SO YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT BUYING A RIDE-ONMOWER
First thing to think about! Do you have the area to require the expense of owning a ride-on mower and the on-cost of running the machine; not just fuel and blades.
How often are you going to use it? 5 or 6 times a year-if so forget it; the capital layout and running cost is too great. Do you really want to spend the time mowing then cleaning it when you’re finished.
Consider a mowing contractor. O.K. your health’s not crash hot, it’s getting harder to push the hand mower.
Are you mechanical minded and able (health) to do most of your own maintenance or repairs or financial to pay someone else to do the work? Are you well enough to operate a ride-on mower? Being alert is very important!.
O.K you went and bought the machine! It’s a little beauty, but what about the on-cost of keeping it going yeah! or aah! Not just fuel, blades & belts – what if you blow that big back tyre or the gear box ooh ouch!.
First! before you take it out of the shed, read the instruction manual, understand all the safety aspects of the machine, think about safety all the time! – even though they are a small machine, they are just as dangerous as a big machine. YET IF USED PROPERLY, THEY CAN BE SAFE & DO A GREAT JOB!
Don’t expect your little ride-on to be a bulldozer and try to punch it thru heavy grass, particularly if it is diesel powered (it’s not a truck motor), you may need to do 2 to 3 cuts to get it down by starting at the highest cut.
Oh! don’t expect your ride-on mower to be a billy goat by climbing any steep slopes, they [ride-on mowers] can tip over very easy!, avoid traversing across any the slope. Take your time! > travel slower, avoid sudden/fast movements. Generally 15% slope is the upper limit to most machines, use this as a bench mark for safety until you know the machine’s manufacturers recomendation.
Any mower should cut the grass, but to do so you must give it the chance to cut by traveling at the right pace- you cannot eat lettuce any faster than what you can swallow it; a lawn mower is the same.
Ride on Mowers
To help your mower cut better and easier, you can sharpen the blades – not down to a knife edge! – but by filing or grinding along the cutting edge. Do-not use an angle grinder, use only a low speed bench grinder. Because an angle-grinder is high speed, it heats the blade metal too much-hardening it, so the blade edge will chip.
So if you look after your blades, your mower cuts the grass a lot easier-the mower won’t be working as hard, therefore using less fuel and longer engine / transmission life.
Now! What size machine do we buy – you don’t buy a sledge hammer to drive a tack, but don’t expect a tack hammer to drive a spike.
If you are replacing a hand mower for a ride-on to cut a ¼ acre area of grass, a mower deck size of 75cm to 90cm will be quite efficient and economical, if you have ½ acre to 1 acre area to mow; a mower deck size of 90cm to 120cm will be quite efficient & economical.
What to look for when buying a new ride-on; Look to see how strong & sturdy the frame is, how strong the lifting mechanism for the mower deck is, the drive axle and front axle. If buying a big ride-on 120cm > try for 4 wheel drive and shaft drive to the mower deck; consider diesel power.
Don’t worry about the mod-cons, your ride-on is a machine meant for work – it is a workhorse not a toy.
Do-not expect a large ride-on mower to do the work of a tractor/slasher and do-not compare the finish of slasher with a ride-on mower. The mower deck is the metal base covering the blades.
Remember! Bigger machines are bigger headaches to maintain or repair – Costs!
Also is your garden / landscape area suitable for the big machine; trees, bushes or garden beds.
So now, is the idea of owning a ride-on mower looking so good or the idea of buying one so great! Like all machines they’re great when new, but not so funny when they start breaking down. So we understand now why the mower contractor has to charge so much.
Don’t let this material put you off your ride-on, but think does the need really warrant the expense – purchase cost and on-going costs.
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