Snapper 1687914 21" SP Walk Mower Kit, Self Propelled, Red/Black

For a battery lawnmower its a beast. Battery strength and milliamp hours depend on how high and wet the grass is just like a gas mower. I have a small (currently weedy) front lawn of roughly a thousand square feet and a 3 thousand square foot back yard and have been mowing every two weeks sometimes three (because I worked a lot and hate lawn care). It has been abused: left out in all weather, blade never sharpened, etc. and I always run it at top speed (its better for mower life) and still works great as if it were new. it takes me about twenty minutes to mow my front yard and at top speed but not always using self propel it takes one battery that's fully charged. I have not noticed the battery becoming weak after two years but its possible. They are expensive. If I have a lot of obstructions and can't use self propel, it works out to about the same. While I'm mowing the front the second battery is in the charger and I'm estimating about 30 minutes to charge it. It takes one battery and half of another to mow the back. If I mow when the grass is short (one week) it still takes about the same. If the grass is more than two weeks high the mower will still mow through it and better than a typical gas mower. Its quicker to change a battery than fill it up with gas (it used to take a tank and a half of gas for my total yard with some left over). I don't use the grass catcher but I'm going to start using it once my lawn improvements take place. This is a heavy mower of 80 lbs. Its no problem if you have a wide open lawn and do not require to mow around stuff. If you have hedges, gardens, bird baths, concrete, sheds etc then self propelled is not being used and maneuvering this lawn mower is very similar to a gas push mower. If your yard is wide open, you will certainly appreciate this mower as mowing becomes pleasurable. I hate storing gas, buying gas, hauling gas or smelling gas. Ive owned corded mowers and there are some good ones out there but they are high amp and circuit breaker was popping if I ran more than the mower on 15 amp breaker. This is the best mower I've owned and I've owned a lot of them. I might sharpen the blade this year and store it in the shed more often but other than that this mower requires nothing after two years. Its a snapper so if you live in the big city you can likely find repair service or replacement easy enough.UPDATE: haven't changed mowing habits - still ashamed of my lawn. I haven't sharpened the blade because I'm lazy. The batteries are still good and take full charge - It takes 1 and a half batteries to mow my lawn and that's still true after 3 years. I don't leave it out in the rain like I used to but it didn't hurt it. This mower is the only thing that makes mowing a little more interesting.UPDATE 07/28/2021: Lowering the rating from 5 stars to 4 for one reason only. The mower is great and still works fine in all aspects except exchanging batteries where it actually hurts the tendons in my thumbs pressing down on the lever to dislodge the battery from the compartment. Sounds stupid, I know. I should be able to release it with one hand but it requires too much pressure and it actually hurts to remove the battery. Its like a sprain in my lower thumb. It has become another excuse to not mow my lawn. I really hate mowing. I can't wait for this mower to quit so I can hire a guy to mow my lawn.... it won't quit.2023: still running. Haven't sharpened the blade. Batteries (2) both in good shape but maybe a little less mowing area per battery. No rust anywhere but its sat out in the rain more times than I can remember. I'll never buy another gas push-mower.7 YEAR UPDATE 03/2025:Ugraded ratings from 4 star to 5. The longevity of the mower is way more than I expected and I'm likely going to get at least another 5. The original batteries need recharging sooner that when new but still going pretty strong, I would extimate they are at 75 to 80 percent condition-wise. It should be noted again that I do not maintain it at all. I've never even sharpened the blade. Once I turned it over to clean out some caked up grass. I'm not proud to tell you that but its just the truth. 7 years maintenance free for any lawnmower is unexpected these days. I do not expect to replace this anytime soon unless someoone starts making the perfect robot mower.

This is a lengthy review but worth the read. I used this mower today for the first time. Most fun I've had in a long time. I read some of the reviews prior to purchasing it -negative comments regarding the self propelled feature and replacement blades hard to find, but that did not stop me one second from getting this mower because I've had this same mower, minus the self propelled feature, for a year. Already knew it was, by far, one of the best mowers on the planet. I'm female, age 70 and have debilitating arthritis. Two large fusions in my spine, both knees replaced, shoulders repaired, hands and wrists the pits, and more. Recently widowed so am responsible for the 'joys of home ownership' by myself. Moved into a new house with a yard that has many slopes, some quite steep. So now you're wondering 'if she's in such tough shape why is she in a house with hills that need mowing?' Long story short- moved 2000 miles away, didn't see the house or yard before purchase, only pictures as it was being built - hard to gauge what you're up against with only pictures of dirt and wood. And I have a very hard time asking for help. So I've been pushing this spectacular (non self propelled) mower up those slopes all season and finally decided I couldn't do it anymore. It's no heavier than any other mower but the demographics were doing a job on me. So I started shopping around for a battery operated self propelled - not knowing that my current model came in a self propelled version- and OMG was I a happy camper when I discovered it did. Ordered it with absolutely no hesitation.Here are the PRO'S about the self propelled model (and the non self propelled also) in my opinion -EVERYTHING- it's powerful with an easy to reach lever to adjust forward speed, no gas cans sitting around and no trips to get it , no choking, puking, sputtering engine, no maintenance other than change the blade and give it a bath, lawn looks beautiful, it's quiet, ONE lever height adjustment-no screwing around with 4 wheels, it automatically supplies more power when you get into heavier/thicker grass, easy to clean up, it makes mowing enjoyable. The batterys- charge extremely fast and last the whole 45 minutes each, when they're dead they're dead. No power loss toward the end. I only found one little quirk and that's when you release the self propelled lever to pull it backwards you have to give it a tiny push forward first or the back (propelling) wheels drag. Also people were asking where can you get replacement blades as they are difficult to find online. No info comes up when use the blade number. So you either have your local Snapper dealer order them for you or call Briggs and Stratton - you won't find them on either web site. (Guys- you need to fix this as it is very annoying, especially given that there's no mention in any of the accompanying literature that addresses the blade issue). I ordered 3 so I didn't have to hunt them down for awhile. $18 each- give or take a buck . CON'S - NOTHING. It does the same beautiful job the other one does. Some people griped about having to release the propelling lever to pull the mower backward - That's like complaining because there's not enough raisins in your cinnamon roll.So there you have it. I think Snapper and Briggs and Stratton should be given a medal for developing this fantastic mower, both models. It certainly has made my life easier. Hope my experiences help in your decision making. You will not regret picking up this mower.