Another Lawnmower post

I am thinking of purchasing a new roller mower for 2010.For the past 2 years I have been using a Sarp 19“ (Kaaz) mostly for domestic lawns . Cuts really well in the wet due to the fan assistance but the drive is a nightmare plus the machine is very slow.Machines already used.Hayter 48, nice cut in the dry, useless in the wetHonda, better than the Hayter but very poor in the wetConsideringViking 19”I have been interested in Colin’s recent purchase of the Viking roller mower, not so sure about wet collection.. Seems happy with the purchase though so is a contender.Things not enamoured with is, No BBCAlso the lowest cut is 25mm ( I know it shouldn’t be cut any lower but the customer is King, actually mostly Queen (widows).EtesiaNot really considering, would have already purchased if they did a roller version.John Deere 19”Several people on here mentioned the roller version but not sure of how many takers.Martin expressed an interest earlier this year as he has been struggling with the Lawnflite ( Kaaz) drive problems.On paper this mower ticks most of the boxes for me but I have no info about the quality of the drive..Plus points, should collect well in the wet (fan assisted) , plenty of power 6.5hp Kawasaki engine, lighter than the Sarp about the same as the Hayter 48. At 3.2mph faster than the Sarp.Negative points, smaller capacity for grass collection. The biggest concern however is the total length of the mower. It appears to be very long with a long wheel base. I have read a review which complained about the mower scalping , which is being contributed to a longer wheel base.Not actually advertised for commercial use although the spec is mostly to commercial standard. .I cant really find any other roller contenders but if anyone can offer one up or opinion on the mentioned mowers I would be grateful.

martin said:

Hi Gordon I know what you mean regarding the speed and drive on them, you can't do anything about the drive issue but I've had the speed turned up on mine to nearly running speed! It's easy to do.

Regarding mowers I took advise from a snippet of info from one of grahams posts about the hayter 56 (old version with no bbc or dmh) I bought one about 3 months ago and it has to be the best mower I have ever used.
In the wet they have no problem at all and compared to the hondas they are as light as a feather. The only problem is they are very hard to come by. I was going to buy a brand new mower this year to replace mine and I found this one at a local dealer for £150.

Very true Martin - I am buying up as many of the old 56's as I can - purchased the last one for £180 and boy does it fly! The drive belt must be the correct one for the older model - some repair shops use the newer version belts and whilst okay you will really notice the difference. My view if I can get a few months out of each machine at the right price they have paid for themselves many times over.

Replies

Dan Frazer Gardening December 22, 2009 at 11:02pm

A general comment - I'm happy with the build quality and drive of my John Deere JS63v, and other than a new member of staff at the local dealership who really didn't have a clue, their service is also good.

Looking at a roller version for next season.
Lawncare-4u.co.uk December 23, 2009 at 3:08am

what about the new hayter pro's (silver) ?
http://www.mowdirect.co.uk/acatalog/HAYTER_HARRIER_56_PRO_700H.jpg
Lawncare-4u.co.uk December 23, 2009 at 3:09am

http://www.mowdirect.co.uk/acatalog/HAYTER_HARRIER_48_PRO_POWER-DRI...

Robin Ainsworth said:
what about the new hayter pro's (silver) ?
http://www.mowdirect.co.uk/acatalog/HAYTER_HARRIER_56_PRO_700H.jpg
Classic Gardens December 23, 2009 at 8:46am

Hi Gordon I know what you mean regarding the speed and drive on them, you can't do anything about the drive issue but I've had the speed turned up on mine to nearly running speed! It's easy to do.

Regarding mowers I took advise from a snippet of info from one of grahams posts about the hayter 56 (old version with no bbc or dmh) I bought one about 3 months ago and it has to be the best mower I have ever used.
In the wet they have no problem at all and compared to the hondas they are as light as a feather. The only problem is they are very hard to come by. I was going to buy a brand new mower this year to replace mine and I found this one at a local dealer for £150.
Graeme @ BGS December 23, 2009 at 8:52am

Robin Ainsworth said:
http://www.mowdirect.co.uk/acatalog/HAYTER_HARRIER_48_PRO_POWER-DRI...

Robin Ainsworth said:
what about the new hayter pro's (silver) ?
http://www.mowdirect.co.uk/acatalog/HAYTER_HARRIER_56_PRO_700H.jpg

Heard very bad reports on these!
Graeme @ BGS December 23, 2009 at 8:55am

martin said:
Hi Gordon I know what you mean regarding the speed and drive on them, you can't do anything about the drive issue but I've had the speed turned up on mine to nearly running speed! It's easy to do.

Regarding mowers I took advise from a snippet of info from one of grahams posts about the hayter 56 (old version with no bbc or dmh) I bought one about 3 months ago and it has to be the best mower I have ever used.
In the wet they have no problem at all and compared to the hondas they are as light as a feather. The only problem is they are very hard to come by. I was going to buy a brand new mower this year to replace mine and I found this one at a local dealer for £150.

Very true Martin - I am buying up as many of the old 56's as I can - purchased the last one for £180 and boy does it fly! The drive belt must be the correct one for the older model - some repair shops use the newer version belts and whilst okay you will really notice the difference. My view if I can get a few months out of each machine at the right price they have paid for themselves many times over.
- Classic Gardens > Graeme @ BGS December 23, 2009 at 9:06am
  
  Exactly
  
  Graeme @ BGS said:
  martin said:
  Hi Gordon I know what you mean regarding the speed and drive on them, you can't do anything about the drive issue but I've had the speed turned up on mine to nearly running speed! It's easy to do.
  
  Regarding mowers I took advise from a snippet of info from one of grahams posts about the hayter 56 (old version with no bbc or dmh) I bought one about 3 months ago and it has to be the best mower I have ever used.
  In the wet they have no problem at all and compared to the hondas they are as light as a feather. The only problem is they are very hard to come by. I was going to buy a brand new mower this year to replace mine and I found this one at a local dealer for £150.
  
  Very true Martin - I am buying up as many of the old 56's as I can - purchased the last one for £180 and boy does it fly! The drive belt must be the correct one for the older model - some repair shops use the newer version belts and whilst okay you will really notice the difference. My view if I can get a few months out of each machine at the right price they have paid for themselves many times over.
Richard@www.seasons-garden.co.uk December 23, 2009 at 10:18am

Hi Gordon

I bought a Viking MB 655 VR / 21" Rotary Rear Roller in May this year and it's a great machine.
This model only came out in May so I was one of the first to buy. As a result of this the dealer had little info to offer me and it was Stihl's & Briggs' reputation that persuaded me to take a punt on it.
I had a couple of teething problems at first, mainly the set up of the mower which was put right and had a bearing go on the roller (very unusual) but I reckon I chose well.
I don't mow wet grass as a rule - damp yes and pick up is excellent.
The machine is light and manoeuvrable, even for a 21". The weight of the 21" Hayters, Lawnflite & Hondas put me off.
It's a very ergonomic machine as you'd expect from Stihl.
Cutting heights are spot on and vibration is low
The grass box has a large capacity and empties in seconds, just unhinge and let it fall out.
Feedback from dealer now is that these mowers are proving very popular especially with contractors.
It doesn't have BBC, Can't say it's ever been an issue though.
Oh, and a 1 year commercial warranty can't be bad eh?
Rich
Graeme @ BGS December 23, 2009 at 1:02pm

Richard said:
Hi Gordon

I bought a Viking MB 655 VR / 21" Rotary Rear Roller in May this year and it's a great machine.

Cutting heights are spot on and vibration is low

I have received nothing but good feedback from dealers on the Vikings. Just a couple of small points that kept on being brought up:

Cut height isn't low enough for most commercial operators but a few people have found a cunning way around this but not one that dealers would recommend!

Cable problems - I think it was something about getting twisted and easily fixed.
Richard@www.seasons-garden.co.uk December 23, 2009 at 1:34pm

Yes there was an initial issue with the cables but these were easily rectified under warranty
Can't say height of cut is a problem here.
All private customer work and cuts lawns superb. I prefer the plastic roller too which offers a bit more grip on a slope.

Graeme @ BGS said:
Richard said:
Hi Gordon

I bought a Viking MB 655 VR / 21" Rotary Rear Roller in May this year and it's a great machine.

Cutting heights are spot on and vibration is low

I have received nothing but good feedback from dealers on the Vikings. Just a couple of small points that kept on being brought up:

Cut height isn't low enough for most commercial operators but a few people have found a cunning way around this but not one that dealers would recommend!

Cable problems - I think it was something about getting twisted and easily fixed.