The Great Big Lawnmower Thread

49801

49801 wrote: »

Which lawn mower would ye recommend me?

Got .3 to .5 acre to cut. Site is slopped 10-20 degrees. Garden is just grass a the moment with no beds or shrubs as obstacles but will in future I suppose

Would a 21 inch self propelled be alright? Busy job and 2 small children
Could pick one up for €150 second hand and would 'just' fit in plastic garden/wheelie bin cabinet jobbie I got from b&q.

Other options:
30inch toro timemaster €1450 new. adv is could store in barna shed but need to buy one. Not worst thing for us to get.
2-Second hand ride for €900 to €1200 disadvantage is storage (possible store in barna? Don't wanna commit to proper shed right now as can't decide where to put)

One cosideration is storage as have no shed. Amenable to buying a barna. Don't really want to get a steeltec yet right now. (Got one of those large plastic wheelie bin stores for the moment from b&q

Thanks in advance

Bump

Discodog

sheelbee wrote: »

They might buy cheaper, I would recommend buy local, it's "cheaper" in the long run.

Of course it isn't. My local Mower repairer doesn't care where a machine comes from. Warranty work has to be carried out by a Honda dealer who may be miles away & I have never had to return a Honda.

Discodog

737max wrote: »

As if a Honda lawnmower hasn't ever broken.
Little challenge for you; find a new genuine fabric grassbag or blade clutch for a 21" Honda for under 100 euro delivered. Find a rear wheel or throttle cable for under 40.

Honda Ireland will sell direct because the dealer network is so scattered. Even so I usually get parts online as it's quicker.

My 21 inch grassbox is about 15 years old & still ok.

I just paid €25 for an Izy drive cable on ebay - hardly expensive.

Discodog

49801 wrote: »

Bump

The reason why you aren't getting recommendations is that your choices are so big. You are talking about a budget between 150 & 2000. You need to think about what you want to achieve. The more you spend, the less effort & time.

Discodog

sheelbee wrote: »

Wait until the "ubiquitous" engine starts hunting !!

I have been using Hondas for 30 years & never had that. Hasn't been ubiquitous for me.

I wouldn't try to scare someone away from a product or a method of purchase

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Discodog wrote: »

I have been using Hondas for 30 years & never had that. Hasn't been ubiquitous for me.

I wouldn't try to scare someone away from a product or a method of purchase

I have to agree. I have had 2 Honda mowers. The first lasted 37 years and was only serviced 5 times. The second has been running smoothly and trouble free for 12 years.

deezell

49801 wrote: »

Bump

For under a half acre, a 21-23" self propelled will do fine. If you're short of time go for 23", and/ or get variable speed drive so you can tear through light growth areas at a trot, slowing down for slopes and heavy growth. Nice looking Hyundai 21 in chadwicks with variable speed and electric start, or a bigger Einhell 23" for about the same money. I'd love the toro, but more things to fail in a twin cut.

hawkeye_bmr

49801 wrote: »

Which lawn mower would ye recommend me?

Got .3 to .5 acre to cut. Site is slopped 10-20 degrees. Garden is just grass a the moment with no beds or shrubs as obstacles but will in future I suppose

Would a 21 inch self propelled be alright? Busy job and 2 small children
Could pick one up for €150 second hand and would 'just' fit in plastic garden/wheelie bin cabinet jobbie I got from b&q.

Other options:
30inch toro timemaster €1450 new. adv is could store in barna shed but need to buy one. Not worst thing for us to get.
2-Second hand ride for €900 to €1200 disadvantage is storage (possible store in barna? Don't wanna commit to proper shed right now as can't decide where to put)

One cosideration is storage as have no shed. Amenable to buying a barna. Don't really want to get a steeltec yet right now. (Got one of those large plastic wheelie bin stores for the moment from b&q

Thanks in advance

Think of all the free exercise that will get you. Home house is similar size, but has trees shrubs etc, takes 3 hours bagging, about an hour mulching. Site is sloped >30° in places and quite soft so ride on would bottom out. Front of house lawn is at 40°, hard enough keeping a self drive steady on that!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

hawkeye_bmr wrote: »

Think of all the free exercise that will get you. Home house is similar size, but has trees shrubs etc, takes 3 hours bagging, about an hour mulching. Site is sloped >30° in places and quite soft so ride on would bottom out. Front of house lawn is at 40°, hard enough keeping a self drive steady on that!

I can't see how it could take 3 hours bagging. I have a mature garden with .75 acre of grass with trees shrub beds etc. It's never takes more than an hour and a half and I'm a slow moving 73 year old. You need a new mower

my3cents

Camila Breezy Thriftiness wrote: »

I can't see how it could take 3 hours bagging. I have a mature garden with .75 acre of grass with trees shrub beds etc. It's never takes more than an hour and a half and I'm a slow moving 73 year old. You need a new mower

Some people don't know how to cut grass. It could easily take 3 hours with bagging off if its left a couple of extra days and then cut too short in the belief that it can be left longer until the next cut.

737max

Discodog wrote: »

Honda Ireland will sell direct because the dealer network is so scattered. Even so I usually get parts online as it's quicker.

My 21 inch grassbox is about 15 years old & still ok.

I just paid €25 for an Izy drive cable on ebay - hardly expensive.

You don't have the first clue how expensive lawnmower parts can be because of your limited experience of the few machines you happen to own.
You will not purchase direct from a distributor at a price which undermines their dealers.

my3cents

737max wrote: »

You don't have the first clue how expensive lawnmower parts can be because of your limited experience of the few machines you happen to own.
You will not purchase direct from a distributor at a price which undermines their dealers.

There are good quality parts available that aren't made by Honda for their machines that are a fraction of cost of the genuine parts.

In most cases it makes little economic sense to put expensive genuine parts on a honda mower when they finally go wrong.

737max

Not the obscure part that a customer needs at the time that the customer needs it.
If you need a part in a hurry and in the summer when your lawnmower has broken down in the middle of a mow you need to be receiving the part and fitting it within a few days otherwise the lawn has turned in to a jungle.

You appear to be confusing consumables with engine parts.

If you don't value the chosen sales and support channel which Honda deem necessary for their horticultural products then you aren't really a customer for their product and would be better off buying disposable product in a DIY store.

kilburn

Any thoughts on McAllister v Mountfeld?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

kilburn wrote: »

Any thoughts on McAllister v Mountfeld?

Being a Honda man myself I would not go for either but any McAllister mowers I have seen have the wheels too far out for cutting close to walls, fences or trees. Mountfields have always been decent enough mowers for the money.

my3cents

737max wrote: »

Not the obscure part that a customer needs at the time that the customer needs it.
If you need a part in a hurry and in the summer when your lawnmower has broken down in the middle of a mow you need to be receiving the part and fitting it within a few days otherwise the lawn has turned in to a jungle.

You appear to be confusing consumables with engine parts.

If you don't value the chosen sales and support channel which Honda deem necessary for their horticultural products then you aren't really a customer for their product and would be better off buying disposable product in a DIY store.

You seem to be deliberately missing the point. Honda engines as a general rule don't need spare parts because they don't break down.

I may need a new deck soon for my 12 year old Honda ride on. Screw the Honda dealer I can get the same deck shell much cheaper and much quicker from a local mower repair guy who keeps them in stock.

737max

my3cents wrote: »

You seem to be deliberately missing the point. Honda engines as a general rule don't need spare parts because they don't break down.

No, this is the point where you are fundamentally wrong but you can't see it because of experience, limited to your own few machines.

deezell

my3cents wrote: »

You seem to be deliberately missing the point. Honda engines as a general rule don't need spare parts because they don't break down.

I may need a new deck soon for my 12 year old Honda ride on. Screw the Honda dealer I can get the same deck shell much cheaper and much quicker from a local mower repair guy who keeps them in stock.

Very difficult to be a dealer and keep parts in the age of the internet. If your margins are high, on top of distributor's inflated prices, then you'll only sell to people desperate to return a mower to work. Service parts such as cables belts and blades are a fraction of dealer "recommended retail price" on the internet. Even specific parts like drives, wheels bags, can be generic when you run the part number, giving you a choice. I pay €3-4 for the little v drive belt on a Stiga in a belt and bearings industrial supplier, instead of €20+ to the dealer. Variable speed and clutch cable is specific just to that model so it's pay about €30 to dealer or trawl the net and maybe get one for €15+ from Europe. Many high end brands now badge generic mowers whose parts are quite common if you know how to identify and search for them.

Discodog

737max wrote: »

You don't have the first clue how expensive lawnmower parts can be because of your limited experience of the few machines you happen to own.
You will not purchase direct from a distributor at a price which undermines their dealers.

Old saying ASSUME & you make an arse out of you & me.

I am a contractor & I used to buy 10 machines a year. I also service all my machines. I know more about Honda mowers than you could ever hope to. I can change a rear roller drive clutch on a 21" inch Pro Roller in the field, quicker than any dealer.

Honda Ireland will & do sell parts direct. I have bought from them in the past. My "local" Honda dealer is 50 miles away. Most Honda parts are available on ebay. But, as it's a Honda, you rarely need them.

By the way, if you sell or service mowers, you should declare your interest here.

Discodog

deezell wrote: »

Very difficult to be a dealer and keep parts in the age of the internet. If your margins are high, on top of distributor's inflated prices, then you'll only sell to people desperate to return a mower to work. Service parts such as cables belts and blades are a fraction of dealer "recommended retail price" on the internet. Even specific parts like drives, wheels bags, can be generic when you run the part number, giving you a choice. I pay ?3-4 for the little v drive belt on a Stiga in a belt and bearings industrial supplier, instead of ?20+ to the dealer. Variable speed and clutch cable is specific just to that model so it's pay about ?30 to dealer or trawl the net and maybe get one for ?15+ from Europe. Many high end brands now badge generic mowers whose parts are quite common if you know how to identify and search for them.

I use bicycle brake & gear inner cables. Around €1 each & stronger than the originals. They usually need the nipple filing down :eek: but then are fine.
It crazy to buy the whole cable if you just need the inner. Never buy bearings. Just take the old one to a bearing supplier - so much cheaper.

deezell

Discodog wrote: »

I use bicycle brake & gear inner cables. Around €1 each & stronger than the originals. They usually need the nipple filing down :eek: but then are fine.
It crazy to buy the whole cable if you just need the inner. Never buy bearings. Just take the old one to a bearing supplier - so much cheaper.

Filed nipples sounds painful! Oddly sometimes it's the outer that wears out if the cable is strongly curved and the outer is just plastic, not metal like a bike cable. Most mower cables have pressed nipples and fittings at both ends, ball shaped, cone shaped, cranked, threaded adjusters, springs etc. A bit of work to mod a bike cable to suit unless you have the gear to press the ends on the cable and have the correct shaped end.

Discodog

deezell wrote: »

Filed nipples sounds painful! Oddly sometimes it's the outer that wears out if the cable is strongly curved and the outer is just plastic, not metal like a bike cable. Most mower cables have pressed nipples and fittings at both ends, ball shaped, cone shaped, cranked, threaded adjusters, springs etc. A bit of work to mod a bike cable to suit unless you have the gear to press the ends on the cable and have the correct shaped end.

I have actually used screw on nipples before

49801

deezell wrote: »

For under a half acre, a 21-23" self propelled will do fine. If you're short of time go for 23", and/ or get variable speed drive so you can tear through light growth areas at a trot, slowing down for slopes and heavy growth. Nice looking Hyundai 21 in chadwicks with variable speed and electric start, or a bigger Einhell 23" for about the same money. I'd love the toro, but more things to fail in a twin cut.

Thanks. My q is around deciding if a 21inch walk behind machine would be appropriate for amount of grass I have. Sounds like it would be

49801

Discodog wrote: »

The reason why you aren't getting recommendations is that your choices are so big. You are talking about a budget between 150 & 2000. You need to think about what you want to achieve. The more you spend, the less effort & time.

The q I have is not so much about money. It's more about what genre of machine is appropriate. I don't mind spending for the right setup. However I could do without expensive mistake buying machine too small or too big.

It's a good point other poster makes about advantages of having variable speed walk behind on slopes

my3cents

49801 wrote: »

The q I have is not so much about money. It's more about what genre of machine is appropriate. I don't mind spending for the right setup. However I could do without expensive mistake buying machine too small or too big.

It's a good point other poster makes about advantages of having variable speed walk behind on slopes

It's a very personal choice. I have contract mowed and for ten years had nearly 4 acres of grass to cut every week in the garden I worked in and I'd always make sure I have some form on push rotary mower plus a larger self propelled walk behind or rid on.

Start off with the small push mower and cut around the beds, around trees, round off any corners and cut any awkward areas (banks and narrow strips) then fire off with the larger mower without the hassle of lots of reversing in out and around the edges and obstacles.

The smaller mower is also handy where the ground changes direction and a larger mower can't get into the bottom of a low area or would scalp a high spot.

For speed I'd cut more often slightly higher and leave the grass on certainly nothing closer than an inch, but kids means you may have them tracking wet grass into the house which spouses don't seem to appreciate therefore you may need to box off everything.

I've not used it and would love to get some input but I think the toro timemaster looks very suitable for Irish gardens of your size. Don't forget that 30 inches is quite wide and will scalp any humps and miss any bumps if you are starting from the sort of poor quality lawn that many new builds have.

Discodog

my3cents wrote: »

It's a very personal choice. I have contract mowed and for ten years had nearly 4 acres of grass to cut every week in the garden I worked in and I'd always make sure I have some form on push rotary mower plus a larger self propelled walk behind or rid on.

Start off with the small push mower and cut around the beds, around trees, round off any corners and cut any awkward areas (banks and narrow strips) then fire off with the larger mower without the hassle of lots of reversing in out and around the edges and obstacles.

The smaller mower is also handy where the ground changes direction and a larger mower can't get into the bottom of a low area or would scalp a high spot.

For speed I'd cut more often slightly higher and leave the grass on certainly nothing closer than an inch, but kids means you may have them tracking wet grass into the house which spouses don't seem to appreciate therefore you may need to box off everything.

I've not used it and would love to get some input but I think the toro timemaster looks very suitable for Irish gardens of your size. Don't forget that 30 inches is quite wide and will scalp any humps and miss any bumps if you are starting from the sort of poor quality lawn that many new builds have.

There is Timemaster & a Landmaster - same deck but beefier engine. I'd imagine that the grass box must be very heavy when full. I would be concerned cutting long wet grass. The absolute best mower for Ireland is the Etesia as it will cut & collect every blade, no matter how long & how wet. But they are very expensive & heavy.

It's quicker to mow the small bits second & easier because you can easily see what the ride on misses. If you do the small bits first you tend to cut more than you need

my3cents

Discodog wrote: »

There is Timemaster & a Landmaster - same deck but beefier engine. I'd imagine that the grass box must be very heavy when full. I would be concerned cutting long wet grass. The absolute best mower for Ireland is the Etesia as it will cut & collect every blade, no matter how long & how wet. But they are very expensive & heavy.

It's quicker to mow the small bits second & easier because you can easily see what the ride on misses. If you do the small bits first you tend to cut more than you need

I can see your point. For me its a mental attitude thing by the time I've done nearly two hours on the ride on I don't want to go near the small mower so do the small mower work first, but I save time by not using a grass box on the small mower and pick the grass up with the larger mower.

Discodog

my3cents wrote: »

I can see your point. For me its a mental attitude thing by the time I've done nearly two hours on the ride on I don't want to go near the small mower so do the small mower work first, but I save time by not using a grass box on the small mower and pick the grass up with the larger mower.

I cut so little grass now. My 16 inch Izy is perfect & the big mower stays in the shed.

737max

Discodog wrote: »

Old saying ASSUME & you make an arse out of you & me.
.

Right, so you decided to personalise this.
Now you see... you think you know more about Honda lawnmowers than me and you wouldn't be the first Contractor who thinks they know more than an Approved Authorised Dealer. Whenever Contractors came in the door I was just hoping to get them out the door as quickly as possible as they would waste your time while genuine Customers were left waiting and put no money in your pocket and sometimes even left you losing money.
If you are not an approved Honda dealer then you have very little exposure to Hondas or the issues associated with sourcing parts. Until you have had to explain to a Customer why the blade brake for their Honda lawnmower which costs an average month's salary isn't to be had anywhere in Europe for the rest of summer then you won't be able to give useful advice to people looking to source a machine.
I think we've come to blows on this forum, if not this thread in the past and you insist on shouting down any people who disagree with you but honestly I couldn't be bothered getting into an argument with a know-nothing.

I don't currently sell or service lawnmowers nor do I have any intention of selling lawnmowers in the future and I would only have to disclose an interest if I were drumming up business for myself which I am obviously not doing so I don't have to declare any interest to a moderator.
What I bring to the forum with my few postings is previous wide-ranging impartial experience of horticultural machinery which you do not possess.

Every time you purchase a machine you have to justify to yourself that you made a good purchase; You are incapable of providing unbiased advice.

I doubt I have succeeded in proving to you that you know very little about the subject in question but frankly I don't really care. good night.

Discodog

737max wrote: »

Right, so you decided to personalise this.
Now you see... you think you know more about Honda lawnmowers than me and you wouldn't be the first Contractor who thinks they know more than an Approved Authorised Dealer. Whenever Contractors came in the door I was just hoping to get them out the door as quickly as possible as they would waste your time while genuine Customers were left waiting and put no money in your pocket and sometimes even left you losing money.
If you are not an approved Honda dealer then you have very little exposure to Hondas or the issues associated with sourcing parts. Until you have had to explain to a Customer why the blade brake for their Honda lawnmower which costs an average month's salary isn't to be had anywhere in Europe for the rest of summer then you won't be able to give useful advice to people looking to source a machine.
I think we've come to blows on this forum, if not this thread in the past and you insist on shouting down any people who disagree with you but honestly I couldn't be bothered getting into an argument with a know-nothing.

I don't currently sell or service lawnmowers nor do I have any intention of selling lawnmowers in the future and I would only have to disclose an interest if I were drumming up business for myself which I am obviously not doing so I don't have to declare any interest to a moderator.
What I bring to the forum with my few postings is previous wide-ranging impartial experience of horticultural machinery which you do not possess.

Every time you purchase a machine you have to justify to yourself that you made a good purchase; You are incapable of providing unbiased advice.

I doubt I have succeeded in proving to you that you know very little about the subject in question but frankly I don't really care. good night.

You accuse me of being personal yet you wrote this:

You don't have the first clue how expensive lawnmower parts can be because of your limited experience of the few machines you happen to own.
You will not purchase direct from a distributor at a price which undermines their dealers.

In one sentence you say that you are an approved Honda dealer & in the next that you are not.

You say that blade clutches can be out of supply all over Europe. There are plenty here. Six on ebay alone.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/honda-lawnmower-clutch

http://www.cash4tools.ie/lawnmower-clutches/honda-hrd535-hrd536-brake-blade-clutch-detail

https://planopower.com/store/honda/honda_hr215_bbc_assembly.php

You say that they cost a months wages. The dearest is ?139.

You say that Honda Ireland won't sell parts yet my local mower repairer, who isn't a Honda dealer, can get parts within 48 hours

I have bought a wide range of machines over many years & done more work with them in a week that a typical customer would in a year. But you say that I am more biased than a dealer.

If your idea of customer service is to "get them out of the door" then it's even more reason why people should buy online.

I will leave others to judge if I am shouting people down. I have made 10,000 posts here & received 5,600 thanks