Petrol mowers.

spark240

Triggers broom.

..

Dont do too bad a job still...

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Hootsmon

pintspiller

I had a mower man years ago who was great. He kept everything that wasn't broke. If your deck was rusty AF he was able to sell you a less rusty one and use your own engine. Mind you, the Honda's hadn't caught on at this time and everybody use Briggs and Stratton.

Dominic

Get a gardner
Seriously , it sounds extravagant but it's cheaper .By the time you factor the cost of mower, sharpening,maintenance ,renewal and the fuel it works out cheaper to have somebody come in and cut the grass.
The upside is that you get your own time back to earn more money and actually enjoy your garden rather than being a slave to it.
Only a busy fool does their own mowing.

TheMarlin

I had a gardener years ago. He was excellent.  Alas, he moved away, can’t get anyone decent
locally.  Plus, wife is quite eager for me to get in the garden and burn a chin or two off....

Nitefly

@Sambostar where are you?  These people need you!

mudslide73

Luckily we have a local place that will still fix my Mountfield (Briggs and Stratton). They fitted a new drive belt and did a service (engine and blade) for £65 last year. 

Rocker

Mowing grass is good exercise, fresh air and good for the soul.  And the lawn.  Avoid the temptation to go low with the cut.  A green lawn looks better than a brown one.  A pro service every two to three years is sufficient.  Keep the blade sharp.  Feed the lawn.  Buy a Honda mower.

TheMarlin

Rocker said:

Mowing grass is good exercise, fresh air and good for the soul.  And the lawn.  Avoid the temptation to go low with the cut.  A green lawn looks better than a brown one.  A pro service every two to three years is sufficient.  Keep the blade sharp.  Feed the lawn.  Buy a Honda mower.

My grass dies and goes brown most summers.  It's just a function of the chalky soil where we live, and water authorities approach to hosepipes in the summer.  

I bought the Honda

ROOG

TheMarlin said:

Rocker said:

Mowing grass is good exercise, fresh air and good for the soul.  And the lawn.  Avoid the temptation to go low with the cut.  A green lawn looks better than a brown one.  A pro service every two to three years is sufficient.  Keep the blade sharp.  Feed the lawn.  Buy a Honda mower.

My grass dies and goes brown most summers.  It's just a function of the chalky soil where we live, and water authorities approach to hosepipes in the summer.  

I bought the Honda

Awww so you bought a Honda too. see Emps thread "Buying a Car"!

Jalapeno

Kubota, with a Honda engine (mainly because local dealer has switched his pro-range).  It's awesome.

My old Honda lasted 15yrs, and was shagged in the end - not enough oomph for drive & cut from day 1 really.

Blaendulais

If its petrol make sure you put an additive in over the winter or it will gum up and wont start and you will have to clean the carb.

LastMantra

Don't think that's really so bad these days with modern fuel tbh. At least I've never seen it happen. 

steveledzep

Never had a problem over wintering and I always leave it with the fuel tank full to the brim.  This is good for four strokes, but my strimmer (two stroke) I let it run dry before over wintering.

I had green lawns throughout the dry summer last year and I don't water.  I cut frequently (twice a week), not too short and let the machine mulch the clippings to feed the lawn.

LastMantra

steveledzep said:

Never had a problem over wintering and I always leave it with the fuel tank full to the brim.  This is good for four strokes, but my strimmer (two stroke) I let it run dry before over wintering.

I had green lawns throughout the dry summer last year and I don't water.  I cut frequently (twice a week), not too short and let the machine mulch the clippings to feed the lawn.

TBH I've never seen it happen with 2-stroke either. Specific two-stroke oils can be a con as well. Most normal engine oil is just as good. Doesn't have the die obviously. 

Good practice to turn the petrol off before stopping the engine though. To stop it flooding. 

steveledzep

LastMantra said:

steveledzep said:

Never had a problem over wintering and I always leave it with the fuel tank full to the brim.  This is good for four strokes, but my strimmer (two stroke) I let it run dry before over wintering.

I had green lawns throughout the dry summer last year and I don't water.  I cut frequently (twice a week), not too short and let the machine mulch the clippings to feed the lawn.

TBH I've never seen it happen with 2-stroke either. Specific two-stroke oils can be a con as well. Most normal engine oil is just as good. Doesn't have the die obviously. 

Good practice to turn the petrol off before stopping the engine though. To stop it flooding. 

???  Don't have a fuel valve on the mower nor the strimmer.

LastMantra

steveledzep said:

LastMantra said:

steveledzep said:

Never had a problem over wintering and I always leave it with the fuel tank full to the brim.  This is good for four strokes, but my strimmer (two stroke) I let it run dry before over wintering.

I had green lawns throughout the dry summer last year and I don't water.  I cut frequently (twice a week), not too short and let the machine mulch the clippings to feed the lawn.

TBH I've never seen it happen with 2-stroke either. Specific two-stroke oils can be a con as well. Most normal engine oil is just as good. Doesn't have the die obviously. 

Good practice to turn the petrol off before stopping the engine though. To stop it flooding. 

???  Don't have a fuel valve on the mower nor the strimmer. 


Sorry, was talking about machines that do have one.

Flymos in particular!

Nitefly

Rocker said:

Mowing grass is good exercise, fresh air and good for the soul.  And the lawn.  Avoid the temptation to go low with the cut.  A green lawn looks better than a brown one.  A pro service every two to three years is sufficient.  Keep the blade sharp.  Feed the lawn.  Buy a Honda mower.

And gives me hay-fever, so I dug the lot out and replaced with stone.  Best of all worlds - no hay-fever, no mowing!

Blaendulais

LastMantra said:

Don't think that's really so bad these days with modern fuel tbh. At least I've never seen it happen. 

Its worse as the ethanol content is so high.  It gums up everything.  I have 10 or so old bikes and its a nightmare.   Super unleaded is better but still bad. 

Haych

When I moved house and realised that my dinky little electric flymo wasn't up to the task of cutting all the grass (read; dense collection of lawn weeds) that came with it I was gifted a Gardenline petrol mower from Lidl, or Aldi.

It's not a high end make by any means but it came with a Briggs and Stratton engine, was self propelled and all it required was half a litre of oil and the petrol tank filling up.

I've had it for years and it's never missed a beat.  Starts easy every time and even collects the grass for me!

I've changed the oil twice and haven't even cleaned the spark plug.  Amazing machine!