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Recommendations for a ride-on mower, collector and mulcher please


nectarine
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I read the thread from last year about ride-on mowers and have taken advice about needing a grass collector (for the first cut of the year) and a mulcher thereafter, but should like advice about which make.  Our garden is about 2 acres, dotted with plants and trees, and the mower will probably be working every fortnight in the summer!

We'd also like one that is able to take a trailer on the back, or have various detachable tools as an option, but certainly to keep it in the 'domestic' rideon mower category, rather than an industrial-sized tractor.

Any recommendations will be much welcome, particularly with respect to reliability and ease of servicing, etc.  Many thanks.

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There are dozens to choose from and they all do the job. Spend a bit more if you want better quality and most importantly, in my view, get one with a Briggs & Stratton engine. They are far superior to the common Italian engines that seem to find their way into ride-ons.
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I had not used one before and bought automatic so less to worry about .It has 102 cm cutters which will rise automatically if you hit a rough patch,a large grass collecter and safety devises if you get off without putting into neutral engine cuts out to prevent accidents to toes etc.you can cut without grass box and attach a deflecter to prevent flying  grass etc hitting anyone. it has attachment for small trailor which i wish i had bought 6 years ago instead of this year.

Area of  land about same as you 8000sq.metres.

although Italian made engine is Briggs and Stratton twin  modelef102c/20h.

replaced cutters ,belt and had carburetter cleaned by agent as it needs a vibrating water bath.

easy to remove but a sod to bolt back on as you need three hands if no one around to hold it in position.!!!!

no mirrors as I have twice reversed and chopped 2 vines!! -so no grapes!!!!!!!!

even has 2 headlights t enable you to put it away safely at dusk as we all work longer hours unpaid in france if your wife is a keen gardener--i am just a useless gardener/handyman.!!!!!!!!!!!!!like a lot of blokes -but i am learning from my wife>>

Irritating when she keeps speaking about the plants in latin names.[:)]

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Only things to add from the other postings are:-

If your garden is bumpy and lumpy with lots of undulations, the wider the cut the more that one side of the cutter deck will dig into one side.  So if you do like to cut your grass short and level you will see where the cutter deck has scalped some bits.

From all of the many models to choose from make sure you get a comfy seat because you will spend much more time than once a fortnight on it.  I have a Jonsered with a very short low seat which makes my back ache, a Honda with a slippery seat which I have to take care not to fall off it when I cut on a bank.  And I have a Westwood which has a perfect seat. Of course it helps if you have a normal seat yourself, sadly mine seems to be less than perfect [:-))]

As far as pulling a trailor, I think you will find that all of them will be able to pull a trailor, some you might have to buy a kit for.

All of mine can and do pull this roller.

[IMG]http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a372/weedonwite/RIMG0121.jpg[/IMG]

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  • 1 month later...
hi - we run  a grass cutting business, so a mower has to be good - when we first started, we had a wee craftsman, it lasted about a season and a half - next was a john deere - terrific machine - we still have it with over 500hrs on it, but, it doesnt collect. In 2006 we bought a XXXXXXX - a well known British built machine, that collects. It was twice as much as the John Deere (nearly 3x as much actually) and frankly is rubbish - I have run it for a season (300hrs) and had a new gearbox, numerous belts, 3 new collector boxes, and now are taking legal steps to get the collector system fixed under the warrenty, which the suppliers have told me ran out after 10m of the year given! My advise would be to go for the JD range - the bigger the better - 17HP minimum really - they have (the 17HP) Kawasaki engines. Go for a machine with B&S, Honda or KAwasaki motors. If you really start to look hard at machines, then you will see that most of the cheap end machines have the same chassis - just different body work and engines. You get what you pay for (usually). You dont need to collect if you cut and mulch regularly enough

Good luck[:D]

Steve

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Hi Nectarine - good advice from steve.

I have heard an awful lot of advice from well meaning people about this engine and that engine and this make of machine and so on. We have used an MTD 20hp 102cm cutter for 4 years now in our small gardening business. It works around 3 days each week from March through to November and has NEVER given us any trouble. It cuts grass which is far too high, cuts gardens that are well tended and leaves them with nice stripes and is so easy on fuel its unbelievable. We also use a Husqvarna 96cm mower to which mulches better and has a slightly higher high cut. This has a Kohler engine in it which Husqs have had for years. They are real work horses. Again, in the three years that we have had it it has never given us any trouble.

So, I have muddied the waters perhaps but I only wanted to show you that well meaning advice can sometimes leave you in a quandry.

Oh - and by the way - despite all those who say you must buy a machine with a Briggs & Stratton engine - my MTD has a TECUMSEH engine in it and it would put many B&S's to shame. Its how you look after them that counts. I'm also a fan of Hydrostatics too.

For what its worth, most of the local Pros in our area use Honda with their own engine on board or the new Husqvarnas with the new Kawasaki engines.

Good luck - Paul

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We have an american lawnmower with a twin cylinder B&S  20 hp engine.  Oil pressure fed thru an oil filter.  Used regularly for 9 years and the only replacement, apart from sundries for servicing,  has been  a faulty voltage regulator - which was  peanuts.  The chap that services it says it should go for ever - pointing out that the chassis and the mower deck are made of thick gauge steel not the flimsy stuff on the cheaper decks.

You pays your money and .......

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a good point - its not usually the engines or gearboxes (was I unlucky?) that give problems The chassis is the thing - everyone knows that most of the gardens in France are not you average Eenglish lawn, but bumpy paddocks! Its the welds, the metal and mounting points for gearbox etc that usually fail - Engines are pretty good these days, even the Chinese made ones! My advise as ever is go for the bigest engine you can afford, and study the chassis well (dont you allways! :) )I think some of the smaller Husq's have the same Chassis as Craftsman. John Deere and the thing from hell have 'extra heavy duty' chassis.

Me I am saving all my pennies for a Iseki SXG 19/22 with High Dump! - perhaps next year when I can exchange the thing from hell and my old John Deere for one - fingers crossed

Steve

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