The Great Big Lawnmower Thread

ymurtagh

looks like great buy, looking for 1400, offer 1250 and hope for the best, you will always get parts for a jd

lawn mower man

yes i would recommend buying from a dealer, unless you have some basic mechanical know how.. can end up a very expensive buy / or a great bargin !!

Thanos

Parents lawnmower sat down on them so they want a new one.
I was looking at Bosch, Black and Decker and Qualcat and was wondering if any are better then the others.

They do not need something big and heavy so no Petrol ones, just one that has good power and is easy to use (and not too heavy).

Any advice appreciated.

Farls

Thanos wrote: »

Parents lawnmower sat down on them so they want a new one.
I was looking at Bosch, Black and Decker and Qualcat and was wondering if any are better then the others.

They do not need something big and heavy so no Petrol ones, just one that has good power and is easy to use (and not too heavy).

Any advice appreciated.

I have a small Qualcast that does the job for a small lawn to the front and back of a house in an estate.

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/7304912/Trail/searchtext%3EQUALCAST.htm

It also has a little roller on the back so leaves the nice stripes and more than powerful enough.

clonrunner

Some feedback for anyone looking at new ride-on mowers.

Just bought the 2012 model Castel XDC 140HD
3130 B and S Engine
Hydrostatic
Cleaning Deck
Comes with front bumper and hitch
Same machine as the xg 14-HD but 33 inch cut
where XG is 36 inch cut (but costs €2550)

Delivered with 1 hr instruction for €2100
cut my half acre in approx 2 hrs
good tight turning circle
cuts in reverse
240 litre bag : easy to empty from drivers seat (once you have a corner/suitable hole for grass)

the service engineer that delivered told me similar machines were
near €3500 a few yrs ago.

so you can get a decent machine new for 2k..

stackerman

Hi all
Can anyone recommend a good service/repair centre for a ride on (briggs and stratton engine). I've done general servicing on it myself, but she will not start now (after a neighbour used it) and I cant seem to find the problem
Naas-Rathcoole-Blessington area would be great.
Thanks in advance

Anatom

stackerman wrote: »

Hi all
Can anyone recommend a good service/repair centre for a ride on (briggs and stratton engine). I've done general servicing on it myself, but she will not start now (after a neighbour used it) and I cant seem to find the problem
Naas-Rathcoole-Blessington area would be great.
Thanks in advance

Sallins Hire might be able to help...

Glebee

clonrunner wrote: »

Some feedback for anyone looking at new ride-on mowers.

Just bought the 2012 model Castel XDC 140HD
3130 B and S Engine
Hydrostatic
Cleaning Deck
Comes with front bumper and hitch
Same machine as the xg 14-HD but 33 inch cut
where XG is 36 inch cut (but costs €2550)

Delivered with 1 hr instruction for €2100
cut my half acre in approx 2 hrs
good tight turning circle
cuts in reverse
240 litre bag : easy to empty from drivers seat (once you have a corner/suitable hole for grass)

the service engineer that delivered told me similar machines were
near €3500 a few yrs ago.

so you can get a decent machine new for 2k..

Do you mind me asking who you done business with. PM me the details if you like.

clonrunner

No Problem

Dealt with Bandon Co-OP - Kinsale branch have a
lawnmower retail centre and are selling a lot of Castlegardens.
(I have no links with the store)

Croom Cycles and McLoughlins have good prices also.

jacob2

i got one of them mountfield mowers with honda engine and alloy body great mower in b&q tallaght for 400 euro with a bottle of oil thrown in 5.5 hp engine great

jacob2

got one of them mountfield mowers in b+g tallaght for 400 euro with a bottle of oil thrown in great mower with 5.5 honda engine and alloy deck

philstar

terrible rattle/noise coming from my ride-on, its noticeble as i drive along with the blade off

any ideas??

Discodog

philstar wrote: »

terrible rattle/noise coming from my ride-on, its noticeble as i drive along with the blade off

any ideas??

If it only happens when you are moving then it has to be a drive problem. Have a good look at the belts.

philstar

^^^^^^^^^^

the belts are fine, no sign of wear

sheelbee

Glebee wrote: »

Do you mind me asking who you done business with. PM me the details if you like.

Nice price !!!

http://www.amrentals.ie/Ride_on_Lawnmowers/Castelgarden_XDC140.htm

Discodog

There are a few sellers selling it at around that price & the Hydro version is only €200 more.

sheelbee

Discodog wrote: »

There are a few sellers selling it at around that price & the Hydro version is only €200 more.

I have seen them and I must say if it is a cheap (limited life) machine your after it's hard to beat the price. I would consider the "historic" price on a ride on when purchasing. Any good quality machine like my Snapper (second one in 26 years) will give you good service and longevity whereas these Chinese machines with all plastic components will I reckon last 3/4 years...It's the old story value versus cheap.

celticmicky

sheelbee wrote: »

I have seen them and I must say if it is a cheap (limited life) machine your after it's hard to beat the price. I would consider the "historic" price on a ride on when purchasing. Any good quality machine like my Snapper (second one in 26 years) will give you good service and longevity whereas these Chinese machines with all plastic components will I reckon last 3/4 years...It's the old story value versus cheap.

The longevity of any machine is mainly based upon the operator. The plastics you refer to are just cosmetic. Underneath Castelgardens are as solid, if not more so, than most other ride on lawnmowers on the market - Honda wouldn't use them to make their ride on lawnmower if that wasn't the case.

The low price of these machines compared to the rest of the Castelgarden range is because of the lower labour costs in the far east. The quality of matierials that goes into them is the same as goes into their Italian lawnmowers so I would say it is not accurate to predict they will only last 3/4 years.

sheelbee

celticmicky wrote: »

The longevity of any machine is mainly based upon the operator. The plastics you refer to are just cosmetic. Underneath Castelgardens are as solid, if not more so, than most other ride on lawnmowers on the market - Honda wouldn't use them to make their ride on lawnmower if that wasn't the case.

The low price of these machines compared to the rest of the Castelgarden range is because of the lower labour costs in the far east. The quality of matierials that goes into them is the same as goes into their Italian lawnmowers so I would say it is not accurate to predict they will only last 3/4 years.

Hi, blaming the operator is a valid point but if the machine is inherently of poor quality regardless of how careful the owner is it is only going to last a very short time. What would you say would be the trade in value of one of these machines in 3-4 years ??? I am only asking this because I was allowed €750 on my 13 year old Snapper against a similar Snapper. This was after pricing with 4 Snapper dealers.

celticmicky

sheelbee wrote: »

Hi, blaming the operator is a valid point but if the machine is inherently of poor quality regardless of how careful the owner is it is only going to last a very short time. What would you say would be the trade in value of one of these machines in 3-4 years ??? I am only asking this because I was allowed €750 on my 13 year old Snapper against a similar Snapper. This was after pricing with 4 Snapper dealers.

Over the years we have always seen when a manufacturer introduces a new model they discount the price in order to increase popularity of the model. This low price is usually short lived and infact we have already seen one price increase in the space of 3 months on the XDC140 lawnmowers. We would be very surprised if they are not dramatically increased in 2013.


I have seen nothing with the XDC140 Castelgardens to hint at poor quality tbh. They are made in Castelgarden's own factory so they have complete control over quality and parts used to make them, I doubt if they would jeapordise the good name they have built up by releasing sub standard ride ons.

They are built on the same chassis with the same components as the 36 inch model which has been on the market about 20 years.

It is very hard to put a secondhand value on any lawnmower nevermind a hypothetical value on one however I would say secondhand values tend to increase as the price of the new model increases.

I would say your own Snapper will have been an exception and not the rule as it must have been in fairly decent condition to get you 750.00 from a dealer. Having said that we gave 600 euro for a 11 year old Honda today and I think we paid over the odds for it.

On a side note all manufacturers have different factories in many different countries, Snapper for example have a factory in Eastern Europe, Husqvarna have factories in China, Sweden and American and Stihl have facories in China and Germany.

fryup

is this a good make and model?? for medium size lawn

Discodog

fryup wrote: »

is this a good make and model?? for medium size lawn

Have you won the lotto ?

Etesia are simply the best make that one can buy. They are also superb for Irish grass because they cut really well in the wet. Most Etesias are sold to professional contractors so be wary if it is a second hand machine. But that said even ex Council Etesias fetch good second hand prices. Here is a 2002 ex Council Bahia & its already at £500

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ETESIA-BAHIA-HONDA-ENGINE-RIDE-LAWNMOWER-/261029878645?pt=UK_Home_Garden_GardenPowerTools_CA&hash=item3cc697db75

fryup

Discodog wrote: »

Have you won the lotto ?

Etesia are simply the best make that one can buy.

really never heard of them before, only asked as i seen a few on donedeal recently

Discodog

fryup wrote: »

really never heard of them before, only asked as i seen a few on donedeal recently

They are not big sellers here because they are very expensive. I used an Etesia 21 inch mower for years & it was incredible. It would cut 6 inch grass, in the rain & collect every blade !. But this mowers is €2000 in Ireland :eek:

dadam

ive bn asked to tender for seven football pitches all in one spot and am wondering bout suitable machine?

waterboy15

Hi i am looking at a ride on lawnmower made by Lawn Boss With a Tecumsen enduro xl 17hp engine, anyone familiar with this and offer any comment good or bad ?

TheMooseInNam

dadam wrote: »

ive bn asked to tender for seven football pitches all in one spot and am wondering bout suitable machine?

Hi Dadam,

Firstly, I'd like to point out that I'm currently working within the lawncare industry (after taking a break for a few years... I've been dragged back into it ). I'm the GM of Waterford's Husqvarna Centre but I will try and give you an unbiased opinion.

For the thread's mods, I hope this full disclosure satisfies you.

Essentially, you will require a machine that is excellent on flat ground, has the ability to mulch quickly (as you have a large area to cover) and is built to withstand some abuse but not break the bank.

Two machines spring to mind, for me.

The Cub Cadet RZT50 which comes with a 50" mulching deck, zero turn and has a cutting speed of 6mph. Unbelievably fast at cutting and a very solid machine.

Alternatively, the more expensive (and better ) Husqvarna PR17 AWD would be a far more versatile machine. It's designed especially for sports complexes and hotels with large areas and tricky environments. Also has the ability to add alternative attachments instead of a deck like snow ploughs, flail mowers etc. Oh, AWD means all-wheel-drive so banks and slopes aren't a problem.

The Cub Cadet will give you great bang for your buck but the PR17 AWD is the mower of choice for the work that you'll be doing.

Poulgorm

Anybody hear of starting problems with Briggs & Stratton engines ? Bought a Hayter R53, series 675 engine, (electric start) a few months ago: very difficult to start, particularly when it gets hot. Battery wouldn't do it - nearly damaged my shoulder trying to get it to start.

Brought it back to the dealer: he told me that a lot of recent B & S engines were difficult to start: he said he has replaced coils and some electronics on a lot of them. Anyway, it is under guarantee, so all is well.

Anybody else with a similar experience?

Lawntractor

Its probably the thermosat in the readystart system, the readystart controls the choke with a bimetal thermostat it may need replaceing or adjustment also make sure your fuel is fresh modern petrol starts to degrade after 1 month

Martin
The Husqvarna Centre Mallow

celticmicky

Poulgorm wrote: »

Anybody hear of starting problems with Briggs & Stratton engines ? Bought a Hayter R53, series 675 engine, (electric start) a few months ago: very difficult to start, particularly when it gets hot. Battery wouldn't do it - nearly damaged my shoulder trying to get it to start.

Brought it back to the dealer: he told me that a lot of recent B & S engines were difficult to start: he said he has replaced coils and some electronics on a lot of them. Anyway, it is under guarantee, so all is well.

Anybody else with a similar experience?

Does it have the new ready start Briggs engine (the one with automatic choke)?

If so it will likely be the heat sensor at the exhaust making the choke stick.