Help needed as we are considering a choice between a second hand Etesia Bahia at £1500 or a new Husqvarna cth173 at £2000.Anybody out there had experience of these machines or any other machines recommended for entry level ride ons?Am also watching a John Deere on ebay.Thanks in advance for any response.Cheers, Paul
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Comments
Hi Paul, Etesia's and Husqvarnas I have nil experience of.
I use a Snapper 28" rear engined rider - this will cut and discharge or cut and collect or mulch (with the appropriate 'Ninja' blade.
Something like - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SNAPPER-RIDE-ON-RIDEON-LAWN-MOWER-TRACTOR...
If you look on Ebay for used ones, they come up frequently and attract little attention.
Only thing they can't do is stripe - although mine may get adapted too!
Thanks Adam,have seen snappers on ebay ,if its the one Im thinking of they look like go carts,could put some fun back into grass cutting!
That's the ones Paul - and yes, they are fun to drive as the turning circle is extremely tight, meaning you can get close to any obstacles.
The decks vary in cut size between 25" and 33" and the engines between 8 and 12 hp (Briggs and Stratton or Kohler - both electric start with recoil back up normally).
The 'Hi Vac' blades with extra wings bolted on will blow virtually anything into the collector and the Ninja mulching blade literally turns clippings into dust - probably helped by the deck being a completely circular pressing of very thick steel.
The 'gearless transmission' enable you to shift gear without stopping - just like a hydro transmission but the only wearing part in it is a rubber drive wheel that costs about £25 to replace.
I used my mower quite heavily last year and the only part that I needed bar new 'Hi-Vac' and mulching blades, was a deck belt, which cost about £20 and can be changed with no tools. Not bad considering it cut a lot of domestic lawns as well as a three acre industrial site several times!
As a matter of fact I liked the machine so much I wrote a review for LJN about it, if you search the forum, it should come up.
Thanks again Adam for the info/photo,unfortunately all the decent snappers currently on ebay are to far to pick up but will keep looking.Very nice of you to share your running gear as it took us a few years to find the right combination of mowers,currently a mix of hayters and etesias.Have recently bought a honda 4 stoke strimmer which is a nice bit of kit if a bit big for domestic work.Hope this info is of use and good luck with the contract work.Cheers,Paul