mower help?!

[MNuTz]

Right all, i know this may get some raised eyebrows but its not as bad as "what should i have on my toast" but i need some suggestions for a lawnmower.

mother-in-law to be has had 2 flymo mowers in the last 5 years, both have broken and had to be replaced as it was too expensive to fix them.

She has been looking at another flymo, the Flymo Roller Compact 4000 currently retailing at £150.

What i would like is suggestions for a mower, flymo or other brand. Only a small garden but one with wheels and an electric one would be best. Ive suggested petrol but its a no, ive even suggested an old cast iron one but they are too heavy. Would prefer to spend under a £100, or maybe somewhere that does the above mower cheaper!

Anyone??

 

[M0T]

Can't suggest anything as we have moved on to a wheeled petrol mower, but every flymo we have ever had has been awful. They hover ones don't hover properly and if you are tall you end up inadvertantly pushing them downwards into the grass, they all break and none of them pick up grass properly.

 

[Mickey_D]

I can't really help because I will NEVER use an electric mower again.

Not after spending $89.00 on a Weedeater brand petrol one that has the Briggs & Stratton SQ (super quiet) engine on it.

Basically they took a mower that required a 2.5hp engine and stuffed a 4.5hp onto it and set the governer at a little less than half throttle.

This thing will chew through an amazing amount of tall weeds, and still do it at conversational volumes. I have been mowing outside and nobody inside was aware I was.....

 

[PsiFox]

I have a petrol mower with a 4.5hp B&S. Flymos are evil.

Cuts the grass beautifully..

If you want the best patterns get a petrol with a cylinder cutter at the front and a roller at the back.

A wheeled rotary is quicker

 

[PsiFox]

I can't really help because I will NEVER use an electric mower again.

Not after spending $89.00 on a Weedeater brand petrol one that has the Briggs & Stratton SQ (super quiet) engine on it.

Basically they took a mower that required a 2.5hp engine and stuffed a 4.5hp onto it and set the governer at a little less than half throttle.

This thing will chew through an amazing amount of tall weeds, and still do it at conversational volumes. I have been mowing outside and nobody inside was aware I was.....

Being in the U.S. I'm surprised it's only 4.5

 

[singist]

If a hover/flymo thingy is purchased; ...... CLEAN IT PROPERLY when finished mowing and it will last a long time like other mowers.

Most people do the lawn and just wrap the cable up and put the thing into the garage/shed with a huge coating of grass cuttings stuck onto the inside and blade; .................. then expect it to perform like new when they bring it out the next time that the grass needs cutting.

 

[MNuTz]

thanks for the suggestions, i will pass them along.

The only thing with the petrol mowers is that she is worried about starting them, how hard is it to get them going?

 

[PsiFox]

Pull start a bit of effort or for more money an electric start

 

[kefkef]

If you're serious about a mower, then Atco, Hayter & Honda all make decent petrol mowers, but you would struggle with 2-3x your budget to get one.

Flymo are ok, just take care of it as above. 2-3 years out of one isn't too bad going, having said that, you could easily get 5+ years out of a well serviced cast iron model from the makers listed above.

I have the roller compact 340 from flymo (called the 3400 now), had it over a year now, and could pretty much sell it on as new as it is kept spotless after mowing, scraped and brushed (only takes 3-5mins) each time, and it's been used nearly every week since spring. Would have liked a decent propelled petrol mower, but having just moved house i needed a cheap alternative.

Your other option is to buy a cheap B&Q own brand for £30-50 and just use it until it breaks, then throw away and repeat.