396.001 Universal Lawn Mower Swivel Wheel Kit

Ditto to all of the the other reviews praising this product. See my photos of my curvy landscaping and take my word that it is very easy to maneuver now with the swivel wheels installed. Installation was a snap, and I actually trimmed the mounting bracket to get the wheels closer to the deck for maximum clearance in corners and tight areas, but it lined up perfectly. A retaining pin didn't retain so well, so the manufacturer immediately sent a replacement which was also appreciated. It takes a little more concentration on the straight-away runs, but the improved performance in the curved and corner areas is awesome. You won't regret this very reasonably priced upgrade to make your mower perform like a much more expensively priced factory swivel mower.

Probably be ok for a small and light walk behind mower . Brackets have insufficient strengthfor use on a toro timemaster. Bracket bent on first use.

I installed it on a rear drive self propelled mower and I had to drill two holes in the body. Other than that it was easy to install and has been super durable. We live in FL where the grass is fairly thick and I can move easily when I mow.

As my title states, these are a good idea, but it could be better. I have two complaints...1) This kit needs to be made of heavier metal, the wheel arms have started bending due to the wheels getting stuck in the grass, which leads to my next complaint...#2 The wheels are to small, they need to be bigger to more easily roll through thicker grasses.I'm a home owner using it on my own yard, so I'm not abusing the pieces in any way, they just aren't sturdy enough for me. I would make whatever modifications I can to make them better, but I shouldn't have to.

Needs better installation instructions and a heavier gauge metal used to avoid the occasional bumps into a soild object. I've had to straighten out the wheel frame several times.But, having the ability to swivel the front of the mower around trees, shrubs and other objects make these swivel and adjustable wheels a plus.

I put them on my new Honda HRN216VKA 21" 3-in-1 Self Propelled Twin Blade,w/Auto Choke. I purchased the Toro TimeMaster and brought it back after two Mows, took 5 pulls to start, that doesn't work for me on a new product. I had to drill 2 holes on each side, easy but took a few more minutes, no big deal. I recommend using the two middle holes on the bottom (for strength) Doing one side at a time, drill the back hole first, lining up each side then tighten down and drill other two holes through the template holes. My hole were almost exact and no adjustment needed after lining up each side with this method. Also I feel doing 3 point turn, just like a big zero turn is still essential. My mower is so fast and so light that it can cause ruts on really tight turns if i don't do little 3 point turns. Hills are exactly the same with stock wheels, you just have to over correct and get used to it. I had the same sliding problems as with standard wheels on hills. I don't know how long these will stay tight or last but I think I cut out about 20 min of my time and with narrower width, I was able to get into under brush and between tighter spots of bushes. It will still take me a while to get used to these as my mower is fast and light but I'm already enjoying mowing more. Also I just went from push to self propelled, so that also made a huge difference on my rough and hilly 3rd of an acre.

Appears to be a well-designed and mostly well built product. They are really helpful on the mower, and cut mowing time significantly. Having said that, here are some of the drawbacks- cotter pins constantly fall out. I had to replace them with nuts and bolts, which makes height adjustment a real chore. Plastic knobs get brittle and break apart. The flat triangular plate which supports the wheel actually bent, requiring me to heat it with a torch and pound it flat again. Calls to the company go unanswered, e-mails are ignored. If a miracle happens and you get someone, you'll be told if you need a part for them, even something small like a knob or pin, you have to order a new complete set. He says he has them made in China because it's cheap, and he can't be bothered stocking spare parts. He said he doesn't particularly care about bad reviews, as his feedback is 97% positive, so that's all he needs. It's a real shame that the guy has a great concept, and a mostly great product, but he simply wants to take the easy road- having them made cheaply in China, selling as many as he can, and effectively telling his customers to go pound sand. What if a car company sold you a brand new automobile, then when you need a small part for it, they told you, "sorry, we have it made in China now, you'll have to buy a whole new car to get that part you need!" So, buyer beware!

These pivoting wheels made my mower so much easier to maneuver around planting beds and trees. Before this addition mower did not want to turn.