230 of 231 people found the following review helpful:
Proof that the simplest solutions are the best
I bought this to replace a broken flymo. Actually that is not quite true I bought a small flymo to replace a flymo that had broken but that was so bad and inadequate that it was bought tried and returned for a refund in a single afternoon. After that I bought this to replace the electric mower and it is a revelation to use one of these. Most people will probably assume...
This review is from: Qualcast Panther 30 Sidewheel Cylinder Lawn Mower (DIY & Tools)
I bought this to replace a broken flymo. Actually that is not quite true I bought a small flymo to replace a flymo that had broken but that was so bad and inadequate that it was bought tried and returned for a refund in a single afternoon. After that I bought this to replace the electric mower and it is a revelation to use one of these. Most people will probably assume that any powered solution must automatically be better but this proves otherwise.
Unless you have a large lawn this is far less work than trying to use any small powered mower. It's lighter to move around the garden, the grass cuttings are small enough that they can be left on the lawn without problems and there are no problems with cables getting in the way. Are there any problems with this? well none that you wouldn't have with a powered lawn mower, the only problem I have found is a tendency to clog on the first cut of the year but I've found that with every lawn mower I've ever used.
Above all this has one major virtue that no other lawn mower has - it is so simple that the chance of it's breaking is so low as to be negligible and if anything does go wrong then you can fix it yourself.
Unless you have a large lawn then I would recommend to anyone that they ditch the power mowers and get one of these.
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104 of 105 people found the following review helpful:
fun grass cutting exercise, 11 Jan 2005
By A Customer
This review is from: Qualcast Panther 30 Sidewheel Cylinder Lawn Mower (DIY & Tools)
I am very pleased with this inexpensive hand lawnmower. I prefer the hands-on experience of non-technological mowing but some manual mowers can be flimsy and impractical. This mower is functional and provides a good grass-cutting result and a decent workout without exasperating you with poor performance. When this one wears out I will be after another! A good buy if you don't like depending on electrickery!
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This review is from: Qualcast Panther 30 Sidewheel Cylinder Lawn Mower (DIY & Tools)
I have just taken delivery of this lawnmower and what can I say, absolutely fantastic! I have an allotment with a newly seeded lawn in need of its first cut, so I spent a couple of nights on the net, looking at different options. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a lawnmower, what with the recent break-ins to sheds, but wanted something that wasn't going to chew up my hard work. Reading other reviews, I decided this was the best choice, and for 30 quid, delivered it was worth a risk. Out of the box, it took 10 minutes and a bit of nervous bending of handles to get them to fit in the required slots, which in my opinion makes everything more solid once bolted together, and I was ready to try it out. Cutting height settings are very straight forward, undo two bolts and position to the required height. You can then fine tune the height by loosening the bolts and slide up or down to the right height. It took approximatley five minutes to go over my 10x5 metre lawn, which is great when you think it would take that to get an extension lead set up, or your petrol mower started sometimes! To be fair, it didn't catch all of the cuttings, but it did get most of them. I didn't have any problems with the grass box falling off. I put the brackets on the inside of the fixing plate so it got a good grip. I wonder if the people that had problems put it on the outside. I also think it takes less effort to push this very lightweight mower around than a bulky petrol mower. You can also feel slightly smug that you are doing your bit for the environment. I would strongly recommend to anyone thinking of buying a new lawnmower to buy this. A brilliant lawnmower at an amazing price!
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This review is from: Qualcast Panther 30 Sidewheel Cylinder Lawn Mower (DIY & Tools)
Fed up with owning unreliable electric Flymo mowers I decided to purchase the Qualcast Panther 30, after all for less than £40 how could I lose.
The Panther is simplicity itself, easy to assemble and extremely satisfying to use, reminiscent of mowers from a bygone age with that soothing cutting sound as you push it along. I was sceptical thinking that my garden would be too uneven for a cylinder mower but this is absolutely fantastic, so easy to use no messing around tripping over wires, just get it out and away you go, absolutely superb product.
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This review is from: Qualcast Panther 30 Sidewheel Cylinder Lawn Mower (DIY & Tools)
I actually got an upgrade from Argos in the end to the 38cm version which is, you guessed it, 38cm wide not 30 but otherwise identical mechanically. For the money, it is superb. Take away the price it is still an excellent product. My lawn had got in a state because my flymo was to pathetic to cut it (it's a little bit bumpy) so after a strim I set about it with the Panther. Yes it did struggle on the longer blades of grass and slipped quite a bit but with perseverance it made a good job of it. One tip, don't mess about with the blade setting unless you are sure this is the problem - it should make a loud noise as the blades rotate and meet and cut a newspaper cleanly if put between the blades. Two days later having let the grass recover I returned and lowered the blade. The result is the best looking lawn I have had. Yes, the bucket might fall off a bit and you have to scoop the cuttings into it sometimes (it cuts grass very well and lots of it!) but that doesn't matter. It's easier than the flymo, you can pull it out of the shed and go and it makes a satisfying engine like noise as you power it along. Great Fun too!
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This review is from: Qualcast Panther 30 Sidewheel Cylinder Lawn Mower (DIY & Tools)
I borrowed one of these from my Grandmother when my petrol mower decided to die on me and I was very surprised so I bought my own & didn't bother getting my petrol mower fixed. I have a very large garden & this actually cuts the grass quicker than my petrol mower & it's very light so easy to manoevure.
Advantages:
Excellent for the environment, your electric bill & petrol consumption!
Keeps you fitter!
Cuts just as well (if not better) than an electric mower
Lightweight
Easy to clean & maintain
Cheap to buy!
Don't have to worry about trailing cables or running out of petrol
Disadvantages:
Hard to cut right to the edge
Not wonderful on very long grass
Grass box falls off too often (I tend not to bother with it)
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This review is from: Qualcast Panther 30 Sidewheel Cylinder Lawn Mower (DIY & Tools)
this mower has saved me hours of work,solid well built and works like a charm. I wish i had bought one of these a long time ago and saved myself lots of work, no more extension cables just pull this out of the shed and my grass is cut in half the time it used to take me and it's really easy to use very light weight and does an excellent job ,cant praise it highly enough get one now you wont regret it.
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This review is from: Qualcast Panther 30 Sidewheel Cylinder Lawn Mower (DIY & Tools)
I have got a very expensive 3 in 1(american) 60cm rear driven petrol mower which is fair to say has been quite impressive. However with it being wide, any bumps meant my cut was not constant, and it being quite bulky getting it out from the shed, and to the front of the house after doing the rear is quite a bind, it also leaves a trail of grass and green wheel stains on the slabs. I did keep up a routine of twice a week for a while but eventually it got too much hassle.
My father renovated an old model found in someones shed, and although its wheel gearing slipped now and again I was quite impressed, so for £30 including free delivery I though I'll have a go.
Setting up was easy enough although I did have to flex one of the handles to get it all together. My lawn soil is full of clay and stones so I was very impressed with the cut, infact I wouldn't be too bothered if the grass box did fall off as the clippings are almost as small as my mulching 3 in 1 mower. There is something magical about using this, no petrol or electric, it is so simple it works and hardly any effort, almost a light exercise. It is also so light moving it from back to front lawns is a breeze.
Downside, okay bark mulch scattered by birds from the border does stop the blade turning now and again, easily resolved though, the grass box soon fills up meaning you have to empty it regularily and I wouldn't expect it to deal with grass that was left uncut for a while, although I might be wrong.
Verdict, even if I had to buy a new one every year, which I doubt, I would. I have what could be described as medium in size (going by manufacturers guides) but I reckon this is quicker overall than getting the petrol model out, oh yes, quieter to.
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This review is from: Qualcast Panther 30 Sidewheel Cylinder Lawn Mower (DIY & Tools)
Fantastic product! We have a very small lawn and everyone said I ought to buy a flymo microlight, so I did. Mowing the lawn was such a chore! Getting the lumps of wet grass off the lawn and ages sweeping up the grass it sprayed out in all directions, over the patio and anything else that got in the way.
I asked on a forum for recommendations for something different and a hand pushed cylinder was the top pick.
I'm so glad I bought it-mowing the lawn now takes about 10 mins and I can even be bothered to clean the mower afterwards.
It went together really easily with no nuts or bolts missing. The grass box is really easy to get on and off and stays on well even on my lumpy bumpy lawn. It cuts beautifully-the noise makes you feel like you're in an Agatha Christie novel-lol!
On the first cut the grass was quite long, but it coped with no trouble. My lawn isn't really a shape you can do stripes on, so I've not tried that. It's really light and easy to move around. Doesn't get right to the edges, but then neither did the flymo.
Not all the clippings end up in the box, but the majority do. Those which don't are so fine you can leave them on the lawn.
A fabulous product I would recommend to anyone :)
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