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Lawnmower recommendation please

Looking to buy a new lawnmower for the first time and would appreciate recommendations or failing that ones to avoid.
I'm thinking a push mower with a petrol engine, preferably with an 18 inch(46cm) blade and a good size grassbox.
Lawn is about 800 square metres at a guess; takes about an hour to mow with a 15 inch(38 cm) blade. 

Thank you
 
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Comments

  • I've had a Mountfield (electric) for many years and this would be my first choice.
    Telegraph Sam

    There are also unknown unknowns - the one's we don't know we don't know
  • I have a Worx Landroid robot lawnmower. Once it is set up it mows the lawn every day, so no grass cuttings to clean up/dispose of. It makes a consistently tidy lawn (No stripes though). 
  • Dustyevsky
    Dustyevsky Posts: 2,172 Forumite
    1,000 Posts First Anniversary Homepage Hero Photogenic
    I might go for 21" with that amount of lawn. My go-to for a rotary type finish and petrol engine would be Honda, but I'm biased, having a 1985 model that still starts and runs with no bother! Unfortunately, they don't make them like that any more, but I prefer Honda engines to the ponderous Briggs & Strattons/ Chinese equivalents.
    "Money will only make you more of what you already are." T. Harv Eker
  • Section62
    Section62 Posts: 8,661 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Third Anniversary Name Dropper
    Rhino666 said:

    Looking to buy a new lawnmower for the first time and would appreciate recommendations or failing that ones to avoid.
     
    The starting point ought to be what are you aiming for in terms of service life.  There are models which are low cost but may only give you a couple of seasons use, and ones which should last a lifetime (or at least decades like Dustyevsky's) but will cost you more up-front and will need servicing annually, or at least every two years, if you want to get the maximum life out of them.  In between are various degrees of cost and robustness which don't always correlate.

    As well as the engine, pay attention to the material the 'deck' is made from (the main body of the machine, or the part covering the blade).  The best are made from cast alloy.  Cheaper ones were pressed steel, but increasingly various types of plastic decks are appearing on the market.  Plastic won't rust like pressed steel, but there's a question mark over how they will stand up to rough use over a longer period of time.  With pressed steel the thickness of the sheet is important - thin ones don't last as long as thicker ones.

    Also, unless you are in a hurry, if you wait until around mid-summer you are likely to find better quality mowers heavily discounted as the retailers start clearing their stock down for the Winter.  Now is around the start of the time where mowers tend to be the most expensive as everyone starts thinking about getting out in the garden.

    Personally I'd keep an eye on Freecycle and similar sites.  It is amazing how people give away good quality machines (like Dustyevsky's) because they have decided to go electric/battery for convenience.  If you can pick up an older model with either a Honda or Briggs engine for not very much money (or free) and get someone to overhaul it for no more than a couple of hundred, then you'll probably get the optimum MSE result - something that didn't cost you much, but will last a very long time.
  • moneysaver1978
    moneysaver1978 Posts: 580 Forumite
    500 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper
    edited 13 February 2024 at 9:41AM
    Worth checking your nearest dealers for repairs and servicing.

    When I needed my Cobra lawn mower repaired (wheel issue), I found a dealer 20 minutes from me and apparently some dealers don't handle certain brands.

    Also I wonder if moving this to https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/greenfingered-moneysaving might garner more responses.
  • stuart45
    stuart45 Posts: 4,585 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I bought an old Honda self propelled for £60 about 12 years ago. Use it for a couple of hours every 2 weeks to rough cut pathways in the field. I've had to repair the deck with fibre glass, but the engine is still going strong with minimum maintainance.
  • EssexExile
    EssexExile Posts: 6,344 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    For that amount of lawn I'd want self propelled. I've had a Honda 18" for about 20 years and it's been great.
    Tall, dark & handsome. Well two out of three ain't bad.
  • Ganga
    Ganga Posts: 4,253 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Do not forget if you buy a petrol mower ( which i would recommend ) you will have to have it serviced now and again ,the engine oil will need changing and the air filter will need cleaning ,not a hard job for any DIY,er . 
  • Ganga said:
    Do not forget if you buy a petrol mower ( which i would recommend ) you will have to have it serviced now and again ,the engine oil will need changing and the air filter will need cleaning ,not a hard job for any DIY,er . 
    That's actually one reason why I prefer petrol tools myself (where the size of garden warrants it).  They tend to be more robust in the first place than electric tools, and they're an absolute doddle to service & repair for anyone who has a modicum of mechanical experience.
    Even easier than my first car - which in itself was a piece of cake, having none of the electronic and computer wizardry you get on modern cars :)

  • TELLIT01
    TELLIT01 Posts: 17,476 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper PPI Party Pooper
    I've had a Honda Izy petrol mower for a good few years and it's been totally reliable.  I wouldn't consider electric mains or battery for a garden that size.
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