Reader's Responses:

1. Michael Maglio says:

   May 13, 2010 at 3:30 am

   Review by Michael Maglio for Weed Eater WE-ONE 26-Inch 190cc OHV Briggs & Stratton 825 Series Gas Powered Gas Powered Riding Lawn Mower (Non-CARB Compliant)
   Rating:
   With this being a new item this year, early availability has been low. Found that one of the Big Box retailers had received one or two each and thought I’d snag one quick as they could be in short supply. Going on faith, as no reviews to be found yet, I brought one home still crated. Was very pleased with quality at first sight, found it to be very simple to assemble and it started right up with just some fuel…oil already installed. I had read about the new Briggs 875 engine and although no HP rating, the 8.75 torqe rating was listed. The engine is very quiet with a nice muffler system and it moves the mower over grass very well. Engaging the mower deck (belt driven so do so slowly, the noise level increases while turning the drive pulleys and the blade and the enging revs with the increased load. As it is only mid March, I haven’t cut grass with it yet, but I expect it will do so nicely. There are 3 forward speeds and I am hopeful that it will cut well at the fastest because the lower two are a bit slow for long stretches, but nice for going against walkways, etc. There are only four cutting heights available with the middle two being approximately 2 1/4 and 3 1/4 high. I expect that I may wish it had another height in between these, say about 2 3/4, as the highest and lowest will probably not be useful for me. While the ergonomics seem fine so far, the seat appears to have cushioned sections but they are no softer than the rest of it. Given the low price, I can’t really quibble with that and I will likely use a stadium seat pad if uncomfortable as is. Controls seem convenient and sightlines for cutting are good. 26″ cut is relatively small, but hopefully will be made up for by speed and less walking. The specs say that the blade is designed for mulching and bagging, but the accessories (mulch kit or bag) are not yet available but the mulch kit is expected to be soon. The turning circle is not tight, as I expected for this type of unit, so a few perimeter runs will likely be needed to gain area for turning for the mid-lawn runs. My property is only 120′ square, but significantly larger lots may demand a wider cut and more features. Having said that, this unit is fairly small, of low complexity (one blade) and if it cuts well should meet the needs of many homeowners. It is not a tractor, so towing attachments doesn’t appear to be an option, but that allows for a smaller motor and footprint in the garage. Lastly, I like that it is in cruise control when moving, no foot on the gas, only the brake/clutch when needed (it actually has a brake pad and rotor). I will review grass cutting later in the Spring.
2. dejuwa says:

   May 13, 2010 at 4:06 am

   Review by dejuwa for Weed Eater WE-ONE 26-Inch 190cc OHV Briggs & Stratton 825 Series Gas Powered Gas Powered Riding Lawn Mower (Non-CARB Compliant)
   Rating:
   I hate mowing the lawn. HATE IT. But last June I purchased a home because my dogs are loud. I had an electric push mower already (love it; very lightweight), but I’m afraid to use it in the springtime when it rains more often. Even if there’s one day without showers, I have to get out there an mow regardless.
   
   To make mowing more bearable, I shopped around for an electric start, self-driven push mower. I found a Toro online that sounded good and went to Home Depot to purchase it. As I was walking to the door, I thought, “Dang, I wish they made a tiny riding lawn mower for my tiny yard–maybe that would be easier and more fun.”
   
   Talk about an answer to my prayers! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I walked in and saw the WE1! Though it was priced twice as high as the push mower I’d planned for, I snatched it up and took it home that night. It’s the first riding mower I’ve ever used to actually mow; my Grandpa used to let us ride around the farm on his with the blade disengaged.
   
   Since my yard/sod is less than a year old and I have not top-dressed it, I had the deck too low and wound up scalping a few bumps. On the normal parts of ground, the other heights seemed too high. Go figure.
   
   I, too, am slightly disappointed with the turning radius, but that just means that I have to break out the string cutter (hmmm…is this Weed Eater’s evil plan? lol).
   
   I’m sure my neighbors must think I’m the laziest person since my lawn’s so small & I am only 36yrs old, but it is so much more preferable to having an unmown lawn and dealing with the HOA & the City. I also was able to use it as a leaf blower to clean the sidewalks afterwards.
   
   I am pretty excited to have this mower. My 70yr old mom sometimes visits for a month at a time, and she will be interested in mowing while I’m at work.
   
   Over all, I am very pleased with the mower; it lets me knock out an unpleasant chore quickly and in a fun way without expending so much physical effort that my body’s out of commission for a week! Yay! Recommended!
   
   **Note: if you are not familiar with engines, read the entire manual before using it, no matter how annoying it is to not get started right away. There is a lot of good information in there, like how to drain the oil, etc.
   
   Be advised that it ships with oil already in it–I did not know this because I did not read the manual. As a result, I overfilled the oil and had to siphon some out. It could’ve ruined the engine forever. Huge pain in the butt.
   
   —-Update—-
   
   Still loving this mower! I’d really like to know when the mulch kit will be available, though. I guess ’til then I’ll continue to dress like a train robber. 3:|>
3. Jack Gilliam says:

   May 13, 2010 at 4:29 am

   Review by Jack Gilliam for Weed Eater WE-ONE 26-Inch 190cc OHV Briggs & Stratton 825 Series Gas Powered Gas Powered Riding Lawn Mower (Non-CARB Compliant)
   Rating:
   I have never had a riding lawn mower before. The last year or so I have been thinking about getting a small lawn mower. My lawn is average. Takes about 45 minutes to cut it. So I wanted one that was small & fit through the gate to the back yard. Sears has a craftsman rear engine for $1400. That’s more than I wanted to spend plus it maybe to but for my yard. So I seen this Weedeater at Wal-mart for $650. It was the perfect size. It stared right up & was easy to use. I cut my yard & it did a great job. I was real pleased. The only problem I ran into is the mower can not do hills. I have a very small hill & it would not make it up it no matter what I tried. It made it down the hill great. So I will go down & not up. I would say if you have flat yard this is a great mower & go for it.
   
   CORRECTION – I was wrong about the hills. A gentleman called & asked about the mower & stated he had a hill in his back yard he was concerned about. He lived across town so I fired my WE-ONE up and drove it over there. After 3 days, two Cracker barrels, I arrived at his house. ( I really loaded it up on my truck & was there in 10 minutes.) He had a decent size hill.
   
   The WE-ONE rode right on up the hill. No problem at all. I was surprised. So I’m pleased to report go out & get this mower. It is perfect for the person who doesn’t want to pay $1400 for a craftman & is tired of walking behind a mower.
   
   Saw this mower at the Local Wal-mart for $650 with a $100 gift card. What a deal.
   
   Also if you read the Walmart reviews it seems some people are have problems because it wasn’t put together correctly. So before you panic, read the manual, & think through the problem. Most of the time it is human error & something simple. I am still impressed with this machine.
4. M. Maglio says:

   May 13, 2010 at 4:53 am

   Review by M. Maglio for Weed Eater WE-ONE 26-Inch 190cc OHV Briggs & Stratton 825 Series Gas Powered Gas Powered Riding Lawn Mower (Non-CARB Compliant)
   Rating:
   I had high hopes for this mower as my initial review indicated. I had a chance to cut about 3/4″ of grass today and have to say that the Weedeater One met or exceeded my expectations. Start up with key was fine…had to crank it twice. Mower deck engaged nicely as the engine revved up to accommodate the load. Engage it slowly and vibration is minimal. The blade is very powerful, cutting clean and evenly even in the fastest “transport” speed. I’m only 150 lbs. and this thing scooted me around like I wasn’t even on it. Blade spins fast and sprays the clippings far out of the wide chute opening…they just disappeared into the grass. I may not even bother getting the mulch kit when it is available. My grass was dry, but got a little buildup around the inside of the deck. I won’t be cutting wet grass so as not to have to clean it out or spoil the flow inside the deck housing. Easily trimmed around beds and walkways in a slower gear, and you can lightly push the clutch to slow a bit if needed without changing gears. The second highest cutting height was perfect for my lawn, I’ll probably only use the next lowest late in the Fall and maybe never need the 1st and 4th level of cut. The blade comes out to the wheels so I didn’t have to overlap…just lined up the wheel next to the previous pass and didn’t miss a blade! The best thing as compared to my Personal Pace mower? This was pure fun, no work at all. Cut my time in half. So good that I won’t need the walk behind at all any more, just a bit of string trimming. I wasn’t so sure that the seat would be comfortable enough, but it truly was. Got done so fast I didn’t need more padding or a cup holder! By the way, my lawn is fairly flat, no more than 5 degree slopes. As others have posted, be aware of 15 degree limit. Steering was nicer than I expected…I knew that turning circle would be fairly large, but I can deal with that. If you have a lot of straight runs and few obstacles, that would be ideal for this machine. It cuts grass like crazy. Tire marks in lawn are less than with my walk behind as these are wider and don’t leave grooves, just flatten the grass a bit. These are more noticeable where I turned, but the ground is still moist from Spring rains…again great for longer runs. Stayed fairly clean, I just used the small leaf blower to get the clippings out of a few areas. Bottom line…if your situation is within the above parameters, you probably can’t beat this One for the price…half the cost of 28″ Craftsman or Snapper. No fatigue, lots of fun, excellent cut, nice look, nothing but barebones mower and it seems to do that job well. Buy one if you can find one!
5. Ralph L. Sanders says:

   May 13, 2010 at 5:24 am

   Review by Ralph L. Sanders for Weed Eater WE-ONE 26-Inch 190cc OHV Briggs & Stratton 825 Series Gas Powered Gas Powered Riding Lawn Mower (Non-CARB Compliant)
   Rating:
   I have found that I was in the same position as the first 2 reviewers, a medium size yard, that takes about 1 hour to mow by walking. I didn’t see buying the smallest Sears or Home Depots 36 or 42 inch riding mower for my yard. Yard Machine made a 28 inch mower about 6 years ago and when I got the financies to purchase it, Yard Machine Co. had discontinued it, it was a 28 inch mower. Snapper has a 28 inch mower but wants $2200 for it. I was saving to buy it. Since Home Depot had it and WalMart, I did the same thing, grabbed it up before it is discontinued. As for liking it, I love it, even though its been raining every other day since I recieved the crated box. So I’m excited, and will give this great review based on the others reviews, and basically for the manufacturer for manuifacturing an economically viable riding mower for all those with small to medium lawns and have no need for dual bladed mowers.

   My next request is, when will Weedeater (or Husqvarna) offer the accessories for this mower, like a grass catcher, or do I have to invent/modify one to fit this one.

   P.S. Sorry Amazon, your cost was higher than Home Depots and Walmart. But you get a plus for having the review section, which I use with the upmost regards.
   
   I will give an update to this when I get to use it…if that’s possible.