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Just moved house and have a bigger garden that’s quite lumpy and has the odd rabbit hole etc. It’s about 100m by 20m.
Going to need a petrol mower I think.
Any recommendations? Don’t really want to spend more than about £300
Second hand Flymo with a Honda engine.
Excellent on non-bowling green type lawns.
Honda - they’re brilliant. Worth it in the long run. But it’ll be well over 300 new.
Hayter are good. Might get a 2nd hand one for that price
This
https://www.screwfix.com/p/mountfield-sp53h-167cc-self-propelled-rotary-petrol-lawn-mower/976fy
Costco have a Honda engined Mountfield
£340 but 20inch blade
Had a Honda for 18 years. I swear it starts on the first pull of the starter every year with no fuss and looks almost new after a hose down. I do service it every year, but it's piss easy. New oil, clean the air filter and spark plugs (new ones every 3 or 4 years), sharpen the blade with a dremel and squirt some GT85 on the pivots and linkages. Absolutely bomb proof.
I've had good service from a cheap B&S engined (really just cheap Chinese stuff) Mountfield from Screwfix. After 4 years I might get around to using the service kit I bought at the end of year one.
I bought a Husqvarna 140(?) last year from a local shop. £280.
It was noticeably lighter yet sturdily built compared to what B&Q had in. It's got some nice details of how the handle works etc. Came with a free service kit and fuel bottle.
The other local shop had a Viking (Stihl) in which was the other option, a couple of quid more.
Go to your local independent, not some big box opener.
Bought a Honda Iggy for my mothers small garden, great relatively cheap bit of kit, I cut hers and a neighbour’s garden with it. It’s not as sophisticated as normal Hondas but much cheaper but still a Honda engine. Our Honda, one of the larger and a plastic (more expensive) chassis/deck ones is now 15 years plus old and still going strong. Serviced every year but not had a part other than blades replaced. We (my son uses it now) also have. Hayter orchard mower (has a rather solid cast aluminium deck/chassis). It’s now 24 years old, and again other than servicing, has only had blades and plugs replaced so also highly recommended.
Just to be "that guy", firstly do you really need or want that much lawn? Consider some other planting or even wild areas. That'll be less maintenance and better biodiversity. Secondly petrol tools are pretty poor for the environment. It might be the best option, but at least consider alternatives first.
I'll endorse Honda as well.
Interesting post from Nickjb. If it was my garden I'd consider a proper, old fashioned scythe. Get looking on YouTube, there's plenty about them from fitting one to yourself to the many benefits.
The cheapest self proweeld Mountfield works from. Had current one 10 years and starts first time after getting out of shed after winter. A few things have broken over the years (mainly due to rough treatment) and every single part is available so have always just fixed it myself.
How about saving yourself the bother and paying for it to be cut fortnightly ?
100m x 20m? Combine harvester?
I’ve had good service from a cheap B&S engined (really just cheap Chinese stuff) Mountfield from Screwfix.
Mine is probably from the same factory but it was purchased from B&Q. Has the B&S engine and has been faultless (apart from when I bent something on the choke but that was a cheap repair job) for the six years I have had it. It's never been serviced and I just check the oil at the beginning of each season and I always use 'new' fuel - any left in the can at the end of the season goes in the car and I get a fresh can full when the new season starts. Starts first time every time. I got it when it was on offer for about £125 IIRC.
Honda Izy.
Father has a large garden’s to the front and rear of the house. He buys Mountfield mowers but with the honda engines. They are used every other day for 4 hours during peak growing season. Never cleaned and stored in a garage.
I don’t think he has ever serviced one. They tend to last 10 years the engine is fine but the chassis are rotten.
100m x 20m?
Blimey - get the "widest" one you can find within budget. Wider = less trips up and down the 100m. A 16" one will break your heart!
And do you plan to collect the clippings? Or leave them in situ?
I think we will almost certainly leave some of it to grow wild. We had some deer in this morning, which was nice to see and I don’t give a shit about flowers etc. But need a bit of lawn space for the kids to kick about in, ride bikes etc.
Scything sounds quite appropriate now we’ve entered the zombie apocalypse
Picked up a non running B&S for £10 off eBay bought a carb service kit and a plug on its 4th year.