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Thanks Graeme but they do need to be rollers otherwise I would certainly be considering the Etesia.
I bought a second hand one of these in the summer. It felt less substantial then the older HRD536 I have, didn't make any difference in use, except it is much lighter.
Works well enough on damp grass, for example in Sepetmber/ October cutting when there is dew still laying on the grass.
From memory 5 cut height settings, mostly use the highest 3 settings, any lower and I've found the deck can catch the ground on less than flat lawns, but it is getting a bit too short at that really.
Struggles when it is raining, leaving clumps of cut grass, chute and underside getting blocked, not quite as bad as the HRD but still a real pain.
Have just bought a used Etesia to get around the wet grass problem, no stripes but really I don't want to be going through the hassles of wet weather with it again.
The drive chain is exposed - keep it lubricated.
The drive doesn't disengage as quickly as other mowers, looking at the design, the control cable has a really tight angle as it runs in to and through the deck, I think it makes it tight on the bend and release is slower. Have been caught out with it a few times and am going to re route the cable this winter.
A good relaible mower, just don't expect wonders in the wet.
Hi Scott,thanks for the useful info.Interesting you seem to be implying that they are slightly better than the HRD 536's in wet conditions? This is relevant to me because those are the mowers I am currently using.
Yes, the HRD chute is a different shape - has a shaped steel plate as part of the chute doesn't it. The HRX chute seems to have better flow.
I also assumed as it is a plastic deck grass wouldn't stick to it in the same way as it does on aluminium decks. I was wrong on that count, in the wet the grass does stick to the deck, and fall off on paths, leading to the usual mess needing clearing up.
I cut a large ish lawn, about 5 inches tall before Christmas with the HRX and the HRD just wouldn't do it. It was raining, and had been on and off for a few days so plenty of water around. The grass just wouldn't bag with the HRD, just blocked the deck up. With a clear deck the HRX will cut and bag wet grass leaving a layer in the bottom of the bag but it needs emptying more regulalrly due to the weight of grass and water. Getting going again after a turn or bag empty is the problem - the already cut grass hasn't been blown in to the bag and so clings to the deck and chute. Pull out much of the wet grass through the chute, and now and then tip the mower up to clear it, and it will go again.
That's the extreme of course, I'm really happy with it in general, and yes I think they are a little better than HRD's, but wouldn't say they are ok in the wet - I think that is another challenge.
What about an Etesia with a rear roller attachment, that's what I fancy - there is a bit of info here
http://localgardener.org/etesia-to-give-rear-roller-to-pedestrian-m...