Poulan PO450N20SX Review

(Rated: 4.1 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
Noise
Ease of Assembly
Maneuverability
Balance And Handling
Cut Quality
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There is a simple reason that so many consumers are still opting to purchase gas powered lawn mowers in this age of electric and green technology. That reason is the fact that gas powered lawn mowers are consistently more powerful and deliver higher performance than other lawn mowers. While a gas powered lawn mower will require periodic maintenance such as changing spark plugs or swapping out air filters, and will not be as good for the environment as other lawn mowers, they will perform reliably for years to come. They also deliver the kind of power that you need to keep your lawn looking great and feeling healthy from one season to the next.

The Poulan PO450N20SX is a gas lawn mower with a Briggs & Stratton 450 series, 148 cubic centimeter engine and a 20 inch wide cutting deck. The lawn mower is perfect for small to medium sized lawns. It can get the job done quickly and efficiently, and you can count on the high quality of the Briggs & Stratton engine to provide consistent performance over the long term. The mower weighs just 54 pounds, which will allow just about anyone to maneuver it easily around their yard regardless of their age or strength level. And the Poulan PO450N20SX is very competitively priced, so it will be excellent for homeowners who are on a budget as well as those of us who simply don’t want to spend a lot of money on our lawn.

Review Summary

The Poulan PO450N20SX is a gas powered lawn mower with a Briggs & Stratton 450 series, 148 cubic centimeter engine. Briggs & Stratton is a leader in the small engine manufacturing industry, so you can count on this engine to deliver reliable performance over the long term. And while the 450 series is not the biggest or most powerful Briggs & Stratton engine you can find, it does provide enough power to keep an average sized suburban lawn looking good. And because it is smaller than other engines, it is more affordable; Poulan passes that savings on to the consumer.

In addition to its high quality engine, there are a number of other great features to this lawn mower as well. The lawn mower has a 20 inch wide cutting deck, which is a good size to help you cut small to medium sized yards (about a half acre or less) in an efficient amount of time. At the same time, the mower is not so big that you will find it difficult to maneuver or hard to find storage space for it in your garage or tool shed. And at 54 pounds it is light enough that just about anyone will be able to maneuver it around their yard without too much trouble. The mower has a gas tank that holds a third of a gallon, which is more than enough to finish cutting the average sized suburban lawn without refilling it.

There are a few areas where the Poulan PO450N20SX is less than perfect, though. The lawn mower only has a single grass clippings management option – the side discharge – and you do not have the option even to purchase a mulching kit or rear bag assembly as a separate accessory. The lawn mower’s engine, as I mentioned earlier, is not the most powerful one on the market, which could affect its performance on dense grass or tougher varieties of grass. The wheels on the lawn mower are somewhat small and flimsy. And even for a gas powered lawn mower, the Poulan PO450N20SX is pretty noisy, which could be a problem if you have neighbors who like to sleep in. Finally, using this lawn mower to mulch grass clippings or leaves will void the warranty and could damage the engine. I will cover all of these drawbacks, along with the areas where the lawn mower really shines, in the Pros & Cons sections below.

I will also provide a handy product specifications comparison table that shows how the Poulan PO450N20SX stacks up against similar models made by Poulan and one of its competitors. That way you can get a good idea of the areas where it outperforms other lawn mowers and those where it falls short. Finally I will discuss pricing. In short, the Poulan PO450N20SX is a very competitively priced lawn mower compared to others in its class.

Specifications

The Poulan PO450N20SX is a gas powered lawn mower with a Briggs & Stratton 450 series engine. The engine is 148 cubic centimeters and has a large rewind starter and patented Magnetron electronic ignition system for easier startups and innovative splash lubrication for greater durability over the long term. The engine is protected from clogs by an oiled foam air protector. The mower’s gas tank holds 3.0 gallons so you can finish the average sized suburban lawn on a single tank. The mower has a 20 inch wide cutting deck and overall dimensions of 31.4 x 16.0 x 24.1 inches. The mower has a compact enough footprint that you will not have any problems finding storage space for it in your garage or tool shed, and you can conveniently fold down the handle for storage under a work bench. The Poulan PO450N20SX weighs just 54 pounds, which means you should not have any difficulty maneuvering it around your lawn.

The Poulan PO450N20SX is equipped with only one grass clippings management option – the standard side discharge – and there is no option to purchase a mulching kit or rear bag for collecting grass clippings for later disposal or compost. The lawn mower has five height adjustment options that range from 1 1/2 to 3 3/4 inches so you can always be sure you are choosing the best height to keep your lawn looking and feeling its best. The cutting deck height options are controlled by individual levers on each wheel, as opposed to a single point adjustment lever. The front and back wheels of the Poulan PO450N20SX are both seven inches tall and they are made of plastic. The mower weighs 57 pounds, which is not as light as some mowers but is still lightweight enough that most users will find it fairly easy to maneuver around their yard. The mower comes with a limited two year consumer warranty.

Description

The Poulan PO450N20SX is a gas powered lawn mower with a high quality Briggs & Stratton 450 series, 148 cubic centimeter engine. Briggs & Stratton is one of the most trusted names in small engine manufacturing, so you can rest assured that you will get excellent performance from it over the long term. While the 148 cc displacement of this engine is a bit smaller than what is offered on some of the other Poulan lawn mowers, it still packs enough power to perform reliably on the average suburban lawn. A combustion engine like this one will require occasional maintenance in terms of changing spark plugs or air filters, but the performance it is able to provide is worth it.

The Poulan PO450N20SX has a 20 inch cutting deck width, which is wide enough to quickly and efficiently cut the average sized suburban lawn without requiring you to make too many passes. And fewer passes mean you will finish the job in less time and get back to enjoying the rest of the weekend with your family. The 20 inch cutting deck is contained in a compact 31.4 x 16.0 x 24.1 inches. This makes the Poulan PO450N20SX one of the smaller gas powered lawn mowers that has a cutting deck of this size. You will not have to worry about finding enough storage space in your garage or tool shed for this lawn mower, and it is also compact enough that you will be able to easily maneuver it in tighter corners of your yard.

There are five height settings on the cutting deck of the Poulan PO450N20SX between 1 1/2 and 3 3/4 inches, which means you will be able to always choose the best cutting height to keep your lawn looking and feeling its best. Lawn care experts recommend you never cut your lawn shorter than 1/3 its initial height, because doing so can leave it vulnerable to the effects of drought or heat waves. Cutting the grass too short can also result in it being more susceptible to diseases like brown spot or invasions by weeds or crab grass. Multiple height options ensure you will not encounter these problems in your lawn. Unfortunately, the height settings have to be adjusted on each wheel individually, as opposed to doing so with a single point lever. While that can be a bit of a hassle, it’s fortunately not hard to do, so you can set the height in just a few minutes.

The Poulan PO450N20SX only comes with one grass clippings management option, the standard side discharge, and you can’t purchase a mulching plug or rear bag as separate accessories either. This is partly due to the fact that it is such an affordable lawn mower. If you do not mind raking up grass clippings after you mow your lawn, or if you prefer to let grass clippings sit on your lawn – where they will break down eventually – then this will not be a problem. But if you do prefer to have a few grass clippings management options available, you may want to look for a different lawn mower.

The engine on the Poulan PO450N20SX is exposed, as opposed to being contained in a housing. Because of this the mower is considerably louder than many other gas powered lawn mowers. As a result, you won’t be able to use this mower without disturbing your neighbors if you prefer to cut your grass earlier in the morning. The mower also cannot be used to mulch grass clippings or leaves, and if you do so, you will automatically void the warranty. Mulching detritus also runs the risk of damaging the engine or carburetor, as the smaller pieces can get caught in it and clog it.

The Poulan PO450N20SX is one of the most competitively priced gas powered lawn mowers of its size, which will be welcome news to homeowners on a budget. While the price does affect certain aspects of the mower such as its engine size and the fact that it only has one grass management option, the price will still be attractive enough to many consumers to make up for these shortcomings. And the Poulan PO450N20SX is a great little mower that will provide consistent performance on most medium sized suburban lawns.

Pros

There are a number of excellent features that make the Poulan PO450N20SX a great gas powered lawn mower at an excellent price. The mower has an engine that is manufactured by a leader in the industry, Briggs & Stratton, so you know you will get reliable performance over the long term. It’s lightweight and very easy to maneuver, and you will not have to struggle to get it from one side of your yard to the other. You also will not have any problems finding adequate storage space for the Poulan PO450N20SX in your garage or tool shed, because it has one of the smaller footprints among similar gas mowers. The mower is equipped with five height settings between 1 1/2 and 3 3/4 inches, so you will always be able to give it an optimal cut to keep it looking great and feeling healthy. Let’s look at each of these pros in a bit more detail.

1. High quality Briggs & Stratton engine : Briggs & Stratton is a well known and very well respected manufacturer of high quality small engines and lawn mower parts. This reputation is built on a long history of making high performance engines that provide reliable quality over long term use. They are the world’s largest manufacturer of air cooled combustion engines for outdoor power tools. Engines are one of the most important components to consider when you are buying a power mower, so you definitely want to be buying one that has one of the best and most widely distributed engines in it. The Poulan PO450N20SX is just that kind of mower. You can rely on its Briggs & Stratton engine to consistently provide the power you need to get the job done right every time.
2. Mower is lightweight and easy to maneuver : At just 54 pounds, the Poulan PO450N20SX is one of the more lightweight gas powered lawn mowers you can find. That means it will not be too difficult to maneuver, even by those of us who are getting up there in age or who do not have the kind of strength level necessary to use a heavier lawn mower. Once you get the Poulan PO450N20SX started up, it is pretty easy to push it around your yard, even through denser or taller grass. The Briggs & Stratton engine certainly helps, since it provides the kind of horsepower you need to cut through denser grass without getting bogged down. And it will not be difficult at all to wheel the mower to and from your garage or tool shed.
3. It has a compact footprint for easier storage : Speaking of the garage and tool shed, it will be easy to find storage space for the Poulan PO450N20SX in either. That is because it has an overall footprint of just 31.4 x 16.0 x 24.1 inches, which makes it one of the smaller power rotary lawn mowers on the market today. And it is still able to support a 20 inch wide cutting deck on those compact dimensions. You will not have any problems finding space for it in your garage, and to make matters even simpler, the handle on the mower folds down. That means you can tuck it away under a work bench or on a lower shelf over the winter. And its small footprint means you can easily get it into tight corners on your lawn.
4. Five height settings for optimal cuts : Lawn care experts recommend that you do not ever cut your grass to a height that is less than 1/3 its original height. Doing so can weaken the grass and leave it susceptible to the effects of heat waves or drought, causing it to develop brown spots or die back more easily. It can also make your lawn more vulnerable to diseases and invasions by weeds or crab grass. With five height settings that range from 1 1/2 inches to 3 3/4 inches, you never have to worry that you might wind up cutting your grass shorter than you should. That means you will always be giving your lawn the healthiest possible cut, and leaving it looking and feeling its best all summer long.
5. Very competitively priced : Gas powered lawn mowers are an investment, and you want one that will not only perform well over the long term, and give your lawn reliable, efficient cuts, but that will also not cost you too much money. Fortunately, the Poulan PO450N20SX is one of the more competitively priced gas powered lawn mowers in its class. That means you will not have to blow your entire home and garden budget for the summer on buying one. And while you often get what you pay for, this is one case where you do not have to sacrifice quality for price: the Poulan PO450N20SX is made of durable parts and has quality under the hood in the form of its Briggs & Stratton engine.

Any one of these features would by itself be a great reason to buy the Poulan PO450N20SX, and taken together they make this a great little mower for a medium sized yard. This lawn mower will be able to reliably tackle average sized residential jobs without breaking down or running out of gas, and you can always count on its quality craftsmanship and durable parts to hold up over the long term. Not only does it have a high quality Briggs & Stratton engine, it is easy to use and easier to find storage space for it. It has convenient height settings to help you always be sure you are giving your lawn an optimal cut. And it has a very competitive price when compared to similar gas powered lawn mowers in its class.

Cons

There are a few areas in which the Poulan PO450N20SX does not perform as well as I would like. The lawn mower is only equipped with a single grass clippings management option, the side discharge. Although the engine is made by a high quality manufacturer, Briggs & Stratton, it is the 450 series, which only 148 cubic centimeters, so it is not as powerful as other engines. The mower’s wheels are only seven inches in the front and rear, and they are made of plastic, so they are not particularly durable. As gas powered mowers are concerned, the Poulan PO450N20SX is fairly noisy, so you will not be able to use it whenever you want. And using the mower to mulch leaves or grass clippings will automatically void the warranty and could affect the performance of the mower’s engine. Let’s take a look at each one of these drawbacks in more detail.

1. Only one grass clippings management option : Unfortunately, budget lawn mowers often are more affordable because the manufacturer does not provide additional grass clippings management options for them. This is the case with the Poulan PO450N20SX. If you are comfortable discharging grass clippings out the side of your lawn mower and do not need a mulching attachment or a rear bag for collecting clippings for later disposal, then this should not be a problem. You can always rake up grass clippings if your yard is small enough, or leave clippings on the lawn to break down, which they will do eventually. But if you prefer to mulch your clippings or collect them easily for later disposal or composting, then the Poulan PO450N20SX may not be the right lawn mower for you.
2. The engine is not as powerful as others : While the Poulan PO450N20SX does have a high quality engine made by an excellent manufacturer, Briggs & Stratton, the engine is the company’s 450 series. This engine is not quite as powerful as some of Briggs & Stratton’s other models. It is only 148 cubic centimeters, so it will not be able to provide the same kind of horsepower or torque that a bigger engines could. That means that if you have a lawn that is planted with very densely growing grass, or tougher varieties of grass such as St. Augustine or Bermuda grass, the mower may have a difficult time with it. But if you have a lawn that has a finer variety of grass such as fescue or Kentucky bluegrass, and your lawn is not too big, the Poulan PO450N20SX should perform just fine.
3. The wheels are small and not very durable : The wheels on the Poulan PO450N20SX are only seven inches tall in both the front and rear of the mower. While the wheels’ symmetry does help the balance of the lawn mower somewhat when you are using it to cut lawns on more even ground, the fact that the wheels are so small may affect the mower’s performance on lawns that are on uneven or rougher terrain. In addition, the wheels on the Poulan PO450N20SX are made of plastic, which is not as durable as composite materials or wheels that have tires, so they may not hold up to severe wear and tear over the long term. But if you have a lawn that is not located on rough terrain, and you do not subject the Poulan PO450N20SX to rough jobs over the long term, this should not present too much of a problem.
4. The mower is rather noisy : The simple fact is that all gas powered lawn mowers are noisy, which is something you give up in exchange for the power and performance they provide. The drawback of the noisy mower is that you are a bit limited in terms of when you can use it, especially if you have neighbors with whom you want to maintain an amicable relationship. You will not be able to cut your lawn whenever you want – especially early in the morning when they are still sleeping in – without worrying about annoying them. The Poulan PO450N20SX is one of the noisier gas powered lawn mowers out there. So if you do purchase one, be prepared to use it at reasonable hours, and be ready for the fact that it is going to be rather loud.
5. Mulching will void the warranty and may damage the mower : It is important to understand that you absolutely should not use the Poulan PO450N20SX to mulch grass clippings or piles of leaves. First of all, doing so will automatically void the warranty, because it specifically does not cove this kind of activity. The main reason for this is because the design of the Poulan PO450N20SX, with its exposed engine and carburetor, leaves it prone to dust from leaves or tiny grass clippings getting into the engine and affecting its performance. If you do use this mower to mulch detritus, and it winds up clogging the engine, you will be on your own as far as fixing it is concerned. Poulan is quite clear about this limitation to the warranty up front, and their customer service can’t help you if you decide to ignore it.

While a number of these cons are a bit inconvenient, in my opinion the Poulan PO450N20SX is still a very good lawn mower for the right kind of job. If you are not interested in mulching your grass clippings or collecting them for later compost or disposal, and don’t mind either raking them up or leaving them on your lawn, then the first con won’t pose much of a problem. And if you have a small or medium sized yard with a finer variety of grass, and you do not mind using a fairly noisy lawn mower to keep it cut, then the Poulan PO450N20SX may be just the right mower for your needs, in spite of its drawbacks. It’s a very affordable gas mower with a specific type of yard in mind, so if you have that kind of yard, you may be looking at a great purchase.

Product Comparison

I think the absolute best way to determine whether a particular lawn mower is the right one for you is by comparing it to similar models in its class. By doing this you can get a very clear picture of where certain product specifications of a given mower are comparable to or better than those on other models as well as the areas where it may fall a bit short. Comparison shopping also gives you a much more complete picture of the market for a given class of lawn mowers as a whole. That will leave you much better informed and allow you to make the best possible choice. In order to make this process as easy as possible for you, I have provided a comparison chart that shows how the product specs of the Poulan PO450N20SX stack up against those of the Poulan Pro PR625Y22RKP and the Power Smart DB6902. These are all gas powered lawn mowers with cutting deck widths of comparable size. Let’s take a look.

	Poulan PO450N20SX	Poulan Pro PR625Y22RKP	Power Smart DB6902
Dimensions	31.4 x 16.0 x 24.1 inches	40.2 x 20.8 x 25.2 inches	37.6 x 20.6 x 23.4 inches
Power	Gas	Gas	Gas
Engine Manufacturer	Briggs & Stratton	Briggs & Stratton	N/A
Engine Specs	450 Series 148-cc Engine	625e Series 190-cc Engine	196-cc Engine
Gas Tank	0.3 Galons	0.3 Galons	0.24 Galons
Starter	Recoil	Electric key start	Recoil
Deck Size (cutting swath)	20-inch	22-inch	20-inch
Mulch/Bag/Discharge	Side discharge	Mulch, bag, and discharge	Mulch, bag, and discharge
Drive System	Manual Push	Self-Propelled Motor	Manual Push
Height Adjustment	Individual (5 positions)	Single point (5 positions)	Single lever (10 positions)
Height Settings	1-1/2- to 3-3/4-inch	1-1/2- to 3-1/2-inch	1-1/2- to 3-1/2-inch
Wheel Size	7-inch front / 7-inch rear	8-inch front / 12-inch rear	6-inch front / 8-inch rear
Weight	54 pounds	105 pounds	66 pounds
Warranty	2 years	2 years	2 years

As you can see, the Poulan PO450N20SX has the smallest overall footprint, at 31.4 x 16.0 x 24.1 inches. This will make it much easier to maneuver the Poulan PO450N20SX in tight corners of the lawn and far more convenient to find storage space for it in your garage or tool shed as compared to the other lawn mowers. The Poulan Pro has the biggest, most powerful engine of the three lawn mowers, at 190 cubic centimeters, while the Poulan PO450N20SX is a close second at 148 cubic centimeters. Both Poulan lawn mowers have gas tanks that hold a third of a gallon, while the Power Smart holds about a quarter of a gallon.

The Poulan Pro has a key activated start, while the other two mowers both have the traditional recoil starter. And the Poulan Pro has the widest cutting deck of the three lawn mowers, at 22 inches, while the others are 20 inches wide each. The Poulan PO450N20SX only offers a side discharge option, while the other two mowers both offer three grass clippings management options. Both of the other mowers have cutting deck height adjustment at a single point, while the Poulan PO450N20SX requires adjustment at each wheel individually. The Poulan PO450N20SX has the smallest wheels of the three mowers. It also weighs the least, at just 54 pounds. All three mowers have a two year consumer warranty.

Conclusion

If you want a gas powered lawn mower that can offer reliable performance over the long term for a small or medium sized yard, and you do not want to spend too much money to get it, the Poulan PO450N20SX can be an excellent choice. This compact lawn mower offers a number of excellent features that combine to provide the kind of durability and quality that you want so that you can keep your lawn looking and feeling its best all summer long. The mower has an engine that is manufactured by a leader in the industry. It’s lightweight and easy to maneuver, and the lawn mower is small enough that it will not be difficult to find storage for it in your garage or tool shed. And it is very competitively priced compared to similar mowers in its class. Let’s take another look at the pros and cons this mower offers before we wrap up the review.

Conclusion Pros

1. High quality Briggs & Stratton engine.
2. Mower is lightweight and easy to maneuver.
3. It has a compact footprint for easier storage.
4. Five height settings for optimal cuts.
5. Very competitively priced.

Briggs & Stratton is a trusted name in small engine manufacturing for a very good reason. They consistently design and build engines that perform well over the long term without requiring a lot of maintenance on your part. With one of their engines in your mower, you can be confident that you will be able to rely on it to provide quality performance for years to come. The Poulan PO450N20SX only weighs 54 pounds, which means just about anyone will be able to use it with little difficulty, regardless of your age or strength level. You also will not have any difficulty finding enough storage space for it in your garage because it is so compact. The mower has five height options so you can always be sure you are giving your gras an optimal cut to keep it looking and feeling its best. And compared to other lawn mowers in its class, the Poulan PO450N20SX is very competitively priced.

Conclusion Cons

1. Only one grass clippings management option.
2. The engine is not as powerful as others.
3. The wheels are small and not very durable.
4. The mower is rather noisy.
5. Mulching will void the warranty and may damage the mower.

Many homeowners may find the fact that there is only one grass clippings management option included with the Poulan PO450N20SX a major drawback. You will not have the option to mulch your clippings back into the lawn or collect them for later composting or disposal. And if you do use the lawn mower to mulch clippings or leaves, you will void the warranty and can risk clogging the engine or carburetor with the detritus. The engine on the Poulan PO450N20SX is fairly small, which means it will not be as powerful as those on other lawn mowers, but it should still provide enough power to take care of small to medium sized lawns. Its wheels are a bit small, so they may struggle on uneven lawns. And even considering the fact that it is a gas powered lawn mower, the Poulan PO450N20SX is still fairly noisy, which can be problematic if you have neighbors who like to sleep in.

Final Word

When you have a medium sized lawn in your yard, you can keep it looking great with a gas powered lawn mower without having to spend a lot of money to get one. A gas powered lawn mower offers a few advantages over electric or manual reel mowers. They are more powerful than either of the other classes, which means they can support bigger cutting decks on average. Gas powered lawn mowers also tend to be more reliable over the long term than electric lawn mowers as well, although they do require a bit of light maintenance on your part to keep them running well.

There are a number of areas where the Poulan PO450N20SX shines. It is compact and lightweight, and it has a wide enough cutting deck to get a small to medium sized lawn cut quickly and efficiently. It has a high quality Briggs & Stratton engine that will perform well over the long term. If you have the kind of yard this mower is designed to handle, and you don’t mind the fact that it does not have too many accessories like grass management options, this could be a great budget lawn mower for you.

Best Price

The Poulan PO450N20SX is one of the most competitively priced lawn mowers in its class, but there are a number of reasons it is so affordable. There are several areas where the manufacturer has opted for reduced performance or fewer accessories. It has one of the smaller engines available on a gas powered lawn mower, and its cutting deck width is about average. There are no options for grass clippings management other than the standard side discharge, which is somewhat typical for budget lawn mowers. And the mower should not be used to mulch grass clippings or leaves, as this will automatically void the warranty and could also damage the engine. However, if you are looking for an affordable gas powered mower to take care of an average sized suburban lawn, the Poulan PO450N20SX can be a great little machine that will get the job done and save you a lot of money on the initial purchase price.