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New Lawnmower
Green Claws
Posts: 17
Hi there I have had my own gardening business for about a year and have been using my dad old Mountfield lawnmower but I keep on having problems with it and have spent over ??100 on repairs in the last year. I seriously need to buy a new one. I want something that's gonna last a long time, something that can cope with cutting longish wet grass. I can spend up to ??400 but if I can get something for a lot less that would be great. Any recommendations would be appreciated. Cheers, Sam
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If you want a mower for commercial use you really will tend to get what you pay for. I've had 2 Mountfield mowers and both had their problems. I bit the bullet and paid out for a Honda last year and it's been money well spent. Better cut, easier to start etc.
I'm not using it commercially, but I purchased it from a garden machinery specialist and they said they sell more Hondas than any other make to commercial users.
After a lot of time deliberating I went for a Honda and it's done really well
Hi did quite a lot of grass cutting contracts for the council in recent years until they started cutting back most of the garden are only cut once a month. Lately I been using a Hayter heavy duty 21 '' excellent machine kawasaki fj180v engine - 21inch cut - fast to use - good size grass bag - does pick up wet grass. It is heavy though like most commercial mowers and more cutting heights would be useful. They is also Toro model exactly the same, its is or were a £1000+ machine new but you can pick up 2nd hands ones for £300 - 400.
The lawn mower I used the most for going on 10years is a john deere jx85, kawasaki engine again its 15years old now it been used 30+ hours every week during the season and its still going
never ever been a problem just wear and tear bits needed replacing. John deere dont make them now. But John deere do make an excellent lawn mower
You could try looking for a little Etesia, I use a Etesia pro51K kawasaki engine again and it is without doubt the best mower I used for picking up wet grass, they do make a few 18inch mowers what might be some use for you, they are very well made and you can normally pick the engine you want kawasaki - honda - briggs statton.
With any lawn engine I go with the Kawasaki from personal experience. They is only the Honda what would could come close to reliability, briggs and stratton are very good engine but not as good as the kawasaki and defiantly not as reliable.
When you buy a decent lawnmower as long they are maintained properly they will last years.
Just keep you eye on ebay - gumtree - local adds for a well known brand mower and try and stay away from the thrown away mowers I like to call them
I ran my gardening / garden design business for almost 30 years. I'd use nothing but Hondas.
The one I'm still using is one I bought over 15 years ago , and it was second hand then. Apart from the odd belt, it's never needed anything major done to it.
Mountfield, as has been stated , has been bought by a Chinese company, and the guy who does my servicing says they should be avoided at all costs now.
You don't mention the size, type, condition of the lawns or grassed areas or the type of cut required.
Cheers
Claws, do you need a roller? I've only had a couple of customers who wanted a roller finish: one supplied the mower and I turned down the other job. (And if you're going for a good roller, they're heavy (do you need to lift it into your vehicle?) and they compact certain soils. If you're going to be mowing long wet grass (why?) you need an engine with a lot of power. If you're not careful you'll be buying a mower for the customers and not making a profit out of it.
Just wondering if you have trained at all for gardening, grass shouldnt be cut in the winter anyway, you will expose it to snow and frost! shouldnt even be walked on, if you are clogging up the mower with long grass and stalling it, you are going to do it in completely.
If its to long for a mower in the Spring, go over it with a petrol strimmer then rake it, after a couple of days you can mow it.
Been looking at this mower. Would this be a good investment?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mountfield-self-propelled-petrol-lawnmower-Honda-gcv135-engine-/231446658584?pt=UK_Garden_Lawnmowers&hash=item35e34bbe18