Why a scarifier could be a useful sidearm to your lawn mower

Mowing the lawn isn’t enough when you care for your cherished patch of grass or a palatial field. Your lawn needs to aerated to keep it in tip-top condition. A scarifier makes that possible.

Also known as a dethatcher, a scarifier cuts through the soil and rids your lawn of dead moss and grass cuttings. This adds vitality and prevents rainwater from getting to your lawn. They are available in motorised and manual forms. The most basic form is a garden rake, which the device is derived from.

The best time to use your scarifier is in late Spring or Autumn – both times of the year when grass growth is at its highest. Once a year should be enough.

Models

At present, Shanley Mowers offer the Agrinova AR38-R, Agrinova AR47-RM, and Dormak SC 38 BS models. Both Agrinova models have Briggs and Stratton engines. The Agrinova AR47-RM is the most powerful of the two with a 6.5 bhp Vanguard engine.

Expect to pay around €20 to €50 for a manual scarifier. For motorised ones, you are looking at €106 to €1,350 for one suitable for home use. Prices may vary on models, makes, retailers, exchange rates, and whether they are new or refurbished.

Shanley Mowers, 21 June 2017.

A brief look at the Castelgarden range of walk-behind and ride-on lawnmowers

Global Garden Products is one of Europe’s leading companies in the field of horticulture. They have their roots in M.A.C. SpA, a refrigeration and garden equipment company formed in 1962. The biggest change came in 1986 when the refrigeration division was sold off. That year saw the renaming of M.A.C SpA’s garden equipment company as Castelgarden.

Castelgarden took part of its name from the Italian town, Castelfranco Veneto, which is in the province of Treviso. It is the head office of Global Garden Products which covers Castelgarden, plus its international brand, Stiga. The company has local brands, including Mountfield for the British market. They also own the iconic Atco brand, which has been with us for a century.

We at Shanley Mowers sell many of the GGP range of products in walk-behind and ride-on forms. Our range includes Castelgarden and Stiga ride-on tractor mowers. Our most state-of-the-art lawnmowers include the Stiga robot mowers, which go about their merry way along the lawn (like a robotic vacuum cleaner).

Our Castelgarden lawnmowers include the Multiclip XSM52G push lawnmower. This has a 140cc overhead valve engine. At the other end of the scale are their lawn tractors. These include a twin set of cutting blades known as the Twin Cut System. All of our items are available at competitive prices. For further information and the latest prices, call us on 0872 542108 or 01-4589009. Our office hours are from 9 am to 6 pm.

Shanley Mowers, 23 March 2017.

How celebrity lawnmowers are a good crowd draw at the British Lawnmower Museum

Ever wanted to see Lee Mack’s dibber, or Joe Pasquale’s lawn mower? Or the ATCO mower presented to Lady Diana Spencer and HRH Prince Charles? A few miles north of Liverpool is the British Lawnmower Museum.

The museum, situated in the seaside and shopping town of Southport, has a wide range of historical lawnmowers. It includes the first hover mower (which is in blue and white rather than the familiar orange and brown of Flymo) and a number of rare exhibits. The museum, whose curator is Brian Radam, is situated on the corner of Shakespeare Street and Duke Street.

The museum on 106 – 114, Shakespeare Street, has been running for 25 years. It shares its premises with Mr. Radam’s other businesses. One is Lawnmower World, which sells and repairs lawnmowers of any description (as one would expect). The other one is Stanleys Security is a locksmith and hardware shop which has been going since 1940.

To make his museum pay its way, the promotion of celebrity lawnmowers is seen as one way. Another is the sale of merchandise from the British Lawnmower Museum’s website: from DVDs to T-Shirts. Plus a plethora of postcards.

If you love your mowers, this is a “must-visit” attraction. If you’re staying over in Liverpool, it is worth taking a train from Moorfields station to Southport. The British Lawnmower Museum is open every day but Sunday from 9.00 am to 5.30 pm.

The British Lawnmower Museum is served by regular Merseyrail Electrics trains from Moorfields to Southport. Birkdale station is also close to the museum. You can travel to Liverpool from Dublin via the ferry to Holyhead or regular flights to Manchester Airport (then a train to Southport).

Shanley Mowers Dublin, 28 February 2017.