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Old May 23, 2003 | 12:37 PM
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Christ, I must be getting old

Anyway, the old Flymo has packed up and I need to get me a new beast to chomp up the lawn.

Been looking at the Flymo Power Compact 400 as its got wheels and hoovers up the grass for me, but have read bad reviews on it.
Plus it looks kinda like my car


Any recommendations ? The lawns are not huge, only about 100M2 so no ride-on mowers Electric preffered.

[Edited by DJ Dunk - 5/23/2003 12:44:38 PM]
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Old May 23, 2003 | 12:49 PM
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Electric , gotta get yourself a gas guzzler.

Mountfield (if they still make them)

or Hayter

Cheers


Iain

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Old May 23, 2003 | 12:54 PM
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Petrol ? Don't wanna wake the dead with it. Why is a petrol one better ? Whats the difference between a Hover a rotary ?

So many questions
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Old May 23, 2003 | 12:56 PM
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get a petrol one - not that loud and no more bloody cables getting in the way, etc.
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Old May 23, 2003 | 12:59 PM
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get a petrol one - not that loud and no more bloody cables getting in the way, etc.
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Old May 23, 2003 | 01:03 PM
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There is only one make worth the money and that's Honda. All the others are complete crap. Had a little Honda mower for 17 years, faultless, sold it to get a Hayter, within 3 years the engine was buggered, needs a miracle to start. With the Honda, even after it had stood for 5 months it would start 1st or 2nd pull with out fail.

The Honda's are more money but they are definitely worth it.
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Old May 23, 2003 | 01:03 PM
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Steve, do you think he should get a petrol one?


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Old May 23, 2003 | 01:04 PM
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Cool, the Honda will definately look like my CTR

Where's the best place to get a good mower ?
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Old May 23, 2003 | 01:07 PM
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Rotary has a big blade underneath which is connected directly to the crank, which spins and chomps the grass, and collects it in a basket.



A cylinder mower has a kind of drum at the front, with blades attached which throws the grass into a FMGC (front mounted grass collector LOL)




Iain
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Old May 23, 2003 | 01:07 PM
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telboy - damn flood control

p.s. i got a petrol one from texas homebase - i.e. on sale, 100 odd quid and works well for 2 years now.
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Old May 23, 2003 | 01:12 PM
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I am led to believe that the Mountfields are now pretty crap.

The one i have is around 20 years old and has never skipped a beat (used to be my parents mower, but they have bought a new one).

When i was a kid i used to cut the lawn at maximum revs (i modified the carb you see - the things you do as a kid) despite this the engine still doesn't smoke to this day, i think it's a 'Briggs & Stratton' engine.

The new ones use some other make


Iain
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Old May 23, 2003 | 01:16 PM
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My Mountfield has a Honda engine

Leave it out in the rain/snow etc all winter and it still goes first pull.

Thinking about a remap as I'm sure i can hear a bit of det on 95 RON
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Old May 23, 2003 | 01:16 PM
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LOL @ Russell, wanna borrow my det cans?
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Old May 23, 2003 | 01:18 PM
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I've got a small garden, but bought a decent petrol mower cos they're so much easier to use and last so much longer. Flymos are a pain in the **** - so unwieldy by comparison
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Old May 23, 2003 | 01:20 PM
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I bought some little electric. hover Flymo from Homebase with a grass collector on top. Chose hover as I had a circular lawn and didn't want stripes. Flippin thing wouldn't hover! Sold it to a mate when I sold the house. Wouldn't get one again.
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Old May 23, 2003 | 01:23 PM
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i've got a petrol mower with a key start - Can't be arsed with all that cord pulling

got mine from Do it all (focus these days) about £270.
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Old May 23, 2003 | 01:32 PM
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I bought a Power Devil petrol mower for £100 from Aldi, complete with Tecumseh engine, seems fine but the blade needs sharpening, other than that, no problems in 3 years (not that I use it very often )
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Old May 23, 2003 | 01:39 PM
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get a heavy petrol one with roller for the ultimate stripes.

plus the smell of petrol is nice in the summer.

BB
if you have trouble starting them, tip some lighter fluid down the carb, thats how i get my cement mixer started!!!!!! LOL


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Old May 23, 2003 | 01:50 PM
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sit on petrol is the only option.

saw a neat looking go-cart version down the GC the other day .. over 1k !!!
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Old May 23, 2003 | 02:08 PM
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Got mine from Focus/Do It All 4 years ago, paid £100, it's a "Champion" and it has a Briggs and Stratton motor.
It's never missed a beat.
Alcazar
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Old May 23, 2003 | 02:13 PM
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Aren't cylinder mowers with grassboxes a bit fiddly for getting into the corners of your lawn?
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Old May 23, 2003 | 02:15 PM
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The Flymo one with the window on top is great (cost me about £90 from Homebase) - it hoovers up leaves, too, and is excellent for 'mowing' the flowerbeds I can't be arsed weeding when the growler's out.

G
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Old May 23, 2003 | 03:04 PM
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Its still Honda for me from now on. 3-4 year old mowers that still work are nothing special, the Honda was 17 years old, and was good to go for another 10 years at least. All that we did was sharpen the blade once every two years and change the oil and plug when necessary.
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Old May 23, 2003 | 04:18 PM
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How about a goat ?
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Old May 23, 2003 | 05:07 PM
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No contest get a Honda.

All the best

John Catlin


P.S. The wife loves the Honda, makes my life easey.
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Old May 23, 2003 | 08:27 PM
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Petrol every time !

Unless you like flicking and dragging metres of flex everywhere you go, I have two

Petrol push with wheels, good cut but takes a lot of emptying on our lawn (110*45ft)

Petrol Flymo, dead quick and good when the grass is longer but most of the grass comes in on the kids/dog

I have just inherited a cylinder mower from my great uncle, it is a classic Suffolk Punch, its sentimental rather than needing a mower, if your lawn is flat enough it looks like a stripy bowling green, otherwise its a pain !
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Old May 23, 2003 | 08:33 PM
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another advantage (which i was reminded of today!) - even if the grass is long and soaking wet the petrol mower is undeterred and chomps away whereas a flymo just squashes the grass and doesn't cut it.

also, get a petrol strimmer - they are violent creatures!!!
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Old May 23, 2003 | 08:34 PM
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the Honda engines have been tuned!! they are 4.5 bhp,as opposed to the standard 3.5 Briggs and Stratton.A tuned Honda engine should appeal to a keen motor entusiast

imo,the compacting and turboing is just a waste of money.You will save yourself one (at most) 20ft walk to the wheely bin,and the proiduct will cost twice as much
if you want electric just get a cheapo Flymo,£85 tops,that will collect,such as the 300 or 350,and chuck it away every 5 years or so.

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Old May 23, 2003 | 10:07 PM
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Buy British and get a Hayter even the queen uses a Hayter

Stay well clear of Mountfield,they've gone downhill in the last few years,they are just rebadged foreign cr*p now.
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Old May 23, 2003 | 10:16 PM
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I have a Lawn King which uses the latest 6hp Briggs & Stratton engine. Fine piece of kit, but wish I had bought a ride-on.

However, did you know that SUBARU make lawn mowers? Well they do. Seem to remember that they were red - no gold wheels though

Cheers

TONY
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