Independent LawnMowing Contractors Of Australia Forum
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 20

Thread: Mower Dilema

  1. #1
    Gils' gardening's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    5

    Default Mower Dilema

    Hi all,
    I'm new to this lawn mowing game and have only started 3 weeks ago(part time) at the moment but have already found that I need a better mower than my trusty 19 yr old Rover 2 stroke!
    I started checking out mowers on the net and have come across this site, and thank god I did. Its great to be able to get advice and ideas from people who do it for a living and don't have there finger in the pie(so to speak) when it comes to recommending equipment.
    Anyhow, I need a new mower. General purpose, not sure whether i need self propelled, but thought the obvious was a Honda 216 or 217, but after reading some threads on here I just don't know.
    Most of the places i've been doing haven't been mowed for over 6 months and the grass has been 18" high and regular rain and drizzle lately has made matters worse. I'm concerned about the honda in wet conditions, does the non selfpropelled ones have the same issues with wet grass?
    Which honda motor is the better of the 2 available? I'm interested in the Bushranger but the only person who can get them here doesnt' have one in stock so I would be buying sight unseen. What about a Masport? Many like the Rover 560 pro, the only thing i don't like about it is the catcher is smaller than others. So, am i right in thinking that something with a 21 or 22" cut, push only would be right for me or am i gonna wear out real quick pushing a big mower. sorry for such a big rant guys but i really have confused myself with too much information. Any help would be muchly appreciated

  2. #2
    Translawner administrator's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    3,820

    Default Re: Mower Dilema

    Ring Dean on 1800501662 he will give the real guff about it all . I.L.M.C.O.A http://www.indmowing.com.au/html/contact_us.htm

    Please Support The Sponsors www.lawnmowingdirectory.com.au

    As they support this forum




    Carrum downs Dandenong Doveton

  3. #3
    Senior Member just john's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    CENTRAL COAST/POINT CLARE
    Posts
    138

    Default Re: Mower Dilema

    Hi Gil I have the 6hp 21'' push Bushranger and have had no problems with it .The true beauty of this machine is it's wet grass pickup in which i can vouch for,the Bushranger is also a lighter mower than the others I have (ARIENS SP 6,75HP monster of mowers and extremely heavy)Bushranger also have a SP model as well ,hope this is helpfull .I tried the Rover SP (DEMO) and was very impressed ,its very fast and cut well GOOD LUCK and WELCOME

  4. #4
    Translawner administrator's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    3,820

    Default Re: Mower Dilema

    Please Support The Sponsors www.lawnmowingdirectory.com.au

    As they support this forum




    Carrum downs Dandenong Doveton

  5. #5
    Member of forum Sandgroper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    hutt river province
    Posts
    644

    Default Re: Mower Dilema

    I think my next mower will be the Bushranger, the Honda 216 gives me the ships just about every day, i must say though its pretty reliable though and starts nearly first time every time,,just can't cut grass

  6. #6
    Member Redeye's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Shoalhaven ,NSW
    Posts
    5,548

    Default Re: Mower Dilema

    I bought a Bushy 530SP early this year. No complaints,3 speed & plenty of guts.Its heavy though, not one for lifting on/off the back of a ute. Wish they'd make a mulch plug!

  7. #7
    Senior Member NLALM's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Newcastle NSW
    Posts
    1,760

    Default Re: Mower Dilema

    If you are fair dinkum about mowing lawns for a living you should buy the best gear you can afford. If you only want to buy one mower get a honda 216. If you want to buy something else go for it but in 6 months you will be at the mower shop buying the honda.Picking up wet grass is not that big of an issue if you get the revs adjusted up and use all high lift blades.Yes the honda has some issues but overall its the best allrounder for mulching and catching. There is no perfect mower but if the guys who make them listened to the guys who use them I'm sure they would be a lot better then what we can buy today.

  8. #8
    Senior Member BLACK BEAR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    MELBOURNE
    Posts
    603

    Talking Re: Mower Dilema

    Quote Originally Posted by Sandgroper
    I think my next mower will be the Bushranger, the Honda 216 gives me the ships just about every day, i must say though its pretty reliable though and starts nearly first time every time,,just can't cut grass
    Hey groper, there is a little lever thing on the right side near back wheel, move it a few notches as needed and then you find when its low enough it actually cuts grass

  9. #9
    Very Helpful Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    melb.sth. east
    Posts
    4,908

    Default Re: Mower Dilema

    the motor on the 196/216 is the more heavy duty but also the heavier [dry weights HRU196 34.9kg / HRU197 31.8kg / HRU216 43.3 / HRU217 35.0kg ]note the 216 is self propelled the 217 is push but basically identical minus the drive gears and the engine type
    also note which ever one you get the engine will probably outlast everything else
    Anything Ian says may or may not be garbage, it may also be his own opinion or it may not be his opinion at all, it may just be something he felt like stating anyone following his advice does so at their own risk and may be doing something Ian would actually advise against.
    And if you don't like what Ian has to say use the ignore function if you don't know how ask i will gladly tell you

  10. #10
    Gils' gardening's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    5

    Default Re: Mower Dilema

    Thanks guys,
    went and had a look at the honda range this morning, confused myself even more!
    The new 216 is a pretty impressive looking mower, but I can see where you guys are coming from when you talk about the chute clogging in wet grass, its fairly restricted. The 217 uses the same chassis so chute size is still the same.
    Got home and saw Deans reply so gave him a call and had a good chat about it and pretty sure now i've decided on a 196D. A bit smaller and lighter and probably more suited to my needs. Maybe later I'll go for the 216 as the business grows.
    Thanks all for the help,appreciate it.
    Gil

  11. #11
    Member roodog's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Posts
    7

    Default Re: Mower Dilema

    If you need info on snorkels,worth a read !
    Personally, they give the motor a lot more longevity in dusty enviroments.

    http://www.indmowing.com.au/forum/sh...hlight=snorkel

  12. #12
    Very Helpful Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    melb.sth. east
    Posts
    4,908

    Default Re: Mower Dilema

    and you get your money back in saving on airfilters
    Anything Ian says may or may not be garbage, it may also be his own opinion or it may not be his opinion at all, it may just be something he felt like stating anyone following his advice does so at their own risk and may be doing something Ian would actually advise against.
    And if you don't like what Ian has to say use the ignore function if you don't know how ask i will gladly tell you

  13. #13
    Senior Member GreenHaven's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Perth, Southern Burbs
    Posts
    351

    Default Re: Mower Dilema

    what are those snorkal kits worth ? i usually clean all my filters on a friday and my 196 gets dirty as this time of year not so bad when its raining but the oiled foam element stops the dirt from touching the paper element and i just clean and reoil the foam element paper one still looks brand new 6 months old now i think just wondering if its worth it

  14. #14
    Guest redbackmowing's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    brisbane
    Posts
    592

    Default Re: Mower Dilema

    when i 1st started mowing, nearly all contractors had the rover with suzuki 2 stroke engine. Then the hondas became popular. Now i start seeing a trend towards the bushranger mower. is it because of the wet grass catching capabilities? be interesting to see who comes out on top in the coming years. The honda drives me crazy trying to pickup wet grass.

  15. #15
    Senior Member DavidS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Somewhere in Australia
    Posts
    1,610

    Default Re: Mower Dilema

    I use the Rover 560 pro with the B&S Inteck 65 motor, can't fault it for mowing wet or thick grass, catcher is a bit small. I also bought the Rover 510 with a B&S Inteck 55 motor, same thing wet or thick grass it just eats it. Just have to empty the catcher a bit more often than the Honda. The Rover is also faster across the ground, when you use full throttle and pull the bale lever all the way in.
    We have a Honda at work and we had a race last week to see which mower can mow the fastest. The Rover won by a fair way, only had to empty the catcher once, Honda also had to empty once. Rover had nearly a full catcher at the finish but Honda was only 1/2 full. We did this over 200m2 area each.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •