re: Best time to buy a new mower

Unless the unit is discontinued usually March/April.
Big boxes may do Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day sale.
Most mfg have discounts from March - May depending on market.

We usually service home center units as I have a contract with the extended service companies. Now that person will not be first. We try to get them out in 7 working days unless parts are backordered.
9 out of 10 units have flat tire, low charge on a battery, and most popular answer where I make money the store left bad fuel in the unit needs carb cleaning.

Best one a person uses the unit once, makes up a symptom, and store returns it.
Best symptom was a mower was haunted.
It was a stuck solenoid when you hook up the battery the unit was run.
Dumbest idiot award was a guy tried driving a 500 lb residential zero turn up a tree which he flipped backwards.