My mower bit the dust towards the end of last mowing season, I ended up just paying someone to do the last 2 mows rather than buying one at the end of the season.

I've read some articles and reviews and these 2 are well reviewed in terms of low cost mowers.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/YARDMAX-21-in-3-in-1-Push-High-Wheel/5000059785

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Toro-21-in-Reycler-Briggs-and-Stratton-140cc-Gas-Self-Propelled-RWD-Lawn-Mower/5014791851

Is the Toro $100 better than the Yardmax?

If you were in the market for a sub $500 mower, what would you get?

I am closing on my first house this week and am looking to buy a gas push mower for a relatively flat 9k sq ft yard. I am definitely on a budget, wouldn’t want to spend more than $400 on a mower and would like to spend less if it makes sense. I do not need it to be self-propelled. I see 3 general options:

1. Buy a new, higher quality mower like a Toro (usually $340+)

2. Buy a new, cheaper mower like a Power Smart or Senix (closer to $220 on Walmart). Most of these options seem to have mixed reviews online.

3. Find a used mower on Facebook Marketplace for $50-$150 that seems to run fine.

Given that minimizing costs in the short-term is a high priority, does anyone have advice on what route would be the best investment/decision? Is there a specific push mower that fits my criteria that you would recommend? Thank you in advance.