Craftsman M125 21″ 3-in-1 Gas Powered Push Lawn Mower Review
The Craftsman M125 was engineered with a 163 CC Briggs & Stratton gasoline engine to power the cutting blades that reside under the 21-inch diameter cutting deck. It has a special read start ignition system, which makes it incredibly easy to start the robust 4-stroke gasoline engine. It also has low oil change requirements.
The deck itself also has a port for a deck wash system that lets you clean the underside free of grass debris with just a standard garden hose.
This gasoline-powered push mower was designed to be a truly versatile 3-in-1 lawn mower. It can be easily set up to mulch, side discharge or efficiently bag the harvested grass clippings. Though this isn’t the end of the Craftsman M125’s versatility. There is also a dual lever adjustment system that lets you alter the height of the cutting deck through three distinct settings. You can then custom set the deck to as low as 1.25-inches or up as high as 3.75-inches.
The Craftsman M125 has 7-inch tires in the front and 11-inch tires in the rear. Not only does it make this gasoline push mower easy to maneuver over level ground, but it also helps it confidently tackle bumpy or otherwise uneven turf without a lot of the scalping that sometimes happens with push mowers that have smaller wheels.
It’s also worth noting, that the Craftsman M125 comes with the bagger as well as a cover. The cover has a 1-year warranty and the gasoline engine on the mower itself has 2-years of coverage.
Key Features
- 163 CC Briggs & Stratton gasoline engine
- Ready Start ignition system
- 21-inch cutting deck
- 6 adjustable cutting heights
- Dual-lever adjustment system
- Deck wash port
- 3-in-1 bagger, mulching or side discharge
- 11-inch rear wheels
- Comes with a cover
- Minimal maintenance requires
Performance
The 163 CC Briggs & Stratton 4-stroke gasoline engine of the Craftsman M125 is impressively powerful. It does a commanding job of powering the cutting blades under the 21-inch cutting deck. You also have to appreciate how the 11-inch rear wheels help this push lawn mower moves smoothly and turn tightly on even the most uneven of turf.
Ease Of Use
The Craftsman M125 is very versatile and easy to use as well as being able to adjust in seconds to provide your lawn with the sort of custom cut it needs to truly thrive in any weather pattern. You will also appreciate the way it handles on bumpy turf. While it might not sound exciting, the handle and controls of the Craftsman M125 were designed with ergonomics in mind.
Special Features
3-in-1 versatility to side discharge, mulch, or bag harvested grass clippings, lets you choose the best strategy for your prevailing lawn conditions.
The dual lever deck adjustment system lets you quickly change the front and back wheels through up to 6 different height positions.
The ergonomic handle controls reduce hand fatigue and make operation very intuitive.
The deck washing port makes for easy cleanup and safe removal of grass debris.
The ready-start ignition system is nice for people who don’t want to spend a lot of time firing up an engine by messing around with priming and adjusting the choke.
Cut Quality & Options
The 21-inch diameter cutting deck on the Craftsman M125 can be easily adjusted to any of 6 distinct height settings. This lets you set it as low as 1.25-inches for times when you need to trim the grass low when it’s growing strong in wet, sunny conditions. Then if the weather turns excessively dry for a prolonged stretch you can set it up as high as 3.75-inches to help preserve the lingering moisture in the turf.
You also have to like the 3-in-1 functionality of the Craftsman M125. If you need to frequently cut your grass to trim it neatly, you can leave it set up for side discharge. If you are more concerned about thatch buildup, you can switch the Craftsman M125 over to be a bagger or a mulching lawn mower.
Maintenance
The Craftsman M125 is a relatively low maintenance gasoline-powered lawn mower. It was originally engineered to only need at seasonal oil change, though it will need to be checked and topped up on the branded synthetic oil to ensure all the engine components have the lubrication they need.
You will need to replace or sharpen the Craftsman M125’s blades as needed. This is usually once per year, assuming normal residential use.
The deck wash port is handy for safely cleaning the underside of the 21-inch diameter cutting deck. All you have to do is attach a standard garden hose to spray away any stuck-on organic material.
The Craftsman M125 comes with a large bagger. Though you need to make sure you clean all the lingering clippings from the inside at the end of each mowing session to keep them from developing mold.
As an added bonus the Craftsman M125 comes with a high-quality cover, which is great for keeping it clean and protected from the weather when not in use.
Safety Features
The Craftsman M125 has ergonomic hand controls and the safety features that you find in most gasoline-powered push mowers.
It’s also worth noting that the Craftsman M125 was engineered so that it’s safest to turn off the cutting blades before detaching the bagger or changing over to the mulching feature.
Cost-Effectiveness
The Craftsman M125 is very cost-effective for a gasoline-powered push lawn mower. Straight out of the box you will appreciate the warranty protection as well as the fact that it comes with the bagger and a high-quality cover included in the initial purchase.
The low maintenance engineering also makes it easy to take care of the Craftsman M125 in the long-term. The deck washing port also helps keep the underside of the 21-inch diameter cutting deck clean, which goes a long way toward preventing rust, which extends the overall return on your investment.
