The Great Big Lawnmower Thread

buzzing147

I tried starting it, new battery and solenoid, but not a sound kind, not turning over, dash lights are coming on and staying on. Maybe needs new ignition switch. It used to start by holding screwdriver onto solenoid bolts

deezell

Have you grounded the black wire when turning the ignition switch, and are you sitting in the seat to close the seat interlock. The solenoid live dies not come directly from the key, but from the dash circuit board, which will disable the solenoid under certain conditions, such as engine running, etc. An oil pressure switch can be used to indicate low oil pressure, but also to indicate to the circuit board that the engine is running. Starter switches can have a mechanical interlock that prevents repeated attempts at turning the engine without first turning the key to off. This can also be achieved by disabling solenoid voltage once the engine is running. They is a lot of variation in how the diagrams present the wiring from 1999 to 2001, no diagrams are shown from on the 1997 parts catalogue. I'm assuming your machine has the more modern logic board.

Manta400r

Hi all

I've a husqvarna cth172 that I think I'm going to advertise shortly as i want to go new. Still debating robot or ride on.

Have fitted over the last year some new pulleys, belts, serviced, carb rebuilt and spare new one here also.

Repaired the deck also where the chute meets the deck it was rusty so its doctored up now and collects perfect.

Running fine and in good condition. If anyone on here is interested give me a pm, can sort some pictures or whatever of needed. Just said I'd ask here in case anyone is after one.

My lawn is 1200 sqm and this yoke flies through it.

deezell

Now is the time to sell. Pop it on Donedeal, price it right and it'll walk out.

CTH 172 with New Pullets.

Manta400r

Haha edited it now. Damn autocorrect

Manta400r

Put the husqvarna up on Wednesday morning and it was paid for and collected that night. Very happy with the price too considering what I paid for it

Bought a brand new stiga 2398 h then Thursday morning.

Happy out, hopefully a few years trouble free mowing now

intro

Hi,

I'm looking for some advice. I have about 2,300 sq Meters of grass in two parts; front, which is reasonably flat, back which has a small slope and a small patch at the road. A few trees, no flower beds.

I'm presently cutting it with a 21 inch self propelled mower which i bought S/H about 7 years ago. A bit of a money pit. Self drive is a bit flaky and i don't intend wasting any more money on it. I tend to only mulch.

I don't mind cutting the grass but it takes too long with the present set up.

I was thinking of getting a Toro Timemaster 76cm but am getting conflicting advice. Someone who used to be in the business is telling me that the Toro’s are poor at mulching particularly if wet but OK at collection. Online reviews tend to be more positive about mulching. Would anyone have some actual experience?

It is the time spent cutting that's the problem. Are there any other mowers that would be suitable? Would a 21 inch mulch only mower be faster than what I have?

I'm not really pushed about rideons, more from the yearly maintenance and running costs that my brother seems to have (admittedly his diy skills are pretty poor if not non existent).

Many thanks.

deezell

You just have to love sibling affection expressed in the form of a put down. You will of course have to post his riposte for fairness.

To be fair to the Toro timemaster, it's not specifically a mulcher, just a very wide twin blade walk behind, with all the extra maintenance a twin blade drive might incur. A dedicated mulcher walk behind is always superior to a mulch plugged collector mower. It will have a specific mulching blade, with less of a cut angle as its not trying to blast grass into a bag. It may have double cutting edges, it will have a decent engine for the extra work involved. The only risk is not having a collector if the grass has to be picked up for whatever reason.

Funnily enough, the very same Toro do a mower, the Toro 21762, which is primarily a mulcher, but can switch to the collector fitted if needed while mowing. It has a special 4 prong mulching blade, and the deck is shaped to facilitate mulch recycling. It has a fairly hefty 6 hp B&S 675 engine, and it has a dynamic drive speed system which varies the forward speed on response to forward pressure on the handle. Also, it has a massive 55cm cut. I see this mower is now available here, previously only seen it listed in the states (at a fraction what we might pay), but it's selling for €995 here before haggling. I've seen lower prices on other sites, but they're out of stock.

https://mower.ie/product/toro-21762-55cm-steel-deck-recyclerr-lawnmower

It would be interesting to see if anyone here has used one.

intro

Hi Thanks for that. My problem is the length of time it takes to cut the grass.

Would a dedicated mulcher (or the Toro model 21762 with collection ) be inherently faster to cut the grass? I presumed that the 30 inch cut of the Toro timemaster would be quicker than a smaller machine? Would a “normal” machine fitted with a mulcher blade (and collector bag off) be faster than one fitted with the stock blade?

Strangely Toro seem to rate the 21762 for up to 1,000 Sq M https://www.toro.com/en-gb/homeowner/walk-behind-mowers/21772-55cm-recycler-zs-rwd-ads-bbc which seems somewhat low. Agrieuro show it as up to 2,200 sq M https://www.agrieuro.co.uk/toro-to-21762-4-stroke-petrol-lawn-mower-recycler-bs-675exi-55-cm-p-30780.html

A stiga muticclip https://monaghanhire.com/collections/lawnmowers/products/stiga-multiclip-950v is rated for 1,700 sq m.

Any thoughts on the mulching ability of the timemaster or turfmaster?

Any options I'm missing?

Thanks again.

deezell

A mulch blade should be better than a collector blade when mulching. Mulch blade will have more edges, or serrations, but little or no lift or centrifuge turn at the ends, which consumes a deal of the power. Heres a timemaster blade.

It has serrated lifters which would mulch the cut grass, but will still throw it into the collector, so it seems to be a reasonable hybrid of both. I note on a YouTube comment that the instructions for the timemaster limit mulching to 1" of DRY growth, which is reasonable. If you mulch with any mower, dedicated or 3 in 1, you will mow more often, and may have to cut twice at different heights if the grass 'gets away' from you due to bad weather, away on hols etc. Some comments re the timemaster bag are a little unfair. Its a 30" mower, but with a standard enough width bag. Its going to fill in 2/3 of the time of a 20" mower. If the mowing time is your issue, but you want to avoid ride on machines, just go for it. It will be more complex, with drive and timing belts, like a mini ride on, but thems the breaks. The only other option would be a mini single blade ride on, like this Mountfield

https://mower.ie/product/mountfield-827m-ride-on-lawnmower-9hp-26

or this Alpina,

https://www.agrieuro.de/aufsitzrasenmaher-alpina-at2-72a-motor-115-ps-hubraum-352-ccm-fangsack-p-24538.html

quite possibly identical to the Mountfield.

The single blade at least will mean much simpler maintenance.

cena

Does anyone know if the Weibang lawnmowers are any good? Would they be as good as a honda lawnmower

https://mower.ie/product/weibang-wb455sc-3in1-18-domestic-walk-behind-lawnmower-steel-deck

Dohvolle

Quick question,

Bought Castlegarden ride on in April last year. Had a great season from it, no issues. It's been stored indoors throughout winter, (indeed, stored indoors the majority of last year) I even managed to get a high cut in last month.

Does it NEED a service?

I'm checking levels frequently, and oil still seems pretty clean. Never any issue starting and battery is healthy. Deck has been cleaned when required also using hose attachment.

LV-426

Hi,

Any opinions on a mountfield 1530h ride on? https://mchaleagri.ie/shop/ride-on-lawnmowers/mountfield-1530h-ride-on-lawnmower/

Its would be replacing a small self propelled cutting approx 1300m2. Slope on lawns. Would this save much time compared with a self propelled?

Thanks.

deezell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118748963#Comment_118748963

Well, cutting .84m wide in a straight line at full speed of 8.8 km/h, it will cut 1300m2 in 10.5 minutes, so with turns and overlaps and bag emptying you could maybe do it in twice that, 20 mins or less. 1300m is a third of an acre, manageable with a decent walk behind self propelled, but this ride on will outrun it in less than half the time.

There may be a few odd places you'll need the old mower for, awkward corners, beds, kerbs etc. It claims to be the first small cut 84cm mower with twin blades, so the finish will be nice, similar to two 16" mowers at the same time. I like the claimed advantage of the non synchronous twin cut belt, "without potential problems associated with timed, overlapping blades", which is kind of the line that is used to promote timed overlapping synchronous cut decks, who would say "without potential problems associated with non synchronous offset non overlapping blades". The double sided vee belts used in this type of deck has a more arduous life with all the loops and pulleys it has to negotiate in order to drive the blades in opposition, and on larger width 102cm decks the belts and the multiple idler pulleys tend to fail more frequently than on a syncro deck of the same size. However, I don't see this as a problem for you given the small blade size and your small plot, you should get years out of that belt drive before any repairs.

LV-426

Thanks Deezell. Does seem like an overkill for the lawn size but it's the parents lawn which I or my siblings cut and we do not have the time anymore.

In general can a ride on cope better with wet grass. I have a suspicion we may be better off spending the money on a good self-propelled like a Honda or kazz.

Thanks

LV-426

Kaaz even!

topofthewind

I bought a Mountfield 1530H 2 years ago as it is narrow enough to fit through a narrow storage area door. The mower came with a 5 year warranty with the condition that it must be serviced by the dealer annually (€150ish per year).

The mower has performed very well. It is fast and the twin blades leave a very clean finish. The hydrostatic transmission is excellent and makes life a lot easier. If grass is very long, cut first at the longest setting (7) and then cut again. My ground is not that level so I use level 4 mainly or 3 at most.

As one of the smaller ride-on models, the grass bag can fill up fairly quickly. No problem if the dump area is not too far away.

These mowers are branded in Italy (I think) but are manufactured in China (engine is anyway). Not the highest quality out there but this is reflected in the price. Honda would be far superior in my view. Kubota is king for professional use as far as I know.

My mower developed an oil leak from the engine last year. It was a small leak from a gasket that didn’t affect performance in a noticeable way. It was repaired under the warranty at service time.

A warranty and a good reliable dealer support service is essential if buying one of these. I would only buy from a place that you can bring the mower to for service and warranty support.

All said, happy with the machine so far. Hope you get sorted.

LV-426

Thanks for that. Will probably go with it. Will let ye know impression's

deezell

Thats sounds like a good recommendation to me. Mountfield are made by Castelgarden, Italian manufacturer, part of GGP, now rebranded as Stiga group. Hard to keep up with the corporate machinations . All their lesser mowers and engines would be Chinese made, on their behalf. 5 year warranty sounds like a plan, though it probably wouldn't extend to consumables like the big double vee belt, which should be only about €50-€60 anyway.

Honda get a lot of engines made in China also.

rn

Howdy all, looking for mower advice. Have about 1.5 acres of garden to cut. Currently using a 12 year old Husqi CTH171 with the Kolher engine. It's running fine and got new belts last year. Some of the ground is very hilly and it takes a long time to cut the grass, so was thinking of getting a second yoke to speed up the work. Either my dad or my wife would be the willing second driver.

The budget isn't high, bout 2k. The local husqi dealer beside me has a CTH 192 with Kohler engine for sale... Looks a clean machine and it's on budget. Doing a done deal search, I also spotted a clean looking 2012 CTH 184T with approx 400 hours also coming in on budget. Any views on either machine? Both seem to be around the 19-20hp. The 184 is obviously a higher spec machine, but a private sale so possibly a bit more risky.

deezell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118765902#Comment_118765902

You're right about one thing, the 36" cut mower you have is on the small side for 1.5 acres. What I wouldn't agree with is keeping 2 reasonably old mowers, you'll just end up mowing with the 42"/107cm one, which would probably cut 15-20% off your mowing time. That 400 hr machine would have to be spot on, 400 is a fair few hours, 40 per season, so it's mowing a big enough plot each year, maybe an hour and a half over 6-7 month season. Having said that the hours might be due to frequent leisurely mowing with little stress. It does have a decent v twin engine, so a much smoother operator than the 171. Despite its age, its probably a better buy than more recent husky models in this size. I see a 2018 42" TC342 for sale, but this next generation husky got thrashed for reliability on many review sites. Deck spindles, belts and pulleys are cheese apparently.

You should consider trading up, or selling the 171. It could make €1000+ at the moment, it's a sellers market right now. I see that Donedeal ad for that 184. Looks like it was used on a very neat lawn, not a bumpy field. There's not much quality used out there in the 42" plus cut size, the likes of the Stihl/viking 5112/5127 or the huge 6127 are powerful solid machines for larger gardens, but no sign of any used around. Semi commercials like Westwood in this size too expensive, and risky.

On balance I'd say the 184 worth a look, trust your judgement, sell your own, you should be in the clear for under a grand. Maybe down the road move up to a 122cm/48" or 127cm/50" to really chop your cutting time. Don't waste time, if its good it'll be gone on no time.

rn

Thanks, I'll ring them today. Will go look at it Saturday. Ya takes nearly 2 hours mowing time at the moment. Currently two of us cut the lawn, most times but the other person uses a small self propelled mower that I own from my old house. Which doesn't really help. The 171 is my dad's machine (the two houses are side by side)

My other alternative is to keep saving and try to buy something substantial at either end of season or go brand new next year, but I think prob looking at 5-7k for a new mower thats got a large deck?

Edit. Something like this you mean

https://robertkee.ie/product/castelgarden-xx220hd-ride-on-mower

48 inch deck, kawasaki engine

deezell

You can't sell the old man's mower! But you could haggle a deal on that 184. Nominally It's priced high for its years, 10 year old mower should be about 30-33% of new price, but its a bit like the used car market, when they're scarce, they hold value. You'd be well set up with a mower in each house, and further down the road you might get bigger again in a quality used, or new. The 43" 5112 Stihl with synchro deck, 23hp twin engine is about €4250, premium version 6112 with bigger turf tyres and some other feature about 5k, the massive 50" cut 6127 only 250 more from Robert Kee, hugely solid machines, bang for your buck.

deezell

rn

Didn't ring the 184... It's a bit far away from me. Did ring the 192 guy. Mower sold this morning. The husqi dealer was saying there's no value buying 2nd hand at the moment. Echoing your comments. I'm not stuck, so will just have to start saving and see when I can get to the 5k budget mark, which would allow me to buy new in a 48-50 inch deck with some form of v twin engine, either B&S, kawasaki or stiga engines seem to be in that price range. Think spotted one Mountfield that had a Honda twin...

JoeA3

Hi guys,

I really need to upgrade my lawnmower this year. Current machine is a 20 year old self drive Castlegarden, its Honda engine is still going strong but the deck is holed and generally it feels a bit wrecked now.

I have a half-acre site but I’m not interested in a robot or a ride on as I don’t think the layout suits either type - the front lawn is not connected to the rear and the front area is relatively small (we did some landscaping over the winter, flower beds, etc which has reduced the grass area to the front a fair bit). Rear garden is about 900 sq/m. Anyeay, I really don’t mind mowing the lawn on a nice summers day as chores go - stick on the headphones and get a walk in…!

so I’d like a good quality self propelled machine again. This one has caught my eye, it seems to be a brand new model and listed at €999 pretty much anywhere I can see. https://monaghanhire.com/products/honda-hrn536-vye-lawnmower?_pos=1&_sid=d4f7515ce&_ss=r

i’d imagine being a Honda it’s a good safe bet, a decent machine?

Does anyone know if the likes of Monaghan hire are good to deal with, what would the chances be of getting a few quid off If I phoned them versus just ordering on their website?

deezell

Higher end machine, clutch on the blade, robust wheels, double cut twin blade which will operate better in long grass, less likely to clog but at the expense of a little higher power consumption, of which it has plenty to spare. The innovative variable speed control handle is an unknown. It might be a doddle to use or not, you'd want to try that out in the sales yard, see if it's robust and easy to use.

A nice bonus is the max cutting height of 10.2cm, 4 inches, which is well above most machines, and is extremely useful when tackling rough, damp or overgrown areas.

Other premium mowers in this category would be the Stiga TWINCLIP-55SHBBC, Honda engined clutched double blade, a few Kg lighter. Definitely make a trip to the shop if spending a grand.

JoeA3

Many thanks Deezell. The places most local to me don’t stock Honda, I think the nearest is Whelans in Loughrea. Might get out there in next week or two.

gaillimh

Hi lads. First time posting on this thread so be gentle :-)

Cards on the table - I haven't a clue about different types of mowers etc. so I'm looking for some advice.

We moved into our house 7 years ago and were given a Weibang mower as a gift by family members. That has given up the ghost now and needs to be replaced so trying to decide what one to get as its replacement.

We have a reasonable sized garden (no idea of square meterage tbh) that takes me maybe 75-90 minutes to cut between front, back and side. There is a bit of a slope in the back garden but nothing too major if that makes any difference. I always used the mulcher attachment rather than gathering the grass.

I guess I'm looking for something similar again now - I don't want a ride on as I like the exercise I get from it and working from home most of the time so I have the time to do it which I didn't always have pre-Covid. Also want to mulch with the new machine rather than gather and dump the grass.

Anyone any suggestions for something semi decent? I guess I'd be willing to spend up to about €1700. Is there a big difference in quality in general between something you'd get for €1500 vs something for 700 or 800 hundred?

The place that is most local to me sells Toro brand mainly, but I have no idea if they're any good or not.

Really appreciate any advice/tips.

JoeA3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118819946#Comment_118819946

Your situation sounds broadly similar to my own (see my post here about 2-3 posts up!). For €1700 you've got a budget for a really top-end professional-level walk-behind mower and I don't think you really need to spend that. The likes of the Toro Timemaster is around that money, which seems to be an excellent machine but it is quite large (it has a wide 30" deck - hence the "timemaster") and I'd question if you'd need something that large or powerful? It might be awkward enough in any narrow/tight areas you may have or around flower beds, trees, etc.

Toro do a more "standard" 21" machine for around the 800 mark. I was looking at the Honda range myself (see my post above) and that one I was looking at is around €950. I don't think you'd go far wrong with a reputable brand (e.g. Honda, Toro, Stihl, Castlegarden) with a 800-900 budget. They all have a mulching function too.