Recommend a mower - budget £300

[veedee]

Ideally it will be petrol, self propelled and quite powerful (as my garden can get fairly hairy).

Additionally, it would be a nice if it could mulch as well

With a budget of £300, what mower would you guys recommend?

 

[Burnerman]

I’d go for a 21” Honda Izy ......believe it or not.
Look around for redecked models with a warranty and it will serve you well.
John

 

[veedee]

The izy sounds good

Speaking of Honda.. How's this?

https://www.justlawnmowers.co.uk/mo...MIwJPNlq-66QIVia3tCh3M5gDiEAQYAiABEgIXkPD_BwE

Also, are the mowers from toolstation and screwfix decent makes and brands? E.g. Mountfield and Einhell

https://www.toolstation.com/landscaping/lawnmowers/c561


https://www.mowdirect.co.uk/mountfi...MIofSkz6-66QIVia3tCh3M5gDiEAQYAiABEgK52PD_BwE

More suggestions are welcome

Anyone know why diynot is not allowing screwfix links to show?

 

[Burnerman]

I think that ex demonstrator Mountfield looks like a good buy......you certainly can’t go wrong with a Honda motor. I would buy that one with confidence but I’d also maintain it carefully. Oil changes are simple and vital, and lubrication to the wheels drive gear keeps it sweet for years.
I can only speak personally here but machines with genuine Honda or Briggs and Stratton motors are definitely a cut above other Chinese makes, but even so its possible to be caught out......cheaper John Deere stuff included!
Look for minimal plastic parts, in particular those using plastic in the deck lifting gear and also handle adjustments......this is where they fail. Steel decks rust but its easily prevented, and that includes Honda too.
Some of the traditional makes like Hayter and Atco often use proper bearings in the wheels rather than plastic bushes, most makes use plastic gears in the driving wheels and we have to put up with that.
Loads of choice out there!
John

 

[lostinthelight]

I think there was a way round it in a recent thread, go direct to SF and enter the item number.
With regard the returned mower, I don't know why they do it but the picture is of a new one so not the one you'd be getting

 

[Munroast]

I would question the need for 'self propelled'. My mower is an old Briggs Stratton push along (3.75hp to cutter) I have a fair size garden with very few straight edges and plenty obstacles. the super light-weightness of the push-along is very welcome. I often cut my neighbours lawn for them and use their mower which is an all singing all dancing expensive self propelled - what a pain in the arse it is, literally, it will sometimes set of my sciatica off having to struggle with it round the complicated bits.

Unless I had a larges square boring lawn on a slope I would go for a light weight push along any day of the week.

I once lent my mower to another neighbour whose self propelled was out of action - his comments was my push along was 10 minutes quicker.

 

[ETAF]

i have an old honda izy 21" (from 2007) which had been regularly serviced , oil change , plug, air filter and regularly lubricated. I have a spare blade which i got on line and sharpen with a grinder , balance on a nail - its been going strong and we have a large ish garden
I also had in the past purchased a Suffolk Punch Cylinder mower, and i much prefer the Izy, BUT you dont get the lines etc

 

[Stivino]

I agree with Monroist #6.
Unless you have a large straight lawn a push along is what you need.
Self-driven mowers are a PITA when it comes to maneuverability i.e. turning and going back, going round bushes etc.
Due to the nature of a previous employment, I've used all sorts of different cutters from 18" Flymo, 52" Scag Zero turn (fantastic machine) to a 60" Toro tractor.
I'm using an 18/19 year old 18" Mountfield with Briggs and Stratton engine, it never misses a beat, I file the blade back to sharp in 2 minutes once in a while.
So, for an average sized garden it's a push along every time for me.

 

[Burnerman]

I don't really follow the argument regarding self propelled stuff, fellas..... but each to their own.
The Honda reverses and turns perfectly well if you don't engage the drive, so you can use it push along or driven. The only issue is when one's huge belly pushes the drive handle unintentionally
John

 

[veedee]

Thanks for the comments guys

Am I right in assuming that you can use simply push a mower that has the self propelled feature

So basically with a self propelled mower, can i choose whether to use the self propelled feature or not?

The Mountfield with Honda engine is tempting but it weighs too much for me (35kg)

The Mountfield with B&S engine and Self Propelled feature weighs 25kg where as the Hand propelled version is only 1 kg lighter

 

[Burnerman]

Obviously I can’t say for every machine, but with the Honda you can.
I’ll try to explain......the driving wheels have a large internal gear, which is driven by a much smaller pinion turned by the mower gearbox.
The Honda, and many others have a dog mechanism that engages when being driven forwards and releases when pulled backwards. Its not a true free wheel as you still get the drag of the large internal gear spinning the pinion but its hardly noticeable when working.
Machines with rear rollers or hydrostatic transmissions are an other ball game of course.
John

 

[veedee]

Thanks @Burnerman

Can I ask how reliable the self propelling function is generally?

I worry that this is just one more thing that could go wrong in a couple years time

I know that you cannot talk specifically about each mower/model, but just want a general idea on the reliability of the self propelling function

 

[veedee]

I often cut my neighbours lawn for them and use their mower which is an all singing all dancing expensive self propelled - what a pain in the arse it is, literally, it will sometimes set of my sciatica off having to struggle with it round the complicated bits.

Great pun

I agree with Monroist #6.
Unless you have a large straight lawn a push along is what you need.

How large is large?

I have approximately 23 m x 3.8 m

is that considered large?

 

[lostinthelight]

have approximately 23 m x 3.8 m

is that considered large?

Not that large , if I wound my mrs up enough she would bite it off in less than an hour , with ir without her 2004 16" push izy

 

[Burnerman]

Generally speaking the self propelling systems on the better more expensive machines are pretty good.
The gearbox is driven by a vee belt, and the belts and plastic pulleys last well enough.....both are replaceable anyway.
Drive is engaged by a cable operated lever on top of the gearbox....The input pulley spins a worm which in turn drives a pinion and the drive is engaged by a collar connecting splines inside the box. Gearboxes arent sealed and are brim full of oil but there are no user serviceable parts inside anyway.
The driveshafts pass drive to the wheels and are supported by bushes....some good, some not.
Inside the wheels are the ratchetting drives, and its here where the problems arise.....the mechanism needs to be cleaned and greased yearly to keep them sweet but they never are and they succomb to rust and other crap that gets in there.
Naturally enough if the axle lets go then its usually game over for the machine, but I’ve bought some Honda ones from ebay......which would indicate they last pretty well.
John