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First Petrol Mower
Ben Wain
Posts: 26
Hi,
I am needing to buy my first petrol mower. It is to be used to do general garden upkeep as well as slightly bumpier borders of allotment.
Am looking for something cheap that is reliable and will do that job well. Possibly something with adjustable cut height, to suit the different terrain.
There is apparently a good offer on at Screwfix for a mountfield 2.72hp rotary push for £149 - would this do the job?
If I'm honest I am confused by the options and varying prices. Am not wanting to spend much so had a look on ebay but don't want to end up with something that doesn't work.
Advice greatly appreciated!
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Posts
Hi is the mower big enough for your lawn and other areas ? Its only a little mower at 39cm cutting width and 2.7hp engine so cutting long grass all the time will ware it out faster. If you think its right for you go ahead, it got good reviews aswell. Remember to keep it well maintained checking oil etc and it should be ok.
Personally I think it is worth investing a bit of money in a decent lawn mower. Mine is in use at least once a week from March to October cutting a fair sized garden.
A self propelling model will make the job easier. A larger grass collection bag will make it quicker (less time emptying). Cylinder mowers are only really suitable for flat lawns - rotary mowers are more forgiving of uneven ground. A rear roller will give you nice stripes and also make manoeuvring around tight corners and next to bed edges a bit easier (wheels tend to slip off the grass). The wider the cut the fewer times you need to walk up and down (the machines do get heavier and less easy to manoeuvre though so you need to strike the right balance for you).
I have just replaced my 19 year old Honda with ..... another Honda. Excellent machines but expensive if you go for all the bits I suggested. You might find a decent 2nd hand / refurbished one somewhere but people tend to hang onto them for years.
This is a bit of equipment you will be using week in week out for years - I really suggest you get the best you can possibly afford
Honda get my vote, they are pricey but well worth the money.
I have experience of a Hayter mower, does the job well, less expensive but not a substantially built mower like a Honda.
I had my own gardening business and never had anything but Hondas.
Mountfield are now made in China and I've been warned off them due to terrible build quality.
Thanks all for the help really appreciate the pointers. Can see the point in investing in something good too. Cheers!
On what your looking for it to do I would say go for a Honda self propelled rotary.
Its very tempting to go for the cheaper option, but in the long run it will be more expensive. Most cheaper end mowers come with cheap Chinese engine which are a nightmare to get parts for and they need to get scrapped prematurely for a simple fault.
Do learn to look after it buy reading the manual, learn how to change the spark plug, air filter, how to change the oil and swapped the blade etc..
The main thing is make sure you drain the fuel if your not using it for a month and only buy fuel when you need it. If the mower is all you've got that runs on petrol, just buy a couple of litres at a time.
Using a good reliable mower makes cutting the grass a real pleasure!!