Murray Lawnmowers

Murray Lawnmowers – Value for Your Lawn

Home ownership is a central component of the American Dream. Almost everyone has visions of waking up in their own home in the suburbs on a Saturday and running out to play catch with the kids or hosting a neighborhood barbeque. Instead, we find ourselves waking-up on Saturday morning to a foot-high forest of grass in the backyard, and we spend our day caring for the lawn instead of enjoying it.

There is a better way!

Murray Lawnmowers are designed to help you care for your lawn quickly and get on with life…they allow you to spend more time enjoying your yard, rather than caring for it.

murray lawnmower reviews

Speed and Maneuverability

One of the most important considerations for many lawn owners is speed. Many low-cost mowers sacrifice power in order to lower the price, but this often leads to missed patches of grass that have to be re-mowed. Murray lawnmowers are equipped with powerful motors and designed with large wheels for easy maneuverability. Each aspect of a Murray is intended to get you done with maintenance quickly so you can enjoy your yard.

Variety: the Spice of Murray Lawnmowers

Murray produces many different models of lawnmowers. There are five lighter push models for those with smaller lawns such as might be found around a typical suburban home. Murray also make ten models of self-propelled walk behind mowers to make it easier to maintain larger lawns. Additionally, they produce eight models of riding or tractor style mowers for commercial properties or homeowners with large acreages. Murray even produces several electric models, which can be powered by either a battery or an extension cord. These models are designed primarily for very small patches of lawn located close to houses or apartments in urban areas.

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Reliability: Where Murray Mowers Can Truly Shine!

Murray tends to spend less on advertising than many other brands such as John Deere or Toro, so they don’t have as much name recognition as those brands. They also tend to be sold at large discount stores like Walmart or Target, so they have a reputation as a discount lawnmower. Yet customers generally report satisfaction with all Murray models, and the riding models are particularly well regarded.

Murray mowers are usually priced much lower than their competitors, and most consumers are pleasantly surprised at the reliability of the equipment compared to the purchase price. All Murray lawnmowers have a two year warranty, but many owners report using their Murray for ten years or more without difficulty. Because their competitors are usually two or three times as expensive, it is possible to purchase a Murray every fours years and it would still cost less.

Common Complaints About Murray Lawnmowers

Of course, not all reviews of Murray are favorable. One of the major complaints regarding Murray lawnmowers has been their customer support. Their website seems geared primarily at the European market, and many Northern American consumers find it difficult to find either parts or authorized dealers by using the site.

They also do not have a list of products on the North American version of the site, so a United States owner or interested consumer has to navigate the European site to find available models. Additionally, it is usually difficult to find replacement parts for Murray lawnmowers at local supply stores, though they have made significant strides in making parts more available through online retailers, and their own site features a parts selection.

Murray has also suffered some unflattering press in the last couple years due to a large recall. A consumer safety group reported that the plastic covering used to shield the operator from debris was not strong enough and could crack under heavy use.

In other words, as the mower was cutting larger items like twigs the small pieces could pierce the shield and fly off in any direction and injure bystanders, whereas other manufacturers use metal or fiberglass shielding that is more resistant to damage. Though there were no reported injuries, Murray voluntarily recalled over eight thousand mowers and replaced the shields as a precautionary measure. Despite the commendable preemptive recall, Murray still is dealing with the negative public perception of product safety.

However, many of the complaints regarding Murray motors are common to any mowers. Repair shops have reported that people come in complaining about their “cheap Murray lawnmower” breaking down, but the repair person realizes that the owner was not using the machine properly.

For example, many complaints deal with a stuck blade, but oftentimes this is due to mowing the grass shortly after a rain. Almost any mower has difficulty with wet grass. Another common complaint is an oil leak, but Murray representatives have shown that this is typically due to either overfilling the oil reservoir or improper maintenance.

When Murray mowers are properly cared for, they tend to last for well beyond their published life expectancy.

Quality Under the Hood

Though they seem to prize their European market more than the United States, Murray mowers use American-made Briggs and Stratton engines. Briggs and Stratton is a Wisconsin-based manufacturer that has been producing high-quality engines direct to equipment manufacturers for over a hundred years.

Since the 1990s they have also reduced the carbon footprint of their engines by almost seventy-five percent, meaning that Murray motors benefit the environment beyond the borders of your lawn. Sometimes Murray lawnmowers are even sold under the Briggs and Stratton brand name in the United States.

Conclusion: Value, Variety and Power

Whether you have a small patch of grass in the city or a large homestead in the country, Murray makes a lawnmower to fit the size of your lawn. Because Murray distributes its mowers through discount stores, they also fit the size of almost any budget. When they are properly maintained, Murray lawnmowers can last as long or longer than more expensive brands, meaning that you can spend less money caring for your lawn and more on discovering new ways of enjoying it.

21 Comments

  • Reply Renee May 25, 2012 at 7:26 pm

    I purchased my Murray lawn mower around the Fall of 2001. After about two or three years I had to have something replaced because the gas was leaking into the well just below the motor. A friend advised that it probably wasn’t worth having it repaired but I did so anyway as the quote, including general maintance, was far less that it would have cost to purchase a new mower. That is when I began to take it in each Spring for general service/blade cleaning, etc. (may have missed a year or two).
    Anyway, I just took it in (missed 2012 Spring cleaning) because I could no longer get the cord to pull to start the motor. I was informed that the motor is gone. Apparently ten years is a good long life for a mower. My only complaints are 1) the size of the mower. I live in a row home with a front lawn that has a wall. If it were not for my neighbor having a lawn that slopes to the pavement I may not be able to get my mower up the steps to get to my lawn. 2) Emptying the bag is a bit of work. There are also two areas in the back to be mowed so that altogether these just about fill the bag.
    In light of all of the above I want to be certain to obtain a mower that will perform at least as well as and for as long as my Murray has. My query/delimma these days is can I obtain such for well under $300?

    • Reply James Taylor September 6, 2021 at 10:40 pm

      I definitely think you can get a new mower for under 300dollars ! I have a murry lawnmower and I would not trade it for any other mower!

  • Reply marshall June 29, 2012 at 4:49 am

    when i bought my first home i learned quick a lawnmower was a quickly needed item cause i was under a association so money was tight i went to sears and charged a craftsmen ez mulch mower. I cut the lawn twice it broke down, carb probs. They replaced it summer ended after four more mows and was garaged till following summer. Tried to start it. Was carb again now no longer warranted. What junk. growing up i mowed lawns in the neighborhood and ive used toro , john deere, mclain and you name it. no honda ill admit that. Anyway after the house sold was at my fathers and him and the neighbor across the street were just crushed that murray was no longer and any way i ended up buying a used one from another neighbor and i tell you it looked to be on the last lap. That was five years ago and just two days ago i was cutting down a lawn in front of a abandoned house. Four feet tall this brush, bottles and sticks and bricks buried in it and that murray plowed it down like a damn tractor and ive seen new ones at wal mart under two hundred bucks. I agree with dad and neighbor murray is the best lawn mower ever sold and they dont need a big support staff cause the damn things dont ever break down. EVER! When it comes to lawn mowing buy a murray and you wont go wrong all ive done to this mower is change the back wheels and im convinced itll still mow down a mountain.

  • Reply Tahni Nichols July 7, 2012 at 3:15 pm

    I purchased a 22″ Murray push mower to mow a clean front & back yard. After assembled & adding recommended amount of oil at home I couldn’t pull start it. It was locked up. I took it back to the store and a young man lifted it up & moved the blades around and it was then able to be started. He informed me that I would need to lift the mower to move the blades to “unlock” it. I returned it for another one. (I should’ve just got a refund!) I was able to pull start this one but it would sligghtly shake. I took it back to the store & they checked to see if blades were loose but they were tight. I took it back home (stupid me). After I mowed my yard 3 times over a 6 week period the motor casing completely broke loose from the mower body. I am a home owner, a single mom and public school teacher and I can tell you that I will never purchase another Murray lawnmower.

    • Reply jimmy adams April 27, 2015 at 11:01 pm

      To the man that could mow down a moutain with a murry. Iv never seen any mover cut bottles bricks and glass.and 4 ft tall grass jungles with push mower sorry but there seems to be a little bit of stretching the truth there.

  • Reply Donald McCaughey September 1, 2012 at 10:31 pm

    The push mower ran good for 2 months, then started slow speed and would not run long. The air filter contained some sticky stuff hence bought a nother briggs & Stratton filter and used oil in the filter. Changed the oil on the motor and the gas. Still will not run for long without stopping after a short time. I bought the mower at Walmart product model 961140025 01 and catalog M22450 cut width 22″
    serial 032312M056201 hence still under warrantee so how do I fex the problem

  • Reply david November 14, 2012 at 1:14 am

    WHat model riding mower made had the rear wheels turn with the front? What year/years was it produced?

  • Reply Ron March 27, 2013 at 2:51 am

    I have a Murray Select 46″ , 18.5 HP Twin B&S mower, dark green in color, and trying to find replacement parts. The problem is the model # has wore off and can not read any of it. Not sure of year built. Any suggestions ? Thank you.

  • Reply Charles Sparks July 31, 2013 at 11:08 pm

    I have had a Murray zero turn for 7 weeks. It has been in the shop 3 of those. Wal Mart does not stand behind this item. Was directed by Wal Mart to contact Murray. They put me in touch with their service center. They could not fix it. Was told to take it to another service center which was 30 miles away. Asked if their people could help the center it was at. We informed it was not their problem and take it to another repair center. I tell everyone to stay away from any MTD product now. Have gone back to my 13 year old craftsman.

    • Reply barbara mills August 24, 2017 at 8:52 pm

      we bought a murray select riding lawn mower at wal mart april 2016 first thing to happen belt fell off then the right front tire fell off and the center of the right front wheel broke the right steering arm broke into and now up to this date the right front tire has fallen off 29 times this mower is JUNK JUNK JUNK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we will never buy a murray product again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my husband contacted wal mart and murray in may 2016 and 2017!!!!!!! they will not stand behind their mowers!!!!!!!!! paid 13hundred dollars for this piece of JUNK!!!!!!!!

      • Reply barbara mills August 24, 2017 at 8:54 pm

        and the handle to make mower go at a faster speed broke 3 times!! etc

  • Reply Joe Thomas May 7, 2014 at 8:24 pm

    We bought a Murray weed eater and I tried to go online to get information about it. I went to the Murray website and all I got was a runaround when I entered my model number it would say “0 matches found for that model number” which shouldn”t have surprised me considering what a huge piece of crap the weed eater is I should have known their website would be worthless too. I am telling everyone who asks me about how Murray lawn products are that they aren’t worth CRAP ! We also have a 20 inch Murray mower that is apiece of shit also!

  • Reply terrence moore July 13, 2014 at 8:01 pm

    I bought a Murray 12 1/2 HP 40″ rider with 5 speed transmision in July of 1995. Model# 40702×92c. That makes it 19 years old and it is still doing its job as well as when new. I live on a 1/4 acre lot in Illinois so I only have to now about 7 months a year. The only problem I had was that about 5 years ago when I was getting it ready for the mowing season I noticed that it had some gasoline in the crankcase.
    In the winter weather the float valve was leaking and letting the carb flood into the cylinder and thus the krankcase. I changed the oil and installed a $4 shut off valve in the gas line and have had no problem since. The Briggs and Stratton engine still runs strong and uses no oil. I would buy another Murray in a heartbeat.

  • Reply Jim Wang August 10, 2014 at 2:43 am

    Buy Murray 22″ Gas-Powered High-Wheel Lawn Mower from Walmart is a lemon
    I bought this Murray 22″ Gas-Powered High-Wheel lawn mower on July/2013 with three years’ WalMart product care plan. First it works well for a few grass cuts, after a whole winter sleep in my garage, in April/2014 when I want re-use it to cut my yard grass again, it can not starting. I tried all the methods as the manual said, as change the new gas, wash the filter, etc., but still can not starting.
    I filed the claim online and called the 877-968-6391, and asked them for the repair service, but the stuff told me since my lawn mower still under the manufacture warranty, and I must go to Briggs & Stratton’s service partner for repair. After several calls, I bring my lawn mover to the service man, but been told that this problem probably caused by the “gas stale” , and not under the Briggs’ warranty since it is not the defects of the manufacturer, and I must first pay 25$ for inspection, after find the problem, I should pay 65$/per hr service charge, therefore I had to bring back the lawn mover to home.
    I called the Walmart Care again, the stuff told me should contact the Murray, since this lawn mover was produced by Murray, after several calls, I brought the lawn mower to Murray’s service partner, again, almost completely like the Briggs, the Murray also do not warranty for the “Gas Stale” problem, and must charge me like Briggs, and I had to bring back my machine.
    I re-called the Care again, the staff told me to bring my machine to another Walmart product care plans partner service (24 Miles away from my home!), and I had to bring my machine to there. You guess, what will happening? The service man told me, this problem is also not under Walmart’s warranty, Walmart just mimic the Briggs and Murray’s warranty, even after the two years’ manufacture warranty end, Walmart won’t pay them to repair this problem, and they must charge me 85$, that is half the new machine price! I had to bring my machine go back 24 miles to home again. The service man also show me the display sample machine parts, after only 30 days of gas use, there are a lot of deposits on the lawn mower parts, and caused the engine not working, but Briggs denial this is a design defects, neither the manufacturer’s warranty! That is why many lawn mower professional sells company do not sell Briggs and Murray’s lawn mower any more now!
    Now four months past, I like a foot ball played by Walmart’s product care plan, my lawn mower still sleep in my garage for no use. The Walmart Product Care Plans write very good: “Protect your purchase above and beyond the manufacturer’s limited warranty…If your product fails, simply file a claim online or calling. We are here to help 24hr a day, 365 days a year…For items $150 and above, our team of experts will either fix your item and ship it back to you, or repair it in your home!”.
    I submitted twice of this review in Walmart Murray 22″ Gas-Powered High-Wheel Lawn Mower web page, but they do not want publish it, neither give me a inform or answer!
    If you want spend money to buy the endless trouble like my experience, just try it!

    • Reply Ron September 4, 2016 at 4:35 pm

      Just have to say
      NO ONE, not murray, not john deere, not ford, or toyota, and anyone else that makes gasoline engines warranties against you leaving gas in the carb and tank all winter, that is a failure of owner maintenance.
      Tank should have been drained and carb run dry, especially ethanol blended fuel.

      I have no love of murray, but you can not throw your stupid on them.

  • Reply mistermax May 24, 2015 at 9:55 pm

    Sorry to hear all the negative comments re: Murray.
    I bought a 11hp 38″ cut Murray Riding Mower in 1981.
    Never maintained it properly and in 2012 it stalled while I was cutting my lawn.
    My repair guy said something is going on in the engine.
    I told him the Murray did me well for over 30 years. Keep it.
    I’m sure he fixed and sold it for a nice profit.
    I had a backup John Deere after that, nothing bit trouble.
    Now I need another Tractor and am afraid to buy another Murray because of all the negative comments.

  • Reply Ken Tennis September 1, 2016 at 6:22 pm

    I bought a Murray 22″ mower in May 2015 and used it once. It has never started again except when I took it to a repair shop and had it ‘repaired’ at my expense since I couldn’t find my receipt and they won’t do anything without the receipt. when it failed to start the 2nd time I tried to use it i found the receipt and took it to the same shop. Thay are an authorized Briggs and Stratton repair facility. They called today and told me the carburetor is bad and Briggs and Stratton and Murray will not repair it under the 2 year warranty. WTF??? No more Murray or Briggs and Strattons will ever come into my home again. I have found hundreds and hundreds of complaints of the same thing with the Murray/Briggs & Stratton partnership. Guess I’ll buy electric everything from now on since B & S is making the carburetors out of LASTIC and probably in China.

    • Reply Ken Tennis September 1, 2016 at 6:23 pm

      Oh yeah. This mower has been used ONCE for about 20 minutes. A piece of JUNK.

      • Reply Cam May 28, 2017 at 2:19 pm

        People NEED TO STOP USING GASOLINE WITH METHANOL (the most common gasoline).
        It is not good for carburated engines……wrecks havoc inside the carb and elsewhere.
        Find non methanol gasoline…it is just a little more (usually high test).

  • Reply Austin Idol October 31, 2017 at 7:06 pm

    My Murray had a Tecumseh engine. I had that mower for 16 yrs. And even the 16th year it wouldstart on the first pull. EVERY time.The only reason I gave it away is because I couldn’t find a used mower that the engine would fit without some fabrication. Too much for me,I absolutely HATE Briggs & Stratton. When I buy something with a B&S, I winder how many pulls is it going to take to start this one? My mower now, a yardman (couldn’t find any Murrays) has a B&S, I shut it down to empty the bag & thr f**ker won’t start 90% of the time until it cools for 5 or so. It’s bullshit.

  • Reply Douglas Johnson May 26, 2019 at 7:14 pm

    I have a walk behind Murray mower that is one year old and won’t run. I tried fresh gas cleaned the plug and still no start. I am sorry i ever bought it.

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