Sit on mowers?

[grannyjanny]

Daughter & SiL have a very large garden mostly laid to lawn. They have a gardener one day a week but it seems to take him all day just to do the lawns so the garden isn't developing. They want my advise. My thoughts are to get a sit on mower, does anyone know if they do reconditioned ones? They could then do the lawns themselves or the gardener could do them but there would be more time for other work to be done. They are open to fields on the north side with a 3' hawthorn hedge. What shrubs & trees would be suitable for that area.
Janet

[grannyjanny]

[jjt]

Don't get a sit-on mower and think it's magic. Unless your lawn is very well laid out there's always corners you can't get into and you still have to edge it. But it probably would be quicker. You must be able to get second hand ones. What I'd do is cut it myself one week and if it only took half a day then get a different gardener. Or just have it cut fortnightly, that should be OK and would free up time.

[Melbourne12]

We once bought a mower something like this one
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Webb-Ride-On-Mower_W0QQitemZ330316230892QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Home_Garden_GardenPowerTools_CA?hash=item330316230892&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1686|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

when we had a large garden.  The only problem was that it cost a lot to get it sharpened, because of the width of the cutters.  But otherwise it was fast and efficient.

There are loads of bargains on eBay (obviously avoid the non-runners  :o )

[tomatoada]

Several years ago we had a large garden with lots of lawn.  We had a large ride on mower  and it was  excellent, but my husband who was very good at maintainace and repairs of most things did spend a lot of time cleaning it, sharpening the blades, and getting it going at the start of the lawn mowing season.  I recently had my small mower serviced and blades sharpened which cost £45.  A large flymo might be the answer, and as suggested do it yourself and note the time.  I do remember once a month we spent a whole day doing the lawns, using both mowers and edging and deweeding.  In between we just mowed and flymowed.  They did look lovely when done.

[Melbourne12]

Of course, if money's no object, then this is the obvious way to go:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300303198607&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fshop.ebay.co.uk%3A80%2F%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dm38%26_nkw%3D300303198607%26_fvi%3D1&_rdc=1