Hello everyone,
I do some light private work, take care of a local community garden and need to be prepared for everything- but I need a lawn mower. I'm expecting my criteria to be completely impossible, but I wonder if anyone has any suggestions?
In order of importance:
1. Must be light enough for me to get into my van on my own (does this rule out Hondas, everyone of which I have seen weighs a ton?!).
2. Must be reliable- although not a full time landscaper/gardener like many on here I would rather avoid the embarassment of having to tell my few customers that I can't do their lawns because my mower has broken down again!
3. Must be affordable (I'm funding this from any spare change from my full time job).
4. Something versitile... which needn't really be listed because nobody's going to suggest a flimsy mower on LJN.
5. more of a question- assuming I'm of average fitness, do I need a self-propelled function on a lighter mower?
I know that an 18" deck (or thereabouts) is ideal for most places, and so far my customers have sensibly shaped lawns; is it possible to get a reasonably light mower with an 18" deck? I suppose the other question I should ask is this; if you have a heavy mower how do you get it in and out of your van without breaking your back?!
As always any information/tips/insight is very much appreciated!
Ben
(PS. I'm not a garden hobby freeloading type doing a bit of gardening to keep myself occupied, I'm a full time nursery employee who needs to top up lousy wages!)
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Replies
Suggest you look out for a decent second hand Etesia 46 - Will more than service your requirements and very light machine to lift in and out of your vehicle.
Wow, wasn't expecting such a fast response!
My budget is a bit tricky, but I'm happy to save up- so far my full time job pays rent and bills, I do extra work to try and make life more enjoyable. I'm saving or reinvesting the money for tools (eg I recently needed a couple of tools to help scrape between paving slabs, now I have the tools that's something else I can do), and the mower would come out of this savings pile- if I know how much I need to spend I will save up until I can afford it.
I have already put my ear defenders on...
what about a battery powered mower
Have a look at Viking, if you are doing light work you can probably get away with non professional model, sturdy reliable and light due to plastic body. I have run a Viking for 2 years and very happy with it. Unless you are working on very small lawns I would always go self propelled.
Thank you all very very much for your guidance- time to go shopping!
Ben, do yourself a favour and don't lift petrol mowers into a van. You will hurt yourself even with a light 30kg mower. You are not meant to lift awkward things like that when 2 decking planks will make the job a zero-lift operation! Vans are so easy to ramp mowers in and out of.
£150 will get you a second hand etesia Pro 46 or similar. You won't go wrong with that, or a honda. Don't be scared to get a bigger 19-20 inch mower as they are just as manoeuvrable and quicker and more enjoyable to use.
Id deff go for a self propeled mower as it takes a lot of effort out of pushing the mower arround. and just as dan said get a couple of decking/scaffolding boards and use them as ramps, it will save your back termendously!!
My van is fairly small (Vauxhall Combo- very useful on small Cornish lanes, especially when you have to park outside the customer's property!) so could only get a max length of 1.7m in on the flat, but this should be sufficicient as a ramp...? On one property I have to get the customer's help to lift her oldish Honda Mountfield with an 18" deck up half a dozen steep steeps!
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