Should you choose a cheap or a quality mower?
Lawn mowers can be found in various price ranges and from various points of sale – it is not unusual to be able to drop a lawn mower into your shopping trolley alongside your bread and milk. But is there really a difference between one lawn mower and another? Looking at the price and the machine, you might think it has four wheels, a blade and a motor – surely it should do the job! And true enough – the warranty period is carefree, because by law a machine that does not work must either be repaired or replaced with a new one. Once the warranty period ends, the story is sadder – spare parts are usually not available for cheap lawn mowers, or they are sold only as larger sets at a particularly high price. In addition, the warranty does not cover breakdowns caused by generally poor construction. Here are a few examples we have come across in our work:
- The wheels lean out of true because they are fixed to the thin housing with bolts alone.
- The wheels have no bearings – which means pushing is hard.
- The housing is so thin that it does not withstand impacts and starts to break apart and warp through vibration.
- The paint peels off the housing and the housing starts to rust.
- As a result of an impact the blade snaps off underneath and flies out through the cutting housing.
- The handle already has play in it when new, which increases further as the housing warps.
- The handle mountings break off the housing or rust through.
- The blade lacks the airflow vanes and aerodynamic properties needed to lift the grass while mowing, and the result is an uneven cut and upright dandelion heads.
- Mice gnaw through the fuel primer pump and no replacement is available.
- The customer pulls the starter apart and no spare parts are available for the starter – or you have to fork out over 30 euros for a starter set.
- Fibres come loose from the ignition module wire.
- A motor that is too small is fitted to a mower with a wide cutting width and the mowing result suffers, or a very large motor is fitted that the housing cannot withstand and that makes the machine hard to manoeuvre.
- Spare parts are not available.
So, in our assessment, there really is a difference between one lawn mower and another! Below we present, for example, the arguments for the 4th-series lawn mowers from STIHL's subsidiary VIKING.
VIKING 4-series lawn mowers MB 448 TX, 448 T and 448 TC are especially easy-to-handle lawn mowers that also deliver a very good mowing result and ideal collection capacity. Single-speed rear-wheel drive and a comfortable cushioned control bar make mowing areas of up to 1,200 m²2 a clean pleasure with these machines. The cutting width on all models is 46 cm and the housings are made of polymer, which is strong enough to withstand the weight of the motor and various impacts, yet light enough to be comfortable to handle. As with all VIKING lawn mowers, the 4th-series mowers naturally also have wheels on double bearings connected to the axles.
But what do the designations TX, T and TC at the end of the model number mean? In itself it is simple: T = Traction (self-drive), X = small motor, C = Comfort. So TX denotes a self-propelled mower with a smaller 1.9 kW motor without the ReadyStart easy-start function. T denotes a self-propelled base model with a 2.1 kW ReadyStart motor. TC denotes a self-propelled model with a 2.1 kW ReadyStart motor and a comfortable single-sided handle, where the height of the single-sided handle is adjustable and emptying the collection box is more convenient than on models with a double-sided mounting. The motors are made by Briggs&Stratton. A mulching kit is also available as an optional accessory, containing a separate mulching blade and a discharge-opening cover. NB! If you mow simply without the grass catcher, it acts as a side-discharge mower; to protect the user there is a guard flap in front of the discharge opening that directs the cut grass straight down.
A little more about the convenience features:
The height of the single-sided handle is adjustable to suit the user's height, and the cushioned handle makes the work less tiring. The grass catcher can be removed simply and conveniently. A single locking lever handles both the handle-height adjustment and setting it to the transport position. Model MB 448 TC.
The handles are foldable on all models to ensure easier transport and more convenient storage during the winter period. Models MB 448 TX, T and TC.
The machine housings are made of an impact-, heat- and UV-resistant polymer blend. Models MB 448 TX, T and TC.
The ReadyStart easy-start function reduces the amount of effort needed to start the machine; one or two light pulls of the starter cord and the motor starts. Thanks to the automatic choke system there is no longer any need to prime the fuel, which means the machine starts easily at all temperatures. Models MB 448 T and TC.
Single-speed rear-wheel drive makes mowing larger areas convenient and easy. Simply pull the drive bar and the machine starts to move forward by itself. This is especially useful once the grass box begins to fill, as the grass collected in the box adds to the machine's weight. Models MB 448 TX, T and TC.
The especially soft, ergonomic and comfortable handles are shaped so that the starter and drive bars fit precisely into their intended recesses, which means that while mowing there is no raised part on the handle that rubs the palm or disturbs your grip. Models MB 448 TX, T and TC.
Two handles are also attached to the polymer housing for lifting the machine. These ensure easy lifting, carrying, loading and tilting of the machine. The handles can also be used to secure the lawn mower with a load strap, for example in a car boot. Models MB 448 TX, T and TC.
Central cutting-height adjustment lets you adjust the lawn mower to 6 different cutting heights with one hand. The whole system is supported by a spring system, so changing the cutting height does not require lifting or lowering the machine with physical force. Models MB 448 TX, T and TC.
Quick-clamping devices on the handles allow the handle to be set to the transport position simply and quickly. Models MB 448 TX and T.
The large easy-running wheels on double bearings have a special tread pattern to ensure the best grip when driving and to make them self-cleaning. Models MB 448 TX, T and TC.
The innovatively designed grass catcher box ensures the box fills 100% every time thanks to its optimised shape and the routing of air into the upper rear corner of the box. The air vents on the sides of the box, however, are directed downwards so that very fine grass particles and dust cannot fly upwards as the air leaves the box. The two-part grass box, whose lid can be opened, also makes emptying the box extremely easy. Models MB 448 TX, T and TC.
The fill-level indicator on the grass box shows exactly when the box is full and needs emptying. The system works simply: when the airflow in the box stops, the air-moved indicator drops down. Models MB 448 TX, T and TC.
Airflow-directing mower blades together with the aerodynamically designed cutting housing create a suction under the cutting deck that lifts the blades of grass off the ground before cutting. This ensures both an ideal mowing result and the best collection result. Models MB 448 TX, T and TC.
