Mtd Yard Man 9 Hp/27.5" Mtd Yard Bug Riding Mower with Autodrive Transmission 328

Pros: Durable chassis, compact design, with a good motor.
Cons: Complex design has too many parts to maintiain. Very user hostile for making repairs.

This write-up may differ from typical reviews, which usually are in the realm of "I've had it 3 months and it's doing great!" Here's the short story - If you have a lot of money to pay a mechanic, and you like "cute" little mowers, it's a good deal. ...

Pros: Appearance, small size
Cons: Cheap battery, too many safety switches, can't mow while in reverse gear

I have had this thing only about two years, having bought it new in 2004. I think that may have been the last year it was made. I bought it because my wife decided I needed a riding mower for our 1/4 acre lawn; I didn't want a riding mower. I ...

Pros: Reliable, compact, hardy, efficient, handy
Cons: SLOW, tedious to repair

I purchased my Yard Bug new back in '99 because I thought that even my wife would be able to handle it - simple controls, compact size, etc. Little did I know that 10 mowing seasons later it would still be running strong! I've read the other reviews ...

Pros: Price;
Cons: Not a terribly durable piece of equipment. Hope that you enjoy working on it.

Greetings everyone, I too have owned this for a two seasons. I purchased this used from my Uncle who owned it for two seasons as well. I have approximately 1/2 acre to mow primarily and my primary reason for purchasing this was to cut down on mowing ...

Pros: easy to get around trees, small size
Cons: a lot of design issues - poor product quality

I have had my yard bug for about 9 years. These machines were not very well designed and I had a lot of issues from the first use. I have a 1 acre lot with many tree's so was interested in the small size and manuverability. After cutting the lawn about 3 ...

Pros: small enough to do minute lawns turns well, cute until it breaks then  find parts!
Cons: Read the review above and find something else to buy!

After years of my husband "bugging" me for a riding mower, we found the Bug, used for $350 completely rehabbed - well not...... reverse was the first thing that went within the first month. Based upon other reviews there is no way that this will ever get ...

Pros: Looks really cool, turns really tight
Cons: Even high maintenance wont make it cut grass.

I am preparing to pay my annual maintenance bill on my Yard Man Bug, this year $163, and every time I look at it I get angry all over again. This year it worked for all of 23 minutes. I bought this because it looked good, seemed to have enough ...

Pros: Grass catcher inside
Cons: Just about everything

As I sit looking for more parts on the internet, I finally get the push needed to do a review. I bought the bad bug at Wal-mart about 3 years ago for around eleven hundred dollars (not their fault). The small wheels on the front dig in on turns killing the grass, plus they come off the rim easily. The battery has been replaced twice, shift cable three times, starter solenoid once, front tires twice, and now the transmission is gone. I am in my fifties and have owned many lawn mowers in the past that never gave me this much headache, especially for that high price. Be handy with a wrench if you grab this bad bug.

Pros: small and compact not as expensive as most models
Cons: will bankrupt you with repairs bagger a must or it clogs

I can not tell you the many troubles I have had with the Yard Bug my husband bought three years ago! It has spent more time in the shop being fixed than any lawn mower we have ever had! It is a never ending list of things, a battery here, a transmission there, a wheel here and the number of belts we go through is just amazing!!! They are also difficult to work on and for what we have paid in repairs alone we could have bought a different lawn mower that WORKS! After having read the other reviews and finding out that these things are still being made but painted a different color, I had to write and warn everyone not to just walk, but to RUN the other direction from this bug!

Pros: Size, style (I like the difference), concept of features
Cons: Uneven mowing, poor belt durability, annoying safety features

I agree with the others here. A great concept for anyone that owns a 1/2 acre lot in the burbs. I have had my Bug for 4 seasons. The speed is slow, but use that time to enjoy the outdoors! Belts have broken every two years for me. Battery lasted two years. I like the Forest Gump feeling when people watch me on my yard bug. I have not had the numerous troubles other have had, but feel the belts should last more than two seasons. Also the mowing is less than satisfactory. Uneven rows and tire marks from the front wheels are common complaints. It does start up every time. The steering is easy and the gas pedal is easy to push and hold.

If they made the belts more durable, added a cruise, and gave us some speed, this bugger would be a great mower. Oh yeah, the "safety features" are annoying. No reverse mowing? Come on........

Pros: small easy to get around trees ect. Reliable engine, nice turf saving tires.
Cons: No back up pull starter cord, mulcher clogs. No battery replacement specs

I bought my Yard Bug new in 2000 and it's been great ever since. Had some minor electrical problem but was able to easily find and replace the brake safety switch I cracked while putting it up on blocks for the winter. Once I replaced the braking safety switch I zip tied the blade engage switch button so I could mow in reverse and I unplugged the seat safety switch. I have the 9.5 HP which is very powerful and will pull a trailer full of wood or dirt with easy. Works beast with the side discharge cutting attachment. The bagger works great but fills quickly in my yard, haven't had much luck with the mulcher.

Pros: It looks good
Cons: Avoid at all costs. Better to let your grass grow than buy a Yard Bug.

The Yard Bug is a perfect example of what happens when you design something in the dark. If you want to do 3 times as much work, and have a terrible cut, then Yard Bug is for you! I didn't know they could even MAKE a mower this bad. They must have really worked on it. Stay away from this total, absolute, piece of trash!

Pros: tight turning excellent cutting fits easily into an 8x8 shed
Cons: slow speed initially can't cut in reverse small shop must maintain

I have had my bug for 4 years and have generally enjoyed it.

Speed is definitely an issue here as the mower is as slow as advertised but the offset is a perfectly manicured lawn. Initially I played with the throttle system and got some extra speed but ended up snapping the cables a couple of times over the years.

Maintenance must be done by a small engine shop as the cable replacement is near impossible but the belts were not half bad to do on my own.

When I had it serviced last I had the shop disengage a safety feature which now gives me the ability to move in reverse. HUGE PLUS!!!

As I said, the mowing is top rate. I love the bagging system....it has great suction and really picks up everything. With the mulch kit on (and mowing at full speed) I still get a nice cut. I have kids and swing sets, sand boxes and basketball pads to contend with so the tight turning radius was a major selling point.

Pros: Auto drive transmission- that's it
Cons: To many moving parts, plugs with grass to easily !

Way to many safety switches, if you so much as spit on the grass it will become to wet and the mower will plug with grass every 10 feet !!!, I Finely cut the mower deck apart and welded a steel discharge shoot to the deck, Works like a million bucks now. Tires also started leaking just months after purchase
The one thing I liked about this mower was the Auto Drive transmission, it's the poor mans hydrostatic but even that seems to eat drive belts.

I feel the M T D is taking over the "Lawn mower world ", They are buying up everybody- Buyer beware!!
Dave8n1@excite.com

Pros: Great for small yards
Cons: Doesn't cut in reverse and not air conditioned, just kidding.

I've had my Yard Bug since August 2000. I beat the heck out of it and the only problems I have had is the replacement battery did not last as long as the original and the only time the front tire came off the rim was because I did not check the tire pressure. I seem to always let the grass get to long and it may take a couple of passes to get it cut down, but who cares I'm riding instead of pushing and in the summer in Arizona this is a blessing. My back yard is a disaster and has more dirt and rocks than grass and the terrain is lumpy, uneven with lots of pot holes and yet the darn old Yard Bug keeps going. I keep meaning to change the oil but forget and it still keeps going. So either I was very lucky with this product or the others having all these issues must be doing something wrong or they just don't make'm like they use to in 2000.