Hi,
I recently moved house from a place with a fairly small square of flat
lawn to one with about twice the flat area and - more problematically -
some very steep grassed banks between the flat spaces, and one much
shallower bank up the side of the garden.
I used to get by with a small flymo (a "mow n vac" model) which has
proved hopelessly inadequate to the task in hand. So I need a new one,
and have a few questions I'd appreciated being answered.
My initial assumption was that I'd be best off getting a
top-of-the-range flymo. This leaves me with a choice of two models -
the "Turbo Lite 400" which is lightweight and has a 1500 watt motor and
a 40cm blade, and the "Vision Compact 380" which is much heavier,
collects grass, and has a 1700 watt motor and a 38cm blade.
* First up, has anyone had an experience of using both these models and
impressions as to which is "best"?
* I'm a little concerned about the weight of the heavier mower since
even good flymos don't tend to "fly" terribly well. Is there any good
reason - besides the cosmetic look of the lawn - why I'd be better off
having a mower which collects and removes the cut grass over one which
leaves it behind?
* The advantage of a wider cutting blade is obvious. But for standard
lawn cutting, is there any advantage of having a 1700 watt motor over a
1500 watt one?
* I have assumed that using a wheeled mower on steep banks is pretty
dangerous. So, does that mean I'm best off with another flymo or would
the combination of a wheeled mower for the flat and shallow banks and a
good strimmer for the steep banks be a better idea?
* Are there other manufacturers/models available (in the UK) I ought to
consider? I don't mind paying more to get a tool which gets the job done
as quickly and as easily as possible!
Cheers,
Matt
--
mattDP
My experience with the Flymo is VERY dated, but I don't think it worked very
well on slopes, especially if you're working uphill, where you'd benefit
from having a wheeled mower to prevent sideways motion. As you've described
your situation, I would use a good powered mulching mower, and if your
sloped area was too steep, use a high-wheeled string trimmer for the slopes.
That's what I use here, where I have to mow the edges of a swale that is too
steep for me to comfortably use my riding mower.
I suppose if I had a Flymo I could stand at the top of the swale and let
the mower swing back and forth on the slope, but I prefer the string trimmer
idea.
> Hi,
> I recently moved house from a place with a fairly small square of flat
> lawn to one with about twice the flat area and - more problematically -
> some very steep grassed banks between the flat spaces, and one much
> shallower bank up the side of the garden.
> I used to get by with a small flymo (a "mow n vac" model) which has
> proved hopelessly inadequate to the task in hand. So I need a new one,
> and have a few questions I'd appreciated being answered.
> My initial assumption was that I'd be best off getting a
> top-of-the-range flymo. This leaves me with a choice of two models -
> the "Turbo Lite 400" which is lightweight and has a 1500 watt motor and
> a 40cm blade, and the "Vision Compact 380" which is much heavier,
> collects grass, and has a 1700 watt motor and a 38cm blade.
> * First up, has anyone had an experience of using both these models and
> impressions as to which is "best"?
> * I'm a little concerned about the weight of the heavier mower since
> even good flymos don't tend to "fly" terribly well. Is there any good
> reason - besides the cosmetic look of the lawn - why I'd be better off
> having a mower which collects and removes the cut grass over one which
> leaves it behind?
> * The advantage of a wider cutting blade is obvious. But for standard
> lawn cutting, is there any advantage of having a 1700 watt motor over a
> 1500 watt one?
> * I have assumed that using a wheeled mower on steep banks is pretty
> dangerous. So, does that mean I'm best off with another flymo or would
> the combination of a wheeled mower for the flat and shallow banks and a
> good strimmer for the steep banks be a better idea?
> * Are there other manufacturers/models available (in the UK) I ought to
> consider? I don't mind paying more to get a tool which gets the job done
> as quickly and as easily as possible!
> Cheers,
> Matt
> --
> mattDP
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> I recently moved house from a place with a fairly small square of flat
> lawn to one with about twice the flat area and - more problematically -
> some very steep grassed banks between the flat spaces, and one much
> shallower bank up the side of the garden.
> I used to get by with a small flymo (a "mow n vac" model) which has
> proved hopelessly inadequate to the task in hand. So I need a new one,
> and have a few questions I'd appreciated being answered.
> My initial assumption was that I'd be best off getting a
> top-of-the-range flymo. This leaves me with a choice of two models -
> the "Turbo Lite 400" which is lightweight and has a 1500 watt motor and
> a 40cm blade, and the "Vision Compact 380" which is much heavier,
> collects grass, and has a 1700 watt motor and a 38cm blade.
> * First up, has anyone had an experience of using both these models and
> impressions as to which is "best"?
> * I'm a little concerned about the weight of the heavier mower since
> even good flymos don't tend to "fly" terribly well. Is there any good
> reason - besides the cosmetic look of the lawn - why I'd be better off
> having a mower which collects and removes the cut grass over one which
> leaves it behind?
> * The advantage of a wider cutting blade is obvious. But for standard
> lawn cutting, is there any advantage of having a 1700 watt motor over a
> 1500 watt one?
> * I have assumed that using a wheeled mower on steep banks is pretty
> dangerous. So, does that mean I'm best off with another flymo or would
> the combination of a wheeled mower for the flat and shallow banks and a
> good strimmer for the steep banks be a better idea?
> * Are there other manufacturers/models available (in the UK) I ought to
> consider? I don't mind paying more to get a tool which gets the job done
> as quickly and as easily as possible!
> Cheers,
> Matt
> --
> mattDP