Craftsman 190cc 22" Briggs & Stratton Rear Bag Rear High Wheel Front Propelled Lawn Mower Reviews
www.sears.com
Rating Summary
“Craftsman 37653 - All slip, no grip!”
- lazy about lawn care
- Pros
- Easy starting, Smooth Operation, Electric Start
- Cons
- Poor traction, Hidden battery, Needs a padded handle
Craftsman 190cc 22" Briggs & Stratton Rear Bag Rear High Wheel Front Propelled Lawn Mower —
I bought the Craftsman 37653 mower because the salesman told me that front wheel drive was better than rear wheel drive. He said he uses a front wheel drive Craftsman himself. Took it home, assembled the handle, added oil and put the charger on the battery. Next day I adjusted the height to 5, added gas and turned the key. The Briggs & Stratton 675 Platinum engine started right up and ran strong. Started mowing the grass and it seemed to work well at first. But right off the bat, the first time I backed up the mower, the rear deflector flap swept under the deck and got chopped up by the blade. Not a very good design or first impression. I started to notice the front drive wheels seemed to be slipping a lot in my thick St. Augustine grass. I had to squeeze the speed control fully and either push it forward or lift up on the handle to create more downforce on the front wheels. And as the grass bag would fill, it would transfer more weight to the large rear wheels which would cause the front wheels to slip more. After I finished I decided to wait a week and try it again since my lawn was a little higher than normal. A week goes by and I try it again--same problem with slipping wheels. I hesitated returning it to Sears because there was so much I liked about the mower. The easy key start, the large easy-to-empty grass bag, the wheel height adjusters, and the washout port. But after thinking about it and reading reviews here I decided to take it back and get the rear-wheel drive version (37436). They gave it to me at the same price even though it has a bigger Briggs 700 Platinum engine. and what a difference! Better traction, a window in the bag, a battery that's easy to access, and the deflector doesn't hit the blade! The only negative is it has only one speed control handle instead of two. Not a big deal since it's on the right and I'm right-handed. Before you buy this one, read my review of the 37436.
Craftsman 190cc 22" Briggs & Stratton Rear Bag Rear High Wheel Front Propelled Lawn Mower
