Morning all

Having recently moved house and acquired a larger garden in the process
(not sit on mower size though!) I have decided after struggling with my
current 1400W electric rotary mower to investigate purchasing something
more powerful and convenient. Law is essentially flat

Criteria

Not electric - looking for petrol (don't want to mess around if possible
with oil/petrol mix)but accept this may be inevitable

Must collect the grass in a box

Not likely to stall on moderately wet grass (and grass may be up to 3
inches long)

Can leave engine running with blade disengaged (remove obstructions)

Don't want a self propelled mower - I can push it!

Budget circa £300 (not a top end model then!)

Thinking of possibly a Honda Izzy46 Push Mower HRG465PD (details here
http://www.lawnmowersandleisure.co.u.../product54.htm

Any advise or recommendations gratefully accepted.

Regards

Alan

On Fri, 23 Mar 2007 10:05:05 +0000, Alan wrote:

Not electric - looking for petrol (don't want to mess around if possible
with oil/petrol mix)but accept this may be inevitable

Most lawn mowers are 4 strokes, no need to for a petrol/oil mix that is
for 2 strokes. A 4 stroke has oil in a sump and plain petrol in the tank..

Can leave engine running with blade disengaged (remove obstructions)

I doubt that is possible with a rotary mower, the blade is normally just
fixed to the end of the vertical crank shaft. Engine running, blade is
moving and you don't want fingers (or toes) anywhere near that rotating
blade... More to the point most (all, legal requirement?) have a "dead
mans" handle which kills the engine and brakes the blade when it is
released.

May be you are thinking of a cylinder rather than rotary mower? Even then
I'd stop the engine before fiddling.

Don't want a self propelled mower - I can push it!

Petrol mowers are considerably heavier than electric ones. I can barely
push our 18" rotary but then the "lawn" is always cut as long as possible
and is not particulary smooth.

Budget circa £300 (not a top end model then!)

But not the cheap end by a long mark...

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

I agree, i would definately get a self propelled.

I am looking myself and looking at the honda izy 41


"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.com...
On Fri, 23 Mar 2007 10:05:05 +0000, Alan wrote:

Not electric - looking for petrol (don't want to mess around if possible
with oil/petrol mix)but accept this may be inevitable

Most lawn mowers are 4 strokes, no need to for a petrol/oil mix that is
for 2 strokes. A 4 stroke has oil in a sump and plain petrol in the tank.

Can leave engine running with blade disengaged (remove obstructions)

I doubt that is possible with a rotary mower, the blade is normally just
fixed to the end of the vertical crank shaft. Engine running, blade is
moving and you don't want fingers (or toes) anywhere near that rotating
blade... More to the point most (all, legal requirement?) have a "dead
mans" handle which kills the engine and brakes the blade when it is
released.

May be you are thinking of a cylinder rather than rotary mower? Even then
I'd stop the engine before fiddling.

Don't want a self propelled mower - I can push it!

Petrol mowers are considerably heavier than electric ones. I can barely
push our 18" rotary but then the "lawn" is always cut as long as possible
and is not particulary smooth.

Budget circa £300 (not a top end model then!)

But not the cheap end by a long mark...

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

Si wrote:
I agree, i would definately get a self propelled.

I am looking myself and looking at the honda izy 41


"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.com...
On Fri, 23 Mar 2007 10:05:05 +0000, Alan wrote:

Not electric - looking for petrol (don't want to mess around if possible
with oil/petrol mix)but accept this may be inevitable

Most lawn mowers are 4 strokes, no need to for a petrol/oil mix that is
for 2 strokes. A 4 stroke has oil in a sump and plain petrol in the tank.

Can leave engine running with blade disengaged (remove obstructions)

I doubt that is possible with a rotary mower, the blade is normally just
fixed to the end of the vertical crank shaft. Engine running, blade is
moving and you don't want fingers (or toes) anywhere near that rotating
blade... More to the point most (all, legal requirement?) have a "dead
mans" handle which kills the engine and brakes the blade when it is
released.

May be you are thinking of a cylinder rather than rotary mower? Even then
I'd stop the engine before fiddling.

Don't want a self propelled mower - I can push it!

Petrol mowers are considerably heavier than electric ones. I can barely
push our 18" rotary but then the "lawn" is always cut as long as possible
and is not particulary smooth.

Budget circa £300 (not a top end model then!)

But not the cheap end by a long mark...

The only reason for a 2 stroke is if you have a lawn with a considerable
slope, as I have, then a 4 stroke can have problems with oil flow. I
cannot see the problem of switching off to work on the blade, restarting
when warm should be very easy.

Broadback wrote:

The only reason for a 2 stroke is if you have a lawn with a considerable
slope, as I have, then a 4 stroke can have problems with oil flow. I
cannot see the problem of switching off to work on the blade, restarting
when warm should be very easy.

Thanks for the input - no what I meant was more along the line of a
clutch so that one could disengage the drive/blade whilst one removed an
obstruction in front of the mower eg apples fallen from tree etc.

If its self propelled then must have the ability to de-clutch so I can
turn in around at end of each run.

Regards

Alan

On Fri, 23 Mar 2007 19:31:12 +0000, Alan wrote:

If its self propelled then must have the ability to de-clutch so I can
turn in around at end of each run.

Yes the drive to the wheels has clutch but as I said the blade on a rotary
mower is attached directly to the end of the crankshaft. Engine running
means blade rotating...

Apples won't present any problem to a petrol rotary mower, they'll just
get hacked up into bits and spat into the grass box. You have *far* more
power available in a petrol mower. The one you posted a link to has a 4.5
hp engine, thats around 3.3 kW...

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Fri, 23 Mar 2007 19:31:12 +0000, Alan wrote:

If its self propelled then must have the ability to de-clutch so I can
turn in around at end of each run.

Yes the drive to the wheels has clutch but as I said the blade on a rotary
mower is attached directly to the end of the crankshaft. Engine running
means blade rotating...

Apples won't present any problem to a petrol rotary mower, they'll just
get hacked up into bits and spat into the grass box. You have *far* more
power available in a petrol mower. The one you posted a link to has a 4.5
hp engine, thats around 3.3 kW...

I know mine is a 2 stroke, however I would imagine they are all the
same. 2 levers on the handle, one is a safety cut-out, and must be held
in to keep the engine running, the other is a clutch for the drive, so
when released no drive. Here the problem is if you have to leave go of
the handle altogether to clear the obstruction (in front of the mower)
the mower will cut out. However many peeps make a devise (e.g. a bit of
string) to permanently hold the safety lever in. Not me m'lud, honest. ;-)