Time for a petrol mower?

[BenjiSayers]

Keep killing all the electric mowers I buy... rear garden is fairly decent size but also on an upward semi kind of steep slope. To make matters worse, when the house was built, despite having a "landscaped" garden the actual grass is just the wild stuff rather than lawn grass (it used to be one of those kind of waste land areas so you get the idea how crap it is for weeds etc).

What brands should I be looking for, are there any particular features that are must haves? Any good tips for maintaining them?

I'm guessing being petrol will help with the density of grass I have and if I get self propelled it'll be easier to push up the slope?

Thanks in advanced.

 

[Ogoshi]

Surely has to be a ride-on one?

 

[sovietspybob]

how much land is it? My Cobra mower with a briggs engine has done well for the 9 years i've had it, it's not had much use at all the last 5 years though since i got a robot mower but it still does little bits here and there.

I don't think there's much use case for a new petrol mower nowadays though, the battery ones are getting better and better and if you've got a big garden a robot mower is a no brainer.

If you've got the money and it's a fair size lawn though i'd highly recommend looking at robot ones, your lawn will look perfect every day with zero effort.

 

[BenjiSayers]

I'm not sure the exact size of it but it's not massively wide as it's a townhouse so kind of narrow but it's really long, if you cloned my house and put them back-to-back you could probably put another 2 easily in the space out back. The biggest issue I have is just how wild the land is out the back and how steep it rises. From standing at the back door and face out the rise end of the garden is like 8/9ft higher up. It's a proper workout having to push a mower up. (I know none of those measurements really help at all, I think it's at least 6/7 meters wide though).

I should probably just be more proactive on mowing it. I probably do it once a month when we start hitting this time of year, so the first mow of the year is pretty intense.

I'll try and grab a picture of the state it's in shortly so you can all see what I'm working with. I know it's a state but don't mind sharing, I don't actually use the garden and just try and keep it as tidy as I can, doing the least that I can.

 

[BUDFORCE]

Get one with a Briggs and Stratton engine if you can, they last forever.

 

[BUDFORCE]

Oh forgot to add, most important thing don't put that E10 **** in your lawnmower it'll **** it right up.

Put premium unleaded only.

 

[Blackjack Davy]

Anything with a honda engine it'll take any unleaded and they're reliable start first pull. 4 wheels if its really rough but a rear roller gives moderate stripes and you can mow right up to and over the edge of the lawn you won't get unmown strips around the edges of the beds as the wheels won't fall into it. Self propelled if you want to save yourself some effort shoving it through the long grass. Get it serviced every autumn or at least every other and don't leave it to the spring when everyone wants it done and everywheres booked up as a result

 

[Shoza]

Honda Izy

 

[ZXSpectrum]

This is the one I have been looking at buying. My front and back are not that big but I live on the back of a golf course that was marshland in the past so it holds water and the grass can be thick and clumpy. I currently use an old mower I bought for 35 quid that has seen about 20 years of use and until recently it worked a treat. That had a Briggs and Stratton motor and this one has a newer version.

Hawksmoor 125cc 46cm Briggs & Stratton Self Propelled Petrol Lawnmower

Get a garden to be proud of all summer long by cutting your grass with this Hawksmoor petrol lawnmower. Powered by a 125cc Briggs & Stratton 4-stroke engine, the mower’s self-propelled rear wheel drive does the hard work for you – it’s easier to push and manoeuvre, making light work of larger...

www.toolstation.com

I have been really tempted with a cordless one but not sure how it will perform on my grass. That said my colleague has one and he just cut his really long grass without much of an issue.

 

[sovietspybob]

This is the one I have been looking at buying. My front and back are not that big but I live on the back of a golf course that was marshland in the past so it holds water and the grass can be thick and clumpy. I currently use an old mower I bought for 35 quid that has seen about 20 years of use and until recently it worked a treat. That had a Briggs and Stratton motor and this one has a newer version.

Hawksmoor 125cc 46cm Briggs & Stratton Self Propelled Petrol Lawnmower

Get a garden to be proud of all summer long by cutting your grass with this Hawksmoor petrol lawnmower. Powered by a 125cc Briggs & Stratton 4-stroke engine, the mower’s self-propelled rear wheel drive does the hard work for you – it’s easier to push and manoeuvre, making light work of larger...

www.toolstation.com

I have been really tempted with a cordless one but not sure how it will perform on my grass. That said my colleague has one and he just cut his really long grass without much of an issue.

My mower has the same engine, they're ok but not as powerful as the older models. Plus you need to be really careful not to use E10 fuel and even then make sure its totally drained if not using it for more than a month or 2 or you'll have to take the carb apart and clean it all.

 

[henry hoov3r]

By a Honda they last longer.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

Anything with a honda engine it'll take any unleaded and they're reliable start first pull. 4 wheels if its really rough but a rear roller gives moderate stripes and you can mow right up to and over the edge of the lawn you won't get unmown strips around the edges of the beds as the wheels won't fall into it. Self propelled if you want to save yourself some effort shoving it through the long grass. Get it serviced every autumn or at least every other and don't leave it to the spring when everyone wants it done and everywheres booked up as a result

Just drain the fuel completely before storing for winter as ethanol isn’t kind to carburettors.

 

[ZXSpectrum]

My mower has the same engine, they're ok but not as powerful as the older models. Plus you need to be really careful not to use E10 fuel and even then make sure its totally drained if not using it for more than a month or 2 or you'll have to take the carb apart and clean it all.

That’s good to know. My old mower hasn’t got an issue with being left over the winter with fuel in it. Guess it’s like you say an older engine is more resilient as e10 wasn’t about then.

 

[BenjiSayers]

Thanks for the feedback!

Being a raging Honda fanboi kind of makes me want to get the Izy as is being suggested.

Stupid question as this is a whole new world to me, where do you take a lawnmower to get serviced? and when it comes round to this time of year when it's being used are there any kind of steps I should be taking before and after use? As I see above you've mentioned making sure to drain the fuel over winter for example.

 

[rangor gubbins]

We've got an old Honda (izy), which seems pretty bomb proof. As mentioned above don't put fuel containing ethanol in it. You can buy mower fuel, e.g. Aspen which Ithink is safer to leave in the engine over winter. But premium petrol is easier to get hold of.
My father in law told me to remove all the wet grass cuttings from under the metal skirt to stop it corroding. I remember sometimes!

 

[{SAS}TB]

Another vote for Honda Izy - had outs for probably close on 15 years, same spark plug, never put any oil in it. Bog standard unleaded - it's absolutely bullet proof

 

[ZXSpectrum]

Well I got my old mower out with b&s engine and a hole in the rusty deck and it would t start. It then I put some fresh petrol in her and she fired up straight away. No smoke or owt. Maybe I have got away with it for another year.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Our cable mower has lasted something like 12 years plus, but the cable is a pain. I’d be tempted with a cordless next time. Smallish lawn, but can’t be faffed with petrol.

 

[Richie]

Another vote for Honda Izy - had outs for probably close on 15 years, same spark plug, never put any oil in it. Bog standard unleaded - it's absolutely bullet proof

Honda Izy owner here. Still starts first pull even after a Winter storage and its now on its 17th year. The only replacement parts I have had to buy in that time are blades, pull cord (wore through eventually) and air filter.

 

[Monkeynut]

I work at a dealership and Hondas do last longer than everything else.