Best lawn mower,,,Is it Victa ?

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by zillah, Feb 17, 2008.

  1. zillah

    zillah Junior Member

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    Dear All

    I just want to buy a lawn mower for the home use. Which one is the popular and for a heavy use ?

    To my limit knowledge, Vicat is one of the best lawn mower,,,could you please confirm ?

    But I do not which Vicat's model is the best ?

    Thanks
     
  2. gardenlen

    gardenlen Group for banned users

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    g'day zillah,

    lol lol lol sorry not laughing at you laughing with you, if the advertising was real and that was so there is an auwful lot of us (mostly x-mower mechanics) that would be buying a sheep.

    first up can i recommend you not buy your machine in a box from a discounter, go to a specialised mower centre and discuss your needs with hopefully a competant person, they are out there.

    top of the range models are not going to come cheap as are heavy duty machines.

    about the best of the quality (not extensive list but enough to get you looking) are the masport top of range models with steel balled bearing wheels, and honda of course as most professional use.

    unless you have steep ground to mow then the 4 strokes are the most reliable and quieter less stinky models. if you buy a briggs then make sure it is USA manufactured, this goes for any engine powered machnery that is bought for the yard/garden, make sure the engine is manufactured in the country of origin. ie.,. if you buy a japenese model brushcutter then the engine should be japanese origin, or say a swedish chain saw the same.

    our masport is around 25 years old now and the domestic grade 4hp b&s motor starts without effort everytime, but then we do tend to service it well.

    keep us informed.

    len
     
  3. zillah

    zillah Junior Member

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    Thanks len for this insight.
     
  4. dylanz

    dylanz Junior Member

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    :lol:

    Zilla... what type of yard setup do you have at the moment ? If it's a suburban block... all I can say is... sheet mulch !
    If it's a bigger block, then I'm with Len on the sheep option :)

    But... I do have a lawn mower myself, for a super small patch of backyard grass that my little toddler plays in. He'll have to get used to some new ground covers sooner than later... as I'm thinking up some multifunctional "kid play grass" / "herb" patching in that spot.

    But... seriously... put an ad out for a mower. You could probably get a great deal on a good used mower.

    If you know all this already... nevermind me, and listen to Len's suggestions :D
     
  5. gardenlen

    gardenlen Group for banned users

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    g'day dylanze,

    you could get a push mower like we also ahve the flymo/husqvarna ones are very good if you learn to look after and set the blades (not the height that is irrelevent mostly), only trouble is the grass gets too thick and grows too fast in summer so we use it as our winter machine.

    how about looking at lotonomus (spelling?) or wyncassia as ground cover we ahve loto' here and it is very tough always green and drought resistant plus it is a nitrogen fixer as well, hugs the ground also with it's powerfull root system would be good bank stabaliser too.

    look with the victa thingy (hasn't been aussie owned for over 20 years now) they allowed my boss at the time to pay me a very good wage as a mower mechanic, dunno where we would have been if every one took good advcie and bought good quality machinery, but the money factor is the big winner hey or should i say loser???

    at the end of the day people make their decisions and at the end of their day i never tell them "i told you so", the person in the mirror must do that hey chuckle?

    be carefull buying second hand lots of traps for the unwary.

    len
     
  6. ColinJEly

    ColinJEly Junior Member

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    Best Lawn Mower

    Hello Zillah
    Used to mow lawns for a living a few years ago. Started out with my old domestic Victa. Then got myself a Rover, came with a mulching attachment, good mower till somebody pinched it. :( Then I replaced it with a Honda, still got it, will probably outlast me! Must get a mulching attachment for it as well. At the moment just mow and leave the grass, looks a bit unsightly until it decomposes :?
    Go to a mower shop, not a discount chain, they will assemble it for you.
     
  7. Gangrene Thumb

    Gangrene Thumb Junior Member

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    CHOICE magazine also has a few reports on mowers (electric, petrol, mulching, etc). Their reports cost A$13.95 each, or 3 monthly membership (allowing access to ALL of their reports) costs A$18.95.
     
  8. zillah

    zillah Junior Member

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    Thanks Colin for this feedback
     
  9. gardenlen

    gardenlen Group for banned users

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    need to take care when interpreting magazine reports that give opinion on mechanical devices, i was a mower mechanic when the mag' bought out its first ever reoprt on mowers and in our shop we waited with baited breathe to see what the outcome may be? we for one knew no repair centre or mower proffessional that had been asked to give repair data or any opinion on any brand of mowers so wondered how some one in a back office could do an ad-hock report???

    well you guessed it they rated that particular brand as the highest and their reasons all matched the glossy advertising brochures of the manufacturer driven by the "icon" status, that is when they lost all credibility with me up until then i sued to buy the mag' to see what they said about all sorts of household white goods, but never after that point in time.

    at the end of the day the only people who know where the quality is! is those who repair or use that machinery. in my time i have done both. to this end i will say this sort of reporting takes money lots of it and money corrupts, i'll leave you to think about that one.

    len
     
  10. Gangrene Thumb

    Gangrene Thumb Junior Member

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    That's interesting, thanks len. I was under the impression they purchased items from shops (no commercial or govt donations) and ran tests using industry standards or consumer-based testing.
     
  11. gardenlen

    gardenlen Group for banned users

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    ok look at it this way:

    imagine all the equipment and product they test over a given period of time, to me it boggles the mind if they are paying full retail price, a top of rang mower can easily be around $600+ and the list goes on.

    and the price of a mag' would barely cover the glossy publication and distribution let alone pay the wages of all those involved in the testing. and with mechanical things their versatility and reliability is determined over a long time of use in various conditions ie.,. my current masport with it's b&s 4hp are around 25 years old, some recommendation hey? ok it was never a pretty looking machine and it is less so now and it was honestly made by an offshore company that is the frame and the engine by different manufacturers.

    take care is all say! what is the saying "let the buyer beware" i would rather say "let the buyer be warned" or maybe "let the buyer be educated"?? like there is a show on the media (no names mentioned) alluding to what mgiht be or might not be suitable for users, look behind the picture (like read between the lines) at the end of the day it looks like a product promotion process, like when some garden shows of ? repute promote product, that maker has paid dearly for that promotion into the tens of thousands of dollars for which is paid for in the retail price.

    i can give lots of examples. but we are digressing.

    let common sense prevail.

    len
     
  12. Jim Bob

    Jim Bob Junior Member

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    I believe Merinos are the best lawnmowers. Would a Victa give you material for a jumper each year?:)

    Failing that, raised garden beds are very good at keeping the grass down.
     
  13. pebble

    pebble Junior Member

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    how would you harvest grass clippings with a sheep or a sheet mulch?
     
  14. gardenlen

    gardenlen Group for banned users

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    walk along behind the sheep with a rake or shovel i s'pose hey chuckle.

    always down sides to good upsides that's life hey?

    put a sign out front bet the neighbourhood would beat a path to your door.

    len
     
  15. pebble

    pebble Junior Member

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    :lol:

    I was just kidding really. It always surprises me how much permies hate grass. I miss having grass to mulch with and help the compost along (I don't have a lawn anymore).
     
  16. gardenlen

    gardenlen Group for banned users

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    lol lol pebbels,

    dunno that we "hate" "grass" as such i think it is when it turns into and infatuated lawn that sucks up lots of resources ie.,. water and all sorts of chemical applications.

    there is a bloke up this way carries on similar to the scenerios played out in the sir walter raleigh lawns they advertise, he has a rainwater tank for watering the grass only (he only has lawn), and he extended his lawn onto the public footpath leaving a narrow strip of dirt for schoolkids to walk on alngside the kerb so they can get on the bus without walking on his sir walter stuff, and when school comes out he can be seen standing at his garage door just waiting to pounce on some helples kid using the footpath, my granddaughter said he had a shot at her i told her just let me know straight away, i'll give him what for call the police so they can tell him child safety (what footpaths are for) is paramount tho his grass. the bloke's a head case.

    len
     
  17. permasculptor

    permasculptor Junior Member

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    Zillah you say heavy use in your post ,makes me wonder if you need a: utility mower? they re the only thing for me! , depends on the terrain. :I could be out of date honda's might be all right.
     
  18. zillah

    zillah Junior Member

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    Thanks guys for these feedbacks.

    While I was doing my normal shopping , I found SANLI PowerCut and PowerMulch ( Model number: PCS400 and PMS400 ) for 370 dollar .

    Any idea about this mower (The budget from 400-450,,,,less would be better )?

    Thanks
     
  19. zillah

    zillah Junior Member

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    Yes you are right I have said that , because some tools may last only for one year, which I do not like to buy such a tool.

    I am looking for a mower which can last for at least 5 years and above, this is what I meant by heavy use.

    Yes you are right, but may be price starts from 700 or above,,,I am not sure.
     
  20. pebble

    pebble Junior Member

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    Yeah Len, we get that here. There's a drought on and people are watering their lawns :shock:

    Alot of people I know though have paddock grass lawns (must be the company I keep), never water them or put chemicals on them. My old lawn was full of clover, dandelion, daisies, and made the best mulch and compost. The lawn mower did a good job of mixing it all up for me. Have to admit I encouraged the weeds :D
     

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