I am about to purchase a new self-propelled lawnmower. which is absolutely the best?

Snappy or J Deere , if they make them.

Aster, thanks. i am staying away from John Deere, since they moved their plants to Mexico.
i will check out Snapper.

I mean Snapper,not Snappy of course. GL

@john65pennington; Your wife might like this.

It requires less attention than a motorized mower and will amuse you both.

I personally like the Toro’s. They might be more expensive then what you are looking for.
Take a look at this one http://tinyurl.com/23lvadx
They do use a honda engine

Mine is from Sears 15 years ago- still going strong!

honda! no doubt about it!

Honda for me… They run great!

I bought a Honda in the early 80’s, change the oil every year and clean out the underside every once in a while. I wore out a set of tires and putting new ones on is a bitch. Other than that, it starts on the third pull after a winter’s rest and the 1st or second pull until the end of Autumn when I use it to chop up tons of leaves.

I thought it was a bit expensive, then but can’t complain about 30 years of virtually flawless performance.