Lawn mower what to get

amen

right I have 0.6 of a lawned garden. Was hiring/borrowing lawn mowers last year but this year I am buying.

So what to buy? I could get a ride on but they seem pricey and the exercise of a petrol one would prob do me good.
Should I get a self propelled or push? What size engine (was thinking min 4.5HP) and a min cut width of 18" ?

What about 2 boxes?

All advice taken!

crosstownk

I've a 4.5HP self propelled. Never used the self propelled function - I just push it along at my own pace. Briggs & Stratton engine. Reliable as fúck. Starts first time every time - even after the winter. Got it in Argos a few years back. Electrolux with a B&S engine. Only problem is the bright yellow colour!

artieanna

seeing that your garden is fairly big definitly go for the self propelled.;)

I have a push mower and boy do I have a big red face when I'm mowing and have to take breaks in between....Great exercise but it'll probably cause me to have a heart attack:(

Big garden: self propelled
Sml garden: push
Ex large garden: ride on

Neil_Sedaka

Maybe consider a self propelled mulching mower, saves a lot of time emptying the grass box and mulching will give the lawn a deep green colour.

Manuel

Are you guys serious about a walk-behind mower for 0.6 acres? I did the first cut of mine (0.6 acre) this week with a hired self-propel and it took me 3 hours! And by the way amen that was with a 22" cut width. I don't mind the exercise, it's the length of time it took.

I have resigned myself to forking out for a ride-on in time for the next cut, so I too am open to suggestions. Looking for the cheaper end of the market, with a collector. Seems to be in or around 2.5K, unless anyone can better advise me.

Mind you, 25 Euro hire and 3 hours of my life once a month does seem cheap by comparison ........................

Avns1s

Manuel wrote:

Mind you, 25 Euro hire and 3 hours of my life once a month does seem cheap by comparison ........................

Once a month?? No wonder it takes 3 hours.

Most lawns would need to be cut once a week or even more often in peak season.

Not many mowers will pick up the grass if it's been allowed to grow for a month.

Manuel

Ya, fair enough. I could stretch to once a fortnight but that's my final offer. It's not the 18th green of the feckin Belfry I have ....

Roll on winter ....

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Manuel wrote:

Are you guys serious about a walk-behind mower for 0.6 acres? I did the first cut of mine (0.6 acre) this week with a hired self-propel and it took me 3 hours! And by the way amen that was with a 22" cut width. I don't mind the exercise, it's the length of time it took

I have .75 of an acre and cutting with a petrol push mower takes 1.5 hours max each week. It's a great excuse for exercise. If it took 3 hours then you're not cutting the grass nearly as often as you should.

Avns1s

Manuel wrote:

Ya, fair enough. I could stretch to once a fortnight but that's my final offer. It's not the 18th green of the feckin Belfry I have ....

Roll on winter ....

LOL I know what you mean! :rolleyes:

paulocon

As suggested, definitely a self-propelled and look at investing in a mulching mower - you'll have the job done a lot quicker if you're not stopping to empty the bag...

Avns1s

paulocon wrote:

As suggested, definitely a self-propelled and look at investing in a mulching mower - you'll have the job done a lot quicker if you're not stopping to empty the bag...

Only issue with a mulcher is that if you've got kids that play in the garden, you'll be following them about the house with the vacuum cleaner!

Other than that I would agree.

Would also agree that the push mower is a great form of exercise though some people get enough exercise without this!

The answer to this question involves a lot of looking at one's own situation and preferences, not to mention budget, methinks!

dixiefly

I have an ARIENS lawnmower and I am very satisfied with it. It is a self propelled mower. In my opinion it is better than the Honda and way better than some of the other well known makes. It is an american mower. The great advantage with it is that it has the three options of side discharge, pick up and mulching. It also has a steel frame which a lot of other mowers does not have and the engine is a very high powered one.
If you have good drying on your lawn then mulching is a great option for most of the summer. One thing about mulching is that to do it properly you will have to mow about every 5 days during the summer but it is much quicker - you also need to keep an eye out for the weather. At least with the Ariens mower you have a choice of the mowing methods.

2 stroke

Delighted to find this thread. I've spent 1/2 of today looking at ride on mowers. I recon I have .4 of an acre of grass and that I walk at least 3 mile pushing my current mower each time I mow. I'd rather have the time to go for a walk.
Does anybory have any experience of these new auto mowers. They sound very tempting but I wonder what sort of lifespan they have.

PoolDude

I am another looking at Ride On's, so far i've seen Rally, Viking, Castlegarden and one or two others - I'm between the Viking 17.5bhp and the Rally 17.5bhp, price difference is 3,600 v 3,300. Both are B&S engine, hyrdo and similar cutting widths.

So whats the advice?

djmc

Just wondering has anyone any experance with those small battery lawn mowers that charge themself and cut the lawn compleatly on there own

2 stroke

Pool dude, they are probably the same mower with different badges and different plastic bits. decide which dealer you prefer to deal with and haggle.

PoolDude

Thanks 2-Stroke.

Does anyone know if I cannot use the mulcher on it for the first couple of years? My lawn was only seeded a couple of weeks ago (full site circa .75 acre) and a neighbour mentioned that with a new lawn the mulcher should not be used until the lawn has had a couple of years of growth as the blades will pull it up - surely thats more to do with the types of blades and the cutting mechanism deployed?

2 stroke

you shouldnt have a problem mulching a new lawn, more like you shouldnt use a cylinder mower on a new lawn.

CJhaughey

Get a Wolf Garten Scooter, it has a 55cm or 22" cut and is available for €1400 delivered from Germany.

djmc

http://www.automower.com/
has anybody used these type of lawn mowers or is it just wishful thinking that i will never again have to mow the lawn if i buy one of these

2 stroke

DJ, I havent been able to get one dealer that I trust to recomend one.

prospect

Hi all,

I am in the same position about getting a lawnmower.
I am going for a ride-on, but do not want mulching.

There is very little info on d'interweb, which is disappointing. I know the brands often share engines etc, but is there any generally accepted 'order of merit'?

Husqvarna, Toro, Castle Garden, John (Too) Deere, Wolf Garten, etc.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I'd aviod mulching unless you are willing to scarify the lawn a couple of times a year. It builds up an awful thatch in the lawn which blocks drainage and promotes moss. I tried it - never again! I don't mind scarifying for moss once a year but this was rediculous!

prospect

HI,

this ride-on mower:
http://tinyurl.com/28uub3

was on sale in B&Q for a little over €2K at the weekend. Anybody know much about them! I have over a third of an acre of lawn so 15Hp is plenty.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

prospect wrote:

HI,

this ride-on mower:
http://tinyurl.com/28uub3

was on sale in B&Q for a little over €2K at the weekend. Anybody know much about them! I have over a third of an acre of lawn so 15Hp is plenty.

I wouldn't bother with a ride on for a third of an acre. Half an acre plus and maybe - depending on the terrain and layout of the garden.

GreeBo

2 stroke wrote:

you shouldnt use a cylinder mower on a new lawn.

You shouldnt use a rotary on a new lawn, a cylinder is better as it will cut the grass, a rotary can pull out the new seedlings...

Is that what you meant or do you disagree with the above?

prospect

Cristiano Spoiled Ballet wrote:

I wouldn't bother with a ride on for a third of an acre. Half an acre plus and maybe - depending on the terrain and layout of the garden.

I have mowed it with a push mower twice, and on a ride-on twice, and I am DEFFO getting a ride on.
It takes nearly 40mins on a ride-on, mulching (i.e. not emptying the collector every 5 minutes).
My lawn is a third of an acre, not the site (it is over 2/3's of an acre).

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

prospect wrote:

My lawn is a third of an acre, not the site (it is over 2/3's of an acre).

I had assumed you meant a third of an acre of grass. I cut .6 of grass each week with a push mower in an hour and a half (including many stops to empty grass) so 40 mins on a ride on for a third of an acre seems very slow. You'd would literally be quicker walking!
Anyway, that doesn't answer your question. I don't know if that mower is good value at €2k but it does seem a waste for a relatively small area.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

GreeBo wrote:

You shouldnt use a rotary on a new lawn, a cylinder is better as it will cut the grass, a rotary can pull out the new seedlings...

Is that what you meant or do you disagree with the above?

I have to agree with GreeBo on this one. Most cylinders come with a roller with also benefits a new lawn.

2 stroke

Grebo. I stick by my original post. Rotary is best for new lawn.
As regards rolling you cannot roll too often, but do it between cuttings.
Regarding B&Q mower, If you are spending 2 grand on a mower go to a dealer that will look after you when guarantee wears off. Many dealers despise working on hardware shop mowers.

dixiefly

Cristiano Spoiled Ballet wrote:

I'd aviod mulching unless you are willing to scarify the lawn a couple of times a year. It builds up an awful thatch in the lawn which blocks drainage and promotes moss. I tried it - never again! I don't mind scarifying for moss once a year but this was rediculous!

I have been mulching (when I can ) for the last 3 years. I have no problems with thatch etc. Perhaps you are letting it grow too long before mulching.