Founded in 2008. The Landscape Juice Network (LJN) is the largest and fastest growing professional landscaping and horticultural association in the United Kingdom.
LJN's professional business forum is unrivalled and open to anyone within within the UK landscape industry
LJN's Business Objectives Group (BOG) is for any Pro serious about building their business.
For the researching visitor there's a wealth of landscaping ideas, garden design ideas, lawn advice tips and advice about garden maintenance.
Replies
I cannot comment on the Honda. At the start of the season, I bought a Hayter Harrier 48 Pro and am very impressed with it. It was a lot cheaper than the Honda, but, has a Honda engine, which for me was important. Initially, I was disappointed as it would struggle to pick leaves and twigs up. My 1991 Honda picks everything up. I took it back to the dealer who informed me that Hayter and others still follow EU laws which limits the RPM and noise level. He made a slight adjustment. Increased the revs from about 2200 RPM to 3250 RPM and what a difference. It is a different machine and picks most things up. Customers are happy (which is the most important thing) with the end result. It has a 2 year warranty and after that time frame, I will sell it and buy another one. For the extra money of the Honda, I don't know what other benefits you would get. Perhaps others could expand on this.
We brought this exact Honda last year specifically for 2 regular jobs, it's nice and lightweight, good manoeuvrability and leaves a decent finish in ideal conditions, but...it really hates any kind of moisture, blocks very easily and half fills the bag, felt very cheaply made and certainly not upto regular use, we went through numerous throttle controls and had to have it sped up as the engine ran very slow. Kept it for 6 months before it had to go!
Oliver, thanks for reply. We're in a similar position to you have some medium size lawns which our Hayter 56 pro is just too heavy and unwieldy for so looking for something lighter and more manoeuvrable. Settled on either the Hayter or Honda as per original question, you weren't impressed with the Honda, did you buy something else? If so which machine? Dismissed the Hayter pro as it's fixed speed and over 50kg so looking at the domestic 48 which is variable speed with BBC and is 48kg. If anyone else has any suggestions? Thanks
We reverted back to one of our stihl 655 rollers, it does the job fine, the change to the Honda was for the weight difference as the gardens are tiered and require the mower lifting. The Honda would be a reasonable mower for around £5-600 but disappointing at nearly double that!
We use hayter 48 pro, Honda HRX and a couple of others. The Hondas are slower, don't pick up so well and if anything less reliable. I won't be buying another. The Hayters get a lot of chain wear but they have a silly plastic chain cover that wears through- we've started getting a little bit of steel welded on to protect it which seems to work.
Tim, yes assume the Honda are roller? we run several wheeled HRX 537 with mulch option and are very pleased with them both collection and mulch. We tried the 48 pro and didn't like the lack of variable speed which we have on the 56pro,s we run. Whatever were Hayter thinking not to put it on a pro machine!!!!?
We're going to try the 48 harrier which has BBC and variable speed appreciate its not a pro machine with a polymer roller as against steel but we only need it for a few domestics and will use the 56 pro,s on the commercial sites. It's also £200 cheaper than the pro 48, still baffled why Hayter don't offer variable speed on it when they do on a domestic machine
Hayter used to offer variable speed on the 48 pro, but it wasn't up to it and used to break regularly.
The new Hondas are pants compared to the older models from the 80s and 90s. The Honda GXV engines are bulletproof and are superb but, apart from the HRD536, are fitted with GCV engines. The GCV engines are good but I find they can be temperamental and difficult to work on. Honda should have kept making their alloy-decked HR19 mowers, now made by Cobra. The Cobra is probably worth looking at as an option.
I bought a new cobra last year. It's a wheeled mower rather than roller but I do have a kaas roller mower which is great but heavy. Both have the Honda gvx engine which is bomb proof.
I believe kaas used to make mowers for Honda. However, Honda took it in house so a cobra mower is an old honda in all but name.
Having seen the reviews for Cobra on Trustpilot I wouldn't go near
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next