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  • PRO
    Hi, it all depends on the work you are going to throw at it, for myself it wouldn't last a week, but for some they could get it through a season or so. With regards to straight lines, it will go wherever you guide it, cheers
  • I think you might find it a bit narrow unless you're always doing very small lawns or don't mind how long it takes........Screwfix do a HP185 with a 46cm cut and will go down to 20mm rather than the 25mm of the HP164..... for an extra £50, probably a better bet.  As its only a push mower, there really isn't a great deal to go wrong so you may well get away with 2 years use..... at £200, you can't really go wrong as it will come with a 12 month warranty. 

  • PRO
    I have to say the battery powered ego mower is quite good, better than I thought it would be! Nice and light, takes up little room in the van, battery lasts 1-2 hours and only 2p to charge. Used it a bit more than I thought I would.
  • PRO

    We get just over a season out of a cheaper mower having light use as back-up, and occasional small lawn; and by cheap I mean circa £400.

    So I would say your entry point is around £350 for a 46-48cm machine and go self propelled and at least with a Briggs & Stratton engine (even if its chinese made).

  • Junk that's my opinion ! Get yourself a small honda ! Also Etesia ( Honda engine ) and the self drive Rover is also another decent semi commercial machine ! The hondas are heavy as is Etesia but the rover with single height adjustment is lightweight in comparison and also uses 4 small flail type blades on a disc as opposed to a single blade which can be expensive if you hit kerb or drain covers etc !
    Really depends on how much cutting your doing but spend a bit more and it'll pay you back over time ! Keeping the undrdeck clean help with air movement and collection regardless of what you buy ! A lot of the mowers now have hose attachment for cleaning and is a quick easy clean albeit a green mess after ! I bought two used Honda 536 commercials for £350 each ! That was 6 years ago and they are still going strong as the day I bought them !
    Good luck
  • I started out with one of those wee mountfield mowers it got me started and cut surpisingly well in wet grass. But the engines are not built to be run a lot. Mine lasted about a season until the piston bore or rings wore loosing power and pressurised the crank case which pished oil out of the gaskets. Bear in mind most of these machines are speced to be able to cut a domestic lawn once a week not anything up to 20 a day On the other hand I then got a five year old ex council etesia 45 for £185 and I am still using it most days I actually prefer it to my newer mower.
  • I started gardening last year, around end June and bought that mower from screwfix £150.

    It lasted until a few weeks ago. I didn't have any lawn rounds though, so probably cut only about 5-10 lawns a week. Some where very overgrown 4ft tall lawns though, which i often went over with a strimmer first, but not always.

    I have just replaced with the same model, as although I have very recently bought a second larger mower, I need this small light one for a number of small lawns and lawns with steps etc.

  • PRO
    Straight lines?

    That's up to you rather than the machine isn't?

    Andy
    • Lol that's what i would have thought assuming you can walk in straight lines the lines will be straight! Walk in wonky lines and that's what you will get.

  • PRO
    Looking at it realistically, the season if halfway through and if you are starting from scratch without a large number of customers chances are it will see the season out with a chance of recouping the money spent on it.

    Also it is light, other mowers from Screwfix are twice the weight and it states on their website the delivery driver needs help to unload them. So trying to load them into a car or van hot from use won't be much fun if you're on your own even with loading ramps.

    So the cheap and cheerful mower you are considering may well fit your requirements, so long as you anticipate that you may be buying another mower for the 2018 season.

    Andy
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