Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This is a lengthy review but worth the read. I used this mower today for the first time. Most fun I've had in a long time. I read some of the reviews prior to purchasing it -negative comments regarding the self propelled feature and replacement blades hard to find, but that did not stop me one second from getting this mower because I've had this same mower, minus the self propelled feature, for a year. Already knew it was, by far, one of the best mowers on the planet. I'm female, age 70 and have debilitating arthritis. Two large fusions in my spine, both knees replaced, shoulders repaired, hands and wrists the pits, and more. Recently widowed so am responsible for the 'joys of home ownership' by myself. Moved into a new house with a yard that has many slopes, some quite steep. So now you're wondering 'if she's in such tough shape why is she in a house with hills that need mowing?' Long story short- moved 2000 miles away, didn't see the house or yard before purchase, only pictures as it was being built - hard to gauge what you're up against with only pictures of dirt and wood. And I have a very hard time asking for help. So I've been pushing this spectacular (non self propelled) mower up those slopes all season and finally decided I couldn't do it anymore. It's no heavier than any other mower but the demographics were doing a job on me. So I started shopping around for a battery operated self propelled - not knowing that my current model came in a self propelled version- and OMG was I a happy camper when I discovered it did. Ordered it with absolutely no hesitation. Here are the PRO'S about the self propelled model (and the non self propelled also) in my opinion -EVERYTHING- it's powerful with an easy to reach lever to adjust forward speed, no gas cans sitting around and no trips to get it , no choking, puking, sputtering engine, no maintenance other than change the blade and give it a bath, lawn looks beautiful, it's quiet, ONE lever height adjustment-no screwing around with 4 wheels, it automatically supplies more power when you get into heavier/thicker grass, easy to clean up, it makes mowing enjoyable. The batterys- charge extremely fast and last the whole 45 minutes each, when they're dead they're dead. No power loss toward the end. I only found one little quirk and that's when you release the self propelled lever to pull it backwards you have to give it a tiny push forward first or the back (propelling) wheels drag. Also people were asking where can you get replacement blades as they are difficult to find online. No info comes up when use the blade number. So you either have your local Snapper dealer order them for you or call Briggs and Stratton - you won't find them on either web site. (Guys- you need to fix this as it is very annoying, especially given that there's no mention in any of the accompanying literature that addresses the blade issue). I ordered 3 so I didn't have to hunt them down for awhile. $18 each- give or take a buck . CON'S - NOTHING. It does the same beautiful job the other one does. Some people griped about having to release the propelling lever to pull the mower backward - That's like complaining because there's not enough raisins in your cinnamon roll. So there you have it. I think Snapper and Briggs and Stratton should be given a medal for developing this fantastic mower, both models. It certainly has made my life easier. Hope my experiences help in your decision making. You will not regret picking up this mower.