The Great Big Lawnmower Thread

Check out the 44" cut Viking I referenced three posts back. With up to three acres to cut, and a slope to overcome, you'll need the width and the power of the V twin engine. Viking, now Stihl, are among the most robustly engineered lawnmowers, certainly a class above some if the flimsier budget models of the GGP stable, such as earlier Castelgardens, and Mountfield. If its not already sold, it would be a good buy at a price a bit south of the asking.

https://www.donedeal.ie/gardenequipment-for-sale/ride-on-lawnmower/31970881

The largest domestic cut mower is generally 127cm, 48". The viking/stihl 6127zl occasionally shows up for sale, but not very often. Its a huge cut, balloon tyres and 22hp v twin engine. I bought mine used in 2018, oddly enough in Kerry, where I travelled to from North Kildare. It was worth pulling a trailer for, but you can arrange a van for something like this at a price.

I'm only seeing these new for sale, about €6200. There are a few 5112 44" around, like the one I linked, some with smaller engine.

If you want 50", you're into semi commercial. The countax triple blade 50"A25-50HE is mighty, don't know if there's a dealer here, maybe in NI, but you'll have small change from €10k.

The best big cut used in your €1-2k budget near you is probably this 43" John Deere in Galway https://www.donedeal.ie/gardenequipment-for-sale/lawn-mower/31979356

Start visiting your nearest dealers. Tbh, any ride on above 97cm cut would be a vast improvement on a walk behind, but if you extend to the full 3 acres, it would still be a long day in the saddle.

You're welcome. Just seen this Stihl 48"/127cm on Donedeal. 4 seasons old, 125 hrs mowing which is about average for mowing 2 acres over 7 months of a season. Price a bit high. This mower currently available for €6300 list https://www.donedeal.ie/gardenequipment-for-sale/stihl-ride-on-mower-rt-6127/32071826. , so I'd expect a depreciation of .8x.9.x.9x.9, 58% valuing it at about €3700 from a dealer but with no warranty from a private seller, you might offer less. If you were interested in having a look, Mullingar on the way to Drogheda if you go via Tullamore. Good hunting.

It is if your budget is €2K. Big robot mowers out there, they'll cover 3 acres, not so sure of the rough ground. €12_14K. https://www.stokker.com/robotic-lawnmower-l400i-b-30ah-4g-ambrogio-c-am450b4y1z-amb

I said I'd try the machine again at the weekend before returning it and what do you know she fired up straight away.

Worked perfectly and another cut today fine too.

Not really sure what the issue was, but hopefully it has rectified itself.😊

€219.

What's the model and cut size of the mower?

A 52" Castelgarden would be a decent deck, worth the cost of an engine swap. I've no idea what dealers would charge, it should be about an hours work. Is it self drive? Popping off the blade, blade boss and pulley might be the stickiest task. Engine is held to the deck by 3-4 bolts, after that its the engine off switch cable, and possible throttle cable. That's it. If you're paying a dealer, ask for the price including the engine. He should be able to source that at trade, invoice the whole job at repair rate of VAT at 13.5%.

Find a reliable decent shop. He might even have a serviceable used engine, a lot of these are fitted to junky cheap decks, the engines outlast the mower by years. Heres a guy selling two for €20 each, good engines, scrap decks. http://www.adverts.ie/27814658

A dealer is not going to entertain an offer so far below asking. These mowers are about €4600 new, in the new Stihl colours, but with the Stihl own brand engine. This viking has the Briggs V twin. A four year/season old 5112Z is worth about €2,700, a bit more if sold by a dealer with a warranty. €2000 would be the value of a 7 season old machine. The ad doesn't give the age or hours worked, but it looks immaculate. If it's 4 years old or has mowed low hours, its probably priced well. A realistic offer might be 10% below asking if you're not trading in, a longer warranty, say end of next season, a free service next year. These machines don't come up that often, and in that condition.

Overturning or feeling like you are going to overturn is the issue. Normally the "sh!!!!!t" factor will stop you going to steep.

The steeper you get the more weight is transferred to the lower of the drive wheels increasing the chance of all the power going via the differential to the higher wheel which leads to wheel spin. Mowers (normally pedestrian) designed to cut across slopes often have no dif or wheel brake steering. Steering also gets difficult and less responsive on a steep slope.

Another issue can simply be the seat safety switch, as you go across the slope your weight moves and the engine cuts out.

The real killer can be turning on a slope. If you are driving to a flat area you can turn but if you are left to turn on a slope the pucker factor may be high.

I go to about 20 degrees which feels a lot steeper than it actually is. Bare in mind that and lumps, bumps, hollows or mower wheel ruts might suddenly increase a manageable slope and make it a lot more interesting.

Finally think about the engine. Worth checking on the engine manufactures spec what angles the engine is good for.

Maybe a mid range robot?

A delayed update :)

i ended up going with the Honda HF2417hme, well it just works. Delighted with the decision, thanks for the suggestions and info guys.

Older model machine from 2015, they sure didn't like it in Australia.

List price about 4 grand, 30 hours is low, about a seasons work in a large garden, if it were only a year old I'd expect to buy it in the region of €3200, but if its low hours but several years old you can knock that down by another 10% compounded for each extra year. That and the poor rep these had, and the fact that its pretty much an old model wouldn't fill me with encouragement, but, if it was immaculate, no older that 2019 and the price was a grand less, maybe worth a punt, but, like I said, one star per review from a total of 6 reviews in OZ. If its a relatively young machine, say bought 2021, you'd wonder why they're getting rid so soon.

I had about 7 blackthorn punctures in one tyre (Honda ride on,not including two others that must have at least one each) so had nothing to loose filling them all with goop https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004EK5P4I/. This worked fine for me and I've had no problems for the last 18 months. If I was doing it again I'd put a 500ml bottle in each rear tyre and split another between the two font tyres.

But I found on the worst tyre (pumped up and counted 7 streams of air coming out in a water butt) still had a very slow leak until I put about 500ml in it.

Be careful you don't loose the seating of the tyre on the rim if you aren't taking it to a tyre shop. Its difficult to reseat the tyre but I find a ratchet strap tight around it forces the rim of the tyre out close enough to the wheel rim for a air line to seat it back on.

My reason for going the goop route was I know I'm going to hit blackthorn thorns again.