Lawnmowers

[b0redom]

Hi All,
My old petrol mower has finally bitten the dust, and I'm thinking of getting a new one. Don't really have a budget, but I have a BIG patch of grass (3m by 10m), and it's a bit too far for an electric mower (cable reach from house). My old one is similar to this one:

http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebas...---40cm-317952

It kept packing up and need servicing one a year which cost about the same as buying a new one. Anyone have any recommendations?

Ta.....

b0redom

[g8ina]

A goat.

[Macman]

Cable Reel
Choice of Lawnmowers

Should suffice and be cheaper in the longrun?

[Saracen]

Turn half the grass into a veg patch and 'grow your own', and get an electric mower for the rest?

As for petrol mowers, not really my thing but a friend has a Honda and is very impressed. Another has a Mountfield (and I have an electric Mountfield that's about 20 years old and still going strong) and we are also both happy.

Mind you, a wheel fell off my Mountfield. It turned out a locking circlip snapped. IIRC, it cost me about 3p for a replacement. Other than that, I just wipe it down after use, give it a good clean prior to putting away for the winter and sharpen the blades from time to time.

I'm not sure I'd have classed 3m x 10m as "BIG" though, certainly not in petrol mower terms.

[Zak33]

first.. you need one that pulls itself ..not one you have to push. When you get to the edge of a lawn, or a wall.. or a hedge.. and turn around.. you need it to pul itself back out toward you.. you cant push it yourself sideways without killing your back,

So... rule one... petrol powered motive.

Rule two... most lawnmowers dont need servicing that you cant do yourself. Spark plugs can be removed and brushed clean when needed and eventually replaced but that's it. Oil is cheap to buy and easy to remove. The sump plug normally has a square headed bolt .. and most socket sets fit it.. the actual socket bar.. not a spanner.

then you need a tray to catch the oil and bricks/car tyres/pieces of wood to support the lawnmower on at both ends.

Lastly.. starting them. They nearly all need more pushes of the petrol pump rubber bulb than the book says. The manual is trying to reduce emmissions, not make your life easy. Mine say 3 pushes.. I know it needs 12.

you want a good brand of ENGINE on it. The mower and the engine are normally different makes, bolted together.

Briggs and Stratton make a good engine. So do Honda but thats more dough.

[listy]

bought 2nd hand brigg and stratton(50quid) about 8 year ago i dont clean it dont sharpen dont drain fuel at end of year.... pull it out start of season and starts 1st time its not powered and its hardwork,since i picked up another 2nd had one ofr 50quid that is powered you feel it when you use the unpowered

[Whalefish]

I have a fairly big garden and use an electric mower with an extension cord, cuts the grass nicely and is less bother to maintain than a petrol mower. Are you sure an electric mower won't be any good for you?

[b0redom]

Don't know either way to be honest. Which electric mower do you have?

[kalniel]

And if cable reach really isn't insurmountable with a good extension real (bonus - added cut cable connection), what about battery mower? They're light enough you don't need self-propelled. Something like Mountfield princess or Bosch rotak - prices start around £300 so not cheap though.

[Whalefish]

I have an old Qualcast cylinder mower and a Qualcast hover mower which gave up the ghost after 18 years of reliable service.

[jimborae]

I have a big garden and have a John Deere which cost a lot of money (£600) but then the deck is guaranteed for a stupid length of time (20years I think) & and it has a good Briggs Stratton engine. My advice would be to buy a good second hand, looked after John Deere, Honda, Viking or the like, basically look for one that has an aluminium deck if you want it to last. Stay away from any of the DIY chain lawn mowers, and Mountfield , unfortunately they are not the mowers they once were and follow Zak's advice, you can do all servicing yourself. Get a good one and it will last you years.

[Knoxville]

Anything with a Briggs and Straton will generally work. If you pop down to your local Homebase or B&Q you'll be able to find one strapped to a relatively cheap deck too. Viking make a nice mower as well, my presonal preference is Honda however. In my experience you do actually get what you pay for when you for out the extra for one. They're reliable and their roller mowers in particular leave a good quality cut even on ground some would consider a little too rough.

You don't need seven hundred quids worth of mower for that size patch though. Something with a narrow deck, powered wheels and a decent engine that'll last is all you really need unless you want to really get into the idea of cutting your grass.

[peterb]

Lawn mower? Get down on your knees with a pair of nail scissors!

On a more serious note... I bought a generic own brand mower from a local shop - it lasted 10 years before the deck started rusting - so I went back and bought a new deck and swapped the bits over. The engine was a Briggs and Stratton and it was a bit rattly by that stage, but it kept on going for a few more years.

But if you want something to last, get an aluminium deck with a Honda engine, or an electric mower with a plastic deck. I now have a garden the size of a small handkerchief and an electric Flymo is more than adequate.

[Zak33]

or.. get a goat.

[peterb]

or.. get a goat.

C'mon, read the thread http://forums.hexus.net/home-garden-...ml#post3591434

[listy]

dont think after having petrol mower i would ever go back to electric tbh.

if i had that little grass i might get manual mower...