Chapter Nine – My first Utility Mower.
This purchase was another case of me cracking the sh.ts and buying out of frustration. One of the selling points for me regarding the John Deere was the side throw function. I had a few jobs on the docket that were simply a case of slashing down growth.
In such situations, a catcher is not needed and the ability to have the clippings thrown to one side made the cutting process so much easier. Basically, you start on the outside and work your way inwards, each pass throwing clipping on to the part you had mowed previously. This makes it easier on the engine as it does not have to deal with un-mowed grass along with freshly mowed clippings. Progress is therefore faster. However, the John Deere couldn’t even do that. I was half-way through a job and getting more and more frustrated with constant blockages. I got in the Ute and went and bought a real mower!
I was offered two utility mowers, the Super Swift Big Bob and the Masport 530 Utility. Both brands also made smaller 18inch utilities, but I wanted the bigger 21inch cut. I was open to either of these two mowers, to the point where I asked the salesman which he would choose. He instantly pointed to the Masport, and this wasn’t a case of the Masport being more expensive either. I think that instant response was telling. In actual fact, I had been researching both of these machines for a while, the Big Bob seemed to get a lot of bad reviews for cracked handles. In fact, you will note the two braces in the pic below; those were added to mitigate the problem.
The Masport would end up being a great mower. While like the rest of their range, Masport offered a choice of engines, my choice was again the Briggs 850. This engine would smash through thick, wet and tall grass with no problem at all. Although, the governor on this particular engine was initially very sensitive, it wouldn’t take much to put the thing into a canter of surging revs. It got better as it broke in though. I was especially impressed with how tough the thing was after accidentally dropping the thing off the back of my ute, handles first! (DON’T ASK!). A quick tweak and the thing was as good as new. A true commercial mower.
The Masport 530 Utility cost me $749 in late 2013. These are still available today, along with the smaller 480 version –
480 -
https://masport.com.au/outdoor-garde...460-st-s18-625
530 DOV -
https://masport.com.au/outdoor-garde.../utility-530-3
530 Kohler (Please don't!) -
https://masport.com.au/outdoor-garde.../utility-530-2
President 530 DOV -
https://masport.com.au/outdoor-garde...sident-ute-530
President 530 850 I/C -
https://masport.com.au/outdoor-garde...utility-530-ic
Pro-Power 530 850 -
https://masport.com.au/outdoor-garde...21-utility-850
Next - Arguably the best mower I ever owned.