Ride-on Lawnmowers

oreillyma

Hi all, I have about 3 quarters of an acre of garden. Last year I had to hire ride-on lawnmowers all year to cut it. I have decided to take the plunge and buy one this year. I have finally decided on a castle garden, however, am undecided about the engine! Have been told that the Honda is the best. The honda is a 16HP engine and the dearer B&S is a 17.5HP. Is the Honda as good as everybody says it is? I am just weary of getting a 16HP engine as think that is not enough! Thought and advice please!

Hoagy

I've had a Bolens with a 14.5HP B&S for about 10 years with no trouble.
I think the smaller size B&S engines are not great and that the Hondas would certainly be better, but I don't think it is necessarily true of the larger ones.

squire1

I have a fairly slopey 1 acre site and bought a 15.5HP B&S Castlegarden last year. It is well able to cope with the ground and has plenty of power.

The larger deck available on the 17HP unit might have been an advantage but as it was a new lawn with plenty of trees, I decided to go for the slightly smaller machine. The only problem I have is that if the grass is damp then it clogs up the collector, the extra power in a bigger unit might overcome that. I didn't bother with the mulch deck as i don't get a chance to cut it often enough.

Trx

Castle garden are ok, But for close to the same money you can have a Honda.. sO gO hONDA..
iDEAlly you need 20hp and a 48 inch deck... Also Go Hydrostatic..

thats my 2 cents
TRX

squire1

Isn't a Honda the same machine as Castlegarden with a different badge? They certainly use the same deck but maybe the bodywork is different. I think they also make Stiga (with Kohler engine instead of Honda) and some other make too.