Yard Machines 13A-344-700 YardBug 9.5HP 27" 3N1 Riding Mower

I'm on my second season of using the yardbug and, other than its sleek style and compact design, there is not much good to say about it. The bagging and mulching capabilities are marginal - it tends to leave large grass clippings when mulching and does not give a clean sweep when bagging. Maintenance and adjustments are difficult to perform. To change the oil requires attaching a chute that can lead to a mess. Even leveling the blade is a complicated task. Most disappointing is the cutting capabilities. Cutting tends to be uneven and I often find the mower scaulps the grass when there is any uneveness to the surface. I find the mower to be unstable when mowing on an incline and the safety features are agravating.

I bought this unit based on a Consumer magazines good recommendation for an even cut when mulching. 4 months later I am still waiting for Yard Machines (MTD) to supply a solution for an uneven cut problem I can only attribute to poor design. I need go over my lawn twice to get average results. After deck leveling and blade changes I am now forced to bring my mower to a repair shop to have them try to fix the problem. I can't recommend this mower at this time. If the repair shop can fix this problem I will edit my review. BTW, I am a HVAC Mechanic so I know how to turn a wrench. UPDATE: MTD has very poor customer service. It's very hard to get them to return phone calls. After many phone conversations, MTD still can't find a solution and does not seem to want to offer further help. The rep won't let me talk to his superiors, or even another service rep. I have brought this twice to the local repair shop and they still cant't fix it. They even came to my house to see how poor it cut...Read more

I have had one for 3 years and have spent more on it in repairs that I did to buy it. Do not buy.