Garden Len will probably advise you better as I have asked his help many a time, he knows what he is talking about. I have a flyer here about the Mower Place plenty of brands of mowers in it The Mower Place is giving a bonus $100 store voucher with every Honda while stocks last they start at $699 and are Australian built they all say easy to start, and I will admit the mowers of this Century are a lot easier to start I dont know if Honda have a key start though. I would have a good think about this mower and try and get a good one from a Mower shop not a store, forget about this nothing fancy, just get a good one that will last. Four strokes are easy to look after the petrol goes in one tank the oil in a separate one, these days the filter is made of paper so no more washing the sponge thingy out and putting a drop of oil on it, you just replace it after a while, when you are sick of brushing or blowing the dust off it, you should not have any trouble with a four stroke hopes this helps.....Cheers...MM.

you mentioned embankment? just be careful 4 strokes aren't made for steep area mowing. if you have a steep bank maybe get a flymo for that specific area?

4 stroke for sure is the way to go honda (no experience with them) are gaining a very good rep' in this area, masport with a briggs & stratton might be next then rover (not sure what else is out there?) just be sure the b&s is manufactured in the US of A.

go for models with steel ball bearing wheels masport did have an adjustable set up very ideal (500mm model), for me i reckon a bag catcher outweighs the plastic models in function usability and very light so no added weight to the mower, just remmeber to rinse or hose them out after each use, almost indestructable. not sure about honda as i said above but the masport plastic catcher is very strong indeed if you go that way.

for most domsetic uses don't buy less than 3.5hp capacity 4 hp is even better. me i like heaps of grunt they last longer doing domestic work so i go for the 5hp IC models never wear them out if you learn to do the servicing right and run them in from new (read my page i think i have some hints there?).

so right up front don't buy from the discounters, go to a specialist shop the trick to find one where they are fully experienced but even then you are streets ahead when dealing with specialists as they only generally sell top of the range models, which the discounter models aren't.

pity snapper aren't available over here anymore they have 21" 5hp I/C self propelled model that was top of the range a very nice machine indeed great for the ladies to use.

the so called home grown product just isn't worth a look these days.

len

You won't be dissapointed with it. I have a Honda Buffalo, absolutely worth every cent of the $800 I paid for it.

Andrew.