Review: Troy-Bilt’s TB490 XP™ 4×4 Self-Propelled Mower

Whether your garden is flat or hilly, this 4×4 Self-Propelled Mower by Troy-Bilt can handle the challenge. Come check out this product review and see a bit of my garden – along with a surprise visitor!

As many of you know, I’ve reviewed a number of products from Troy-Bilt in recent years. Recently, the company asked me to try out Troy-Bilt’s TB490 XP™ 4×4 Self-Propelled Mower in my garden. Here’s what I learned.

“Troy-Bilt’s TB490 XP™ 4×4 mower is the industry’s first four-wheel drive mower that lets you switch between front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive on the go,” says the website.

You can basically switch with one hand.

Now, I’m a bit of a gypsy. When many of you first met me, I was living in Boise, Idaho on a medium sized lot with several hills. Currently, I’m living in Southern California on a much smaller lot that’s completely flat. Who knows where I’ll end up next…

So, I like the idea that this machine is flexible. We need that feature around here.

My lawn mower required about 15 minutes of assembly, although I would imagine that most people would buy their mower already assembled at the store.

This powerful machine has a 190cc* Honda® GCV series engine with Automatic Choke System (ACS) to prevent engine flooding.

Be sure to use the motor oil provided by Troy-Bilt, along with clean, fresh gasoline. I also added some fuel stabilizer, because it keeps the mower’s fuel fresh for up to 24 months. And I want to keep things running well, especially when I’m not mowing as often.

There is a rear grass catcher that was easy to attach. But you might want to experiment with the side discharge chute.

By returning the grass clippings to your soil, you can save water and fertilizer. That’s because you are basically returning many of the nutrients back to the turf, while leaving behind a light mulch.

This works best when you can mow more frequently, so the layers aren’t too thick on your turf. My grass was rather long, and I kept the rear grass catcher on this time.

I found that the mower started right up. The self propelling mower really made it easier to cut the grass, and I could really feel the oomph when I put the mower in four-wheel drive.

I didn’t get a chance to try the machine on a hill, but maybe in our next home?

I liked the fact that it was easy to adjust the cutting length of the grass. I’m going to leave the grass a little longer, now that we’re coming into our drier season.

From this angle, you can see how the rear wheels are a bit larger than the front.

There’s also a deck wash that allows you to easily attach a nozzle to rinse grass clippings from the deck’s underside. I didn’t try this out yet, but I have a feeling it’s going to come in handy.

Meanwhile, look who photo bombed me! My hound dog Maggie, who always wants to be part of the story!

I recommend this self propelling motor for gardeners, who need a reliable system that is flexible for all kinds of terrains. It’s a bit like having three machines in one.

With some basic maintenance, this lawn mower should last me through all my future moves, regardless of where we land.

Disclosure: This blog post was sponsored by Troy-Bilt, who also supplied this lawn mower for me to review. I was not told what to write, and my opinion is all mine.