Looking for a self propelled lawnmower

[Jelster]

Evening all,

Our mower went pop tonight, Mrs J was at the helm as I struggle due to illness. That being the case, I think I'd like to get a "self propelled" model, so it takes the strain out of it for me, allowing me to mow the lawns again. I don't want to spend silly money, I'd like to keep it around the £200 mark if possible. My garden is 10m x 12m, so not huge.

I'm guessing it will have to be a petrol mower, electric self propelled ones are way out of budget. Never had a petrol mower, not sure what else I may need to go with it, other than some fuel.... Looking for suggestions.

 

[JonathanRyan]

I think

1. You'd be very lucky to get a self propelled petrol for £200. (Unless you want my old one. I'll be giving it away soon)

2. If you buy battery, you won't need self propelled because they are much lighter and easier to push.

I've just swapped from a petrol oleo Mac which has given years of good service to a Worx Nitro which did a lovely job. I'd recommend either. But you'll only get one of them for your budget and it isn't self propelled

 

[the black fox]

Have a look at the latest metal bladed battery strimmers a lot of them come with wheels and can be used as a mini lawnmower extremely lightweight the only drawback being there’s no grass collector

 

[Jelster]

I think

1. You'd be very lucky to get a self propelled petrol for £200. (Unless you want my old one. I'll be giving it away soon)

2. If you buy battery, you won't need self propelled because they are much lighter and easier to push.

I've just swapped from a petrol oleo Mac which has given years of good service to a Worx Nitro which did a lovely job. I'd recommend either. But you'll only get one of them for your budget and it isn't self propelled

Self propulsion is a necessity unfortunately. My health issues are such that I have very. little energy (I can only hover one room at a time before having to rest for a little while) so I just can't push a mower around the garden. I've seen a few of petrol self propelled mowers for under £230, some for as little as £179. I just don't want to buy utter carp, but then as gardening is a chore rather than a pastime, I don't want to break the bank either.

 

[Al1944]

Do you have any local chaps doing lawn cutting? They don't normally charge too much.

AL

 

[Jelster]

Do you have any local chaps doing lawn cutting? They don't normally charge too much.

AL

We do yes, but I was thinking long term (a decent mower should give me at least 5-10 years).

 

[nog]

Petrol mowers need a good ‘pull’ to start which might be an issue - my brother in law always has to cut their lawn as my sister cannot start their mower. I would also get a petrol filter to use when topping up as they are quite fussy/ easy to block carbs. Any neighbours with a battery mower you could try, they are very light

 

[JonathanRyan]

Self propulsion is a necessity unfortunately. My health issues are such that I have very. little energy (I can only hover one room at a time before having to rest for a little while) so I just can't push a mower around the garden. I've seen a few of petrol self propelled mowers for under £230, some for as little as £179. I just don't want to buy utter carp, but then as gardening is a chore rather than a pastime, I don't want to break the bank either.

On the basis that you might find even a battery mower too strenuous and you don't enjoy it, I'd strongly suggest getting somebody else to do it.

If you can find a propelled petrol mower for £200, I bet it won't last 5 years it will also be very heavy and awkward. I can't easily get mine up the 2 steps between lawns on my own.

 

[ecoleman]

Screwfix do the Titan for £199 but knowing the Titan brand (I bought a Titan Router once) it won't last 12 months let alone 5-10 years.

Titan TTLMP300SP40 41cm 125cc Self-Propelled Rotary Petrol Lawn Mower - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Features advanced cutting blades for reliable performance. Includes 41cm cutting deck and universal blade with mulching, catching and overload protection. No cords, therefore ideal for keeping lawns tidy even when there is no power source in reach. FREE next day...

www.screwfix.com

The next one up is the Moountfield at £289 with a 5 year guarnatee but looking at some of the reviews they don't look that great.

Mountfield SP185 46cm 139cc Self-Propelled Rotary Petrol Lawn Mower - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Powered by a STIGA ST140 OHV Autochoke 139cc engine. Easy-to-use mower with a 46cm cutting width, 6 cutting heights and a mulching plug. Clippings are collected into a large 60Ltr grass bag. An integrated front bumper handle and camlock adjusters make moving or...

www.screwfix.com

I had a Hayter Harrier that was given to me 12 years ago and it never failed me even though I was a bit lax in the servicing. It wasn't self propelled and had the roller which made it quite heavy so I replaced it last year with a Hayter Osprey autodrive. B&Q have them at the moment for £449
Hayter use Briggs and Stratton engines which last forever and with an Alloy deck there'll be no rust to deal with.

Hayter Osprey 46 Autodrive Four-Wheeled Rotary Mower 18" 611B

The Hayter® Osprey 46 4-wheel rotary mower with Auto-Drive has a fixed speed of 2.0mph so that you can mow your garden without having to push the mower. Recommended for medium-sized gardens or small orchards that are up to 500 square metres with uneven or sloped ground. This mower comes with a...

www.diy.com

 

[Peter123]

One option is a Hovermower. They are very light and easy to maneouvre.
They are available new for under £200.

The downside is they are powered by an electric cable.

 

[Dave Canon]

I was also going in this direction as due to a bad back and using the previous electric mower was no longer feasible. My wife took over the mowing duties so I suggested buying an electric battery self propelled mower which I would be able to use; they are expensive. 5 years ago they were difficult to find in the UK and imported from Italy and the USA as they are popular in those countries but not the UK. In recent years they are now more readily available and less expensive than they were. My wife refuses to let me spend the money and so continues with the mowing duties. I did offer to hire the Polish lady who looks after the lawns next door but she does not want anyone else messing with her garden.

Dave

 

[JonathanRyan]

I was also going in this direction as due to a bad back and using the previous electric mower was no longer feasible. My wife took over the mowing duties so I suggested buying an electric battery self propelled mower which I would be able to use; they are expensive. 5 years ago they were difficult to find in the UK and imported from Italy and the USA as they are popular in those countries but not the UK. In recent years they are now more readily available and less expensive than they were. My wife refuses to let me spend the money and so continues with the mowing duties. I did offer to hire the Polish lady who looks after the lawns next door but she does not want anyone else messing with her garden.

Dave

Maybe take another look at the market. My Worx Nitro non-self propelled is probably easier to push than my Oleo Mac self propelled. Self propulsion only works when both wheels can bite and the slope isn't too severe (it requires a little force even up modest slopes) and 14 kilos of plastic is easier to push than 45 kilos of metal.

ETA: they are way over budget but if I had a 12X10m lawn and hated lawn mowing, I'd probably just get robot to do it. Landroids start around £600 and a basic one would probably take care of that forever.

 

[swanseamale47]

Is your garden flat like a bowling green? All the ones I've tried simple dont work on uneven ground (my friend who has a flatter lawn gave up with them) As none would work reliably I found the easiest answer. Pay a gardener. It's not as expensive as you think.
We pay about £30 a month, they cut the two lawns (one big) all the bushes and stuff back tidy and the front hedge and drive edges.