New Mower advice please

pigsfoot

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Hi all, I'm after some advice on changing my mower. I'm based in the UK but this forum seems the most active hence why i'm posting the question on here.

I currently have a Stiga Ride on with a 36" mulching deck and we use this to cut around 1 acre. The area we are cutting is soon going to be double if not a little more and i'm looking to change mowers.

The two main problems i have is when i can cut the grass with the Stiga being a mulcher the grass has to be dry and in UK that’s not to easy, its not uncommon I have to wait a week or so before i can cut at which point the grass is really long again. If we cut the grass when its even a little wet we end up spending an hour or so cleaning the deck which leads me on to the second issue, maintenance. To clean the deck on the Stiga i have to hoist the mower up, crawl underneath and scrape it out which is a real pain and I need quite a bit of room to do so.

So what i'm looking for is a mower that will cut damp or even wet grass so i can cut when i have time rather than being dictated to by the weather. I wouldn’t be cutting in the rain, more often than not the grass is at least damp ori would cut the day after its rained.
In addition to this i need something that is easy to maintain, ideally just clean out with a hose pipe rather than having to lift ./ hoist the mower up to get underneath the deck.

I have been looking at two options, either a zero turn mower but cant really see this helping much with the maintenance issue or a cylinder based commercial park / greens mower. I can pick either one up in the UK for circa 4 - 5k which i'm willing to spend. The park mower seems a bit of a beats but from the looks of things meets both criteria.

Anyone with experience of either type of mower or suggestions on what would be best and willing to share that knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks
 

bertsmobile1

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Reel type mowers do not like long grass or uneven ground .
Mowers are expensive in the UK but to stick with Stiga the out front mowers would suit you well as they have flip up decks for easy cleaning
 

pigsfoot

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Thansk @bertsmobile1, thats just what i needed to know. Just had a quick look on eBay for Stiga Park mowers ( seems to be what they call them ) and there are a few for sale here in the UK.The tilt up front is perfect for keeping it clean. I presume the deck is very simular to what we already have on the tractor. I guess as long as its kept clean and sharp it should be Ok cutting wet grass. Thansk for the advice, much appreciated.
 

MParr

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Those Stiga mowers are interesting. They can be bought with a side discharge deck. Their cutting decks are relatively small.
Husqvarna makes some machines that may work for you. They have what the call a “Combi” deck. The deck allow for mulching or rear discharge. They also have larger decks than the Stiga.
 
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bertsmobile1

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Being that Stiga is made in the EU it would be a better choice for you than any USA mower.
The same mower is sold under the Castle Garden name a bit cheaper .
Don't know how Brexit will affect things
The out front decks don't like really long grass
Should come as a mulching rear discharge & side throw options on the decks
The one I have is a mulcher & works really well but it is near 20 years old.
There is an equivalent Husqvarna but it is "not cheap" .
 
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