Top Lawn Mower

DAYTON — The Regional Air Pollution Control Agency, in cooperation with Montgomery County and the county green initiative, is sponsoring a lawn mower exchange program.

Residents can drop off their gas-powered mowers for a coupon worth $150 toward the purchase of a Neuton Battery-Powered Cordless Electric Lawnmower CE5.2, suitable for smaller yards or trimming larger ones.

Gas mowers are to be brought to the county South Transfer Station, 1001 Encrete Lane in Moraine, on Saturday, March 29, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mowers must be emptied of oil and gas. Residents may drop off waste gas and oil at the same station.

With the coupon, the cost will be $139, down from a retail price of $389.

Jeff Cox just wanted a good lawn mower.

“I guess I bought more than a good mower that day,” he said.

Cox ended up making a deal to purchase the entire business, Mountaineer Mowers on Ragland Road in Beckley.

“I said, ‘This looks like a great business you have here, one I would like to have,’” he recalled. “The owner said it was a coincidence that I would say that because the business was for sale.”

The next thing you know, Cox and his wife Lydia became the owners of the business.

“That was in 2002,” Cox said.

The couple has been self-employed in Beckley since 1990 in the heating and air conditioning business.

“I was looking for something different and I found it here at Mountaineer Mowers,” Jeff Cox said.

Mountaineer Mowers is unique because it services all major brands of lawn mower, regardless of where the machine was purchased.

“We also sell parts for all major brands,” he said.

Cox said his is not a specific type of shop.

“If you have a small engine repair, like a lawn mower, a weed-eater, a water pump, or whatever we can service it here and access parts for it.”

Cox says his shop is the only locally owned and operated service center for all major brands of lawn and garden equipment and supplies.

“It doesn’t matter where you purchased it, if it is under warranty, we can take care of it for you or if it’s out of warranty, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “We offer full service and sales.”

Cox said Mountaineer Mowers offers the most experienced service technicians in the area.

“Our parts manager, Mike Marion, has over 35 years experience. One of our mechanics, Charlie Kelley, has over 23 years’ experience and another mechanic, Randall Smith, has over 25 years’ experience,” he said.

Other experienced employees include service write James Facello and mechanic technician Eddie Hoge.

“Overall, I would say we have over 150 years of combined experience in this building,” Cox said.

Cox says everyone loves having a nice green lawn.

“Unfortunately, that lawn will rarely water, fertilize and mow itself,” he said. “Having a beautiful lawn requires a lot of work, and whether you do it yourself or pay a yard cleaning company, it has to be done. If you take care of your own lawn, the first tool you will need is a good lawn mower.”

Cox says lawn mowers have come a long way since the days of the old-fashioned manual push mowers.

“Today’s power lawn mowers take a lot of the hard work out of the job, propelling themselves, mulching and bagging the grass cuttings,” he said.

“Zero turn mowers are the new, big thing in mowing. The time saved is just amazing with this machine. It cuts the time to mow a lawn in half from that of a conventional lawn mower.”

Practically any mower will cut your grass, according to Cox.

“But you’ll get better results with less effort if you choose a machine based on your lawn size, mowing preferences, and budget,” he said. “… We will help you with your new mower and educate you on how simple it is to operate.”

Lydia Cox said this is what sets Mountaineer Mowers apart from the big box stores.

“When you purchase a zero turn or weedeater from us we service it and go over it with you and make sure you understand what you have and how to properly operate it,” she said. “When you purchase that equipment here, we will assemble it, service it, start it, test it, educate the customer on it, file any warranties and make sure it is ready to go. I don’t think you will get that type of service at any box store.”

She says Mountaineer Mowers’ prices are very competitive as well.

“It’s not like you will be paying more,” she said. “We are competitive and have personal service after the sale. We don’t send you equipment out of town to be repaired or serviced. It’s all done locally.”

Jeff said the biggest problem he finds in this area is that people wait too long to have their lawn mowers, weedeaters and other lawn and garden equipment serviced and repaired.

“We get so overwhelmed at the beginning of spring,” he said. “Start today in getting it serviced and see what repairs and parts may be needed. This way the machines will be ready for you when it’s time to start on this year’s lawn and garden work.”

Mountaineer Mowers offers an estimate on repairs before they do any of the work.

“We give an estimate for any repair for a small fee and we would call you before we start the job,” Cox said.

The company also offers full financing for everything in the store.

Yard work is a breeze with the Lawn-Boy insight 21-inch 6-1/2 HP self-propelled lawn mower. It features the easy-start Tecumseh LV 195 engine and rear-wheel-drive self-propel system for effortless maneuvering. Set the speed you want and move at your own pace up to three miles per hour. This mower’s three-in-one system allows you to mulch, side-discharge, or bag your grass clippings. Two oversized knobs hold it in a 180-degree position for convenient storage and it has an easy lift bag, pull start, and soft comfort grips. The Lawn-Boy also boasts a 21-inch-wide steel deck and a 1-to-4-inch cutting height. For consumer confidence, it is backed by a 2-year complete warranty.

Product Description
Every Lawn-Boy mower is built to fit you with custom features like handle height adjustments and soft comfort grips, along with ease-of-use features that make your mower more comfortable to operate. Every detail - even setup and storage - has been carefully designed with you in mind. Engine: Tecumseh Easy Start, HP: 6.5, Drive: Rear Sheel, Cutting Height (in.): 1 - 4, Cutting Speeds: 0 - 3, Cutting Width (in.): 21, Max. Cutting Speed (MPH): 3, Deck Material: Steel, Dimensions L x W x H (in.): 68 x 22 1/2 x 42

Technical Details

* 6.5 hp Easy Start Tecumseh Engine
* Variable Speed RWD
* 21″ Steel Deck
* Compact Storage with the Easy Stow Knobs
* 3-n-1 System: Mulch, Rear Bag, and Side Discharge

Troy Bilts most affordable electric start mower! The TB449 offers standard electric start - no pull starting required! It also features an easy-to-operate front wheel drive transmission to eliminate pushing. And with mulch and side discharge options, this lawn mower is versatile and dependable.

Technical Details

* Standard electric start - no pulling required, just turn the key!
* Single-speed front wheel drive, self-propelled transmssion eliminates pushing
* 21″ heavy duty steel mulching deck
* 9-position deck height adjustment
* 2-year limited warranty

This Yard Man model is ideal for yards of 2,000 feet or less. At 139 cc, this machine is a little below average in terms of power, but will be fine for most circumstances. If you’ll be routinely cutting dense, wet grass, or if your lawn is very large, you may want a little more power (see the Yard Man #11B-439Q756).

This model features exceptionally large rear wheels. At 12 inches, these make this model extremely maneuverable in tight spots-perfect for smaller yards. Like most mowers, this one includes an engagement lever that stops the engine and blade when it’s released. This is somewhat less convenient than models that include a blade brake that lets you keep the motor running, but you have to spend extra money for this feature.

The mower includes a recoil starter (these start much easier than their stubborn predecessors did-it usually takes one or two pulls to get the engine going) and a choke knob. According to the manual, you may not need to use the choke if the engine is warm or the air temperature is high. Both the starter handle and the choke knob are mounted halfway up the handle.

The 11A-54MB055 features a 3-in-1 deck. This means you can mulch, side-discharge, or collect your clippings in a rear-mount grass catcher. You can also adjust the cutting height via adjustment levers mounted on the wheels.

This is a good, powerful mower that would be well-suited for smaller yards. Two-year warranty. Conforms to Air Resource Board regulations. For safety, don’t mow on inclines of more than 15 degrees, and always mow across a slope, not up it.–Josh Dettweiler

What’s in the Box
Mower (wheels, blade and hardware, hardware pack), grass catcher, side discharge chute, mulch plug, oil fill cap/dipstick

Technical Details

* 139 cc gas-powered push mower
* For mowing areas of less than 2,000 square feet
* 12-inch rear wheels for extra maneuverability; 21-inch 3-in-1 deck
* PowerMore OHV engine
* 2-year warranty; engagement lever mounted to handle for safety