On 12/07/2016 09:11, Tim+ wrote:
Stephen wrote:
Hello,

Well my repairs to my lawnmower have not been particularly
long-lasting, so I am back looking for a new mower. I see that petrol
mowers come in 41cm or 46cm width of cut. That doesn't seem much of a
difference: is it? Which width is best to go for?

The reviews about self-propelled mowers seem contradictory. I think a
variable speed one would add more to the cost. Some reviewers say the
single speed ones are too fast; others say they are fine. What is the
reality in your experience?

Thanks,
Stephen.


Just a couple of other things you might like to think about.

Deck material. Steel decks will rust eventually, a good plastic/GRP deck
will last until you do something really stupid. ;-) Mine is 25 yrs old and
still going strong.

Rear roller. Not just good for putting stripes on the lawn but also makes
it easier to mow over the edges of the lawn as it's easier to stop the
mower tipping and scalping the grass.

Horse power. The B&S 3.5 Hp engine is pretty ubiquitous on 16" mowers and
does a pretty good job. That said, I was using a 5 hp Honda engined mower
yesterday and the extra oomph was nice for longer grass. Personally think
that cold starting isn't as good with the Honda engine.

Tim

The otehr issue is how flat the lawn is: Ours has a significant slope,
so takes quite some effort to push upward, especially if the grass is
long-ish. My strategy is to mow across the slope, starting at the top
and working down, but a decent self-powered one could be useful in this
sort of situation.