Buying 1st sit on Lawnmower -which One???

[mary]

Hi, We are going to look at purchasing our First sit on lawnmower this weekend, and I am very confused.

We have 2 acres of land with lots of trees all laid to lawn so all will need cutting. I know I should buy the best I can afford-Have a budget of 3,000E max. Obvioulsy biggest cutting size, engine size etc, but does Mulching blade really work? Someone said if they bought again, would get one with a blade at the Front ie a Park type like you saw the council use in the Uk.

Had all the pubs through today, and so many too choose from. Is the engine type the best ie Briggs and Stratton or Honda?.

Brico E.Leclerc have MTD with 3 year at home warranty...Any good??

Thanks in advance

[JohnRoss]

Bought an Electrolux Predator II from Leclerc in 2002. Still going strong though a bit battered now. Gets through a cutters drive belt every 18 months and had to change the wheel drive belt once. Battery gave up after 6 years but otherwise quite happy with it. I change the engine oil every year but other than that very little servicing done and it still goes. Now on the third set of blades which considering the mole hills and stones in our 8000 square metres ain't too bad.....................JR

PS I would have thought you need at least 16 to 18 HP

[Théière]

Out front (Stiga etc) are very maneuverable around objects but if your ground is rougher than a golf course/park the belts snap frequently, that's why some models are shaft drive obviously more expensive. Almost all, if not all the mechanics of small tractor style are Briggs and Stratton with Pearless/ Techumseh back axles and virtually identical.

Mulchers do work providing the grass isn't too long and saves collecting all that grass. Getting a decent size engine helps with longevity.

[JSKS]

I bought a Murray 12.5 hp side eject mower from the American Px in 1994 (€700). It gets used and abused on our 4 acres running about 3 hrs a week in summer. It has had one new spark plug, the oil in the B&S motor changed each spring and has had 2 new batteries. I've just fitted its first set of new blades sent from a dealer in Arkansas and cheaper than sourcing in France (if you can find them). It just plods on and on.

In 2008 I bought an Oleo-Mac 18.5 hp (€4100) pro quality (Hah!). It is dealer serviced each year (at a cost of €150) and covers about 50 hrs a year. It gives an impeccable cut and the bag holds 350 litres so is useful for leaf clearing in autumn. But the whole unit has a strange feeling of fragility and is a sod on bumpy ground because the seat is very high.

So......If you need a perfect cut with no clippings go for a good make. If you are happy with an adequate cut and no clear up why spend too much.

The only thing I would say is that 12.5 hp is a tad breathless for 4 acres (1.5 acres of lawn, 2.5 acres topped 2 x year). I'd certainly aim for a twin cylinder 18+hp motor.

Were I buying new again I'd go for a John Deere (a neighbour has one and its indestructible) if they have a suitable one in the price range. I'd also try for a hydromatic gearbox. The Oleo-Mac has one and it's much better than the manual change on the Murray.

Good luck!

[Théière]

[quote user="JK"]Were I buying new again I'd go for a John Deere (a neighbour has one and its indestructible) I'd also try for a hydromatic gearbox. [/quote]

John Deere, Briggs and Stratton engine and certainly not indestructable, I have repaired a couple as they tend to wear at the cutting deck height adjusters. Hydrostatic gearboxes Peerless/Tecumseh (now one company) need looking after, check the oil level regularly but bring a bit of luxury to the process especially the slightly larger 21hp models with cruise control.

[DerekJ]

We've got a John Deere X120.  Had it about a year and very pleased with it so far. I obviously can't comment on its longlevity but it seems well put together. I did its first service (after 10 hours). Easy to do.Cutting deck comes off fairly easily and will be a lot easier (fingers crossed) the second time around.

We don't collect only mulch. It comes with a basic mulching blank and I have the "deluxe mulching kit" but haven't put that on.  Our lawn is around 3300 sq metres., meadow like, a bit bumpy.  The JD is comfortable, easy to drive (auto gearbox) and pretty manouverable.

Time will tell if it was a good buy.

Oh, btw.... I bought it in the UK and had it shipped over.

[steve]

The best small mower I had was a John Deere, it pays to buy something 17HP + (mine had a kawasaki engine.) I now have a Kubota with 500l grass collecter - lists at about 12k now I think, but worth every penny - 500hrs+ and touch wood, nothing seriously has gone wrong - just about to change blades/oil/filter ready for start of season.

Steve

[Pierre ZFP]

[quote user="Théière"]

 bring a bit of luxury to the process especially the slightly larger 21hp models with cruise control.

[/quote]

Cruise control??? Can you get sat-nav too?

`at the end of the field, turn round` [6]

[steve]

Ha ha! I admit this only once - I like to get my lines as straight as possible when cutting and have thought about fitting a digital compass to my bonnet :(

Steve

[Bugsy]

Get a RED one.

.

[Dave&Olive]

hi ok

             I bought a Honda 24-17 cost me about  €4000 6 years ago  ,our garden is half the size of yours  and it`s on it`s limit with our garen ,it takes me 2-3 hours to cut it and uses about 7-10 ltrs of fuel .... would I buy another ....no way  for 2 acres  you will need a small tractor like Steve said kuboto diesel the way to go .... you will not get what you want in your price range ..

                                       Dave

[Sunday Driver]

I've got one of these Stiga tractor mowers:

http://www.stigalawnmowers.co.uk/ride-on-mowers/tractor-mowers/estate-senator-17-92cm-lawn-tractor.html

When cut my field with it (one and a half acres) I just fill her up, light up a fat cigar then spend the day tootling up and down in the sunshine.  The multching kit blows the stuff out so no need to stop every few minutes and empty the hopper.

I bought it from my local motoculture shop a couple of years ago (on promo for 2,700€) and it's never given me a problem.

 

[mint]

[quote user="Sunday Driver"]

I bought it from my local motoculture shop a couple of years ago (on promo for 2,700€) and it's never given me a problem.

 

[/quote]

SD, you really shouldn't use that phrase ever again on the Forum because there are already several of us who want to live in SundayDriverLand.

Can't now remember who first coined the phrase but those "in the know" already use it as a short-cut for saying all is well, hunkydory, ticketyboo, etc.

So, for those who don't know, SundayDriverLand is a sunlit place where bureaucracy always works to your advantage, where you get the best deals on everything from cars to ride-on mowers, where the tax authority never questions your returns and where your home life is an enviable haven of happiness and stress-free existence. 

Come on, SD, tell us where you live so that we can all stake our claims![:D]

[Théière]

[quote user="steve"]Ha ha! I admit this only once - I like to get my lines as straight as possible when cutting and have thought about fitting a digital compass to my bonnet :( Steve[/quote]

Get your smart phone out, get the digital compass app or maybe fix a laser to the bonnet and line that up with posts [:)][;-)]

Apart from the colour SD I can't tell yours apart from a John Deere anyway.....got cruise control on yours?

[WendyG]

Hi

Have had Husquvarna ride on mower for 12/14 years without any problems - only couple of  punctures,  1 new battery, drive belt.

Good luck.

Jekyll

 

 

[mary]

To give you all an update, we are now the proud owners of a Husqvarna 183T which has a 107 cutting size and 18.5 engine. We went to our local shop in the end after scanning all the pubs and internet. Told the man what we had garden size etc, and he pointed us to the one we have bought.

Did a deal and knocked off 80E and also for 1E we could also have the trolley/jack thing to lift it up on it's side to be able to service it and it was delivered that same evening FOC. All servicing and warranty is done at our house and anything more serious taken to their workshop. I wont have to deal with Husqvanna direct and all is covered for 2 years.

Thanks everyone for all your valuable advice, very much appreciated.

[JSKS]

Well done Vida. Sounds like you have a good deal there and it's much better to use a local agent than buy from one of the big stores like Casto. We found this out when I, like a complete moron, connected the battery the wrong way and blew the electrics. The €250 bill was painful but at lest it was sorted quickly and properly by the agent.