# Allett Kensington Questions



## Killbuzz (Apr 30, 2017)

​
Do you have a Allett Kensington mower and have a question about working on it? Do you have something to share? Ask or share here.


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## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

Killbuzz said:


> ​
> Do you have a Allett Kensington mower and have a question about working on it? Do you have something to share? Ask or share here.


 Killbuzz, can you give us your thoughts? Liked and dislikes. How easy is it to backlapp, adjust bedknife to reel clearance?


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## Killbuzz (Apr 30, 2017)

Overall I like the mower. If I had one complaint it would be the plastic that is used in some of the construction. Namely the throttle handle which has broken on me twice. Luckily I haven't had the need to use it but it will be an easy fix with some JB Weld or other epoxy. The only other plastic pieces are the sides of the mower which have been getting scuffed up. Not a huge deal since it's a mower and that was bound to happen. Other than that those are the only real issues I've come across this season. The big selling factor for me was the cartridge system. I currently have the six blade reel that came with the mower, a verticutter, and a brush. Next season I'll get the 10 blade reel. Currently I'm cutting around .5" to .75" only due to my lawn not being completely level. I have yet to see any washboarding but I keep a nice slow pace when I mow. The ability to remove the reel easily makes backlapping simple. At each end of the reel are adjustment screws that will click when you turn them ever so slightly. So fine tuning is the bedknife to reel clearance a breeze.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ge4dsDx2djY


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## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

Awesome thanks for the info! Liked the video too.


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## Redtenchu (Jan 28, 2017)

Nice, thanks for sharing!


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## Airshow (Oct 23, 2017)

I'm new to the forum and I'm in the market for a reel mower. To give you some background, I live in Georgia and I'm in the process of landscaping my new house with Zenith Zoysia. At my previous house, I had zoysia as well and I used a walker mower coupled with a commercial snapper hi vac. The lawn was large which dictated the Walker. The new house will have much less turf area. I have always wanted a reel mower and have narrowed it down between the California Trimmer and the Allett mower. I wanted to see what the lawn enthusiast on the forum thought. I apologize if this topic has been beat to death...I couldn't find a comparison between the Trimmer and the Allett. Thanks for your input.


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## Killbuzz (Apr 30, 2017)

I believe Augusta has a SuperSod store that might have an Allett on display.


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

I have zoysia japonica and bought a CalTrimmer. I like the mower, but when the grass gets really thick, the drive wheel doesn't get the traction that it should. It won't drive the mower properly and can tear up the grass a little. I ended up switching to a TruCut which is much better (although they do have their own issues). I don't have any experience with the Allett, but they do look intriguing.


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## Airshow (Oct 23, 2017)

Thanks for the reply. I did check with my supsersod store here in Augusta (I'm purchasing all my sod and plant materials from them for the landscaping), they don't carry the Allett mowers here. I like the cartridge system, but have not seen many good reviews from owner- broken throttle levers, broken throttle cables, broken clutch cables, etc. Not sure if these are isolated issues and would like to hear from more Allett owners about there experience. Seems like the California Trimmer has good reviews and support is readily available (but sadly no cartridge system).
I appreciate some Allett owner chiming in and letting me know the good and bad.


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## Killbuzz (Apr 30, 2017)

Well I can confirm that the throttle lever is crap. Mine came to me broken but Allett overnighted a replacement part. Unfortunately that one didn't last long either so I made the fix myself. Other than that it's been running pretty well. You really can't compare it to a greens mower but unfortunately they don't sell many of those in South Texas. I'm always on the prowl for one at a decent price.


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

Nevermind, I just saw your earlier post. :thumbup:


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## Airshow (Oct 23, 2017)

Thanks for the input. I think the cartridge system is a selling point for me. I've got my supersod store looking into it. I've tried to contact the Allett USA rep. several times with no luck. The U.S. rep is based in Aiken SC. which is only 30 min down the road. Does anyone have a good contact for them? Thanks again for the guidance.


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## scarlso2 (May 8, 2017)

I think I found the back of the internet trying to figure this out. I spoke with an Allett rep in the UK and I guess they stopped working with the SC rep because they weren't getting the traction they wanted. I think supersod has a unique deal worked out with Allett. The best I could figure is they're getting the frame from Allett, but then mating to a U.S. engine to save on Duties/customs but I could be wrong. The U.S. rep that has access to the full Allett line is Brian Norton out of Florida. Here's a price list he sent me... I became less excited once I priced everything out haha. I've spoken to Brian a few times over the phone. He raves about the Allett C Range which he uses for his lawn care business.

[email protected]


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## Airshow (Oct 23, 2017)

Scarlso2,
Great information! Thanks for all the research. It explains a lot. I'm good friends with my local Supersod dealer. He's looking into the mowers for me. If need be, I'll go down to Florida and speak with Brian Norton in person. It makes sense about the mowers being powered by U.S. motors. The mowers I've seen here in the states have Biggs and Stratton engines.


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## Killbuzz (Apr 30, 2017)

Those prices are higher than than the ones from SuperSod. I paid $1609 for my 17b, $519 for the verticutter, $389 for the brush, and $389 for the 10 blade. I would ask him to price match or at least ship it to you for free. Shipping one of the cartridges from SuperSod to San Antonio cost me $50...


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## Airshow (Oct 23, 2017)

Killbuzz,
Thanks for the input. You seem to be to only guy out there who has experience with the Allett mowers. I guess the real question for you is, would you buy the mower again? As far as I can tell, there is no other reel mower on the market with the cartridge system. I like the concept, but how is the reality?


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## scarlso2 (May 8, 2017)

There is another... Swardman... I'm super curious about them. They look pretty unique. Pretty Pricey though. I've contacted their U.S. Rep and it seems like they're willing to knock some off the price.

Regarding the price difference between Supersod and The Allett rep. I noticed that as well. Again I think it's the Briggs motor Supersod uses. The one's from the U.S. Rep have either a Kawasaki or Honda. That doesn't explain the markup on the attachments I guess. When ordering from the U.S. rep the mowers ship directly from the UK. It didn't seem like any discounts were possible from that price list, but I just might not be the best negotiator.


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## SwardmanGuy (Oct 30, 2017)

Hi, Thank you for mentioning Swardman. If you would be interested, how Swardman Edwin looks like, check this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGD2pGXAImc


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## Killbuzz (Apr 30, 2017)

Airshow said:


> Killbuzz,
> Thanks for the input. You seem to be to only guy out there who has experience with the Allett mowers. I guess the real question for you is, would you buy the mower again? As far as I can tell, there is no other reel mower on the market with the cartridge system. I like the concept, but how is the reality?


I honestly think I would do it all over again. In a perfect world I would have found a used greens mower somewhere close by. If I had one complaint about my mower is the amount of plastic they used most notably the throttle handle.


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## Airshow (Oct 23, 2017)

Killbuzz,
Good to know. I guess if the throttle handle is the worst thing about it, it can't all bad. One other thing, what is the difference between the classic series and the Kensington line?


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## Airshow (Oct 23, 2017)

I did speak with the Allett Rep. over in Aiken, SC. He recommended the Kensington 20 over the 17. The rep. told me he had such little demand for the 17, he stopped carrying them. He told me if I really wanted a 17, he would special order it. He offered to come to my place with a Kensington 20 and demo it on my lawn.
Looks like when the Zoysia is put down next week, it will be right at 4000 sq. Of turf. The 20 maybe the better option. Any thoughts?


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## Redtenchu (Jan 28, 2017)

I think a 20 would work well on 4K


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## Killbuzz (Apr 30, 2017)

Get the 20


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## SwardmanGuy (Oct 30, 2017)

scarlso2 said:


> I think I found the back of the internet trying to figure this out. I spoke with an Allett rep in the UK and I guess they stopped working with the SC rep because they weren't getting the traction they wanted. I think supersod has a unique deal worked out with Allett. The best I could figure is they're getting the frame from Allett, but then mating to a U.S. engine to save on Duties/customs but I could be wrong. The U.S. rep that has access to the full Allett line is Brian Norton out of Florida. Here's a price list he sent me... I became less excited once I priced everything out haha. I've spoken to Brian a few times over the phone. He raves about the Allett C Range which he uses for his lawn care business.
> 
> [email protected]


Hi, may I ask you, how precise the prices are?
On this paper for Kensington 17 B the price is 1,989 dollars. But at SuperSod shop you could find this mower for 1,609 dollars. ?? Thank you


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## scarlso2 (May 8, 2017)

Yeah I'm not sure on the prices... My guess was that Supersod was cheaper because their Kensington's have a Briggs motor v.s. a Honda/Kawasaki for the price list I got.


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## Killbuzz (Apr 30, 2017)

I've posted this in another thread but it belongs here as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAyQ9rk0y3w


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## Killbuzz (Apr 30, 2017)

It's also been a full year of ownership so I plan on writing a full review in the next few days.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Killbuzz said:


> It's also been a full year of ownership so I plan on writing a full review in the next few days.


Anxious to read this. :thumbup:


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## Killbuzz (Apr 30, 2017)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbsFF2-Tv-k


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Killbuzz said:


> Great video. Thanks for the TLF plug! You'd be surprised how many new members say they've seen TLF mentioned on YouTube. :thumbsup:


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## Airshow (Oct 23, 2017)

For those who are interested, I did purchase an Allett Kensington 20 from the U.S. rep. in Aiken, SC. So far I have really enjoyed the mower. I will post some before and after pictures of my lawn. Keep in mind, the sod was laid this past November, so it's just now starting to take root. I've run the mower over it a handful of times to cut the seed heads off and have only been able to lightly rake it with the rake cartridge. The first picture shows the front lawn before the tree work and landscaping went in, the second picture was taken recently. It was an extensive project and I believe it will take a season or 2 to get the lawn in the condition I want it.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Airshow said:


> For those who are interested, I did purchase an Allett Kensington 20 from the U.S. rep. in Aiken, SC. So far I have really enjoyed the mower. I will post some before and after pictures of my lawn. Keep in mind, the sod was laid this past November, so it's just now starting to take root. I've run the mower over it a handful of times to cut the seed heads off and have only been able to lightly rake it with the rake cartridge. The first picture shows the front lawn before the tree work and landscaping went in, the second picture was taken recently. It was an extensive project and I believe it will take a season or 2 to get the lawn in the condition I want it.


Good stuff! You should also start a lawn journal thread so we can track your progress! :thumbup:


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## Airshow (Oct 23, 2017)

Thought I would add a few recent photo of the lawn- the zoysia is starting to come in nicely and the Allett is doing a beautiful job.


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## Airshow (Oct 23, 2017)




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## Shindoman (Apr 22, 2018)

Airshow said:


>


Looks wonderful. Great striping, beautiful home and the lighting is a nice touch.
Well done!


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## Airshow (Oct 23, 2017)

Thanks for the kind words. The Allett has been good. I have all the cartridges, and I use them on a regular basis. I'm interested in comparing the Allett to the Swardman Mower. The two thing I would like to see on the Allett is A: rear wheels to move the mower around when not on the turf and B: some type of grooved or dimpled rear roller for a little traction.
Looks like the Swardman has addressed these issues, I also like the HOC adjustment on the Swardman better than the Allett- the Swardman actually gives you a cutting height (in millimeters) VS the Allett (which is in units with no associated height). Just to be clear, I have no experience with the Swardman machine, but I have spent many hours behind the Allett.


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## Airshow (Oct 23, 2017)

Current Lawn Pictures with the Allett


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## Airshow (Oct 23, 2017)

Also added a leather wrap to the handle of the Allett.


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## ottyee123 (Dec 14, 2018)

Greeting Everyone,
I'm new to the board but passionate about lawn care. I need your help and opinion about the Allett Kensington 20K. I have some questions below:
1. The USA model only comes with a B&S engine, not the Kawasaki mentioned in the brochure. I've read some people have had issues with the carburetor, can anyone advise.
2. How does the Allett compare to the Swardman? Both come with a 2 year warranty.
3. Pricing for the 20K was $2,150 and the 17K was $1,975, are these fair or good prices? Also, there will be a 4%-6% price increase in 2019.

Currently, I'm favoring the Swardman but would appreciate you comments.

Thanks


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## FDee (Jun 13, 2019)

Greetings, fellow lawn nerds. I'm new to the forum and wanted to give my two cents on having an Allett Kensington 20B. I purchased mine in April of 2017 from the Aiken, SC dealer previously mentioned. Roland is his name. Very friendly gent. He is still the main East Coast liaison in the US. Before purchasing, I had been researching reel mowers for a couple of years and had it down to Cal-Trimmer, Tru-Cut, or Allett. Ultimately, the cartridge system is what ruled my decision. The fact that you can utilize one machine for cutting grass and for multiple cultural practices seemed like a smarter option in the long run versus buying several machines to serve those purposes. I paid $2,169 for the Kensington 20B, $459 for the scarifier, and shipping was $120 (technically gas money for Roland to hand deliver from SC to my house in NC). The dethatcher was a recent purchase from a model unit and got it for $425 (normally $499). Below are my thoughts on the mower.
Pros: 
	It's easy to use
	It's a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing machine
	It cuts well 
	There are infinite cutting heights from ¼" to over an inch
	The engine is quiet (to my understanding, because of trade/distribution rules B&S engines are used in the US instead of the Kawasakis used in the UK. No carburetor issues for me)
	It's engineered in a very straightforward and non-complex way for easy fixes 
	It stripes the lawn very well
	You can adjust reel to bedknife with a flathead screwdriver very easily
	There are two oil holes so you can fill and drain separately
	You can run the drive roller separately from the reel
	There is a metal tine rake at the front that lifts the grass for a better cut
	And, of course, the cartridges are convenient, easy to swap, and serve many purposes

Cons: 
	As @Killbuzz mentioned, the throttle by the steering handles is poorly constructed (mine would deaccelerate while mowing so I fixed this by tightening a screw below the air filter so it stays at a consistent speed. However, I can no longer adjust the speed with the throttle by the handlebars and have to adjust the throttle on the engine itself (not a big deal to me)
	On my unit you do have to set the choke just right so you get a consistent engine run
	The unit does slide on slopes with it being a smooth metal roller

As you can see, the pros clearly outnumber the cons in my opinion. What should also be considered is this is a British machine from a company that is slowly making a presence in the States. I'm lucky to live within about a 30 miles distance of a local lawn/tractor store that has now become a distributer of Allett products (Revels Turf & Tractor in Fuquay-Varina, NC). However, even with a local presence comes the reality that parts aren't always available and may take a significant amount of time to ship from the UK. This is also why the prices in the States are 2-3 times what you would pay in Britain. Servicing these mowers can also be an issue. Since many places are unfamiliar with the Allett brand, you might have to do repairs yourself or buy new parts instead of having them fixed. Recently, I unknowingly had a small rock in my reel and it bent/chipped the blades and was scalping the lawn. I took it to Revels and they were able to grind most of it out, but I'm not sure it cuts as evenly as before. I was also told that they would need my whole mowing unit instead of just the cartridge, which makes the convenience of removing the cartridge for service null and void. Luckily they were able to put it in a unit they had at their facility.

Having said all of that, I have absolutely zero regrets with my purchase. In fact, I plan on eventually getting the 10 blade reel, verticutter, and brush (I was told by Roland the aerator doesn't penetrate the soil enough on the Kensington models to warrant a purchase). In response to those interested in the Swardman, I've never had to pleasure of using one so I cannot attest to their quality of cut/build or any of the specifics like I can with the Allett. From what I can tell, the mower itself is a little more expensive than the Allett but they have a lot more customization options and the cartridges are less expensive than those for the Allett. They also seem to be open to price negotiation, where I know Allett is very firm with their pricing. Swardman's service options for sharpening or fixing damages seems very reasonably priced and ships right to and from your door. I had to drop mine off to be fixed and it cost about $85 more than their rate. I will also mention that Allett has been around since the 1960s and seems to be continually expanding. Swardman is a much younger company but the testimonials I've heard and read seem to be very positive.

With the US not having a comparable American alternative to these lightweight, relatively well-priced reel mowers with cartridge options, I believe going with either an Allett or a Swardman is a wonderful option.
I'm looking forward to hearing @Killbuzz's comparison of the two. Cheers, everyone!


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## jimbeckel (May 27, 2018)

FDee said:


> Greetings, fellow lawn nerds. I'm new to the forum and wanted to give my two cents on having an Allett Kensington 20B. I purchased mine in April of 2017 from the Aiken, SC dealer previously mentioned. Roland is his name. Very friendly gent. He is still the main East Coast liaison in the US. Before purchasing, I had been researching reel mowers for a couple of years and had it down to Cal-Trimmer, Tru-Cut, or Allett. Ultimately, the cartridge system is what ruled my decision. The fact that you can utilize one machine for cutting grass and for multiple cultural practices seemed like a smarter option in the long run versus buying several machines to serve those purposes. I paid $2,169 for the Kensington 20B, $459 for the scarifier, and shipping was $120 (technically gas money for Roland to hand deliver from SC to my house in NC). The dethatcher was a recent purchase from a model unit and got it for $425 (normally $499). Below are my thoughts on the mower.
> Pros:
> 	It's easy to use
> 	It's a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing machine
> ...


I have the 17 inch Kensington and agree with everything you have written, I too hit a rock and bent the reel, I am going to buy a replacement from the UK as it is $150.00 less than buying from an Allett Dealer here in the US. I have had issues with the side round cover that shows the depth of cut to continuously pop off and reached out to Roland and got no response, a little disappointed in his customer service but otherwise this is a good mower with lots of flexibility.


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## FDee (Jun 13, 2019)

[/quote]
I have the 17 inch Kensington and agree with everything you have written, I too hit a rock and bent the reel, I am going to buy a replacement from the UK as it is $150.00 less than buying from an Allett Dealer here in the US. I have had issues with the side round cover that shows the depth of cut to continuously pop off and reached out to Roland and got no response, a little disappointed in his customer service but otherwise this is a good mower with lots of flexibility.
[/quote]

hate to hear that Roland hasn't gotten back to you. he's usually pretty good about getting back to me (not that i've had to reach out to him a lot). i too have had some issues with the HOC window popping off, but luckily i've been able to pop it back in. where are you ordering your replacement reel from in the UK? all of the places i've seen don't ship to the US. closest i've found is a UK Ebay seller and i worry that if anything is damaged, the overseas return shipping fees would end up costing more than what i would save.


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## Airshow (Oct 23, 2017)

Just wanted to give Roland with Allett Mowers a quick plug. The plastic on the inner throttle assembly (where the throttle cable connects) gave way (broke). I sent Roland a picture and he hand delivered the new part the following day. Now that's service, thank you Roland!

As far as a long term report, this is my second full season with my unit. I cut my Zoysia ever other day (when I'm in town)on top of using the other cartridges. I installed a Hobbs meter to track my use in hours for maintenance purposes. To date, I have around 147 hrs on my machine, and other than the small issue with the throttle, the unit has been flawless. Every 50 hrs I change the oil and clean the air filter as well as backlap the reel and freshen up the bed knife. I have been extremely pleased to say the least. There are a few design changes I would implement into the unit if I was in charge of production, but Allett has not asked for my input (lol). I will post some lawn pictures next week when I get some time.
Hope this post helps anyone who is considering the purchase of an Allett.


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## jimbeckel (May 27, 2018)

I have the 17 inch Kensington and agree with everything you have written, I too hit a rock and bent the reel, I am going to buy a replacement from the UK as it is $150.00 less than buying from an Allett Dealer here in the US. I have had issues with the side round cover that shows the depth of cut to continuously pop off and reached out to Roland and got no response, a little disappointed in his customer service but otherwise this is a good mower with lots of flexibility.
[/quote]

hate to hear that Roland hasn't gotten back to you. he's usually pretty good about getting back to me (not that i've had to reach out to him a lot). i too have had some issues with the HOC window popping off, but luckily i've been able to pop it back in. where are you ordering your replacement reel from in the UK? all of the places i've seen don't ship to the US. closest i've found is a UK Ebay seller and i worry that if anything is damaged, the overseas return shipping fees would end up costing more than what i would save.
[/quote]
I'm going to buy from an Ebay seller. I bought three attachments from a guy in Atlanta who bought out a local dealer who sold Allett mowers for a short time. He charged $225.00 per attachment, bought a brush, aerater and verticutter for 675.00. I've been in contact with him to buy two new reels. Hopefully he'll ship them out soon, he is pretty busy and takes his time getting back to me. I'll try to get in touch with Roland again about that darn cover that keeps popping off due to a broken tab.


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## Shindoman (Apr 22, 2018)

Does anyone know if the US dealers carry the Liberty 43? 
A battery powered version of the Kensington.


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## FDee (Jun 13, 2019)

jimbeckel said:


> I'm going to buy from an Ebay seller. I bought three attachments from a guy in Atlanta who bought out a local dealer who sold Allett mowers for a short time. He charged $225.00 per attachment, bought a brush, aerater and verticutter for 675.00. I've been in contact with him to buy two new reels. Hopefully he'll ship them out soon, he is pretty busy and takes his time getting back to me. I'll try to get in touch with Roland again about that darn cover that keeps popping off due to a broken tab.


dang, what a steal!! a new veriticutter pretty much costs what you paid for all three attachments. how do you like the brush and verticutter cartridges? have you done any topdressing with the brush? let me know how your ebay experience goes. might keep that in my back pocket as a future option.


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## jimbeckel (May 27, 2018)

FDee said:


> jimbeckel said:
> 
> 
> > I'm going to buy from an Ebay seller. I bought three attachments from a guy in Atlanta who bought out a local dealer who sold Allett mowers for a short time. He charged $225.00 per attachment, bought a brush, aerater and verticutter for 675.00. I've been in contact with him to buy two new reels. Hopefully he'll ship them out soon, he is pretty busy and takes his time getting back to me. I'll try to get in touch with Roland again about that darn cover that keeps popping off due to a broken tab.
> ...


I just used the verticutter last weekend and the brush is great for smoothing out sand after top dressing. I'll let you know how the Ebay experience goes.


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## Airshow (Oct 23, 2017)

Just a few quick pictures of the lawn after a mow with the Allett


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## FDee (Jun 13, 2019)

looking awesome, Airshow!!! thanks for sharing those pics!!


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