Who Makes Murray Lawn Mowers? (Are They Good?)

If you’ve been looking to buy a lawn mower recently then you might have seen the Murray name, or you might remember it from a few years ago, but who makes Murray lawn mowers now?

Murray lawn mowers as a brand is now owned by Briggs & Stratton after the company went bankrupt in 2004. A decline in manufacturing quality and recall issues led to financial problems and the ultimate collapse of the original company. Now, all of the Murray lawn mowers that you can buy are actually produced by Briggs & Stratton.

Read ahead to find out everything you need to know about Murray lawn mowers, and how the company has changed over the years.

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What is Murray?

To understand how Murray as a company got to where they are today, we need to take a look back at where it came from.

They actually started life in 1919 as the Murray Ohio Manufacturing Company, which made fenders, fuel tanks, and other automobile parts. At this time, all of their manufacturing was done out of Cleveland, Ohio.

Murray actually became quite a big name in bicycles as well, but declining sales led to the company being acquired by the British investment group Tomkins plc in 1988. The bicycle manufacturing arm of the Murray company has since been acquired by a Dutch conglomerate called Pon Holdings.

By this time, they had started to manufacture lawn mowers and garden equipment and were producing under several brand names. They purchased the Noma brand in 1993, they manufactured all of the “502” and “536” lawn mowers made under the Craftsman name at Sears, and they made Stanley lawn mowers for Wal-Mart as well.

For a time, Murray lawn mowers were among the most popular in the country, and you will still find their classic red models in the sheds and garages of American homes to this day. Over the last 20 years, however, the success of the company has greatly declined.

When Did Briggs & Stratton Purchase Murray Lawn Mowers?

High demand and manufacturing issues led to a decline in quality over the years, and a disastrous recall in 2004 which labeled some models as a safety hazard. By the end of 2004, the Murray company had unfortunately become bankrupt, but the brand did manage to survive.

The Briggs & Stratton Corporation acquired the brand name in 2005 and was able to purchase the vast majority of its assets as well.

Today, Briggs & Stratton owns Murray lawn mowers, and they are now responsible for making all of the newer models that you can find on the market.

What is Briggs & Stratton?

So, who are the people that actually own the Murray brand today? Briggs & Stratton is mainly in the business of manufacturing gasoline engines, which are now used exclusively to power Murray lawn mowers.

The company was founded in 1908 by an inventor named Stephen Foster Briggs and an investor called Harold M. Stratton. Together, they started a business making automotive components and gasoline engines. The company has gone on to make many innovations in engine technology, and has acquired a large number of other brands as well.

Now, Briggs & Stratton makes almost $2 billion per year and employs over 5,000 people. They have 13 facilities in the US, and more around the world in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and the Netherlands.

What Lawn Mowers Does Murray Make Now?

The actual selection of lawn mowers that you can buy from Murray in the US is pretty limited these days. You won’t find any of their old red models anymore, and they haven’t put out a new ride-on tractor for years. Right now, there are only three Murray lawn mowers for sale in North America:

Murray 20in. 125cc Push Mower with Height Adjustment and Prime ‘N Pull Start
Murray 21in. 140cc Push Mower with Height Adjustment, Prime ‘N Pull Start and optional Mulch Bag
Murray 22in. 140cc Self-Propelled Mower with Front Wheel Drive and Bagger

Are Murray Lawn Mowers Any Good?

While there aren’t many options left for Murray lawn mowers, they are relatively well-regarded. The Briggs & Stratton engines are powerful and reliable, and the mowers are reportedly easy to put together and simple to use and maneuver.

Overall, they are relatively simple models that come with a reasonable price tag. Some reviews do criticize the build quality and the fact that weaker materials have been used for some component parts.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the new Murray mowers will have the same longevity as the old Murray tractors, which some people are still using to this day!

Where Can You Buy Murray Lawn Mowers?

Murray lawn mowers used to be sold at different stores all over the country, but that is not the case anymore. You can’t buy Murray lawn mowers from Lowe’s or Sears – in fact, they are currently exclusively sold at just one store in North America.

You can only buy Murray lawn mowers at The Home Depot right now, although there have been some older models for sale at Walmart in the last 10 years.

So, if you’re looking for a new Murray mower, The Home Depot is the place to go, but you can still find parts for older Murray mowers elsewhere.

Where Else Are Murray Lawn Mowers Sold?

The Murray brand is not exclusively sold in the US, and they are actually slightly more successful elsewhere.

You will find a wider range of their products for sale in the European market, where they sell Cylinder Mowers, Corded Mowers, Petrol Mowers, and Riding Lawn Tractors online and through various retailers.

Conclusion

So, who makes Murray lawn mowers? They are now owned by Briggs & Stratton, who manufacture all of the newest models on the market. In previous years, Murray lawn mowers were some of the most popular in the US, but a decline in quality and manufacturing issues led to the company becoming bankrupt in 2004.

Although the Murray brand is still making new mowers, they have been producing fewer and fewer models each year. Now, you can only find a few Murray push mowers for sale exclusively at The Home Depot.

New Murray mowers are reasonably well-reviewed, though not particularly highly-regarded in terms of manufacturing quality. It seems as though the success of the company is still far from what it once was.

References

https://www.murray.com/na/en_us/home.html