Ride On Mowers! - Help

[andykAndy k]

Hi, can anyone give me a 'steer' so to speak as to a good reliable model of ride on mower....

I need one that can go up and down hills of about 45 degrees and it would need a large collection facility.

There are so many i have looked at, most have Briggs and Stratton engines (are they reliable)?

I was told that I need at least 15 horse power....is this the case?

I live near Perigeaux, can anyone recommend a place that sells them?

Any advise on this would be really helpful

Thanks

Andy

 

[derf]

In my opinion Briggs and Stratton engines are very reliable as are Honda, they have are the key players in the garden machinery market, 15 hp seems to be a reasonable size unless you have acres and acres to cut and if it's cut on a regular basis all should be ok. As for a particular make I don't think it matters to much, choose one with a good engine and a fairly robust chassis, as the collection systems seem to be fairly standard.

[Mikey]

I second that, briggs and stratton are very good motors. i used a 12.5HP on my 7 acres for 5yrs until i bought a proper tractor.

i also used it for towing a very heavy trailor. the mower now is falling apart but the motor still works as good as new, and i really abused it.

 

 

[andykAndy k]

Thanks for your replies, can you tell me if they operate well on short but fairly steep hills?

also, what is hydrostatic transmission, is there a benefit to having it

Andy

[Mikew]

I use a Honda, 350cc with hydrostatic transmission, 90cm (3ft) cut, excellent for mowing and leaf clearing with cutter raised. Dont know about your 45 deg, max gradient for my Honda is about 10 deg, (can't find my book for exact at mo).

Benefit of hydrostatic is that there are no gears, just go forward and go back accelerator pedals as well as brake.

Mike

[derf]

[quote]Thanks for your replies, can you tell me if they operate well on short but fairly steep hills? also, what is hydrostatic transmission, is there a benefit to having it Andy[/quote]

I think you will find they will operate ok on short downhill stretches but always put it in low gear before you go down, don't touch the brake pedal just let it go under it's own speed, it could be dangerous to try and cut going uphill, depends on the slope but there is a danger of the mower flipping over, also you could damage the engine if you try and drive the mower for long periods going across a slope due to the oil being tilted to one side and then lack of lubrication to the engine. the benefit of the hydrostatic transmission is really that they are easier to control, if you have obstacles to go around  or want to cut right up to the base of trees and walls etc because they are much easier to control, the more you press the gas pedal the quicker they go.

If you have a large open area to mow in my opinion, i don't see any point in paying the extra money usually demanded for the hydrostatic transmission

[Alcazar]

I'd second the bit about safety: going across the slope, or up it, could lead to tipping, especiaslly if it's as steep as you say: 45 degrees is a VERY steep slope

Unhappily, people are still killed every year by tractors etc falling over on them

Mow the flat bits with a ride on, buy a cheap self-propelled for the slopes and be safe!

Alcazar

[Quillan]

All that has been said is true but I can't say it strong enough, do not use a ride on mower on any banking greater than 15 deg it is extremely unsafe. I have had two ride on mowers and they all strongly recommend against doing this.

How was the grass mowed before?

[andykAndy k]

Thanks everyone for your very useful advice. I have now ordered an 18HP ride on with twin cylinders. Should do the job, I am not going to mow the hills and have also bought a Honda petrol self propelled push along for those. (I thought it was cheaper to live in France)

The hills never did appeal to me although the previous owner told me that he did them, mind you he was bigger than the mower

Thanks once again

Andy

[Alcazar]

Better a bit poorer and safe, than sorry

Alcazar