British Expatriate Network

All set for a great day of mowing yesterday, before winter well and truly sets in, the damn thing decided it would be funny for the starter cord to fray and then snap.

I attempted a repair but failed miserably as the cord area is in a non-user serviceable area. I could take the thing to be repaired (a challenge in itself as it won't fit in my car, even folded down all the way) but I'd rather pay the money towards something I like better as I've always disliked this mower.

Anyway, does anyone have any recommendations of a model or type? I would like one that idles while you are emptying the grass catcher (current one required a restart each time). Last one was a Poulan Pro from Sears and the wheels were hard plastic and seemed to churn up mud - don't know if other types avoid this or what so any advice would be welcome. Something in the $200 - $400 range would be ok.

Thanks.

Good old home depot has a nice selection from about $150 manual to $500 top of the line motorized models electric ( not advised ) or gas propelled buy one with large back wheels that stops a lot of the bedding down they do in damp conditions .

dont forget to drain and service it at the end of the season if you dont the plugs might get coated in residue* tar like substance * one of the reasons for it being hard to start .

And you can buy one on the * 12 months same as cash * programe . i bought one that is a mulcher as well saves you carting all those bags of grass to the curb for the carbage man

I don't think they're allowed to idle -safety issue.  That why they have the bar you have to hold down -to make sure you are a) present and b) behind the mower away from the nasty bits.  I'm sure you could always manually override it with a bit of tape, but I'm not convinced it's such a good idea -especially with little ones around.  :???:

Mulching is definitely the thing to do -better for your lawn, better for the environment, less hassle for you.

We got ours from Home Depot too, I have no idea what brand it is even though I'm the one that does the mowing -Beest went and told the guy what we wanted and bought the one he recommended -I think it was around $300.  If your lawn is not huge and is easy to manage, electric mowers are becoming more common and less expensive and are much easier to restart.

edited to correct at least a squillion typos :roll:

Isn't there some entreprenurial (sp?) teenager you can pay to do this kind of thing for you?

Yeah probably but haven't seen them around in a while and I quite like doing it myself from time to time.

We bought a Troy from Lowes = Husband doesn't recommend you should idle when trying to empty a bag with any engine running, incase something should slip while your hands are in the vicinity.




Click here for more information - Our mower was $229 - and is 6.75 hp, 3 in one, Rear Bagger - Side Discharge and/or Mulcher.

And Dave say's is it comfortable to use, it also has the larger back wheels for rougher all-terrain grounds. He's happy - and I haven't used it yet, so I'll take his word that it was a good deal. :smile:

that looks pretty much like what we have.

I say read Consumers Report and I also say to heck with bagging the cut grass get a mulching mower.
I have never bagged grass in my life.

Would't Sears replace the cord on the mower for a low cost?

I rub a wax candle on my mowers cords(prior to pulling) to help lubricate them when pulling the cord.

Thanks for the advice so far.

I do generally mulch but there are parts of my lawn where I have to bag - otherwise I'd have to go sweep my neighbour's driveway as my front lawn is literally triangular.

Sears would send my mower up to Seattle for repair - it would be gone for about 2 weeks, cost around $100.00 and still be the same mower which I've always hated so this seems like a good time to replace it.

Buy a goat instead. lol

City ordinance against having farm animals on residential property :roll:

Aww. :sad:

Dress it up in a tiger costume and tell everyone it's a genetic experiment.

eating apple, laughing... choking....turning blue...cough,splutter apple chunks across keyboard and monitor. :shock:

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any road up..

Yes, ours is very much like Dnawolfs, only 6HP though :wink:
Its Yardmachines I think with a Briggs and Stratton Engine. i think they are pretty generic.
Advice from the salesmen , who was an oldtimer who looked liked he has mowed plenty of lawns in his time."pay more for the large engine size and it will cope with heavy growth and damp grass if we have a wet summer"
Sage advise, I watched in horror a couple of months ago as an "entrepeneurial teenager' murdered my neighbours lawn with an underpowered mower when they were on vacation and it had been let go too long.

:shock: