Disclaimer: The following post is a sponsored review of the Troy-Bilt TB490 XP ™ 4×4 Self-Propelled mower. All opinions are solely the opinion of the author who in exchange for goods and compensation was asked to do this review.
In my last post I told you a little bit about my trip to Savannah, Georgia with the Troy-Bilt Brand Ambassadors. Today I get to tell you about one of the products they have sent me to test and talk about, the Troy-Bilt TB490 XP ™ Pushmower! The the Troy-Bilt TB490 XP ™ is a the new 4×4 Troy-Bilt pushmower which offers all wheel drive when needed in the yard. It’s a really cool feature if you have a lawn that happens to be a little difficult to mow due to the terrain.
The Testing Ground
First here’s a little background about where I tested the mower. My backyard is around 1.5 acres. Lots of the actual acreage has been converted to gardens and one side of the yard is a slope. I have kept a good portion of the yard in lawn too. Mostly because with 4 kids they need a place to run and play! The sloped areas have been turned into grassy pathways that I keep mowed, a blueberry garden bed, an iris/daylily bed, and (of course) our winter sledding hill.
Some (Minor) Assembly Required
The Troy-Bilt TB490 XP mower came all boxed up but was easy to put together. A few bolts loosened then tightened in the appropriate locations, a little oil (which it came with), and a fill of the tank and the mower was ready to mow. If you purchase it from a store I suspect they would have it all ready to go.
A Garden Tip: Use the Bagging Attachment for your Garden!
I also assembled the bagger attachment and hooked it to the mower. Using the grass catcher bag has always been an important part of my gardening. “They” always recommend to use a mulching blade, which is great because it allows the clippings to nourish the lawn soil, but I also view the grass as an important resource for other parts of my garden. Grass clippings can be an excellent compost material or a mulch for the vegetable garden. There is one major caveat to that:
Don’t use grass clippings full of weeds or grass that has gone to seed.
You never want to make more work for yourself in the garden and adding a bunch of weed seeds to the vegetable garden isn’t a good idea! If you grass isn’t too weedy or the seeds haven’t been produced yet then you have a nearly free topical mulch to use. It will break down over time and feed the soil while keeping the moisture around your plants. It also keeps the weeds down which is a beautiful thing!
The Engine
This model has a genuine Honda Engine, which started very easily. One pull was all it took. It fits in nicely with our motor vehicles too!
The Controls
On the right side (from the perspective of the person mowing) is the self propelled function and on the left is the 4×4/all wheel drive lever. The top bar is the safety that must be pushed down to run or start the mower.
Optional Side Discharge
If you don’t want to use the bagging attachment you can hook up the side discharge area for the grass clippings. I tend to use the bagging attachment on my pushmowers (as I mentioned earlier) often so I did not test the side shoot yet.
Clean Out Connection
The 4×4 mower features a clean out connection using a quick connect attachment for the garden hose. Once you’re done mowing just hook it up to the garden hose to clean out the blade area.
How did the Troy-Bilt 4×4 Mower Perform?
I ran the 4×4 Mower for a long time in the back yard with ease. The self propelled feature made the mower extremely easy to run. It took me a few minutes to adjust to the correct pace as the mower wanted to go faster than a comfortable walk. Once I figured out the adjustment it went fine. The 4×4 Feature helped with the sloping areas and hillside I have. I remember thinking while pushing that this mower really was perfect for anyone who lives along a hillside to make it easier for them to mow.
Adjustable Mowing Height
The mowing height of the Troy-Bilt TB490 XP was simple to adjust either higher or lower. I always recommend that people mow at the highest height possible. High mowing allows the grass to develop deeper root systems which makes it more drought tolerant and more hardy through the hot steamy summers we have. Fescues will still go dormant but they will hang in there longer and come back better in the fall.
Overall Thoughts on the Troy-Bilt TB490 XP ™
Overall this is a great mower that I plan to keep on using in my yard. Here is what I liked:
- Easy to use
- Self-propelled functions work great.
- The 4×4 option allowed for better hillside use.
- Bagging attachment is a must have for me. It had a handle and was easy to attach and disconnect when needed.
- Started perfectly in one pull.
- Cut very nicely in the yard.
Here’s what I didn’t like:
- Was a little tricky to pour gas into the chamber without a funnel. So I got a funnel!
It performed as it should. It’s a great mower that really helped with the hillside mowing. I definitely see this is a regular mower for me to use while “harvesting” grass clippings for use in the garden!