Hi,

I have about 1/2 acre of grass (I hesitate to call it lawn) with quite a few
flowerbeds. At the moment I use a 21" self propelled mower but am beginning
to find it a bit of a chore these days.

What I am looking for is a small ride on with the following properties:-

1. Easy to operate as my wife will likely be the main user. This means
hydrostatic or other auto drive.

2. Good mulching capability. I would expect mulching to be the norm with
only very occasional use of grass collection.

3. Reliable with easy servicing. I am an ex motor mechanic and would expect
to do my own servicing. £250 plus is a lot of money just to change the oil,
renew the filters and sharpen the blade. I have overhauled many B & S
engines but ever a Honda - perhaps this says something!

4. My budget is £1600 maximum.


I have done a fair amount of research and am currently looking at the
following two machines both of which have hydrostatic transmission and are
from respected manufacturers. I do realise, of course, that Toro and Honda
probably outsource the manufacturer of these smaller machines.

Honda HF 1211 H - This machine appears to meet my requirements. My only
reservation is in its mulching capabilities. The mulching kit seems to
comprise of just a bung in the grass collection shute. I would be very
interested in hearing from anyone who has this particular mower and how well
it mulches.

Toro H132 / 70186 - Again this machine appears to meet my requirements. This
is marketed as having "Recycler Technology" so may have better mulching
performance than the Honda above. I also like the fact that I have been
able to download the full owner and service manual for the Toro. Honda do
not appear to release this information on the internet. I would like to
hear from anyone who has had any experience with this.machine and also is
full service information provided.

Thanks

Dave