[Closed] Lawnmower recommendations please

We've just got one of the Bosch Rotak ones, seems well made, grass is shorter.

Go petrol. Honda Izy is the weapon of choice.

Hayter Spirit 41 petrol powered rear roller.

The Aston Martin of mowers ... even comes in british racing green.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/mountfield-hp185-45cm-125cc-hand-propelled-rotary-petrol-lawn-mower/1323f

or self-propelled for £50 more:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/mountfield-sp185-45cm-125cc-self-propelled-rotary-petrol-lawn-mower/9722f

The latter has been doing great for me for the last 4 years or so. Bought a service kit for it but still not got around to servicing it (maybe this winter, eh?). I just check the oil and put petrol in, sharpen the blade once a year and that's it.

Don't be tempted by the even cheaper one with an in-house engine.

Agree on the Mountfield. Had current one for around 5 years and it gets a hard time. Still starts first go every spring and pretty much every part can be purchased online (having broken a few parts over the years)

If you are in Shropshire you can have my Bosch Rotak 40 for free. We have recently moved house and I bought a petrol one

Thanks.

Honda Izy is lovely but its £370. Is it really worth it?

I'm not familiar with Mountfield. They do seem to crop up a bit though. Can't find those models on JL website but they have some similar priced ones.

The Mountfield HP46 is £210 and seems to fit the bill. It also has a 'mulching plug' which I think is a good thing.

As regards Petrol mowers. What do I have to do to it exactly? Just keep it topped up as simon_g says? I like the idea of maintaining a mower but I'm aware how liable I am to putting off jobs until 'tomorrow'.

Finally, do I want a self propelled one? I'm early 40s so I reckon I've got a few years of physical ability left in me before I can't push a lawnmower.

Honda Izy... A bit above budget but bombproof, and if you come to sell, keep value really well. I've got the smallest one, and it's ace.

TBH the Honda's probably not worth the extra over most other reasonably good quality makes, but you know how it works around here, what you own yourself is the ONLY ACCEPTABLE CHOICE! 😁

I wouldn't bother with a self propelled one for that size of lawn unless it's very steeply sloped. Increases the price and more to go wrong.

I service mine every three or four years. Check the oil level occasionally, it never seems to change colour so don't take it in every year. Sharpen the blade in the spring with a file and it's pretty much not missed a beat. I'm sure other makes are just a robust.

edit - actually, the deck is quite corroded on the Honda, but at about 20 years old that's hardly surprising and I can still buy a replacement when it rusts through.

Another edit - maybe important Someone 'effed up a petrol powered tool on here a few months ago by running it without oil. I notice that Screwfix Mountfield says no returns unless it's drained of oil and petrol, which suggests it might be supplied dry. Wherever you get it from, remember to check this out first!!

TBH the Honda’s probably not worth the extra over most other reasonably good quality makes, but you know how it works around here, what you own yourself is the ONLY ACCEPTABLE CHOICE! 😁

To be fair there's an element of that, however, I know several people who are in the gardening/landscaping trade, and every single one of them gave me the same advice when I got mine, which was 'just get an Izy'. However, how much of that was just because that's what they have, I can't tell you 😀

Thanks @FunkyDunc. Thats very generous of you. I'm in Nottingham but I kinda think I want a petrol one now.

Thanks for the advice everyone. Especially @submarined. Hadn't thought that it'd be shipped dry and I'm not great for reading manuals.

I reckon I'm going to get the £200 Mountfield one. https://www.johnlewis.com/mountfield-hp46-hand-propelled-petrol-lawnmower-red/p4031269

Got to buy a new freezer aswell otherwise I'd seriously consider the Honda.

Suffolk Punch. The gentleman's choice.

Cordless is too expensive at the moment and I’ve not got faith in battery life.

I switched to a cheap Lidl / Aldi (Florabest) cordless mower about 5 years ago and it's still going strong!

Much prefer it to the petrol it replaced as it is lighter, quieter, more manoeuvrable and requires little in the way of maintenance. My lawn sounds about twice the size of yours and the battery just about lasts to do it - it charges in under half an hour in any case.

The only negative I have is that the deck could be a bit wider.

We’ve just got one of the Bosch Rotak ones, seems well made, grass is shorter.

+1

Petrol just seems a load of faff for little gain and a load of extra pollution. I manage a 40m long lawn on a Rotak 40.

I have one of these and it's great!

Pretend it's a tractor

I reckon I’m going to get the £200 Mountfield one. https://www.johnlewis.com/mountfield-hp46-hand-propelled-petrol-lawnmower-red/p4031269
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Nooooo, that's got their own-brand engine. Spend less at Screwfix and get the Briggs & Stratton engined one. Probably still made in China but reputation is much better and easy to get spares for.

They do all come "dry" and need filling with oil before you start. There were warning labels all over mine though, it would be hard to miss.

I check oil (just that there is some on the dipstick) but can't remember ever filling it up. Never touched spark plug, air filter or anything like that. Just a couple of pushes on the button on the side to draw some fuel through then it starts on second or third pull usually.

The Hondas seem brilliant but not worth double the money IMO. That may be a different value proposition if you're using it professionally every day though.

 

I've got a cordless Rotak 430 and it's pretty good and fast to get round the garden.

Plus it has an attachment to replace the grass box and just fire the grass back into the lawn for it to mulch, which is good if you do the lawn often which is also easier as the cordless Rotak is fast to get around the garden.

As long as your lawn is reasonably level as it is not a torque monster, although fine really unless you are flattening out the blade on bumpy ground.

The 2A batteries last about 20 minutes but I also got a 4A.

£299 on Amazon prime day deal with 2 of those 2A batteries :

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bosch-Cordless-Lawnmower-Cutting-Height/dp/B06Y435L5D/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=Bosch+Rotak&qid=1563285243&s=gateway&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&sr=8-8

In your shoes I'd step back from the excitement of a shiny new toy for a minute and take FunkyDunc up on his very generous offer. He's not even that far away! They're great machines and expensive second hand, for a reason 🙂

Live action shot (I'm over-mowered as my lawns are tiny)

[IMG] [/IMG]

You're absolutely right @bearnecessities.

I'll send him a message.

bearnecessities, may I say that your lawn doesn't need trimming. An STW first!

bearnecessities, may I say that your lawn doesn’t need trimming. An STW first!

Yeah, but those fence panels want a coat of creosote, and all that crap needs putting back in the shed FFS.😁

I kinda think I want a petrol one now.

Petrol mowers, and petrol gardening equipment in general, is pretty bad for the environment. Do you really want to add to that?

I've got a mountfield with one of their own engines (rv150 which iirc is a side valve, the newer ones are ohv). It's probably 12 years old at least, we've had it four years.

Changed the oil for what might be the first time this year (the previous owner rather sheepishly said it 'probably' needed a service).

Still works as new although the self propelling clutch is on its way out (but I've looked and replacements are cheap).

Unless your lawn is completely flat I'd get a self propelled one, easier to keep it in straight lines over any uneven bits!

Servicing is brutally simple, after use tip it upside down over a bucket to drain the oil, pour fresh oil in, change spark plug and air filter. It's 15 minutes max. Add another 5-10 if the carburetor seal needs doing.