# Allett Kensington vs Swardman Edwin



## Mok (May 29, 2019)

I'm on the fence. I contacted Allett from their website and they just ignored me. I got the contact info for someone from the States and speaking to him currently. I contacted Swardman and their North American sales person doesn't answer me back unless I send him a reminder to answer me. I was originally leaning towards the electrical model but I think it's too expensive right now so I inquiring about the gas models (Kensington vs Edwin).
I see many people mentioning the cheap plastic quality of the Kensington (issues with throttle, something with HOC, soft bedknife etc) but overall it's a good unit. The Edwin is newer on the market, not many distributors, and is more expensive.
What do you all think?

PS
I also live in Canada so pretty much shipping and duty and currency will hurt. It's too bad they don't have distributors over here..


----------



## Austinite (Oct 4, 2018)

Hey @Mok , I don't know much about Allett, but I do have the Edwin and I love it. The Electra is certainly my favorite but the Edwin is also an impressive machine. Easy HOC, Very easy to maneuver and super efficient on gas.

Also keep in mind the US dealer, ReelRollers went from a small business to a big business over-night. So they will need a bit of time to ramp up and adjust to the growth. (Good problem to have!). But Lee, the owner is very responsive and will treat you right. He has gone as far as coming to my house (in another state) to address an issue.

Best of luck with your decision, I hear the Allet is a very nice machine as well.


----------



## Mok (May 29, 2019)

Austinite said:


> Hey @Mok , I don't know much about Allett, but I do have the Edwin and I love it. The Electra is certainly my favorite but the Edwin is also an impressive machine. Easy HOC, Very easy to maneuver and super efficient on gas.
> 
> Also keep in mind the US dealer, ReelRollers went from a small business to a big business over-night. So they will need a bit of time to ramp up and adjust to the growth. (Good problem to have!). But Lee, the owner is very responsive and will treat you right. He has gone as far as coming to my house (in another state) to address an issue.
> 
> Best of luck with your decision, I hear the Allet is a very nice machine as well.


Do you have both the Edwin and Electra? Which would you suggest? I don't like that the Electra has an internal battery vs the Allett liberty (which uses a commonly found greenworks battery that you can get from almost anywhere in it's not internal) however I think that the liberty's battery is underpowered for scarifying/dethatching etc where with the Electra you can opt to get the more powerful battery plus the Electra has a special mode for all that.


----------



## Topcat (Mar 21, 2017)

I've seen videos of the Allett and that is about it. I bought the Edwin 2.0 and if you can love an inanimate object then I love my Edwin. It really does put the fun into mowing. ReelRollers has been great to work with in my experience. Last year I ordered a few things from his website when he was just starting to get inventory. It took some time for my items to come in, but Lee was in contact with me they the entire ordeal. Swardman's customer service is on point. They might not have the authorized dealers in every city but they work to ensure you are taken care of.


----------



## jimbeckel (May 27, 2018)

Customer service is everything without a dealer close by. Sounds like The Swardman dealer is responsive and haven't heard too many issues with their mowers. The Allett is a decent mower, downsides, throttle design is terrible, soft reel and bedknife and I have had issues with the hoc dial trim piece popping off and not staying clipped in. I would choose the swardman over the allett.


----------



## Austinite (Oct 4, 2018)

Mok said:


> Austinite said:
> 
> 
> > Hey @Mok , I don't know much about Allett, but I do have the Edwin and I love it. The Electra is certainly my favorite but the Edwin is also an impressive machine. Easy HOC, Very easy to maneuver and super efficient on gas.
> ...


yes I have both. I like the Electra better. But don't misunderstand that statement, I still love the Edwin. It's way better than California trimmer and Mclane that I've owned.

Here is a video I made comparing the 2 mowers...


----------



## Killbuzz (Apr 30, 2017)

@Mok I've owned my Allett for two and half seasons and recent picked up a Edwin this month. At the end of this season I plan on writing a full review on both but I'll share with you some of my over thoughts on the Kensington and initial thoughts on the Edwin.

Kensington

Pros
Lightweight - Easy to pick up and maneuver
Separate reel and drive controls
Beefy drive belts
Comes with a static groomer
Comfortable handle bar
HOC is easy to change but only gives you numbers on the dial (S, 1, 2, 3, 4)

Cons
Plastic throttle lever. Broke the first day I got it. Broke the replacement lever the first day I got it. JB weld ftw.
Plastic belt housing and sides. Easily scratched up.
Grass catcher hard to empty due to lip around the opening.
Soft bed knife and reel. I have to backlap all the time.
Only two screws hold the bed knife which causes it to bow in the middle making it extremely hard to set reel to bedknife.
Drive likes to lock up on me so I can't pull it backwards. This is a recent issue.
Closest you can get to a fence or other solid object is about two inches due to the belt housing on one side and HOC dial on the other.
HOC is uneven. I've measured both sides with an Accu-gage and one side is lower than the other by about 1/8".
Only comes with a smooth roller.
Not much height adjustment for the handlebar.
HOC dial likes to pop off a little.
Steel drum is already rusting.

Edwin

Pros
All metal. No plastic.
Magnetic belt housing. Easy removal. Four screws on the Kensington.
Grass catcher easy to empty.
Multiple screws hold on the bed knife.
Reel to bedknife adjustment is easy. Three adjustment points. Only two on the Kensington.
Mows extremely close to a fence or solid object.
Grooved or smooth roller options.
Multiple ways to adjust the handlebar.
Multiple options. Casters, beer holder, etc.
HOC is easy to change and it doesn't give you the height in inches. Haven't measured this with the Accu-Gage yet.

Cons
Thinner belts compared to the Kensington. Haven't broken any yet.
Drum likes to spin even when not engaged. May need to mess with the drive cable.
Can't tilt mower back with casters installed. Hard to check sharpness of the reel or make any adjustments.
Handle bars not a comfortable as the Kensington.

So far the Edwin wins in my opinion but I'll have to see how it does the rest of the season. I loved my Kensington my first few months of ownership but things changed over time. Hopefully this helps.


----------



## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

@Killbuzz is the Kensington a split drum design or just one solid? If I remember right, the Edwin is a split drum.


----------



## Killbuzz (Apr 30, 2017)

@MasterMech It's split.


----------



## Mok (May 29, 2019)

Alright I think I'm sold on a swardman. I think I'll be getting the Electra though. Still trying to decide between the 18" or 21" model (or is it 22"). Maybe you'd have an opinion on that? My lawn is approx 1700 sq ft. Also what accessories would you recommend? I was thinking transport wheels, the side protector and scarifier..


----------



## Austinite (Oct 4, 2018)

It's a 22 inch.

I use it primarily on my front yard, which is 1000 sq ft. I almost purchased the 18" model, but very glad I did not. Love the 22 inch, stripes nice and makes quick work of the job.

As far as accessories, I recommend the dethatcher/scarifier. And Also recommend that you purchase an extra reel.

I do not recommend the verticutter.


----------



## Austinite (Oct 4, 2018)

It's a 22 inch.

I use it primarily on my front yard, which is 1000 sq ft. I almost purchased the 18" model, but very glad I did not. Love the 22 inch, stripes nice and makes quick work of the job.

As far as accessories, I recommend the dethatcher/scarifier. And Also recommend that you purchase an extra reel.

I do not recommend the verticutter. Also don't waste money on the phone mount, it's worthless.


----------



## Bermuda_Newbie (Jun 15, 2018)

@Mok I'm getting the 18". I haven't used it yet so I can't say for sure but I have some pretty narrow areas and obstacles in my lawn which I thought would be easier to navigate around with the smaller mower.


----------



## Mok (May 29, 2019)

@Bermuda_Newbie I can see the value of having 18". My fiskars reel mower is 18" I find it's hard going to that width from my 21" toro. I plan to get the 22" swardman I hope it's not too big!


----------



## Mok (May 29, 2019)

Austinite said:


> It's a 22 inch.
> 
> I use it primarily on my front yard, which is 1000 sq ft. I almost purchased the 18" model, but very glad I did not. Love the 22 inch, stripes nice and makes quick work of the job.
> 
> ...


@Austinite did you get the transport casters or the grooved roller the rear roller wiper? I'd get the brush also...


----------



## Austinite (Oct 4, 2018)

Mok said:


> Austinite said:
> 
> 
> > It's a 22 inch.
> ...


I dont have the brush, but I do have the transport wheels. I also have both smooth and grooved rollers. No rear wiper but I would certainly recommend it. I am going to get one for each of the mowers.


----------



## Saints (May 5, 2019)

@Austinite Do you think the caster wheels are necessary? Also can you really tell a difference between the smooth and grooved rollers? Does one stripe better than the other?


----------



## Austinite (Oct 4, 2018)

Saints said:


> @Austinite Do you think the caster wheels are necessary? Also can you really tell a difference between the smooth and grooved rollers? Does one stripe better than the other?


The sound of the drum going across concrete (driveway/sidewalk) is horrific. It doesn't hurt the mower, just sounds awful. I use it for that purpose, but also to back it into my garage, the wheels help get it over the lip so I don't put all the weight on the drum.

Also, the wheels make it more difficult to balance the machine when you lift it up to paper check the reel. I ended up mounting zip ties to a 2x4 in my garage to hold the handlebars down. Video below...

To answer the question, no, they are not necessary.

Smooth roller makes for better stripes and makes the machine maneuverability better when making sharp turns. I prefer smooth rollers. If there was a groomer option, I'd probably favor the grooved roller.


----------



## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Austinite said:


> Saints said:
> 
> 
> > @Austinite Do you think the caster wheels are necessary? Also can you really tell a difference between the smooth and grooved rollers? Does one stripe better than the other?
> ...


You normally would press down on the handlebars to lift the front roller slightly for sharp turns. I guess if your sweep or trim passes had tight bends then you'd feel a difference.

Grooved rollers, especially heavy-steel grooved or segmented rollers penetrate stiff turf better, preventing mower "bob" and maintaining the desired HoC somewhat better than a solid roller. I'm not sure i'd go with a smooth roller on home turf unless it was very delicate.


----------



## Austinite (Oct 4, 2018)

MasterMech said:


> Austinite said:
> 
> 
> > Saints said:
> ...


 I may have exaggerated the sharpness of a turn. Any turn, whatsoever, is easier with a smooth roller. The Swardman does not "bob" like my old Toro Flex, Cal Trimmer or Mclane.

Keep in mind I am speaking of the Swardman only, the mower I am most experienced with. Never used an Allett and dont know anything about them. My personal experience using both rollers, the smooth roller wins both for final result and convenience.


----------



## Saints (May 5, 2019)

Thanks for answering that. I have zero experience with a reel or greens mower besides my manual Fiskars and I have been looking at some used McLane mowers for fairly cheap to get my feet wet, but the Swardman really has caught my interest. Without being able to see it, feel it, touch it, use it in person it's hard to justify the price and even harder to get the wife to justify it, but I know buy once, cry once and the Swardman seems like a great user/home owner friendly model. I saw they had a nice Black Friday sale and that would really sway my decision and I'm not really in a hurry as I will be replacing more centipede with zoysia so I'm keeping my options open for now.


----------



## Reelrollers (Feb 6, 2018)

Saints said:


> Thanks for answering that. I have zero experience with a reel or greens mower besides my manual Fiskars and I have been looking at some used McLane mowers for fairly cheap to get my feet wet, but the Swardman really has caught my interest. Without being able to see it, feel it, touch it, use it in person it's hard to justify the price and even harder to get the wife to justify it, but I know buy once, cry once and the Swardman seems like a great user/home owner friendly model. I saw they had a nice Black Friday sale and that would really sway my decision and I'm not really in a hurry as I will be replacing more centipede with zoysia so I'm keeping my options open for now.


If you would like to put your hands on a Swardman, shoot me a PM and I can connect you with one of our local customers for a demo. The best feedback is from customers, not sales guys 😀


----------



## michaelboardphoto (Apr 6, 2020)

Quick question for the group...
I'm between a McLane, Allett and Swardman. I know the McLane will mow in "push mode" without the drive mechanism engaged. I need this feature because I have a lot of tight trimming around hardscapes and plants. Will the Allett or Swardman mow without being self-propelled as well? Thanks!


----------



## bauc54 (Feb 27, 2018)

michaelboardphoto said:


> Quick question for the group...
> I'm between a McLane, Allett and Swardman. I know the McLane will mow in "push mode" without the drive mechanism engaged. I need this feature because I have a lot of tight trimming around hardscapes and plants. Will the Allett or Swardman mow without being self-propelled as well? Thanks!


I can't answer for the Allett but the Swardman will mow without engaging the drive.


----------



## hitmonchau (Apr 1, 2020)

Yeah the Allett will also, not that I recommend the mower. Check post history for more information.


----------



## Allett Canada (Oct 13, 2020)

michaelboardphoto said:


> Quick question for the group...
> I'm between a McLane, Allett and Swardman. I know the McLane will mow in "push mode" without the drive mechanism engaged. I need this feature because I have a lot of tight trimming around hardscapes and plants. Will the Allett or Swardman mow without being self-propelled as well? Thanks!


I can confirm that you can disengage the drive and power the reel or cultivation cartridge on Allett Mowers. In your comparison you would be looking at a Kensington or Liberty, both are able to do this.


----------



## Chilly (May 18, 2020)

PM if you have any questions if you plan on picking up an Allet Liberty 43 (electric). 
There is a new Canadian dealer but he is not selling the Liberty 43's. 
I brought one into Canada and it was super easy through Roland Hull out of South Carolina.


----------



## Allett Canada (Oct 13, 2020)

Hi Folks,

Canadian dealer here. I was able to sort out the battery and charger issue and have a shipment of Liberty 43 and 35 on the way as well as batteries and chargers.

Cheers,



Chilly said:


> PM if you have any questions if you plan on picking up an Allet Liberty 43 (electric).
> There is a new Canadian dealer but he is not selling the Liberty 43's.
> I brought one into Canada and it was super easy through Roland Hull out of South Carolina.


----------

