Customer Reviews

Lawn Boy 10685 Insight Series 21-Inch 6.5 HP Gas Powered Self-Propelled Lawn Mower with Sens-a-Speed

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

The mower itself is pretty heavy for push mower. But thanks to its Sens-a-Speed transmission, I didn't have hard time maneuvering it around my yard. I can engage the self propel gracefully and stop it gracefully without lurching. And because it is rear wheel drive, it can climb up hills easily even with full bag. This is the same mechanism as time proven TORO Personal Pace transmission. (FYI: TORO accquired Lawn-boy.)

This 10685 bags very well. It fills the bag literally full even when grass is wet. However, mulching is not its strong point. It tends to leave grass clippings on its rear wheel tracks.

Insight(10685) uses Tecumseh 195cc(6.5HP) engine while Insight Gold(10695) uses Honda 160cc(5.5HP) engine. Mine is less expensive model with Tecumseh engine but I don't feel any need to upgrade to Honda. The engine is very powerful and not louder than any other engines in my neighborhood. Also it starts at first pull after priming.

Many features are carefully designed. Engine pull start handle is oversized and lined with rubber. Push handle is padded and the sponge is durable(does not tear nor become sloppy.) Fold-up handle is attached securely and the fold-up hinge did not get sloppy after an year's use. There is nothing filmsy in this mower.

I replaced an 11 year old 5hp Murray mower.....I'm getting a bit old in the tooth to push it, and besides, its basic design is not really good for mulching.

After careful consideration, I bought this Lawn Boy model and I'm really happy with it. My lawn is not patricularly big, but it's an old bumpy lawn that very compacted and this Lawn Boy's big wheels and self-propelled drive glides right over my lawn with ease.

I generally mulch, but I tried the side discharge (my Murray didn't have this feature), and it's easy as pie to install the shoot and it works swell.

Also, the bagging feature is quite similar to my old Murray....I'll only use it at the end of the season when I have lots of leaves and at the beginning of the season...when I have lots of leaves!

All in all, it's a swell mower and it's a good mower for the money all around.

I bought a Craftsman a couple of weeks before, with more horse power and it could not handle high grass, cutting out on me and leaving piles of grass around. I have always been told that the lawn boy is superior when it comes to mulching but i was skeptical about this sensa-speed thing. well, let me tell you, it is awsome. While mowing, i was constently searching for that other bar or lever to move my mower. This invention works great without tugging you up hills and around a bush. Again with the mulching, it shredded up my grass very well. No need to bag with this one. I haven't had it long, so we will see how well it holds up. But with a complete 2 year warrenty....i have no worries. Lawn-boy still rules.

I bought this about 2 weeks ago, but because of rain and the fact I mowed the day before I bought it, i had to wait to play with the new toy.

i am very pleased with the mower. It has great power, runs quiet, and fuel efficient. Someone said it was easy to handle, and I agree. I was actually pushing it with one hand and turning it too. It is that easy to push. The mulching was great, this was my 3rd mower, so I can compare some. However, my last mower, I bought this universal blade, that wasn't supposed to be a mulching, but it had 3 fins on each side and did a great job. Slightly better, but I can always buy that blade next year if I want. I wasn't dissapointed though with the LB.

I like the wide tires, although it would be nice to have larger rear ones to pivot with. The bag scooped up and held more than I thought it would, and the fact you don't have to lift a door, then pull the bag from behind the handle is great. All you do with the LB is move the pull cord, and while standing over it, pull the bag straight up. And no claw-type clips to hook it back on the mower, which always end up ripping the bag when you bump the clippings.

the Sensa Speed works nice, although takes some getting used to. if you push too hard from a stop, the mower has a tendency to lurch forward. That takes some getting used to especially if you are mowing small areas between side walks for example.

The RWD works great. going up a slight hill, I didn't need to pull up on the handle as the RWD dug in perfectly.

I LOVE the storage feature. I hated haved to unscrew handle to fold it down. I can actually steer it into the garage, then press the lever and fold it straight up, with the bag hanging on the handle.

I also had an MTD that was my parents, that had over 10 yrs on it, with a period in between of 3-4 yrs non-use. It was a 4.5HP Tech motor and after i got a yearly maintenance, it worked great. I had a B&S Craftsman that my neighbor gave me, but I like the Tech engine. mroe fuel efficient in my opinion.

My flaws? the pull cord, if I pull too hard comes off the handle. The gap of the loop is too much open so I have to take some pliers and close it up more.

The mulch/bag plug is a blessing and a curse. I'd like to not have to worry about lugging an extra piece around when I swap from bag to mulch. However, the design of pulling the bag straight up without the hinging door cover makes it worth it. Try doing that with another mower.

One of the wheel adjustments was harder to adjust then the other 3. but i don't think i'll move it much. i have St. Augustine so i'll keep it at the top or one notch below.

So Pros:
RWD
Sensa Speed (ease of moving)
Bag and design
Mulching
Storage fold
power/quiet

Cons:
Sensa Speed (lurch if you push too hard from a stop)
Mulch plug (extra thing to walk around with or get)
Hard to push when off in grass(i turned it on, and lifted the front to go to the garage after i finished the backyard)

i'd recommend it easily.

My 10685 is just about 1 year old and I love it. It folds up nice for winter storage (something that is a must for my garage), easy to start, easy to maintain, easy to... the list continues. It took very little to get used to the round front wheels, but they allow even cutting while steering around trees and edging. The only downside to them is that it took some adjustment to make the first line straight were my old John Deere JS20 was such a tank, there was NO worries keeping direction. I would say you'd have to really toss down some dough to beat this mower.

I just got this mower after a long wait (long story) worth the wait. Filled it with gas and oil, primed it, and started the first pull very easily. Effortless mowing, love the Sens-A-Speed drive, takes a little getting used to, not to push too hard when starting off, but not a problem. Engine is quiet and powerful, cuts through long, thick grass with not a hint of slowing. Had a problem with the shipper(box was a mess and I refused shipment). Amazon customer service in India was terrible, lied to me, but customer service rep. from America was great, very professional and helpful. If you get a foreign rep. ask to be transferred to someone in the U.S.

I did a lot of research before buying this lawn mower. I looked at Toro, honda, and Sears. I bought a copy of comsumer reports, and this mower is ranked 9th on there list. The sen-s a speed works great. Its a litle hard to get used to but when you do, it makes mowing a breeze. The mulching parts works well, even though the honda does a better job for $200 more! Anyone who is looking for a mower that runs great out of the box, and cuts grass with ease, should buy this mower. Its a steal!

Ordered this mower (rated a "Best Buy" by the leading consumer magazine) from Amazon, and it arrived two days later (an inarguable value if you have Prime). I had been purchasing a Sears mower practically every other year and am hopeful this one comes closer to going the distance. It's the most elaborate mower I've ever owned (never had a bag or self-propelling machine), but I had expected it to be smaller and lighter (especially after reading that the engine housing is plastic). In any case, so far so good (I can't see how the model with a Honda engine justifies the considerable extra expense). If the engine begins to fight me or the thing shows signs of wearing down, I'll change my rating. Even apart from the quality of the products, Sears service has been so slow, complicated and unreliable--whether I've ordered a product from my local store or their online store--that I'm tickled to have this one arrive at my front door hassle-free. Now if Amazon only sold ranges, washers and dryers, perhaps contracting with local installers (are you listening, Bezos?).

[Later: I've now mowed the lawn three times--and pulled the starting rope exactly three times! This mean machine is one bad ax--hasn't missed a single beat. Even if it's not my last mower, I'm confident it'll last long enough to make purchase of a cordless electric a practical option by the time I need another.]

[Regarding some reservations expressed by other reviewers: 1. I'd agree that the lawnmower feels heavy if not resistant when you pull it backward. Best either to devise a "forward path" or, for some terrains, to look for a lighter, more maneuverable machine. Also, if purchased from Amazon, the price is, at the very least, highly competitive and fairly valued, esp. with Amazon Prime. Finally, the automatic sensor of the self-propelling mechanism is effective but not fool-proof: it can't exactly read your mind, and will occasionally seem reluctant to go forward and at other times be overly eager to jump out front. Read the instruction manual and adjust the device so that there is neither too much nor too little "give" in the activating line.]

Well..besides that I paid $270 shipping included..I was very leary about some of the posting about parts being broken and the no return policy on it..Well I received it today, perfectly - shipped by DHL. There is nothing wimpy about this lawnmower, its hefty but since its not a pushmower - there is nothing to worry about it..After putting in the oil provided in the packing and adding the adapter for mulching, checking to make sure the blade was sharp (yes it was)..Prime - pull and START on first try..1st thing I notice, much quieter than my Craftsman 6.5 mulcher push mower...Getting use to the sens-a-speed was a breeze, it just cut beautifully and moved with power..I could have mowed it with one arm alone...I loved it, my neighbor saw it and tried and LOVED it - the ease of it and then the price - it insane - what a bargain this feels..time will tell how this works but the mulching was very very good also. I love how the tires are place, you just dont miss cutting anything with the deck being as wide or wider past the tires..Good job Lawnboy..Highly recommend this

This lawnmower was broken in several places when it arrived. The handlebar was torn, a metal piece on the handlebar was split in two, the clip on one of the wheels was busted, and the bottle of oil that was supposed to be included was cut in two and everything was covered in oil. I was stunned!!! Amazon refused to take it back and told me to call a Lawn-Boy service center(which I had to find on my own). I took the lawnmower in to a service center. It has been two weeks and I still do not have my mower, as the parts have not arrived. I would recommend going in to a retail store to buy this item, so you can see what you are getting. This has been awful!!!