Cheap, reliable, strong domestic ride on mower!

[sandspider]

Hi all

 

As above. I'm looking for a ride on mower to do 3/4 of an acre or so of lawn. Some of it steep, some of it damp and some of it with long grass / vegetation (I leave parts as wild flower meadow for part of the year). It would need to be able to collect the grass. Ideally it could mulch too when required, and be diesel, but I can live with petrol if diesel is out of my  price range - I think it is.

Budget isn't much, maybe £500. Looking locally secondhand, my price range gets older mowers - MTD, Yardman, Wheelhorse, Snapper, John Deere, Lawnflite, Hayter, Toro, Alko etc. Are any of these likely to give me fewer problems? Or at this sort of price are they all going to be a nightmare to maintain? A friend recommended against Snapper, and I thought that Hayter were reasonably decent.

 

Any thing to look at, or to avoid?

 

Cheers.

[doobin]

You're going to buy a heap of potential issues at that money, and none will have a collector worth using, especially on long/damp grass.

 

Sorry mate.

[topchippyles]

Only way is the bay or auction for that money and with the bay you can look at the sellers reviews 

[Conor Wright]

Impossible at that money, for anything decent at least.
Add 3k to it and look for a g21 or sxg19
Cheap petrol mowers are a complete waste of time. Don't fall for it. Spend the money on a decent diesel mower once and be done with it for life.
What you save in not pouring petrol into a cheap machine would cover a small loan to pay for a diesel one.

[sandspider]

Thanks chaps.

 

Bum. Guess I could stretch the budget to maybe 1k, but really can't go higher. Is that going to get me something worthwhile?

 

What's the least worst option in my price range?!

[Conor Wright]

3 minutes ago, sandspider said:

Thanks chaps.

 

Bum. Guess I could stretch the budget to maybe 1k, but really can't go higher. Is that going to get me something worthwhile?

 

What's the least worst option in my price range?!

1k might get you a decent petrol mower, I had honda castlegarden and toro over the years before going diesel (all new, kept for one or two seasons) toro was by far the strongest.build quality of the deck and chassis was well above most other brands. I've heard good reports of stiga too. 

It's a pure lottery buying a secondhand cheap mower!

I gave less for my first kubota than I would have for a new toro but I got lucky, not so for the subsequent two kubotas! Now have an iseki and plan on keeping it for a number of years.

[topchippyles]

Something like this would do you 

 

John Deere ride on mower STX38 hydrostatic 38'' deck garden tractor

Pre-owned

• £1,350.00
•  

[sandspider]

Cheers. Might have to raise my budget or take on a project then...