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Replies

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  Graeme @ BGS October 26, 2009 at 7:47pm

  Hi Peter and welcome to the network.
  
  Check out the following discussion as we have probably done this one to death already! :-)
  
  http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/forum/topics/pedestrain-mower-...
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  Peter Davis October 26, 2009 at 7:59pm

  I am specifically talking roller mowers & wondering if anyone has experience with Lawnflite ?.
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  Graeme @ BGS October 26, 2009 at 8:03pm

  Search the forums - we have discussed these machines and others quite a bit.
• PRO

  Gary RK October 26, 2009 at 9:23pm

  Are you talking about Stihl/Viking brand? Had always assumed (wrongly...?) they were domestic focused.
  
  How do you find them ? Which ones do you use ? What sort of usage do you put them to ?
  
  By the way, you can high lift blades for most mowers by using blades from Oregon etc, not strictly type approved because of the increased noise, but they do make a useful difference. We got some on our old Hayter 56's.
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  Kieran Ray October 26, 2009 at 9:46pm

  Viking do some models now aimed soley at commercial use, the 7 series but they have no roller. The largest they do with a roller is the 6 series, I beleve to be an interim model, I currently use a hayter harrier good machine, I have also used a lawnflight not so good, left a good stripe but never colected too well.
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  Peter Davis October 26, 2009 at 10:14pm

  It's amazing the conflicting views. I have read several posts that the suggest the Lawnflite is better at collecting wet grass than the Hayter because it has a fan. But the Lawnflite appears to be a 20 year old Honda that mutated into Kaaz.
  
  The 6 series Vikings could be a choice & it's not too heavy. The big problem is that I have moved to Ireland & roller mowers don't exist, dealers are crap & service non existant !
  
  As for it not being a commercial/pro mower I am sure that we are all fed up with finding that we have paid £250 for the pro version & only get a front bumper & bit of cable conduit for our money. Years ago Honda even advertised the Pro Roller as having a "heavy duty" gearbox. The parts numbers were identical to the residential Roller.
  
  Hayter are too much money for a Briggs mower. John Deere look good & the Kawasaki unit is excellent but very heavy.
  
  A key factor for me is wet grass collection - this place is beautiful but wetter than Manchester !. It's crazy that no one can design a deck that doesn't fill with soggy grass - tempted to try anti-fouling paint !
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  Peter Davis October 26, 2009 at 10:34pm

  I cannot understand why a manufacturer hasn't worked with us, the people that use them. Any one of us could design a spec a good machine. I didn't realise that Vikings used B&S that would put me off unless they were under €400.
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  GORDON October 26, 2009 at 11:08pm

  Tried PTFE coating as it has the lowest coefficient. Did not improve the collection process and that was on a Hayter. One would think any thing would be an improvement to the wet collection of a Hayter.
  
  
  ite>Peter Davis said:

  It's amazing the conflicting views. I have read several posts that the suggest the Lawnflite is better at collecting wet grass than the Hayter because it has a fan. But the Lawnflite appears to be a 20 year old Honda that mutated into Kaaz.
  The 6 series Vikings could be a choice & it's not too heavy. The big problem is that I have moved to Ireland & roller mowers don't exist, dealers are crap & service non existant !
  As for it not being a commercial/pro mower I am sure that we are all fed up with finding that we have paid £250 for the pro version & only get a front bumper & bit of cable conduit for our money. Years ago Honda even advertised the Pro Roller as having a "heavy duty" gearbox. The parts numbers were identical to the residential Roller.
  
  Hayter are too much money for a Briggs mower. John Deere look good & the Kawasaki unit is excellent but very heavy.
  
  A key factor for me is wet grass collection - this place is beautiful but wetter than Manchester !. It's crazy that no one can design a deck that doesn't fill with soggy grass - tempted to try anti-fouling paint !
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  Peter Davis October 27, 2009 at 12:46am

  The lighter weight of the Viking is significant:
  
  Honda 58kg
  Deere 56kg
  Viking 45kg
  
  Downside is the Viking achieves it's weight loss by using a B&S. Honda & Kawa engines are heavier & a whole lot better quality. Given that the Deere seems the same price as the Viking it would be better value. I see that the Honda now lists at a staggering £1500 !. One other potential problem with Viking is Stihl's no buying online policy.
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  Peter Davis October 27, 2009 at 9:32am

  It's a case of horses for courses. Nothing compares to the finish from a rear roller. Customers love it especially here where I am probably the only contractor using one. Quite funny to cut the lawn of a staunch Irish republican in the English style !. I used to do a lot of work for a major property company in the UK. When our contract ended they specified that any tender had to use rollers - they had got used to the stripe.
  
  The market for rollers must be growing otherwise why would companies like Viking & Deere introduce them ?. For years we only had a practical choice of Hayter/Honda. What we need is an Etesia style mower with a totally open chute - no rear axle, but with a drop down roller to stripe.