Customer Reviews

LEHR LM139SP 20-Inch 5-Horsepower Self-Propelled Propane Eco Mower (CARB Compliant)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I'll cut to the chase on this one. I'm sure most of you, like I was, are asking is there anything wrong with this mower? The answer is no. The mower takes about 5 minutes to unpack and setup. After adding some 10w-30 oil and a propane tank it's ready to go.
First time cranking it up is uneventful. To start mine it was just a matter of three pulls on the handle. But since then, it's down to 1 pull, or 2 if I disconnected the tank. Pull starting it is barely harder than opening an old refrigerator door, and much easier than other mowers. The throttle may take some getting used to. It's propane so when you increase the throttle it takes a few seconds to catch up. And for everyone wondering how long a tank lasts I have the answer. This thing will run full speed, with the drive wheels engaged for 1 hour and 15 minutes exactly. I ran out of things to mow figuring that out.
The self propelled feature is nice, nothing fancy to break. The speed is adjusted with the throttle, and disengaged with a second handle underneath the brake handle. Push the mower without the drive engaged and you'll hear the drive components freewheeling. It's not very loud, but you can feel a faint resistance. I've had a little trouble with my wheel drive belt though. Twice now the wheels failed to engage. But all I gotta do is tighten the belt tension a tad. Not a big deal.
One fascinating feature about the mower is that most everything is either bolted on, or held in place with pins. No rivets, or anything of the sort to work their way loose. Almost all the components are heavy duty and held into place with a bracket or a clamp. I say almost all, because there is one thing that may fall off. That's the hubcaps. Every wheel has a little Grey hubcap that keeps debris out of the axle components. The hubcaps just snap on, and are pretty easy to pull off. But don't worry, They won't affect anything if you pull them off. Plus you can give them to a friend that has a gas mower that never seems to start or run correctly. Might make him/her feel better when your mowing your lawn like a champ.

*UPDATE*
Mower still runs like new, but the engine seemed to be slightly slower than it should be. So I tried adjusting the throttle screw but maxed out it out. So I had to un-clamp the cable housing and move it back. Works fine now.. (Also, make sure you really tighten the nut and cam lever that holds the upper handle on. Worked loose on mine.) Still would rate the mower a 5/5..

The mower works as advertised. However, the self-propelling mechanism failed after two weeks. Warranty has been honored but we had to drive 40 miles to drop it off last Friday for repair and will have to drive again to pick it up - total of 160 miles to get something brand new fixed - that's not cheap in terms of time or even money.

Revision: The mower has been with an authorized service place for more than 8 days now. We called twice (they didn't bother to call us back) and were told that they are still waiting on the parts. At this point I am thinking - I want to send this piece of junk back.

It burns propane from canisters and not gasoline... Yea!
It's hard to start...Boo!
It's hard to maneuver, clunky and heavy...Boo!
You can't cut higher than, what, 2 1/2 to 3 inches (too bad for mowing procastinators)...Boo!
They tell you not mow on a hillside and they're not kidding.
If I could return it I would.
Definitely try it out before buying.

Pros: eco-friendly, quiet, started easily
Cons: poor design - plastic pieces & blade height adjustment

I have had the Lehr propane TRIMMER for 2 years & absolutely love it, so I was excited about getting the mower too. However, once I received the mower, my excitement gradually turned into disappointment. I researched this & other mowers for awhile (as I do all products I purchase) and thought the few negative reviews were just anomolies. I can tell you that the negative reviews are true and to enjoy this mower, you must live in a certain part of the country where the grass is thin, ground is level, climate is mild, and your lawn can thrive even when cut very short (so you might as well save money & get one of those walk-behind manual rotary mowers). First, Lehr needs to replace those red plastic handle adjusters w/ more sturdy hardware; both (left & right side) were cracked right out of the box making them inoperable, so I went to the hardware store & bought proper bolts because I wasn't going to let that deter me. Then, after I read all instructions, filled w/ fluids, and properly adjusted the mower, I started it and began to test an area of my yard...I am so glad I tested it in a very inconspicuous area because at its HIGHEST setting, the blade cut almost down to the root of my grass. I live in Texas and this is just NOT going to work; summers are way too hot to have grass that short. It wasn't even close to where it needed to be, so returning it was a no-brainer, and I was very disappointed. Packed it all back up, returned it, & then went to Home Depot & bought a Toro Recycler 20331 (See Toro Recycler Self-Propelled Mower Briggs & Stratton 6.75 TP (22") #20331) for $279 which is gas mower but does all that I need it to do and does it very well.

Propane powered lawn tools? What a great idea, somebody should have been doing this 20 years ago. Its good for the environment true. But Its good for the engine, the oil and the lazy guy who does not take care of his tools.
My mower showed up damaged, it had been dropped and a wheel was pointed in the wrong direction, it was a simple fix.
Overall I am very happy with the mower, it starts with 2-3 pulls hot or cold.
I use the mower as a mulcher and I am pleased with the results.
When the generators are available I will buy one.

Excellent product, everything 5 Stars, 4 Stars for Amazon since the price drop $50 and I could not get the refund credit. Easy start and a lot of power and I did try to munch in high grass with no problem. Oil is not included so you may want to pick one up when getting the propane cans. I could not find any place that selling the re-fillable can if you want to save some $ in the long run since the local sale non-reusable can for $2.59 and it should last for ~ 90 minutes (I did not check the time yet but it is up there). I like the mower a lot since no fuel smell, storage and also low noses in max speed. Go for it you will like it.

Well made mower, comes out of the box w/ little assembly. Read all the reviews on amazon they piqued my interest, so i tried it out. It really is easy to use, no prime, no choke. Just pull 1 or 2 times and starts right up in a smooth idle. Low maintenance means more time w/ my family. Will be buying the trimmer too. Cannot wait.

Good value, starts easy. I love the fact that it runs on propane.
Not sure if I like the rear wheel drive, I'm used to front wheel drive. The rear wheel drive makes it difficult if you are used to the back-and-forth(180)mowing. Also, I don't like the drive lever being under the handle.
Otherwise I am very pleased with it.

I ordered the LM139SP on Sat 7-10-2010 and it was delivered via super saver shipping on Wed 7-14-2010. I got the SP self propelled model and have just noticed that it is currently $16.59 less than the push LM139NP model. I just pushed mine like a regular push mower with no difficulty. I didn't even try the self propelled feature at all. I preferred using the rear discharger without the bag rather than using the side discharger. That's because the side discharger gets in the way when you want to mow close around trees etc. The rear discharger shoots off to the left so it's not coming straight back at you at full force. But your legs will still get hit. I already wear shin and knee protectors that I already had for mountain bike riding (like a baseball catcher) so it was no problem for me. I already owned Lehr's curved shaft trimmer and was very pleased with it. So when my corded electric mower by another manufacturer died on me, I decided to take a chance on Lehr's mower. I'm getting my corded electric mower fixed since it's still on warranty for 16 more months but will just keep it as a back up. Mowing the lawn went a lot faster not having to drag a cord around. I've moved from Farmington Hills, MI to Hillsboro, OH but Amazon keeps reporting me as Farmington Hills.

I wasn't sure what to expect for quality when I ordered this mower, but after receiving it and using it a few times I can say that it has exceeded my expectations. I also really like the fact that it runs on propane which is produced in the United States and is much cleaner than gasoline. I have mowed my lawn 3 times (a little over an hour of run time) on a single canister of propane. The only drawback I have found is it doesn't have a variable speed control to increase or decrease the self propelled speed. But I can deal with only one speed. For the money, there isn't a better self propelled bagging mower out there.