Briggs and Stratton Yardman 6.5 HP 21” Cut
by Eric
(Beaverton, OR, USA)
After buying a new house with a large steep yard, my wife and I were in the search for a moderately priced and long lived lawnmower. We purchased this model at Costco in 2004. This is a rear bag model.
I was initially concerned about having yard debris and the like flying out of the back of the machine and hitting me in the legs and groin. This has not been the case. The bag easily stops all debris with ease. The rear bag allows the lawnmower to navigate tight space. In my hard this happens to be only important as you move the mower from on place to the next with the mower off.
We chose the model with the large wheels in the back. This is really a benefit going up slopes and making turns on hills. One can simply lift the mower of the lawn by pushing the mower down and turn with ease.
My biggest beef with this mower is that it really does not handle wet grass at all. In the spring, wet grass gets bound in the entrance of the bag. Ultimately the mower bogs down and then comes to a stop. The clumped grass tends to kill my lawn when this happens.
The first start of the season can be hard with this mower. Every year I spray a little ether in the carburetor to get it started. After this it is a one or two pull start every time. All in all I like this mower, for the money spend it is a good value.