Craftsman 5.5 Briggs & Stratton Side-discharge Self-propelled Walk-behind Mower

by Lee Mitchell
(Sunnyvale, CA, USA)

I used a manual mower for ten years before finally breaking down and purchasing a gas engine mower and have never looked back!

The Craftsman Mower I ended up buying was near the bottom of the range in walk-behind mowers, but the self-propelled rear wheel drive system was the final selling point that got my wallet out. I am very happy with the quality, durability, ease of use, and ease of cleaning that Craftsman engineered into the mower.

After a decade of watching my neighbors wrestling with their mowers start cords, I am still impressed with the ease that my little Briggs & Stratton engine provides me in starting and running. I have only to keep the oil topped up and the ail filter changed once a season.

The cutting blade is 22" wide, and the wheels are inset which ensures a complete lawn trim when you follow the path of the last pass edge to edge. This is a lot easier to manage than the multiple passes that my manual mower required.

I am sure that someday I will have to replace the muffler insert as my neighbors have told me is their experience with gas mowers, but I have had this Craftsman mower for three years so far without an appreciable increase in engine noise. If the longevity of the average Briggs & Stratton engine is any indication, I'll be replacing the frame of the mower before the engine!

I have one small problem that merits mention in a thorough review of my Craftsman mower. The attachment of the push-bar handle to the mower's frame is less than stellar. The bolts that secure the steel tubing to the sheet metal frame were not given nylon locking nuts and one of the nuts fell off while I was using the mower. This situation was not terribly dangerous, as the mower doesn't move very fast anyhow, but was still worth a few choice words from the operator (me) when the handle came loose. I have since replaced both bolts and nuts with locking nuts and thread locking compound just to be on the safe side.

Overall, I would recommend Craftsman lawnmowers to anyone seeking an affordable, reliable, easy to use mower.