# Mowers Advice



## Bribie G (12/9/15)

I currently live in a villa with a couple of patches of lawn, and use an Ozito electric mower that's perfect.

However next month I'm moving to a house on a third of an acre, mostly lawn. I possess an old Briggs n Stratton endowed mower that's a 16 inch cut but that just won't cut it, literally so I'm keeping it as a spare. I can just imagine starting it up and hearing it yell "what the fark!".

Now, as you gentleman and any ladies love lawn mowing to work up that important thirst, as well as having an excuse to brew a lawnmower lager, I'd appreciate any recommendations;
It's an Aussie traditional grass looking lawn, not Buffalo thank goodness.

Ideally I'll need something with a 21 inch cut and self-propelled. On a block that size, that would make me walk at least 3 kilometres. That's fine, but I have no intention of actually pushing the thing for 3k and those mothers are heavy (checked one out at a Honda dealer) and the long block has a slight slope.

Honda: Looked fine in the dealers but Internet comments slag them off, apparently they get hard to start and on the "mulch" setting they just tend to spit gobs of mushy grass at you.
Toro and Masport: any good?

I see good old Rover are still in business.

Looking to spend up to $900.


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## Ducatiboy stu (12/9/15)

Or get Lincoln to do it for you


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## Bribie G (12/9/15)

Ah roundup, the gardener's friend.

This could be the answer




But I just wouldn't be able to help myself, I know it. That's why I had to leave Wales.


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## Ducatiboy stu (12/9/15)

Bribie G said:


> But I just wouldn't be able to help myself, I know it. That's why I had to leave Wales  New Zealand


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## warra48 (12/9/15)

Go and ask the pro ground staff at your local golf club what they recommend. If they don't know, no one will.
Sling them a some longies, and they'll be your friends for life.

My last Masport died only earlier this year after 25 years of dedicated service. I only dumped it because I couldn't replace the starter cord.
Toro seems to be a brand that's used fairly widely professionally, including at my golf club.

PS: Now you plan to leave your up market villa, where's the 1/3rd acre block? Good luck with the move.


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## Ducatiboy stu (12/9/15)

warra48 said:


> Go and ask the pro ground staff at your local golf club what they recommend. If they don't know, no one will.
> Sling them a some longies, and they'll be your friends for life.
> 
> PS: Now you plan to leave your up market villa, where's the 1/3rd acre block?


Kyogle Heights I believe


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## Ducatiboy stu (12/9/15)

Bribie

Get a scythe. Much faster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I4RNenmfFI


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## Bribie G (12/9/15)

Yup it's at Geneva which is up the hill on the other side of the Richmond River from Kyogle so we can sit back and enjoy watching the rest of the town being flooded periodically .. Looking forward to sessions with the KGB

Kyogle Gentlemen Brewers that is, and hopefully will be of assistance in getting a Northern Rivers club happening based on Grafton so as not to put too much strain on Stu's Morrie Minor .. we are right on the cusp after a couple of bloody good years assisting at the Grafton Show thanks to BrewMatt and other Graftonians .... it's only an hour and a half down the Summerland Way.

I have a shed down the back 




I'll snag a couple of groundsmen if I spot them at the Golf Club (social member) - excellent suggestion.

And pop into local Masport dealer to have a look at the range.


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## Ducatiboy stu (12/9/15)

So what made you move up there. ?

But i must say Kyogle is a very nice part of the world

The idea of a Northen Rivers Brew Club with chapters does sound good 

And the Morry ute is getting an Austin Healey engine very soon ( sometime in the new year ) so grain deliveries will be cheap. Cost me $40 round trip from Grafton to the Gold Coast in petrol.


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## Motabika (12/9/15)

I have a Toro, 198cc Briggs and Stratton, 22 inc cut and self propelled, rarely missed a beat since I have had it


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## Bribie G (12/9/15)

Thanks. Yup, from trawling product reviews and Whirlpool it seems that some reputable brands such as Masport and Honda have trashed themselves in recent years by either having a really good Briggs and Stratton on a shit chassis (as per some Masport models made specially for Bunnings) or a Shit Honda made-in-China motor on a decent chassis.

Major problem with the All-Honda models seems to be them clogging because although they have the genuine Jap motor there is a ridiculously small chute out the back that doesn't seem to suit many Aussie lawns, especially the Buffalo variety when a bit damp.

If the Toro is a good solid chassis and a BnS Motor I'd bet you can't go wrong, as posted.


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## Bribie G (12/9/15)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> So what made you move up there. ?
> 
> .......


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## Camo6 (12/9/15)

Be sure to test drive the self propulsion Bribie. My old man's mower (maybe masport?) drives forward too quickly and you have to power walk to keep up. Riding the hand clutch doesn't do it any favours either.
I'd look at a mulching mower or one with a mulching attachment so you're not emptying the catcher every 5 mins.
Apart from that, an alloy chassis and a decent B&S engine is desirable.


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## Ducatiboy stu (12/9/15)

Bribie G said:


> Thanks. Yup, from trawling product reviews and Whingepool


******* whingepool...pfft

Those blokes would whinge that a barren desert was to green


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## Ducatiboy stu (12/9/15)

.


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## Motabika (12/9/15)

The toro is self paced system, only goes as fast as you are 

I liked the look of the husqvarna range too, but quite pricey


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## Ducatiboy stu (12/9/15)

You want one of these babies

Interestingly, the first Victa mower motors where actually cast in South Grafton. True story


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## Florian (12/9/15)

How about one of those robot mowers?

When I looked at them as an option 4 years ago they were all new and about 2K, should have ironed out all their little quirks and be just about in your price range by now. Should...


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## shaunous (13/9/15)

We have Honda's or Briggs Engines on random brand bases for work, and we'd have over 50 push mowers. Honda are good, bought one for mum for her birthday.


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## Ducatiboy stu (13/9/15)

The base is nothing at the end of the day

If the enigine is shit, well...you got a shit mower

Oil is critical with engines. B&S like straight 30w oil

My ole ute cant handle modern oil. Likes a good old fashioned oil. Fucks up the lifters, cam & rockers if you use fancy modern oil


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## Fents (14/9/15)

Honda HRU 195 here brought about 15-20 years ago. Still starts first time everytime. Cant help with the self propelled bit... get all inventive aka honey i shrunk the kids etc.


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## sp0rk (14/9/15)

My uncle worked at the Honda Motorcycle dealership in Ballina for years and raved on about the Honda mowers
He gave a self propelled one to my grandparents for christmas one year in the mid 90s and it's still going strong, I mowed their 1/3 acre block with it many times as a kid and it was easy as pie


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## pcmfisher (14/9/15)

Ride on?


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## bradsbrew (14/9/15)

You need one of these.


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## spog (14/9/15)

bradsbrew said:


> You need one of these.


I had a Honda ride on mower at our last place and for hands free driving but with the essential beer I made a stubby holder out of some PVC pipe with plenty of padding and fixed it to the steering column,worked a treat.
The best thing about it was being able to drive into the shed,up to the beer fridge for a refill with out getting off the mower !


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## Bribie G (14/9/15)

I took my old Briggs n Stratton Bunnings mower .. as mentioned in my OP..round to the local mower service guy it needed adjustment, plug, service etc so I picked his brains.

He said that the local consensus of opinion, including the mowing services in the area, is to go Honda. For home use for older farts, as the Honda 21 inch cut models are farking heavy, is to go self propelled. However they are great going forwards but can present problems reversing or doing tight turns.

However as I'm getting the Briggs mower fixed up to tidy up around trees and do a couple of stripes around the kerb (corner block) before doing the long runs with the big mower, the Honda sounds like a good solution.


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## jonnir (14/9/15)

I know you've said self propelled but have you looked at the Ryobi mower? I'm actually looking for a new mower myself and was leaning towards this one


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## Bribie G (14/9/15)

Bought a Ryobi whipper snipper and put it out in the kerbside collection, heap of crap. Hope the mowers are better quality.


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## mckenry (15/9/15)

Is a ride on out of the question/budget? I have half an acre, plenty of crap to navigate around - sheds, trees, skate ramp half pipe, outdoor table etc and including whipper snipping am done in an hour, which was nearly 4 hours with the push mower. I can have a lawn mower beer WHILE mowing 

FWIW about $2500 from memory for a Husqy. Worth more.


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## Dave70 (15/9/15)

Earn it.


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## spog (15/9/15)

Those human powered mowers are only good for areas were there are no twigs,sticks or gum nuts ,pick any of them up and it jambs.
Poxy useless pieces of shite, .....make a bloody good cray pot weight though.


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## Kumamoto_Ken (16/9/15)

spog said:


> Those human powered mowers are only good for areas were there are no twigs,sticks or gum nuts ,pick any of them up and it jambs.
> Poxy useless pieces of shite, .....make a bloody good cray pot weight though.


Need to make sure the grass stays short too or they struggle. I destroyed the handle on mine but the grass was about 6 inches long.....and I'm a colossus.

Good excuse to dig up the lawn and replace with mulch and native plants.


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## komodo (7/10/15)

> The base is nothing at the end of the day
> 
> If the enigine is shit, well...you got a shit mower


I'd say the opposite (well not entirely). Cast aluminium deck or GTFO. Those pressed tin pieces of shit aren't worth their scrap value.
1/3rd acre I'd give serious consideration to a cheap second hand ride on. I'm on 860m^2 (so like 1/5th an acre) and in spring - **** that. I go steal mum and dads ride on. I can do the 45 minute round trip and mow the lawn in less time than it takes to push the ******* mower around in spring grass.

Most mower engines these days are pretty reliable - especially 4 stroke units.
I like Honda. Mum and dad have a Honda push and I've got a Honda brush cutter and can't fault them. My brush cutter does nothing for about 7 months of the year then starts 2nd or 3rd pull when you pull if out of the back of the shed covered in spiders and shit. Like a dream!
Having said that my old man has some chinese heap of shit that's supposedly a Honda clone down at his holiday house. Its reliable but if it is a Honda clone its build with very generous tolerances and well yeah its shit.


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## moodgett (7/10/15)

I have one of these http://www.masport.com.au/outdoor-garden-products/lawnmowers/silver-series/600al-combo-ic-1 im on a 1/4 acre sloping block and it just goes. Not self propelled but i like to think mowing is good exercise


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## Airgead (7/10/15)

Get a mower guy to come in and cut it for you... life is too short.

I can watch from the brewery while someone else cuts my grass for me.


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## seamad (7/10/15)

Airgead said:


> Get a mower guy to come in and cut it for you... life is too short.
> 
> I can watch from the brewery while someone else cuts my grass for me.


my mower is called Scott. In the 25 years I've owned my house I've never owned a mower.


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## Bribie G (22/12/15)

Just a necro: thanks for the advice, guys. In October I bought a Honda self propelled, still bloody good exercise, I've lost about 4 kilos since I moved in, and kept my little old Bunnings job for hunt and peck around borders and bushes.
I actually enjoy mowing as a creative gardening exercise. When I moved in the lawn was more or less paddock, I'm slowly getting it to Better Homes and Gardens standard, might even have to start talking in an Okka accent.

Honda: the mower that God uses:


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## Dave70 (22/12/15)

Buffalo, frangipani and weatherboard. 
Takes me back to nans house..


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## Bribie G (22/12/15)

There was an old nan living here before they bunged her in the home :lol:
The rails and other disability fitments around the place can come in bloody handy after six pints. :blink:


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## bradsbrew (23/12/15)

Dave70 said:


> Buffalo, frangipani and weatherboard.
> Takes me back to nans house..


Chamferboard.

You're welcome.


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## bradsbrew (23/12/15)

The drive motor for the self propel died on my masport. I didnt realise how much I was relying on it to push the thick sir walter, which I think may have killed it.


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## Bribie G (23/12/15)

Yup Sir Walter is the grass for lawnmowing masochists.

Despite previous post or two that my lawn looks like buffalo, the grass is actually normal mongrel couch type lawn grass.

I appreciate that self propelled mowers probably last a few years less than simple push mowers but I figured I'd prefer a mower that I can see out rather than a mower that would see me out


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## TheWiggman (23/12/15)

I haven't read through much of the thread but have been through my share of mowing dramas through the years being born the only son (thus cursed to mowing by the age I can push a mower). 
Dad had a 'crappy' old Briggs and Stratton Rover that was nothing special but lasted years. He got it rebuilt in the early '90s and it still goes to this day. In about '96, dad got sold by a Honda 4 stroke at Henty and while that thing went hard when it ran it was an absolute prick if it didn't want to start. Impossible no matter how many times you cleaned the plug or kicked it. 
I bought a Briggs and Stratton 190cc Rover in 2007 and it's been a very reliable unit. No frills, formed steel body with mulching attachment, but gets the job done and powers through long grass. No need to upgrade. 
Dad had a Stihl line trimmer (second hand) and my memories of that were trying to start it and tuning it. I learnt a lot about tuning a 2 stroke with idle and run richness actually, so kudos to Stihl for the education. Would never buy one. I bought a Pope one instead for $160 in Bunnings because it was very well balanced and had a funky head on it that apparently saved time over those pesky bump heads. Well that head turned out to be the biggest heap of shit I've ever used in a yard tool. The engine ran really well, started 3rd pull if not the first, and it was very comfortable to use for hours. The head however was the reason I spent hours trimming and was the reason I sold it. 
Being the owner of a 1 Ha block I decided to go all out and spent $525 on a Shindaiwa whipper snipper. We looked at Honda, Husqvarna, Victa ect but the Echo and Shindaiwas seemed to be very well made units and to be honest they were expensive and made in Japan, so I thought they must be good. Well I've never been more right in my life. This thing is unreal and I want to sponsor them. We went for a T260X model that doesn't have brushcutter arms but can be sold as a brushcutter. Straight shaft with bump head (that is wound without being disassembled) at 24.1cc that has no issues with grass of any thickness. Absolute class bit of gear and based on 'net reviews, I'll be passing this on to my grandkids. I would pick their blowers and chainsaws without hesitation. 
For our block we were tossing up ride ons and there was a lot to consider. Zero turn, Kohler engines, cutting width, power blah blah blah. My in-laws all have Huskies with Kohler engines so therefore, anything else is utter rubbish that will ruin your lives. Translated in my head was "don't buy a Huski out of spite". After eBay trolling we eventually settled on a Huski RZ4219 zero turn unit. A year old and with an RRP of $5k, it's the cheapest in the range but still a zero turn 106cm ride on. I've used it once an it's a breeze to use. Just craps all over common steering for awkward shapes. 3.5 hours to do our hectare, but that will drop once we get a house and other stuff on there. And with a 19hp Briggs and Stratton thank you very much outlaws, so while the mower is yet to stand the test of time the engine I'm sure will last. 
Did I write all that? So I did, thank you the 3 beers that I've had this whole time.
Ed: buy Shindaiwa


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## Ducatiboy stu (23/12/15)

I have always had Stihl gear. Never had a problem with there trimmer or chainsaws. Their chainsaws are the only ones worth buying. The big forest Huskies are also very good to. Just ask the loggers and timber cutter up here. Either Stihl or Huskies. Everything else just dont make the grade .... or in the words of one logger I now.." Get a stihl or Huskie...everything else is shit "


The biggest thing with 2 strokes is 

A. Stale fuel. Run them until they run out of fuel

B. The type of 2 stroke oil you use. The more exy ones are ash & soot less and are much better


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## Kingy (24/12/15)

Agree with everything stu said except you'll never see a husqy in my shed. I used to be an arborist and I fire up my saws sometimes 2 years since last use and they stihl just keep on going.


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## Ducatiboy stu (24/12/15)

The loggers up here all use the big Huskie's...but we are talking $2,000 chainsaws....


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## stux (29/12/15)

I hit the top of the mountain with my 20yr old Honda and cracked the engine. 

Replaced it with the Honda HRX217, 21" self propelled hydrostatic cruise control, key start and blade brake (not engine brake).

http://m.powerequipment.honda.com/lawn-mowers/models/hrx217hza

Now my wife fights me to see who gets to use the lawnmower. 

It double mulches the grass, so smaller clippings use less space. 

Would recommend.


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## Mardoo (29/12/15)

I didn't realise Honda had gone into the magic business. Anyone that can make a woman WANT to mow the lawn is a wizard in my book. Hell, anyone that can make ME want to mow the lawn…


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## Bribie G (29/12/15)

Brad, being a mechanically minded person as you are, I don't need to remind you that the self propelled mowers generally operate on a sort of clutch mechanism and if the self propelled thing stops working, it might be a fairly simple fix to get new clutch plate or whatever.
I have to go into the Stihl shop where I bought the Honda from, to get my 10 hour oil change kit, and I'll ask them for a ball park figure on repairing a self propelled. They have a major workshop for the whole district so should be able to indicate a price range, you'd think.


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## jlm (29/12/15)

I'm running 4 of these at the moment.......Never had a problem getting started, never had to push.


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## Bribie G (29/12/15)

jlm said:


> ............................never had a problem getting started, never had to push.


I know, it's great the way they back up.


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## bradsbrew (29/12/15)

Bribie G said:


> Brad, being a mechanically minded person as you are, I don't need to remind you that the self propelled mowers generally operate on a sort of clutch mechanism and if the self propelled thing stops working, it might be a fairly simple fix to get new clutch plate or whatever.
> I have to go into the Stihl shop where I bought the Honda from, to get my 10 hour oil change kit, and I'll ask them for a ball park figure on repairing a self propelled. They have a major workshop for the whole district so should be able to indicate a price range, you'd think.


Yeah mate I took a look when it first shat itself, it looks like a simple swap of drive motor unfortunately laziness has stopped me from fixing it.

Cheers


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## bradsbrew (29/12/15)

jlm said:


> _
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Fixed that for you.



Cant resist a goat sex joke.


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## jlm (30/12/15)

I dunno what you mainland perverts do with your stock but down here we only **** our blood relatives.

Weirdos.


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## Bribie G (31/12/15)

jlm said:


> I dunno what you mainland perverts do with your stock but down here we only **** our blood relatives.
> 
> Weirdos.


You've obviously never been to Woodenbong, up the road from here. Population 300, surnames 3, headcount 322.


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## Droopy Brew (7/1/16)

jlm said:


> I dunno what you mainland perverts do with your stock but down here we only **** our blood relatives.
> 
> Weirdos.


Its not perverted, its my goat.


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