Petrol Lawnmower - Good Idea?

MrBump

There have been threads about this but nothing I can see recently, so here goes!

I don't have a huge garden, less than 300m2.  A few years ago I ditched the plug in electric, because it was a pain cutting around the cable.  Unfortunately I did what I always do and went cheap - a Homebase battery powered thing, that just can't cut it (forgive the pun) - doesn't have the power to go through slightly shaggy grass, loses charge really quickly.

So I'm considering a petrol mower.  As I see it, more convenient (more torque to blast through longer grass), but more hassle (regular (self?) servicing).

Anyone got pearls of wisdom for me?

ta.

fretmeister

For years I had my dad's old Mountfield. Pointless in my tiny garden, but it was very good, if a bit noisy.

Dad owned it for a good 25 years before I had it, and I got 10 years out of it before it finally died and obsolete parts were very expensive. I still got £150 selling it as not working.

Buy a good one and you'll get decades out of it.

MrBump

I was actually looking at the Mountfield ones, they seem good value.

RaymondLin

We have a Honda one, it is great except it is heavier, need to keep petrol in the shed and also, and it doesn't start with every pull, sometimes it takes 4 or 5.

MartinBush

We have a Mountfield and I'd say yes. Our garden is on a slope so the clutch/ self-propelled feature makes a big difference.

AK99

Petrol mower owner here - just can't be having the hassle of trailing cords everywhere.

If you go shopping, look for one with an aluminium or plastic deck (the thing below the engine that houses the cutting-blade on a rotary mower). Steel ones rot long before the engines ever wear out. 

Grumpyrocker

We went the other way. From a Honda petrol to one that uses two rechargeable batteries. 

fastonebaz

Been petrol mowing for years,  very pleased with mine.  I sharpen the blade every year so it cuts lovely. 

Sporky

I employed the services of a gardener instead. He has petrol everything. 

ESBlonde

Things against petrol mowers. Modern unleaded petrol has horrible properties and a very short shelf life. If you take all the right precautions it’s fine. If you don’t it will gunk up the carb over winter and harden the gaskets and plastic reed valves that are often fitted to mowers these days. That can mean a trip to the mower man every spring because you can’t start it, of buy a new carb online (£25)+ and toss the old fuel in a full car tank to start over with a fresh can for the mower. 

You can buy special treated petrol to avoid theses problems at about 3 times the price, or buy additives and mix your own. Drain the carb when storing for the winter.
I have a selection of petrol tools like a genny, Shredder, rotavator, and two mowers so it’s worth the hassle for me, it might be better to get a quality branded battery in the current situation.

NelsonP

I recently had to buy a new mower. Was quite tempted by some of the electric ones but eventually plumped for a Honda petrol. Local mower repair man very definitive about how much better they are than anything else

boogieman

ESBlonde said:

Things against petrol mowers. Modern unleaded petrol has horrible properties and a very short shelf life. If you take all the right precautions it’s fine. If you don’t it will gunk up the carb over winter and harden the gaskets and plastic reed valves that are often fitted to mowers these days. That can mean a trip to the mower man every spring because you can’t start it, of buy a new carb online (£25)+ and toss the old fuel in a full car tank to start over with a fresh can for the mower. 

You can buy special treated petrol to avoid theses problems at about 3 times the price, or buy additives and mix your own. Drain the carb when storing for the winter.
I have a selection of petrol tools like a genny, Shredder, rotavator, and two mowers so it’s worth the hassle for me, it might be better to get a quality branded battery in the current situation.

Honda powered mower here too, an old Hayter 40 cm. I just use E5 petrol, the old super unleaded stuff with less ethanol in it, and it’s been fine, no sludging up or perished hoses. I also drain the fuel system down after the last cut in autumn. I’ve just done the first cut of spring and it started on the second pull.  

If you do still want to get a battery electric model, both my neighbours have those G Tech things they advertise on the tv and reckon they’re good, although you really need an extra battery as Sod’s Law dictates one will always run out at a crucial point. I’m still happier with our petrol mower. 

Kurtis

They are better really.

But they are dirty, smokey, smelly, heavy and of course run on fossil fuel. 

How hard your grass is to cut really just comes down to how often you cut it. 

bertie

 

TBH I havent cut my lawn in 10 years

TTony

Get a mulcher.

skullfunkerry

I’ve got a Spear & Jackson battery mower, it’s the best mower I’ve ever had. I’ve got a tiny garden; if I had a bigger one I’d invest in a second battery, but I have no complaints about the power or torque, it manages everything I put under it.

Added bonus of a cordless mower: you get a bit more at the top end of your garden

roundthebend

I understand that petrol mowers are still king, but if you're only trying to keep your lawn tamed and want hassle free then I would suggest a rechargeable is the sensible option. Petrol ones need servicing, and can be difficult to start if cold or damp. They're noisy and smelly and dirty. And you have to go to a petrol station to fill up a can.

If I needed a new mower I'd get rechargeable. Currently have a 12 year old Bosch electric and just about avoid cutting the cable each time.

Roland

My Honda is 25 years old, and still works well. Spoke to a lawnmower salesman earlier in the year, while I was waiting for an adjacent business to open. He advised that battery machines can’t yet cope with lawns as large as ours. So I’ll continue with petrol for the foreseeable future. 

ArchtopDave

I now have a good collection of the Stihl AP Cordless gear, and, since buying one of their lawnmowers, now have two AP 200 batteries (a good afternoon's use of the lawnmower uses up one and a half fully charged batteries). It's a big plus that one, or more, batteries provide the power for everything.

My collection includes a lawnmower, a hedge trimmer, a pole cutter, a chain saw, and a strimmer. The only disappointment is the chain saw, which only cuts through a branch a bit thicker than the pole cutter can cope with, whereas  petrol chain saws are distinctly sturdier. The lawnmower does a good job, and is very manoeuvrable because of it's light weight.

Dominic

boogieman said:

ESBlonde said:

Things against petrol mowers. Modern unleaded petrol has horrible properties and a very short shelf life. If you take all the right precautions it’s fine. If you don’t it will gunk up the carb over winter and harden the gaskets and plastic reed valves that are often fitted to mowers these days. That can mean a trip to the mower man every spring because you can’t start it, of buy a new carb online (£25)+ and toss the old fuel in a full car tank to start over with a fresh can for the mower. 

You can buy special treated petrol to avoid theses problems at about 3 times the price, or buy additives and mix your own. Drain the carb when storing for the winter.
I have a selection of petrol tools like a genny, Shredder, rotavator, and two mowers so it’s worth the hassle for me, it might be better to get a quality branded battery in the current situation.

Honda powered mower here too, an old Hayter 40 cm. I just use E5 petrol, the old super unleaded stuff with less ethanol in it, and it’s been fine, no sludging up or perished hoses. I also drain the fuel system down after the last cut in autumn. I’ve just done the first cut of spring and it started on the second pull.  

If you do still want to get a battery electric model, both my neighbours have those G Tech things they advertise on the tv and reckon they’re good, although you really need an extra battery as Sod’s Law dictates one will always run out at a crucial point. I’m still happier with our petrol mower. 

we have an old Hayter.........prob 35 yrs old.......even the lawnmower maintenance chap always says its a wonderful thing

spark240

Started with Hayter ....it was fine but i need a slightly larger blade so ended up with Honda...still good but need a few pulls after the winter in the shed.