Author: Jerry

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Rotary mower vs Cylinder mowers

 

I often get asked what is better, using a rotary mower or a cylinder mower. It’s a funny question because both are great in there places so ill try to answer this question by giving some pros and cons of both starting with rotary mowers.

 

Rotary Mowers

 

Pros,

  • Affordable – one can buy a decent rotary mower between $400-$500
  • Flexible -Rotary mowers are great on a wide variety of lawn types as well as being more suitable to cutting longer grass
  • Low maintenance costs
  • Reliable – having very few moving parts they tend to be very reliable
  • Compact

Cons,

  • They can ”tear” lawn – because they use a slasher style bade the cutting of each blade can be a more of a tear this is not overly good for your lawn and can cause a broken tinge.
  • Limited to how low they can cut
  • Blades will wear out very fast in sandy conditions

Cylinder mowers

 

Pros,

  • Clean cutting – cuts like a pair of scissors leaving neatly cut blades of grass
  • Rolls lawn as you go leaving a nice flat finish with stripes
  • Suitable for fine couch grasses – ( can be used on other grasses but best results will be seen with this type of grass)
  • Leaves a carpet-like lawn ( subject to your lawn being dethatched and top dressed)
  • Your lawn can be the envy of your neighbors.

Cons,

  • Heavy and bulky can be difficult to maneuver and store
  • More costly to purchase good reel mowers start at around $1500.
  • More costly to maintain with lots of moving parts and a more complex cutting system will increase maintenance costs to approximately $150 per year
  • Regular mowing is highly recommended at least once a week ( not the best option for the time-poor)
  • Unsuitable for long grass

 

 

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Starting issues? This could be why.

The number one problem that we see with any equipment is fuel related. And mainly the age of the fuel.The first picture here is of a carby that has had old fuel sitting in it too long. See how its turned into a hard varnish like material? This horrible smelling stuff blocks everything up and can also cause corrosion problems to the carburetor and the internals of your engine.Yes, the corrosion you see is from the fuel. Fuel starts going ”off” the day its made and as a rule of thumb is best for 30 days after purchase after this its starts to deteriorate and gets worse and worse with time. And in the worst cases will be like the picture. Fuel stabilizes can definitely help but they are not the perfect solution. The best solution is to use your machinery regularly and buy your fuel in small quantities that you can use up in a month. The second carby is water damaged from water in the fuel this is also a common thing we see. How the water gets there you may ask? Well, there are three ways: Firstly from the servo, this is not as uncommon as you would think. The second and most common way is from how the fuel can is stored. If it is stored on the floor of the garage or shed with temperature changes condensation will build up in the can in the can. This is especially the case with a steel can. Poly or plastic style fuel cans help reduce this but it is best to store your fuel on a shelf.
The third way a least common way is from a piece of machinery being stored out in the weather. It is best to keep equipment indoors. But this is not always possible or practical so if it has to be outside please put a cover on it.
 
I hope this sheds some light on what might be causing your hard starting not starting problems.
 
Jerry