Here is a LINK to the 190cc version of this Ariens Razor Lawn Mower! 👉 amzn.to/3vurWF9 And here is a LINK to the 163cc version! 👉 amzn.to/3TWwywZ Thank you for supporting the channel! 👍
Looked it over at Menards yesterday, engineered to be replaced w/in 5 years... This thing will fall apart the way the handles are screwed into the rear plastic housing and front wheel assembly encased in cheap plastic attach to the deck, way too much flex...
@@GarageGear well, bought and returned the new Dewalt shallow deck self propelled, amazed that the batteries actually lasted thru my whole lawn, roughly 16k sq ft of lawn, but it didn't bag worth a shit... Picked up the Honda HRX Select Drive to replace my Snapper Hi-Vac, wanted the bigger engine and ball bearing wheels... So bummed Snapper stopped gas lawnmowers and I couldn't find a good used one, miss my Ninja w/the Tecumseh Big 6 that got ruined by a shop during a tune up...
AWESOME to see a shout out to a local dealer, near you!!!!😍🤩😍 People never seem to understand how important it is to support your local ma, & pa shops, instead of the BIG box stores. I try my best to support local shops in my area.
Yep. Buy local because it helps employee people YOUR community. Local businesses and employees pay taxes to YOUR community. Better that than begging for money from the state capital or the Feds.
I just bought a self-propelled Honda lawn mower, and per your suggestion, ran it for 30 minutes and changed the oil. Got the sparkley break in particles out of it. I will mow the lawn two times and change it again. It took three oil changes on my new Areins snow blower till I was satisfied most of the glitter was gone.
I'm here because I'm still nursing a 23 year old Ariens around the yard. I was remarkably gifted this mower when my grandmother and her husband moved into a community and didn't need it any more. WHAT A GIFT! I have tortured this thing. I throw garden debri in the yard, spent tomato plants, rasberry canes and hoardes and hoards of maple leaves, year after year after year. I've changed 1 belt...ONE! the front wheel adjustment went loosy goosy a dozen years ago and is now held with mechanics wire, somehow the screw backed out and the filter cover jettisoned out the front and was chopped up. I haven't replaced it (3 years ago). I was, just now, thinking of buying a Honda...but..I sure owe Ariens a chance. This 6.5 has my undying appreciation!! I HAD to leave this comment as a testament to a great gift and a great Ariens mower of the past!!
@@GarageGear I'd like to give that 190cc Ariens a try,,,but,,,like you...Whats' with all the plastic?? Like I mentioned before, I tend to torture my mowers and use it to chop up LOTS of things!! Not sure the plastic is going to cut it...long term. Can't wait for the USED Ariens review before jumping. Another thing, I'm finding it harder to buy "new stuff". All the manufactioners are biting on the battery faze...or being forced to by the global warming religion Governors.
Another info packed, well researched, well produced episode with several well timed comedic points dropped in for chuckles. Loved the reaction to the garage door opening, particularly. Great job, JB!
I seen this today at a dealership I went to today. I immediately looked for reviews on youtube as soon as I got home. Not to many videos on this. I can't wait for more videos on this mower. Because I'm almost sold.
One of the main reasons I don't like most new push mowers is because of those plastic add-ons to the frame the wheels are mounted onto. It makes using one as a trimmer less effective because it keeps the blades further back than when the wheels were mounted to the metal frame itself so that when pushing between bushes, etc. it can't get as close to the foundation of the house, leaving that much more hand trimming to be done. I also have to wonder how long it will be before the plastic holes get wallowed out, necessitating using something like fender washers to clamp down on the remaining plastic to hold the wheels in place. Now, all that having been said, I did get a new push mower a couple years ago and I suppose it works well, but I just never have liked using it. It's a 21" Poulan Pro PRLM21i 58volt push mower...and the wheels are mounted to the steel frame. It has always worked flawlessly when I have used it so I guess I can't complain, but for whatever reason I have just never liked the thing and that's why I bought that Stihl weed trimmer.
Seems to be a decent product, thanks for another good review. My all-time favorite mower was a Sensation brand I bought back in the '70s, it had a heavy-duty cast aluminum deck, ball-bearing wheels, and a 5 HP engine.
I bought one of these today off the shred steel pile of my local scrapyard it cost me $4.76. It runs but the front height adjuster is completely snapped off and you have to buy the whole axle which costs $89. It's a 2022 model year can't believe the junk they are selling these days that ends up in the scrapyard in less than a few years. hopefully I'll figure out some way to fix it for cheap. Also got a 2020 honda hrn216 from the same pile, just had a dirty carb. Can't beat the local scrapyard
I have the Razor model 911906, which is front wheel propelled, so when I pull the lawnmower backward, the front wheels lock up. I also have a huge problem with the grass blowing out all over the lawnmower and me when I use the bagging system, it doesn't seal right at all. And the lawnmower itself is very heavy, probably one of the heaviest push-mower I've ever owned, and I understand the engine a Briggs & Stratton 725EXi is pretty big, but I also own a Craftsman mower with the same engine and it's at least 20 Lbs lighter than my Razor, which is why I refer to my Razor as my Tank or Bulldozer 😅
Nice review. I got one of these with the new house we purchased. I was going to pass on it, but they only wanted $150. I just did a first mow with it...wow. She's a fantastic little beast! Thing was dragging me up the hill! A joy to mow with.
Airens saw an opportunity and jumped in the market where honda hopped out. Praticly a honda hrn216 clone with a Briggs engine. I see why they used the plastic everywhere. 8/10 home owners don't maintain their stuff. Get a few years out of a machine and throw it away. But with the prices of mowers now.... Even cheapos are $200 for junk Walmart stuff. They should make what honda did with their premium hrx series, gives owners the choice of both worlds
I use 10W-30 on my 1999 Briggs Quantum (Craftsman). The SAE 30 was to thick to start when you got down near 40 degrees. I mow into November, so I have to mow in some cooler temp before grass goes dormant.
Hey JB. I'm curious to see what blade sharpener you got. I bought the All American Sharpener last year after seeing it on the Project Farm channel. It's one of the BEST tools I have in my entire garage. Highly recommend it.
Good Job as usually JB. Every time you post a new lawnmower review it makes me that much happier in my choice of a vintage John Deere JX85. Just too much plastic used on today's Mowers.
For 700 bucks I'm glad I snagged one of the Honda HRN 216 after your suggestion for 550 at Home Depot. The height adjusters just looked really cheap on the Ariens. I love my ariens snowblower I picked up, but this just looks like a cheaper version of the honda for more money. No complaints from the honda. Mulches great. Ive never owned a mower that mulches better. I did notice that it does leak some grass out the back while mulching and the lever is set to mulch. Not a big deal just an observation. Not sure if this is common or not.
I’m glad you were able to snag one! Every mower has its spot where clippings kind of make their way out. Not something I keep an eye out for but I will now. Enjoy the mow this season.
I snagged a hrn216vla (eletric start model) that was gently used for $250 used. It was a diamond in the rough. Love it, however 2 big gripes, the cheap ass plastic wheels that don't last more than 2 years, and the deck preturdes father than the wheels so it will scratch my retaining wall if I'm not careful. Honda doesn't have easily available touch up paint so I found some that matches good enough (dark silver hammered finish) I owned both a toro recyler and now a honda, I like the personal pace better I feel more controlled with it. But man does this new honda sip gas! Wish the honda had a side discharge instead of stupid rear discharge that blows grass all over your feet. However the cut quality was amazing and for some reason I don't nearly get as much build up in the deck, mulched about the same but boy oh boy you bag with the honda, you won't get any better cut. Oh and one more the bagging system SUCKS on the honds, when you go empty it on the stupid hinges that doesn't have a good seal, it ALWAYS makes a mess. Also the length of how far it goes through the deck to the bag, always a ton of mess build up in the chute and behind the deflector
@jmabs5096 I wash out the mower every use so I'll deal with the mess. I sprayed the deck with surface shield so it comes clean pretty easily. Thanks for giving me some things to watch out for.
@@MudMonsterRacing4 you'll understand exactly what I'm talking about the first time you bag, it's a poor design and will think of my comment when that time comes
I just bought one of these. I have the newer 911614. And had the front drop on me when I picked up the rear end and also the wheels lock up on it constantly when I try to turn on my lawn to make straight lines. Definitely not happy
I did call ariens and they want me to go to a local shop and see if they can remedy it. Considering I live 20 minutes from where there made makes me more disappointed.
@@lukeambrose2208 hey Luke ariens has these mowers produced in Mexico. They build their snowblowers up in Wisconsin. Still something you shouldn’t have to deal with on a new mower!
I have al wheel drive mowers and u have to manually push like a fiew inches forward and it will back up with no issues some rear wheel drives are like that to
@GarageGear I just had my 10 year old Toro Super Recycler tuned up. It’s still a great mower and I love the older style personal pace handle. Really my only wish would be 10 inch rear tires. For extra traction. Wish I could swap out the rear wheels for larger ones but that would mess up the height adjustment right? Disappointing if I ever need a new mower with bigger wheels they’ve all gone down in quality and built with so much plastic. I wish we could take the best quality of multiple mowers and put them into one perfect mower.
On the plastic handles, we had older Toro personal pace mowers at the golf course I worked at (not new in '07, still in service in '12) they survived high school kids using them. Also, I wonder how cheap that front plastic bumper is. If it's not expensive, it's probably meant to crack before your landscaping.
My dad bought this last year, a horrible experience. First off, the hoc adjustment on the front is plastic, so the first time we used it, it kept self adjusting all the way to the bottom. The second time we used it did the same thing, but the wheels got stuck and wouldnt turn. My dad had to take it back to get repaired. Something happened with the front axle. The third time, the same thing happened, took back to repair again, and ended up selling and getting the toro Vortex super recycler
No problem, props to my local dealer they replaced that whole front drive assembly in the end. For the price, I don't understand why they have plastic on the hoc adjustment metal and plastic like that it's going to eventually fail
Great Information. I'm currently having issues with my 2009 Toro Super Bagger (MN# 20194) with a Honda GCV engine and Blade Override. I'm planning on taking it in to see what repairs will be needed, and what repair will cost me. That said, assuming repair costs are astronomical, I'm researching replacement options, and considering both Gas and Battery options. I am intrigued by the Ariens, but must admit your videos on it have me wondering. I'm also intrigued by Bad Boy's 80V eSeries Self-Propelled mower. I've heard good things about the Bad Boy brand, and would love to see your review on it!
Hey Dan! Bad boy makes some good equipment but as far as batteries go any battery item does not really get views on my channel. I can see it in all the video statistics. So I stick with gas. Viewers aren’t interested in them.
Another great Video JB....but when you went outside to try it out..what was all that white stuff??? Lol 😵😜 Great unboxing and breakdown...🎉 Would love to get me one of those but I'm cheap...no wait frugal lol and still using the old free gas lawnmower I got last year (mastercraft) I think... After a few repairs and tweaks that includes removing an old mouse nest inside pulley area..runs great! Have a great round the outside day JB!
Thanks Rob! Not sure exactly lol! And winter is trying once again to make a comeback these next couple of days. Keep that old mower of yours for now! Still need to get some mows under the belt with this bad boy! More videos to come! Catch you round the outside Rob! 👍🔄
This is good -- and thank you for this. Anyone thinking of buying this, I want to say that there is another video in UA-cam explaining about the problems it has in detail. It has a much lower view count -- but it is worth watching too. I just brought one home today, and I am sorry to say the quality is suspect, with misaligned pins, flimsy metal or plastic in key areas. The previous Ariens lasted me 24 years and I am extremely happy with the brand from that perspective. The reason I had to replace the old one was because the orange frame rusted and gave out yesterday. Engine still works, and that too with almost no care except a very rare oil change. Never sharpened the blades in the 24 years either.
@@MikeMike-is2hl hey Mike this video should answer your questions IS THE ARIENS RAZOR LAWN MOWER WORTH BUYING? (Brutally Honest Review) ua-cam.com/video/KEbBSB6TR0o/v-deo.html
I see that that Menards is selling this line. I purchased a new Toro last year. I shopped around looking for someone in my area that sold the Ariens push mowers.
@@GarageGear I couldn’t find any last year when I purchased the new Toro, rear wheel drive and easy store. I missed the Equip Expo last year. I was going to complain that they did away with side discharge. Toro sent me a rear discharge chute and it works well. The old Toro sometimes didn’t pull back very easy at times. I did adjust the cable several times to help the problem. After I got a new transmission, it didn’t have the problems. Main reason for buying a new one was the frame cracked in about three places after using it for six years. It mowed about six yards per week.
I'll probably be running my Super Recycler SR4 into the ground. 15 years old and still on the original drive belt. No reason it can't go another 15 years, with a new belt of course.
Hi jb question for you… I’m debating between the basic non self propelled and the front wheel drive version of the razor. Part of me thinks less is more with buying the push model because it’s less to break since a lot of people complain about the gearboxes. What are your thoughts ?
Thanks for showing this one.. I agree with GarageGear - I also like to see metal.. too much plastic on this one.. But another 21 incher??.. We already have tons of 21's.. I wish Ariens (or Honda) would come out with a really good gas powered 30 or 32 inch deck mower. I am interested on a larger gas mower to cut down on time. I hear mixed to a lot of negative things about the current 30 or 32 mowers from Toro, Exmark, Scag and Ferris.. Maybe Ariens or Honda can show 'em how to make a good quality 30 or 32 inch walk behind mower. ..
Oh man!!! Can’t wait to see this in action JB! All that plastic does present a negative reaction to me tho. I guess all brands have their faults 🤷🏼♂️.. I’ll see how much the Super Recycler frustrates me this summer… hopefully I’ll be able to live with the spinning front wheel, reverse lockup and baby carriage handle as annoyances… cause Toro’s cut, bagging, mulching power… is kind of awesome. Happy Easter brother… to you, your wife, and whole family. Happy Easter to the extended Garage Gear family as well!
Hey John! Hope you’re having a great week bud! This is one thing I will definitely be trying out in the coming weeks. My guess is it will be a mess on the rear door. We will see! Stay tuned! 👍
I just got the 163cc razor self propelled and its manual is different. It also does not tell me a oil amount in troubleshooting only saying to refer to the engine manual. The Engine manual also does not say. So how much oil does this take?
Nice review on a mower with little information out there so far! So, is 911614 the updated model (from your 911603) with the front wheel and blade bolt updates? That is the model I am seeing in my local stores at this point and on Ariens website.
Ended up getting this mower (911614) and they certainly haven't fixed the height adjustment. Came out of place on the second mow of the season and scalped part of the yard. Rear wheel gets locked up often even after making adjustments to the cable tension , and the self propel sounds like the gears are slipping and grinding at times. I will be reaching out to Ariens support soon but it's very disappointing having these issues on a mower that is 2 weeks old.
@GarageGear Really interested in this mower as a first time self propelled buyer but am worried about the issues mentioned. Do you have an opinion on the backing up issue so forth in the season? Also, how would you compare this machine/Briggs combo to your Previous Super Recycler? Thanks for all the work you do reviewing these topics!
Hey jag ! I’ll be doing an update on this mower in a week or two. Compared to the personal pace on the SR, I was able to fix the back up problem on the ariens with some adjustments. Took a few tries but got it. The SR has the better deck but this one has been fine so far. Stay tuned for more info!
Good review Keep them coming JB. In the 16+ years I have had my Super Recycler I only changed the oil ounce and it was a challange. It was changed 2 more time when I had work done on it. The most important thing is to run the gas out the last time you use it in the fall.
Oh yeah! That’s for sure! You only change the oil that much. That’s crazy! That must have been the ticket to keeping it going. That’s impressive that it ran great with that many oil changes.
I've always just used a bench grinder to sharpen my blades with. To make sure they stay evenly balanced, afterwards I suspend them horizontally from a nail in the end of the workbench. If it stays in place it's good to go. If it lowers on one side, then just grind a little more off that side until it stays horizontal when ya hang it from the nail.
My guess is that you’ll probably get 2-3 years out of them before needing to replace them just like any other mower with plastic wheels. Have a good weekend, bud!
I will never own another Ariens mower after the experience I had with one five years ago. It was hands down the worst lawn mower I ever owned. It was very cheaply made, the self propel engagement handle would constantly break and require replacement, the engine would go through an entire tank of fuel in a single mow of an average sized yard, and it didn’t even leave a good looking cut on the lawn. It was so bad that the mower didn’t last more than one season before I threw in the towel with it. That next season I went out and bought a Honda to replace it. What did I do with the Ariens you may ask? I crushed it with a backhoe before dumping it at the landfill.
Wow, bcserk! That’s crazy! I haven’t had too many issues with these engines but they are nothing compared to a Honda or something commercial grade. Would have loved to be there to see the smash!
JB, good morning from West Michigan. I have a question regarding deck height. When I change the height, I use a rule to check front and back. What height do you recommend for setting the deck? Keep up the great videos. Roger
@GarageGear Good Morning JB from Kamloops British Columbia Canada 🇨🇦. I thought that it might be of interest how I repaired the auger activation bracket that had come loose. At the second to the last big snow fall not all that long ago. UA-cam Mike Montagne 2703
That snow was melting as fast as it was coming down. It was half gone by the afternoon and gone completely the next day. Not even worth snowblowing. lol. Hahaha also heard big companies like toro cut checks for UA-camrs to take down negative videos. I’m waiting on at least 20 checks at this point lol! Somebody did egg my truck though… 🤔🫠 have an awesome weekend Mace!
Wish they had a truly premium model in the lineup…aluminum deck no chintzy plastic parts, no power train compromises. I’d rather ariens be good at making the mower right in the first place than be great at fixing the issue once they get to the customer’s hands. There is a real opportunity for some company to step up with great engineering in a mower even if it costs more to do it. Toro had it, but lost it.
I just purchased 1 of these and the rear tires keep locking up when trying to pull it backwards. I heard they had this problem but i thought they would of fixed it. Id say 60% of the time i try to pull it back that the tires lock up and you have to jack with it to get it to roll or pick the rear tires off the ground. Ive used it for about 2 hrs
Hey Kurt! Had a similar issue and started playing with the reflex drive cable making micro adjustments. Moved the cable up and down a few notches until it wouldn’t stick backing up. Took about 3-4 tries until I got it. Shame it’s not set right out of the box!
Nice review of this Ariens mower. It seems like this unit has good bones, but agreed it’s a bit of shame about the plastic overload. How sweet would this mower be if it were an aluminum deck!? Had to laugh expecting to see your lawn and not 6 inches of snow. I feel that as I live right down I90 in the eastern suburbs of Cleveland aka the snowbelt.
Yeah, I think there are some good qualities about this mower but the plastic is a major downfall. Hopefully I’ll be able to use it next week if it doesn’t snow again lol. Thanks for watching!
It looks like a good option if I can’t get a Honda, but the plastic wheels do look very cheap. Do they at least have bearings? I agree, too much plastic. The engineer that mounted the handle to plastic at the deck causing flex should be fired. I would definitely change the oil, the no oil changes gimmick is just dumb. Good video sir
I watched 3 of 5 of ur videos and out all 5 videos there two of them I like frost one it Honda lawn mower and Ariens razor aka more metal than a bombo shelter 😂
Nice review of newer top-tier consumer/light commercial lawnmower. Now, time to take out second mortgage and pick up one of the new Stihl gas mowers (RM 655 or RM 756) for a review.
Great demo, thanks. May be considering this brand since Honda is no longer making mowers. Do you think this guy is equal to Honda performance and durability. Those wheels looks a little skimpy! My two Hondas should last a few more years, I may wait awhile till they work out the bugs. Hopefully they will listen to customer complaints and make the necessary upgrades.
Toro has turned into a disappointment... My 15 year old super mulcher, push mower, is an excellent machine. It has about 600-700 hours of use on it on my own property and has remained mechanically sound through maintenance. I'm now taking care of my parents' property also. They have a zero turn and like with my property they have a lot of landscaping and hills to contend with that requires a lot of trimming. A full string trimming at my parents' is a 3 hour job... I wanted to cut that down (pun intended!). I decided to get a walk behind mower and looked at about every homeowner and commercial mower available in the 21-36" range. Ultimately I went with a Ferris FW15. Welded deck with a 32" cut, hydrostatic trans, differential, castor front wheels, reverse... I put the mulch kit on it. It's in the same or better class as the Simplicity and Gravely Commercial lawn tractors I grew up using and, in my opinion, my Toro. The new Toro machines... not so much. I went with the Ferris because of it's ability on the hills and maneuverability. Self-propelled "push mowers" were useless due to wheel spin on the hills. The Ferris has bigger wider tires and enough weight that it pulls the hills with no problem. The Honda engine also has a pressurized oiling system so the engine doesn't starve for oil on the hills. With the splash oiling of the Briggs engine on the Toro I used a mowing pattern that took the oiling into account. Now I can mow in any direction so I don't have a pattern beat into the turf. It wasn't inexpensive but the lifetime cost of ownership will probably work out to be less than or at least comparable to using up multiple lessor mowers... especially with the mandates forcing the use of battery powered equipment in the future. With ramps it's easy to get in and out of the pick up bed so transporting it isn't an issue either. When I age out my sons can mow my lawn with it too. 😉
lol . ❄️ ⛄️. I would look at Exmark rather than Toro or Arens . Something like your Mclane edger . There are some pro level models that cut up to 30 inches . I’m in Fl and South Carolina . I was wondering what you think of using a synthetic oil in my Honda HRX217HYAs ??? What weight synthetic would you recommend ?? Very fun video . Wicked funny
Hey mark! I would say if you went with 10w30 full synthetic down in Florida or SC you’d be good. Temps are higher down there. I would check your manuals though! Appreciate the positive feedback my friend!
Hey appliance man. That’s pretty debatable. There really isn’t a perfect mower but if you’re looking for some that will last I would look at a commercial mower.
Honda, being out of the mower market, and Home Depot, dropping Toro, boy are they in for a world of hurt now. The Honda and Toro mowers are what I mainly looked at when at Home Depot. Menards sells this Ariens, and Lowe’s now sells Toro. Home Depot is going to sell 90% battery mowers. I will never buy a mower there now!😂
Thanks for the video! Sad to see from the box the Ariens mower is now made in Mexico. I believe as last as last year they were still US made. Likely contracted out as mentioned in another comment. Unfortunate.
Well my Honda hasn’t had a single issue in four years. This one needs an upgrade kit right out of the box. I think that says something about the quality right there appreciate the positive feedback disciple!
There’s way too much plastic all over this thing. Compared to their snowblowers Ray this thing is kind of a joke. We’ll see how she performs. Hope you have a good week Bud. 👍
I bought my ariens from lowes last . I also have a rear locking wheel issue . Ariens knows about it because there is a warning about not backing up with it . Lots of power though . My height levers also let go . One on the front broke off . Nothing like a lawn grader and hard on the blade . My drive does always want to stop when I do . I think there is some way to adjust the cable I hope and maybe that will solve the rear wheel lock up .
I think that Ariens might be a good replacement for my Toro which im not happy with at all. The bag doesn't seal properly. Just as many clippings fly out the front as gets collected in the bag. Cables run way too far to the left which means I can only mow close to things from the right side. No speed adjustment for the self propel feature. Its full speed or nothing. I can regulate the speed by not engaging the lever all the way which means belt slippage and excessive wear. They say not to change the oil which means i have to turn the machine practically upside down to drain and replace. Toro should be embarrassed. 😂 I am for purchasing it
Another good review.. I have a Ariens log splitter and snow blower. i think they make a good product.Time will tell over this mower. The plastic wheels and the bars mounted in plastic have to go..
Here is a LINK to the 190cc version of this Ariens Razor Lawn Mower!
👉 amzn.to/3vurWF9
And here is a LINK to the 163cc version!
👉 amzn.to/3TWwywZ
Thank you for supporting the channel! 👍
Where's the review after using it?
Looked it over at Menards yesterday, engineered to be replaced w/in 5 years... This thing will fall apart the way the handles are screwed into the rear plastic housing and front wheel assembly encased in cheap plastic attach to the deck, way too much flex...
@@barsov3466 coming in a week or two!
@@GarageGear well, bought and returned the new Dewalt shallow deck self propelled, amazed that the batteries actually lasted thru my whole lawn, roughly 16k sq ft of lawn, but it didn't bag worth a shit... Picked up the Honda HRX Select Drive to replace my Snapper Hi-Vac, wanted the bigger engine and ball bearing wheels... So bummed Snapper stopped gas lawnmowers and I couldn't find a good used one, miss my Ninja w/the Tecumseh Big 6 that got ruined by a shop during a tune up...
@@GarageGear Would you rather get a Honda hrx217 (model with hydrostatic) or this Ariens model?
AWESOME to see a shout out to a local dealer, near you!!!!😍🤩😍
People never seem to understand how important it is to support your local ma, & pa shops, instead of the BIG box stores.
I try my best to support local shops in my area.
They take care of me and I take care of them! One hand washes the other! Thanks for watching dizzie!
Yep. Buy local because it helps employee people YOUR community. Local businesses and employees pay taxes to YOUR community. Better that than begging for money from the state capital or the Feds.
I just bought a self-propelled Honda lawn mower, and per your suggestion, ran it for 30 minutes and changed the oil. Got the sparkley break in particles out of it. I will mow the lawn two times and change it again. It took three oil changes on my new Areins snow blower till I was satisfied most of the glitter was gone.
Smart to do so! Thanks for watching and sharing!
I'm here because I'm still nursing a 23 year old Ariens around the yard. I was remarkably gifted this mower when my grandmother and her husband moved into a community and didn't need it any more. WHAT A GIFT! I have tortured this thing. I throw garden debri in the yard, spent tomato plants, rasberry canes and hoardes and hoards of maple leaves, year after year after year. I've changed 1 belt...ONE! the front wheel adjustment went loosy goosy a dozen years ago and is now held with mechanics wire, somehow the screw backed out and the filter cover jettisoned out the front and was chopped up. I haven't replaced it (3 years ago). I was, just now, thinking of buying a Honda...but..I sure owe Ariens a chance. This 6.5 has my undying appreciation!! I HAD to leave this comment as a testament to a great gift and a great Ariens mower of the past!!
What a gift indeed! I would invest money into that mower before buying anything new! lol Thanks for sharing!
@@GarageGear I'd like to give that 190cc Ariens a try,,,but,,,like you...Whats' with all the plastic?? Like I mentioned before, I tend to torture my mowers and use it to chop up LOTS of things!! Not sure the plastic is going to cut it...long term. Can't wait for the USED Ariens review before jumping. Another thing, I'm finding it harder to buy "new stuff". All the manufactioners are biting on the battery faze...or being forced to by the global warming religion Governors.
@@imaguygolfn that review will be out in a few week or two. If you have some rough terrain to cut though I would look at something commercial.
Another info packed, well researched, well produced episode with several well timed comedic points dropped in for chuckles. Loved the reaction to the garage door opening, particularly. Great job, JB!
Appreciate the positive feedback David! A lot of work went into to this video. Enjoy your weekend bud! 👍
I seen this today at a dealership I went to today. I immediately looked for reviews on youtube as soon as I got home. Not to many videos on this. I can't wait for more videos on this mower. Because I'm almost sold.
More videos to come all season long lion! Stay tuned!
One of the main reasons I don't like most new push mowers is because of those plastic add-ons to the frame the wheels are mounted onto. It makes using one as a trimmer less effective because it keeps the blades further back than when the wheels were mounted to the metal frame itself so that when pushing between bushes, etc. it can't get as close to the foundation of the house, leaving that much more hand trimming to be done. I also have to wonder how long it will be before the plastic holes get wallowed out, necessitating using something like fender washers to clamp down on the remaining plastic to hold the wheels in place. Now, all that having been said, I did get a new push mower a couple years ago and I suppose it works well, but I just never have liked using it. It's a 21" Poulan Pro PRLM21i 58volt push mower...and the wheels are mounted to the steel frame. It has always worked flawlessly when I have used it so I guess I can't complain, but for whatever reason I have just never liked the thing and that's why I bought that Stihl weed trimmer.
All that plastic raises a lot of questions. Thanks for watching rebel!
Seems to be a decent product, thanks for another good review. My all-time favorite mower was a Sensation brand I bought back in the '70s, it had a heavy-duty cast aluminum deck, ball-bearing wheels, and a 5 HP engine.
Hey Marty! Thanks for watching my friend! I will check that mower out!
This thing is junk. My dad had so many problems ended up selling and buying the toro vortex
I bought one of these today off the shred steel pile of my local scrapyard it cost me $4.76. It runs but the front height adjuster is completely snapped off and you have to buy the whole axle which costs $89. It's a 2022 model year can't believe the junk they are selling these days that ends up in the scrapyard in less than a few years. hopefully I'll figure out some way to fix it for cheap. Also got a 2020 honda hrn216 from the same pile, just had a dirty carb. Can't beat the local scrapyard
@@nickflopper good find Nick! 👍
I have the Razor model 911906, which is front wheel propelled, so when I pull the lawnmower backward, the front wheels lock up. I also have a huge problem with the grass blowing out all over the lawnmower and me when I use the bagging system, it doesn't seal right at all. And the lawnmower itself is very heavy, probably one of the heaviest push-mower I've ever owned, and I understand the engine a Briggs & Stratton 725EXi is pretty big, but I also own a Craftsman mower with the same engine and it's at least 20 Lbs lighter than my Razor, which is why I refer to my Razor as my Tank or Bulldozer 😅
@@waldosniblets oh wow I didn’t think the front wheel drive models had as many issues but now I know. Thanks for sharing this Waldo!
Nice review. I got one of these with the new house we purchased. I was going to pass on it, but they only wanted $150. I just did a first mow with it...wow. She's a fantastic little beast! Thing was dragging me up the hill! A joy to mow with.
Glad you’re enjoying the mow dan!
Airens saw an opportunity and jumped in the market where honda hopped out. Praticly a honda hrn216 clone with a Briggs engine. I see why they used the plastic everywhere. 8/10 home owners don't maintain their stuff. Get a few years out of a machine and throw it away. But with the prices of mowers now.... Even cheapos are $200 for junk Walmart stuff. They should make what honda did with their premium hrx series, gives owners the choice of both worlds
Fully agree m friend! 👍
Thanks JB! Happy Easter to you and the garage gal!
You got it Gary! Happy Easter to you guys as well! Have a great weekend my friend! 👍
I just picked up a brand new Honda HRX 217. Can’t wait to break it in and get that first mow in this weekend. Thanks for the content.
You got it Boyd! Enjoy the mow!
I use 10W-30 on my 1999 Briggs Quantum (Craftsman). The SAE 30 was to thick to start when you got down near 40 degrees. I mow into November, so I have to mow in some cooler temp before grass goes dormant.
Thanks for sharing Yankees!
Good thing bout ariens is they make parts for ever and actually do a great job upgrading parts or sell upgrade kits.
@@chrismass9761 that is definitely something they do well as a company
Hey JB. I'm curious to see what blade sharpener you got. I bought the All American Sharpener last year after seeing it on the Project Farm channel. It's one of the BEST tools I have in my entire garage. Highly recommend it.
I also bought an All American Sharpener and the workmanship is outstanding. It produces a perfect angle 📐 every time!!!!
@@toddmacdowall4924 I couldn't agree more.
I bought a direct knockoff of that. It was $60. I figured I would give it a shot.
amzn.to/3THUD9F
Good Job as usually JB. Every time you post a new lawnmower review it makes me that much happier in my choice of a vintage John Deere JX85. Just too much plastic used on today's Mowers.
Hey Jeffrey it makes me happy I have those older mowers in my garage every time I unbox one of these! Thanks for the positive feedback!
For 700 bucks I'm glad I snagged one of the Honda HRN 216 after your suggestion for 550 at Home Depot. The height adjusters just looked really cheap on the Ariens. I love my ariens snowblower I picked up, but this just looks like a cheaper version of the honda for more money. No complaints from the honda. Mulches great. Ive never owned a mower that mulches better. I did notice that it does leak some grass out the back while mulching and the lever is set to mulch. Not a big deal just an observation. Not sure if this is common or not.
I’m glad you were able to snag one! Every mower has its spot where clippings kind of make their way out. Not something I keep an eye out for but I will now. Enjoy the mow this season.
The same happens with the versa-mow on my HRX. There's a thin layer of grass back there when I am using it for mulching.
I snagged a hrn216vla (eletric start model) that was gently used for $250 used. It was a diamond in the rough. Love it, however 2 big gripes, the cheap ass plastic wheels that don't last more than 2 years, and the deck preturdes father than the wheels so it will scratch my retaining wall if I'm not careful. Honda doesn't have easily available touch up paint so I found some that matches good enough (dark silver hammered finish) I owned both a toro recyler and now a honda, I like the personal pace better I feel more controlled with it. But man does this new honda sip gas! Wish the honda had a side discharge instead of stupid rear discharge that blows grass all over your feet. However the cut quality was amazing and for some reason I don't nearly get as much build up in the deck, mulched about the same but boy oh boy you bag with the honda, you won't get any better cut. Oh and one more the bagging system SUCKS on the honds, when you go empty it on the stupid hinges that doesn't have a good seal, it ALWAYS makes a mess. Also the length of how far it goes through the deck to the bag, always a ton of mess build up in the chute and behind the deflector
@jmabs5096 I wash out the mower every use so I'll deal with the mess. I sprayed the deck with surface shield so it comes clean pretty easily. Thanks for giving me some things to watch out for.
@@MudMonsterRacing4 you'll understand exactly what I'm talking about the first time you bag, it's a poor design and will think of my comment when that time comes
I just bought one of these. I have the newer 911614. And had the front drop on me when I picked up the rear end and also the wheels lock up on it constantly when I try to turn on my lawn to make straight lines. Definitely not happy
I’ll have more information on this mower this weekend. I’m not wowed by this mower either!
I did call ariens and they want me to go to a local shop and see if they can remedy it. Considering I live 20 minutes from where there made makes me more disappointed.
@@lukeambrose2208 hey Luke ariens has these mowers produced in Mexico. They build their snowblowers up in Wisconsin. Still something you shouldn’t have to deal with on a new mower!
Your reviews are first class, thanks 👍!
You got it! Thanks for watching!
I have al wheel drive mowers and u have to manually push like a fiew inches forward and it will back up with no issues some rear wheel drives are like that to
Thanks for sharing Jp
@GarageGear I just had my 10 year old Toro Super Recycler tuned up. It’s still a great mower and I love the older style personal pace handle.
Really my only wish would be 10 inch rear tires. For extra traction. Wish I could swap out the rear wheels for larger ones but that would mess up the height adjustment right?
Disappointing if I ever need a new mower with bigger wheels they’ve all gone down in quality and built with so much plastic. I wish we could take the best quality of multiple mowers and put them into one perfect mower.
Wish I could do the same my friend! 👍
On the plastic handles, we had older Toro personal pace mowers at the golf course I worked at (not new in '07, still in service in '12) they survived high school kids using them. Also, I wonder how cheap that front plastic bumper is. If it's not expensive, it's probably meant to crack before your landscaping.
Ariens must have consulted with the kardashians on this mower! Plastic overload!
Can't wait to see how she performs!
Mowing is coming soon. Still cold and raining here! Stay tuned Flint! 👍
My dad bought this last year, a horrible experience. First off, the hoc adjustment on the front is plastic, so the first time we used it, it kept self adjusting all the way to the bottom. The second time we used it did the same thing, but the wheels got stuck and wouldnt turn. My dad had to take it back to get repaired. Something happened with the front axle. The third time, the same thing happened, took back to repair again, and ended up selling and getting the toro Vortex super recycler
Good info here! Thanks for sharing
No problem, props to my local dealer they replaced that whole front drive assembly in the end. For the price, I don't understand why they have plastic on the hoc adjustment metal and plastic like that it's going to eventually fail
@@eltigre750 don’t understand it either!
Great Information. I'm currently having issues with my 2009 Toro Super Bagger (MN# 20194) with a Honda GCV engine and Blade Override. I'm planning on taking it in to see what repairs will be needed, and what repair will cost me. That said, assuming repair costs are astronomical, I'm researching replacement options, and considering both Gas and Battery options. I am intrigued by the Ariens, but must admit your videos on it have me wondering. I'm also intrigued by Bad Boy's 80V eSeries Self-Propelled mower. I've heard good things about the Bad Boy brand, and would love to see your review on it!
Hey Dan! Bad boy makes some good equipment but as far as batteries go any battery item does not really get views on my channel. I can see it in all the video statistics. So I stick with gas. Viewers aren’t interested in them.
Where can I find a video that shows how to correct the problem of the rear wheels locking when pulling the mower backwards? Thank you.
Hey John I did a video on this on the toro super recycler but not on this ariens mower. Making micro adjustments to the drive cable does help.
@@GarageGear thank you.
Another great Video JB....but when you went outside to try it out..what was all that white stuff??? Lol 😵😜
Great unboxing and breakdown...🎉 Would love to get me one of those but I'm cheap...no wait frugal lol and still using the old free gas lawnmower I got last year (mastercraft) I think... After a few repairs and tweaks that includes removing an old mouse nest inside pulley area..runs great!
Have a great round the outside day JB!
Thanks Rob! Not sure exactly lol! And winter is trying once again to make a comeback these next couple of days. Keep that old mower of yours for now! Still need to get some mows under the belt with this bad boy! More videos to come! Catch you round the outside Rob! 👍🔄
When pouring the oil keep the spout at the top to stop splashing and gluging.
Thanks for sharing Donald!
This is good -- and thank you for this. Anyone thinking of buying this, I want to say that there is another video in UA-cam explaining about the problems it has in detail. It has a much lower view count -- but it is worth watching too. I just brought one home today, and I am sorry to say the quality is suspect, with misaligned pins, flimsy metal or plastic in key areas. The previous Ariens lasted me 24 years and I am extremely happy with the brand from that perspective. The reason I had to replace the old one was because the orange frame rusted and gave out yesterday. Engine still works, and that too with almost no care except a very rare oil change. Never sharpened the blades in the 24 years either.
Yeah, the quality is not the best. It has gone way down. Thanks for sharing this.
Buy a replacement deck for and refurbish old one sell new one !
Ariens has released a newer model 911614. Does the newer model address the know issues (front wheel adjusters, rear wheel lockups, blade bolts) ?
@@MikeMike-is2hl hey Mike this video should answer your questions IS THE ARIENS RAZOR LAWN MOWER WORTH BUYING? (Brutally Honest Review)
ua-cam.com/video/KEbBSB6TR0o/v-deo.html
I see that that Menards is selling this line. I purchased a new Toro last year. I shopped around looking for someone in my area that sold the Ariens push mowers.
Thanks for letting me know. I was wondering who had them in stock.
@@GarageGear I couldn’t find any last year when I purchased the new Toro, rear wheel drive and easy store. I missed the Equip Expo last year. I was going to complain that they did away with side discharge. Toro sent me a rear discharge chute and it works well. The old Toro sometimes didn’t pull back very easy at times. I did adjust the cable several times to help the problem. After I got a new transmission, it didn’t have the problems. Main reason for buying a new one was the frame cracked in about three places after using it for six years. It mowed about six yards per week.
@@timraber6575 thanks for sharing this info tim!
Great video JB. For me its between the ariens 911609 or the toro 21445. Do you have a preference between those?
Yeah I do… Honda. But if it were between the two of them I’d say the toro 21445. Less issues with the drive system.
@@GarageGear Thanks. I'll check out your Honda review video also.
Also it be nice to have one with a blade stop too
That would be nice! I agree!
I'll probably be running my Super Recycler SR4 into the ground. 15 years old and still on the original drive belt. No reason it can't go another 15 years, with a new belt of course.
Keep it going! 👍
Great video. I'm in West Seneca and was going to go to Schaubs before I saw your video. Now I'm really going.
Hey Joe! Cool you’re a local fan! I have another review coming soon that m this mower in about a week and a half. 👍stay tuned
Hi jb question for you… I’m debating between the basic non self propelled and the front wheel drive version of the razor. Part of me thinks less is more with buying the push model because it’s less to break since a lot of people complain about the gearboxes. What are your thoughts ?
The base model would probably be worth a good look.
TY for Sharing
You got it! More to come. Thanks for following along.
Just wonder how the traction will be in actual grass and on hills. May need to put some bicycle dirt tire tread on the back
Might have to! Thanks for watching John!
It’s a nice Orange Honda!!
Hahaha we’ll see how she compares.
Thanks for showing this one.. I agree with GarageGear - I also like to see metal.. too much plastic on this one.. But another 21 incher??.. We already have tons of 21's.. I wish Ariens (or Honda) would come out with a really good gas powered 30 or 32 inch deck mower. I am interested on a larger gas mower to cut down on time. I hear mixed to a lot of negative things about the current 30 or 32 mowers from Toro, Exmark, Scag and Ferris.. Maybe Ariens or Honda can show 'em how to make a good quality 30 or 32 inch walk behind mower. ..
We can only hope!
Oh man!!! Can’t wait to see this in action JB! All that plastic does present a negative reaction to me tho. I guess all brands have their faults 🤷🏼♂️.. I’ll see how much the Super Recycler frustrates me this summer… hopefully I’ll be able to live with the spinning front wheel, reverse lockup and baby carriage handle as annoyances… cause Toro’s cut, bagging, mulching power… is kind of awesome.
Happy Easter brother… to you, your wife, and whole family.
Happy Easter to the extended Garage Gear family as well!
Happy Easter to you and your family as well! We will see how she does and enjoy that Super Recycler. You’ll have to let me know what you think.
Hi JB. Great video w/pros & cons. Interested in how the discharge works for you. Happy Easter to you & the Garage gal.
Hey John! Hope you’re having a great week bud! This is one thing I will definitely be trying out in the coming weeks. My guess is it will be a mess on the rear door. We will see! Stay tuned! 👍
@@GarageGear Will do.
I just got the 163cc razor self propelled and its manual is different. It also does not tell me a oil amount in troubleshooting only saying to refer to the engine manual. The Engine manual also does not say. So how much oil does this take?
I don’t have the same manual so I’m unable to tell you. Perhaps call Ariens or a small engine shop in your area.
Hey JB! Great vid! Whatever happened to your Toro SR mower? Was looking forward to a fix on the transmission issue!!
I sold it last October and decided give another mower a shot. Sorry man, but more videos to come.
Nice review on a mower with little information out there so far! So, is 911614 the updated model (from your 911603) with the front wheel and blade bolt updates? That is the model I am seeing in my local stores at this point and on Ariens website.
Yep that model is good to go because it’s the most recent model! Thanks for watching!👍
Ended up getting this mower (911614) and they certainly haven't fixed the height adjustment. Came out of place on the second mow of the season and scalped part of the yard. Rear wheel gets locked up often even after making adjustments to the cable tension , and the self propel sounds like the gears are slipping and grinding at times. I will be reaching out to Ariens support soon but it's very disappointing having these issues on a mower that is 2 weeks old.
@@crudzinskas wow! This is very concerning! I’ll be doing another video on these issues in the near future! Thanks for sharing my friend!
How do you know if you are purchasing an updated model?
I would look for an update model number higher than mine. More info coming out on this mower this weekend
Thanks for the great video! I’m deciding between this model or a Honda HRN216VKAD what’s your opinion on this? Thanks again!
Do the Honda! Had mine for 4 years with no issues! 👍👍
@GarageGear Really interested in this mower as a first time self propelled buyer but am worried about the issues mentioned. Do you have an opinion on the backing up issue so forth in the season? Also, how would you compare this machine/Briggs combo to your Previous Super Recycler? Thanks for all the work you do reviewing these topics!
Hey jag ! I’ll be doing an update on this mower in a week or two. Compared to the personal pace on the SR, I was able to fix the back up problem on the ariens with some adjustments. Took a few tries but got it. The SR has the better deck but this one has been fine so far. Stay tuned for more info!
@@GarageGear Nice, looking forward to the update. Been very back and forth on what to upgrade to!
Great content, will you be doing a follow up to this with a cut review? Was genuinely sad when I saw the snow lol
Hey Philip! Full review on how it cuts coming soon. Possibly next weekend! Stay tuned!
@@GarageGear can’t wait to see how it cuts, looking forward to seeing this in action
Good review Keep them coming JB. In the 16+ years I have had my Super Recycler I only changed the oil ounce and it was a challange. It was changed 2 more time when I had work done on it. The most important thing is to run the gas out the last time you use it in the fall.
Oh yeah! That’s for sure! You only change the oil that much. That’s crazy! That must have been the ticket to keeping it going. That’s impressive that it ran great with that many oil changes.
Great review!
Thanks a lot spacemonkey!
I like the height adjustment that is One of these for the front And the rear wheels
Simplified the process right?
@@GarageGear you got that right @ garage gear ⚙️
Great video, JB; Happy Easter!
Same to you Stlrntn! Thanks for being a cool fan! 👍
What is the model number of the 24 models?
There are only 4 models. The model numbers for those would be on the website. Thanks for watching!
How do you know if your mower has the new updated components to fix those issues?
@@markhenley1240 you can take your model number and consult with a dealer to see if the updates have been made
Excellent video Brother
Thanks Will! What’s the plan for the weekend bud?
@@GarageGear well, i did all chores so I'm relaxing. Gonna go to Church tomorrow. You?
@@willmallory9085 RIGHT ON Will! On vacation in North Carolina. Lots of hiking and biking! Enjoy the weekend!
@@GarageGear awesome. Enjoy.
I've always just used a bench grinder to sharpen my blades with. To make sure they stay evenly balanced, afterwards I suspend them horizontally from a nail in the end of the workbench. If it stays in place it's good to go. If it lowers on one side, then just grind a little more off that side until it stays horizontal when ya hang it from the nail.
Simple and works every time. Thanks for sharing!
Nice machine JB.. Thoughts about those tires? Or what they'll be like after a year or two.. Have a good weekend!
My guess is that you’ll probably get 2-3 years out of them before needing to replace them just like any other mower with plastic wheels. Have a good weekend, bud!
Would you pick this, or the Honda?
Honda! 👍
I will never own another Ariens mower after the experience I had with one five years ago. It was hands down the worst lawn mower I ever owned. It was very cheaply made, the self propel engagement handle would constantly break and require replacement, the engine would go through an entire tank of fuel in a single mow of an average sized yard, and it didn’t even leave a good looking cut on the lawn. It was so bad that the mower didn’t last more than one season before I threw in the towel with it. That next season I went out and bought a Honda to replace it. What did I do with the Ariens you may ask? I crushed it with a backhoe before dumping it at the landfill.
Wow, bcserk! That’s crazy! I haven’t had too many issues with these engines but they are nothing compared to a Honda or something commercial grade. Would have loved to be there to see the smash!
I just purchased one on line today. Will this one have the upgrades you mentioned, bolts and hight adjustment? Thanks
Any new model will have these upgrades already done. Thanks for watching Don!
JB, good morning from West Michigan. I have a question regarding deck height. When I change the height, I use a rule to check front and back. What height do you recommend for setting the deck? Keep up the great videos. Roger
Depends on your grass type and your frequency of mowing.
LL Called it! Where abouts are you located?
I’m in Ontario. Same climate as you but typically less snow. I have a well fed KBJ lawn.
Roger you’re probably going to be between 2.5” and 4 inches depending on your grass type
Another good video JB. Nice mower, one problem though, it has a Briggs engine. Keep the videos coming.
Appreciate you Barry! I would love to see some Honda engines back on more equipment. 👍
So sad about Briggs. I mowed a lawn for literally two decades on a JD 111 with an 11 hp Briggs. Ran well.
A suggestion, if I may, always.
Always disconnect the spark plug lead
before exposing the cutting blades!
Thanks for sharing mike
@GarageGear
Good Morning JB from Kamloops British Columbia Canada 🇨🇦.
I thought that it might be of interest how I repaired the auger activation bracket that had come loose.
At the second to the last big snow fall not all that long ago.
UA-cam Mike Montagne 2703
@@mikemontagne2703 I will check it out!
How does it not leak fuel in the stow&go mode?
The gas spout is highest in that position. As long as you don’t fill it up the spout pipe and just to the bottom of it it won’t leak out.
All that snow, and yet no snowblower video. Sad times...
Also, I can't believe the Toro social media team hasn't TP'd your house by now... 🤣
That snow was melting as fast as it was coming down. It was half gone by the afternoon and gone completely the next day. Not even worth snowblowing. lol. Hahaha also heard big companies like toro cut checks for UA-camrs to take down negative videos. I’m waiting on at least 20 checks at this point lol! Somebody did egg my truck though… 🤔🫠 have an awesome weekend Mace!
Wish they had a truly premium model in the lineup…aluminum deck no chintzy plastic parts, no power train compromises. I’d rather ariens be good at making the mower right in the first place than be great at fixing the issue once they get to the customer’s hands.
There is a real opportunity for some company to step up with great engineering in a mower even if it costs more to do it. Toro had it, but lost it.
Fully 💯 agree GBP! Thanks for sharing
I just purchased 1 of these and the rear tires keep locking up when trying to pull it backwards. I heard they had this problem but i thought they would of fixed it. Id say 60% of the time i try to pull it back that the tires lock up and you have to jack with it to get it to roll or pick the rear tires off the ground. Ive used it for about 2 hrs
Hey Kurt! Had a similar issue and started playing with the reflex drive cable making micro adjustments. Moved the cable up and down a few notches until it wouldn’t stick backing up. Took about 3-4 tries until I got it. Shame it’s not set right out of the box!
Ty, I'll try that. I really like it besides that
Nice review of this Ariens mower. It seems like this unit has good bones, but agreed it’s a bit of shame about the plastic overload. How sweet would this mower be if it were an aluminum deck!? Had to laugh expecting to see your lawn and not 6 inches of snow. I feel that as I live right down I90 in the eastern suburbs of Cleveland aka the snowbelt.
Yeah, I think there are some good qualities about this mower but the plastic is a major downfall. Hopefully I’ll be able to use it next week if it doesn’t snow again lol. Thanks for watching!
I might have been interested if it had blade disconnect and a 22 inch deck.
Well there’s four versions of this mower available but unfortunately those features aren’t available on them. Thanks for watching monte!
I bought my Recycler in 2009 and it's running great (OCD maintenance) i should have bought 2 and put 1 away.
@@montefiveforty1 I think the same thing about some other mowers I purchased in the past too !
Try get hands on a Husqvarna LB453S Klippo, not sold in US of some reason
I’m trying to decide between a Honda HRX, Arnie’s Razer or the new Stihl RM 655
Which way would you go?
Get the Honda! Parts will still be available for it. The other two are too new to tell long term reliability. 👍
Thank You!
Just found your channel
It’s great!
@@PatrickReilly2 ROCK ON Patrick!
How has it been so far for you? It’s been. A month and grass is growing
This mower has its good sides and bad! I’ll be doing a follow up video in about a week or so! Stay tuned!
@@lebowski137 yes but after some adjusting it’s better!
It looks like a good option if I can’t get a Honda, but the plastic wheels do look very cheap. Do they at least have bearings? I agree, too much plastic. The engineer that mounted the handle to plastic at the deck causing flex should be fired. I would definitely change the oil, the no oil changes gimmick is just dumb. Good video sir
Too much plastic on this entire mower. The wheels do have bearings! Thanks for watching Chris!
I watched 3 of 5 of ur videos and out all 5 videos there two of them I like frost one it Honda lawn mower and Ariens razor aka more metal than a bombo shelter 😂
Thanks for watching Matt!
Nice review of newer top-tier consumer/light commercial lawnmower. Now, time to take out second mortgage and pick up one of the new Stihl gas mowers (RM 655 or RM 756) for a review.
That’s a thought! Time will tell! Thanks for watching supernoma!
Great demo, thanks. May be considering this brand since Honda is no longer making mowers. Do you think this guy is equal to Honda performance and durability. Those wheels looks a little skimpy! My two Hondas should last a few more years, I may wait awhile till they work out the bugs. Hopefully they will listen to customer complaints and make the necessary upgrades.
Thanks Tony! Hold on to those Hondas for a bit until a get some videos out on this mower. We’ll see how she performs. 👍👍
Toro has turned into a disappointment... My 15 year old super mulcher, push mower, is an excellent machine. It has about 600-700 hours of use on it on my own property and has remained mechanically sound through maintenance. I'm now taking care of my parents' property also. They have a zero turn and like with my property they have a lot of landscaping and hills to contend with that requires a lot of trimming. A full string trimming at my parents' is a 3 hour job... I wanted to cut that down (pun intended!).
I decided to get a walk behind mower and looked at about every homeowner and commercial mower available in the 21-36" range. Ultimately I went with a Ferris FW15. Welded deck with a 32" cut, hydrostatic trans, differential, castor front wheels, reverse... I put the mulch kit on it. It's in the same or better class as the Simplicity and Gravely Commercial lawn tractors I grew up using and, in my opinion, my Toro. The new Toro machines... not so much. I went with the Ferris because of it's ability on the hills and maneuverability. Self-propelled "push mowers" were useless due to wheel spin on the hills. The Ferris has bigger wider tires and enough weight that it pulls the hills with no problem. The Honda engine also has a pressurized oiling system so the engine doesn't starve for oil on the hills. With the splash oiling of the Briggs engine on the Toro I used a mowing pattern that took the oiling into account. Now I can mow in any direction so I don't have a pattern beat into the turf. It wasn't inexpensive but the lifetime cost of ownership will probably work out to be less than or at least comparable to using up multiple lessor mowers... especially with the mandates forcing the use of battery powered equipment in the future. With ramps it's easy to get in and out of the pick up bed so transporting it isn't an issue either. When I age out my sons can mow my lawn with it too. 😉
Would love to get my hands on a Ferris! Thanks for sharing !👍👍
@@GarageGear I just saw the price of the coming Stihl 25" battery mower. Makes the Ferris looks like a tremendous deal!
@@johngrossbohlin7582 battery stuff is wildly expensive!
Nice review, looking forward to how it cuts and how well the "self sharpening" blade holds up.
It will be interesting to see how it goes. I’m going to keep an eye on that blade for sure. Enjoy your weekend, bud.
lol . ❄️ ⛄️. I would look at Exmark rather than Toro or Arens . Something like your Mclane edger . There are some pro level models that cut up to 30 inches . I’m in Fl and South Carolina . I was wondering what you think of using a synthetic oil in my Honda HRX217HYAs ??? What weight synthetic would you recommend ?? Very fun video . Wicked funny
Hey mark! I would say if you went with 10w30 full synthetic down in Florida or SC you’d be good. Temps are higher down there. I would check your manuals though! Appreciate the positive feedback my friend!
@@GarageGear I was thinking that about the heat and humidity and we don’t get as cold in the winter . I’ll check the manual when I open one .
Who makes the best self propelled lawn mower today?
Hey appliance man. That’s pretty debatable. There really isn’t a perfect mower but if you’re looking for some that will last I would look at a commercial mower.
Honda, being out of the mower market, and Home Depot, dropping Toro, boy are they in for a world of hurt now. The Honda and Toro mowers are what I mainly looked at when at Home Depot. Menards sells this Ariens, and Lowe’s now sells Toro. Home Depot is going to sell 90% battery mowers. I will never buy a mower there now!😂
I’d pay a grand for a mower built like the old Ariens. Kawi engine and all steel and nothing personal pace related.
I would too! We’ll see what they do going forward!
I never heard of this brand
They’ve been making snowblowers since the 60’s. They’ve made lawnmowers over the years the years too on and off.
Thanks for the video! Sad to see from the box the Ariens mower is now made in Mexico. I believe as last as last year they were still US made. Likely contracted out as mentioned in another comment. Unfortunate.
It’s the way things are nowadays. Sad times.
Might be beneficial to replace the plastic wheels with rubber tires from Harbor Freight.
Thanks for sharing! Not a bad idea at all.
No machine is perfect. But in today’s market, I still feel the Toro Super Recycler is the best mower bar none. You get a lot of mower for the money.
RIGHT! Thanks for sharing LL
Awesome review so far...how would you compare this to the Honda hrn 170 ?
Well my Honda hasn’t had a single issue in four years. This one needs an upgrade kit right out of the box. I think that says something about the quality right there appreciate the positive feedback disciple!
thanks for this review...just thinking....lots of plastic....not a fan of "personal pace" -- or this mower...plastic won't hold up over time.
Plastic definitely doesn’t hold up! Not like ariens to build something that won’t hold up!
Question: what are your thoughts if any about the Snapper Hi Vac mower?
Are they a good unit or would I be better off getting the ariens unit ?
Snapper’s are not what they used to be. Still waiting to test out the Ariens. Will share more videos on that in the coming weeks
@@GarageGear
Awesome 😎
Thanks for the info, waiting to see how ariens pans out for you
Keep up the videos
Great information
Thanks
@@Chief6067 you got it my friend! 👍
Sorry if i missed it....what is the price point on this one ?
This one was $650 at the dealer.
Nice mower but plastic wheels I don’t know. 🤔🤔🤔
There’s way too much plastic all over this thing. Compared to their snowblowers Ray this thing is kind of a joke. We’ll see how she performs. Hope you have a good week Bud. 👍
Nice job as always.
Appreciate the positive feedback USCG
THANK YOU FOR THE VIDEO
You got it Joe! 👍
I am pretty sure I saw Lowes selling these
Some big box stores may have them. The ones by me don’t. At least not yet.
I bought my ariens from lowes last . I also have a rear locking wheel issue . Ariens knows about it because there is a warning about not backing up with it . Lots of power though . My height levers also let go . One on the front broke off . Nothing like a lawn grader and hard on the blade . My drive does always want to stop when I do . I think there is some way to adjust the cable I hope and maybe that will solve the rear wheel lock up .
@@bryansleep6911 I feel your pain Bryan! Thanks for sharing
cool machine . tires will maybe last ,one season ......
We’ll see how they hold up.
I think that Ariens might be a good replacement for my Toro which im not happy with at all. The bag doesn't seal properly. Just as many clippings fly out the front as gets collected in the bag. Cables run way too far to the left which means I can only mow close to things from the right side. No speed adjustment for the self propel feature. Its full speed or nothing. I can regulate the speed by not engaging the lever all the way which means belt slippage and excessive wear. They say not to change the oil which means i have to turn the machine practically upside down to drain and replace. Toro should be embarrassed. 😂 I am for purchasing it
Thanks for sharing SVW! How old is your toro?
4 years old.
@@SVW1976 oh wow I’ll have more info on this mower in the coming weeks.
I would rather have the 163cc model But the 190Cc model is kind of good
Thanks for sharing phone
Another good review.. I have a Ariens log splitter and snow blower. i think they make a good product.Time will tell over this mower. The plastic wheels and the bars mounted in plastic have to go..
Couldn’t agree more my friend. We will see how she handles when we start mowing. Should be interesting.
This is what you call the toro and the Honda combined. This offers the best of both worlds.
There’s a little something of everything on this one! Hybrid in a way!
No, See my comments for a while.