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hi maybe because the blade is thinner and therefore the cutting part has a keener edge. also could be something to do with the light weight of the machine pressing down less onto the lawn
Being honest I wouldn't care how good a finish those plastic mowers give . I'm assuming you mean the stihl or viking mowers . I wouldn't have one . They look like toys ... . I just dont think they look right ... maybe just me .....
think he was on about a black and decker plastic job
My stihl 655 rs leaves a great finish, as does my old knackered viking 545 vr.
Even a cheap plastic £60 electric mower from B&Q or Screwfix will cut grass and maybe even make a nice job. My brother-in-law makes a nice finish with his, used for maybe 8 hours a year.
But the point is that they would never be up to the rigours of what we do. Our machines sometimes need to tackle longer grass and difficult or wet conditions that would kill a cheap plastic mower. I think it would only be a matter of days before there was a hole in the deck of a plastic mower where a small stone has gone through. After a few weeks it might well look like a colander.
Using cheap domestic machines also takes longer to do the job.
My hand mower, although now only used once per fortnight, is fifteen years old and yet still starts first pull [Efco mulching mower - Honda engine]. It recently had it first replacement drive belt.
The thought of not having the right pro kit and going out to mow makes me shudder.
Yesterday I had to cut some grass that was at least two feet high. The John Deere Z535m did it like it wasn’t there. I suspect a cheap B&Q £1500 ride on would have run a mile.
This exactly. A good finish is achievable with pretty much any mower. Trying to start a B and Q mower hundreds of times a week, throwing it into the van, running it up and down kerbs, etc. isnt a likely option in our job. I ran a cheapo one as a roughcut mower alongside my Honda Roller Mower when I first went on my own. It was ok for a while but things started to fall off or rattle loose. I replaced it with an Izy and the difference was amazing, speed, reliability etc. You normally get what you pay for.
Thanks fofor all your replies. I don't think I explained my question correctly. I fully understand a cheap mower is no good for what we do and I wouldn't dream of using one in a professional manner. My curiosity lies in what components make some mowers give a better finish than others? Is it blade, lift, speed, weight, speed of rotation? Although a cheap electric plastic mower wouldn't last 5 minutes in a professional capacity, it's bloody annoying when it can give a better finish than a £1500 pro mower!!
Sometimes a simple lighter mower is better suited to an area of lawn than a heavy professional mower .
The wheel adjustments on some professional mowers combined with the weight can cause a blade to scalp or leave the grass too long especially if the lawn is full of moss . Some heavy mulching mowers leave tram lines .
I had a qualcast mower from B&Q which gave a better finish in mulch mode on some lawns than my Toro recycler , I gave the qualcast away and the person i gave it to still has it and tells me what a great mower it is . My guess is mower weight and setting adjustment , blade speed , plus lawn condition .
No, I think we got what you meant dickyjim. We were just exploring the subject a little.
I think it largely comes down to how sharp the blade is. The blade on a new plastic mower used ten minutes a fortnight on a decent lawn will stay sharp for ages. Whereas my blades, although being far superior quality, will get blunt much faster due to the many hours of use they get and sometimes the rough conditions they are used in, such as under large trees and having to chop up fallen twigs. If the blades are a little blunt it will affect the cut quality.
I sharpen the blades on my Stiga and my John Deere about every two weeks or so. I can see the difference immediately after I have sharpened them. By the end of the season, both sets of blades are pretty much shot and are replaced.
This is another point. As the season goes on the flanges on the rear of the mulching blades wear away. This is the part of the blade that keeps the clippings suspended long enough to be chopped up finely. So this affects the quality of the mulching. So too with any blade. It is not just the cutting edge that matters, it is also the rest of the blade that lifts the grass. So any mower whose blade has seen a lot of work, even if kept sharp, might well have a drop in performance.
Hi Vic 575
I like to know please how many hours mowing a week would you say you do aproxmanly please?
Thanks
Brian
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