The Yard-Man lawn mower that I bought 2 years ago broke when I tried to mow the grass yesterday.  It worked great when I mowed grass on April 5th, but this time the blade fell off.  The bolt that secures the blade to the mower broke off inside the shaft that comes from the motor. 

I only used the mower 3 times last year because it was so dry, once this year, and 2/3 of a season in 2006.  That amounts to about 1 full season of use, or $200.  The Bolens I had before the Yard-Man lasted 3 seasons, so it cost about $60 per season.

Now, do I buy the cheapest mower I can find and only expect it to last a year or two.  Lowe’s advertised a Yard Machines with a 2-year warranty for $99 in its flyer this week.  Assuming I get 2 seasons out of it, that works out to $50 per season.

Or do I buy the current Consumer Reports Best Buy – a Cub Cadet, which has a 3-year warranty and Home Depot sells for $229.  Assuming I can get 4 seasons out of the mower, it would cost about $57 per season.

I think that my yard is too large for a reel, electric, or cordless mower, and my wife would be extremely unhappy if I dropped $2,500 on a robotic mower.