grebtol2 wrote: » What's the general opinion on attaching mulching plugs to direct chute ride ons? Do they actually mulch the grass or does it just spit it out? Probably going to go with a TC138 with the BioClip plug.
DeborahLQ wrote: » Great thread, but a bit overwhelming. Anybody know anything about these ones? I'm thinking of getting one. Recycler 22 in. SmartStow High Wheel Variable Speed Walk Behind Gas Self Propelled Mowerhttps://www.homedepot.com/p/Toro-Recycler-22-in-SmartStow-High-Wheel-Variable-Speed-Walk-Behind-Gas-Self-Propelled-Mower-20339/205026227
kaiserrussel wrote: » Hi all this a phenomenal thread with a huge volume of information. almost feel a thread specifically on makes/models vs price range is needed! I posted a message a couple of weeks ago regarding a replacement belt for a Husq CTH 151, the reason being was I had gotten a non-Genuine husq belt online and my mechanic found it to be a little long when fitting. so I want to replace that. I had gotten my mechanic to service the mower and wanted to sell it but I wasn't sure to trade in vs sell myself. My reason for selling is purely to get a newer model So this brings me to my question - If I had a budget within 2K-2300K what would I be best to look out for. Assuming I sell my own privately or trade in ill have extra to add Seems like folks I talk with are all advocating Stiga at the moment and the love for the Husq is fading My Needs - entire site is just under an acre inclusive of house. Husq - Is it true they are no longer selling rear discharge mowere? Honda - Super mower but out of my budget new Stiga - Are these castelgarden/mountfield rebadged and is there a model within my price range that someone would recommend? Viking/Stihl – Is this just a rebrand and all components etc are the same? Cub Cadet – Ive only heard of this brand JD – I don’t think my budget is in this bracket Outside of the above is there anything that you would suggest I was recently in Boston visiting family and I was ill when I looked at the prices of some of the ride on mowers there ~1000 in the stores, I had thought of importing at one point but with the steps involved and the fact that these are only side discharge I felt Irish lawns would be too “damp” Thanks for any thoughts provided
deezell wrote: » Husq - plenty of rear baggers for sale, maybe dealers are dealing in rumours? Husky make cheaper built as well as higher quality mowers. Problem for consumer is knowing which grade you're getting, with the confusion of models. Honda. Yes. Stiga. Owned by GGP, parent of Castelgarden, Stiga, Alpins, Atco and Mountfield. Obviously huge commonality of parts, subtle differences in mowers and brand placement ( Stiga still has a professional range) Stihl bought Viking. Mowers are identical, but in Oompah-Loompa colours. Cub Cadet is an affordable American brand, only if you're buying in the US as you've seen. Owned by MTD, who also own Toro, high end push and zero turn mowers. Some nice MTD on agrieuro. MTD brand used in states for big store mowers but have quality also. JD pricey, even their economy lines, made back in the past by Castelgarden among others Snapper another well regarded brand, part of Briggs & Stratton behemoth, whose brands Simplicity, Murray and snapper are best known here. This is a good read though US focused so incomplete.https://todaysmower.com/riding-mower-brands/ If you get a trade in offer off list pricr anywhere north of €900 for the cth151 I'd take it. You'll struggle to get 800 on Adverts/Donedeal unless it's only a few years old ( how old? It's been out for eons). Do the usual. Seek a cash price, then work out real trade in value. Posters here getting €300+ off for cash. Good hunting
deezell wrote: » FWIW, importing a mower from the US using one of the address pal type of forwarding works out at $151 for this 78 Lb weight mower. That's $490 total, = €436, plus 23%VAT, and €15 customs admin charge, brings it to €551. I'm assuming no customs duty. Is that worth it for a 22"/56cm Toro mower? Good price when you count variable speed, but it's a bit risky if it's not perfect out of the box. Maybe the poster is in the States, so it's local to them.
kaiserrussel wrote: » Hi Deezal, can you share more about the Address Pal shipping? and waht else is involved?
deezell wrote: » This is when you get a US address so you can buy from stores who don't internationally ship, or charge prohibitive amounts. Address pal is the An post version, but is limited to 20Kg. 44Lbs. The example I gave was from a company called MyUS.com. Their prices looked good, they forward big stuff up to 150lbs, (68Kg), they don't use dimensional weight, which is where a large light box is treated as a heavier object because of size. In that example I used the weight of the 56cm Toro mower. The US seller ships to the US forwarding address, often free, and MyUS sends it on just like Parcel Motel, but delivered. They don't do pre customs, meaning goods will be held until you pay customs and excise if any, and VAT, plus the handlers admin charge, which you'd need to find out. I've been stuffed by handling charges as high or higher than the VAT being sought, ANpost themselves are about €15 I think. There's a good few operators out there, and it's possible to get the goods less US sales tax as its for export. Items I've bought have been small, Chrysler car parts once at a big saving, and sometimes no VAT added ( so no admin charge) if you're lucky. Biggest I've bought was an Agrifab towed fertilizer spreader for like $56 or something, but light box, can't remember if I paid VAT. They eeren't for sale here at the time except smaller push ones at double what I paid. I'd also like to hear from someone who has brought in a big item like a mower, or something bigger like a ride-on.
kaiserrussel wrote: » Deezal thanks for your input, so I have been doing some research and (another poster shared a method to calculate lawn to cut on google earth)found that I have 0.3 acres to cut a portion of which is too high for a ride on to drive through. based on the size of lawn area and the outlined models above can I ask for some guidance on what would be worth buying in the ~2K - 2.5K bracket
kaiserrussel wrote: » Hi All as you can see from my posts I am just at th point of choosing, if I buy here in Ireland (or through agrieuro) my options seem to be: Mountfield:1838H/1638H Castelgarden: XDC150/160 Stiga -IM not sure what models fall within the budget I have Outside of the above any other ideas? My budget is between 2-2.5K ON a separate note I found an advert for new lawnmowers from a guy on done deal - he states in his advert that he is importing them from Poland - even provides a link to the site has anyone bought online form European sites outside of agrieuro thanks all
westsidestory wrote: » Hope okay to ask same question again, maybe deezell or other knowledgeable posters may have opinion. 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 @ €5,779https://www.gardenmachinery.ie/snapper-ztx250-104982.html
deezell wrote: » westsidestory wrote: » Hope okay to ask same question again, maybe deezell or other knowledgeable posters may have opinion. 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 @ €5,779https://www.gardenmachinery.ie/snapper-ztx250-104982.html At the machine's top speed of 12Kph and a cutting width of 1.32 m, it would cut at a rate of 16,000 m2 per hour, or about 4 acres per hour. Allowing for turns, overlaps and running at a lower speed for heavier areas you could almost halve this to 2+ acres per hour, so they should get the pitches cut in two hours+. If the ground is a bit bumpy, 12kph will shake the crap out of the machine, as well as burning the grass if turns are attempted at that speed, so the club should be careful who gets the job. Give it to an oul fella, who can spend half the day at it, and the machine will last much longer! Edit; this machine is categorised as a domestic machine, so make sure the warranty of two years is not invalidated or reduced by what might be considered commercial use.
westsidestory wrote: » Many thanks deezell. Considering the €6k is probably top of budget for this 5 acre site am I going in right direction in regards machine suitable for this job? Site has not been fertilizer in decades if ever, soil sandy loam and when conditions are suitable grass growth is very good. Grass never collected.
deezell wrote: » westsidestory wrote: » Many thanks deezell. Considering the €6k is probably top of budget for this 5 acre site am I going in right direction in regards machine suitable for this job? Site has not been fertilizer in decades if ever, soil sandy loam and when conditions are suitable grass growth is very good. Grass never collected. Don't fertilize unless you like mowing! As the clippings are constantly returned, that's plenty of nutrients. It's a football pitch, you you won't be mowing low like a golf course. It's the machine for the job, driven carefully. You might want to go commercial and Diesel second-hand for the same money, but you could be buying trouble. You'll probably burn 7+ litres juice on each cut, hard to know how dense the grass is. Chain it to the floor of clubhouse shed or a pillar, something new like this is desirable and all too easy to shift.
abnormalnorman wrote: » hi iv a ride on that wont start. not a thing happening when i turn the key. battery etc good. ignition lights up etc. iv bypassed everything by putting a wrench touching both cables before entering the solenoid, and the solenoid just spins freely. not turning the engine. Does this mean the solenoid is gone? but shud it not be doin this when i turn the key???
my3cents wrote: » Are saying the starter motor goes round when power is applied. If so then its the cog on the starter motor that is probably stuck or all the teeth worn off. There are several methods starter motors work but the simplest on mowers is a cog that is held back by a spring, when the starter motor turns the cog is thrown forward engaging the teeth on the side of the flywheel.
abnormalnorman wrote: » thanks. with the key, nothing happens. If i link both terminals of the solenoid with a wrench, the solenoid spins freely but that's it. not the starter. mower was goin grand until battery died and i took it out to charge it. then when i hooked it up the problems started. its a fairly new mower . . . starter n all looks fairly new. dont think its anything serious.
Cathalu wrote: » Hi all, looking for a bit of advice on a walk behind lawnmower. I’ve taken over a house that need a lot of work and landscaping is way down the list. There are three lawns around the house of about 30m x 10m each. They have been let go and are rough and bumpy with some shrubs around them too. I’m looking to buy a lawnmower for approximately €400-500. I don’t know if I should go self drive or if I should be looking for something big or small etc. I hate mowing at the best of times and so the lawns are probably never going to be great. Any advice or recommendations would be really appreciated. I realise that this is way cheaper than what most people are talking about here. Thanks again.
Krombopulos Michael wrote: » Is it normal to do a brake in oil change for a new ride on. Online site for Snapper said to change after a few hours, but local store said its fine for the season. Whats the norm?
my3cents wrote: » Depends on how lucky you are. The point of doing an oil change after the first few hours of use is that its wearing in during that period and that is when a lot of metal is deposited in the oil. I had a cheap Chinese engine on a chipper that I changed after 5 hours and the oil was grey with aluminium, fortunately I've not noticed that since. If you have a decent V twin engine with an oil filter maybe your OK but I'd still do the first oil change after say 5 hours use and no later than 10 hours.
