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You are likely to get a range of different answers to this.
I have a HRH536 and it is a brilliant mower but heavy and the gearbox is expensive to replace when it goes (i should know having just replaced mine). The HRD536 maybe worth a look as well - its cheaper and lighter which may be better for the rear end (gearbox, rollers and bearings). It is not built quite as well as the HRH however having plastic wheels, no front bumper and different handlebars.
I never liked hayters, even the old ones. Grass collection was poor in my opinion and i try to avoid briggs engines as i much prefer the honda GXV and GCV.
As far as any other makes are concerned i dont have any experience with them. Kaaz etc maybe worth a look as they are very similar to HRH536.
Viking seems a bit of a dirty word at the moment. I tried to order one and cancelled it as dealer did not know when it would be available after me already waiting 2 months.
We have both, Honda and Hayter. The Honda seems the better build, but more expensive for that. Both get extensively used and we all agree the Hayter is easier to use on average size lawns, as its lighter and shorter, but when we cut our bigger lawns, with 60mtr runs, it's the Honda that wins hands down.
I always reckon nothing is completely worn out!!... a replacement new B&S engine for a couple of hundred, a belt, bearings for the roller etc ...... most machines can be brought back to fully serviceable condition for significantly less than a new replacement...... only snag is you really need to do the work yourself, which is quite quick, otherwise you soon rack up some expensive dealer charges and it doesn't become such a viable option.
Problem with viking is it takes 3-4 weeks for the dealer to get parts, just spent the last month using a wreck of a mower while waiting for a couple of basic parts for my usual viking 650 - not good!
Given that there are only a fairly small number of us using roller mowers, and 21" pro-spec machines, it's a choice between the Honda types or the Hayters IMO. There seems to be a pretty much 50:50 split betwen opinions, so I guess there isn't a lot to choose.
As I've said before, why buy the Honda when the Kaaz, Lawnflite etc. machines are at least as good? Having run both, I really prefer the cheaper version.
I'm going to a Hayter next time, because my repairer keeps the spares and prefers working on them. That's worth more than any slight difference in wet collection or anything else, as one day with a machine down is money lost, let alone weeks waiting for parts!
Mark, you say your Viking is only used for domestic work. That doesn't help a lot, as we're bouncing the mowers in and out of a van all day every day, with perhaps 20 hours or more a week use.
Geoff, the major issue with the Honda-type machines is the sealed rollers, that run out of grease and wear the shafts. This is a repair that writes the mower off after a couple of years, and Honda won't deal with it. What we need is a step-by-step guide to stripping the thing down and packing it with grease, which we could do every winter. I'd happily write it up if you, or anyone, would send me a few pictures and a how-to guide. We're not all expert DIY repairers, and I was totally defeated by trying to take the roller apart!
When I next strip mine down... its a Kazz..... late Autumn, I'll take pictures showing how its done which might be helpful for people. Once the rollers are off, which is the difficult bit, it really is very easy to tap the bearings out, prise off one of the 2 seals, and regrease the bearing..... there's no way a bearing failure should write a mower off!! (some of these dealers are crooks I reckon lol!!) The gearbox on mine is ok but if it starts playing up, I'll do some photos of a gearbox repair as well.... really works out a fraction of the dealer cost of a gearbox replacement.... about £80 for parts. Perhaps Phil could set up a section where people can explain, with pictures, how to carry out common repairs. There's a motorbike forum I go on which does this.
Paul McNulty said:
When taking the rollers off there are circlips to remove. One is impossible to get to with circlip pliers so you have to yank the roller along the shaft as hard as you can to remove the circlip from its recess.
The bearings in the end of each roller are a doddle to remove but the roller bearings inside the gearbox (where the shaft goes through) are a real pain in the arse to get out. They are not wide enough to get a good grip with a punch to hammer them out. Mine were completely seized in. In the end i had to use a round grinding stone on a drill and grind enough of them out to enable a precision screwdriver to get behind them and bend them out. Managed to do it without damaging the bearing housing. I also had to replace the shaft as it had worn too much - £78 just for that.
Oh and dont forget the woodruff key that goes in the end of the shaft when reassembling otherwise mower will scalp at one side.