# Hudson Star



## Bermuda_Newbie (Jun 15, 2018)

Has anyone used a Hudson Star? I was poking around on the internet and ran across it and it's heafty price tag. I was wondering what makes it so special and is it really that nice to use? How does it compare to say a Fiskars in ease of pushing?


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

A Hudson Star is a specialty mower. It is made to mow greens and croquette pitches. I believe HOC is 0.2 or lower. Not sure if if can mow lawn height grass.


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## Bermuda_Newbie (Jun 15, 2018)

Interesting. It would make sense that they are not worried about how easy it is to push then if you are mowing grass that short. Thanks @Greendoc


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## ronjon84790 (Aug 2, 2018)

I almost pulled the trigger on one couple years ago. They have a max HOC of 0.75". I contacted them directly and they had a used one in very good condition for a discounted price. It was serviced by them and ready to mow. They are still very expensive but top of the line push mower.


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## TulsaFan (May 1, 2017)

Hudson Star mowers are really nice machines. They use all stainless hardware. The reel to bedknife is super easy to adjust. The rear drum is split. The unit weighs 82 lbs. It is pretty impressive!

If they were smart, Hudson Star would send Ware a demo unit to test out for the free exposure.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

I see "hefty price tag" mentioned above. What do they cost new?


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## TulsaFan (May 1, 2017)

Ware said:


> I see "hefty price tag" mentioned above. What do they cost new?


Not sure...I have seen anywhere from $1,500 with shipping to $2,200. The pictures look dated on some of the ones I found.


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

I found them for $2100. That is pretty hefty for a manual reel, but from their website, the golf courses seem to like them. I would think that they'd make for a great backup for a golf course if their powered equipment is down.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

@Gilley11 most golf courses will have multiple mowers ready to use and some in the shop being worked on. They won't have a manual push as a backup. It will take too many hours to mow all the greens. The manual push can be used for collars.


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

Ohh ok. What are collars?


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## ronjon84790 (Aug 2, 2018)

Gilley11 said:


> Ohh ok. What are collars?


The next step up in cutting height around the greens.


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## TulsaFan (May 1, 2017)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zUNkChL7Gc


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## Shindoman (Apr 22, 2018)

Looks like a great mower, I want one. Hopefully a dear friend and all around cool guy I know will sell me his cheap! &#128526;


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## TulsaFan (May 1, 2017)

Shindoman said:


> Looks like a great mower, I want one. Hopefully a dear friend and all around cool guy I know will sell me his cheap! 😎


There was one that sold for $600 in November. You might want to watch Ebay should your friend decide to not sell his Rolls Royce of push mowers. :lol:


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## Steely (Sep 24, 2017)

Anyone looking for a good deal on a Hudson Star Classic? I don't know too much about them but I thought they go for quite a bit more than this.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1064862397196416/


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## Passat774 (Oct 9, 2018)

Steely said:


> Anyone looking for a good deal on a Hudson Star Classic? I don't know too much about them but I thought they go for quite a bit more than this.
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1064862397196416/


Thanks, for the lead! I reached out to her and it's currently on it's way to me via UPS.

I will post when it arrives.


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## SGrabs33 (Feb 13, 2017)

Passat774 said:


> Steely said:
> 
> 
> > Anyone looking for a good deal on a Hudson Star Classic? I don't know too much about them but I thought they go for quite a bit more than this.
> ...


Wow, she shipped from MS. That great. Share some pics once you get it!


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## Passat774 (Oct 9, 2018)

I was very lucky, she did not want to ship it out. I offered full price and bunch of money for shipping and she accepted.

I am excited to have a high quality mower to supplement my GM1600. I mow a lot and need something lighter when it's wet. I will post pictures and review when it comes. I hope to use it this weekend on my dormant Bermuda to see how it performs.

Thanks again Steely!!


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## Steely (Sep 24, 2017)

Passat774 said:


> I was very lucky, she did not want to ship it out. I offered full price and bunch of money for shipping and she accepted.
> 
> I am excited to have a high quality mower to supplement my GM1600. I mow a lot and need something lighter when it's wet. I will post pictures and review when it comes. I hope to use it this weekend on my dormant Bermuda to see how it performs.
> 
> Thanks again Steely!!


 :thumbup: Glad someone on TLF could get it.


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## Salish_E (Jul 11, 2018)

Congrats @Passat774 ! I picked up an older model this past fall for cheap. It cut, but there was substantial corrosion. I ended up replacing the chains and all of the bearings. I learned a great deal in the process. Yours looks to be in great condition, but feel free to hit me up if you run into any issues!


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## Bermuda_Newbie (Jun 15, 2018)

@Passat774 Be sure to tell us how it works. I was so tempted. I have wanted one for a long time but we just moved and funds are tight. I'd love to read a review of it.


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## Passat774 (Oct 9, 2018)

Thanks, I am very excited as well. I reached out to Hudson Star and talked to one of the owners. I mentioned the entry price being very high but he mentioned a very interesting point. He said have you ever thought about the cost of maintenance on a gas powered reel mower?

No gas, no engine parts to fail. Just a basic back lapping a couple times a year. I am currently spending at least $150 a year on a newer Toro GM 1600 plus gas. So maybe $200 annually not long before it adds up to the cost of a Hudson.

I am fairly confident it will perform great, he said if you are cutting 1/4" per cut it works like cutting butter. My only concern is that it's only 16" cut. So it may add a little more time to my cut time...


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## TulsaFan (May 1, 2017)

If anyone needs an owners manual, you can download it from here.


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## TulsaFan (May 1, 2017)

For the record, I have never used a push reel mower so I have no experience or expectations on how one should handle.

However, I finally got around to mowing for the first time with my Hudson Star Classic Cut yesterday. It cut really well and efficiently put the grass in the basket. However, it was much harder to push than what I imagined. The rear drum slid a few times without the grass being wet. I do not have a front roller which is currently available.

In all fairness, the mower is designed for personal greens with extremely firm ground. However, my bermuda backyard is bumpy and not as firm as needed. Using my Power Rotary Scissors would be much more efficient mowing close to my raised beds.

I also mowed the perimeter of my zoysia in the front lawn. I feel that it did a good job, but my zoysia is not as thick as it will be in another month. :?

Seems like a high quality mower for the right grass & application. However, I do not see myself hanging on to this long term.

Just my honest opinion...


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## elitsav (Oct 21, 2020)

Passat774 said:


> Thanks, I am very excited as well. I reached out to Hudson Star and talked to one of the owners. I mentioned the entry price being very high but he mentioned a very interesting point. He said have you ever thought about the cost of maintenance on a gas powered reel mower?
> 
> No gas, no engine parts to fail. Just a basic back lapping a couple times a year. I am currently spending at least $150 a year on a newer Toro GM 1600 plus gas. So maybe $200 annually not long before it adds up to the cost of a Hudson.
> 
> I am fairly confident it will perform great, he said if you are cutting 1/4" per cut it works like cutting butter. My only concern is that it's only 16" cut. So it may add a little more time to my cut time...


I was presented the same argument about maintenance and bought one. It's been 3 weeks now and I can tell you this mower is not exactly maintenance free. I have back lapped it twice already and I cannot get it to cut paper. Had my superintendent from my golf course check it out and was not impressed primarily due to the fact that I had to back lap a mower this new. He also pointed out that my grass was starting to grow laterally and not vertically since using the mower, which in the long run will affect cutting height consistency.

For the price this mower is NOT worth it. I would however recommend it if you need something simple to operate/fix and don't mind over spending. The negative is quality of cut is not anywhere close to commercial greens mowers, which you can buy used for about the same price. However If you can find a hudson star less than $800 I think it's worth it perhaps as backup mower not primary. I would also say for cutting collars this would be a good option. For actual greens, it should be fine for most backyard greens but not great; Just good enough to get the job done.


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## Passat774 (Oct 9, 2018)

After a year of use I must way in. In terms of keeping the reel sharp it has been a little more tricky, I found myself adjusting the reel to bedknife more often than I imagined. I can use my Toro GM 1600 and go 10/15 mows before having to adjust the reel to bedknife. On the Hudson it was every 3/4 it seem to need fine tuning. Only backlapped once.

I did find that when doing my main yard after topdressing it is tends to float being a smaller unit. I was good with quality of cut. I was at .60 this year on my Bermuda.

I agree it's a lot of money at the asking price as I sourced my like new unit on FB Marketplace for very little money.


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## hsvtoolfool (Jul 23, 2018)

Thanks for the input @elitsav and @Passat774.

I've tried to contact Hudson Star by email for several months at their "Sales @" and "Support @" addresses listed on their web site. They won't respond. I really like their mower design, but ignoring business emails is a really bad sign to me.

From what I've found on the web, Hudson Star apparently sold a 24V battery-powered version of their mower at one time.....

https://www.peoplepoweredmachines.com/hudsonstar/index.htm

EDIT: Here's a dead page on the HS site referring to the "Signature Series" electric model...

https://www.hudsonstar.com/signature-series

The idea I was kicking around is to "electrify" their manual model using a 56V EGO 7.5aH battery, a 300W to 500W brushless DC motor, and a hobby-grade brushless motor controller. If Hudson Start already has the mechanical side of this worked out, then I can do the motor side easily.

At 14K, my lawn is just too large (and sloped!) to consider using an 80 lb. manual push mower that's only 16" wide. But a nimble, cordless version would be very useful for my front yard landscaping.


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## Passat774 (Oct 9, 2018)

I utilize it on one small section and also in tight areas my GM 1600 is too big for.

Nice to have but expensive, it took a long time to get any email response.

I also just emailed the "technical" person I had dealings with to see if he has the schematics for the electric version.


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## SGrabs33 (Feb 13, 2017)

@elitsav dont they have a pretty good return policy?


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## elitsav (Oct 21, 2020)

I already returned it. Awaiting a refund. Getting a hold of someone had been challenging but I did speak to someone yesterday and was informed they are working on it... so will keep you posted on how that process goes.


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn (Aug 22, 2020)

elitsav said:


> I already returned it. Awaiting a refund. Getting a hold of someone had been challenging but I did speak to someone yesterday and was informed they are working on it... so will keep you posted on how that process goes.


And...in an unrelated note, I will be calling Hudson this week to see if they have any used models for a discount. Lol 😉


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## elitsav (Oct 21, 2020)

Sonoran Desert Lawn said:


> elitsav said:
> 
> 
> > I already returned it. Awaiting a refund. Getting a hold of someone had been challenging but I did speak to someone yesterday and was informed they are working on it... so will keep you posted on how that process goes.
> ...


lol..... It's a good mower at the right price. Hope you get a good price on it.


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn (Aug 22, 2020)

Anyone else have any Hudson Star updates/input? I am debating between this or the Mclane greens mower. Thanks.


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## Tassoty (Oct 2, 2020)

@Passat774 are you willing to sell your Hudson Star?


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## Passat774 (Oct 9, 2018)

Not yet, but you are welcome to borrow it anytime :thumbup:

It's nice to have for my little 1k square foot section and around my trees and edge.

It's a nice secondary mower..


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## Tassoty (Oct 2, 2020)

@Passat774 Thanks! I would but I do not leave close. Can you share close up photo on the grass mowed with it? I am on the market for reel but my problem is that I like to mow verry early in the morning...most of the time and this will be perfect option for me. I see you even have led lights on you other mower👍. I called a few places to look for 10 blade McLane push but noone caried it even if it was advertized on their web site, I will try to call Hudson Star tomorrow.


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn (Aug 22, 2020)

Tassoty said:


> I called a few places to look for 10 blade McLane push but noone caried it even if it was advertized on their web site, I will try to call Hudson Star tomorrow.


Did you try calling Mclane? I called when it was out of stock on their website but they had them in stock.


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