Qualcast 48cm petrol lawnmower €260 Argos

lotmc

Grass is growing and my current mower is about to die, so have been on the lookout for a replacement for a few weeks. I spotted this one on Argos, reduced from €470 to €260 (€10 extra for delivery to Dublin):

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/4556086/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CGarden+and+DIY%7C14418702/c_2/3%7C19285823%7CLawnmowers%7C14418813/c_3/4%7Ccat_14418813%7CPetrol+mowers%7C14418820.htm

Self propelled, so no pushing
48cm makes it a big size
140cc engine is bigger than normal, but necessary due to cut-size and self-propelled
Qualcast are a reliable make

Looks like a bargain to me, so I bought one.

Bazzy

Thats a good find the mulching function is excellent as well

Briggs and Stratton are the engines to have alright very reliable

SachaJ

Never heard of the brand but need a new lawnmower. 2 year guarantee also....

dodzy

SachaJ wrote: »

Never heard of the brand but need a new lawnmower. 2 year guarantee also....

Never heard of qualcast? They're going eons and a decent brand in that field.

colm_mcm

They're basically an Argos brand at the moment. Bosch bought them out a few years ago and cleaned them out, selling off their designs to other companies but keeping the brand, which it has now licenced to Argos's parent company.

That said, if it has the Briggs and Stratton engine, that's a good enough start.

SachaJ

colm_mcm wrote: »

They're basically an Argos brand at the moment. Bosch bought them out a few years ago and cleaned them out, selling off their designs to other companies but keeping the brand, which it has now licenced to Argos's parent company.

That said, if it has the Briggs and Stratton engine, that's a good enough start.

Just about to say the same after doing some reading. Argos/Homebase have the exclusive use of the brand from Bosch.

Still a B&S engine lawnmower for ?270.

mikeybrennan

I thought the b&s engines weren't so good now

meathman0

Is this home delivery only?

lotmc

meathman0 wrote: »

Is this home delivery only?

Yes - it says on the page that "This item cannot be reserved for store pick up" and "Store pick-up not available on this order".

Probably because it is too big for their stores.

I ordered mine on Saturday and got a call on Saturday evening advising that it will be delivered to me (in Dublin) this Thursday morning

893bet

Deliver free?

crabbypaddy

mikeybrennan wrote: »

I thought the b&s engines weren't so good now

Depends these ones have plastic carburettor with floppy diaphragms in it that can fail but the diaphragms are only a few euro on ebay and easy to change. The metal carbs had their own issues with waxing of the jet and sticking needles if you didn't drain them down in storage and shaft wear.

meathman0

893bet wrote: »

Deliver free?

How much does delivery cost?
Delivery Price per order
Within County Dublin €9.95
Rest of Republic €17.95

As per website

wordofwarning

Has anyone bought and used this yet?

SachaJ

I went into Homebase to see if they'd price match Argos but no dice. Took a look at the lawnmower while I was in there and it's seems ok (not that I'd know much about lawnmowers tbh).

For €280 delivered and a 2 year guarantee I think it might do the job for us for a few years anyway. €325 in Homebase btw.

gomara

Ordered from Argos got confirmation email saying we would be contacted Friday last re delivery, no contact. Rang them on Saturday to be told this was out of stock and would not be back until end of June. As I'm in Cavan I tried Argos in Enniskillen but again they had 21 day delivery. I eventually collected it in Homebase Omagh for £239, about €280.

893bet

Mine is getting delivered tomorrow!

SachaJ

Offer ends on Tuesday I believe

lotmc

OP here.
Lawnmower was delivered on Thursday - went to assemble and use it over weekend. Assembly is fairly simple, but note that it does not come with engine oil, so you need to buy this (I had some). You need 0.5 litres of SAE30 oil. And obviously you need petrol.
Started first time, but there was a fault - the self propelled function did not work. It cuts the grass perfectly, and gathered it even though the grass was a bit damp.
Anyway I phoned the service centre in the UK, and they suggested examining the underside to see if there was a loose drive belt. I did this, and immediately could spot the problem - the pulley was not aligned correctly, and was now damaged. During the call to the service centre I asked if they gave much trouble and was told that they don't; I was only the second person to report this problem.
As the mower needs to be replaced I phoned Argos this morning, and they will replace it. However there is a shortage of stock, so the earliest is the 20th June. They will take the old one away and leave the replacement. I was offered a refund, or a credit against another mower, but I want the replacement.
So, not a good start, but in fairness the service has been good. I am happy that there is a 2-year warranty though..

wordofwarning

It is showing on the argos site as available to collect in some stores

aw

Anyone know if it would be a decent mulcher? Have a working lawnmower but looking for a mulcher.

893bet

Did a full cut today and did a tasty job. Used the mulcher function and it was fine. Grass was light enough and bone dry which makes the difference!

SachaJ

The 51cm / 150cc engines one is now on offer for €319.

SachaJ

Just in Homebase and all the Qualcast lawnmowers are on offer.

I picked up the 51cm / 150cc one for €325 which makes it slightly cheaper than the Argos offer once you factor in delivery. Also they had stock rather than waiting a couple of weeks for Argos delivery.

The 48cm was €323 which made no sense if the 51cm was €325 so the latter pricing might be a mistake on their part. The 53cm was €450 with the key start.