Is Consumer Reports paid off?
Years ago I was involved with somebody working at Sears' headquarters. She would often laugh about what tractor or lawn mower or table saw would be in the next consumer reports and at what rank... From what she was saying Sears was given (depending on product line) 2-4 spots on the top ten and Sears could chose to rank their products themselves and consumer reports would apply in the proper slot... (saw1, saw2, saw3... that is how sears ranked. consumer reports gives sears the 2, 5, 7 slots therefore saw1 is rankded 2, saw2 is ranked 5 and saw3 is ranked 7) I would assume Home Depot, Ace, MEnards, Lowes all have a similar agreement... so are they really fair? the reason this came up.... I was needing a lawn mower... I asked her to get me a coupon and she comment on which one to buy... not any of the 3 that were on the top ten. She picked out a different one and told me this particular one is their best... they just make very little money on it. What do you think
Buying lawn mower from Lowe's a bad idea?
Lowe's and Home Depot sell some good mowers. You should read online "how to choose a mower" and if you can find the May issue of Consumer Reports Magazine you will find an article comparing mowers. If you can find an employee that has time to help you you can get good mower at Lowe's or HD. Compare prices with another mower shop. Private mower shops sometimes have a little more time to help you. That is the only major difference.
Most rugged, reliable lawn mower?
Two Goats OR Three Lambs. The numbers really vary according the size of your property.
Best brand and features for push lawn mower?
It sounds like you probably want a push mower, though a self-propelled is much easier on the legs & back, especailly on hills with a large yard. Some of the more recent improvements: Squeeze lever control of self propelled wheel speed. A one touch control of cutting deck. One lever instead of 4 moves deck. Key (electric) Start No choke starting. Gas caps which automatically add fuel stabilizer to fuel to prevent clogging of carb. Longer homeowner warranties. (2 years+) With a large yard, I would get at least a 6.5 HP engine with a mulching blade. Large rear wheels are overrated, though they do make it easier to negotiate some turns. The John Deere JS45 ($500) has the pivoting front wheels which makes the unit more manuverable around tight turns, a plus for a yard with alot of trees and beds. JD is also known for better cut quality and reliability. A smaller cut width (21" vs. 22") with a similar powered engine will yield a better quality cut. That would be my pick. . Consumer reports Apr. 08 issue has a great comparison of nearly every push/self-propelled lawn mower.