Goodbye Hover, hello Hover II

eccles · Post by **eccles** » Tue May 02, 2023 4:47 pm

I attempted to mow the front lawn yesterday, got a couple of square feet of the driveway verge done and the mower slowed right down emitting a funny smell, well actually not that funny as I didn't laugh. I checked that the blade wasn't fouled and tried again. It died in a little puff of smoke as the motor burned out. It must have been at least 20 years old.
Round to B&Q went I and got a new one. The plastic top is a bit flimsy, the grass box is too small requiring frequent emptying and the power lead is too short. It was a bit of a struggle to remove the blade to put the cut height spacers in but I remembered the old jar screw top trick - a sharp tap on the retaining screw, in this case with a hammer, enabled it to be loosened.
So, with an extension lead it'll reach all round the garden front and back. The blade and motor are better than the old one making it easy to slice through thick grass and runs with a "whoosh" instead of a groan. It'll do.

Furby · Post by **Furby** » Tue May 02, 2023 6:12 pm

Experts have said you aren't supposed to mow the grass in may.

Post by **merry** » Tue May 02, 2023 11:22 pm

ot a new one. The plastic top is a bit flimsy, the grass box is too small requiring frequent emptying and the power lead is too short.

I did this last year. Got a cheap Mountfield to replace our much more expensive Mountfield which had died. It was like comparing a die-cast Dinky model to something that fell out of a cereal packet.

'It'll do' is what we said, too.

Mr Merry, safe in the smug knowledge HE won't be doing it, is making noises about it being done.

I shall quote him Furby's 'experts say the grass shouldn't be mown in May'

Furby · Post by **Furby** » Wed May 03, 2023 9:42 am

David Attenborough has supported the idea of not mowing in May. It's to save the insects which are needed for other things dinners later.

eccles · Post by **eccles** » Wed May 03, 2023 2:20 pm

I've gone halfway, mowed the lawn but left a border around the pond. This allows some wildlife but also helps limit grass cuttings from flying into the pond. If I left it for a month I'd have to get a bigger mower. Mr Attenborough also favours ponds, not quite so good for CO2 but about the best thing one can do for wildlife.
I went around the edges with the strimmer this afternoon, so that's me done now for a couple of weeks.
Merry, maybe you could get your cleaner (or her friend) to mow the lawn?