Which is a good lawnmower to buy?

[sheddy]

Okay, Im gonna get some flak here. TT500 or Vmax with a nobbly tyre....
seriously guys, many of us have to do the lawns. What is a good bagger mower that is good to use reliable and doesn't leave a mess. I know Honda engined is a good thing, but they are not the bees knees with picking up grass. I want an alloy deck and sounds like 21" or better cutting width. I havn't seen a good one that has the blade offset slightly to one side for getting close to the edges. Any recommendations. Replies from lawn mowing contractors would be great. you guys know what works well. I have just under 1/2 an acre to cut. My old mower is a craftsman with wobbly plastic wheels lol. All the mowers are great if you go to the mower shop...
Cheers for any good info.:confused:

[Madness]

I bought a new Lawnmaster last year. Made in beautiful Palmerston North with a Briggs & Stratton 4-stroker, it also had a big sticker all over it saying how it was the Consumer Magazine's choice.

[spanner spinner]

Buy a Honda see link http://www.hpenz.co.nz/product.aspx?ProductID=16 I both work on these and own one and would rate them as one of the better lawnmowers that I have had to maintain. Only issue is not cheap but then it will outlast four or five cheap mitre 10 mowers.

[BMWST?]

i got a lawnmaster but it was more expensive than i had intended...its a 6xx,which apparently means its engineered to run for an hour or more at a time.?Alloy deck and plastic back chute thing.My last mower had a allow deck but the back chute cover which also holds on the catcher rusted away..couldnt buy a new one.The lawnmaster picks up the grass bloody well.By the time its leaving a bit of grass in its wake the catcher absolutely chocka!

[EJK]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/business-farming-industry/farming-forestry/livestock/goats/auction-799945980.htm

[Winston001]

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/130429-What-lawnmower-d-ya-reckon?highlight=mower

[trustme]

Get a mulching mower, your lawns will be a bit longer but no more bloody grass catcher, so much quicker. The missus loves it , me , I got bikes to work on.:laugh:

[ruaphu]

We had just over 1 in 3/4 of an acre a few years back that could not all be done with a ride on due to gardens and hilly stuff. We had an old two stroke mulcher thing that was brilliant, however was a pain to push up hill and down dale.

We replaced it with a self propelled 22" Toro mower. Brilliant to use as it dragged it self along, HOWEVER. The deck couldn't be lowered enough for a decent cut, and every time ya let the handle go the sod would stop, good ole us of a health and safety chite.

The diff collasped after eight months, it ate drive belts, and had it had a ton of plastic underneath that started to disintegrate after a year.

I finally traded it on a john deer mower. Self propelled with variable speed, alloy deck, cut low heights, massive catcher, awesome motor (may have been a Honda motor ??????) that never missed a beat, tough as ole boots, took a canning and never broke down EVER! We had it four years and never had to replace anything except for usual consumables.

Yep more expensive to buy, but well worth it as it was reliable, cheap to run, cheap to maintain never gave any grief and done a darn good cut.

As far as i know the mower is still used on the property some five years after we left it with the new owners.

Cheers


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[unstuck]

Goats, cool for when you get lonely too.:msn-wink:

[slofox]

The best mower is one that is used by someone else...I don't have one of those either...

[Maha]

A school kid, one less job you have to do. Probably cost $15.
Work out how many lawns you'll get mowed for fuck all against what you'll pay for a mower, could be as much as 1000 mows, which means you would have get at least fours years before it pays for itself, worth thinking about.

[R650R]

Like any tool its the operator that matters most, not the machine.

Have an el cheapo $399? Cobra from mega 10, does perfect job and has blade offset on left side for drop-offs. Only leaves grass behind if your trying to keep mowing with full catcher.
The cloth catcher that came with it was shit but the plastic bin one off old mower fits with a bungey cord to tension the top flap so it stays there. That's all you need.
No need for a shiney penis extension of a mower, especially if your a proper cunt and mow the lawns while the joneses next door are still in bed.
Have sharpened the blade on grinder once, doing a mean job.
Also don't mow to low and you don't need to worry about weeds then.

[JimO]

A school kid, one less job you have to do. Probably cost $15.
Work out how many lawns you'll get mowed for fuck all against what you'll pay for a mower, could be as much as 1000 mows, which means you would have get at least fours years before it pays for itself, worth thinking about.
most of the kids i know who cut grass dont own a mower they use yours, i bought a Lawnmaster last year and its good, last week i bought a cheap Morrison from Placemakers for $350 for one of my flats it does the trick as well, wasnt going to pay a grand when it will probably end up stolen

[danchop]

I used to do lawns,we always used rover mowers with a Suzuki two stroke 5hp engine,basic,expensive but bulletproof...don't know if you can still buy them but they were around $1000 new

[buggerit]

Something the wife can start :-)

[unstuck]

Something the wife can start :-)

Yeah, thats the one I went with.:yes:

[nodrog]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/business-farming-industry/farming-forestry/livestock/goats/auction-799945980.htm

aww stink, did you guys break up?

[EJK]

aww stink, did you guys break up?

Wanna swap oi? Just run-in, plenty of life left.

[Akzle]

get a walker. c or t series.
fit a drink holder.
bang your wife in the time you save.

[Oakie]

The Masport something or other that I bought ... errr ... near 20 years ago would be a good one. Still going strong and I can only remember changing the oil twice. Remnds me ... must get it out and mow the lawn this afternoon. Bet it explodes when I start it now, having just sung it's praises!

[amberzfire]

I bought a massport president 4000 al combo, from the Stihl Shop, granted it's still fairly new but easy start which is pretty much how most roll these days .. I am fond of massport so stick with what I know but I think overall any lawnmower does the job really, I'd use a handmower if I had to .. always use the clippings for the garden or compost so I prefer a catcher. Good luck!

(Iv got beach grass .. drives me fkn bonkers patchy as, uneven, slopes :oi-grr:)

[nodrog]

Wanna swap oi? Just run-in, plenty of life left.

You would have ruined its box

[Motu]

The Victa 550 Professional was the default contractors mower for many years. They are a serious lawn cutting machine, no catcher, but you can get a mulching plug. Expensive, and you don't see them around much these days...get a used one from a contractor like I did. An engine designed to cut lawns, not an industrial engine bolted to a mower body like most others.

[Maha]

most of the kids i know who cut grass dont own a mower they use yours, i bought a Lawnmaster last year and its good, last week i bought a cheap Morrison from Placemakers for $350 for one of my flats it does the trick as well, wasnt going to pay a grand when it will probably end up stolen

You buy a second hand one for $150-180 or a cheap new one as you did.

[Flip]

I have a ryobi mower. Its good.

My brother who runs a gardening business only buys Honda plastic body mowers.

[Drew]

Cub Cadet is a good brand of ride on I'm told. Was a bit slow for my taste though.

[Akzle]

I have a ryobi mower. Its good.

My brother who runs a gardening business only buys Honda plastic body mowers.

one brother honda, one harley. your old man must be shaking his head like wtf he do wrong...

[awa355]

A lawnmower ? so not worth kicking off a new thread. Has anyone used an AL-KO mower? Cant find anything about them on google, apart from shops selling them. They come with a 2yr warranty.

[Winston001]

When it comes down to it there are two choices:

The cheapest mower you can find - Warehouse, Bunnings etc. Lots of happy campers.

Or a high-end mower from a specialist mower shop.

I have chosen the latter and bought two Masport President mowers from the local Stihl shop. I know the guys there and they know me. Not cheap but good machines - solid and start every time.

Bought a Rover mower from the Stihl shop fourteen years ago. The engine was still fresh and ready to go even though the chassis was confetti from rust. Took it it the recycle shop at the end.

The President series is pricey but the chassis is alloy and won't dissolve from grass acids.

Got a Viking ride-on which is fifteen years old and it is still an excellent mower. Slow. No hydro gearbox. No catcher. But the damned thing keeps on going. Admittedly I look after it with grease oil and sharpening but I'm amazed it hasn't died.

[Reckless]

Take my word for it!!
Victor, 2 stroke, mulching, ally body, mower.
Several sets of wheel bearings $400 recon last year, still goin strong after 20 years

Havent used a catcher, hired a green bin, or gone to the tip since I bought it.
Not emptying a catcher saves at least 1/2 the mowing time, trust me you wont believe how much work grass clippings generate.

I weed the garden chuck it on the lawn, neighbors tree leaves run them over, Dead Silver fern leaves on the lawn, all gone!
Away 3 weeks over Xmas one mow 2 notches up, next mow (same day) std setting (Once the sun had dryed the under layer) back under control :)

Only catch (no pun intended) is you gotta do them every 2 weeks and don't scalp the lawn. Mulchers don't like a forest. Just pull the cord and keep walkin till its done :)

[awa355]

The mulching capability sounds quite good. My Masport is 14 years old, still runs okay but has lost some of its guts. The wheels are getting knackered. In those 14 years, it has only ever been in to the shop once, for a carb clean out. It has never missed a beat. I always wash it after using it and re fill the tank before putting it away.

Reading reviews of new masports suggests the quality of the brand has dropped off.

I should just replace the wheel bearings, cam locks on the handle and keep running it, but new mowers come all shiney and clean. <_<

[Winston001]

LOL understood. If you want to get into the specifics, then a mower with 200mm wheels is ideal. Most mowers run 160mm which makes them hard to run over bumps and uneven surfaces. Too low to the ground. The difference is subtle but significant.

And yes in time the wheels splay which is a real biatch. I bent mine back into place on the Rover plus bolting on steel plates on the rear to keep the damned thing running square and straight. Good fun and interesting to learn.

However if I'm honest the effort cost $2/hour for a lot of work, some satisfaction, and a delayed trip to the mower shop two months later. No regrets, learned a lot but bothered if I'll do that again.

[Swoop]

... and don't scalp the lawn.
Good point.

It amazes me that so many people think "cutting the lawn" means removing as much grass as possible. This allows the sun to dry out the ground easier, so an even drier rock hard dust-bowl quickly eventuates.

I keep the grass as long as possible by raising the cutting height to leave a good 30-40mm length. The lawn still looks nice.

Turfix twice a year.
Roundup on the pesky weeds.

Sweet!

[awa355]

Went out and got a new Masport. It has the mulching feature. I've been guilty of being one of the 'scalp em' brigade as Swoop alludes to so will let the grass live a bit longer from now on.

[Moi]

... so will let the grass live a bit longer from now on.

Think of it as "lawn comb over" :laugh:

[Swoop]

Think of it as "lawn comb over" :laugh:
You'll require a rake for that.
Or kikuyu grass!:laugh:

[Moi]

You'll require a rake for that.
Or kikuyu grass!:laugh:

Don't mention kikuyu :argh:

A few years ago the council rebuilt all the kerbs and gutters in the street - nothing wrong with them but they wanted to waste more money and inconvenience everyone for several weeks - and when the contractors restored the berms they introduced kikuyu into them. So far we have kept it out there but needs constant vigilance...

[Swoop]

Don't mention kikuyu :argh:

A few years ago the council rebuilt all the kerbs and gutters in the street - nothing wrong with them but they wanted to waste more money and inconvenience everyone for several weeks - and when the contractors restored the berms they introduced kikuyu into them. So far we have kept it out there but needs constant vigilance...
I was astounded that the seeds are sold in your local plant shop/Bunnings/Palmers/etc.
'Orrible stuff!

[Reckless]

I was astounded that the seeds are sold in your local plant shop/Bunnings/Palmers/etc.
'Orrible stuff!

Came with my new supposedly processed top soil. Then slowly over the years spread.
Cant be fucked killing it and rotary hoeing and reseeding.
If its green and short and I can go ride my bike, its ok. So Just mow it.
It actually has quite a nice thick bouncy layer to walk on, mulches good and looks good as.
Maybe the mulcher thing helps here as I mow it regularly?

[george formby]

Came with my new supposedly processed top soil. Then slowly over the years spread.
Cant be fucked killing it and rotary hoeing and reseeding.
If its green and short and I can go ride my bike, its ok. So Just mow it.
It actually has quite a nice thick bouncy layer to walk on, mulches good and looks good as.
Maybe the mulcher thing helps here as I mow it regularly?

Yeah, we have Kikuya rampantly and not an issue. I don't play golf or bowl. Got to keep me edges trimmed to stop it wandering but on the bright side I can absolutely scalp it at this time of year & the lawn stays green.

Speaking of scalping. My ride on has a driveless hydrostatic drive and needs to be moved on as parts. Any recommendations for reliable ride ons which can cope with slopes? Been looking at MDS which get very mixed reviews and Husqvarna which have generally good reviews.

Soz for changing the question but two lawnmower threads seems OTT.

[gsxr]

I used to do lawns,we always used rover mowers with a Suzuki two stroke 5hp engine,basic,expensive but bulletproof...don't know if you can still buy them but they were around $1000 new

I also used to do lawns and also used 21 inch Rover .Alloy body,4 blades, with Suzuki 2 stroke motor. Bullet proof.
Also used Lawnmaster 20 inch. Also 4 blade and naturally the Suzuki 2 stroke motor.
Rover is offset to the left for close edge cutting.
The Suzuki motor is totally bullet proof and no need to do oil changes. Honda 4 strokes are OK but have no oil filter so oil changes are important.
Briggs and Stratton are OK if you are just going to do small domestic lawns every now and then when the urge takes you.

[Moi]

I was astounded that the seeds are sold in your local plant shop/Bunnings/Palmers/etc.
'Orrible stuff!

Agree, as with all plants - if in the wrong place then it is a weed! Kikuyu does have its uses - you want a grassed area and you have heavy traffic on it and suffer from dry periods then kikuyu or a mixture with something else is a good way to go. However, if you want a lawn then it's a pest.

[unstuck]

Yeah, we have Kikuya rampantly and not an issue. I don't play golf or bowl. Got to keep me edges trimmed to stop it wandering but on the bright side I can absolutely scalp it at this time of year & the lawn stays green.

Speaking of scalping. My ride on has a driveless hydrostatic drive and needs to be moved on as parts. Any recommendations for reliable ride ons which can cope with slopes? Been looking at MDS which get very mixed reviews and Husqvarna which have generally good reviews.

Soz for changing the question but two lawnmower threads seems OTT.

Have a look at some of the TYM and Kubota stuff, little cheaper than Husky and John Deere but still good mowers.