Al-Ko BR52 Premium mower review
Discussion
I bought this mower two years ago to replace a Qualcast that had done 10 years excellent service on our plot.
To be clear - this is a farm plot, so uneven ground, stones and ground elder are a factor. It's hard on mowers, but the Al-Ko was promoted as a solid machine for larger gardens so it got the gig. Here's the review:
In the two years I've owned it, there hasn't been a bolt that hasn't unscrewed itself or a piece of plastic that hasn't cracked, fallen off or twisted. Even the Al-Ko sticker on the engine has peeled itself off (perhaps in shame). The pull start handle broke. The handle bar lock nuts constantly unscrew and throw themselves off. The height adjustment bar came unbolted. The wheel trims have a suicide wish. The belt guard was punctured by a stone, and is now warped. The side outlet guide falls off and the mulch plug has got harder and harder to fit each time. The deck twists and managed to get munched by the blade (still not sure how that one happened).
Then there are the design flaws. The belt guard doesn't guard the belt. Instead it slowly eats bits of grass until it's stuffed, then throws the belt off. Cue 10 minutes of unbolting the thing, pulling out grass and re-attaching the belt. The side chute blocks regularly and the rear chute needs bone dry short grass to work efficiently.
Finally, it's put itself out of my misery. I caught a root with it. Didn't seem a big deal at the time. It was only later I discovered it had cracked the mounting plate. And bent the crank shaft. I can't blame the mower for this one - these things happen - however, I'm sure I must have done the same with the Qualcast over the ten years I had it and that machine carried on regardless. On something that cost twice as much I foolishly expected some robustness - perhaps even some engine protection. Nope. And how much does a replacement engine cost? Pretty much the same as the original mower, which probably explains why all the other parts keep falling off. They must have a budget of pennies.
So now I need a new mower. I'm a bit nervous of shelling out much as it doesn't seem there's any way to guarantee the next one won't roll over and die the moment it's taken away from the bowling green of the adverts.
Maybe I'll get a goat.
To be clear - this is a farm plot, so uneven ground, stones and ground elder are a factor. It's hard on mowers, but the Al-Ko was promoted as a solid machine for larger gardens so it got the gig. Here's the review:
In the two years I've owned it, there hasn't been a bolt that hasn't unscrewed itself or a piece of plastic that hasn't cracked, fallen off or twisted. Even the Al-Ko sticker on the engine has peeled itself off (perhaps in shame). The pull start handle broke. The handle bar lock nuts constantly unscrew and throw themselves off. The height adjustment bar came unbolted. The wheel trims have a suicide wish. The belt guard was punctured by a stone, and is now warped. The side outlet guide falls off and the mulch plug has got harder and harder to fit each time. The deck twists and managed to get munched by the blade (still not sure how that one happened).
Then there are the design flaws. The belt guard doesn't guard the belt. Instead it slowly eats bits of grass until it's stuffed, then throws the belt off. Cue 10 minutes of unbolting the thing, pulling out grass and re-attaching the belt. The side chute blocks regularly and the rear chute needs bone dry short grass to work efficiently.
Finally, it's put itself out of my misery. I caught a root with it. Didn't seem a big deal at the time. It was only later I discovered it had cracked the mounting plate. And bent the crank shaft. I can't blame the mower for this one - these things happen - however, I'm sure I must have done the same with the Qualcast over the ten years I had it and that machine carried on regardless. On something that cost twice as much I foolishly expected some robustness - perhaps even some engine protection. Nope. And how much does a replacement engine cost? Pretty much the same as the original mower, which probably explains why all the other parts keep falling off. They must have a budget of pennies.
So now I need a new mower. I'm a bit nervous of shelling out much as it doesn't seem there's any way to guarantee the next one won't roll over and die the moment it's taken away from the bowling green of the adverts.
Maybe I'll get a goat.
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff