Hi Greg,
The Honda 3 speed is its weak point, the earlier 2 speed was a better unit but long gone now. The Kohllier should be ok, not sure about the Chonda clones. As I said if you want a good drive then look at an Ariens, then decide what motor you want to fit on it. This discussion about what is a good self propelled has been discussed at length here over the years and nothing really stands out. Sounds stupid in this day and age but that is the way it is. Another one that I believe has a decent drive system is the Snapper but I have not had one to investigate how good it is. There is nothing that stands out unless you look at Deutschers but they are a big machine
