All DR wheeled strimmer models are designed to take the hard work out of strimming, in other words, a trimmer for every job! As the video shows below you can see how you can quickly trim around edges and overgrown areas. They make precise trimming in rough areas and around the garden edges in a one and all-powerful machine.
There are push models available and powered models, if you have a larger area of grass to cut, I would definitely go fo a wheel driven machine, it makes life much easier!
The DR wheeled trimmers are typically overpowered for the average edging job, however, you will appreciate the extra power when it comes to cutting longer and thicker grass. You can actually cut waist high field grass without any clogging or loss of power, the DR wheeled trimmer just keeps going!
The metal frames of the DR wheeled strimmer are made from 14 gauge steel. The large wheels are designed for years of hard work and to cope with challenging terrain.
All models carry the unique DR instant cutting height adjuster which enables you to quickly change the height of cut. The cutting adjustment feature enables you to change the cutting height instantly from 1.5 inches to 5.5 inches. No tools are required to adjust the height, just simply feed the nylon cord through the cutting head to the required cutting height on the cutting head.
Search eBay For Wheeled Strimmers
Adjustable Offset Cutting Head
One of the great features of the DR wheeled strimmer is the fact that the cutting head can be offset at an angle to make it very simple to cut around buildings and fences et cetera and yet carry on in a normal forward walking direction. An excellent feature which makes trimming your edges so much easier and quicker. This feature is also very useful for cutting around borders before you mow, simply offset the cutting head and walk around your borders with the DR wheeled strimmer.
Cutting Cord
All DR wheeled strimmers are supplied with two types of quality nylon cutting cord, this is a much heavier cutting cord than the traditional handheld strimmer cutting cord. It’s also a quality grade of cutting cord. The cutting cord can be extended to cut a 20 inch cutting width which allows you to cover the ground very quickly.
Safety Clutch
Every DR wheeled strimmer is fitted with a safety blade clutch, so as soon as you release the handlebar clutch the cutter head will immediately stop spinning, making it very safe to use.
Now You’re Ready To Go!
Every DR wheeled strimmer comes ready to go, simply slide on the wheels and add oil and petrol and you’re ready to go. Happy trimming!
You Can See Our Of DR Wheeled Strimmer’s Below.
The DR 675 Premier wheeled trimmer is DR’s smallest wheeled strimmer, for more information click on the link or the photograph.
DR 675 Premier Wheeled Trimmer
The next model up is the DR TR4 Premier ES wheeled trimmer which sells for £649 and comes with electric start. For more details click on the link or the photograph below.
Here is the DR TR 4 pro recoil wheeled trimmer which sells for £799 and is powered by an 8.75 hp engine. See more details on this trimmer by clicking on the photograph below.
In this review, we are going to review the Robomow range of robotic lawnmowers and find out if they really do work, in fact, I know they do work as I have used them and installed Robomow for various customers.
You can take a look at my video review below if you prefer or both!
What Is A Robomow Robotic Lawnmower?
To put it briefly, a Robomow robotic lawnmower is a lawnmower that will cut your grass automatically, once Robomow is fully set up, it will literally mow your grass with no input from yourself, it can be a huge time-saving machine.
The Robomow range of robotic lawnmowers can actually cut your lawn whenever you want it to, you can even cut the grass in the middle of the night! It also has a rain sensor which will send it back to its home, in other words, it’s base station which acts as a charging port.
There are various Robomow models starting from £499 and going up to £2799, however, please don’t be put off by the price as these mowers can save you huge amounts of time. The smallest model cuts up to 150 m² and the largest model can cut lawns up to an acre and 1/4 which is really quite incredible, all done robotically!
What Are The Pros And The Cons?
The Pros
Three-year warranty
Fantastic lawn finish
Your lawn always has that freshly cut finish
Exceptionally low maintenance
Almost silent operation
No more walking or sitting on a lawnmower
Very low running costs
It’s a mulching mower, so no need to collect grass
Your grass stays greener for longer due to mulching
It’s a boy’s toy
Two decades in the robotic mowing business
Cons
Robomow can’t mow banks over 36%
Not suitable for every garden if you have lots of paths and obstacles
It takes time to set up, probably worth paying for a professional one-off set up
Don’t Be Put Off By The Cost
Don’t be put off by the cost of purchasing a Robomow robotic lawnmower and yes, I agree that the top of the range Robomow isn’t cheap, but it’s also good to remember there are many benefits.
With Robomow you will never need to spend time cutting your lawn, Robomow does this for you.
Once you have installed Robomow the running costs are exceptionally low, there is no petrol or diesel to buy and no real annual costs. A ride on lawnmower can quite easily cost around £400 a year to run and service.
Find Robomow On EBay
Robomow Features
As I mentioned in a previous paragraph Robomow’s are not cheap, especially if you’re buying the top of the range model however ride on lawnmowers and quality walk behind mowers are not cheap either. One of the best things with a robotic lawnmower is that you have not spent half the weekend cutting the grass, Robomow mows for you.
Obviously, the larger machine that you purchase the quicker it will cut your lawn, however, the fact that you are not doing it yourself means that you buy the right machine that fits your size of lawn. The smallest machine will cut up to approximately 150 m² and the largest machine up to around 5000 m² which is absolutely amazing!
Apparently, Robomow likes one day off a week, which is a bit like me or preferably two days off a week! There is actually a genuine reason for this and apparently, by resting the batteries for one day a week it helps to give the batteries a much longer life.
The great thing is with Robomow is that Robomow can come out and cut the lawn whenever you program it to, so potentially it can cut the lawn every day, although realistically I would set it for 2 to 3 times per week depending on the growing season. It also gives you that continuous fresh manicured look.
Robomow is also covered by a three-year manufacturer’s warranty, which obviously means that the manufacturers have confidence in their products.
One thing that I would definitely do on an annual basis is to replace the blades as sharp blades make for a better-manicured lawn and they also cut more efficiently, putting less strain on the machine and taking less battery power.
Your Robomow will never run out of power, if it’s getting low on power, it will return to the base station, recharge and then once fully charged continue the cutting process.
Cutting Pattern
The first time that I used Robomow I was very surprised by the cutting pattern, I imagine it a go around the perimeter of the garden, which it does and then to go up and down. However, once it is gone around the perimeter of the garden it cuts randomly, but at the end of its cycle, all the lawn is perfectly cut.
Perimeter Wire And Installation
Although the technology on robotic lawnmowers is increasing all the time Robomow it still needs a perimeter wire all around your garden, it is important to take time carrying out the installation process. It may be worth employing a professional to set up your Robomow apparently there is such a service available, it depends how keen and patient you are to confidently set up Robomow.
The perimeter wire can be used to mark off flower borders and trees and any other obstacles etc.
It’s important to place the perimeter wire in the right place, Robomow comes complete with everything you need to set up, including pegs and the perimeter wire, extra cable and pegs are available if needed.
The perimeter wire is actually pegged down on top of the lawn, within a few weeks the grass will have totally grown over this cable and it will not be visible, Robomow will be the only person who can see it! The Robomow is cleverly designed so that it runs over this cable which enables it to get close to lawn edges and flower borders. Once again, it’s very important to spend time setting the perimeter wire up correctly as long term this can save you lots of time.
So How Does Robomow Perform?
I have actually seen lawns transformed by Robomow due to the fact of regular mowing and mulching that acts like a lawn feed which will also help keep your lawn much greener especially in dry periods.
One thing you need to be careful of is leaving obstacles on the lawn, I have seen customers with dogs will call me to say that there Robomow has stopped working only to discover that there is a dogs bone wedged underneath Robomow, it sounds silly, but it’s happened several times too. It is of utmost importance to keep your lawn clear of any obstacles.
If Robomow does hit something, it has the technology to back off and go in another direction, if it is something like a dog’s toy or bone it can get caught up in the machine which is not advisable.
If you like lawn stripes, I am afraid that this is something that Robomow cannot do, however, it can make your lawn look beautifully manicured. I have actually run a roller lawnmower over a lawn a few times a year which actually will stripe your lawn and leave the stripes in for a few weeks. It’s not a perfect solution but it does work if you really want stripes and I know it’s not quite the goal to use two lawnmowers!
Is A Robomow For You?
Providing your lawn is not full of obstacles then a Robomow can be a huge benefit to you. Not only in how your lawn looks but also in the amount of time it can save you at the weekend. It’s also quite a talking point when friends and family visit when they see your Robomow cutting the lawn by itself, it’s definitely a head turner.
Finally, we have our largest model which is the Robomow RS635 Pro SX Robotic Mower, this Robomow is designed to cut areas of approximately 5000 m² or 1.25 acres, it is priced at £2799.
I came across this clever tree cutting video a few years ago and I thought I would share it just for a bit of fun!
I have cut down many trees, but I certainly wouldn’t contemplate doing what this man has done, take a look at the video below and feel free to comment!
In this blog post, I’m going to be writing about mulching lawn mowers and are they worth buying? With so many lawnmowers on the market sometimes it is difficult to know what to choose, I hope that this article will help to answer some of your questions.
You can see a short video that I have created on mulching lawnmowers below. Please feel free to comment on this video and to subscribe to our channel.
Why Have a Mulching Lawnmower?
I think there are many of us who really enjoy cutting the lawn, however, many of us don’t enjoy having to continually empty the grass box. We all know what it’s like when the weather is unsettled and we have been away for a couple of weeks and the grass has become very long, we seem to have never-ending boxes of grass to empty, especially if it is the peak growing season.
The great thing with a mulching mower is that there are no grass clippings to collect, they are just mulched and allegedly disappear, which in principle is a great idea. Just remember that for a mulching mower to work really effectively grass really needs to be cut at least once a week.
Find Mulching Mowers On EBay
How Does A Mulching Lawnmower Work?
With most lawnmowers the grass clippings are given an exit point where they can leave the mower quickly and efficiently if clippings can’t escape from the cutting deck, the engine will quickly lose power.
However, with a mulching mower, the idea is to keep the grass within the cutting deck for the longest period possible, in this way the clippings should be broken down into mulch. Something to remember with a mulching mower is that they do take considerably more power than a traditional mower with a collection system due to the fact that they are keeping the clippings within the mower deck. It is also of great importance to try and cut your lawn on a regular basis for maximum efficiency. You can still use a mulching mower on slightly longer grass, for example, if you have been away for a couple of weeks. But just remember the finish won’t be so good and to mulch grass efficiently it needs to be carried out on a regular basis.
What Type Of Mulching Mower Do I Purchase?
There are many different types of mulching lawnmower, from push models to powered models and to ride on machines. I particularly like the articulated ride on mulching mowers as they are exceptionally manoeuvrable and very efficient at mulching your grass clippings.
There are also machines that are actually designed for mulching and there are other manufacturers that have converted their machines to mulch. In general and in my experience I have found that the best mulching mowers are the ones that are actually designed to mulch rather than an afterthought.
Here Are A Few Examples of Mulching Mowers
Our very cheapest mulching mower starts at £189 and is an electric mower that includes a mulch plug. I have to say that I don’t know if a mower like this really has enough power to mulch efficiently, I would personally go for a petrol machine as I’m fully aware that mulching does take power.
If you would like more details on the AL-KO 40E Comfort Electric Lawn mower (incl. mulch plug) please go here for more information.
AL-KO 40E Comfort Electric Lawn mower (incl. mulch plug)
Our cheapest petrol mulching lawnmower is a Stiga 18 inch (45 cm) machine which comes with a five year manufacturer’s warranty and sells for just £249. Just remember that you need to have this machine serviced annually for warranty purposes. Having a five year warranty gives me great confidence in this mulching lawnmower.
Stiga Multiclip 47 Blue Push Mulching Lawn mower
On the other end of the scale, we have our most expensive walk behind mulching mower which sells for £899. You can see the Weibang Virtue 53 SMP Self-Propelled Mulching Mower here.
This is a machine that I have had experience with and a machine that I strongly recommend, it comes with a three year commercial warranty and five year domestic warranty which to me brings great peace of mind.
Now we come onto our out front ride on mulching lawn mowers, these machines are obviously in a different league, but the articulated steering system makes some of the most manoeuvrable ride on mowers on the market and no grass to collect either.
AL-KO Solo FC 13-90.5 HD 2WD Front Deck Ride on Lawnmower
Our top of the range out front four-wheel-drive ride on mulching mower is the Stiga Park Pro 740 IOX 4WD Out Front Deck Ride On Lawn mower, this is a great machine if you want something that’s going to last. It comes with a 10 year warranty which means the manufacturers have a huge confidence in their product.
Stiga Park Pro 740 IOX 4WD Out Front Deck Ride On Lawn mower
Cobra BC270K 27cc Kawasaki Eng Bike Handle Brush cutter
Today my blog post is entitled is it worth buying a strimmer or brush cutter? As you probably know I’m someone who likes to make life as easy as possible and having the right piece of equipment can make so much difference in the garden. I’ve seen far too many people making their life exceptionally hard due to using poor equipment and not having the right type of equipment. So I hope that this article will help you choose the right strimmer or brush cutter and give you a greater understanding of the products available.
What Is A Strimmer Or Brush Cutter?
A strimmer or brush cutter is a machine that for general use has a nylon cord that rotates on a strimmer head. The size of the nylon cord can vary greatly depending on the machine that you’re using and the type of job that you’re doing. For general purpose strimming jobs I find that a 2.4 mm nylon cord works well, it’s heavy enough not to break too easily and strong enough to strim down nettles and tougher grass.
Brush cutters are really heavy duty strimmers that have the option to have a blade attachment, these blades come in all shapes and sizes, from circular saw type blades to hexagonal blades, you can see the various types of brush cutter blade here.
Traditional trimmers and brush cutters have an engine at the top of the machine, this can be a two-stroke petrol engine, electric or cordless type of machine. The engine is attached to a long shaft which then goes down to strimmer head. Most strimmers have straight shafts, but there are a few that have curved shafts. I would go for a strimmer with a straight shaft as the curved shaft models can have a greater tendency to break, I guess being bent over there is a greater strain on the shaft.
There are two types of strimmer and brush cutter handles, some have loop handles and some have the cow horn type handles, these are normally fitted on the heavier strimmer’s or brush cutters and also come with a shoulder strap. Personally, although I have a reasonably high-powered strimmer, I prefer the loop handle for ease of transport and for ease of use. The cow horn handles can become an obstacle depending on what you’re doing, I also prefer not to use a strap to support the strimmer as I feel it gives more freedom in use. However, a lot of the petrol strimmer’s come with a strap if you have loop handle strimmer, it’s optional if you want to use it.
Is A Strimmer Or Brush Cutter For You?
If you have a lawn or even any grassed areas with trees, borders, paths etc, I would say that a strimmer or brush cutter is definitely for you. They really can save hours of time, it doesn’t actually seem that long ago when people were going around the edge of the lawn on their hands and knees with garden shears! I know that there are long handled shears available which make life slightly easier, however, a strimmer or brush cutter can do so much more than a pair of garden shears!
So if you have a lawn and you have areas and edges that you can’t get to a strimmer or brush cutter could make your life much easier!
Which Strimmer Or Brush Cutter Do I Buy?
Strimmer’s and brush cutters are available in all different sizes, from small electric strimmer’s, rechargeable battery strimmer’s and two-stroke petrol strimmers, I believe the Honda also make a four-stroke strimmer.
Cobra GT3240VZ Cordless Line Trimmer (no battery / charger)
Now we come onto my preferred type of strimmer which is powered by a two-stroke petrol engine, no cord or batteries to charge, in general, the petrol models have more power. Our cheapest petrol strimmer starts at £124.99 you can find out more about the Cobra BC260C Loop Handle Petrol Brushcutter here.
Cobra BC260C Loop Handle Petrol Brush cutter
The other type of strimmer or brush cutter which is available are the heavy duty wheeled type strimmer’s, these are great for rough areas or overgrown areas as there is no blade to break or damage, just a replaceable nylon cord, very simple. These wheeled trimmers are available in push models and powered models.
I have given you the cheapest options above for strimmer’s and brush cutters, but once again I would say try and buy the best you can afford.
I have used strimmer is commercially which have literally had hours and hours of use, some of these have lasted up to around seven years. If you purchase a decent strimmer or brush cutter you could have many many years of trouble-free service.
If you are looking for second hand is always worth taking a look at eBay.
Today we are going to review the Bosch Rotak 36 Push Mower, as you may know, I am someone who likes to have a petrol or diesel engine on a machine! However, I want to give an honest review of this Bosch electric push lawn mower, you may be pleasantly surprised!
Performance
Last year I was cutting my elderly mother’s lawn with her Bosch Rotak 36 Push Electric Mower, I have to say that I was looking for every opportunity to run this mower down as the thought of using an electric lawnmower with the cable getting caught up in every unthinkable obstacle definitely didn’t excite me!
The grass was quite long as it had not been cut for several weeks, I really didn’t think that this little electric mower would cope with such long and thick grass. The grass was around 4 inches (10 cm) tall and it was thick lush spring grass.
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how well this electric mower coped with the long thick grass, it actually seemed to cope better than some semi-commercial petrol mowers that I have used, and that’s saying something!
I had to empty the grass collection box very frequently because of the length of the grass, the amazing thing is that this little electric lawnmower didn’t clog the grass chute at all. There are some petrol mowers that I have used and they can block very easily especially if the grass is a bit damp, however, this Bosch lawnmower beat all my expectations!
Very Lightweight
The Bosch Rotak 36 Push Mower is a very lightweight machine, which is ideal for older people who may not have the strength to push a heavier machine and of course there is no fuel or oil to check. Unfortunately, with electric mowers, you have the convenience of low maintenance, but you have that electric cable dragging behind you all the time, something that I have never liked! However, I’m sure this is something that can be overcome!
So How Would I Rate The Bosch Rotak 36 Push Mower?
I would rate this machine very high due to its cutting efficiency and ability to cut long grass and it actually left a reasonable finish. I like to see a machine that is well-engineered something that you can take pride in, however, this type of machine is in a different type of league and for what it is, it performed very well and I know this type of lawnmower would suit people with a postage stamp sized lawn.
If you have a slightly larger garden and like me, you prefer something with a petrol engine on, it may be worth taking a look at the Mountfield HP414 Push Petrol 4 Wheel Lawnmower. This is a machine that costs slightly more money at £149, but it has no electric cables to deal with and has a two-year warranty.
Mountfield HP414 Push Petrol 4 Wheel Lawn mower
Specification
The Bosch Rotak 36R Electric Rotary Lawnmower is powered by an electric 1400 Watt motor which almost produces 2 hp of power. The cutting width is approximately 15 inches (36 cm) and the weight is just 12 kg which makes it extremely easy to push, especially with the easy push handle design.
The grass collector capacity is a generous 40 L which is good for another of this size. There are six cutting heights between 20 and 70 mm, it’s always good to have a range of cutting heights, especially if you’re grass has become a bit long. I always tell people not to cut the grass too short, I see too many people cutting their lawn far too short which is the perfect way to ruin a good lawn.
The machine also has the ability to leave a striped finish.
Here is a review of how a garden chipper shredder can help you in your garden.
Did you know that everything that we take out the garden can literally be put back into your garden? I am very keen on composting garden waste as much as possible, I also compost kitchen waste and use poultry manure when I kept chickens and use horse manure when the opportunity comes along.
Prunings and wood from trees can often be a problem to compost, obviously, anything will rot down in time but obviously, things like tree branches cannot be composted in the normal way. Traditionally people would burn their prunings, but today this can often cause problems with neighbours, especially if the wind changes directions unexpectedly!
This is where a garden chipper shredder can be a great asset.
What is a garden chipper shredder?
Chippers and spreaders come in all different shapes and sizes and different capacities. A chipper works by literally shredding and chipping your waste prunings up to about 4 to 5 inches in width for domestic chippers. However, if you want to talk about commercial chippers, then they can vary between 5 to 12 inches (12 to 30 cm) in normal terms. Or if you want to go even bigger there are even whole tree chippers, although these are probably not suitable for the average garden!
Branches and prunings are made into shreds or chips which can then be composted or even spread on borders as they are created. I must admit I prefer to compost my chippings for a couple of years and mix them in with the rest of the compost. I have seen heavy soils dramatically changed through composting regularly if you want to make your life easier this a great thing to do in the garden.
Petrol Or Electric?
Shredders and chippers are available in petrol and electric models.
The smallest chippers are normally powered by an electric motor, however, if you have any amount of prunings to chip, I would definitely go for a petrol machine, not only because I like machines with an engine on but the petrol models are far more powerful and have a much greater capacity and no electric cable trailing around.
Which Chipper Shredder Do I Go For?
Our cheapest shredder starts at £769.99 which is The Handy Petrol Chipper/Shredder is powered by a well proven Briggs & Stratton IC engine, this machine is ideal for keen gardeners who want make their prunings into compost quickly.
The Apache chipper is slightly dearer at £1099, this machine is powered by a Briggs & Stratton 6.5 hp engine and once again is suitable for the keen gardener who wants to shred and chip garden prunings. This machine will chip prunings up to 2 inches (5 cm) approximately. The weight of the machine is 51 kg.
Now it’s time to go upmarket to the DR Pro XL ES 21.00 Rapid Feed Petrol Chipper / Shredder, this petrol Chipper shredder sells for £4299 and this is DR’s largest machine, suited for the very keen gardener and professional.
This machine DR chipper shredder is again powered by the popular Briggs & Stratton, electric start, 420 cc overhead valve engine. One of the best things about Briggs & Stratton engines is the reliability and because there are so many of these engines around there is a great parts network, should you require any spare parts.
The chipping capacity of this machine is 5.75 inches which is approximately (14 cm) so with this capacity, you can normally chip anything you want and anything larger would normally be logged for firewood.
The DR chipper shredder is a great investment for the keen gardener and is the type of product that although it is not cheap it could give you many years service, so definitely a good investment.
DR Pro XL ES 21.00 Rapid Feed Petrol Chipper / Shredder
Sometimes it’s worth looking out for a decent second-hand chipper or shredder, depending on what your budget is or maybe you want something a little larger or different from what we offer. It’s worth taking a look at eBay as they have many different types of chippers and shredders.
The Mtd Lawnflite Brand first came into the United Kingdom, back in 1976. Lawnflite is a trading name of E P Barrus Ltd, a Great British Company founded in 1917. Barrus has an unrivalled reputation for marketing and manufacturing quality machinery for a wide range of markets. Barrus is the ‘Power Behind many Brands’.
They have many different garden machinery products to suit every need of the gardener and professional landscaper.
Looking at the garden shredder reviews for the MTD look quite good and it seems like parts are readily available. You can see our various spare parts section on our website here.
When purchasing an MTD chipper shredder, try and find a machine with a known engine brand. There are a few engines that for example may look like a Honda, but are a type of Chinese copy. These engines can sometimes be problematic and have carburettor issues. It’s always important to have a machine that spare parts are readily available and of reasonable quality. It’s also much more convenient to have a petrol chipper rather than an electric chipper as they can be used anywhere in the garden without having to worry about a power supply.
More information on the MTD chipper shredder
This superior-quality chipper-shredder from MTD is fantastically well-engineered and offers three feed-in options: there is a 46cm x 46cm chipper-chute for branches up to 50mm in diameter; a shredder-hopper for dropping-in armfuls of leaves etc; and a rake-in chute that will spare your back as you won’t have to keep bending down to pick-up debris.
The MTD 463 3-in-1 Petrol Chipper-Shredder is equipped with two hardened-steel chipper-blades that turn branches into ideally sized woodchips; and 12 reversible and replaceable flail-hammers that pound less woody material until it is the perfect consistency for speedy composting (the reduction ration is an impressive 10:1).
It is powered by a 5.5hp overhead-valve engine from Briggs & Stratton, so dependable and fuel-efficient performance is assured; and the housing is made from 13-gauge steel, so accidental impact won’t prove a problem. Other key features include a very large-capacity collection-bag, which, when the reduction-ratio is considered, will take a huge amount of mulch; and large wheels with pneumatic tyres for easy transport and stability during use.
Today we are looking at the Mountfield HP414 Push Petrol 4 Wheel Lawnmower, which is one of our budget petrol wheeled lawnmowers on our website! It sells for just £149 which I find absolutely amazing that they can make a petrol mower for this price!
I have also created a video review on this Mountfield lawnmower, you can see the review below.
I’ve Used It!
I have to say the majority of garden equipment that I have used has been commercial and professional equipment. Although having said this I have used a lot of domestic equipment over the years. I recently used the Mountfield HP414 Push Petrol 4 Wheel Lawnmower I have to say that I was really pleasantly surprised!
For a start, for a £149 lawnmower. I really didn’t expect much at all, but for the money, I was really impressed. Personally, I would much prefer to have a small petrol lawnmower. Rather than an electric mower where you have that cable trailing behind you all the time and generally getting in the way. To me, this little petrol lawnmower is a great option.
Obviously, this machine is not like using something like a Honda, Hayter or Weibang. However, we have to remember that this machine is a budget lawnmower and it really does do what it says on the box!
Features
The Mountfield HP414 Push Petrol 4 Wheel Lawnmower comes with a 100 cc petrol engine with recoil start. The cutting width is 15 inches (39 cm) which although this is not a massive cut it’s surprising and you can cover the ground. It’s also good for doing those small fiddly areas in your garden. This particular machine is a push model, there are similar machines that drive, like the Mountfield SP414 Self Propelled Petrol 4 Wheel Lawnmower, however, the push model offers simplicity and very little to go wrong.
Believe it or not, this machine has a height adjuster on each wheel which in some ways to me is unnecessary. However, if your grass is slightly longer it is useful to be able to lift the back wheels up slightly as this makes for more efficient collecting. The height adjusters offer five different heights from 25 to 70 mm.
The grass box capacity is a generous 40 L which is quite good for a mower of this size. The handles fold down for storage which is extremely useful or if you happen to be transporting your lawnmower in the back of the car, a very useful feature.
The weight of the machine is 19.5 kg and the deck is constructed of polypropylene. The recommended maximum cutting area for a machine the size is 250 m² or more if you’re feeling particularly energetic!
Two-year warranty
I am very surprised that the Mountfield HP414 Push Petrol 4 Wheel Lawnmower has a two-year warranty. I wouldn’t normally expect this on a budget machine. However, it does suggest that Mountfield have faith in this particular product. From my experience, this machine is very basic but at the same time very functional.
How Did It Perform?
I have to say that I really was impressed with this lawnmower. I really didn’t expect very much for £149, but it achieved everything that I wanted.
On one particular area, the grass was quite long and thick and although I had to empty the grass box very frequently. I didn’t manage to clog the grass chute up which can potentially easily happen! The good thing is with four-wheel rotary mowers is that the grass is directed straight into the box. Whereas with a roller rotary the grass has to be pushed over the roller which makes roller mowers slightly easier to clog the grass chute.
The finish that this lawnmower left was also pretty good, although it doesn’t actually have a roller. I was almost getting a slightly striped finish just due to me going up and down. I guess the deck was just pushing the grass over slightly which help to make a striped finish. However, if you really want to striped finish you need to buy a roller rotary mower.
So would I buy this machine?
In one simple answer, I definitely would! If I had a small garden I would much prefer to have a small petrol mower rather than a hand mower or electric mower. To be fair with a two-year warranty you can’t go far wrong. Even if the machine only lasted two years and it will last longer if you look after your lawnmower. It would only cost £75 a year!
Obviously, this machine is not the Rolls-Royce of lawnmowers. However, if you want a budget petrol mower that cuts your grass this machine is definitely worth looking at. I always say buy the best machine that you can afford, it pays off in the long run.
Hayter Harrier 56 Autodrive VS Rear Roller Lawnmower
It’s springtime and the grass is growing, in this blog post, I will bring you a selection of our various lawnmowers for 2019 from budget machines to top of the range lawnmowers.
I always say to people, buy the best machine that you can afford, most of us have to set a budget when we are buying a product, so we need to be careful. I can give you an example of the difference between buying a cheap product and a more expensive product. My late father purchased a Ransomes Ajax 12 inch push mower around 60 years ago, he treated this mower with great respect, cleaning and oiling it after every use! This mower is still working today! I have no idea how much he paid for this machine, but he certainly got his money’s worth! This particular machine was a very well engineered product and I know we cannot always afford to buy the best, however, there are many quality machines out there that will last you many years if you look after them.
You can also watch my video on the subject of lawnmowers below
Budget Lawnmowers
Our cheapest lawnmower, The Webb H12R Hand Push Cylinder Lawnmower costs just £79.99, it’s a basic push lawnmower, but sometimes basic is good! No engine to go wrong, no fuel to buy, no batteries to buy and no cable to annoy you, just a bit of human energy required!
This lawnmower is what we would describe as a traditional lawnmower, it comes with a 12 inch (30 cm) five-bladed cylinder which can give your lawn a great finish, just remember that you need to cut your lawn regularly with a cylinder Lawnmower. In case you don’t understand what a five-bladed cylinder is, the more blades the finer the cut, so for example on a bowling green you may use a 10 bladed cylinder as you are just cutting a fraction of grass off at a time. One thing you need to remember with a cylinder mower is that it is a very precision cutting action and you need to take utmost care to keep your lawn free of any debris like stones and twigs, failure to do this can bring your cylinder out of line and make the cutting efficiency inefficient.
The web cylinder mower has a rear roller and gives a nice striped finish and comes complete with an 18 L grass collection box. This is a simple traditional lawnmower at a great price and is definitely worth thinking about if you have a small lawn.
Another machine worth looking at is The Mountfield HP414 Push Petrol 4 Wheel Lawn mower, this petrol lawnmower costs only £149! To be fair, I don’t know how they can make this machine so cheaply, especially a petrol lawnmower! Having said this, I have used one of these machines and although it’s not a luxury mower, it does actually cut the grass and collect at the same time in a reasonable way.
The Mountfield HP414 Push Petrol 4 Wheel Lawn mower is a 15 inch (39 cm) with a 100 cc petrol engine, complete with a 40 L collecting box. The machine can be used with or without the box, for example, in hot weather sometimes it’s good to leave the grass on the lawn as it almost acts as a fertiliser, or see if the grass is too long you do not want to do this.
To be fair this is a budget petrol mower at a fantastic price and it does the job, it’s not the Rolls-Royce of mowers, but if you want a cheap budget mower, this could be the one for you.
Another budget mower is the Flymo HoverVac 280 Electric Hover Mower, this electric hover mower sells at £79.99 which again is a great price for a budget lawnmower. I have to say that I’m not keen on electric mowers, the biggest things for me is having that electric cable continually being in the way, I much prefer to have something with a proper engine on! However, if you’re looking for a budget mower and like the idea of an electric lawnmower, this could be your answer! Of course, the great thing is with an electric mower, there is no engine to start, no oil to change and no fuel to add, simply plug in and go!
The Flymo HoverVac 280 Electric Hover Mower floats on a cushion of air making it very easy to push. It comes with an 11 inch (28 cm) cut and is designed for a small garden. The mower comes complete with a 20 litre integral box and has four different cutting heights.
If you don’t want to spend too much money on your lawnmower but at the same time want a semi decent lawnmower, here are a few examples to help you choose.
The Hayter Spirit 41 Push Petrol Rear Roller Lawn mower is a small push roller rotary lawnmower that will give your lawn that’s very British striped finish! Hayter have been making lawnmowers for many years so by purchasing a Hayter you have a great spare parts network.
This machine has a 41 cm cut, leaves a striped finish and comes complete with a large 55 L grass collection box. The Hayter Spirit 41 Push Petrol Rear Roller Lawn mower is powered by a well-known and proven Briggs & Stratton engine which has a 1 L fuel tank. This machine costs £313.50 p
Hayter Spirit 41 Push Petrol Rear Roller Lawn mower
Here is another midrange lawnmower, the Snapper NX-40 16 inch Self Propelled Petrol Lawn mower costs £349 and is a self-propelled machine, so minimal effort is required to cut your lawn!
This is a 16 inch (42 cm) for wheeled lawnmower which will cut your grass with ease, it’s small enough to move around obstacles, but at the same time can cover your lawn fairly quickly.
The good thing is with four-wheeled rotary mowers is that they normally have a reasonably efficient grass collection system as the grass is blowing directly into the collection box at the rear of the lawnmower, these type of machines are great for cutting small paddocks around buildings.
Snapper NX-40 16 inch Self Propelled Petrol Lawn mower
Now the sort of machines that I will discuss here are quality lawnmowers that are suitable for the keen gardener and contractors, they will give you many years of service providing that you take care of them.
The Weibang Legacy 56 Pro 3 speed Self-Propelled Rear Roller Lawn mower is a great roller rotary lawnmower that sells at £1349. This is a great machine that I have personally used many times, it comes with a five year domestic warranty and three-year commercial warranty. The only catch is that you have to have this machine dealer serviced to keep the warranty valid, but in my mind, this is well worth it.
The Weibang Legacy 56 Pro 3 speed Self-Propelled Rear Roller Lawn mower has a 22 inch (56 cm) cut and is powered by a Kawasaki engine. The mower drives itself through the rear roller and has a three speed solid gearbox.
This is a machine that I really do recommend, it leaves a great striped finish and is a very solid lawnmower, the fact that this lawnmower has five years warranty suggests something to me.
If you are looking for a quality machine and for that perfect bowling green look then The Allett Buckingham 30H s/p 76cm Cylinder Mower Honda 6.5hp GX200 Engine may be an option for you. This is the most expensive cylinder lawnmower in our range, it sells for £4359, however, this is a professional machine and if it is looked after properly it could literally last you a lifetime. As I always say, it’s cheaper in the long run to buy a quality product!
The Allett Buckingham 30H s/p 76cm Cylinder Mower Honda 6.5hp GX200 Engine comes with a six-bladed cylinder for that perfect fine finish. It is powered by a Honda 6.5 hp petrol engine and has the option to have a roller seat attachment, so no walking!
