I'm a magnet. Lawn mower advice ?

[VladTepes]

A s**t magnet, that is.

I've been getting a mate to mow my lawn - he's got a new bub and low income and is mowing to augment his income.

It has been handy as I've had a stuffed shoulder and stuff after I had a small off on the bike 6 months ago, and our mower was (still is for that matter) cactus too...


Anyway he'd always done a really good job mowing and whipper-snippering.


Seems today however that the whipper snipper (I presume) kicked up a stone and smacked into the sliding glass door of the laundry.


It started as a little crack (when I first saw it, after my mate had gone, I doubt he even knew it had happened) and then I heard it making stress release noises and it's that old kind of safety glass that breaks into millions of pieces. It hasn't fallen out yet but it's still making those cracking noises and it's only a matter of time.


Anyway rang the insurance company only to find out I have a bloody $1K excess on the house insurance. She reckons similar jobs are usually $800-$1200ish   depending on glass thickness etc etc . NOT HAPPY JAN !!!!  Anyway I paid the excess and in theory O'Briens are going to be here to sort it today.


The missus is super-pissed.  Partly at my mate, but almost entirely at me !  Apparently if I had been doing it, this wouldn't have happened (I don't use a whipper snipper)


So me being a lazy prick has caused this, apparently. 


It is a PITA though because that money could have paid for a shiny new mower.... which I'm probably going to have to buy now anyway !


Mower advice sought...


I have several options -

1. try to get a half disassembled Bunnings mower, that didn't work before hand, fixed by someone OR

2. Buy another crappy cheap Bunnings mower OR

3 Buy a 2nd hand mower of some sort but then have no idea if its gonna root itself OR

4. Buy a shiny new flash mower.  (It's only a suburban lot, average front yard, small rear yard) probably can't justify it.....



I'm in North Brisbane - suggestions ??

[ARH]

Put down slabs? 

[Kiwifruit]

In NZ its called Roundup......fixes mowing forever !!

[Andre]

Put down slabs? 

Not a bad idea!

My thinking is: No more mowing lawn. Turn it into a natural meadow. Bet missus will love it.
Or get a couple sheep or goats- they do a fine job.

As to lawn mowers - option #2

[grog]

Vlad, go the used route. briggs n stratton on a victa, last forever. last year mine burnt valve at 1 month before 30th birthday. pm me, have a good supplier, old bloke, he does them up perfectly, his hobby. my new one from him is all good. had been in storage for 2 out of its 3 yr life. took him 130 bucks, his price, he handed me back 30. a month later he called into work to see if i was happy with it. unreal.

[Speedy1959]

Ahhh Briggs & Stratton..
Available here as well 

Scroll down to the 900 series motor.. You definitely need that one !!
Then fit it to a bike..

https://www.briggsandstratton.com/eu/en_gb/products/engines/lawn-mower-engines.html

[lil4399]

Being Welsh, I will give you the same advice I give everyone with "Sheila" problems.....


As Andre says "get a sheep"

[lurkalot]

Vlad, go the used route. briggs n stratton on a victa, last forever. last year mine burnt valve at 1 month before 30th birthday. pm me, have a good supplier, old bloke, he does them up perfectly, his hobby. my new one from him is all good. had been in storage for 2 out of its 3 yr life. took him 130 bucks, his price, he handed me back 30. a month later he called into work to see if i was happy with it. unreal.

Briggs & Stratton aren't what they used to be.  I doubt if a modern one will last 30yrs.

Repairing garden machinery is my day job for the last 41yrs.  Seen a lot of changes, not all of them good imo.