Any lawnmower bargains anywhere?????

Builderwoman!

Hi,

We've just had a lawn put down and ok we won't want to cut it for a while and (we have an old petrol mower for the first cut if necessary) but we do need a new mower...one that's easy to start and has a mulching kit. Don't think we need a ride on. I'm told we need to spend a few bob on a good one and that this is a good time of the year to buy and that Honda are good....anyone seen any bargains out there or can give any advice please? All input welcomed.

Builderwoman!

Ah come on...have we no bargain hunters here at all...no lawnmower tyre kickers around?????!!!!!!

Jaden

Honda - Good
Toro - Better. They're not cheap, but they're worth it IMHO.

dixiefly

Jaden wrote:

Honda - Good
Toro - Better. They're not cheap, but they're worth it IMHO.

Ariens better still, the mulchng option on the Ariens is excellent. However you need a summer a little dryer than the one just gone.

Dont expect a similar bargain to barbecues at end of season. People know that they need the mower until the next season and is also not as bulky for shops to store as barbecues and garden furniture. With lawnmowers like a lot of things you get what you pay for.

squire1

The only place I can think you might get a bargain on a good quality mower at this time of year is the local hire companies who may be selling off the stuff from their hire fleet. Probably will be between two and five years old but are normally well maintained. Try Clane hire service, hire depot in Naas, Doyles in Toughers Buisness park Newbridge Hire (they sell a lot of mowers) and Haven hire on the Monread road or in Celbridge. The problem is you will be buying it as you see it and you never know how long it will last.

You might get cheap new mowers at knockdown prices from Woodies or B&Q but honestly I wouldn't bother.

Are Toro supplied by John Deere? I bought one for work a few years ago and it was €600 odd. :eek: They are a great mower in fairness, never heard of the Ariens.

Edit: That Toro was €1074 plus VAT in 2002. :eek: :eek: 21" Deck 6.5HP self drive.

Builderwoman!

Thanks all. In fairness dixiefly I don't expect a bargain similar to barbecues etc. I just thought there might be a bit of good value out there at this time of year.

Squire1...thanks as always for your advice...I know the guy in Clane hire well from hiring stuff from him so must give him a buzz and have a chat about this whole subject. Did you pay 1074 for a Toro in 2002??

Never heard of Ariens but I'm wondering what you mean Dixiefly about needing a dry summer??? Is it such a good investment then given the weather we experienced this summer?

Any further advice gratefully appreciated.

squire1

Yep €1074 in 2002. Pricey little bugger but a good machine none the less.

I suspect dixiefly is referring to using a mulching deck in damp conditions like we had this summer. Constant mulching is not good for the lawn, I believe, it promotes the growth of moss and the like. Plus the kids get the grass cuttings all over them and thus all over the house.

prospect

I got my ride-on from Newbridge Hire. Although I have no particular problem with them, I wouldn;t actually go to the bother of recommending them, they did nothing 'above & beyond' to deserve a recommendation.

Regarding mulching, I got this info from Trevor (builderwoman knows who Trevor is).

1. Don't mulch the final cuts of the year. There is not enough growth over the winter.
2. For the first cut of the year just mulch a small bit off the top.
3. For the remainder of the year the most mulching you should do is every-other-cut, but preferrably collect twice and mulch once and continue that pattern.

P

djmc

I got a very good bargen on one www.buyandsell.ie
you could get a clean second hand john deere or similar that would be better than other brand new new models
private sellers would be glad of a sale so late in the season if they brought a new model this year already

Builderwoman!

Thanks Prospect as always for your great advice. I know that Trevor knows what he is talking about so between reading that advice and squire1 about kids getting grass cuttings all over house I am beginning to wonder if a mulching kit is a good idea at all....maybe just do the old fashioned collection and disposal of grass cuttings? What are everyone's thoughts on that?

Thanks djmc going to check out buy and sell now too.

bmaxi

I've never been sold on the mulching idea. The theory of no more clippings and free fertiliser sounds great but I'm not sure it works in practice. Grass needs to breathe, roots need access to air and water, which is why we aerate and scarify lawns, so the idea of adding layer after layer of clippings, no matter how fine doesn't add up. There is also the problem of spreading and fertilising weed seeds. Clippings are a problem I know but if you can manage to get a couple of compost heaps going, grass, in the right proportions, is an excellent additive.

unidentifiable

Did you consider buying in the US? I bought a 22HP ride/on John Deere and got a relative to drop it to a shipping company, Eur 1900 all in, would have cost Eur 3500 here. Down side it took 3 months to organise and ship but I guess with the ever weaking dollar you could get an even better bargin now. Have a look on Ebay.com you might get a dealer willing to ship to Europe, there are many expats in that game.