Rear drive vs front drive?

[IaLeo]

Does a rear drive push mower work better than a front drive?
I am finding out that the old Toro push mower with front drive is getting too much for old me, mowing this new town yard. It seems way to heavy and I struggle with all the stops, starts, going around trees, slopes, fence corners, etc..

Would some thing like a JD JS63 with caster front wheel and rear drive (and hopefully easier drive controls) be that much better handling?

Thanks for your time commenting. Leo

 

[steve_in_mo]

I have never liked front wheel drive mowers.
They only seem to work on level ground,
and I don't have any level ground.
Rear wheel drive works a lot better for me.
Husqvarna makes an all-wheel-drive model. $$

 

[Russ from MN]

I like the front wheel drive, when you want to back up you just lift the front end a little.

 

[tractorguy2]

Rear drive is much better. The engine puts weight on the rear wheels and so the does the operator when he pushes down on the handle.

I have a 21" Snapper I mow my three ditches in the front yard along the city street. I can hold down the self propel lever with three fingers and the mower will pull it's self right up and out of the ditch. My neighbor has a front wheel drive. It is completely worthless for his ditch. The front wheels just spin and it goes no where. He has to manually pull his mower backwards up out of the ditch. I just hold the handle with three fingers and walk right up and out of my ditch.

I wouldn't give five cents for a front wheel drive mower.

 

[cve]

Hi
I have 2 Toro mowers the old one is rear drive the new one front drive I regret buying the new one.
Don't like front drive at all.you have much better control with rear drive.

 

[ztrmowers]

all I can say for sure is when I was selling push units everybody wanted front drive units, sold one rear drive to 10 or so front drives.my parents when I was growing up had a walk behind rear drive unit in those days they were not variable speed like new units. on hill terrain I would still do rear drive units. everything that I have nowdays to offer are all 4 wd drive units. can you go to a small rider instead. or go with the highly popular automatic units. you stay in the house while it mows your yard.

 

[Bob - MI]

I have an old Toro rear drive that I bought about 35 years ago and it has always handled well. One thing that rear drive is really good at is maintaining traction with a rear bagger full of grass clippings. I also found that while negotiating around posts and other obstacles I could lift the front wheels a bit and follow the contour easily while easing in and out of the rear drive.

I still use that Toro today to do light duty trimming and other odd areas that I can't get the rider into. Has the old Suzuki 5hp GTS engine with a blade clutch on it and everything still works fine. Uses a bit of oil today but no significant smoking. If I would have run synthetic back when it was my only mower I bet it wouldn't use any oil at all.

 

[fdt860]

I have a JS63. Very good mower but very heavy. That is why Deere make it with caster wheels.