The hills can be a problem going up if wet/dew. I think swardman used to offer a rubber to the drum to help with traction.

 

Research swardman here. I think youll find them to be junk, with quite a bit of problems, and little support to fix them. That will narrow down your available options.

 

There are a few reels here in the US that could easily handle a sloped lawn. I have no experience with Allett. I would avoid Swardman as I've heard nothing but disappointment from owners. Maybe support in Europe is a different story than here in North America? I do run a 26" Jacobsen greensmower on a sloped yard with no problems. The dimpled traction roller certainly helps.

 

While that yard has some slopes I’d hardly consider thst a sloped yard. My toro greens master would cut that no issues.

 

Thanks for your replies!

@g-man: Swardman doesn‘t offer a rubber to the drum anymore. They had some issues with that, as far as I know.

@MasterMech: Jacobsen should be available in Europe too, I will check it out - thanks!

@FATC1TY: The Toro Greens Master would be available for me, but: I‘d rather stick to a mower with a cartridge-system and I don‘t plan to reduce HOC that much. At the moment my HOC is about 1,5“. I don‘t plan to go any lower than maybe 1“ or at least 3/4“

Of course I already did a lot of research on Allett and Swardman and read the discussions here in the forum. I still try to figure out, if the issues with Swardman might be related mostly to older builds and/or to Swardman sold in the US. I reached out to some guys in Europe having hardly any issues with theirs Swardmans at all.

Thanks for your opinions on the slopes in my yard! What do you think about the agility/maneuverability needed for it vs. using an Allett or Swardman reel mower?

 

I still try to figure out, if the issues with Swardman might be related mostly to older builds and/or to Swardman sold in the US.

The main issue seems to be the traction drum build quality. They don't seem to hold up for long, even on the newer Edwin 2.1 units. Plus, that slick steel surface is less than ideal for a sloped lawn.

 

I‘m currently thinking about purchasing a reel mower. On my short list are:

Allett Kensington
Allett Liberty
Swardman Edwin
Swardman Electra

What are your experiences with reel mowers on slopes? Do you think using one of the reel mowers mentioned above on a lawn like this could make sense:

I have no experience with Allett or Swardman. However, I wouldn't buy either having read first hand accounts of owners who are members of TLF.

Just out of curiosity, why wouldn't you purchase a Dennis if you want the cartridge system? @Shindoman would definitely recommend it!

Regarding your slope, I don't see any problems with any reel mower you purchase. However, the challenge might be the amount of edging. I wouldn't consider buying a reel mower without also buying the rotary power scissors. You get too close to one of those masonry edges and you will have a bent reel pretty quickly. Lastly, the strength of steel on residential mowers is much softer than what you will find on a greens mower. Just something to consider...

Good Luck!!!

 

I‘m currently thinking about purchasing a reel mower. On my short list are:

Allett Kensington
Allett Liberty
Swardman Edwin
Swardman Electra

In terms of rotary mowers and some other garden equipment the battery powered ones quite often lack some power in comparison to the gas powered ones. Does anybody have some experience on this subject with the reel mowers mentioned above? Especially when it‘s up to heavy duty jobs like scarifying or verticutting?

Another question which is bothering me: Is a reel mower actually the right mower for my lawn? It‘s about 5.000 sqft - and it‘s a slope! It‘s divided into three main „levels“ (terracings) separated by stonewalls and all three are connected by „ramps“. The ramp connecting all three levels has about 12-13%. I’m pretty sure, mowing this lawn with a big reel mower would be a challenge and asks for a bit smaller size and good maneuverability.

What are your experiences with reel mowers on slopes? Do you think using one of the reel mowers mentioned above on a lawn like this could make sense:

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Some background information: I did a full renovation this spring and I‘m mowing since then twice a week with a cheap, small battery powered reel mower, because the cut quality is so much better. Usually my Robomow does the job on weekdays and I cut with my „reel mower“ on weekends.

LOVE the outdoor shower. Would love that after a mow.

 

@TulsaFan: Thanks for the hint to Dennis - I haven't heard about this company yet and will check it out!

 

Another one that's not common in the US but you might have access to is Infinicut / Advanced Turf Technologies. This is a professional level machine however with the price to match.

 

Beautiful property and landscape. Well done!

Swardman is a lot heavier than any residential Allett. I don't particularly see any sloping that just about any mower can't handle. Of course, wet grass might be a slight issue with the drum spinning going uphill. But really, I have more sloped areas and both Swardman and Allett can handle them fine.

That being said, I would certainly err on the side of caution. Machines break and require regular maintenance. The biggest issue aside from some design flaws is getting decent local support. If I wasn't an old man I would certainly go with a Toro. But that thing is a tank (for me) compared to the other smaller brand-models out there. So unless you are well versed and ready to tackle repairs solo, you might be ok with Swardman or Allett, of course, with exception to finding and getting parts. If you can maneuver a Toro without issue AND have no problem adjusting height of cut without a simple lever/knob, I'd say that might be your best choice.

 

The biggest issue aside from some design flaws is getting decent local support.

If the profile is correct, the OP is in Austria, and may have a much more favorable support situation than here in the USA since Swardman is based in the Czech Republic.

 

That's great if you have local support. I can tell you with 100% certainty, Swardman cuts better, more evenly and lawn looks 10 times better than an Allett Liberty, Allett Kensington and Allett Sterling. I've experienced all of them.

 

And what are your experiences in terms of quality and repair needs with these mowers?

I called the two Austrian dealers listed on the Swardman website today: One of them is not a Swardman-dealer, although listed. The other one has the mowers on offer, but neither on stock, on display nor ready to test. None of both do maintenance or repairs. Maintenance (e. g. reel-sharpening) goes by mail directly to Swardman. If there is an issue with a mower, you can send a message, pictures and videos to Swardman and they try to figure out whats going on and recommend further steps. If you can't repair the mower with their assistance yourself, Swardman organizes shipping on a palett, which costs about 200 EUR plus repair-costs if out of warranty. All of that doesn't sound good to me at all ...

 

With Swardman… my elektra caught fire. Battery swole and ended up getting a refund. But i think mine was defective and an isolated issue as i have not heard anyone else with this issue. With edwin, drive belt broke once. The hopper is heavy and when full, the mower can cut lower than setting when going slightly uphill. The self-drive drum declines in speed over time. To the point you have to push it. So that needs to be adjusted periodically.

with Allett, the liberty should not be used to mow in my opinion. Too lightweight . Breaks belts regularly. All plastic gears dont help. Height adjustment knob comes loose. Lots of grinding sounds. Pain in the butt to change drive belt. I have to replace belts at least twice a year. Hard to fine and expensive.

kensington has weight distribution problems. Cuts unevenly. Also after 2 uses the drum stopped spinning. Tends to hover on grass unless you are at or under 1/2 inch. Got a refund on that but it took almost a year of dealing with local reps.

sterling is convenient. Very nice design with regards to changing reels. No tools. Height of cut is absolutely not accurate at all. Much lower than dial indicates. Lightweight and hovers heavily. Because of this, it tends to scalp where the Swardman does not. Battery life is amazing. No maintenance issues. But when i switch to swardman, i realize quickly how bad the sterling cuts compared to swardman. Not easy keeping straight lines with Sterling.

if i could have a perfect mower it would be a swardman with Sterling quick change reel system. Moat of my issues with Swardman were addressed and fixed. The support was great. They even came to my house multiple times to assist. Ive voiced frustration about swardman but of all residential mowers (I know Toro is used by a lot of members but personally, I don’t consider it a residential mower) I would say that Swardman has served me the best.

there have been some recent complaints about the drum splitting on the Swardman. I have not experienced that and I’ve had three of their machines. And I don’t baby my machines. They ride on concrete, and other material on the ground. I’m not very rough, but certainly not delicate with them. I think the drum issue is more recent, they may have had a bad batch go out.

i’m just come to the understanding that any of these mowers are going to require maintenance regularly, which is why I have multiple mowers aside from it, just being a hobby, so that I don’t end up unable to cut my grass. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to have a perfect mower. But again there really isn’t anything more important than having local support. Even if the mower was better, I would pass on it if you don’t think that you can get support.

 

@Austinite: Thank you so much for sharing all these informations, I really appreciate it! In terms of the Allett Stirling: This mower seems to have some severe issues with its design and function. Maybe you know the german YT-Channel “PerfectGreen“? Felix and his partner both purchased Stirlings. At first they were very enthusiastic, but then their mowers refused to work multiple times within the first couple of months and couldn‘t be repaired sufficiently. Finally, Allett replaced both mowers - but they had the same issues with the new mowers. One major reason for some of their issues seems to be, that the framework of the mower is way to soft and yielding. That a pricy mower like this can be such a lemon, is beyond believe to me.

 

@MissT - yes ive seen that channel nit not lately. Need to check out these videos.

honestly, I have been trying not to discuss the allett Sterling because I’ve only had it for about two months. And in my experience, just about anything you buy brand new is usually really good at first. That’s why I try to disregard reviews from folks who purchase products whether it’s a mower or anything else and I’ve only had it for a few days or a couple weeks. But after seeing your post, I felt I should at least share my experience.

Unfortunately, I knew the risk, especially at that price, but the enthusiast and hobbyist in me just can’t help but to try out these mowers.

I do believe that Swardman is watching very closely and likely so are other residential mower manufacturers, and I can almost guarantee that soon, you will see a swardman with quick cartridge change that requires no tools. Also they will likely switch to a turn-knob height adjustment or some sort of mechanism that does not require loosening and tightening any bolts like it does now. I’m sure I’m going to be one of the first ones to bite.

One thing I can say, is that when Swardman did go down because of a broken belt or whatever, even though I had great support, I could have easily fixed the problems. I faced myself. So that’s a definite plus I just think that Allett may be designed and more suitable for English Gardens where the common residential lawn is literally just a few hundred square feet. If you look at all the videos of reel mowing in London, they have less grass than I have on my sidewalk. So there is virtually no wear, and tear on the mowers. Once they are started, the mower is put back where it is stored in the mere minutes. I have just under 6000 ft.² between the front and the back. And I don’t see any time soon using any of the allett machines for all of it.

While it’s very expensive, when it comes to doing some heavy work, like detaching, verticutter, brushing, I may just use the Sterling for that, because it makes switching reels so easy. Or i may sell it. Who knows. I tend to hoard mowers.

on a sidenote, I just want to say again that I am so impressed with your lawn and yard design. I love absolutely everything about it. I don’t know if you designed it or if you had help but regardless, it is absolutely spectacular. Would love to have a cuppa coffee in the morning and look at a garden like that. Hope you are enjoying it.

 

on a sidenote, I just want to say again that I am so impressed with your lawn and yard design. I love absolutely everything about it. I don’t know if you designed it or if you had help but regardless, it is absolutely spectacular. Would love to have a cuppa coffee in the morning and look at a garden like that. Hope you are enjoying it.

Thank you, I appreciate your kind words! I designed most of it myself and I try do as much as possible of the work myself. But most of the stonework is of course the work of professionals. We also grow our own vegetables and fruits, have lots of dahlias and enjoy our little paradise a lot. Maybe I would enjoy it even more with a professional reel mower …

 

Finding out about the Stirling 20" mower just now has finally ended my ambivalence about Allett as a company. This new Stirling model has all the features I want while adding the excellent ergonomics borrowed from the Ego mowers.

Look Swardman, sling blades may look cool (some people call 'em Kaiser blades), but they don't make practical lawn mower handle bars. Also, the grass catcher doesn't need to be a steel box that weighs 15 pounds empty. Finally, the Stirling handle folds for corner storage like my Ego rotary mowers. And instead of being a huge hassle while adjusting the bed knife, the Stirling handle locks forward to become a built-in stand. Perfect!

Allett just overlooked just one teensy weensy, but ever so crucial little, tiny detail.

The over $6000 USD price tag leads me to suspect the Allett marketing gurus were all dropped on their heads as infants. Perhaps several times. If so, then we may have our explanation for this nonsense...

$5,819.00 (Stirling 51)
$300 (US Flat Rate Freight shipping)
$375 (Ego 7.5 aH battery, fewer aH may be feasible for your yard)
$130 (Ego 500W Rapid Charger)
$250 (state and local sales tax)
Grand Total: $6874

This assumes you don't buy the Ego battery and charger from the Allett web site. They only carry the insane 12 aH battery (for $1000) and the 700W rapid charger for $400. If you're a fool, the grand total becomes $7769.

Face it, Allett is just teasing us now. "Oy! Ian, let's make a perfect consumer-grade reel mower, but we'll jack the price to within about 80% of a commercial-grade greens mower. Oy! Nigel, that's brilliant! The Yanks will be furious and we won't sell more than a baker's dozen across the pond. Less work for us, eh what?"

Seriously, that Toro Greensmaster eFlex 1021 is looking pretty darn good at $8000. At least the price includes the stupid battery and charger system.

Anyway, I now officially Grinch-Level loath the Allett corporation. And I really, really hate that Dennis guy on YouTube who won a "Creative Lawn Striping" contest last year. That bum got an entire Stirling 51 setup plus $1400 in extra cartridges. Plus Ego battery and charger. For free. Ugh. He's probably secretly British.