Lovely lawnmower and I'd love to be able to own one of these. Thanks for the video. Can I just say, being from the UK what an absolutely beautiful landscape/ scenery you have to look at from your property. Something I am sure you never get bored looking at.
Thanks! I don’t think so. I was told that my attitude made me look displeased at the end. Did you think that too? I think that’s more that I was not quite sure how to close out the video. I’m still getting used to the Stirling but I’m really enjoying it. Just need to adjust to the battery power vs gas and the difference in responsiveness. Plus, with the engine so quiet, it’s hard to know how much reel noise is acceptable.
Hi there Sidney, I apologize for the long time getting back to you. I’ve had two problems, the first one is a manufacturer design flaw that they’ve fixed with a bracing kit that they are pre installing on newer units. All of us that got them initially had them sent to us to retrofit. The other problem I had was my error, where I tried to pick up cut, long decorative grass and it jammed up my scarifier cartridges and broke some of the spindles. Allett is being great about sending me out some replacement parts to fix it with that should be arriving in about a week or so.
Do you know if the cartridges are backwards compatible (to fit Kensington ) once you replace them with the metal gear? In other words, will the fit both?
The gears are different so you’d have to swap them back and forth if you switch between the two mowers, but otherwise they are the same. Except the Kensington cartridges have a rubber pad on them that the grass catcher cradle rests on that aren’t on the Stirling because it doesn’t need them. You’d want to get the rubber pads if you are down-converting a Stirling cartridge.
The problem isn’t as much from the bumps but the uneven cut you might get if you try to go low. A couple years back I did a video about top dressing and showed at the beginning how I had spotty scalping from the bumps in the dirt. The top dressing fixed it. So it wasn’t a problem with the mower, just the ground. My yard has some dips and rolls in it that I still need to work out, but the mower handles that just fine.
Also noticed the basket which I have let Allett know after six years of production of the Liberty 43 time to add this to the accessories list so we can drop the horrible bulky plastic one we are stuck with right now.
It would be cool if they could make some kind of conversation kit for it. The new collection box is so nice if many ways. Light, easy to empty, easy to consistently attach to the mower…
@@DennisAroundtheHouse Yes, just like our rotary mowers , easy to attach and easy to remove and empty. Allett we recommend you employ what we here call the KISS method.
Hi Dennis, I would recommend keeping an eye out for wear on the drive belt as Liberty 43 owners are noticing premature wear after only 6 months of lite duty.
My lawn is Kentucky Bluegrass. I’ve heard of them used on just about all kinds of grass from KBG to Bermuda, but I haven’t heard anyone use them on St Augustine. Surely someone must be reel mowing that kind on RUclips somewhere. I’d be interested to see.
I haven’t had them officially grinded yet, but backlapping keeps them honed well. I have a local golf course that I am planning to contact to see if they might be able to help with a grind. Honestly, that’s one of the challenges owners have been having… trying to find a local place to take them to so you done have to pay a ton in shipping. When I finally work out getting them grinded I’ll see about posting something about it.
Dennis this video looks like it might be taken in Utah County. What has your experience been with the Stirling last summer? Hoping at sometime we will be able to mow a lawn when the snow is gone.
Yeah, I’m in Utah county. I’ve really liked the Stirling. Have had it out this year already to Scarify and verticut a little. And I mowed but not much needed to be cut. Going to keep my KBG at about 1” this year, I think
I just purchased mine. Should be hear on this week. I am in Orem. Been reel mowing for a couple years but definitely need the attachments to get the lawn like I want it.
Awesome! - I have an Ego lawnmower and trimmer would love to add this to my collection as I have been getting into Reel mowers and looking for a battery powered one. Or the PGA manual one the Hudson Star.
The Hudson Star looks really awesome. The price puts it a bit out of my range, but also I don’t think it has a height of cut that would work for me. I think it’s meant to cut very low. I’m keeping mine at about 1” now. The HS only goes up to .75. I’ve gone that low before but I like to have more range.
@@DennisAroundtheHouse Hey Dennis - A couple of questions as I am looking for a Reel mower. 1. Thoughts on the Jacobson Eclipse that is a battery powered electric unit? I have seen a few out there for sale. 2. Dont Cringe.... Any experience on the old Locke Mowers? They look very interesting perhaps if you find a descent one. Going to look at one today and purposly not bringing money as I first need to understand what the heck I am looking at.
Actually, I don't know much about either of those, but looking into them, they seem pretty heavy duty, like for large properties and golf courses. Quite a bit more than what I'd need. Are you looking for residential but with a large property?
Hey man. Thanks for judging this years competition. I was 5th place. Question on your reel to bedknife. I did literally the same thing in your video to my sterling. Did a paper test and was able yo get a clean cut however it was so tight that then i ran it in the mower i had the same awful noise. Did they send you any retrofit to fix this? Or did u just back the reel off ? If so how is the quality of cut ? I have a short youtube video on my channel if you wanted to see what im talking about
Sorry for the delay I getting back to you on this. I found that the paper test makes the contact too tight and I’ve started adjusting by sound. Running the mower and turning the screw until I hear the contact and then backing it off one tick. It’s working well and stays nice and quiet.
That house across the street with the forest growing in the front yard is horrible. Here where I live if you go and maintain that yard you can put a lean on the property and charge them a fair amount per weekly cut plus interest and when it goes to auction you can either take possession of the property or get a pay out
Ah, you’re referring to the empty lot with the weed forest? That’s an interesting tactic. There is a for sale sign on it now but they want way more for it than it’s worth IMO. A maintenance lean is an interesting idea. I’ll actually look into that!
Thanks! I mowed my yard tonight on a full charge and it only want down one light. Pretty impressive! My yard is about 5k sqft. Glad I held out for the 12ah.
Yeah, I was pretty surprised. I’ll be interested to push it a bit and see how long I can get it to go, maybe with a scarify and a couple cut or something.
That particular loud noise was because I had adjusted it too tight. I’m going to have to find the sweet spot. By the time I started mowing it sounded much better. I’ll work on it.
@@DennisAroundtheHouse yeah I know but the paper test suggested you had set right. Some owners have had to back it right off and it’s meant no cut but there is a live fix for it. No idea what it is.
I think the paper that I was using was too thin. It was thinner than printer paper, so I think it was too tight still. Definitely needs some experimenting. One thought I have it that I’m wondering if it’s the contrast of going from a loud gas mower to a silent battery powered one. I’m just not used to noticing the reel sound much because the engine is usually loud.
Not sure what other manufacturer’s do for contact adjustment mechanism however two seasons with the Liberty45 has left me wondering why Allett doesn’t redesign their adjustment mechanism so that the reel-to-bedknife contact surfaces were fixed parallel to each other and then adjusted evenly across the entire contact surface. While adjusting each side independently allows for ‘micro’ adjusting, it also allows for lesser manufacturing quality in the reels. From the user perspective it also allows for uneven pressure, excessive friction, premature wear and constant attention to the bedknife & reel - again, only because one side is slightly and unmeasurably tighter than the other. Over a few hours of use this leads to heat, wear, and a cylinder that continues to get further out-of-round. The click/clang sound after adjusting based on the “does it cut paper evenly test” confirms that one side is actually slamming in to the bed knife. If the reel were truly cylindrical out of the box then it could be adjusted from only one mechanism, not two.
Any update on this? I just got my stirling this week and I’m having issues with the reel slamming into the bed knife…only fix was to increase the distance but now the cut quality is terrible. I’ve sent a message to alllett USA but haven’t heard back from. It’s super frustrating
Too bad they do not treat the Liberty line with the same respect. I received my Liberty 43 and part of the box was crushed but luckily the unit was intact.
Yeah, my Kensington was shipped in a similar cardboard box. I wonder if they’ll change them all to the wood crate eventually. I’d imagine since they are shipping globally that there’s bound to be expensive damage to these that they’d want to mitigate.
Right. It’s been a while since I made the video. What did I say? I think it was just that I wanted to ride a Vespa around England. I have a Vespa, so that’s why I named the brand. I know they are from Italy.
Would have been a significantly larger box if it came assembled. Had to add both batteries, actually, as it doesn’t come with any. Kind of a bummer there.
Great to see you supporting the Brits.
They are a great lot to support!
Lovely lawnmower and I'd love to be able to own one of these. Thanks for the video. Can I just say, being from the UK what an absolutely beautiful landscape/ scenery you have to look at from your property. Something I am sure you never get bored looking at.
Thank you!
When you setup the bed knife distance from the reel, it should cut one piece of paper but not the other and that means it’s perfect
So satisfying getting new lawn equipment
Yep. Gotta love that new mower smell!
Where is this? Montana, Wyoming? I just see those mountains in the background.
Utah!
Fantastic content - extremely useful - thanks for taking the time to prepare and share!!
fantastic. you like the Kensington better?
Thanks! I don’t think so. I was told that my attitude made me look displeased at the end. Did you think that too? I think that’s more that I was not quite sure how to close out the video.
I’m still getting used to the Stirling but I’m really enjoying it. Just need to adjust to the battery power vs gas and the difference in responsiveness. Plus, with the engine so quiet, it’s hard to know how much reel noise is acceptable.
Hi, did you have any Problems with the Allett Stirling ? thanks for your Answer Kenneth from Germany
Hi there Sidney, I apologize for the long time getting back to you.
I’ve had two problems, the first one is a manufacturer design flaw that they’ve fixed with a bracing kit that they are pre installing on newer units. All of us that got them initially had them sent to us to retrofit.
The other problem I had was my error, where I tried to pick up cut, long decorative grass and it jammed up my scarifier cartridges and broke some of the spindles. Allett is being great about sending me out some replacement parts to fix it with that should be arriving in about a week or so.
Do you know if the cartridges are backwards compatible (to fit Kensington ) once you replace them with the metal gear? In other words, will the fit both?
The gears are different so you’d have to swap them back and forth if you switch between the two mowers, but otherwise they are the same. Except the Kensington cartridges have a rubber pad on them that the grass catcher cradle rests on that aren’t on the Stirling because it doesn’t need them. You’d want to get the rubber pads if you are down-converting a Stirling cartridge.
Awesome, Your lawn looks good.
Thanks!
Do you think it would handle a bumpy yard? Need to add top soil to get a flat lawn. Asking from South Texas.
Thanks!
The problem isn’t as much from the bumps but the uneven cut you might get if you try to go low. A couple years back I did a video about top dressing and showed at the beginning how I had spotty scalping from the bumps in the dirt. The top dressing fixed it. So it wasn’t a problem with the mower, just the ground.
My yard has some dips and rolls in it that I still need to work out, but the mower handles that just fine.
Also noticed the basket which I have let Allett know after six years of production of the Liberty 43 time to add this to the accessories list so we can drop the horrible bulky plastic one we are stuck with right now.
It would be cool if they could make some kind of conversation kit for it. The new collection box is so nice if many ways. Light, easy to empty, easy to consistently attach to the mower…
@@DennisAroundtheHouse Yes, just like our rotary mowers , easy to attach and easy to remove and empty. Allett we recommend you employ what we here call the KISS method.
@@brianwhitney9181 seems like an upgrade Liberty owners would pay for. A modified grass box cradle that holds the new catcher.
@@DennisAroundtheHouse Hi Dennis, from your lips to Austin's ear. I would be the first to buy that option if offered.
Hi Dennis, I would recommend keeping an eye out for wear on the drive belt as Liberty 43 owners are noticing premature wear after only 6 months of lite duty.
Lovely design you made. 👏
Thanks! I appreciate that!
Wow what a great view to the mountains ! In which state are you living ? Super video !
I’m in Utah and yeah it’s a great view. Glad you enjoyed the video!
What turf are you using the Allett on? Would it be overkill for use on St Augustine?
My lawn is Kentucky Bluegrass. I’ve heard of them used on just about all kinds of grass from KBG to Bermuda, but I haven’t heard anyone use them on St Augustine. Surely someone must be reel mowing that kind on RUclips somewhere. I’d be interested to see.
St. Aug really needs to mowed at 3.75”-4”. You can’t really get that high with a reel mower. Zoysia or Bermuda is your best bet.
Hi Dennis, Will you be giving us an update on your experience with your new mower.
I should. Good idea. Thanks. It’s been generally good with a couple of issues. I should cover those.
@@DennisAroundtheHouse Look forward to that update.
what place is that? nice view back there?
This is Provo Utah. That’s the Wasatch mountain range in the background.
What kind of grass do you have? It looks really good.
Thanks! It’s Kentucky Bluegrass
How do you sharpen the blades?
I haven’t had them officially grinded yet, but backlapping keeps them honed well. I have a local golf course that I am planning to contact to see if they might be able to help with a grind.
Honestly, that’s one of the challenges owners have been having… trying to find a local place to take them to so you done have to pay a ton in shipping. When I finally work out getting them grinded I’ll see about posting something about it.
Where do u live such beautiful scenery
In Utah. Lots of great sights around here.
Dennis this video looks like it might be taken in Utah County. What has your experience been with the Stirling last summer? Hoping at sometime we will be able to mow a lawn when the snow is gone.
Yeah, I’m in Utah county. I’ve really liked the Stirling. Have had it out this year already to Scarify and verticut a little. And I mowed but not much needed to be cut. Going to keep my KBG at about 1” this year, I think
I just purchased mine. Should be hear on this week. I am in Orem. Been reel mowing for a couple years but definitely need the attachments to get the lawn like I want it.
Cool! We should get together and kick the tires when it arrives!
Looking awesome 👏 Clint! It was 89 here Friday now 4” snow on Sunday we will be mowing “someday” 😂
I keep hoping it’s going to be done with the snow but the overnight lows are still at 31 degrees next week so you never know.
This was awesome Dennis congrats!!!!!
Thanks!
Great review from the UK 🇬🇧
Thanks!
Awesome! - I have an Ego lawnmower and trimmer would love to add this to my collection as I have been getting into Reel mowers and looking for a battery powered one. Or the PGA manual one the Hudson Star.
The Hudson Star looks really awesome. The price puts it a bit out of my range, but also I don’t think it has a height of cut that would work for me. I think it’s meant to cut very low. I’m keeping mine at about 1” now. The HS only goes up to .75. I’ve gone that low before but I like to have more range.
@@DennisAroundtheHouse Hey Dennis - A couple of questions as I am looking for a Reel mower.
1. Thoughts on the Jacobson Eclipse that is a battery powered electric unit? I have seen a few out there for sale.
2. Dont Cringe.... Any experience on the old Locke Mowers? They look very interesting perhaps if you find a descent one. Going to look at one today and purposly not bringing money as I first need to understand what the heck I am looking at.
Actually, I don't know much about either of those, but looking into them, they seem pretty heavy duty, like for large properties and golf courses. Quite a bit more than what I'd need. Are you looking for residential but with a large property?
@@DennisAroundtheHouse Y
Ending up buying a Toro Greensmaster that just needs a little backlapping and adjustments.
EGO needs to release their own REEL mower!
Hey man. Thanks for judging this years competition. I was 5th place. Question on your reel to bedknife. I did literally the same thing in your video to my sterling. Did a paper test and was able yo get a clean cut however it was so tight that then i ran it in the mower i had the same awful noise. Did they send you any retrofit to fix this? Or did u just back the reel off ? If so how is the quality of cut ? I have a short youtube video on my channel if you wanted to see what im talking about
Sorry for the delay I getting back to you on this. I found that the paper test makes the contact too tight and I’ve started adjusting by sound. Running the mower and turning the screw until I hear the contact and then backing it off one tick. It’s working well and stays nice and quiet.
Oh, and good job on your entry!
@@DennisAroundtheHouse thanks for the information and help+ cheers
Yard across the street could use some help!
You can say that again!
That house across the street with the forest growing in the front yard is horrible. Here where I live if you go and maintain that yard you can put a lean on the property and charge them a fair amount per weekly cut plus interest and when it goes to auction you can either take possession of the property or get a pay out
Ah, you’re referring to the empty lot with the weed forest? That’s an interesting tactic. There is a for sale sign on it now but they want way more for it than it’s worth IMO. A maintenance lean is an interesting idea. I’ll actually look into that!
@@DennisAroundtheHouse nice mower and good looking design on your win
Thanks!
congrats dennis. what sort of usage did you get out of the battery?
Thanks!
I mowed my yard tonight on a full charge and it only want down one light. Pretty impressive! My yard is about 5k sqft. Glad I held out for the 12ah.
@@DennisAroundtheHouse wow that is decent. probably only used 2.5 a/h worth of charge
Yeah, I was pretty surprised. I’ll be interested to push it a bit and see how long I can get it to go, maybe with a scarify and a couple cut or something.
@@DennisAroundtheHouse i think the cultivation work will drain it more than regular mowing so it will be interesting to see how it goes. enjoy!
Agreed. Thanks!
Nice to see some quality British engineering.
Yeah, it is really a solid build!
Allett now have a fix for that loud noise when the cylinder contacts the bed knife. You may want to follow up with them
That particular loud noise was because I had adjusted it too tight. I’m going to have to find the sweet spot. By the time I started mowing it sounded much better. I’ll work on it.
@@DennisAroundtheHouse yeah I know but the paper test suggested you had set right. Some owners have had to back it right off and it’s meant no cut but there is a live fix for it. No idea what it is.
I think the paper that I was using was too thin. It was thinner than printer paper, so I think it was too tight still. Definitely needs some experimenting.
One thought I have it that I’m wondering if it’s the contrast of going from a loud gas mower to a silent battery powered one. I’m just not used to noticing the reel sound much because the engine is usually loud.
Not sure what other manufacturer’s do for contact adjustment mechanism however two seasons with the Liberty45 has left me wondering why Allett doesn’t redesign their adjustment mechanism so that the reel-to-bedknife contact surfaces were fixed parallel to each other and then adjusted evenly across the entire contact surface. While adjusting each side independently allows for ‘micro’ adjusting, it also allows for lesser manufacturing quality in the reels. From the user perspective it also allows for uneven pressure, excessive friction, premature wear and constant attention to the bedknife & reel - again, only because one side is slightly and unmeasurably tighter than the other. Over a few hours of use this leads to heat, wear, and a cylinder that continues to get further out-of-round. The click/clang sound after adjusting based on the “does it cut paper evenly test” confirms that one side is actually slamming in to the bed knife. If the reel were truly cylindrical out of the box then it could be adjusted from only one mechanism, not two.
Any update on this? I just got my stirling this week and I’m having issues with the reel slamming into the bed knife…only fix was to increase the distance but now the cut quality is terrible. I’ve sent a message to alllett USA but haven’t heard back from. It’s super frustrating
While your in the UK visit the Morgan Plant and Rent a Morgan and travel around the countryside . Nice looking mower.😍
I had never heard of Morgans until this comment. Now I looked it up and I’m going to obsess about them! Thanks a lot!! 😃
Dennis~ Love it,you did best picture!all the best- )
Thanks! Have a great one!
Too bad they do not treat the Liberty line with the same respect. I received my Liberty 43 and part of the box was crushed but luckily the unit was intact.
Yeah, my Kensington was shipped in a similar cardboard box. I wonder if they’ll change them all to the wood crate eventually. I’d imagine since they are shipping globally that there’s bound to be expensive damage to these that they’d want to mitigate.
Great mower, house across the street needs a trim too
Thanks!
Vespa is from Italy btw.
Right. It’s been a while since I made the video. What did I say? I think it was just that I wanted to ride a Vespa around England. I have a Vespa, so that’s why I named the brand. I know they are from Italy.
Great work
Thanks!
Very nice mate well jealous 😉
Thanks! I’m excited to put it through its paces
I like the heavy duty plastic grass catcher instead.
I thought I would too, but after using this one a bit, I’m really digging how easy it is to put on and off and how light and easy to empty it is.
That's like winning a huge lottery. These things are way too expensive.
True
A mower that cost 3,650 And I have to put it together 😢 And he had an extra battery Add another 400 to that price
Would have been a significantly larger box if it came assembled. Had to add both batteries, actually, as it doesn’t come with any. Kind of a bummer there.
You likely violated the #1 Rule in mowing- the 1/3 rule 😟
Hmm