Advice please - Self-propelled walk-behind petrol-driven mowers

 

Hello all

At present I use a 2-stroke push-it-yourself mower
which after nearly 20 years is slowly getting too weak.
I am considering a new 4-stroke self-propelled walk-behind machine
but have no experience using one.
I mow about 2000 m2 of varied smooth / rough.

On such machines
can one vary the blade speed
(as I can on my old 2-stroke)
or is this fixed at one pitch ?
I prefer to mow at lower revs
rather than whining away at full throttle.
This makes mowing less noisy.

Can one push and pull a self-propelled mower
back and forth in and out of corners, under hedges etc. ?

Best regards and thanks in advance from
Ray

 



I have owned a self propelled (by a rear roller) Hayter Harrier
for 13 years and have used it for taming overgrown areas as well
as regular mowing of a neat lawn.


It has a throttle control but the difference in noise levels at
full and low throttle seems very small. It seems to need full
throttle to effectively fill the grass box though. I think you
will find modern four stroke mowers a lot quieter than an old two
stroke, as long as you opt for a quality machine.


Yes. Just release the drive control and it can be pushed/pulled
quite easily.

Mike

 

russell.ray@wanadoo.fr says...

You can throttle back but you will find your speed over the ground a bit
slow, I got rid of my self propelled mower years ago and find the job
takes a lot less time with a motor rotary that you push, they are a lot
cheaper, lighter, and there is less to go wrong, sit on tractor types may
be a lot better but the ones you walk behind seem designed for 80 year
olds with bad hips. But then I am always trying to get the grass done in
a hurry, if you like to take your time it presumably isn't an issue!

You will find all modern 4 strokes much quieter than your present mower
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

 

<<<
I got rid of my self propelled mower years ago and find the job
takes a lot less time with a motor rotary that you push, they are a lot
cheaper, lighter, and there is less to go wrong

I'm gradually coming round to that position myself.
Any recommendations ?
Since self-propelled is a fairly expensive item,
that will allow me to be a bit more generous on other features.

Best regards and thanks from
Ray

 

russell.ray@wanadoo.fr says...

Having become dissallusioned with all the better makes I now buy the
cheapist mower I can find, currently a champion from Do It All £80 and to=
 
my surprise the best mower I have ever had!!
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea