Review of the Etesia Bahia
In this video, I am going to carry out a review of the Etesia Bahia. It is probably the most compact ride-on mower with a collector on the market today, it’s certainly highly manoeuvrable.
I had my first Etesia Bahia in the late 90s, as I was looking for something that would collect damp grass. A few years later, I purchased something that we looked at recently called the Etesia Hydro 80. This is really a more heavy-duty version of the Etesia Bahia and bore suitable for contracting.
The Cost
The list price for the Etesia Bahia is £4699 plus VAT, and the price for the Hydro 80 is £5850 plus VAT. Once again, the prices are list prices, so there may well be a discounted price available. You can find the Etesia price list here. I found the Hydro 80 to be well worth the extra money over the Etesia Bahia, especially if you are contracting.
The Reason I Purchased The Etesia Bahia
The reason I purchased my Etesia Bahia, back in the late 90’s, was due to the fact that I required a machine that would cut wet and damp grass. I didn’t particularly want a ride on mower. I was using Hayter Harrier 56 roller rotary mower to cut lawns. Roller rotaries leave a great striped finish, but the problem was that they were hopeless on wet or damp grass.
One of the things that Etesia is well-known for, is the fact that their machines are well-known for their wet grass collection capabilities. The Etesia Bahia is great for collecting damp and wet grass. Obviously, it’s important to keep the collector clean; this can be brushed down with a stiff brush or blown out with an airline, or power washed.
Features
The Etesia Bahia is almost a go-anywhere mower, it’s compact and it’s great for negotiating around obstacles like flower borders and shrubs etc. Bearing in mind that I had been using a walk-behind machine, which is always more manoeuvrable than a ride-on. However, the Bahia carried out a great job of manoeuvring around obstacles.
I had been used to using a 22-inch cut roller rotary, whereas the Etesia has a 32-inch cut. The main thing is that the Bahia speeded up the grass cutting process and enabled me to cut wet grass.
Optional Roller
I purchased the Bahia for cutting lawns although it can cope with longer grass. One of the accessories that I purchased was a roller that fitted to the rear of the ride-on mower. It’s not an Etesia product, but is a very useful add-on if you’re looking for that striped finish, like I was. It’s also something that many customers really appreciate.
Automatic Gearbox (Hydrostatic Drive)
The Etesia Bahia is fitted with the equivalent of an automatic gearbox. This is more commonly known as a hydrostatic drive. A hydrostatic drive consists of a motor to drive the rear wheels and an oil pump to drive the motor. The advantages of hydrostatic drive machines are huge. Hydrostatic drive offers variable speeds in forward and reverse; it’s far quicker and more efficient than using a clutch and gearbox. Once you have driven a mower with a hydrostatic drive, you will not want to go back to a clutch and gearbox.
The Bahia has two-foot pedals side-by-side, which enable the operator to control the mower really easily. There is no brake as the hydrostatic drive also acts as a brake. There is a handbrake for when the mower is stationary.
Great Stability
Despite the Bahia being very small and compact, it does have very good stability. I don’t mean that it can cut banks, but it can handle gentle slopes on an average law with no problem whatsoever. Obviously, there are limitations and care always needs to be taken when working on steep slopes.
240 L Grass Collector
The 240 L grass collector can be operated from the operator’s seat. The model that I was using had a manual collector, so a large lever enabled me to empty the collector without dismounting from the mower. Etesia has now made the Bahia collector electrically operated for ease of use. I believe there are models available with a hand-operated collector rather than an electric one.
The grass clippings are blown into the rear collector up a large straight chute to minimise blockages. When the collector is almost full, a buzzer sounds which alerts the operator that the collector requires emptying. This is useful as it means that you can fill the collector to capacity rather than having to keep checking.
There are some ride-on mowers that have two or three collection bags on the rear of the machine. I have never understood the principle of this idea. Once you are sitting on a ride-on mower, you do not want to have to keep dismounting. Thankfully, on the Etesia Bahia, everything is controlled from the operator’s seat!
Ideal Working Conditions
Despite the compact size of the Bahia, it was a comfortable mower to sit on. I didn’t feel cramped up, despite being six-foot. The controls are all comfortably placed and within arm’s reach, so there’s no need to dismount from the mower to operate anything.
The height adjuster is to the left of the operator, along with the handbrake and the fuel tank. The fuel tank has a gauge, you can quickly glance to see if the mower requires fuel. On the Bahia that I owned the lever to empty the collector was on the right-hand side of the mower. However, on this model is fitted with an electrical switch on the dashboard. The cutter deck and the lights are also controlled by a switch on the dashboard. There is an optional road kit with lights and indicated available, but that is not something that I had fitted.
Safety
My Bahia was powered by a Kawasaki engine, which is a great engine. I have owned several machines powered by Kawasaki, I have never had a problem with any of their engines. The model we are looking at is powered by Briggs & Stratton Intek engine, developing 12.5 hp.
Etesia has implemented several safety features, including a blade brake on the electric clutch. The blade automatically disengages when you engage the handbrake or empty the collector. You cannot drive away with the handbrake engaged; the engine will stop.
There is an electric model available, that was not available when I first had my Bahia. Personally, I think the electric models are extremely expensive and not worth the extra cost. The cost of the battery Bahia is £12,535, which including VAT is £15,042. Obviously, you must purchase what is right for your needs. The running costs would be cheaper than a petrol machine.
Deck Cleaning
The cutter deck enables the user to clean the cutter deck by attaching a standard hose fitting to the deck. Simply turn on the hose, engage the cutter deck for a few minutes and your deck and grass chute will become clean!
Etesia has a unique door on the side of the cutting deck. This is a very useful feature as it enables access to the grass chute. Occasionally, small twigs could become lodged in the grass chute, which could then create a blockage. Having access to the cutter deck enables obstacles and blockages to be removed very quickly and easily.
Blade Protection
There is a single 32-inch blade within the cutter housing. The blade is protected by two small shear bolts that protect the mower, should the blade hit something hard. The shear bolts are easily replaceable by gaining access through the cutting deck door.
Easy Access
Despite the compactness of the Etesia Bahia, the company has given good access to most of the mower. The picture shows the hatch or door on the side of the cutting deck, which is very easy to access. There is a side panel that can easily be removed on each side of the mower.
Now you can see on the other side of the mower that there is reasonable access to the engine and battery. The side cover is removable, and the front cover at the back of the footwell is. The drive belts can also be accessed from this area.
You can see the hydrostatic drive, which is basically maintenance free. On the Hydro 80, there is a slightly heavier-duty hydrostatic drive which is more suitable for contracting.
Engines
As I mentioned earlier, my Etesia was powered by a Kawasaki engine. This particular model we are looking at is powered by a Briggs & Stratton engine. I also believe that there are some Honda-powered models and the battery model. I would always aim for the largest engine possible, it’s always better to have a machine overpowered rather than underpowered. Both the Etesia Bahia and Hydro 80 mowers that I owned had plenty of power, with power to spare.
Mulching Option
The Bahia has the option to mulch the grass, I had this option, but it’s not something that I really used. Personally, and the mower may be different now, I did not find the mulching plug particularly effective. However, I didn’t purchase the mower to mulch I purchased it to collect grass!
Long Grass Capabilities
I wouldn’t recommend the Bahia for cutting long grass as I don’t feel it’s particularly designed for that. In my opinion, it’s more designed for regular lawn cutting. However, there were occasions when due to the weather, the grass could become several inches tall. The mower coped well, considering the length of the grass. This is where hydrostatic transmission is brilliant as you can vary the speed of the mower.
I have cut longer grass on occasions, however, I do feel that the Bahia is much better on regular lawn cutting. If you are there lots of long grass, Etesia has other mowers that are better equipped for the job.
Etesia also gives the option to place a deflector on the side of the cutting deck, so the grass is instantly discharged. Or the other option is to remove the floor of the collector, so that the grass is discharged onto the ground and spread evenly.
Various Accessories And Attachments
Etesia offers several attachments and accessories for the Bahia. The first one is a snowblade attachment, I don’t know how effective that would be in heavy snow!
Scarifier attachment
The scarifier attachment is not something that I owned, however, it looks like a useful attachment to utilise the Bahia.
Spreader
Once again, the spreader attachment looks like a useful attachment. This can be used for fertiliser, grass seed and silt spreading in winter.
Towbar
The towbar is another optional extra which enables you to tow a trailer. A trailer is a great asset in any garden and helps to make life easier.
Road Kit
Finally, we have the optional road kit; it is not something that I had fitted, however, it is available.
To Conclude
The Etesia Bahia is a great compact mower, it certainly saved me a lot of time when I was contracting. In my opinion, the Bahia is better suited for domestic use and the Hydro 80 is more for commercial use. However, they are very similar machines, the Hydro 80 just gives you a bit more and is my preferred model. If you are contracting, the extra money spent is well worth it for the Hydro 80.
The front axle on the Bahia is made from machined steel, whereas on the Hydro 80, it’s a cast axle which brings more strength. After constant use with my Etesia Bahia, I did experience some wear on the front axle. However, this was after a considerable amount of work.
If you are looking for a compact mower to cut your lawn, the Etesia Bahia and the Hydro 80 are definitely great options. The finish that the Etesia leaves is also very good for this type of mower.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them in the YouTube comments section.
Specification
| Mower | |
|---|---|
| Theoretical output (m²/h) | 7200 m²/h |
| Number of blades | 1 |
| Cutting width (cm) | 80 cm |
| Mowing deck | Steel |
| Mount type | Suspension cutting deck |
| Rotation direction | Right |
| Blade protection | by cutting screw |
| Type of blade clutch | electromagnetic with integrated brake |
| Cutting height (cm) | from 44 to 102 mm |
| Emptying systems | |
|---|---|
| Grassbox capacity (L) | 240 L |
| Grassbox emptying | Manual |
| Grassbox structure | tubular structure – anti-UV handled web |
| Measurement and weight |
|---|
| Measurement and weight | |
|---|---|
| Weight | 230 Kg |
| Height | 121 cm |
| Width | 82.5 cm |
| Lenght | 197.5 cm |
| Motor | |
|---|---|
| Number of cylinders | 1 |
| Cylinder capacity | 502 |
| Nominal engine power | 8,5 kW / 11,5 HP |
| Maximum engine power | 11,4 kW / 15,5 HP |
| Fuel tank capacity (L) | 12 L |
| Oil tank capacity (L) | 1.5 L |
| Cooling | 2 cylinder, air cooled |
| Fuel | unleaded fuel 95/98 |
| Starter | 12 V – 30 A with regulator |
| Motortype | Briggs & Stratton Intek |
| Battery | 12V – 20Ah |
| Wheel transmission | |
|---|---|
| Transmission type | Hydrostatic |
| Forward speed (km/h) | 9 km/h |
| Backward speed (km/h) | 8 km/h |
| Number of driving wheels | 2 |
| Vertical drop | 17% |
| Acoustic pressure | 86 dB(A) |
| Frame | 60 mm tubular frame |
| Forward transmission | hydrostatic |
| Direction | Mecanic |
| Pneumatic | FRONT: 10×6.5-6 / BEHIND: 16×6.5-8 |
| Braking | Hydrostatic |
| GPS/GPRS | – |
