Tractor Mower - What do I really need?

[flower]

Hi to all,

I have just purchased a place with about 4000m2 of garden, well, actually, it's more like 'land' as it used to be full of cows and isn't exactly snooker table smooth and has slight slope. But apart from that it's lovely....anyway, I digress. I'm looking to buy a ride-on mower but cannot decide on what I really need.

I realise people will say bigger is better (hp & cutting deck) but I'd be grateful for opinions on what is realistically required. Will a 15.5hp machine do, or do I need more power?  I guess I'd like as big a cutting deck as possible but am a bit confused as to how much power I really need. The budget needs to cover many things with the mower being just one of them. If I could spend euros 2000 as opposed to euros 3000 then that would be good....even less is better but I realise that may be optimistic.

I was looking at a rear collecting mower and so if anyone has any suggestions as to what they would go for then I'd love to hear about it. I've seen a model in Mr Bricolage for euros 2,799 with a 20hp briggs & stratton engine and a 105cm deck, but wonder if I really need that much hp?

Thanks.

[Alison Robinson]

Hi- congratulations on your purchase.

If your ground is a bit 'poached' from having been used as pasture, then using a 'ride on mower' to tackle it may be a little optimistic. You don't want to ruin your nice new mower on lumpy ground.

If you want to use this land as a lawn, you may need to do some initial preparatory work, starting with harrows then rolling it. When it's flat, you can then think about a mower. I would suggest a twin cylinder mulching mower- with that amout of grass, collecting the grass can be very time consuming. Mulching will help to keep your grass healthy and green, even in the hot weather.

If this ground is to be more of a 'natural space', you may prefer to invest in a compact/micro tractor with a finishing mower or pasture topper attachment.

Happy mowing!

Ali

[Quillan]

I bought a trailer and leaf sweeper to go with mine at Leroy Merlin in the sales a few years back. The trailer gets used for loads of things round the garden (we have 7,500 M2) we move logs with it, garden waste, manure etc, etc. The leaf sweeper is brilliant and can also be used to sweep light snow, waste up round the wood pile etc although I would not consider it a necessity but a handy tool to have if you can afford it or find one dead cheap in a sale. There is also a requirement to store this stuff and many don’t have the room of course.

[Cassis]

I think I know the Bricolage model you are looking at - we were looking at it last week as well.  It sounds like it should be fine for what you need as long as the ground is not bumpy - we got a lower powered model (16 hp B&S) by the same manufacturer under a different label for 2149€ from Bricomarché and it was recommended for anything up to 6000m2.  Essentially the same models can be found as Mr Bricolage, McCulloch, BestGreen and Husqvarna - and probably other labels as well.  Made by Electrolux in America.  It has automatic transmission, rear ejection and large collector box which you can use for gathering leaves - no need to buy an additional attachment for that task.  It also has a mulching facility.

[Quillan]

[quote user="Cassis"]It has automatic transmission, rear ejection and large collector box which you can use for gathering leaves - no need to buy an additional attachment for that task.  It also has a mulching facility.
[/quote]

We have a collector and to be honest it's not as good as a sweeper which picks up everything but then nt everyone needs one. The good thing about a collector is that you can compost the clippings and use them elsewhere if you are a keen gardener. I cut with the collector a couple of times a year for just that reason and mulch the rest for the reasons already stated.

[Cassis]

Of course it's not as good as a sweeper.  Did I say that?  I said you can use the mower box for collecting leaves so you don't need to buy a sweeper.

[Quillan]

[quote user="Cassis"]Of course it's not as good as a sweeper.  Did I say that?  I said you can use the mower box for collecting leaves so you don't need to buy a sweeper.
[/quote]

Glad you agree.

Yes you did by implication. "can use the mower box for collecting leaves so you don't need to buy a sweeper."

[:D]

[Pun]

A lot of people think that because they now have a bigger piece of land than they've ever had that they must have a ride on mower,

the first thing you should be doing is askiny yourself what the long term plan is for this ground, ie maybe a pool, trees, large shrub borders, play area etc etc, its when these sort of things are thought of you then find that if you have a garden of interest ie trees / bedding area's/ etc that a ride on lawn mower is not the ideal way of cutting the grass due to the fact that you cant get around half the area and you end up using a much cheaper hand powered lawn mower and you may find you get a better job done.

just a thought, a garden full of interest or a well cut field??? also the fuel the ride-on ,

Ive both ride on and hand held, and I find the area I have as lawn/orchard is 2 acre this includ, pool and 21 friut trees and large borders and bedding areas for roses and lavender beds,

And I still find I use the hand held inspite of this large garden, The ride on is handy but dont make the mistake of making a garden around the lawn mower.

[Cassis]

[quote user="Quillan"]

[quote user="Cassis"]Of course it's not as good as a sweeper.  Did I say that?  I said you can use the mower box for collecting leaves so you don't need to buy a sweeper.

[/quote]

Glad you agree.

Yes you did by implication. "can use the mower box for collecting leaves so you don't need to buy a sweeper."

[:D]

[/quote]

I think you must abide by rules of logic unknown to the rest of the world, Quillan. 

I actually said the mower has a "collector box which you can use for gathering leaves - no need to buy an additional attachment for that task". That does not mean it makes as good or efficient a job as a separate sweeper.

You don't have to defend your purchase.  Spend your dosh on whatever you like, for God's sake, I was just giving a tip for collecting leaves.

[Cassis]

[quote user="Pun"]

if you have a garden of interest ie trees / bedding area's/ etc that a ride on lawn mower is not the ideal way of cutting the grass due to the fact that you cant get around half the area and you end up using a much cheaper hand powered lawn mower and you may find you get a better job done.

[/quote]

Indeed - and if you've inherited a French lawn you'll probably find it already has plants and shrubs randomly dotted all over it!  [:)]

[Quillan]

[quote user="Cassis"][quote user="Quillan"]

[quote user="Cassis"]Of course it's not as good as a sweeper.  Did I say that?  I said you can use the mower box for collecting leaves so you don't need to buy a sweeper.
[/quote]

Glad you agree.

Yes you did by implication. "can use the mower box for collecting leaves so you don't need to buy a sweeper."

[:D]

[/quote]

I think you must abide by rules of logic unknown to the rest of the world, Quillan. 

I actually said the mower has a "collector box which you can use for gathering leaves - no need to buy an additional attachment for that task". That does not mean it makes as good or efficient a job as a separate sweeper.

You don't have to defend your purchase.  Spend your dosh on whatever you like, for God's sake, I was just giving a tip for collecting leaves.
[/quote]

[8-)]

[Miki]

[quote] I think you must abide by rules of logic unknown to the rest of the world, Quillan.[/quote]

I don't think so.................

I bruddy know so..............................[;-)].......... (That's to cover me from being moosh interdit !!)

[Quillan]

Quite a little team you two, still that makes three of us then [;-)]

[Miki]

You think so?

I can even understand a sausage a lot more, than I can you. You can reverse faster than an Italian 2nd WW tank [:D]

As for apologies, you've started so don't stop there, finish, as the man once said, go the whole hog and do the honourable...........!

[Quillan]

[quote user="Miki"]You think so?

I can even understand a sausage a lot more, than I can you. You can reverse faster than an Italian 2nd WW tank [:D]

As for apologies, you've started so don't stop there, finish, as the man once said, go the whole hog and do the honourable...........!


[/quote]

I don't understand you at all, say what you mean or say nothing.

 

[Gemini_man]

OMG why do so many threads develop into petty arguments [:)]

flower - if I may get this back on topic - there's one piece of advice I would give you from experience: if your garden is actually rough grass and not a lawn then a side ejection sit-on would be a lot better simply because it will be a lot less likely to clog up when the "grass" is long, lush and possibly wet - the disadvantage is that most side ejection mowers don't collect the grass. the other thing I would say in your case is to go up in power if possible and if the slope that you have is quite steep I would recommend a twin cylinder 18.5hp or more as this should have an oil pump which would keep the motor lubricated even on steep slopes. also, do not go for the widest cut, 107cm is ample - here's a possibility but it's rear ejection rather than side: http://www.bricomarche.com/index.asp?famille=231&id=MOTOC07V463851576. last comment: it will pay you to buy from someone who will also service the machine even if it costs a bit more!

hope that helps a little [:)]

[flower]

Gemini Man, thank you for getting back to the question in hand. Appreciate your comments. Having looked again, I may have perhaps overdone the 'slope' issue. With hindsight, it's not that bad, more of a gradual rise than a slope. I agree with the side-ejection issue though and having done other research this is my preferred route at present. I've seen a Husqvarna LTH151 which looks good and has some good feedback. Does anyone know this model? Only has 15hp and a 97cm cut, but I may have been looking for too much power and cut initially. Unforunately, the budget has a say in this matter.

Will go to Bricomarche tomorrow and Bricolage again at the weekend to look at side-ejectors as I was only looking at rear-ejectors at first. Have been told that both of the above stores sell 'own' brand mowers which are actually made by Electrolux, who I'm also told own Husqvarna...can anyone confirm this? I guess if it's true it's a case of badging for differing markets. Maybe though they're all essentially the same mower which means the own brand stuff is probably good value as long as they use all the same parts!!!

Thanks.

[Cassis]

Perhaps my original post got drowned in the stupid argument over leaf collecting (sorry about that):

" Essentially the same models can be found as Mr Bricolage,

McCulloch, BestGreen and Husqvarna - and probably other labels as

well.  Made by Electrolux in America. "

If you look under the seat you often see an Electrolux label, regardless of the brand on the paintwork.

SHOP	MODEL	HP	BLADE	GEARS	PRICE
MR BRICOLAGE	MCCULLOCH M12592RB	12,5	92	MANUAL	1559
MR BRICOLAGE	MBA12592BRK	12,5	92	MANUAL	1559
BRICOMARCHE	BESTGREENBM135B92	13,5	92	MANUAL	1599
LECLERC	MCCULLOCH M13592RB	13,5	92	MANUAL	1859
MR BRICOLAGE	MBA14592BRK	14,5	92	MANUAL	1969
BRICOMARCHE	BESTGREEN BM155H107	15,5	107	AUTO	2149
MR BRICOLAGE	MCCULLOCH M13592HRB	13,5	92	AUTO	2199
MR BRICOLAGE	MBA165107HBRK	16,5	107	AUTO	2599
MR BRICOLAGE	MBA20107HBRK	20	107	AUTO	2799
MR BRICOLAGE	MBA16107BRK	16	107	MANUAL	2389
MR BRICOLAGE	MBA17107HBRK	17	107	AUTO

Some of these may be  a bit too small for what you need but it gives some idea of price.  The smaller ones are supposed to be for 3000 - 4000 sqm.

[Gemini_man]

flower, if your garden doesn't have much of a slope then 16.5 or 15.5 would be fine but I would try and go for 107cm cut if possible - one other thing to recommend is automatic, it's so much easier when you need to do forward/reverse a lot.

you can usually tell just by looking at the different makes which ones come from the same factories, the basic body parts are the same but have different add-ons according to the badge and the price. So far as I know Husqvarna are one of the more expensive brands and usually sold through independant dealers whereas the Bricos of this world often have better value own brands BUT do ask about after sales service, some of the large stores just have a man who "deals with that" as opposed to a proper service department - and mowers always go wrong when you most need them it seems [:)] so it may be worth paying more from an independant just for the Service après-vente especially if you don't have the means of transporting your machine.

[Cassis]

This whole issue of branding is a bit of a tangle - there was a machine in Leclerc which was branded McCulloch - apart from one manufacturer's code label on the bonnet which said it was a Husqvarna!  There was also an Electrolux sticker under the seat.

The hydrostatic transmission models tend to have an "H" in the model designation.  The first two digits often represent HP, the last two or three the width of cut.  Sorry if that is stating the obvious.

[Pun]

Cassis,

The garden/field has not got any trees on it, and its not a french garden at the moment, the question was ref what he should consider buying, my reply was to give a bit of advice of how he wanted the garden to look in the future and when he'd decided how he wanted the garden to look ? was it the best idea to buy such a machine.

Nothing to do with french fully stocked gardens,

 

[Ford Anglia]

My wife wants a ride-on mower, even though she can't stop herself mowing stuff she didn't want to with the hand held, self-powered one.

I even tried marking the position of shrubs, plants etc with canes painted bright red. She just knocks the canes down too. Is it a "woman driver" thing?

Oh, and to get back on topic, waht's the difference between mulching and just leaving cut grass everywhere?

Thanks.

[Cassis]

[quote user="Ford Anglia"]

Oh, and to get back on topic, waht's the difference between mulching and just leaving cut grass everywhere?

[/quote]

I guess the only difference is that in mulching the clippings are cut more finely so they are not so noticeable.  In theory, they are supposed to rot/be worked in by worms, but there is the possibility of them creating a 'thatch' under the top layer of grass, which can cause drainage problems and encourage moss in some circs.  You can always scarify once a year to get rid of it, though, if it becomes a problem.

[Gemini_man]

[quote user="Ford Anglia"]Oh, and to get back on topic, waht's the difference between mulching and just leaving cut grass everywhere?[/quote]

The difference is 100 odd Euros depending on what make of machine you have [:D]

and what you get for your money is a lump of plastic on a long plastic handle which nicely blocks the grass output shute so the cut grass has nowhere to go and gets "mulched" into even smaller bits of cut grass and left behind on the lawn where in theory it helps stop weeds growing and breaks down putting any goodness back into the soil - in reality that only happens when the grass is pretty short and dry the rest of the time it just leaves lumps of mushed grass cuttings.

and just leaving cut grass everywhere is ...... well it's just unsightly isn't it [8-|]

[Ford Anglia]

[quote user="Gemini_man"][quote user="Ford Anglia"]Oh, and to get back on topic, what's the difference between mulching and just leaving cut grass everywhere?[/quote]

The difference is 100 odd Euros depending on what make of machine you have [:D]

and what you get for your money is a lump of plastic on a long plastic handle which nicely blocks the grass output shute so the cut grass has nowhere to go and gets "mulched" into even smaller bits of cut grass and left behind on the lawn where in theory it helps stop weeds growing and breaks down putting any goodness back into the soil - in reality that only happens when the grass is pretty short and dry the rest of the time it just leaves lumps of mushed grass cuttings.

and just leaving cut grass everywhere is ...... well it's just unsightly isn't it [8-|]
[/quote]

My thoughts, entirely. Collection for me, every time.