Worth getting a ride on mower for 0.3 acres?

the_pen_turner

I see it as how much time and energy you have after work or on the weekends. If you have a handy number at work like an office job etc then getting out for a good walk is great and something to look forward to after a mentally tiring day. If you have a physically demanding job then the last thing you want is chasing a lawnmower around for 2 plus hours.

I would get a ride on and mulch it regularly. You will turn a 2to3 hour job into a 30min job and be at your ease.
A lawn that size can get out of hand very quickly and you need to fly around at every opportunity some times

SocialSpud

the_pen_turner wrote: »

I see it as how much time and energy you have after work or on the weekends. If you have a handy number at work like an office job etc then getting out for a good walk is great and something to look forward to after a mentally tiring day. If you have a physically demanding job then the last thing you want is chasing a lawnmower around for 2 plus hours.

I would get a ride on and mulch it regularly. You will turn a 2to3 hour job into a 30min job and be at your ease.
A lawn that size can get out of hand very quickly and you need to fly around at every opportunity some times

Thanks, I do have an office job alright and generally enjoy a bit of strimming anyway. So might not be a bad thing to have a bit of walking in.

What.Now

Ms2011 wrote: »

We have an acre mostly under grass and we use 2 petrol self propelled mower.
It takes 2.5hrs if you're doing it alone but mostly myself and the hubby take an end each and meet in the middle in just over an hour.
Headphones on, listen to some music and get some of my 10k steps in :cool:

Sounds romantic

mycro2013

SocialSpud wrote: »

I have but this will be for a new lawn, wouldn't you need a proper mower to start the grass off correctly with proper cutting?

The robot can be better for a new lawn as the cuttings are deposited acting as a compost. Plus the free time of not having to cut a lawn outweighs any negatives

Fern Bench

mycro2013 wrote: »

The robot can be better for a new lawn as the cuttings are deposited acting as a compost. Plus the free time of not having to cut a lawn outweighs any negatives

This is true. A robot is very light, just what you want for a new lawn. I used it here on a newly seeded patch and it came up fine.

SouthWesterly

I've the same size lawn. A good self propelled mower works well.

Kewreeuss

Ride on if it’s all flat and you have somewhere to store it safely, as previously mentioned.
If you need some time to yourself, a self propelled electronic start mower is great, you stroll along behind it, gently steering it while you think your thoughts :-)

magicbastarder

SocialSpud wrote: »

Thanks, I do have an office job alright and generally enjoy a bit of strimming anyway.

just watch out for hedgehogs.

and second point - do you want a lawn? you could plant a mini woodland.

Ms2011

What.Now wrote: »

Sounds romantic

It's what lockdown has reduced us to :pac:

SocialSpud

Fern Bench wrote: »

This is true. A robot is very light, just what you want for a new lawn. I used it here on a newly seeded patch and it came up fine.

Nice. Which one do you have? Did you bury the guide wire?

SocialSpud

mycro2013 wrote: »

The robot can be better for a new lawn as the cuttings are deposited acting as a compost. Plus the free time of not having to cut a lawn outweighs any negatives

Looks like I now have to start researching robot lawnmowers :-)

Fern Bench

SocialSpud wrote: »

Nice. Which one do you have? Did you bury the guide wire?

I have a husqvarna one. I paid extra to get the guide wires buried but in in your case I would just lay them down on the clay and maybe just lightly step them in with your foot. They disappear into the growing grass pretty quickly. The robotic lawnmower thread is about 14 kilometres long but everything you need to know is in there.

SocialSpud

Fern Bench wrote: »

I have a husqvarna one. I paid extra to get the guide wires buried but in in your case I would just lay them down on the clay and maybe just lightly step them in with your foot. They disappear into the growing grass pretty quickly. The robotic lawnmower thread is about 14 kilometres long but everything you need to know is in there.

Thanks It's one long thread alright. This one looks to be the right choice for my size: https://www.husqvarna.com/ie/products/robotic-lawn-mowers/automower-315/967673003/

krissovo

My ride on has been nothing but a pain the ass and I hate the thing now, failed batteries, failed carb floats that flood the engine & crank which caused hydrostatic lock, flat tyres, broken belts..... 15 to 20 years life? Not a chance

I run 2 robot mowers now on my ~2 acres, one for front lawn and one for the main garden. They have been brilliant in 2 seasons of using them.

I went with the Worx Landroid to save a few bob as I already invested in a ride on but I liked it so much a got a 2nd one for the front. This would cut your lawn no problem and would cost €1k https://www.myrobotcenter.eu/en/worx-landroid-l1000-wr147-2021

The larger one which I have that easily cuts 1.5 acres is this one at €1200 https://www.myrobotcenter.eu/en/worx-landroid-l2000-wr155e-2021

The cheaper one would be better as it has better wheels for the Irish climate and will not cut up the lawn so much.

Jim_Hodge

the_pen_turner wrote: »

I see it as how much time and energy you have after work or on the weekends. If you have a handy number at work like an office job etc then getting out for a good walk is great and something to look forward to after a mentally tiring day. If you have a physically demanding job then the last thing you want is chasing a lawnmower around for 2 plus hours.

I would get a ride on and mulch it regularly. You will turn a 2to3 hour job into a 30min job and be at your ease.
A lawn that size can get out of hand very quickly and you need to fly around at every opportunity some times

It's a third of an acre. Where are you getting 2 to 3 hours from? It's not a big area by any means. It's just over a 2 km walk.

magicbastarder

a third of an acre is equivalent to a 120 foot square plot. does that include the house/driveway, etc. or is the lawn itself a third of an acre?

BrianD3

Toro Timemaster self propelled would make mincemeat of that lawn. 30 inch cut and IIRC it can be set to go fast enough that you'd have to jog after it. I don't know how reliable or long lasting they are, B&S engine and steel deck but I preusme better than a lot of the crap out there. There is a hose connection for cleaning the deck meaning no excuse for leaving corroding wet grass stuck to it.

I have a Honda HRX 537 hydrostatic, only 21 inch cut but goes pretty fast. Plastic deck and GCV 200 engine. Possibly longer lasting than the Toro and a still decent option for a large lawn.

Roadtoad

BrianD3 wrote: »

Toro Timemaster self propelled would make mincemeat of that lawn. 30 inch cut and IIRC it can be set to go fast enough that you'd have to jog after it. I don't know how reliable or long lasting they are, B&S engine and steel deck but I preusme better than a lot of the crap out there. There is a hose connection for cleaning the deck meaning no excuse for leaving corroding wet grass stuck to it.

I have a Honda HRX 537 hydrostatic, only 21 inch cut but goes pretty fast. Plastic deck and GCV 200 engine. Possibly longer lasting than the Toro and a still decent option for a large lawn.

I have the Toro Timemster, cutting 0.75 acres gross site, perhaps 0.5 acre grass. Its ideal, and I have owned ride-on mowers before. Its a twin cut (two blades) like most ride-ons. I'm now sure how it would handle a hilly site, mine is flat. It fits into a Susuki Swift!

schmoo2k

SocialSpud wrote: »

I'm on the fence about getting a ride on vs a self propelled mower. I have 0.3 acres of mostly flat grass with no obstacles. Any advice?

Do you jog, go to the gym etc.? If so just schedule the cutting as part of your exercise regime - worth noting that if its not self powered then you will get a proper abs / lower back workout (assuming you have flower beds and obstacles)

Keyzer

SocialSpud wrote: »

I'm on the fence about getting a ride on vs a self propelled mower. I have 0.3 acres of mostly flat grass with no obstacles. Any advice?

I'd ride anything. anywhere if there was 0.3 acres in it for me...

SocialSpud

magicbastarder wrote: »

a third of an acre is equivalent to a 120 foot square plot. does that include the house/driveway, etc. or is the lawn itself a third of an acre?

That's all grass.

SocialSpud

Roadtoad wrote: »

I have the Toro Timemster, cutting 0.75 acres gross site, perhaps 0.5 acre grass. Its ideal, and I have owned ride-on mowers before. Its a twin cut (two blades) like most ride-ons. I'm now sure how it would handle a hilly site, mine is flat. It fits into a Susuki Swift!

Looks good but ideally I'd like to stay away from petrol.

SocialSpud

schmoo2k wrote: »

Do you jog, go to the gym etc.? If so just schedule the cutting as part of your exercise regime - worth noting that if its not self powered then you will get a proper abs / lower back workout (assuming you have flower beds and obstacles)

Yea I have an office job so there's no harm getting a bit of exercise. I know myself if I got one that wasn't self propelled though I'd hate having to mow the grass. Self propelled might be a good compromise.

SocialSpud

SouthWesterly wrote: »

I've the same size lawn. A good self propelled mower works well.

Which one do you have?

SocialSpud

krissovo wrote: »

My ride on has been nothing but a pain the ass and I hate the thing now, failed batteries, failed carb floats that flood the engine & crank which caused hydrostatic lock, flat tyres, broken belts..... 15 to 20 years life? Not a chance

I run 2 robot mowers now on my ~2 acres, one for front lawn and one for the main garden. They have been brilliant in 2 seasons of using them.

I went with the Worx Landroid to save a few bob as I already invested in a ride on but I liked it so much a got a 2nd one for the front. This would cut your lawn no problem and would cost €1k https://www.myrobotcenter.eu/en/worx-landroid-l1000-wr147-2021

The larger one which I have that easily cuts 1.5 acres is this one at €1200 https://www.myrobotcenter.eu/en/worx-landroid-l2000-wr155e-2021

The cheaper one would be better as it has better wheels for the Irish climate and will not cut up the lawn so much.

Yea I was looking at those too so good to see someone who's happy with them. Husqvarna and Worx seem to be the most popular.

Padre_Pio

Robot all the way.

Cutting grass is great for the first few months and a necessary evil after that.

the_pen_turner

Jim_Hodge wrote: »

It's a third of an acre. Where are you getting 2 to 3 hours from? It's not a big area by any means. It's just over a 2 km walk.

my lawn is about half that size and it takes 1 hour 15min to cut but some of it has loads of obsticles and is far away from the compost bin.
the part that slows it down so much is the walking back and forth to empty the box. i can do it in 45min if i let it out on it but it looks horrible.
so im saying that twice my area would take twice as long.
the op says there are no major obsticals but it is a lot bigger so 2 hours minium is very fair estimate and could be 3 hours if the dump point is far away


it is 1214 m2 so asuming 2 passes for 1m wide then thats 2428 limier m. or 2.4km . that .4km is a nice bit more than 2km. but unless your mulching it will be a lot higher with all the walking to empty the box. probably well over 3km and closer to 3.5km . those boxs of grass are heavy enough as well

PhilOssophy

NSAman wrote: »

AHhh heyar,,,, a ride on for 0.3 acre? Why not get a flock of sheep?

A regular mower will do ya fine. You could always tie some string to a stake in the center of the land and let it wind itself in.....(presuming its a self propelled one)

Or why not just go "biodiversity friendly", i.e. let it grow into a meadow!

Re the stake, like this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMOASdSu9YU

the_pen_turner

the_pen_turner wrote: »

it will be a lot higher with all the walking to empty the box. probably well over 3km and closer to 3.5km

Amateur. You put your wheelbarrow or wagon at a convenient location in the middle of the lawn for dumping grass.

Dempo1

I've at least an acre of lawn stretched over 3 distinct areas, the largest was an adjoining site I cleared over 3 years and it was some challenge. I've levelled off the site, have planted various trees around the site and have finally turned it into a manageable, levelish lawn area. Throughout the project I made do with a slef propelled machine and it was back breaking. I thought long and hard about ride on mowers but ultimately stuck with a new powerful self propelled machine. Primarily because the job with level pitch much easier but my 2 other garden areas have too many obstacles for a ride on to be practical. In essence I'd have to have two machines. I break up lawn cutting in 3 time slots, garden areas once a week (45 minutes) , Adjoining site every two weeks (1.5 hours), probably the only exercise I get

Others have mentioned servicing, storage and transport and these two factored into my decision.