The Great Big Lawnmower Thread

LithiumKid1976

ive probably undersold how big the lawn is,
ie it takes the big kuboto ride on, about 30 minutes to cut it.
its probably closer to .75 and creates a big amount of cuttings...

deezell

LithiumKid1976 wrote: »

ive probably undersold how big the lawn is,
ie it takes the big kuboto ride on, about 30 minutes to cut it.
its probably closer to .75 and creates a big amount of cuttings...

Then you should get maximum bang for your buck. 40"/102cm cut hydrostatic drive electric blade engagement, synchronous twin blade under your Budget here, €3262
https://www.agrieuro.co.uk/stiga-estate-6102-hw-ride-on-mower-hydrostatic-transmission-grass-collector-mulching-kit-p-10567.html

And pretty much the same mower with a the Casletgarden badge, €51 over at €€3551
https://www.agrieuro.co.uk/castelgarden-ptx-200-hd-ride-on-mower-with-hydrostatic-gear-shift-grass-collector-p-8503.html

Freebies with both, trailer, etc. You could try local dealers and you might get near those prices, but I doubt it. Still, have a shop around.

deccydohc

LithiumKid1976 wrote: »

hi
any advice on a lawnmower, the garden is large, .5 of an acre at least. i have a budget of about 3.5k
ive never had a lawnmower before. a contractor was doing it for us. but id prefer to do it myself.

id like the mower to able to mulch etc

Any suggestions or advice.

The Husqvarna Rider's are great mower for the zero turn feature and the mulching is great, but for a machine around your budget, you'll only get a mulching mower ie it won't lift the grass.

If you're looking for a ride on that has built in mulching and can collect a grass, it's hard to see past the Honda HF2417. The green handle allows you to switch between collect/mulch - https://robertkee.ie/product/honda-hf2417-hme-ride-on-mower

it could be slightly out of budget, think it's around 4 grand, but it's a machine that will last years!

Krombopulos Michael

deccydohc wrote: »

...

If you're looking for a ride on that has built in mulching and can collect a grass, it's hard to see past the Honda HF2417. The green handle allows you to switch between collect/mulch - https://robertkee.ie/product/honda-hf2417-hme-ride-on-mower

it could be slightly out of budget, think it's around 4 grand, but it's a machine that will last years!

I looked at the honda for myself and price was 4.1k. Went for a STHIL 5112 which came with mulch plug so I can setup for either. Got it for 3.7k

deezell

deccydohc wrote: »

The Husqvarna Rider's are great mower for the zero turn feature and the mulching is great, but for a machine around your budget, you'll only get a mulching mower ie it won't lift the grass.

If you're looking for a ride on that has built in mulching and can collect a grass, it's hard to see past the Honda HF2417. The green handle allows you to switch between collect/mulch - https://robertkee.ie/product/honda-hf2417-hme-ride-on-mower

it could be slightly out of budget, think it's around 4 grand, but it's a machine that will last years!

???? I've just posted 2 collector machines with mulch kits at and under budget, 102cm cut, hydrostatic, electric clutch, Vtwin cylinder b&s engines??
That Honda is €4700 in Atkins, I'd say €1200 is 'slightly' over his budget. If it's a built in mulching lever he wants, then also consider the Husqvarna TC239T, slightly smaller 97cm cut but powerful V twin 15hp net engine. It's listed at €3796 here, so slightly over budget by €295.

http://www.hanlysgardenmachinery.ie/product-information/husqvarna-tc239t

Someone here may be using the mulch equipped husky if I recall from a while back, they could comment.
BTW, the only difference between the Stiga and Castelgarden I listed, appearance apart, is that the Stiga has 10% off, normally €3625, it's a great buy for €3262.

deccydohc

deezell wrote: »

???? I've just posted 2 collector machines with mulch kits at and under budget, 102cm cut, hydrostatic, electric clutch, Vtwin cylinder b&s engines??
That Honda is €4700 in Atkins, I'd say €1200 is 'slightly' over his budget. If it's a built in mulching lever he wants, then also consider the Husqvarna TC239T, slightly smaller 97cm cut but powerful V twin 15hp net engine. It's listed at €3796 here, so slightly over budget by €295.

http://www.hanlysgardenmachinery.ie/product-information/husqvarna-tc239t

Someone here may be using the mulch equipped husky if I recall from a while back, they could comment.
BTW, the only difference between the Stiga and Castelgarden I listed, appearance apart, is that the Stiga has 10% off, normally €3625, it's a great buy for €3262.

I got quoted less that €4,000 for the 2417, so it is slightly over budget. As mentioned, the 2417 has a built in mulcher instead of the plugs that are getable for most machines. I'd definitely be leaning on paying that slight bit more for a Honda over the Husky!

deezell

deccydohc wrote: »

I got quoted less that €4,000 for the 2417, so it is slightly over budget. As mentioned, the 2417 has a built in mulcher instead of the plugs that are getable for most machines. I'd definitely be leaning on paying that slight bit more for a Honda over the Husky!

After a good bit of searching I've came across an Irish based seller who breaks the 4 grand barrier by a euro, €3999 here in Monaghan.
https://monaghanhire.com/products/honda-hf-2417-ride-on-mower-brexit-buster-deal
Seems daft that they have such a high list price if they can sell for cash at that price. Perhaps the €4700 price is a dealer price with trade in, like buying a car. It's a lot to shell out for a small cutting area of .75 acres, but priced to sell for that spec, as it's priced there exactly the same price as the Castelgarden PTX200 and the Stihl 5112Z, all €3999. Any of these machines are rated for 2-2.5 acres, all with performance V twin engines. Would be a good place to visit to see all three in the flesh, assuming they're in stock.

ustari

Does anyone have any experience on changing the seat on their mower?

As mentioned previously, I have an Iseki SXG15 but it has a low back on the seat and I'm quite tall. I've a lot of grass to cut so find my back/shoulders sore after using it, most likely due to no support.

From limited knowledge I can't see changing being a huge issue if I get it mounted to the existing bracket but wanted to check what the approach is. Looking for a seat with a high back that will give more support and ideally be more comfortable overall.

Lads if ye want to measure your lawn use Google Earth Pro

deezell

ustari wrote: »

Does anyone have any experience on changing the seat on their mower?

As mentioned previously, I have an Iseki SXG15 but it has a low back on the seat and I'm quite tall. I've a lot of grass to cut so find my back/shoulders sore after using it, most likely due to no support.

From limited knowledge I can't see changing being a huge issue if I get it mounted to the existing bracket but wanted to check what the approach is. Looking for a seat with a high back that will give more support and ideally be more comfortable overall.

I remember looking for a replacement seat for my Castelgarden a few years ago, and I came across your men here.
http://seatsystems.ie/Replacement-Tractor-Seats-Ireland/Compact-Garden-Tractor-Seats-Ireland?page=2

This looks the business if your willing to spend a few quid. What price no backache?

my3cents

deezell wrote: »

...

This looks the business if your willing to spend a few quid. What price no backache?

...

Might be me but that doesn't seem expensive.

deezell

my3cents wrote: »

Might be me but that doesn't seem expensive.

Not in relation to an Iseki, but maybe a bit rich for a 20 year old twincut worth €500. I passed in the end and fitted a high back laminate wood seat salvaged from a function room chair, with the old broken seat bolted into it. Worked a treat.
Check out the site, you can spend a lot more than €150.

my3cents

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deezell wrote: »

Not in relation to an Iseki, but maybe a bit rich for a 20 year old twincut worth €500. I passed in the end and fitted a high back laminate wood seat salvaged from a function room chair, with the old broken seat bolted into it. Worked a treat.
Check out the site, you can spend a lot more than €150.

I've seen the price if replacing the seats on agricultural tractors which makes €140 seem very little. I had to buy ride on mower spare parts a fraction of the size that cost more. Its all relative as you point out. An extra €200 on the price of a new honda ride on for a comfortable seat would be a worthwhile add on. On a new Iseki it would be a very small amount of the overall cost.

deezell

my3cents wrote: »

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I've seen the price if replacing the seats on agricultural tractors which makes €140 seem very little. I had to buy ride on mower spare parts a fraction of the size that cost more. Its all relative as you point out. An extra €200 on the price of a new honda ride on for a comfortable seat would be a worthwhile add on. On a new Iseki it would be a very small amount of the overall cost.

True. This below is the lower end of the seat upgrade/ bodge market. The new owner of the mower burst his s###e laughing at it, but I've no shame.

LithiumKid1976

Deleted User wrote: »

Lads if ye want to measure your lawn use Google Earth Pro

Great, thanks, my area is .69 of an acre.

Scolly

Super helpful information in this thread.
Wondering if anyone has advise on a mower for a lawn size of 0.4 acres.
It hilly and rough in patches, and also have a long drive with trees so would need a tight turning circle but not a zero turn.
I dont have a fortune to spend and would hope to get something new if possible for around 2.5K but can stretch for a mower that will stand the test of time
My CastleGarden Twin Cut 105cm has reached end of life and would cost too much to fix

deezell

Scolly wrote: »

Super helpful information in this thread.
Wondering if anyone has advise on a mower for a lawn size of 0.4 acres.
It hilly and rough in patches, and also have a long drive with trees so would need a tight turning circle but not a zero turn.
I dont have a fortune to spend and would hope to get something new if possible for around 2.5K but can stretch for a mower that will stand the test of time
My CastleGarden Twin Cut 105cm has reached end of life and would cost too much to fix

You'll struggle to get anything bigger than 98cm cut for €2500. This 97cm Alpina (Castelgarden) is hydostatic with electric clutch, b&s engine. If you go for a generic brand , manual transmission, own brand engine then the price will come down relative to cut width. Do you really need 102-107 cm cut for .5 acre? You're used to it, but tighter cut might be faster in the awkward areas.

Scolly

Ya thing is deezell I dont think I need the larger mower, its not a huge area just very awkward with mature trees etc, the main things I would like is a fairly powerful machine that is easily maneuvered. Ill have a look at whats in scope in the 98CM or similar range and try and get something

Carb

Following my post in the gardening photos thread, the first hints of green are starting to appear on my new lawn, so will have to start thinking about a lawnmower sooner rather than later.

I expect I will end up with about 1800 sqm of lawn but I'm not ready for a robot as it will take some time to sort borders, flower beds etc.

So looking for a a good walk behind, that can collect or mulch. I appreciate none are perfect in the wet, but if there are models that handle this better than others, this would be important. Area is all open, so manoeuvrability not a big concern, but a large part of it is a reasonably steep hill.

Local dealer is Honda/Castlegarden/Stiga/Stihl/Weibang/Oleo Mac. Doesn't have to be from them, but having a local dealer helps. Would welcome recommendations.

my3cents

Carb wrote: »

Following my post in the gardening photos thread, the first hints of green are starting to appear on my new lawn, so will have to start thinking about a lawnmower sooner rather than later.

I expect I will end up with about 1800 sqm of lawn but I'm not ready for a robot as it will take some time to sort borders, flower beds etc.

So looking for a a good walk behind, that can collect or mulch. I appreciate none are perfect in the wet, but if there are models that handle this better than others, this would be important. Area is all open, so manoeuvrability not a big concern, but a large part of it is a reasonably steep hill.

Local dealer is Honda/Castlegarden/Stiga/Stihl/Weibang/Oleo Mac. Doesn't have to be from them, but having a local dealer helps. Would welcome recommendations.

Not sure you are thinking this out correctly. If you are slowly going to add features then its going to be easy to integrate them with a robotic mower.

monkeynuz

Carb wrote: »

Following my post in the gardening photos thread, the first hints of green are starting to appear on my new lawn, so will have to start thinking about a lawnmower sooner rather than later.

I expect I will end up with about 1800 sqm of lawn but I'm not ready for a robot as it will take some time to sort borders, flower beds etc.

So looking for a a good walk behind, that can collect or mulch. I appreciate none are perfect in the wet, but if there are models that handle this better than others, this would be important. Area is all open, so manoeuvrability not a big concern, but a large part of it is a reasonably steep hill.

Local dealer is Honda/Castlegarden/Stiga/Stihl/Weibang/Oleo Mac. Doesn't have to be from them, but having a local dealer helps. Would welcome recommendations.

Stihl 448 tx or something is a surprisingly good little mower and good at wet collection, obviously not as powerful as my Honda or Viking (Stihl) pro mowers but for the price a very capable machine.

Carb

my3cents wrote: »

Not sure you are thinking this out correctly. If you are slowly going to add features then its going to be easy to integrate them with a robotic mower.

I understand what your saying, but it's not so much features that will be added but significant changes to perimeters, paths, shrub areas as well as trying to integrate the side and front (which isn't even leveled yet) of the house. I would be forever moving wire. I also have one area that I may not be able to get a robot to.

In addition, whilst I can spend 1 to 1.5k on a lawnmower now, I don't think I can stretch to 3/3.5k for a robot at this stage (assuming it can handle the steepest slope)

Carb

Carb wrote: »

I understand what your saying, but it's not so much features that will be added but significant changes to perimeters, paths, shrub areas as well as trying to integrate the side and front (which isn't even leveled yet) of the house. I would be forever moving wire. I also have one area that I may not be able to get a robot to.

In addition, whilst I can spend 1 to 1.5k on a lawnmower now, I don't think I can stretch to 3/3.5k for a robot at this stage (assuming it can handle the steepest slope)

If you have that budget has to be the Honda hrx 537. I have used it in all conditions. Get the dealer to start one and let you try the self drive.it moves fast but can be adjusted.

I mulch my own every 5 -7 days very good finish.If you keep the moss under control you can mulch all year round.

deezell

Carb wrote: »

......I expect I will end up with about 1800 sqm of lawn but I'm not ready for a robot as it will take some time to sort borders,
..........Area is all open, so manoeuvrability not a big concern, but a large part of it is a reasonably steep hill

First thing; budget
Second; walkie or robot.
For robot you need €120-150 per 100m2. You can see where this is going.
Walk behind, at least a 51cm cut if you don't want to be at it all day. At a walking speed of 4km/hour expect to cut the lawn in about 70 minutes. Expect to spend €500 on a decent mower to do it with.

Carb

[Deleted User] wrote: »

If you have that budget has to be the Honda hrx 537. I have used it in all conditions. Get the dealer to start one and let you try the self drive.it moves fast but can be adjusted.

I mulch my own every 5 -7 days very good finish.If you keep the moss under control you can mulch all year round.

Thanks. I like the look of that.

monkeynuz

Carb wrote: »

I understand what your saying, but it's not so much features that will be added but significant changes to perimeters, paths, shrub areas as well as trying to integrate the side and front (which isn't even leveled yet) of the house. I would be forever moving wire. I also have one area that I may not be able to get a robot to.

In addition, whilst I can spend 1 to 1.5k on a lawnmower now, I don't think I can stretch to 3/3.5k for a robot at this stage (assuming it can handle the steepest slope)

I didn’t realize you had such a good budget, Honda hrh 536, find a dealer willing to do a deal!

The hrh will collect in all weathers!

Carb

monkeynuz wrote: »

I didn’t realize you had such a good budget, Honda hrh 536, find a dealer willing to do a deal!

The hrh will collect in all weathers!

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll check it out. I did have a lawn at the house previously and I've had a mid range/mid size mower. Inevitably I also had many 3 to 4 hour cuts, including the odd painful weekend of cutting it 3 times over 2 days to retrieve the lawn. I'm away from the house from 6 in the morning to 9 at night 5 days a week so can't depend on a sunny dry Saturday to do the mowing.

monkeynuz

Carb wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll check it out. I did have a lawn at the house previously and I've had a mid range/mid size mower. Inevitably I also had many 3 to 4 hour cuts, including the odd painful weekend of cutting it 3 times over 2 days to retrieve the lawn. I'm away from the house from 6 in the morning to 9 at night 5 days a week so can't depend on a sunny dry Saturday to do the mowing.

The hrh is the pro Honda mower, it is heavier than the others but it is also more powerful and can drive through pretty much everything, also when the warranty is out get your local mower man to up the engine revs by about 200 rpm, it’ll make the mower faster!

westsidestory

Looking for advice if possible, local football field covers 5 acres and club now needs to cut themselves. Was previously cut by agricultural tractor with mower.

Would Stiga ZT 5132 T zero turn @ €6,000 be a viable option? And nearly as importantly how long should it take to cut using this 52" mower?

https://www.doyles.ie/products/stiga-zero-turn-132cm-deck-kawasaki-fr691.html



The Snapper ZTX350 52" zero turn comes @ €5,779

https://www.gardenmachinery.ie/snapper-ztx250-104982.html

westsidestory

According to Encore power equipment:

"A Z52 zero-turn riding mower at 6 mph (top speed is 7 mph) can mow one acre of turf in 23 min.
(20 minutes at 7 mph). That equates to about 21 acres in an average 8 hour working day (24 acres
at 7 mph)."