Yard Machines 3-in-1 Mower, Model 11A-54MB029 21 - It Can Bag, Mulch, or Spit it Out the Side, but the Best Thing is the Giant Wheels!

When I moved from my former house into my current one this year, I noticed one huge difference between the two properties. My last place had the usual rocks, roots, and holes, but the imperfections in my new yard were highly unusual. Even on the highest setting, my old 22 inch Murray with its standard 6 inch wheels was bottoming out all over the place, and scalped my yard but good in several spots! As much as I hate to spend money, I had to bite the bullet and buy a mower that could handle this yard.

After doing some serious shopping and price comparison, I found the Yard Machines Model 11A-54MB029 21" 3-in-1 Mower at Home Depot for $199. I have not yet had any experience with this particular brand, but I have used other products from its parent corporation MTD, with both outstanding (Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt) and disappointing (Bolens) experiences. But the bottom line was it was the best tall-wheeled, rear-bagger mower I could afford, and these features are absolutely necessary for a yard with alot of imperfections that make it difficult to mow and rake.

I took my new mower home in it's original shipping carton, and therefore knew I was going to have to assemble it (which almost never bothers me, since I am quite proficient with tools). Imagine my happy surprise when I opened the crate and found out that the only "assembly" required was to unfold the handle and install the 2 giant 12 inch back wheels! Oh, I did have to assemble the rear bagger, though, but that was the only difficulty I encountered during assembly (better have plenty of patience while trying to stretch the canvas bag tightly over the metal frame!).

During assembly, I did notice that many of the fasteners (such as the tension nuts for the handle) are cheaply-made plastic, so one should take care not to over-tighten any of them. And I did find one major piece of engineering stupidity in the design of the 139 c.c. pull-start engine. The oil drain nut is right on top of the deck, instead on underneath it where it belongs. This makes for an extremely inconvenient and messy oil change, and only God knows why they put it there!

After I installed the enclosed pint of oil into the motor, I adjusted the 9 position cutting deck to its 5 inch maximum (a height normally found in commercial mowers), and installed the rear bagger (which is surprisingly easy to install). Unlike many other newer mowers, the Yard Machines Model 11A-54MB029 21" 3-in-1 Mower does not have a manual choke on its 3.5 horse engine. It has to be choked manually when starting cold, than opened gradually when the engine runs on its own accord. The manual choke is conveniently located on the left side of the handle, and is very easy to operate.

I was beyond delighted when the Yard Machines mower lived up to its 'Easy Start Promise' by firing up after the second pull! With the giant 12 inch rear wheels and the oversized 8 inch front wheels, the Yard Machines Model 11A-54MB029 21" 3-in-1 Mower glided effortlessly across my front yard. Even though some of the bigger holes swallowed the front wheels, the mower did not bottom out or scalp my yard. Compared to my old mower with its standard 6 inch wheels, the Yard Machines Model 11A-54MB029 21" 3-in-1 Mower felt almost like it was floating.

As you might well have guessed, a mower costing less than $200.00 brand new is not self-propelled, but for me, that's not a problem. If you are concerned at all about pushing a mower with a full catcher of grass up a hill in the hot sun, then I must suggest saving another $100.00 or so and buying a self-propelled rear-bagger mower.

Now, some days when I am really beat, I just don't feel like emptying the stupid heavy grass catcher (this one holds over a quarter bushel of lawn debris). This is where the '3-in-1' option is such a joy! The mower comes set up for either mulching or bagging with the "mulch plug" already installed over the side discharge hole. With the catcher installed, the rear flap is locked open, allowing the grass to pile up into the catcher. Without the catcher, the rear flap remains closed, allowing the grass to recirculate under the deck until it is pulverized into a fine, powdery mulch that can return nutrients to the lawn. For side discharge, simply remove the mulch plug from the side of the mowing deck, install the enclosed discharge chute, and mow with the rear flap shut.

It's wonderfully versatile this way, depending on what you want or need that day. Rear-bagging makes the cleanest, neatest lawn (it makes mine look like plush, green shag carpet with a beautiful checkerboard pattern), but takes more time and effort (especially if happens to be 90 degrees in the shade that day!). Mulching is good to do once in a while for the nourishment of your yard, but too many times will result in the accumulation of "thack" (buildup of lawn debris on the topsoil), which can suffocate the lawn in spots. Mowing in side-discharge mode is by far the easiest, but if you don't rake up afterwards, the piles of clippings will suffocate your lawn, leaving ugly brown stripes of dead grass in the yard.

I have cut with the Yard Machines Model 11A-54MB029 21" 3-in-1 Mower 5 times so far this season, and I am very happy with its performance, and they way it makes my property look. With a 2-year limited warranty, I can take hopefully take comfort in the fact that if I take care of it, it will give me at least 2 trouble-free years, anyways. Only time will tell if, at $199.00, it was a lucky long-term investment for me. In spite of a few design flaws and cheap fittings, the Yard Machines Model 11A-54MB029 21" 3-in-1 Mower is doing a mighty fine job of helping me keep my house looking like people actually live there!