Battery vs petrol.

[Trailoftears]

Here's a philosophical point lol!

My favourite youngest son has just married his rather delighful girlfriend and they've just taken on a huge mortgage on a big detatched house standing in 3/4 of an acre grounds with an extended lawn.He's21.I want to give them a practical and useful housewarming present that is both durable and will make their ownership of the garden easier over their married life.So,no brainer there-a 21" kubota/lawnflite/danarm pro kaaz/sarp mower equipped with direct drive/mechanical blade/brake clutch/honda gx engine/overspecced heavy alloy deck/fan-assisted grass collection/70l grass bag with dust protection/2 speed drive etc.As long as he does the obvious-yearly oil change, biennial spark plug/air filter change etc-and as I'm his Dad he will DEFFO be doing as I say lol.Not only will he still be tottering out in his late 70's still using and enjoying the same mower, I'd take a wild punt that mower would probably come in useful for his now 20 yr old son!And it cost me what?£1200 in 2023.Sounds expensive,not so much when you would get 50+ years out of it.Any battery alternative out there dare I ask.

[Mark Bolam]

I’d be more concerned by the fact that he’s obviously a drug dealer.

[Trailoftears]

I wish,then he could look after me in more ways than one 🌞More likely,he's the usual soulless accountant thats now rotting away in some Southern new town secretly raging internally about the meaningless of his daily commute into the office staffed by nonentities who's only interest and aim in life is to climb over the shoulders of their equally brain-dead colleagues.he's still my Son tho,so I'm prepared to buy him a quality mower.Regular quantities of small chemical packages in return would be a nice gesture of support for his discerning Dad tho 😄

[scbk]

There's advantages and disadvantages to both, horses for courses blah blah blah........

 

For me the cut off point is currently around 45cc. Below that better off with battery.

 

 

Less cancer from 2 stoke fumes means I can eat more bacon and drink more beer  

[Muddy42]

On 17/06/2023 at 22:37, Trailoftears said:

Here's a philosophical point lol!

My favourite youngest son has just married his rather delighful girlfriend and they've just taken on a huge mortgage on a big detatched house standing in 3/4 of an acre grounds with an extended lawn.He's21.I want to give them a practical and useful housewarming present that is both durable and will make their ownership of the garden easier over their married life.So,no brainer there-a 21" kubota/lawnflite/danarm pro kaaz/sarp mower equipped with direct drive/mechanical blade/brake clutch/honda gx engine/overspecced heavy alloy deck/fan-assisted grass collection/70l grass bag with dust protection/2 speed drive etc.As long as he does the obvious-yearly oil change, biennial spark plug/air filter change etc-and as I'm his Dad he will DEFFO be doing as I say lol.Not only will he still be tottering out in his late 70's still using and enjoying the same mower, I'd take a wild punt that mower would probably come in useful for his now 20 yr old son!And it cost me what?£1200 in 2023.Sounds expensive,not so much when you would get 50+ years out of it.Any battery alternative out there dare I ask.

I suspect the deck will rust before the engine! Even with cleaning/repainting the rust gets to them eventually. I have a few old ride ons and find I can repair or replace everything easily until the deck goes and they are no longer in production. I have one in this stage at the moment - i have welded the odd hole, but will have to decide what to do when the structural areas go.

 

I could find a different replacement deck and weld it to fit, but its a fair bit of work!

[openspaceman]

33 minutes ago, Muddy42 said:

 

I could find a different replacement deck and weld it to fit, but its a fair bit of work!

Whereas fitting a pushalong  ex battery electric deck with a motor from a rusted out Honda was straightforward, 3 bolts with holes aligned.

[pleasant]

43 minutes ago, Muddy42 said:

I suspect the deck will rust before the engine! Even with cleaning/repainting the rust gets to them eventually. I have a few old ride ons and find I can repair or replace everything easily until the deck goes and they are no longer in production. I have one in this stage at the moment - i have welded the odd hole, but will have to decide what to do when the structural areas go.

 

I could find a different replacement deck and weld it to fit, but its a fair bit of work!

....and buy a spares 400 quid gearbox for it, as thats models achilles heel is drive failure on the roller models. Notoriously difficult and expensive to repair.

 

You want a mower to last 50 years with little to go wrong and build like a barn dood.....find a decent used Hayterette. Ok he will have to push it and rake up the cuttings,  but only mower i have ever dealt with that i guarantee will last that long....even when abused

Edited June 19, 2023 by pleasant

[Stere]

Alu decks but they still corrode?

 

There is a italian company  that makes  mowers with stainnless steel decks or thoose honda composite ones supposedly last unless they crack?

[pleasant]

They corrode if left with grass build up. If cleaned immediately after use they will last pretty much forever. We have harriers that have been looked after coming in for annual service still from the early 80s.

 

Honda polymer decks are generally good, but do become brittle with age due to exposure to uv light 

[Muddy42]

24 minutes ago, pleasant said:

They corrode if left with grass build up. If cleaned immediately after use they will last pretty much forever. We have harriers that have been looked after coming in for annual service still from the early 80s.

 

Honda polymer decks are generally good, but do become brittle with age due to exposure to uv light 

 

Yes my brother has an 80s Harrier.  Phenomenally tough and easy to maintain.  However its much easier to clean small mower when you can just tip it over (as long as its the right way) compared to a heavy ride on. Its too late for mine, but I do paint it whenever the deck is off for sharpening or repair (which is quite often at the moment - bearings and axle recently). I don't think those hose ports work that well. I guess you could drive the mower onto a ramp or a repair pit.  I have a pit but the mess and faff would be horrendous.