New lawn mower

[EdJ]

My mower finally packed in this weekend and I need to get a new one. I don't have that much lawn to mow, but I do want something reliable and with a grass collector. Any advice appreciated.

Thanks,

Ed

[tr7v8]

I use a qualcast, always found them good with good spares support. TBH I'd go down the local B&Q/Homebase/etc & see what they have.

[Isoproturon1]

Family have always had Hayters, with Briggs & Stratton engines. Never had any problems. That said, our Qualcast, although plastic bodied rather than metal, has been good.

[PH5121]

My cheapo Techumsae engined petrol mower packed in a few weeks back, so my dad gave me his old Honda mower.
The oil was changed, the petrol tank was filled up and it fired up on the third pull, not bad for a 20 year old mower which had been stood in an outbuilding for 6 or 7 years. So I would recommend looking at Honda engined unit if you want reliability.

[EdJ]

Thanks for the replies - I wondered about a Honda because I have it in my head that they are reliable for some reason. On the other hand, I quite fancied a Hayter, because it's British made (I think?) and looks fairly high quality.

My local B&Q isn't that helpful as they seem to have just electric models. I'd quite fancy something with a key start after spending the weekend trying to pull start my 25 year old Atco...

[WWESTY]

Got my 4 wheel Flymo 10 years ago and its still going (touch wood).....

They used to have a factory shop selling retailer returns at good discount.

[mechsympathy]

I got a Honda Izy (a cunning Japanese pun on easy, apparantly) and it does exactly what it says on the tin.

[mrmaggit]

EdJ said:

Thanks for the replies - I wondered about a Honda because I have it in my head that they are reliable for some reason. On the other hand, I quite fancied a Hayter, because it's British made (I think?) and looks fairly high quality.

My local B&Q isn't that helpful as they seem to have just electric models. I'd quite fancy something with a key start after spending the weekend trying to pull start my 25 year old Atco...

I've got a Hayter Harrier 48 and it's wonderful bit of kit, and yes, they are made in England.

[JustinP1]

EdJ said:

My mower finally packed in this weekend and I need to get a new one. I don't have that much lawn to mow, but I do want something reliable and with a grass collector. Any advice appreciated.

Thanks,

Ed

How much is 'not much'.

My modest sized lawn I have just changed to a hand mower. More reliable than electric and petrol, and when you take up all the set up time, actually works out quicker. £38 from Amazon.

[SJobson]

mechsympathy said:

I got a Honda Izy (a cunning Japanese pun on easy, apparantly) and it does exactly what it says on the tin.

Ditto.

[thepeoplespal]

Got the father in law a Bosch Rotak 40 (there are smaller ones and a battery powered one too) which for a small garden I thought was very good, not having to use clippers to finish the lawn is a god send with combs directing grass into the cutting blade. By all means go for a good petrol as recommended by people here, as they are safer in lots of ways, but for a small lawn with a border or two the Rotak range seems to my mind a good option.

[CDP]

I needed something small for under bushes and the smaller bits of lawn to go with my '87 Lawnboy (it's American so please make allowances). I bought a £90 petrol rotary from B&Q and it seems to do a pretty good job even if it feels flimsy but has a B&S four stroke engine.

[mechsympathy]

JustinP1 said:

My modest sized lawn I have just changed to a hand mower. More reliable than electric and petrol, and when you take up all the set up time, actually works out quicker. £38 from Amazon.

Oddly enough I ditched a hand mower for the Honda It clogged if you let the grass get too long and slipped if the ground wasn't perfectly dry. The petrol mower takes no longer to set up, requires minimal effort and doesn't mind if I've neglected the grass a bit. It also has a larger collecting box. It takes me 20 minutes to do a lawn that used to take an hour with the hand mower.

[Eggle]

I too have a Honda. Great machine.

[jkennyd]

I got a petrol from Focus with the Honda engine.

[phib]

We have a hayter harrier 56 key start for the smaler bits, really great bit of kit and a simplicity ride on for the big bit ( maybee a bit overkill but the is pistonheads !!!! )

[Busamav]

For the use you describe , would get a cheap petrol mower from one of the diy sheds , £150 should cover it.

[JustinP1]

mechsympathy said:

JustinP1 said:

My modest sized lawn I have just changed to a hand mower. More reliable than electric and petrol, and when you take up all the set up time, actually works out quicker. £38 from Amazon.

Oddly enough I ditched a hand mower for the Honda It clogged if you let the grass get too long and slipped if the ground wasn't perfectly dry. The petrol mower takes no longer to set up, requires minimal effort and doesn't mind if I've neglected the grass a bit. It also has a larger collecting box. It takes me 20 minutes to do a lawn that used to take an hour with the hand mower.

If it took you an hour before, then that is probably not a hand mower job!

Maybe I don't let my lawn get too long as the design on mine is pretty good and never once slipped, and I don't need to use the grassbox. Saves on the feeding!

[mechsympathy]

JustinP1 said:

If it took you an hour before, then that is probably not a hand mower job!

I thought it'd be a good form of exercise

[tvrforever]

I'm thinking of one of these :-

http://www.mountfield-online.co.uk/product/101/s46...

Mountfield S461R PD Petrol Rotary - Rear Roller Mower £399


Should be buying from these guys :-

http://georgebrowns.co.uk/garden_machinery_mountfi...