heard good things about them. I've never been a fan of Tec engines though. Also the Honda has ball bearing rear wheels. Actually I was out looking tonight for another mower. I saw a Cub Cadet at Home Depot and they have a 3 year warranty and bearing wheels also, but it was also only a 19 in deck. Also I wanted one with the large rear wheels. Lowe's has a Toro with a Honda engine on them also. For me I will probably stay with a B&S since they have been bulletproof for me.

handy man88

I have a Honda walk behind and it starts almost everytime after the first pull, with no priming needed. My neighbors have toros and they have a harder time. Having a piece of equipment with a Honda engine is great, but you must also examine the other parts also, to make sure they are of high quality/reliability.

I had to repair my mower right from the box when a retaining ring came loose and my front caster wheels would not lock. Design could have been better, although I paid over $500 for the mower. Also with Honda, some parts do not come standard. For example, I had to buy a chute attachment for $35 when I don't want to bag or mulch.

That's surprising. I would rank the engines as below:

Kohler
Kawasaki
Honda
Briggs and Stratton (high end)
Tecumseh (snow king)
Tecumseh

I surely would never buy a Cub Cadet. Many reliability problems, though they have a 3 year warranty. I would buy a john deere or an Ariens, and the John Deere would be from a local distributor, not Home Depot. High end Snappers get good reviews too.

rb_in_va

Honda wins that one hands down. Many mowers are made by the same factory with different paint and logo on them. Best bet is to go to an OPE shop and look around. Last time I was in there they had homeowner mowers starting at $300. And when you need service you already have a place to go! BTW, is this for personal use? How big is the lot you are mowing?