Best Mower Sears Has to Offer
Written: May 29 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fast, solid, strong mulching, key start, automatic choke/prime, great height adjuster, great value
Cons: Only average cutting evenness, deck wash system would be nice
The Bottom Line: This is likely the best mower Sears carries and a great value for a ton of features and seemingly high quality. I highly recommend it.
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| hawknoah's Full Review: Snapper Walk-Behind Mower - SPV21675E |
I got a disappointing five seasons out of my last Sears Craftsman mower with the Honda engine, so this season I got a new Husqvarna (see my reviews of both). However, after having to return two defective Husqvarna mowers to Sears within six weeks of purchase, I decided to try a different mower rather than to tempt fate with a third. Snapper is new to Sears for 2008 and this mower has great features for very good prices ($379, plus a $25 Sears coupon).
In terms of features, this model is self propelled with variable speeds, rear wheel drive, ball bearing wheels, has a single lever height adjuster, a 6.75 HP Briggs & Stratton engine, a key start, and an automatic choke/prime. I am never ever again using a mower without a single lever height adjustment, since life is too short to fight with the individual wheels. I was sold on the brake blade clutch option on mowers in the past, but it seems that's a feature that tends to break more than most, so I begged off on that since this is so easy to restart with the key option. The only features it's lacking other than a brake blade clutch is the new deck wash system that allows you to wash the underside with a hose from the top of the mower.
I'll describe how I use the lawn mower-- in case those reading this use it in different conditions, you want to be able to make a good comparison. I live in suburban Washington, DC where mowing is necessary nearly nine months of the year. I have about 8,000 square feet of grass to mow on a mostly flat landscape with only slight inclines. I only have about seven large trees on my property to contend with, so it's not a particularly difficult lawn to mow. I mulch the clippings most of the year and only bag during the late fall when I need to pick up leaves. I never have the need to side discharge the clippings, which is also an option on this mower.
The mower came assembled out of the box. I simply set the handle height adjustment (three settings- I just took the middle one), added the bottle of oil that came with it, charged the battery for a day by plugging an adapter into a wall socket, and filled it with gas and I was ready to go. I then set the height using a single lever with nine settings. I happily found that the mower was very simple to use- there was no choke or primer bulb needed even when the engine is cold. Then I hold down a safety lever, then twisted a key to start the engine and engage the blade and squeezed a trigger to control the variable speed self propeller.
Let me say that this mower took off like a shot with the self propel engaged. I actually cut 5-10 minutes off my mowing time of my lawn because of the quickness. It is quite nimble despite its relatively heavy 114 pounds (due to its "Durasteel" deck) but felt solid as a rock. It was very easy to regulate the amount of acceleration- I mainly held the trigger at top speed, but just let up on it a little to make turns. And if I needed to stop mowing to clear branches away or something like that, it's not a big deal to kill the engine and just twist a key to restart it instantly. It turns out that the rated horsepower and torque isn't the best judge of quickness, since even at 20 pounds heavier and a full two fewer pounds/feet of torque, this mower trounces the Husqvarna.
I haven't tried the bag yet, so I can't comment on that, but the mulch plug goes in and out much more easily than on my last Craftsman mower, and the bag looks like a large one that fits on snugly. Although I would say the mower is just average in terms of even cutting, it mulches better than any I've seen-- without leaving clumps of clippings, even in high or moist grass. The mower itself is rather attractive in red with protective plastic bumpers, making it easier to clean-- yes, I have taken to cleaning the mower all over and even Armor-Alling after each use because to keep it looking its best. I imagine this will also prolong the life of the mower, at least by removing clippings from the underside.
Unlike my previous Craftsman mower, the gas tank held enough gas for two full mowings and then some, so I would say it's fairly fuel efficient. The mower and its components seem to be considerably more durable than my Craftsman/Honda mower that was downright delicate, but only time will tell if this is true. For example, the lever door where the mower can side-discharge is attached in such a way that it doesn't get brushed open by normal use like many mowers do, which I take as good care in the design for overall durability. The single lever height adjuster locks solidly into place and can never move once set, so you don't have to worry about your lawn being scalped accidentally like on the Husqvarna or other mowers with this otherwise fine feature.
Overall, I actually look forward to mowing each week, because this mower is a pleasure to use. It's fun using such a fine piece of machinery outside each week to get exercise and make the appearance of my property look immediately better. Again, I can't speak for long time durability yet, but I am optimistic that it will last longer than the five years on my last mower-- and if it doesn't, well the price was right at only $354 anyway for such a fine set of features.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
hawknoah
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Reviews written: 67
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