Lawn Boy Insight Series : 10685
by Darwin Stephenson
(Livermore, CA)
I first read the reviews online about the Insight Series Self-Propel mowers and was struck by how many people said how easy it was for their wife or girlfriend to use the mower. It would take more than an easy to push mower to get my wife to mow the lawn but I was intrigued none the less.
I've been really impressed and pleased with this mower. The Self-Propel feature does make the mower very easy to push as the natural force you put into the mower as you walk adjusts the power that is transferred to the wheels. Thus as you hit an incline the mower automatically adjusts and you're able to keep a steady pace. It really does take the effort out of mowing.
The 6.5 hp Easy Start Tecumseh® Engine does start like a charm. It has more than enough power to tackle anything my yard will throw at it. I've never used the bag or the side discharge as the mulching system works well even when I'm a few days late getting to the mowing.
One of the best features of this mower is the compact storage. The handle easily raises to both 90° and 180° storage positions (the latter allows you to hang the mower bag on the handle above the mower). I have a two car garage and this allows me to store the mower between both cars at the entrance without the handle sticking out to take up more space than is necessary.
A final note, the manual recommends shooting water under the right front tire to clean the underside of the mower while the mower is running. By doing this the blade catches the water and cleans off the grass clippings stuck to the underside.
Doing this is possible on any mower but I just wanted to add that it works really well.