Home & Garden Buying a lawn mower

[rdhopkins2]

I'm currently looking to buy a lawn mower. What should I be looking for?

My front + backyard probably takes about 40mins at present to mow. My old mower is a 2 stroke Victa and probably over 20yrs old.

Preferably
a) it needs to cut grass
b) preferably be low maintainance
c) be decent quality and doesn't die within a few yrs

Any suggestions appreciated. Ta.

 

[raskolnikov]

I bought a Talon last year. I'm pretty happy with it. Does a good job and is easy to maintain.

 

[GPW1]

 

[cammo84]

If you can afford it, get a self-propelled one. It will make it a much easier job and save you time and effort.

Modern 4-stroke mowers are pretty good, and saves you mixing fuels.

Briggs+stratton motors are quality, look for something with one of these.

PS: I'm a gardener by trade (but I mostly use ride-ons at my work)

 

[Tormented Tiger]

Briggs+stratton motors are quality

I'll 2nd that.

 

[strange]

I sell mowers at bunnings.
lots of problems with rover mowers
Briggs and stratton motors the most reliable.

look for something with 4 blades rather than 2, and bigger good quality wheels are preferable over smaller crappy ones.

Masport are probably my favourite to sell.

 

[Exhale You]

Definitely get one with a B&S motor and if you can afford it, buy from a genuine mower shop rather than a department store/Bunnings.

Buying from a specialist mower shop means you won't have to put it together, they'll always be there to help you and also you should get a free service after a year.

 

[rdhopkins2]

I asked for lawn mower advice, not relationship advice

Thanks for your help people, any other suggestions keep them coming!

 

[cammo84]

If you get one with a catcher it will be a cleaner job, the downside is you have to empty it whenever it fills - and it sounds like you've got quite a bit of lawn. Although, you can use the grass as mulch or compost it.

One with a side-shoot won't need to be emptied but you'll be leaving trails of grass everywhere.

 

[PunyHumans!!!]

What others have said about briggs and stratton...met a few who dont like them but I've never had a problem with them...reliable engines so anything powered by that will do just fine.

 

[rdhopkins2]

Happy to use a mulching mower or just leave the clippings on the lawn as mulch.
I normally mow once a week so the clippings aren't too substancial.

 

[rdhopkins2]

Has anyone ever modified a basic backyard mower to mow stripes into the lawn? Would be interested in hearing good ways of doing that too.

Whilst it won't be as good as a golf course etc, I'd like to get it atleast looking a tiny bit like

 

[cammo84]

Has anyone ever modified a basic backyard mower to mow stripes into the lawn? Would be interested in hearing good ways of doing that too.

Whilst it won't be as good as a golf course etc, I'd like to get it atleast looking a tiny bit like

The stripes are a result of alternating the direction you mow each line. It looks like it does because the mower pushes the grass forward when it cuts. You'll have more luck of getting that effect if you use a reel-mower and cut it very regularly, I don't think you're going to get anything as dramatic as the picture with a regular backyard push mower. I do striping like this at work, but I use a cricket pitch mower or a ride-on greens mower. Also, some grasses are better for striping than others, couch>kikuyu.

 

[Frodo]

Must use a cylinder mower for stripes and the finer the grass the better. Not too short either.

My lawn usually looks like your piccy, but I cut twice a week, keep the PH right and feed every 6 weeks. 4 strokes are good. I use Honda, but it's all down to budget.

 

[mantis]

I've only ever used Flymo electric mowers for the past 25 years, would never go back to a petrol one again.

 

[PunyHumans!!!]

Yep...reel mower is the best for striping...I use M.E.Y mowers for that at work. Big heavy things but a good machine.

 

[raskolnikov]

I've only ever used Flymo electric mowers for the past 25 years, would never go back to a petrol one again.

I had an electric one for a while but I found it really annoying - slow and you have to keep watching out for the chord.

 

[mantis]

I had an electric one for a while but I found it really annoying - slow and you have to keep watching out for the chord.

Maybe because I'm female, I found them a lot easier to use, as you don't need to use so much force to push them, plus they glide over doggy pot holes. Once you get used to them, you put the cord over your shoulder & just keep throwing it back everytime you turn. I also have an electric grass trimmer. I'm waiting for someone to put out solar powered gardening equipment.

 

[Frodo]

I've only ever used Flymo electric mowers for the past 25 years, would never go back to a petrol one again.

Good from a person who told everyone to get rid of their lawns and plant native bush

 

[mantis]

Good from a person who told everyone to get rid of their lawns and plant native bush

Back to trolling I see? OH that's right, you're no longer a mod because you spat the dummy big time.

Unfortunately when you are renting you can't demolish the gardens though I wish I could, would be a lot easier for me & better for the environment.

 

[Frodo]

Never was a mod

 

[mantis]

Never was a mod

You were a "spec mod", that's what your profile said.

 

[JHF1870]

jsut got a masport, goes pretty good.

 

[sandeano]

For years I worked as a greenkeeper on a bowling green, maintaining the grass at a perfect height of 25c during the week and 20c on mornings of competition.

The mowing used to bore me after a while so eventually I perfected the 'square spiral' pattern which not only looked great, but it was far less likely to affect the bias of the bowl (compared to the diagonal mow).

No longer in that job and can barely be bothered maintaining my own lawn. But I will say this - for the home garden always go for a swing blade mower and never a bar blade. If you hit a rock, tap, pipe etc in the latter then it is a goner.

Go with Briggs and Stratton and to my mind 4 strokers are the best.

 

[External Inputs]

I've got a big lawn area, mostly buffalo, and started off with a reel mower with all the best intentions. Apart from being easy to damage the cylindrical blades, if you get slack or busy and the lawn gets a bit long, it's a mission to cut with a reel. I ended up with a Victa rotary, much easier to live with and a fair bit cheaper too. 4 blades and ball bearing wheels is a plus, and though I have to push it, it's more controllable in some instances than a big reel mower, for me anyway.

Briggs and Stratton's seem good enough, I've been told the new ones are not really rebuild-able any more, but a complete new motor is pretty cheap.

.