#1   Report Post  
Old 02-05-2005, 10:03 PM
Sumgod
 
Posts: n/a
Default Power Scythe Advice

Hiya,

I've got just over and acre of rough grassland (mid-Wales hillside stuff)
that I've been fighting for a couple or three years. Needless to say I'm not
winning!

The idea was to cut it a couple of times a year, emulating the management of
the surrounding farmland, e.g. the hay is cut and then it's then cropped by
cattle. A ride-on mower won't touch it, neither will a honda self-propelled.
So I resort to a petrol strimmer. Hell! So........leave it all to die down
over winter and then strim it all back. Which is better labour and effort
wise but I've defeated my initial intention!

Knowledgeable folk (!) say that I should get a power scythe of the Allen
type but cost benefit has me head scratching. £700/£800 to use twice a year?

Now I've got the chance to lay out about £300 for a 3 year old Alko Farmer
2-stroke powered scythe. Since I know absolutely nothing about such machines
or the Alko brand, does anyone have any experience or advice about this type
of machine?

If you have been, thanks for the help.

Regards - Tony


  #2   Report Post  
Old 02-05-2005, 10:13 PM
Mike
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Hi Tony

Is that Alko or Atko, if the latter, 'Bloody Good'. I had an Atko Roto
Scythe which laid a rough half an acre to grass within a couple of years.
Had horses grazing on it :-))

Mike


  #3   Report Post  
Old 02-05-2005, 10:21 PM
Sumgod
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Mike" wrote in message
...
Hi Tony

Is that Alko or Atko, if the latter, 'Bloody Good'. I had an Atko Roto
Scythe which laid a rough half an acre to grass within a couple of years.
Had horses grazing on it :-))

Mike



Hi Mike,

Not an Atko, which I've heard of. It is I am assured an Alco
(www.al-ko.co.uk). Their site lists 2 models neither of which is the Farmer.
I also had a look around for a manual on line but no luck.

Cheers - Tony


  #4   Report Post  
Old 03-05-2005, 01:48 AM
Anthony
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Sumgod" wrote in message
news:1115063663.24a03e158efd7e63b1f10b0d24c729e4@1 usenet...
Hiya,

I've got just over and acre of rough grassland (mid-Wales hillside stuff)
that I've been fighting for a couple or three years. Needless to say I'm
not winning!
The idea was to cut it a couple of times a year, emulating the management
of the surrounding farmland, e.g. the hay is cut and then it's then
cropped by cattle. A ride-on mower won't touch it, neither will a honda
self-propelled. So I resort to a petrol strimmer. Hell! So........leave it
all to die down over winter and then strim it all back. Which is better
labour and effort wise but I've defeated my initial intention!
Knowledgeable folk (!) say that I should get a power scythe of the Allen
type but cost benefit has me head scratching. £700/£800 to use twice a
year?
Now I've got the chance to lay out about £300 for a 3 year old Alko Farmer
2-stroke powered scythe. Since I know absolutely nothing about such
machines or the Alko brand, does anyone have any experience or advice
about this type of machine?
If you have been, thanks for the help.
Regards - Tony


http://www.mower-magic.co.uk/acatalo...he_Mowers.html

Have used smaller Alko tools in the past, and they seem to be no
worse/better than anything else in the price bracket. Professional tools
will be much better but for once or twice a year, I don't think you could go
wrong with this type of machine.
I now use an original Allen scythe and its a monster! Get something lighter,
easier to turn and less of a beast.

Anthony





  #5   Report Post  
Old 03-05-2005, 07:29 PM
Rod
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Mon, 2 May 2005 21:03:19 +0100, "Sumgod"
wrote:

Hiya,

I've got just over and acre of rough grassland (mid-Wales hillside stuff)
that I've been fighting for a couple or three years. Needless to say I'm not
winning!

The idea was to cut it a couple of times a year, emulating the management of
the surrounding farmland, e.g. the hay is cut and then it's then cropped by
cattle. A ride-on mower won't touch it, neither will a honda self-propelled.
So I resort to a petrol strimmer. Hell! So........leave it all to die down
over winter and then strim it all back. Which is better labour and effort
wise but I've defeated my initial intention!

Knowledgeable folk (!) say that I should get a power scythe of the Allen
type but cost benefit has me head scratching. £700/£800 to use twice a year?

Now I've got the chance to lay out about £300 for a 3 year old Alko Farmer
2-stroke powered scythe. Since I know absolutely nothing about such machines
or the Alko brand, does anyone have any experience or advice about this type
of machine?

If you have been, thanks for the help.

Regards - Tony

The old Allen will do the job and you'd probably get one free or dirt
cheap - that's because as Anthony has said they are pigs to use and
maintain - and no reverse so if you get stuck in a corner facing
downhill you've got a struggle to get out. There are professional
modern versions at a price, also again at a price are machines like
bloomin great strimmers on wheels but I think self propelled models
will be outside your budget.

=================================================

Rod

Weed my email address to reply.
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html


  #6   Report Post  
Old 03-05-2005, 08:08 PM
Sumgod
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Mike, Tony and Rod - thanks for your input.

I was heard about the Alko last evening and so posted my query directly
here. This morning I rang my local Husky/Honda dealer who services our mower
and strimmer (actually it was the guy who picks 'em up and then services
them rather than the dealer, but you get my drift). I asked him about the
Alko and his instant response was "rubbish". For very lightweight use only
and you can't get parts for 'em. So I pass.

And yes Rod, I think it will have to be the real McCoy, i.e. an old Allen.
I've been keeping an eye out on e-bay but the folks getting rid seem to be
mainly in the south of the UK. Bet an Allen won't fit in VW Passat estate!
Any ideas on where else I might look?

Regards and thanks for all the info - Tony

"Sumgod" wrote in message
news:1115063663.24a03e158efd7e63b1f10b0d24c729e4@1 usenet...
Hiya,

I've got just over and acre of rough grassland (mid-Wales hillside stuff)
that I've been fighting for a couple or three years. Needless to say I'm
not winning!

The idea was to cut it a couple of times a year, emulating the management
of the surrounding farmland, e.g. the hay is cut and then it's then
cropped by cattle. A ride-on mower won't touch it, neither will a honda
self-propelled. So I resort to a petrol strimmer. Hell! So........leave it
all to die down over winter and then strim it all back. Which is better
labour and effort wise but I've defeated my initial intention!

Knowledgeable folk (!) say that I should get a power scythe of the Allen
type but cost benefit has me head scratching. £700/£800 to use twice a
year?

Now I've got the chance to lay out about £300 for a 3 year old Alko Farmer
2-stroke powered scythe. Since I know absolutely nothing about such
machines or the Alko brand, does anyone have any experience or advice
about this type of machine?

If you have been, thanks for the help.

Regards - Tony



  #7   Report Post  
Old 04-05-2005, 12:19 AM
Brian Mitchell
 
Posts: n/a
Default

The message 1115143200.2582d24c9ecd3a3b92ffd658f97d47b4@1usen et
from "Sumgod" contains these words:


. . . I think it will have to be the real McCoy, i.e. an old Allen.
I've been keeping an eye out on e-bay but the folks getting rid seem to be
mainly in the south of the UK. Bet an Allen won't fit in VW Passat estate!
Any ideas on where else I might look?


There's a monthly magazine to be found on the top shelf of your rural
Spar called Tractor & Farm Machinery and a couple of others of that
kind. Allen scythes appear in the classified ads occasionally.

But why are you thinking about cutting an acre of grass? Is that the
best use of a resource? I'm in SW Wales and there are many small sheep
breeders looking for odd plots of pasture land to keep sheep on.
(There's a constant flux of sheep in trailers going from plot to plot).
Also horse and pony owners looking for grazing, and perhaps vendors of
small-bale hay who might mow your acre if it has easy access. Maybe you
just need to put word out in your local pub.

Brian Mitchell
  #8   Report Post  
Old 04-05-2005, 02:01 AM
Dave Liquorice
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Tue, 3 May 2005 23:19:30 +0100, Brian Mitchell wrote:

But why are you thinking about cutting an acre of grass? Is that the
best use of a resource?


That was going through my mind as well. We have an acre or so, planted
800 odd mixed upland type trees and don't mow it. A great habitat for
all manner of insects, birds and mammals in the otherwise bland sheep
and rabbit grazed fields.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail



  #9   Report Post  
Old 04-05-2005, 10:27 AM
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Rod wrote:

Now I've got the chance to lay out about £300 for a 3 year old Alko Farmer
2-stroke powered scythe. Since I know absolutely nothing about such machines
or the Alko brand, does anyone have any experience or advice about this type
of machine?

If you have been, thanks for the help.

Regards - Tony

The old Allen will do the job and you'd probably get one free or dirt
cheap - that's because as Anthony has said they are pigs to use and
maintain - and no reverse so if you get stuck in a corner facing
downhill you've got a struggle to get out. There are professional
modern versions at a price, also again at a price are machines like
bloomin great strimmers on wheels but I think self propelled models
will be outside your budget.

These machines are much more popular in Germany in particular (maybe
generally in Europe) and I bought a secondhand Viking brand one from a
supplier in Germany for much less than I could find anything in the
UK.

The site I found it on was:-
http://www.truckscout24.co.uk/

It's brilliant for really rough cutting of brambles, nettles, etc.

--
Chris Green
  #10   Report Post  
Old 04-05-2005, 10:29 AM
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Janet Baraclough wrote:
The message 1115143200.2582d24c9ecd3a3b92ffd658f97d47b4@1usen et
from "Sumgod" contains these words:


And yes Rod, I think it will have to be the real McCoy, i.e. an old Allen.
I've been keeping an eye out on e-bay but the folks getting rid seem to be
mainly in the south of the UK. Bet an Allen won't fit in VW Passat estate!
Any ideas on where else I might look?


A couple of years ago I tried very hard to give one away . No takers.
We broke it up for scrap:-(

To cut an acre twice a year, IME you would do far better to hire a
commercial-sized brushcutter, which is used like a big strimmer only
with a metal blade instead of strimmer string. No worries about


It's *way* harder work with a big strimmer, I have a big McCulloch
strimmer/brush-cutter and that's the reason I bought my Viking motor
scythe from Germany. It's much, much, much less effort with the motor
scythe.

maintenance or servicing, and you'll get a better machine than most
occasional light users could afford to buy. They're faster than
strimmers and the grass falls in swathes, easier to collect and remove.
A single day hire should be plenty for that area if you're fit and
energetic.

--
Chris Green


  #11   Report Post  
Old 04-05-2005, 10:47 AM
Sally Thompson
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Tue, 3 May 2005 19:08:40 +0100, "Sumgod"
wrote:

And yes Rod, I think it will have to be the real McCoy, i.e. an old Allen.
I've been keeping an eye out on e-bay but the folks getting rid seem to be
mainly in the south of the UK. Bet an Allen won't fit in VW Passat estate!
Any ideas on where else I might look?


We cut about an acre of rough grass twice a year with a DR
Trimmer/Mower, which I think is absolutely marvellous. It's like a
huge strimmer on wheels, and I see from their website that they now do
a self-propelled model (ours isn't). We can both use it, even though
I have a bad back - it's a bit like pushing a pram. It is incredibly
quiet and although it was expensive you can possibly find a
second-hand one, or a similar machine but cheaper make. The website
is American but you can see a picture on the
http://www.drpower.com//navhome.aspx
Ours has a Briggs & Stratton engine - probably they all do. Our land
is extremely uneven and it copes fine. We think it was well worth the
money. I certainly wouldn't use a hand-held strimmer on that size
area.


--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
bed and breakfast near Ludlow: http://www.stonybrook-ludlow.co.uk
Reply To address is spam trap
  #12   Report Post  
Old 04-05-2005, 12:07 PM
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Sally Thompson wrote:
On Tue, 3 May 2005 19:08:40 +0100, "Sumgod"
wrote:

And yes Rod, I think it will have to be the real McCoy, i.e. an old Allen.
I've been keeping an eye out on e-bay but the folks getting rid seem to be
mainly in the south of the UK. Bet an Allen won't fit in VW Passat estate!
Any ideas on where else I might look?


We cut about an acre of rough grass twice a year with a DR
Trimmer/Mower, which I think is absolutely marvellous. It's like a
huge strimmer on wheels, and I see from their website that they now do
a self-propelled model (ours isn't). We can both use it, even though
I have a bad back - it's a bit like pushing a pram. It is incredibly
quiet and although it was expensive you can possibly find a
second-hand one, or a similar machine but cheaper make. The website
is American but you can see a picture on the
http://www.drpower.com//navhome.aspx
Ours has a Briggs & Stratton engine - probably they all do. Our land
is extremely uneven and it copes fine. We think it was well worth the
money. I certainly wouldn't use a hand-held strimmer on that size
area.

I looked at one of those "strimmer on wheels" but decided that a
modern version of an Allen scythe would do better. My Viking "sickle
bar" mower has done much of what I expected.

It's much less hard work than a big strimmer or brush cutter.

It can manage much heavier cutting than even a big strimmer,
brambles are no problem. (A brush cutter can do these, but it's
hassle converting from strimmer to brush-cutter and back).

It's much quieter than a strimmer, has a nice ordinary B&S
4-stroke motor, no 2-stroke oil to mix.

I suppose that's not much different from a "strimmer on wheels" but it
does have the plus of being able to cope with brambles, small
saplings, etc. I find the sickle-bar mower plus a very cheap, light,
electric strimmer do all that I need.

For topping big areas (we have 7 acres) we have a ride on mower by the
way.

--
Chris Green
Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Buying a scythe martin tod United Kingdom 3 09-06-2003 02:08 PM
Hand-hammered Scythe Blades in the UK Kelly and Sandy United Kingdom 3 07-06-2003 11:20 PM
Scythe Supply - endorsement of the company and the tool Dexter Road North Carolina 0 01-05-2003 06:45 PM
Power Scythe John H Wood United Kingdom 1 31-03-2003 07:20 PM
Mayfield Motor Scythe or Spares Wanted John H Wood United Kingdom 0 06-03-2003 01:20 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 04:10 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 GardenBanter.co.uk.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about Gardening"

 

Copyright © 2017