The Great Big Lawnmower Thread

deezell wrote: »

A robot managing 2 acres, would be going 24/7! I'm sticking to my advice. As big a cut as you can afford means less time in the saddle. Even the 102cm cut Honda is going to take 2 hours to cut all three plots that makes up the 2 acres, unless the entire two acres is a 1m straight strip of 8km in length. But then you have to drive the mower 8km home...

Etesia robot would make short work of it.....

deezell wrote: »

Fantastic looking, only €9k for the 2 acre+ model. If it's good enough for Bayern Munich....

I never said it was as cheap as a husqvarna.

They are very good though, a friend of mine has one.

A nice compact mower that can do decent areas is the etesia bahia. I have the hydro 80 which is the pro version.

Kencollins wrote: »

Does anyone know a rough guide to valuing a ride on? I need to upgrade mine to a compact tractor as I have more land now. Paid 4200 for a 2018 model TC342T in November 2018, 100 hours, kept inside. Would 3000 be a fair price to hope to get?

Doubt it, I lost 2.5k on a kubota diesel €7k+ after only 6 months, year before last.

Kencollins wrote: »

Christ, I hope it's not that bad!

I will have to keep it if I can't get the 3000, no compact tractor for me!

Mine hadn't done 25 hours.

Didn't bother me as the mower was crap so then bought an etesia.

Which is better Mountfield 1530h or Castelgarden xdc140

red bull wrote: »

Which is better Mountfield 1530h or Castelgarden xdc140

Both made by GGP, now Stiga group. Both use the same non synch 84cm deck, the CG has a Briggs and Stratton engine, smaller cc but similar power to the own brand 452 cc in the Mountfield. Engine apart, most other components would be identical.

red bull wrote: »

Are the Mountfield engines proven ? or would the Castelgarden having a Briggs and Stratton be a deciding factor

Keep the oil topped/changed, don't abuse and they'll all last a long time. GGP engine is probably made in China, but to their standard. If the mowers are identically priced, then maybe swing towards b&s, previously there was a big price difference in same Stiga group mowers with a choice of GGP, B&S and Honda engines, but they seem to have consolidated choice across all models and brands, Stiga, CG, Mountfield and Alpina, and another clone brand I forget right now. Try and see both models, and compare the feel of each. It's a bit like Lexus and Toyota, or VW and Skoda/Seat.

deezell wrote: »

Are you seriously suggesting he mows 2 Acres, about 8000 m2 with a walk behind cylinder mower? Mowing rate at a brisk 5km/hour, 50cm cut, and 20% allowance for overlap, corners, curves, obstacles, bag emptying and refueling would be 2000 m2 in an hour. Only another 6000 m2 and 3 hours to go.

I was actually reply to a post on a query for a 1/2 acre+.
So I suppose its always good to quote what your replying to.
but then the other points are relevant
It would be a great workout

antix80 wrote: »

Bit late to be posting as I already picked it up..

I bought this lawnmower for a small back yard, 150sq yards.

https://www.gardenmachinery.ie/our-brands/harry/lawnmowers/harry-21-selfpropelled-mower.html

I tried researching it before i bought it and found nothing so figured, no news is good news.

Well, once it was delivered i saw from the real model number on the mower that it is the same model as what woodies sell. A bit of google of woodies lawnmowers and there are problems with wheels falling off and no parts available, the self drive stopping working, etc., and only the engine is any use.

Did I buy a dud?

No, You'll never wear it out mowing 150 sq yards, that's less than 1/30 th of an acre. This is a decent 21" machine, it will mow this in 10 minutes. Harry are a respected brand, albeit they've badged a budget mower.

deezell wrote: »

Keep the oil topped/changed, don't abuse and they'll all last a long time. GGP engine is probably made in China, but to their standard. If the mowers are identically priced, then maybe swing towards b&s, previously there was a big price difference in same Stiga group mowers with a choice of GGP, B&S and Honda engines, but they seem to have consolidated choice across all models and brands, Stiga, CG, Mountfield and Alpina, and another clone brand I forget right now. Try and see both models, and compare the feel of each. It's a bit like Lexus and Toyota, or VW and Skoda/Seat.

Both priced the same €2500. The Mountfield guy ran down the CG engine as the worst B&S ever made and the CG guy said the other one was Chinese S,,,T.
I think I will go for the CG

Hi all,
Looking for some advice here - basically sell or keep ...

I've got a 2004 Castelgarden XT180HD (TCX102) ride on mower. I bought it for eur1500 5yrs ago, and in the past 2 years have put a brand new 19HP B&S Engine, complete new deck this year, new front axle, new clutch, new chute, new battery, along with other serviceable belts etc. It's been well looked after, electrics are in good condition, and chassis has been treated in the few areas where there was a bit of service rust. Bag has seen better days, but for now everything is working, and with the new deck & chute it's cutting beautifully. It has mulching blades & plug, and a tow bar.

So, question really is how much longer do I keep it. I figure it's decision time to either sell it now while it's in good condition, or settle in for the long haul and ride this baby until it completely falls apart.

It meets my needs in terms of size, I don't really have a need for anything bigger, wouldn't go any smaller either. I've got 4/5 areas of lawn, 0.5 acre overall, with .25 acre on the biggest area. Garden layout doesn't suit robot lawnmower, and I tend to use the tow bar for other bits around the place so a ride on suits me. If I were buying new, I'd be buying a very similar mower in terms of size & power, and I can't really see any other 'features' I'm missing compared to newer or even more 'premium' mowers. The thing I do value is reliability, and that's the main temptation in changing now for a new mower.

Any thoughts? What is the mower worth as is? Anything I'm missing in what would be a potential 'upgrade'? Would I notice much difference with an equivalent Husqvarna or anything else?

Thanks,
Tom

deezell wrote: »

At a guess figure you've spent €800-1000, if you've done all the work yourself. Theres no major surprises left, small stuff like the starter pinion maybe. Hydro drive should be sound.. Would you get a €1000 for it? Maybe. Will you get roughly the same amount in 2022 ? Near enough, so get till 2022 out of it, get something back for all the work you've done.

Getting something back is one way to look at it alright, the other is trying to figure out at what point is it good money after bad. It's already got a reputation around as Triggers Mower.

Money spent is €1200+ at this point.

Hydro is the last bit I'm worried about, can't find much info about worst case scenario there.

Sorry to but in, but I’m in exact same position as previous poster. Have a 17 year old castle garden. Engine is bullet proof, but little things going the whole time. New deck, new belts, brakes, bracket holding the seat had to be welded back last week. Bag is very withered.
Any suggestions for a similar machine that would provide as good in terms of engine reliability?

deezell wrote: »

I doubt anyone ever bought a replacement one for a 16 year old mower, even a used one would be worth the machine, they're pretty much a lifetime part. With new engine, clutch and deck it would be a sound buy, but the age is against it. You could put it in adverts and cut your losses, I can't see €1200 In it though. If you fancy a new mower and have the dough, go for it, sell your own soon while it's still summer. Put it in adverts, emphasise all new parts. Did it originally have a b&s engine or a Kawasaki or other? This mower can still be bought brand new in an few places for 4K, using that price and 15 years depreciation, it might be worth 400-600, depending on condition, so you're hoping the new bits might swing a few hundred more.

Mower sold this morning, 1200 quid, first to see bought, 3 calls on it, ad wasn't up 24hrs.

Time to go shopping.

The Stihl looks well, can't seem to find a dealer nearby - any suggestions for North County Dublin?

Any comments on Husqvarna equivalent - TC 242T or similar?