Craftsman 12AVU2V2791 Front Wheel Drive Self Propelled Gas Lawn Mower Review
The Craftsman 12AVU2V2791 features one of Craftsman’s own 149 cc gasoline engine. It powers both the cutting deck as well as the front-wheel-drive self-propulsion system. Craftsman also engineered it with their special auto choke ignition system, which spares you from having to fuss around with priming and choking the engine every time.
The way the front wheels and traction tires allow you to maneuver makes it easy to deftly dance around trees and landscaping features. The self-propulsion system also has a variable speed control lever, that lets you carefully set the front-wheel-drive system to your natural walking speed. You can also slow down at a moment’s notice if you need to carefully work around a tricky patch of landscaping.
The 21-inch diameter cutting deck is made from robust steel, which won’t rust away on you like some of the lesser competitor models. It has a lever-activated height adjustment system that lets you quickly change the cutting deck height through 6 distinct settings. You can set it from as low as 1.25-inches to as high as 3.75-inches.
The Craftsman 12AVU2V2791 was designed to be a true 3-in-1 lawn mower. This means you can set it up for side discharge, or a mulching mower to minimize thatch. If you want to feed your compost pile and eliminate all traces of harvested grass clippings, you can even set the Craftsman 12AVU2V2791 as a bagger.
One of the areas where the Craftsman 12AVU2V2791 really stands out from the competition is in its “Vertical Storage Technology.” This is a proprietary engineering principle that is very rare with gasoline lawn mowers. When stored according to the instructions in the owner’s manual the Craftsman 12AVU2V2791 can reduce its storage space by as much as 70%. Though it does weigh around 70-pounds. So you might need another person to help you heft it into place.
It’s also worth noting that Craftsman backs the 12AVU2V2791 with a confident 24-month warranty.
Key Features
- 149 CC Craftsman gasoline engine
- Auto choke ignition
- Front-wheel self-propulsion system
- 2-year warranty
- 21-inch cutting deck
- 1.25 to 3.75-inch
- Vertical storage technology
- 3-in-1 bagger, mulching mower, or side discharge
Performance
The 149 CC Craftsman gasoline engine is powerful enough to drive the engine as well as the front-wheel-drive self-propulsion system. Being able to set it up for side discharge or as a mulching or bagging mower is a definite bonus for maintaining the thatch buildup of your turf for the prevailing weather conditions.
Ease Of Use
When you really take a good hard look at it, you get the feeling that the Craftsman 12AVU2V2791 was engineered with ease of use as a top priority.
It starts with the auto choke ignition system, which spares you from having to mess around with priming and choking the engine before starting. This also reduces the effort necessary to start the engine with the standard recoil pulley.
The height of the 21-inch cutting deck is easy to adjust, and you can set it as low as 1.25 inches or as high as 3.75-inches with the simple use of a single lever.
You also have to like the front-wheel-drive self-propulsion system. If you get into a tight spot, you can easily dial the speed down, or simply tilt the cutting deck down to carefully move around trees and tricky landscaping features.
Special Features
The auto choke ignition system is easy to use and spares you from having to fuss with priming and choking the engine. It also helps to reduce the number of pulls you have to make on the recoil system.
The front-wheel drive self-propulsion system is probably one of the most convenient features to like about the Craftsman 12AVU2V2791. Not only does it help move the mower along confidently, but it also is much easier to negotiate around tight changes in your landscaping than a rear-wheel-drive self-propelled lawn mower. The variable speed control is very convenient and lets you dial it into a speed that comfortably matches your walking gait.
The ability to store the Craftsman 12AVU2V2791 vertically is also a nice space-saving option. Though it tips the scales at around 70-pounds, which makes it more for standing up against a wall than it is for hanging from a heavy-duty peg hook.
Cut Quality & Options
The 3-in-1 versatility of the Craftsman 12AVU2V2791 is very handy for trimming your lawn to the prevailing weather conditions. You can leave it set up for side discharge if you are the type of person who frequently mows their lawn.
Though if your grass does run a little longer and you are worried about the risk of thatch choking out your turf, you can always switch it over to mulching or bagging. The mulching feature cuts the harvested blades of grass into tiny pieces that quickly decompose back into the layers of the turf. If you hook up the rear-mounted bagger the harvested clippings can be taken away and turned into your compost pile or used to side-dress garden plants.
Maintenance
The Craftsman 12AVU2V2791 needs all the usual maintenance that is required of gasoline-powered lawn mowers. You will need to change the oil every season or every 50 hours of use. The blades will need to be sharpened or replaced over time. All of this is relatively easy to do, and will only eat up a tiny portion of your average Saturday afternoon.
Safety Features
The Craftsman 12AVU2V2791 has all the same hand control safety features that you find with most self-propelled lawn mowers. Though the front-wheel drive and the variable speed controls give an added touch of control. If you ever get into a tight spot, you can instantly slow the lawn mower down, or simply tilt the cutting deck back a few inches to immediately stop the front wheels from pulling the mower forward.
Cost-Effectiveness
The Craftsman 12AVU2V2791 is most cost-effective when it comes to the 3-in-1 functionality. The ability to mulch or bag the grass clippings will go a long way toward preventing the need for seasonal aeration. This can save you time as well as money. Not to mention the benefits of how mulched grass clippings feed vital nitrogen back into the turf like organic fertilizer, or how bagged grass clippings help give your compost pile a boost!
