The Great Big Lawnmower Thread

dadam

have need to buy 3rd mower, already have a hayter harry self propelled and a castlegarden push mower and was looking at a viking??!! anyone got any experience of these? bn quoted 800 yo yos

MidlandsM

There' a few vikings round, but only a few.
what is it powered by?

FREDNISMO

just wondering has anybody any experience using makita petrol lawnmowers or is there any problems with them also seen a ryobi lawnmower wiyh a 190cc subaru engine and mulcher it has also a wider cut 21" than the makita 18" and is coming in about 175 euro less, any advice welcomed

MidlandsM

Well, I've a Ryobi strimmer a few years and its a great yoke. Mind you, I treat it well so it treats me well.

unfit2006

Ransolmes Albatross

Just wondering whether anybody here has ever heard of a Ransolmes Albatross or might know where I would pick one up?
I do not mind rebuilding an old mower.

thanks.

MidlandsM

unfit2006 wrote: »

Ransolmes Albatross

Just wondering whether anybody here has ever heard of a Ransolmes Albatross or might know where I would pick one up?
I do not mind rebuilding an old mower.

thanks.

no,sorry

unfit2006

They were a pedestrian rear discharge cylinder mower. Circa 1970s/80s.The large grass box was behind the cylinder. 20-24 inch cut. They were capable of cutting slightly longer or rougher grass than the more typical Ransomes Cylinder mowers.
I also vaguely remember an American copy of the Albatross that was imported for a few years. It had a red and white deck with a B&S engine (I think)

Discodog

The maker name is spelt Ransomes but there is no indication of the name Albatross. I would suggest that you need to be sure of the model name or number. These guys may be able to help:

http://www.oldlawnmowerclub.co.uk/aboutmowers/home

dryan

Looking to buy a ride on. have a big lawn ~ half acre.
42 - 48" cut required
20 - 25 hp engine.

Budget < 2.5K

Dont know an awful lot about mowers and makes.

Hear that anything with a B&S engine are the best out there.

any recommendations?

MidlandsM

Half acres not a big lawn - is it all flat ?

dryan

flat lawn - just on a very slight incline from road to house. lets bump it up to .75 of an acre...

MidlandsM

Still a manageable size - depends if you want some grunt to go get a V twin mower or the like which will be well close to and over 3k.

You'd get a 15.5hp hydrobox mower for €2500 easy.
Better still and just as good for your job, is a 13.5hp castel with a manual box for round €1800. They fill the bag well, empty well from the seat, very reliable and parts everywhere, good back up too.
The hydro version is great too.
The 2 engines to watch out for are Honda and B&S - they 2 best out there. Then there's yamaha and kohler......in 3rd and 4th place.

Teebor15

Hi

Living near Waterford City..looking for dealers in ride-ons in the south east..any thoughts?

Thanks

Tee

babyjames

Teebor try this guy I have bought two from him,He is in Slieverue

FS Power equipment tel 051 833222


rgds

\

Teebor15 wrote: »

Hi

Living near Waterford City..looking for dealers in ride-ons in the south east..any thoughts?

Thanks

Tee

celticmicky

MidlandsM wrote: »

Still a manageable size - depends if you want some grunt to go get a V twin mower or the like which will be well close to and over 3k.

You'd get a 15.5hp hydrobox mower for €2500 easy.
Better still and just as good for your job, is a 13.5hp castel with a manual box for round €1800. They fill the bag well, empty well from the seat, very reliable and parts everywhere, good back up too.
The hydro version is great too.
The 2 engines to watch out for are Honda and B&S - they 2 best out there. Then there's yamaha and kohler......in 3rd and 4th place.

If you go another 200 euro on that you can get the full sized chassis castel with the 15" front wheels and the 18" rear wheels. Not the same machine as you would buy in the DIY chain stores such as B&Q etc

Chipbutty

Looking at purchasing a ride on lawnmower. Garden size is 1.5 acres. After some research, I am thinking of buying the Castlegarden XT 175 HD, if any one has any experience or knowledge of the mower let me know.

celticmicky

Chipbutty wrote: »

Looking at purchasing a ride on lawnmower. Garden size is 1.5 acres. After some research, I am thinking of buying the Castlegarden XT 175 HD, if any one has any experience or knowledge of the mower let me know.

It is the exact same machine as the XT190, except it has the Honda twin cylinder engine. Same cutting deck, same chassis etc. If it was me I would buy it before I would buy the Honda 40 inch lawnmower as it is by far better value for money and the standard features are better than those on the Honda, including the free mulching kit and tow bar. The only thing is there is no under-deck fan to assist with the bagging, but in my experience I have never had a complaint regarding bagging on the Castelgardens.

Chipbutty

Thanks

Chipbutty

celticmicky wrote: »

It is the exact same machine as the XT190, except it has the Honda twin cylinder engine. Same cutting deck, same chassis etc. If it was me I would buy it before I would buy the Honda 40 inch lawnmower as it is by far better value for money and the standard features are better than those on the Honda, including the free mulching kit and tow bar. The only thing is there is no under-deck fan to assist with the bagging, but in my experience I have never had a complaint regarding bagging on the Castelgardens.

Hi best price on xt175 is €3200 and the Honda is €3495 both with mulcher and towbar. Apart from the larger bag (by 20 litres) is there anything else extra on the xt175?

celticmicky

Chipbutty wrote: »

Hi best price on xt175 is €3200 and the Honda is €3495 both with mulcher and towbar. Apart from the larger bag (by 20 litres) is there anything else extra on the xt175?

If it is the 2011 XT175 I think it will have the cruise control, new steering system and new pedal design. I say this as we have the 2011 XT190 and it has the new features and as far as I know the new XT175 will have them too. They also will have the LCD computer display that shows you the hours on the machine.

km79

looking around for lawnmower at moment for half acre garden. cant afford a ride on so looking for wide cutting self drive mower in the region of6-700 euro .
one caught my eye today Hayter 3in1 R53A. would this be a fairly reputable brand??? anyone haveone of them?

km79

or a toro??? they seem to have larger grass bags which would cut down cutting time i suppose

celticmicky

You could pick up a 21" Snapper with Briggs and Stratton engine with the 3-in-1 and hydrostatic drive for 570euro

km79

thanks for the reply.
would snapper be a good brand? my head is wrecked at the moment...every place recommending something different . the one i liked the most so far is a Honda HRX but its 999 euro!!!
to summarise im looking for a reliable,self drive, 21/22inch cut, large bag (80litre or so), mulcher not essential

celticmicky

km79 wrote: »

thanks for the reply.
would snapper be a good brand? my head is wrecked at the moment...every place recommending something different . the one i liked the most so far is a Honda HRX but its 999 euro!!!
to summarise im looking for a reliable,self drive, 21/22inch cut, large bag (80litre or so), mulcher not essential

In my opinion they are a good brand, American built (by Briggs and Stratton) and brought into Ireland by a company in Dublin so parts are always available. The ESPV21675 is a good solid model. 90litre bag, the auto choke briggs and stratton 675 series engine (I think they claim it is guarenteed to start on the second pull). The only slight negative about this model is if the deck is not taken care of it will rust rust over a period of time as it is not an alloy deck. This can be stopped by clearing damp grass from underneath it and storing it inside.

km79

thamks again. i should have said i would prefer not to get a steel deck. i have just checked donedeals.ie and something interesting cropped up. a second version of the mower popped up from the honda dealer near me. it says it is a 2006 one and is still pricey at 599 euro. would 2nd hand from a dealer be a good option??? 6 month warranty

mchammer

Just wondering if anyone knows if it is possible to purchase a new deck for a common lawnmower briggs & stratton classic 35. I have one and it's running perfect except the previous owner (father in law) didn't take the best of care of it and the deck is complete eaten/rusted away on one side. I could probably get it patched up by local welder but a new deck would be preferable.

Thanks
MC

celticmicky

km79 wrote: »

thamks again. i should have said i would prefer not to get a steel deck. i have just checked donedeals.ie and something interesting cropped up. a second version of the mower popped up from the honda dealer near me. it says it is a 2006 one and is still pricey at 599 euro. would 2nd hand from a dealer be a good option??? 6 month warranty

Its hard to say whether thats a good price or not without seeing the lawnmower itself and without knowing the history of the machine or if it has done alot of work, I would say that 599.00 would be able to buy you a good brand new lawnmower with a honda domestic engine. Perhaps try to make the dealer stretch to a year's warranty on it, if its as good as he claims he should be confident enough to cover it. (I know with ourselves we would stand by our second hand machines unless it is sold at a very low price and the buyer is aware it is sold as seen)

km79

i was into another dealer today saw 2 more
Rover 560 Catch n Mulch 22" Alu Deck. 799 euro. said it is a good machine but not a great mulcher. ive used rover before not mad about them.
Toro 3 in 1 (cant remember model number) 21" Alu Deck 699 euro.
he said very good mulcher but not great at catching the grass if it is wet!!!

celticmicky

km79 wrote: »

i was into another dealer today saw 2 more
Rover 560 Catch n Mulch 22" Alu Deck. 799 euro. said it is a good machine but not a great mulcher. ive used rover before not mad about them.
Toro 3 in 1 (cant remember model number) 21" Alu Deck 699 euro.
he said very good mulcher but not great at catching the grass if it is wet!!!

To be honest I am not that familiar with Toro machines so can't really comment on how good or bad they are. The rover will be a good lawnmower though, we use them on our hire fleet and rarely have to do much maintenance to them, just the usual servicing. Has it got the disc with swinging blades or a solid cutting blade? The advantage of the swinging blades would be that if you hit a rock or divet in the ground the blades take the impact not the shaft, meaning you're less likely to damage the mower, also you can fit 4 blades onto the disc, which can be replaced at a much lower cost than one solid blade.

MidlandsM

Toro's a good brand, very popular in the states.

km79

solid blade on the rover.
thanks for all the help guys . im going back to the place that had the widest choice and most knowledgable salesman in the morning and shall be purchasing one

km79

well after all that i went for the one i liked.....the expensive one:D an investment i suppose ! one last question i have a raised percolation area at the back. to cut around the edges means the mower would be at a fair angle!! after spending that much im wondering is it bad for the mower to cut like that and whether i should strim it or get one of the old fashioned cylinder mowers in woodies?

MidlandsM

no , cut away, as long as the deck doesn't hit or bang into the perculation area to cause damage to the deck itself, you'll be grand. Maybe tackle it at an angle etc...I've the same perculation set up, no bothers at all..

leshogan

Well

Anyone know if the Ransomes (Westwood?) S1300 is anygood a mower, know of someone trying to offload one and looking for a bit of advice on it.

What might be a good price for a well maintained machine?

Sgt Pepper 64

Isnt the down side of mulchers is that it helps the grass grow, so you have to mow more?!

Plus you have loose grass on the lawn that the kids will bring into the house!

MidlandsM

leshogan wrote: »

Well

Anyone know if the Ransomes (Westwood?) S1300 is anygood a mower, know of someone trying to offload one and looking for a bit of advice on it.

What might be a good price for a well maintained machine?

depends on the year of manufacture, the hours on it, the overall condition, what brand of engine powers it etc.

leshogan

MidlandsM wrote: »

depends on the year of manufacture, the hours on it, the overall condition, what brand of engine powers it etc.

Manufactured 2003/04, Dont know the hours, it seems to be in good condition, B&S engine.

Any idea of a rough price?

MidlandsM

I'd need pics etc, and ideally to see it in the flesh and use it to mow to be honest, hard to pin point a guesstimate price on it without even knowing the hours too.

Squiggle

Sgt Pepper 64 wrote: »

Isnt the down side of mulchers is that it helps the grass grow, so you have to mow more?!

Plus you have loose grass on the lawn that the kids will bring into the house!

Yes a major pain as is the grass blowing out over paths, tarmac etc. And you will have to cut the grass more regularly as long grass doesn't mulch well. I changed from a mulcher to a collector and have never regretted it. That said plenty of models come with a mulching kit as an extra if you want the option.

Decoda

Hi,

Finally decided to bite the bullet and start looking at a ride on mower for my 0.75 acres of grass which has a slight incline from road to house. I really need some general advice regarding width of cut / hp required / rear chute etc.

Budget is about €2500 - to €3500. Have read the entire thread and done some research on the "tinternet" but really need to hear from people in the know;) I have a few shortlisted options. Also any views on good dealers in the Southeast and whats the chance of getting discounts off list price etc

I am looking at the following but need to know are there any real differences between these two?

Honda HF 2417 K2 HME 40" cut & v twin hydrostatic engine
XT175HD - 40 inch cut 17hp V-Twin Honda GCV 530

but am open to any suggestions for any alternatives.

Thanks for reading

MidlandsM

Go to a dealers and get them to explain the benifits of each.

Seen them in the flesh, and many of the good dealers have lawns there at their premises to actually mow before you buy.

celticmicky

Decoda wrote: »

Hi,

Finally decided to bite the bullet and start looking at a ride on mower for my 0.75 acres of grass which has a slight incline from road to house. I really need some general advice regarding width of cut / hp required / rear chute etc.

Budget is about €2500 - to €3500. Have read the entire thread and done some research on the "tinternet" but really need to hear from people in the know;) I have a few shortlisted options. Also any views on good dealers in the Southeast and whats the chance of getting discounts off list price etc

I am looking at the following but need to know are there any real differences between these two?

Honda HF 2417 K2 HME 40" cut & v twin hydrostatic engine
XT175HD - 40 inch cut 17hp V-Twin Honda GCV 530

but am open to any suggestions for any alternatives.

Thanks for reading

There is very little difference between the two machines apart from cosmetic appearance. The Honda has an under deck fan which assists with bagging, however the XT175 functions perfectly fine without it. Both lawnmowers use the same chassis and twin cylinder engine. With the XT175 you should get a free mulching plug, mulching blades and tow bar kit, which is also available with the Honda as an optional extra. The XT175 has the LCD display on the dash, something the Honda doesnt have, it also has a slightly larger bag, 320 litres compared to the Honda's 300 litres.

Discodog

The Rules:

Never buy a mower unless you have personally tried it's collection on damp/wet grass. Remember it may start off OK but then clog from a build up of wet grass on the deck & chute. Once this starts it's impossible to stop.

Try to avoid excessive electronics - they always go wrong. There is nothing worse than having to investigate which of the 10 micro-switches is preventing your machine from starting.

A dealer will try & sell you the mower that he needs to sell rather than the mower that you need. Don't always believe him & definitely don't trust the claims in the brochure.

Never buy a mower until you are sure that spares are readily available.

We are in a recession, so haggle & don't be afraid to get some quotes from Northern dealers.

Oh & if you think you need a 12hp get a 15hp - always overestimate.

Decoda

Thanks for all the advice from Discodog,Celticmickey and MidlandsM.

Will start doing the rounds of the dealers tomorrow and also get some prices from the North to use as a bargaining tool.

Will post when i decide what to go for.

Thanks again

MidlandsM

Decoda wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice from Discodog,Celticmickey and MidlandsM.

Will start doing the rounds of the dealers tomorrow and also get some prices from the North to use as a bargaining tool.

Will post when i decide what to go for.

Thanks again

Best of luck, also haggle the most warranty you can as well as the price.;)

Squiggle

Decoda wrote: »

Also any views on good dealers in the Southeast and whats the chance of getting discounts off list price etc

I bought the hydrostatic version of this Mountfield mower from Ivor Bailey in New Ross - found him a top guy to deal with and he has several brands of tractor mower. AFAIK several different brands of mower are actually made in the same factory in Italy and they just put different bonnets on them ! I don't think you need to spend anything like 3.5k to get a suitable machine. The machine I bought was 2.5k I think and it's well up to the job ( 1.25 acres minus house ,paths and drive !)

IrishHomer

I got a refund today from B&Q for a disaster mount field self drive lawn mower that I purchased last summer.

The manager also showed me their new range of JCB mowers.

She offered to get me a new ride on JCB TR38 normal retail price is €1,500 and i can get 10% off.

I would appreciate any thoughts knowledge on JCB ride ons.

It looks good on the brochures and value at €1,350

MidlandsM

The thing to investigate is who makes this JCB TR38 ??

JCB don't do small petrol mowers, they'll licence their brand to someone else to make them. Focus on what engine brand is in it? How many hosepower? Check the sticker under the operators seat indicating who made it and where? It's more than likely made by the italians! Could be decent value but here's the downside. B&Q will be useless to you on warranty -it's not their fault, woodies would be the same, they're just big retail joints not like the guy who specializes in mowers from his shed at the back of his house or premises. Where are you going to bring it when something goes wrong with it?

IrishHomer

In fairness to B&Q they sent last mower off for repair under warranty on two occasions and offered to do so a third time.

I think this JCB has a 1450cc Mountfield engine.