The Great Big Lawnmower Thread

deezell

TheTorment wrote: »

........Has anyone any experience of any of these mowers or like to recommend something else?

Thanks

Don't dismiss dual or triple purpose mowers which can bag or mulch with the addition of an adaptor or plug. You may have occasions when mulching is difficult, and it might be easier to bag. Fine choice of mowers otherwise, that Stiga is good value. Newer stigas may be a tad less robust than previous generations but they were always top machines. Ours is 18 years on the go.

deezell

1 day sale event Saturday in Chadwicks Naas. Extra €50 off.

deezell

deezell wrote: »

Don't dismiss dual or triple purpose mowers which can bag or mulch with the addition of an adaptor or plug. You may have occasions when mulching is difficult, and it might be easier to bag. Fine choice of mowers otherwise, that Stiga is good value. Newer stigas may be a tad less robust than previous generations but they were always top machines. Ours is 18 years on the go.

Would I be compromising the effectiveness of mulching by getting a dual/tripple purpose machine rather than a dedicated mulcher?

my3cents

TheTorment wrote: »

Would I be compromising the effectiveness of mulching by getting a dual/tripple purpose machine rather than a dedicated mulcher?

You wouldn't be getting much done in my garden with just a mulcher after say the end of September, the grass for the most part will be too wet then it will get too long requiring a mower that either picks up or redirects the grass out from under the deck.

Ideally you want a combi machine that has different blades for mulching and picking up/discharging the grass but if you have enough engine power then you should be fine with just one blade type.

my3cents

my3cents wrote: »

You wouldn't be getting much done in my garden with just a mulcher after say the end of September, the grass for the most part will be too wet then it will get too long requiring a mower that either picks up or redirects the grass out from under the deck.

Ideally you want a combi machine that has different blades for mulching and picking up/discharging the grass but if you have enough engine power then you should be fine with just one blade type.

Thanks for that!!
Would you recommend any?

of the three listed above woud the Honda, therefore be the better option? https://www.lawnmowersdirect.co.uk/product/honda-hrs536sde

my3cents

TheTorment wrote: »

Thanks for that!!
Would you recommend any?

of the three listed above woud the Honda, therefore be the better option? https://www.lawnmowersdirect.co.uk/product/honda-hrs536sde

Depends how you work but if you never want to pick up grass then the Honda looks like a good compromise.

deezell

TheTorment wrote: »

Thanks for that!!
Would you recommend any?

of the three listed above woud the Honda, therefore be the better option? https://www.lawnmowersdirect.co.uk/product/honda-hrs536sde

Honda always high end pricewise, the engines have a great rep. That's a good deal if you're happy to buy from UK. How are local dealer euro prices?

Mitch Buchannon

TheTorment wrote: »

Thanks for that!!
Would you recommend any?

of the three listed above woud the Honda, therefore be the better option? https://www.lawnmowersdirect.co.uk/product/honda-hrs536sde

I have that Honda mower. My garden is way too big to collect so a mower with a bag was never an option. It has been faultless in the couple of years I have it.
I mulch , the only time I use the side chute is the first couple of cuts of the season to get it down or if I get a good dry day in the winter to the take rough look off the garden.

I couldn’t find a stockist of that mower in the Ireland so I ended up getting it from Cathcarts in Enniskillen. My wife is from there so brought it home to Dublin in the boot of the car.

Astroman1968

Guys,know this is off topic but does anyone know were I could get my hands on a used lawnmower engine around 25hp with a horizontal shaft ?

deezell

Astroman1968 wrote: »

Guys,know this is off topic but does anyone know were I could get my hands on a used lawnmower engine around 25hp with a horizontal shaft ?

Horizontal engines unlikely to come from a lawnmower, except a very big cylinder mower. Horizontal would be fitted to cement mixers, water pumps, generators, compressors, rotavators, whacker plates. 25hp is big for most of these though, maybe a large ride behind rotavator, or big generator, or a quad bike. You'd be looking at maybe 800 new for 25hp. Here's a new 13hp pull start Honda copy for €300. A 25hp would need an electric start I'd imagine.
https://www.eurosmallengineparts.ie/construction-parts/complete-engine/Lifan-Engine-13hp?

Are you trying to build your own buggy or something?
You could try plant hire places, Adverts and Donedeal for used.

Astroman1968

Thanks.yeah looking to build a quad mower.

my3cents

Astroman1968 wrote: »

Thanks.yeah looking to build a quad mower.

Import a mini tractor from the UK, they are much more popular there than they are here.

Discodog

Astroman1968 wrote: »

Thanks.yeah looking to build a quad mower.

Interesting idea. Keep us updated. How do you plan on collecting the grass ?

Astroman1968

Mostly for rushes.do weed licking and have demand for mower too.plan is to do rushes and come back and cut at a later date when they are dead.

deezell

Astroman1968 wrote: »

Mostly for rushes.do weed licking and have demand for mower too.plan is to do rushes and come back and cut at a later date when they are dead.

Your hoping to make something like this?


There's some on UK ebay for under £1000, ATV mowers or flail mowers.

Astroman1968

Similar to that but using flails.will be trial and error but hopefully should work.

have2flushtwice

Hi
I've a cth17.5 Husqvarna hydrostatic. There's a charging port on the dash for the battery, you stick in an adaptor and it charges it up.
Does anyone know where I'd get one of these?

Discodog

have2flushtwice wrote: »

Hi
I've a cth17.5 Husqvarna hydrostatic. There's a charging port on the dash for the battery, you stick in an adaptor and it charges it up.
Does anyone know where I'd get one of these?

Quick glance online shows lots on ebay

Edward M

I am buying a new ride on mower. I'm stuck between three and wondering if anyone can advise as to which might be best.
All have a Briggs and stratten 656 cc engine, twin cylinder, around 20 HP I'm told although all claim differently on that.
A viking my 5112 z, a husqvarna tc 142 t and a castelgarden ptx 200 HD are my choices so far, all in or around the same price, but dealers seem to be prepared to negotiate mor on the husq.
Can anyone advise as to which might be the best, perhaps for bagging slightly damp grass as everything else seems more or less the same, but I thought at looking husq seemed stronger build.

Shefwedfan

Edward M wrote: »

I am buying a new ride on mower. I'm stuck between three and wondering if anyone can advise as to which might be best.
All have a Briggs and stratten 656 cc engine, twin cylinder, around 20 HP I'm told although all claim differently on that.
A viking my 5112 z, a husqvarna tc 142 t and a castelgarden ptx 200 HD are my choices so far, all in or around the same price, but dealers seem to be prepared to negotiate mor on the husq.
Can anyone advise as to which might be the best, perhaps for bagging slightly damp grass as everything else seems more or less the same, but I thought at looking husq seemed stronger build.

I have Viking 5112z, great machine. Really they are a Stihl so you know you are getting quality.

Brother had a Castelgarden for year, it was a work horse. Only recently sold it on to replace with a bigger machine. Ticked all the boxes

No idea on the husq but from what I have heard they are not great, nothing specific but a few people have mentioned to stay away from the ride on's....it could be idle gossip but when the same price as the Viking I knew which option was best

Squarewave

Does anyone have reviews of the XDC150 Castelgarden?

red sean

Have one for 2 years now. No problem, but then I don't abuse it and I maintain it properly.
Lots of power compared with the old 12.5hp I previously owned. I use it for approx 1acre.

Edward M

Shefwedfan wrote: »

I have Viking 5112z, great machine. Really they are a Stihl so you know you are getting quality.

Brother had a Castelgarden for year, it was a work horse. Only recently sold it on to replace with a bigger machine. Ticked all the boxes

No idea on the husq but from what I have heard they are not great, nothing specific but a few people have mentioned to stay away from the ride on's....it could be idle gossip but when the same price as the Viking I knew which option was best

Bought a husqvarna tc 342 t.
It has a Kawasaki 27 HP twin cylinder engine.
If that doesent collect the grass I'll be buggered.
Got a good deal on it as it was a display model.
List price is 4800, got it for 4000, I thought it worth the extra money.

Shefwedfan

Edward M wrote: »

Bought a husqvarna tc 342 t.
It has a Kawasaki 27 HP twin cylinder engine.
If that doesent collect the grass I'll be buggered.
Got a good deal on it as it was a display model.
List price is 4800, got it for 4000, I thought it worth the extra money.

Best of luck with it....

I really liked the look of the husq when I was looking but went with the old reliable as it was my first tractor mower.....

deezell

Edward M wrote: »

Bought a husqvarna tc 342 t.
It has a Kawasaki 27 HP twin cylinder engine.
If that doesent collect the grass I'll be buggered....

You might need some lubricant so... For the Grass chute! Even the best of them will clog when the grass is heavy with dew, or wet soft new season grass. I used WD40 dry PTFE spray on the inside of the plastic grass chute on my Viking tractor. Thorough clean with a brush and detergent, or pressure sprayer. Dry off and then coat with the spray.

Edward M

deezell wrote: »

You might need some lubricant so... For the Grass chute! Even the best of them will clog when the grass is heavy with dew, or wet soft new season grass. I used WD40 dry PTFE spray on the inside of the plastic grass chute on my Viking tractor. Thorough clean with a brush and detergent, or pressure sprayer. Dry off and then coat with the spray.

Does that really work?
Thanks for the tip, I will def try that.

thos

deezell wrote: »

You might need some lubricant so... For the Grass chute! Even the best of them will clog when the grass is heavy with dew, or wet soft new season grass. I used WD40 dry PTFE spray on the inside of the plastic grass chute on my Viking tractor. Thorough clean with a brush and detergent, or pressure sprayer. Dry off and then coat with the spray.

Tried wax on my chute (ooo err) last season, didnt notice a huge improvement, but might try that this season.

To add - I found a good powerwash and clean up of the bag helps too, you need airflow out to help suck it up!

Squatman

what are peoples opinions on a castlegarden xdc150. have my eye on one for sale at the moment, would it be sufficient for up to an acre?

deezell

Squatman wrote: »

what are peoples opinions on a castlegarden xdc150. have my eye on one for sale at the moment, would it be sufficient for up to an acre?

Solid castelgarden machine, twin blade despite small cut size of 84cm. It will do an acre in reasonable time, but is a bit small and underpowered. It's own spec recommends a little over 3/4 acre, 3700m2. With engine power of only 7.4 Kw, 10HP, your own physical size becomes an issue. If your'e 250lbs like someone I know, you'll need a good bit of that power just to drag your arse around the garden. Add a full bag of grass to this, and you might find heavy cutting tedious.

red sean

Squatman wrote: »

what are peoples opinions on a castlegarden xdc150. have my eye on one for sale at the moment, would it be sufficient for up to an acre?

I posted this a few posts back in reply to someone else:

red sean wrote: »

Have one for 2 years now. No problem, but then I don't abuse it and I maintain it properly.
Lots of power compared with the old 12.5hp I previously owned. I use it for approx 1acre.