Lawnmower recommendations

Bronnie

Is this the one you're looking at?


http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=9218991&ecamp=trf-005&CAWELAID=266980628

I got it from B&Q last year and love it. Really lightweight and efficient in use. 2 females in our house, self and 21 yr old DD and we both find it easy to use and get in and out of the shed!
Recommended.

frames1_uk

yes that's it, except mine doesn't have those cable winder things, they look very handy! But then again, your link says 'B&Q Exclusve' and I got it in Homebase, lol

the_rottweiler

I decided that the Rotak 32 was the mower i need.
Th best price I could find was at Amazon for £53.99 and free del, oddly though 4 hours after I bought it this morning the price is now £58.95
I was obviously very mse (or lucky) and got a bargain :j

Imp

I got a manual Gardena rotary mower last year.

http://www.ecolandscapesupplies.co.uk/httpsdocs/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=585&idcategory=57

On our 20m by 6m garden, it is quicker and easier to use than an electric as you don't have to get a cable out, and then put it away at the end of the day. All you need is for your lawn to be reasonably flat and this will probably be easier than most powered mowers.

suisidevw

I have a Hayter, not sure on model but it's petrol and it's flipping brilliant!

laurel7172

Flymos are terrible, especially if you try to cut long grass. I burned through three in five years.

Now, I'm not an engineer, but the nice man in the lawnmower repair shop (we were seeing a depressing amount of each other) explained to me that electric motors with brushes burn out easily, while those with magnets don't. I hope that means more to you than it does to me.

Anyway, I bought the cheapest induction/magnetic motored lawnmower in his shop (a Hayter) and it has lasted longer than all the Flymos put together. It is heavier, though.

FWIW, I know someone who owns a garden company, and who only uses Mountfields. Based on that recommendation, I paid a bit extra for a Mountfield garden shredder, and that has been really sturdy and reliable (so far).

dampsquib

A tip for hover mower users ....
In order to avoid problems with motors packing in due to giving them too much to do, if I've let my grass grow too long, instead of using my mower as a hover mower, I tilt it at an angle and use one side as a runner. You can vary the angle depending on how long the grass is. It's easy to tell from the motor speed if you are expecting too much of it. You need to give it just enough work to avoid it slowing down and straining. Best not to use this technique when others are in the garden as it must increase the risk of stones being flung upwards.
I've recently replaced my old Flymo with a replacement Fymo, as the first had given good service! I'm not impressed with the Flymo replacement blades currently on sale though. They seem to bend as the mearest sight of a stone. I've discovered ALM Manufacturing (in Knaresborough) though, their black metal replacement blades for Flymos seem much sturdier (& more like the original Flymo blades).
Whilst on the subject of bad mowers though. Some years ago I bought a Qualcast Suffolk Punch to replace my old Punch which finally died after long service. First time my replacement hit a stone, a cog shattered! I was shocked to discovered that they had replaced metal cogs with nylon ones, which just ain't up to the job! I've shattered at least three now, and the Punch is currently still "off the road" awaiting a further replacement. I won't ever buy from them again, without checking that they make their engines from 100% metal. Maybe "plastic" engines are OK for bowling greens, but for the average lawn with the odd twig and stone ....

LandyAndy

frames1_uk wrote: »

I wouldn't know how to fix the cable myself and if I took it to the repair shop, plus get the blade sharpened, I would imagine it wouldn't be much less than the new Bosch, which I bought today at Homebase for £54.

My daughter is now cutting the grass (for money, of course, she wouldn't do it for love).... seems to be going good right now,

Too late now, I realise, but can you really not wire a plug?

frames1_uk

LandyAndy wrote: »

Too late now, I realise, but can you really not wire a plug?

yeh I can wire a plug, but this was cut right in the middle of the length of cable, so I would need a join, so no.... I wouldn't be confident doing that myself. Sorry if that makes me a lesser mortal :rotfl:

macman

For future reference, it's exactly the same as wiring a plug. You just use a cable connector to rejoin the 2 pieces. 5 minute job and the connector would cost a couple of pounds.