new mower purchase

[TREELINE]

I have a grass contract and want to buy a new mover to make it easier.At home i use a cheap Band Q macallister powered mower that is adequate but blocks when damp.

Got my eye on aither a sarp536/hxapro £829 honda engine 2 speed

or a toro ads pro £962.33 kawasaki engine 3 speed

toro also do a 66cm cut at £1408 (ouch!)

 

Any guidance be good thanks

.

Its my only grass contract at the mo worth £200 per month (for a charity)

Grass is collected and dumped in hedgeline and compost heap.

Aluminium or steel deck ????

[ukminch]

You can't go wrong with a Honda pro, or there's an old version of it being sold under a different name, thats good to. With the kind of money your talking about making, I'd be tempted to buy a Mountfield from B&Q 12 month warranty..... not bad machines and it doesn't sound like its going to have that much abuse. Then buy another one next year.

 

£350 quid spent means you'll be earning money quicker.

 

Having said that if you looking for a mower to last you 10 years then a honda or hayter is the way forward IMHO.

 

Rob

 

P.s There all rubbish at collection in the wet!

[woodplans]

I bought a viking (stihl) mower last year for some regular maintenance work we do, aluminium deck, powered drive works good in the wet and can be used to mulch. Was about half the price of a Honda with the same spec, no probs so far. Well recomended.

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

I have a grass contract and want to buy a new mover to make it easier.At home i use a cheap Band Q macallister powered mower that is adequate but blocks when damp.

Got my eye on aither a sarp536/hxapro £829 honda engine 2 speed

or a toro ads pro £962.33 kawasaki engine 3 speed

toro also do a 66cm cut at £1408 (ouch!)

 

Any guidance be good thanks

.

Its my only grass contract at the mo worth £200 per month (for a charity)

Grass is collected and dumped in hedgeline and compost heap.

Aluminium or steel deck ????

As a green-keeper I dare to say that I know a thing or two about mowers! Being a former service manual author for Husqvarna is a part of my CV! Yes, really!

 

First, not all are rubbish at collecting in the wet (tho it is bad for the grass - mowing when wet). Etesia are probably the best in this respect.

 

Next, forget the Toro and any Hayter. Personally not a fan of Honda pro's either. Not sure of your budget, but you get what you pay for...

 

Of the choices you have listed the best bet would be the SARP but DON'T pay that much for it... PM me for more details. I also have a few pro mowers for sale. I'm guessing you've been to J&M?!

 

What width cut do you want? Assume self-propelled? Wheels or Rear Roller? Are you cutting any slopes because if you are you should consider a machine with a pressure lubricated engine such as that made by Kawasaki.

 

SARP / LAWNFLITE PRO / ASUKA / DANARM / KAAZ are all the same and are based on the previous Honda deck (which they sold the rights to - to Hondas regret). I am quite a fan of these and have the pro version of the rear roller Kaaz myself with the Honda 5.5hp engine. They are heavy machines tho.

 

ARIENS are seriously underrated - US made machine that is the only steel-deck I would consider. Good price too. I'll be buying one this season.

 

Etesia are Rolls Royce machines but the price is the same; the decks are Xenoy polymer.

 

This is all assuming you require a rotary mower not a cylinder machine?

 

Re engines, Honda quality has worsened recently whereas Kawasaki are sweet as a nut as are Kubota. The only serious machine running a Briggs is the Atco Royale. Avoid Tecumseh! Kohler is top quality too - Three Ks then - Kawasaki / Kohler / Kubota.

 

One more thing; Viking have launched a new "7" series which I'm having a look at - could be very good.

 

This could turn into an essay so pm or phone...

 

Best regards...

Edited January 14, 2009 by TimberCutterDartmoor
extra info re Viking

[TREELINE]

ok timber cutter i give in ....lets talk

pm me your number and we'll ave a chat.

[ukminch]

Sorry should have clarified, I find most to be rubbish at collecting in the wet. But I'm on twice a month cycles so find that the grass can have grown 4-5 inches if we've had rain sun rain sun etc. Hence they tend to struggle.

 

If there is genuinely a mower that collects well in the above conditions I don't want to pm you I want to marry you!!

[Dave.G.]

Do you want a striped finish or do you just want to cut grass? IMO you can't go wrong with a Honda pro. I use a roller drive at work for the striped look. Bought just before Xmas for about £850 (Sarp used to be allot less as they are a direct copy). I also have a Honda at home left over from when i was contract cutting (over 12 years ago) it was used every day through the season for 3 years and its still going fine and never had more than a blade and an oil change. If you don't want stripes or want to cut in the wet then have a look at etesia. I haven't used their pedestrian mowers only there ride on's but the reports are that they are the best "wet pick up" on the market.

Aluminium or steel? Aluminium will last longer and stand up to more neglect but steel is fine if you wash it off and let it dry. My Honda has abs plastic deck and it still hasn't rusted through. Don't know why they stopped making it.

Cheap and cheerful is OK but warranty only lasts for "domestic" use.

Hayter have just updated there roller mower but the previous model was... at least they sink without trace when you can't start them again and again and again.

[david]

has any one got a victa 2 stroke. thats all i work with. they'v got fold away blades. saves the muppet thats working it knackering the blades every time they run over a brick! its got pleanty rev's and power and seams to handle wet grass not to bad if you keep the mesh in the grass box clear

[TREELINE]

If there is genuinely a mower that collects well in the above conditions I don't want to pm you I want to marry you!!

 

sorry dude(tte); just cos someone else makes a good mower i don't see why you should marry me! :scared1:Marry them!

besides my wife gets jealous.

[Jonesie]

If your after a Lawnflite Pro or one of the other brands of the same get in quick as the price is about to go up 15% + at the end of Jan. We have about 30 of the Pro roller ones left at the old price at the moment.

If you need any advice give one of my sales guys a ring they should be able to help you.

 

David the Victa's are not being bought into this country anymore so what the dealers have got left is all there is. I think we have about 50 in stock at the moment.