GRILLO FD220R Anyone got or used one ?

[Tarky]

Hi there, I'm interested in this mower ( Grillo fd220r )

31 inch out front single blade cutting deck, so great for getting through back gates,. it supposedly collects very well, has a very tight turning circle and a Briggs 16hp Vanguard.. At just under £4k it seems a good alternative to a etesia hydro 80 or Bahia..

Does anyone have any experience with it ?

 

Link to website below

Grillo Ride-on-Mowers :: Grillo FD220R Out Front Mower - Garden Landscaping Machinery & Equipment

 

 

Thanks in advance for any feedback

Tarky

[difflock]

We run a bigger Grillo, a FD1500, this 10 years or so, conceptually a good design, there were certain design flaws in earlier models though, impellor too soft steel and near impossible to extraciate to replace, design and make-up of which was then totally revised, lack of grease nipples on the hi-lift mechanism/linkage, shitty painted mild steel mesh in the collector box, needed to be stainless or galv, but otherwise a sound compact design, with a Kubota engine and reliable hydraulics.

I am considering replacing with a Grillo FD 2200, or equil JD or Kubota.

Not a popular brand here in NI, since the dealer has been desperately trying to flog me an demo/unsold/unsellable FD1100, this past 18 months.

m

[Burgess]

It's not a direct collect, so if there is any moisture and its got any decent growth on you will spend most of your time unblocking the chute. For just under 4k it's really not that much cheaper than a Hydro 80 anyway.