Ariens Classic LM21SW (21") 6-HP Kawasaki Self-Propelled Lawn Mower w/ Swivel Wheels

Todd Gwaltney,
Product Expert
Mowers Direct

Big, heavy, built to last. But not good for a smaller lot with a curvy grass line. I thought the swivel wheels would give me extra maneuverability despite the extra weight- not! Speed controller would constantly slip into a faster mode even after a trip to the repair shop. And on that same trip the wheel locking pin had to be cut off slightly to work right. The bagging system is mediocre- doesn't throw the grass back into the bag so blocks up before it's full. Bag would catch on a "too long" bolt thread and tore a hole in it. Geez, I paid $700 + tax. Too much money for so many things to be wrong. Just sold it for $500. Hell of a price to pay to learn a lesson.

Big, heavy, built to last. But not good for a smaller lot with a curvy grass line. I thought the swivel wheels would give me extra maneuverability despite the extra weight- not! Speed controller would constantly slip into a faster mode even after a trip to the repair shop. And on that same trip the wheel locking pin had to be cut off slightly to work right. The bagging system is mediocre- doesn't throw the grass back into the bag so blocks up before it's full. Bag would catch on a "too long" bolt thread and tore a hole in it. Geez, I paid $700 + tax. Too much money for so man... more

Would like to see a different 'wheel drive control,' lever option, one that you could hold with just your R hand while maintaining the other 'engine blade control' lever with your L, instead of pinching fingers or accidently releasing the 'engine' stop lever. Simple solution, and was very much disappointed not to have Ariens think of it.

My second Swivel Wheel mower, why this is not more (or most) popular over the front straight axle style is beyond comprehension.

It is so much easier to go around trees, etc., without having to push the handle down to elevate the front wheels to enable the turn.

Would like to see a different 'wheel drive control,' lever option, one that you could hold with just your R hand while maintaining the other 'engine blade control' lever with your L, instead of pinching fingers or accidently releasing the 'engine' stop lever. Simple solution, and was very much disappointed not to have Ariens think of it.

My second Swivel Wheel mower, why this is not more (or most) popular over the front straight axle style is beyond comprehension.

It is so much easier to go around trees, etc., without having to push the handle down to elevate the... more

This is my first Ariens mower and what a great purchase it was. The one pull start was as easy as a stroke with a pool cue. If you ever going to consider a up scale mower, do yourself a favor and get one with swivel wheels. The swivel wheels give you a zero turning radius with your mower that makes all the difference in the world. The self propelled feature allows ease of use the mower with speeds up to 4 MPH and at that speed, you better have roller skates on. Plus on hills like my lawn you can utilize the clutch lever with the self propelled feature to turn on a dime, which is not easy with a mower that weighs 120 LBS.

As for the Kawasaki engine, one of the best ever. The experts on this site say that Kaw engines exceed Honda and Kohler and that's good enough for me. In my opinion, any of the three engines are a great choice. A WORD OF ADVISE, these engines on this level are temperamental and don't like gas with ethanol. As you should know Gas with Ethanol is not good for any two or four stroke engines so make sure you get a product that eliminates the ethanol in the gas you buy. Star Tron is one product you can use but look into gas stations that have gas without ethanol in it. We have two here in Memphis...

So, if you ask my opinion I'll tell you to do your homework, then buy this product! I'm 58 yrs old and this is probably the last mower I'll ever have to buy..... Grade A - 5 Star

This is my first Ariens mower and what a great purchase it was. The one pull start was as easy as a stroke with a pool cue. If you ever going to consider a up scale mower, do yourself a favor and get one with swivel wheels. The swivel wheels give you a zero turning radius with your mower that makes all the difference in the world. The self propelled feature allows ease of use the mower with speeds up to 4 MPH and at that speed, you better have roller skates on. Plus on hills like my lawn you can utilize the clutch lever with the self propelled feature to turn on a dime, which is not easy... more

I received the mower, but was unable to pull the cord to start the engine. The engine was frozen. After several tries, the motor did eventually start, with a great deal of white smoke coming out of the exhaust. The oil, which was added to the engine before shipment, smelled of gas after I put gas in to initially start the engine. I called a local Ariens repair agent. His thoughts were that the mower had been stored at some point in time on it's side (when shipped, the box itself is not to be stored in any position other than upright). He thought the engine had a compression lock, making the pull cord too difficult to pull due to high compression.

Once the compression was relieved, the engine operated as intended. The gas smell in the oil could have been a valve that was open, allowing gas to mix with the oil. This was described as being a temporary concern due to the storage issue, or a permanent problem that would require a repair. The next day, the mower started on the first pull, but some white smoke was emitted. Later that day, and since then, the mower has worked perfectly. If I needed to return the mower, I was asked by Mowers Direct to have it serviced locally first, which would have been inconvenient for me since taking it to any service site would require me to put the mower in the backseat of my car.

The great news is I mowed my lawn in 35 minutes, going as fast as I could walk. Normally with my older mower it would take 90 minutes. The engine, being 190 cc, has greater power to better force-fill the bag. End result: fewer stops to empty the bag, no grass spilling back on the lawn when the bag could not contain more grass (which happened with my older mower: the bag was not full but the power of the grass being thrown into the bag was less: smaller engine = less power).

I am very happy with the mower. I do not believe I have an engine problem at this time. I am not happy with Mowers Direct email response that I had to manage the process of confirming that I had a problem at my expense of time and effort. Despite that, I really like the mower itself. I would recommend it to anyone. I "could" have purchased the same mower from a much more local Home Depot, and their support response would likely have been much easier for me to appreciate. I believe the shipping / storage issue was not due to any negligence on the part of Mowers Direct. All in all, I am looking forward to cutting my grass again.

I received the mower, but was unable to pull the cord to start the engine. The engine was frozen. After several tries, the motor did eventually start, with a great deal of white smoke coming out of the exhaust. The oil, which was added to the engine before shipment, smelled of gas after I put gas in to initially start the engine. I called a local Ariens repair agent. His thoughts were that the mower had been stored at some point in time on it's side (when shipped, the box itself is not to be stored in any position other than upright). He thought the engine had a compression lock, making ... more

This mower is easy to start and has a powerful and smooth-running engine. The overall design concept is excellent but the "out-of-the-box" experience leaves a lot to be desired.

My biggest complaints after two uses are the throttle control and the pins that hold the front wheels on. I've had a wheel fall off twice (and yes-I know how to seat a cotter-pin) and the mower races forward despite repeated adjustment of the forward speed adjustment. The forward speed will be fine as you start to mow, but as you walk forward, you'll find yourself running to keep-up and grabbing for the speed control lever to drop the speed. You'll have to do this repeatedly as you cut your grass - a real hassle!

This mower is easy to start and has a powerful and smooth-running engine. The overall design concept is excellent but the "out-of-the-box" experience leaves a lot to be desired.

My biggest complaints after two uses are the throttle control and the pins that hold the front wheels on. I've had a wheel fall off twice (and yes-I know how to seat a cotter-pin) and the mower races forward despite repeated adjustment of the forward speed adjustment. The forward speed will be fine as you start to mow, but as you walk forward, you'll find yourself running to keep-up and grabbi... more

I've been using this mower for a couple of months now. I have an 0.5 acre lot with about 40 trees and hoped this would be good to maneuver around them. It's definitely a solid machine and the engine has worked flawlessly, but it's weight makes it hard to circle around trees unless you use the self-propel. I've had trouble with self-propel speed adjustment moving on its own toward full speed. I adjusted the bolt a couple times and it still came loose and would go from slow to fast while mowing. Finally, I tightened it to where it takes some muscle to adjust the lever. I'm not happy with this.

Also, I usually mulch my grass and have been disappointed with the standard mulching performance when compared to my old MTD. I suppose I could buy a mulching blade, but don't want switch blades when I need to bag leaves. In the end, I've been using this mower for some parts of my yard and the old $200 MTD for the rest.

If you bag your grass and don't have much to work around, this would be a great choice. Otherwise, I expected more for the money.

I've been using this mower for a couple of months now. I have an 0.5 acre lot with about 40 trees and hoped this would be good to maneuver around them. It's definitely a solid machine and the engine has worked flawlessly, but it's weight makes it hard to circle around trees unless you use the self-propel. I've had trouble with self-propel speed adjustment moving on its own toward full speed. I adjusted the bolt a couple times and it still came loose and would go from slow to fast while mowing. Finally, I tightened it to where it takes some muscle to adjust the lever. I'm not happy with th... more

I haven't checked lawn mowers lately, but it comes with an oil filter. Top shelf. It would've started on first pull if I would've read the manual. Prime and hold safety handle simple mistake from being over anxious. A little adjustment on the drive rod tension spring and I could keep my pace. Well built unit. The drive wheels have some kinda independent drive which helps turning even more easier. Large gas tank or maybe it just doesn't use as much. Plenty of power. Easy empty bag. Only dislike is the blade is engaged always. When you empty the bag motor shuts off for safety. Not really a problem. Start rope is very handy, but not for weak of arm.

I haven't checked lawn mowers lately, but it comes with an oil filter. Top shelf. It would've started on first pull if I would've read the manual. Prime and hold safety handle simple mistake from being over anxious. A little adjustment on the drive rod tension spring and I could keep my pace. Well built unit. The drive wheels have some kinda independent drive which helps turning even more easier. Large gas tank or maybe it just doesn't use as much. Plenty of power. Easy empty bag. Only dislike is the blade is engaged always. When you empty the bag motor shuts off for safety. Not re... more

I've had an older version of this mower for quite a few years. It is still going strong, so when I needed a mower for my second house I got the current model. The biggest difference is this has a Kawasaki engine while the older one had a Briggs & Stratton. If the Kawasaki is as good as the B&S I'll be a happy camper for many years. So far the Kawasaki has started first pull every time.

Other than the engine, Ariens has improved all but one of the minor weak points of my older model. The cotter pins that help secure the front wheels have been improved so they won't accidentally come loose and the plastic knob for the self-propelled speed control has been replaced with a loop in the metal rod so you don't have to worry about that old knob coming unscrewed and getting lost.

The only improvement left that I can think of would be for them to replace the plastic pull handle for starting the engine with something stronger. After about five years the pull on my old mower broke.

The latest model is still the best self-propelled out there.

I've had an older version of this mower for quite a few years. It is still going strong, so when I needed a mower for my second house I got the current model. The biggest difference is this has a Kawasaki engine while the older one had a Briggs & Stratton. If the Kawasaki is as good as the B&S I'll be a happy camper for many years. So far the Kawasaki has started first pull every time.

Other than the engine, Ariens has improved all but one of the minor weak points of my older model. The cotter pins that help secure the front wheels have been improved so they won't accide... more

This mower is built like a tank. The Kawasaki engine started on the first pull. The front wheels make for easier turns.

Overall, I'm OK with the mower, but I think the design engineering in it is not as refined as it should be. Two examples. To raise and lower the cutting height is simple, but becomes more work than it should be. Compare this to the Honda approach. My old Honda was extremely easy to raise or lower cutting height with no pins to remove. After 8 years the Honda transmission went out, so I thought I would try something different. The other feature that Ariens could redesign is the handle folding. It's too inconvenient to do on a regular basis.

Time will tell if this mower holds up and performs as well as my Honda.

This mower is built like a tank. The Kawasaki engine started on the first pull. The front wheels make for easier turns.

Overall, I'm OK with the mower, but I think the design engineering in it is not as refined as it should be. Two examples. To raise and lower the cutting height is simple, but becomes more work than it should be. Compare this to the Honda approach. My old Honda was extremely easy to raise or lower cutting height with no pins to remove. After 8 years the Honda transmission went out, so I thought I would try something different. The other feature that Ar... more

I needed a new mower because my 5 year old craftsman was not performing well.

I did a lot of research this time and looked into all the mowers I could not afford over the years on a service members salary. Looked at Snappers, Toros, Hondas, Husqvarnas and Troy-Builts.

Compared specs, prices, durability, ease of use and all the reviews I could find. I even went to several specialty yard equipment shops and got their opions on all of these. Most of the honest ones recommended the Ariens even if they did not carry the brand. So now having the means I purchased one from Mowers Direct and could not be more pleased with the mower and the service I received.

The mower itself is a beast that takes a little getting used to. It's 120 pounds of American made steel! My first mowing was a little awkward but since then I can get this thing into places and maneuver far better than ANY mower I've ever used. My yard maintenance time has cut in half. Well worth the investment.

As far as Mowers Direct goes, it could not be any easier, you order it and they tell you when it will be there. Good price, tax free, and free freight, this is the best value for the money I could find. Thank you

I needed a new mower because my 5 year old craftsman was not performing well.

I did a lot of research this time and looked into all the mowers I could not afford over the years on a service members salary. Looked at Snappers, Toros, Hondas, Husqvarnas and Troy-Builts.

Compared specs, prices, durability, ease of use and all the reviews I could find. I even went to several specialty yard equipment shops and got their opions on all of these. Most of the honest ones recommended the Ariens even if they did not carry the brand. So now having the means I purchased one ... more