# Allett



## wardconnor

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

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Prices

C20 Power Unit w/ Grass Box $10,699 HOC: .1" - .75"

6 Blade Cutting Cylinder $2,589

10 Blade Cutting Cylinder $2,709

C24 Power Unit w/ Grass Box $10,979 HOC: .1" - .75"

6 Blade Cutting Cylinder $2,679

10 Blade Cutting Cylinder $2,749

C27 Power Unit w/ Grass Box $12,579 HOC: .32" - 2.17"

6 Blade Cutting Cylinder $3,269

8 Blade Cutting Cylinder $3,499


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## dacoyne

Nice mowers and great video! Gonna have to live through you using them at those prices.


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## Ware

Making this the official Allett mower topic. I added a link to it in the sticky. :thumbup:


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## Shindoman

I enjoyed your video, well done. 
I'm trying to decide on which mower to buy to take things a step further than what 
my Caltrimmer is capable of. The Allett C20 is currently at the top of that list.
@wardconnor How would you compare the C24 you tried against
GM1000 as far as maneuverability is concerned? My lawn is 2000 sq. ft. and has a few tight curves and I'm close to the shrubs in the flowerbeds when I make my turns. 
Thanks


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## Greendoc

My big test for what a mower is worth is hardness of bedknife and reel. Are those as soft as a McLane reel and bedknife? Or are they as tempered as a Toro reel and bedknife? Toro blades cause files to slide. Softer blades are grabbed by files.


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## wardconnor

Shindoman said:


> I enjoyed your video, well done.
> I'm trying to decide on which mower to buy to take things a step further than what
> my Caltrimmer is capable of. The Allett C20 is currently at the top of that list.
> @wardconnor How would you compare the C24 you tried against
> GM1000 as far as maneuverability is concerned? My lawn is 2000 sq. ft. and has a few tight curves and I'm close to the shrubs in the flowerbeds when I make my turns.
> Thanks


Fantastic maneuverability. Great machine. Compared to my Toro? About the same.


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## Jdaniel611

Is this list or net pricing?


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## osuturfman

Here in the States, the Infinicut from Cub Cadet is in the same vein as the Allet. Great build and quality plus the cassette system makes the unit incredibly versatile.

https://www.cubcadetturf.com/infinicut/

http://www.advancedtt.com/


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## Redtenchu

I like that the replacement batteries for this unit can be purchased just about anywhere!

https://youtu.be/wMJ8qakC8KE


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## jimbeckel

Picked up the Kennsington 17K that came with an additional scarifier from Ebay, I plan on buying the verticutter attachment soon and starting my own lawn journal to document my progress. The Allett's are very simplistic in design, not a lot of moving parts and being able to change out the cassettes easily is a huge advantage.


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## kbob11

I was just wondering if there is an online store in the US for these and / or a retailer that can ship. On the Allett site it says there are a few retailers but all close to a 1000miles from me. Thanks!


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## Oddvious

kbob11 said:


> I was just wondering if there is an online store in the US for these and / or a retailer that can ship. On the Allett site it says there are a few retailers but all close to a 1000miles from me. Thanks!


+1 can't find any online been trying to decide on this or an Electra I'm heavily leaning towards this one just wish their was more info online


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## silvercymbal

Oddvious said:


> kbob11 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I was just wondering if there is an online store in the US for these and / or a retailer that can ship. On the Allett site it says there are a few retailers but all close to a 1000miles from me. Thanks!
> 
> 
> 
> +1 can't find any online been trying to decide on this or an Electra I'm heavily leaning towards this one just wish their was more info online
Click to expand...

The Allett's are really nice. We have a dealer right in Mass too. Sports Turf Specialities in Wrentham.


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## Allett Canada

Hi Folks,

James From Allett Canada here. I won't ship to the USA, but if there are any Canadians looking I am bringing Kensington's in for Spring 2021.

Cheers,


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## 1FASTSS

Anyone know where to get replacement parts at? I went spent some time last fall trying to get some pullies and gears I need to fix my mower but called it off when I struck out. Horizon is dropped Allett as a supplier and I haven't been able to reach Roland Hall.


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## JerseyGreens

@ALLETTMOWERS see above.


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## 1FASTSS

As soon as I posted this Roland called me. I'm good now! Thanks


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## Austinite

Im in! I just ordered the same mower @JayGo has. Can't wait to use it. I'll keep the liberty for brushing, dethatching and verticutting.


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## JerseyGreens

Love my Kensington 20H here!


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## JayGo

Austinite said:


> Im in! I just ordered the same mower @JayGo has. Can't wait to use it. I'll keep the liberty for brushing, dethatching and verticutting.


👍🏼


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## monsonman

Any Liberty 43 owners having any severe grinding noises with their machines?

I think i've narrowed it down to either the greenworks motor itself, or where it interfaces with the top drive belt/ pulley.

I removed the top cover that protects the driveshaft/ top drive belt and found that 2 of the 3 bolts that go into the side plate near the motor were missing. Well, 1 of them is missing, the other was just rolling around underneath the cover.

At this point (without digging too much further yet) my assumption is that these 2 bolts backed out and allowed some sort of play and allowed the sprocket inside the motor to weaken.

I have tried reaching out to Allett-USA via phone, email and instagram with no luck yet. I am in a hurry to get in touch because i am very close to my mower being out of its 1st year warranty.

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced anything like what im describing. It sounds like eventually something is going to permanently let go if i continue to use it.

See photos below. Only 1 of these screws was in its respective location. 1 is completely gone (the 3rd underneath the belt) and i found 1 of them rolling around under the cover and put it back.


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## kevchuey

Did Allett ever get back to you on your issue?

I submitted a support ticket a couple days ago about another issue. My Liberty 43 just stops after a couple seconds. Its not overheating, cylinder isn't too tight, and the its not the battery. I'm patiently waiting for a response, but thought I'd see if anyone has any thoughts. I just got the mower, and nothing seems out of place when i take the side panel off.


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## Austinite

kevchuey said:


> Did Allett ever get back to you on your issue?
> 
> I submitted a support ticket a couple days ago about another issue. My Liberty 43 just stops after a couple seconds. Its not overheating, cylinder isn't too tight, and the its not the battery. I'm patiently waiting for a response, but thought I'd see if anyone has any thoughts. I just got the mower, and nothing seems out of place when i take the side panel off.


I have had ZERO luck with online support. They simply do not respond. It's like a fake form or something, lol. I would contact your local rep.


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## monsonman

kevchuey said:


> Did Allett ever get back to you on your issue?
> 
> I submitted a support ticket a couple days ago about another issue. My Liberty 43 just stops after a couple seconds. Its not overheating, cylinder isn't too tight, and the its not the battery. I'm patiently waiting for a response, but thought I'd see if anyone has any thoughts. I just got the mower, and nothing seems out of place when i take the side panel off.


Yes Call Chrissy @ 912-414-1129 . She helped me out and sent me some new belts and that fixed my grinding issue.


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## kevchuey

Just circling back on this - I did in fact call support and got a hold of Chrissy! Maybe she's a one-woman support team there? She was initially super responsive and asked me to take videos of everything.

At the end of our communication, she was going to submit my info for a warranty submission for a new part. BUT - she never got around to doing it and never responded to my follow up.

But - while waiting, one thing I did try was to replace the battery. I don't have any other tools that take that kind of battery so I couldn't try it on a different machine. And it was brand new, so I really didn't have high hopes, but that was totally the problem. So in the end, I didn't get help from Allett directly, but I did get to back to using my Liberty 43 after dropping $100 on a new battery.


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## jbcarter14

I think I'm like a lot of people on here. I was looking at a swardman but it seems like there are a lot of issues reading about those. I am looking for a reel mower but I don't want to be a mechanic. I don't mind doing maintenance but I don't want a mower I'm working on all the time. I'm not overly impressed with the cartridge system but having a dethather not attached by a cord would be great. I was looking at a tru cut but I think I want to have rollers on both the front and the back. Should I just get a good used toro greens mower or a new tru cut/Allett. My concerns are the reliability and easy of getting it working and fixed. I just think a greens mower is over kill for what I need.


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## MasterMech

jbcarter14 said:


> I think I'm like a lot of people on here. I was looking at a swardman but it seems like there are a lot of issues reading about those. I am looking for a reel mower but I don't want to be a mechanic. I don't mind doing maintenance but I don't want a mower I'm working on all the time. I'm not overly impressed with the cartridge system but having a dethather not attached by a cord would be great. I was looking at a tru cut but I think I want to have rollers on both the front and the back. Should I just get a good used toro greens mower or a new tru cut/Allett. My concerns are the reliability and easy of getting it working and fixed. I just think a greens mower is over kill for what I need.


Like so many other things, the level of performance desired requires a variable combination of knowledge, effort, and money. The ratio of those three ingredients can be vary wildly, but some total of the three must be reached to produce the lawn result you want.

If you want a mower that you rarely have to adjust/work on, buy a rotary.

If you want a reel mower that is easy to adjust and work on, buy a greens mower.

If you want to buy a reel mower and have someone else do the repairs/maintenance, ask them what mower you should buy.

If you want to buy a new reel mower, then Allett, Swardman, Tru-Cut, McClane and California Trimmer are all good options. Just know that they aren't as durable, easy to adjust, or easy to find parts for as a greens mower.

The only thing you really must master to get started with a reel is the reel to bedknife adjustment. It is helpful to know how to check your height of cut accurately as well. I don't think an Allett is a bad option for you on 5,000sq ft, especially if it's pretty easy terrain. But don't be intimidated by a greens mower just because of it's intended application. They are not hard machines to learn and live with at all. Especially if you can get some pre-purchase guidance from someone familiar with the models you find.


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## JohnDali

I bought the Swardman Electra in Jan 2021. It was on backorder till Aug. I then cancelled my order after speaking with a guy named Roland at Attett, who convinced me the Liberty 43 is a better mower. I figured if I can directly speak to the CEO, this must be a great company. I get my Liberty, and soon discover that the reel has massive slippage. Turns out the belt they installed, after tracking the issue down to a production default at their EU plant, was made to the wrong specs (a week bit too big). They sent me a new belt and the machine ran fine. A few mows later, I noticed the Bermuda was getting chewed up on the outer edges of the reel. I sent pics to Roland, he decided it's the reel and sent me a new one. Problem persisted. Then we thought it was possibly the bed knife. I pulled the bed knife off and sure enough, it was convex at the edges. He suggested that I back-lap the reel so that it conforms to the bed knife contour. I did and that worked. In September, October, the machine became super slow despite the speed knob on fast. That caused the reel to be slow, slow enough that the Bermuda's thickness would stop the reel. I contacted Roland but never heard from him. I contacted Allett via their YT channel but did not hear from them. I then contacted their marketing guy, who was referred to me by Roland a while back as his backup. He referred me to a Chrissy/Christy. She said to take videos and text her. I did but never heard back. I re-texted her again yesterday, and have not heard back. Can anyone help? Have you had the same issue? My guess is it's the speed module. I'm in San Diego CA and called the nearest dealer in N. Cal. He said he doesn't carry Allett anymore because they are a "sh--" product. Great! I'm now stuck with a $3k paperweight in my shed.


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## DFWLawnNut

Getting parts for the units here in the States is definitely a pain point for Allett. Ebay carries them, but the shipping from the UK is rediculous. I wish their online store sold parts as well. Not sure if Horizon still carries their stuff or not but thats where I bought my Liberty 43 from. I need a new timing belt for the motor because the gears shredded the teeth off after getting clogged trying to cut down a bit further on my front lawn in one area. I wish it was chain drive there because the belt specs dont make any sense for aftermarket options. Its a 67 tooth belt, 5mm apart but the belt is 320mm long. Either they used 4.7m spacing (which I cant find anywhere) or the belt really should be 335mm.


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## Ware

JohnDali said:


> ...In September, October, the machine became super slow despite the speed knob on fast. That caused the reel to be slow, slow enough that the Bermuda's thickness would stop the reel. I contacted Roland but never heard from him. I contacted Allett via their YT channel but did not hear from them. I then contacted their marketing guy, who was referred to me by Roland a while back as his backup. He referred me to a Chrissy/Christy. She said to take videos and text her. I did but never heard back. I re-texted her again yesterday, and have not heard back. Can anyone help? Have you had the same issue? My guess is it's the speed module. I'm in San Diego CA and called the nearest dealer in N. Cal. He said he doesn't carry Allett anymore because they are a "sh--" product. Great! I'm now stuck with a $3k paperweight in my shed.


Maybe one of these members can help...

@ALLETTMOWERS @AllettUSA @Allett Canada


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## JayGo

It's always a bummer to read about someone having support issues with Allett, because my experience has been on the more pleasant side. As I've stated before, my one issue with my Kensington 20 has always been that it cuts slightly uneven from one side to the other that it leaves a slight yellow scalp line on the belt side of the mower. I had multiple extensive conversations with Roland Hall in trying to diagnose the cause. He had me take it into a shop to do any necessary warranty work, but the shop didn't find an issue. When Roland was out for some family stuff, my talks continued with Roland's assistant Christy. She was great. Very responsive to my calls and texts.
All that being said, my best guess is that the issue of the uneven cut is most likely due to the mower weighing only 130-ish pounds. I only see this issue when temps get warmer and the Bermuda really gets going. I'm thinking it's not heavy enough for thicker, bushier turf; hence why it cuts lower on the heavier side of the mower than it does on the lighter side.

I'll suggest something for anyone looking for alternative ways to contact someone at Allett in the UK office. I had success connecting with the Allett UK office through their social media person Laura Malkin through the Allett Facebook page. She works in the UK office and is literally in the next office over from the Allett brand owner...same guy you see in the Allett YouTube videos. She relayed my issue to them, and I was able to communicate my concerns with him and his engineer as well.
I still have one or two small gripes about my machine, but they're not operational. They're more just in design.

I hope you are able to get the help you need. Don't let up on trying to contact someone if you're still under warranty. Best of luck. I don't know why it has to be so difficult sometimes. As a customer of a brand that is still trying to establish a footprint in the US, you'd think they'd be all over any issues.


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## quadmasta

@JayGo could you put a shot bag on the other side of the mower to even it out? Looks like there's plenty of the room on the deck to sit one up there.


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## DFWLawnNut

So Chrissy hooked me up with a new belt. I'd highly recommend just shooting her a text and see what she can do. I texted her last night and she already sent me tracking info.

As for the unlevel cut, it definitely could be a weight off center issue. There is a German youtuber that put weights inside the rear drum on the right side to fix this. Others have put weights on the flat part of the top as well. I weighed mine left to right and you can see it's definitely not balanced.


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## JayGo

@quadmasta, adding a counterweight is definitely something I had thought of. I experimented once with a small bag filled with 3 lbs of fertilizer. The plan was to keep messing with placement and weight of the bag, but I stopped when I thought I was maybe adding more weight than the belts and pulleys were designed for. I also didn't want my hack to jack with the warranty. Plus, the other big part of me was thinking: "This is a problem for them to solve." ha ha

I'll add this piece of info: so the version of the Kensington 20 I bought a few years back was the "older" one. This older model had the motor off-center...slightly to the left. That same year, they came out with a Kenginston 20 that had the motor centered. So, this past Fall, they sent me the parts needed to move the motor over. Again, I only see the yellow scalp issue when the Bermuda is growing at peak rate and it gets thick, so I won't know if moving the motor over will solve the problem for a couple of months.


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## downriverlawn

Got a Liberty 43 over the winter and was thinking to aerate and sand cap soon. Anyone parting with a lawn brush before I buy new? Any way in the US to save any money? I border Canada and could ship there if that helps


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## JerseyGreens

Anyone use reel works or Allett grinding mail in service yet?


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## DFWLawnNut

JerseyGreens said:


> Anyone use reel works or Allett grinding mail in service yet?


Mail in service??? Tell me more.


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## JerseyGreens

DFWLawnNut said:


> JerseyGreens said:
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone use reel works or Allett grinding mail in service yet?
> 
> 
> 
> Mail in service??? Tell me more.
Click to expand...

Yup - we have two options. 
1. Contact Chrissy at Allett - she setup her own Grinding rig and can handle it or 
2. Get in touch with reel works directly who provide mail in service for Allett reels. 
[email protected]

I want to go with option 2 because they already grind Swardman reels and they have this cool shipping box with foam inserts that protect the reels in transit. I'm waiting to hear back from Anthony(owner) at Reel Works to see if they can provide me with a shipping option outfitted for an Allett reel.


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## DFWLawnNut

JerseyGreens said:


> DFWLawnNut said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JerseyGreens said:
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone use reel works or Allett grinding mail in service yet?
> 
> 
> 
> Mail in service??? Tell me more.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Yup - we have two options.
> 1. Contact Chrissy at Allett - she setup her own Grinding rig and can handle it or
> 2. Get in touch with reel works directly who provide mail in service for Allett reels.
> [email protected]
> 
> I want to go with option 2 because they already grind Swardman reels and they have this cool shipping box with foam inserts that protect the reels in transit. I'm waiting to hear back from Anthony(owner) at Reel Works to see if they can provide me with a shipping option outfitted for an Allett reel.
Click to expand...

I kept my reel boxes that mine came in so I can just use that. I'm definitely going to send my 2 10 blades out, maybe the 6.


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## kevchuey

JohnDali said:


> I bought the Swardman Electra in Jan 2021. It was on backorder till Aug. I then cancelled my order after speaking with a guy named Roland at Attett, who convinced me the Liberty 43 is a better mower. I figured if I can directly speak to the CEO, this must be a great company. I get my Liberty, and soon discover that the reel has massive slippage. Turns out the belt they installed, after tracking the issue down to a production default at their EU plant, was made to the wrong specs (a week bit too big). They sent me a new belt and the machine ran fine. A few mows later, I noticed the Bermuda was getting chewed up on the outer edges of the reel. I sent pics to Roland, he decided it's the reel and sent me a new one. Problem persisted. Then we thought it was possibly the bed knife. I pulled the bed knife off and sure enough, it was convex at the edges. He suggested that I back-lap the reel so that it conforms to the bed knife contour. I did and that worked. In September, October, the machine became super slow despite the speed knob on fast. That caused the reel to be slow, slow enough that the Bermuda's thickness would stop the reel. I contacted Roland but never heard from him. I contacted Allett via their YT channel but did not hear from them. I then contacted their marketing guy, who was referred to me by Roland a while back as his backup. He referred me to a Chrissy/Christy. She said to take videos and text her. I did but never heard back. I re-texted her again yesterday, and have not heard back. Can anyone help? Have you had the same issue? My guess is it's the speed module. I'm in San Diego CA and called the nearest dealer in N. Cal. He said he doesn't carry Allett anymore because they are a "sh--" product. Great! I'm now stuck with a $3k paperweight in my shed.


@JohnDali Have you tried replacing the battery? I had a problem with a pretty new battery (Greenworks actually replaced it, which was nice of them) and I bought a lower capacity battery just to test if it was the battery. I also find that when the battery is about half charged, I have speed problems.


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## downriverlawn

Anyone have a "cheat sheet" for what the Liberty numbers equal out to for HOC in inches or mm? First year using a reel and would like to start by dialing into around 3/4"


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## Bombers

Literally on the product page at the bottom....
https://www.allett-usa.com/products/allett-liberty-43-battery-cylinder-mower


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## JerseyGreens

@DFWLawnNut - reel works never responded to my multiple emails and phone calls. I get it...he's busy with local stuff but I'll take my business elsewhere. Guess we are left with Allett for mail in service.


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## ADanto6840

RE: Throttle / speed -- Adjust the throttle cable. Mine was "slipping" a lot, I adjusted (tightened) the throttle cable (quite a bit), and my speed is fixed. I've actually had to throttle down now, after fixing it. The throttle connections are honestly just kind of crappy/junk, but once tightened and tested with the cover off (to ensure proper & full tension) my "mower is slowing down with age" issue has been completely resolved.

RE: Grinding/squealing sound -- Belt. Get at least 3-4+ from Allett, at least. Mine are only lasting ~3-4mo each. Slight PITA to swap them but not *that* bad. I think I have 2 left which will hopefully get me through this season. I'll be requesting a handful more, though.

RE: uneven cut -- I did the same as above, I added 12lbs of weights to one side of the mower which has it almost perfectly balanced (depending on which of my 2 batteries is used).

I'd also strongly recommend backlapping & doing the paper test, all across the reel & against each/all of the blades on the reel, to ensure it's cutting cleanly. I didn't backlap at all last year after getting the mower and I wish I had; my cut quality is substantially improved since doing so. I will say, buy actual backlapping compound (ie the stuff from R&R) -- the stuff you get from NAPA will work, even if it's a tiny tube it goes a LONG way (can get probably 3 backlaps from the tiny tube I'd guess), but that stuff is a real PITA to get clean/off of your reel. Buy the R&R stuff, 100%. 

In total -- I was impressed with Allett's support initially. Less so ~4mo or so post-purchase. I'm happy enough with the mower though, and while it may not remain my long-term "daily driver" forever, I expect to keep it for a long time even if only to use for scalping & the other cartridges. Enough so that I just unboxed my newest cartridge today, the verticutter! =D


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## JayGo

@ADanto6840, let me know what you think of the verticutter cartridge. I've been eyeballing it for a while, but I'm uncertain how much more I want to get into the Allett ecosystem.


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## ADanto6840

Will report back once I've had a chance to use it. Was hoping to give it a try today but we've got 25mph+ winds and a dust storm going right now, and a cold spell (lows in the low 40s) the next few days before it's supposed to warm back up into good/warm-ish growing temps again.

I'll probably [try to] wait a few days, not sure if it's wise to do anything even mildly aggressive while the temps drop so much.

I had _wanted_ to throw down some N today too, but the same predicament. That, plus the wind == new cartridge will have to remain shiny-new for another few days, alas.

On the positive side, it was out of stock about a month ago or so (pretty sure, at least), but "in stock" when I ordered late-ish last week, shipped the next day & arrived today; just happens to be a dust storm today after being calm & into the 90s this weekend. Oh well, the season is young! 

Will update here once it sees some action, will post some before/after pics on my journal too.


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## monsonman

@ADanto6840

Curious what you think of the verticutter as well. I got it late last season and only got to use it once but i felt like it didnt 
get down deep enough and left the turf banged up and scraggly looking. No experience with any other verticutter machine though so not sure if that was a normal result or not.

What is is your current HOC?


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## DFWLawnNut

monsonman said:


> @ADanto6840
> 
> Curious what you think of the verticutter as well. I got it late last season and only got to use it once but i felt like it didnt
> get down deep enough and left the turf banged up and scraggly looking. No experience with any other verticutter machine though so not sure if that was a normal result or not.
> 
> What is is your current HOC?


I felt like it did the same thing but I was at 0.75" hoc at the time so maybe it doesn't work well on less dense turf? I didn't think it got deep enough either. Felt more like the dethatcher cartridge than anything and I have both.

I'll give mine another go now that I'm down to 5/8.


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## ADanto6840

I ran the verticutter cartridge yesterday evening. In hindsight it's obvious, but I was initially perplexed at the verticutter cartridge being seemingly "too big" (the blades/tines were hitting the front roller assembly) when trying to insert it.

Frustrated by it seemingly not being able to fit (by nearly an inch, I'd guess), I took a break to grab a beer & check the receipt to make sure I ordered the correct cartridge model (ie for the Allett 43).

After opening my beer & pulling up the receipt, it dawned on me -- if the blades protrude *beyond* the machine (as you'd hope/expect that they would), then if you have the Liberty HoC set on "S" the blades will extend *beyond* the machine & the cartridge then isn't able to clear the front-roller assembly to be inserted. Duh, that makes sense.

Raised the HoC on the machine (with no cartridge in) and then the Verticutter dropped right in as expected, and I was then able to run it on "S". Derp.

I started with it at the Allett 1-2 HoC setting and then "gradually" dropped the height until I could see some results. I pretty quickly ended up running it on "S" throughout the lawn. I've never done any verticutting before, so I've really nothing to compare it to, but I think it did an alright-to-good job overall -- though the "proof" will be in the results & the recovery, which I'll be watching closely and will update here once it's recovered & I've been able to seen the 'outcome'.

One thing I will say, it didn't "pick up" very much (I had grass catcher on), though I ran the scarifier immediately prior to verticutting, to collect pine-needles & pine tree 'seed' things that had covered the lawn after the wind storms the prior few days. I probably should hit it with the scarifier again today because the verticutter definitely "cut" a good bit of horizontal growth, but it didn't "pick up" much/everything, so there's some "loose" stuff sitting on the top of the turf after running it. Not sure if that's good or bad, probably is expected even, just worth noting -- and I'd be curious if anyone else can chime in as to whether I should/shouldn't scarify to collect the 'remnants' that ended up on the surface after verticutting, or if that's normal, etc...

Anyways, I'll post before/after photos on my journal thread later today, and I'll update this thread once it's fully recovered, too. Will also take photos over the next handful of days to post on my thread to see how it recovers. I'm hopeful overall.


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## monsonman

@ADanto6840

Sounds like your results were similar to mine. Post a pic or two of yours if you do get a chance.

Oh, and I had the same Derp moment the first time I threw in the verti cartridge to haha.

Here was mine after verticutting










ETA: @ADanto6840 you should be fine to run the scarifier although you may find just passing the mower may clean it up a little better and grab any of the pulled up stolons


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## JayGo

@ADanto6840, very cool update. That ks for sharing. I've never verticut my lawn, but it is something I'm entertaining as another attempt at solving my Kensington 20 issue of it cutting a smidge lower on one side.

I agree with above post that you'd be fine with scsrofying to clean up. I just don't see scarifying ever being a bad thing.
Only time I'd avoid scarifying is after one of those rare instances I've put down something granular.


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## ADanto6840

@JayGo -- WRT "cutting smidge lower on one side", have you tried 'balancing' the mower at all? Or really, you can probably just semi-blindly add 12lbs of weight to the non-motor side. I seem to be getting better results after doing that.

FWIW, I just used two round weights from Walmart (two plates - 2.5lbs & 10lbs) and put 3 high-strength velcro "squares" on both weights (securing them together) & then 3 squares on the mower, to secure the weights to the mower. The weight alone keeps them pretty set-in-place, and the added friction from the heavier-duty velcro (nylon / 'crunch' style) keeps them super snug even when I tilt the mower back etc (ie no concern for them falling off -- the adhesive would fail before the velcro itself, likely a few yrs out, at which point I'd probably just use another set of velcro squares).

I think the weights were only ~$25, and you may have some laying around already even or can find them used for much cheaper (I tried that initially but went to Walmart after realizing I'd likely spend 30min trying to message back/forth on OfferUp). It'd be worth a try for sure IMO.

Worth mentioning RE: "Machine Not as Fast / Slowing Down" -- 
My machine started to slow down on me *again* while verticutting yesterday -- I tightened the throttle cable again, mid-way through, got the speed back... Though the throttle cable adjustment bolt seems to be running out of "room" to tighten it much further, so I may have to look closer at how that works on both sides and see if I can tighten it or just remove some slack from the ends of the cable altogether.


----------



## DFWLawnNut

ADanto6840 said:


> @JayGo -- WRT "cutting smidge lower on one side", have you tried 'balancing' the mower at all? Or really, you can probably just semi-blindly add 12lbs of weight to the non-motor side. I seem to be getting better results after doing that.
> 
> FWIW, I just used two round weights from Walmart (two plates - 2.5lbs & 10lbs) and put 3 high-strength velcro "squares" on both weights (securing them together) & then 3 squares on the mower, to secure the weights to the mower. The weight alone keeps them pretty set-in-place, and the added friction from the heavier-duty velcro (nylon / 'crunch' style) keeps them super snug even when I tilt the mower back etc (ie no concern for them falling off -- the adhesive would fail before the velcro itself, likely a few yrs out, at which point I'd probably just use another set of velcro squares).
> 
> I think the weights were only ~$25, and you may have some laying around already even or can find them used for much cheaper (I tried that initially but went to Walmart after realizing I'd likely spend 30min trying to message back/forth on OfferUp). It'd be worth a try for sure IMO.
> 
> Worth mentioning RE: "Machine Not as Fast / Slowing Down" --
> My machine started to slow down on me *again* while verticutting yesterday -- I tightened the throttle cable again, mid-way through, got the speed back... Though the throttle cable adjustment bolt seems to be running out of "room" to tighten it much further, so I may have to look closer at how that works on both sides and see if I can tighten it or just remove some slack from the ends of the cable altogether.


You might check the spring as well for the speed issue. My hook on mine broke and they sent me a couple of replacements. I wonder if yours has stretched some?


----------



## ADanto6840

Photos of before/after verticut posted on my journal here, below as well for ease:
https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=472168#p472168

BEFORE:
https://imgur.com/a/nCtOdLE

AFTER:
https://imgur.com/a/Y2Sy3Ft

BTW, I'm selfishly glad to hear I'm not the only one that couldn't get the verticut cartridge to fit initially. I was starting to really get irritated with myself before I took a step back & then figured it out. Glad I'm not the only one lol. =D

It actually does make me wonder if it's easier to get any/all cartridges to 'seat' (without 'banging' them in a bit) when the machine is at a higher HoC setting -- maybe not, may be a dumb thought, but I'll look next time I swap cartridges.


----------



## JayGo

@ADanto6840, yep. Not sure eif it was this post or another one, but yes, I had thought of counterbalancing the mower during the first year I had it. I briefly started to try, but I did t want to add any more weight for the belts to try to move. Plus, I was still u der warranty at the time and didn't want to jack that up.


----------



## Austinite

ADanto6840 said:


> Photos of before/after verticut posted on my journal here, below as well for ease:
> https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=472168#p472168
> 
> BEFORE:
> 
> 
> http://imgur.com/nCtOdLE
> 
> 
> AFTER:
> 
> 
> http://imgur.com/Y2Sy3Ft
> 
> 
> BTW, I'm selfishly glad to hear I'm not the only one that couldn't get the verticut cartridge to fit initially. I was starting to really get irritated with myself before I took a step back & then figured it out. Glad I'm not the only one lol. =D
> 
> It actually does make me wonder if it's easier to get any/all cartridges to 'seat' (without 'banging' them in a bit) when the machine is at a higher HoC setting -- maybe not, may be a dumb thought, but I'll look next time I swap cartridges.


Liberty needs to be at high setting to insert cartridges freely.

Side note, when verticutting, you should have the reel at the fastest setting and move the mower very slowly. It will cut through far better. I also put a brick in the hopper.


----------



## ADanto6840

@Austinite -- When verticutting, do you use self-propulsion at all or do you mainly just let the blades 'pull' you along? I had it at lowest HoC setting, and kind of tried to let/push it down so that it would 'dig' in, though with it balanced now it required less "force" to get it to dig in a bit. I did run it at the highest speed, for sure.

*Unrelated - RE: Turf Rake*
How low do you guys set your turf rake, specifically when mowing, but also in general?

I've played with it some; I basically had to raise it nearly all the way when scarifying, or it'd "grab" too much. I'm now trying to figure out where I want it for mowing specifically. I'm uncertain on how useful it *really* is overall, and it's a bit of a PITA since I find that it needs to be adjusted (separately) based on HoC (plus which cartridge you're using).

Any thoughts/advice/anecdotes WRT how you're setting your turf rake and whether you're adjusting it much, or if maybe I'm doing something wrong, would be appreciated. Since I scarify a decent bit during the season (to keep the grass "clean" - debris removal + scarifying/cleaning some thatch), it's a constant 'juggle' as far as how/where I set it. Curious if you guys are experiencing the same!

Also curious -- how do you guys ensure your HoC is the same-ish each time, ie after swapping from scarifying to cutting? Do you just eyeball the numbers & spot-check a strip of grass, or are you measuring/HOC gauge every time you adjust, or curious how you guys handle that.

I see people give their precise HOC numbers often; when I'm asked, I generally say "between 0.5 and .75" because I generally just shoot for somewhere between those two demarcations/numbers on the stock HOC gauge (I've measured them to verify/validate them once or twice, but I don't definitely do not do that every time I swap cartridges currently).


----------



## Austinite

@ADanto6840 - I have some sloping, it won't move on its own going up a slope. Going downhill certainly just let it roll. But the verticutter (in my experience) will not pull the mower. Might be why you're experiencing the digging. It can also dig if you're not spinning the reel at full speed, not just a high setting. Max it out. I spin at full speed and feather the drive so I move super slow.

Lastly, if verticutting grass in excess of 7⁄8" HOC (in my experience), the reel does not do as well. At 1/4 inch has been my best experience with it.

Turf rake aligned with bedknife.


----------



## ntx_ethan

Anyone already in the EGO family ordering one of these? Look like they come out this summer.

https://www.allett-usa.com/products/allett-stirling-51-battery-cylinder-mower


----------



## DFW_Zoysia

ntx_ethan said:


> Anyone already in the EGO family ordering one of these? Look like they come out this summer.
> 
> https://www.allett-usa.com/products/allett-stirling-51-battery-cylinder-mower


I'm not putting down Allett and to each their own - but $4,700?!?!?!?!?

Personally I'd spend $3500 on a pristine Toro that at least has some resale value.

Again, nothing against Allett.


----------



## ntx_ethan

DFW_Zoysia said:


> ntx_ethan said:
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone already in the EGO family ordering one of these? Look like they come out this summer.
> 
> https://www.allett-usa.com/products/allett-stirling-51-battery-cylinder-mower
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not putting down Allett and to each their own - but $4,700?!?!?!?!?
> 
> Personally I'd spend $3500 on a pristine Toro that at least has some resale value.
> 
> Again, nothing against Allett.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I have some EGO products so I was excited about the idea of using some of my existing batteries for an electric reel mower. However, the price tag is incredibly steep as you said. About $1,000 more than the electric Swardman. Not to mention, they want an additional $350 for the different cartridges! This hobby gets more expensive every year


----------



## JerseyGreens

DFW_Zoysia said:


> ntx_ethan said:
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone already in the EGO family ordering one of these? Look like they come out this summer.
> 
> https://www.allett-usa.com/products/allett-stirling-51-battery-cylinder-mower
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not putting down Allett and to each their own - but $4,700?!?!?!?!?
> 
> Personally I'd spend $3500 on a pristine Toro that at least has some resale value.
> 
> Again, nothing against Allett.
Click to expand...

The first shipment just arrived to the states and I saw some homeowners got their deliveries today on Facebook. I'm sure it will perform well but Allett is targeting the homeowners with some serious money in the bank account...that price doesn't include a battery.


----------



## DFWLawnNut

Yeah if you wanted one for this season you needed to pre-order back when they released it, but $5k to your door is just too damn expensive. I have a liberty 43 and just could never justify the cost increase over that unit. I ended up getting a new CalTrimmer to have around as well and still haven't spent as much as the new Stirling does combined lol.


----------



## JerseyGreens

DFWLawnNut said:


> Yeah if you wanted one for this season you needed to pre-order back when they released it, but $5k to your door is just too damn expensive. I have a liberty 43 and just could never justify the cost increase over that unit. I ended up getting a new CalTrimmer to have around as well and still haven't spent as much as the new Stirling does combined lol.


Seriously. I now have a GM1600 along with my K20 and attachments totalling the price of a single Stirling. Wooof...


----------



## MasterMech

DFW_Zoysia said:


> ntx_ethan said:
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone already in the EGO family ordering one of these? Look like they come out this summer.
> 
> https://www.allett-usa.com/products/allett-stirling-51-battery-cylinder-mower
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not putting down Allett and to each their own - but $4,700?!?!?!?!?
> 
> Personally I'd spend $3500 on a pristine Toro that at least has some resale value.
> 
> Again, nothing against Allett.
Click to expand...

You're talking new vs. a machine that has already depreciated away 70% of it's new price tag. (I'm not disputing which is the better financial choice....) Park 'em both next to each other on the showroom floor, $4,700 vs $12,000+. Then wheel in a top-of-the-line Honda or Toro (or EGo?) walk-behind @ $800. All three make tall grass short.


----------



## MasterMech

ntx_ethan said:


> Anyone already in the EGO family ordering one of these? Look like they come out this summer.
> 
> https://www.allett-usa.com/products/allett-stirling-51-battery-cylinder-mower


I believe they released a small number of them late last year.

https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=453874#p453874


----------



## Ware

MasterMech said:


> You're talking new vs. a machine that has already depreciated away 70% of it's new price tag. (I'm not disputing which is the better financial choice....) Park 'em both next to each other on the showroom floor, $4,700 vs $12,000+. Then wheel in a top-of-the-line Honda or Toro (or EGo?) walk-behind @ $800. All three make tall grass short.


Or oh by the way we have this robotic mower over here that does the mowing for you… :lol:


----------



## ntx_ethan

MasterMech said:


> ntx_ethan said:
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone already in the EGO family ordering one of these? Look like they come out this summer.
> 
> https://www.allett-usa.com/products/allett-stirling-51-battery-cylinder-mower
> 
> 
> 
> I believe they released a small number of them late last year.
Click to expand...

Gotcha. Thank you. I misspoke in my original post. I realized later after looking again that the summer 2022 release was based on when you ordered one versus the actual product release.


----------



## MasterMech

Ware said:


> MasterMech said:
> 
> 
> 
> You're talking new vs. a machine that has already depreciated away 70% of it's new price tag. (I'm not disputing which is the better financial choice....) Park 'em both next to each other on the showroom floor, $4,700 vs $12,000+. Then wheel in a top-of-the-line Honda or Toro (or EGo?) walk-behind @ $800. All three make tall grass short.
> 
> 
> 
> Or oh by the way we have this robotic mower over here that does the mowing for you… :lol:
Click to expand...

Hey, If the money doesn't matter.... (seems to be the topic today!)


----------



## DFW_Zoysia

MasterMech said:


> DFW_Zoysia said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ntx_ethan said:
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone already in the EGO family ordering one of these? Look like they come out this summer.
> 
> https://www.allett-usa.com/products/allett-stirling-51-battery-cylinder-mower
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not putting down Allett and to each their own - but $4,700?!?!?!?!?
> 
> Personally I'd spend $3500 on a pristine Toro that at least has some resale value.
> 
> Again, nothing against Allett.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> You're talking new vs. a machine that has already depreciated away 70% of it's new price tag. (I'm not disputing which is the better financial choice....) Park 'em both next to each other on the showroom floor, $4,700 vs $12,000+. Then wheel in a top-of-the-line Honda or Toro (or EGo?) walk-behind @ $800. All three make tall grass short.
Click to expand...

I think we're saying the same thing.  For someone wanting a reel mower willing to spend up to $5K, I'd choose a commercial grade, better quality Toro for less money that has largely depreciated vs an Allett that is inferior in every way and will depreciate significantly. In my mind that makes the Allett a hard sell.


----------



## monsonman

ntx_ethan said:


> Anyone already in the EGO family ordering one of these? Look like they come out this summer.
> 
> https://www.allett-usa.com/products/allett-stirling-51-battery-cylinder-mower


I've got one on order. Yes they are a lot of money, but I believe the improvements and overall design of the Stirling will make for a much more robust mower that shouldnt wear out components as easily with use on bermuda as the Liberty 43 (this is what I am hoping at least). Also, I like that they went to Ego power supply. All that...plus a much much better cartridge-change design and packaged in a 20" width allowed my curiosity to get the best of me.


----------



## DFW_Zoysia

monsonman said:


> ntx_ethan said:
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone already in the EGO family ordering one of these? Look like they come out this summer.
> 
> https://www.allett-usa.com/products/allett-stirling-51-battery-cylinder-mower
> 
> 
> 
> I've got one on order. Yes they are a lot of money, but I believe the improvements and overall design of the Stirling will make for a much more robust mower that shouldnt wear out components as easily with use on bermuda as the Liberty 43 (this is what I am hoping at least). Also, I like that they went to Ego power supply. All that...plus a much much better cartridge-change design and packaged in a 20" width allowed my curiosity to get the best of me.
Click to expand...

I genuinely hope you love the mower and it works well for you. We should all have mowers we love to use!!


----------



## monsonman

DFW_Zoysia said:


> monsonman said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ntx_ethan said:
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone already in the EGO family ordering one of these? Look like they come out this summer.
> 
> https://www.allett-usa.com/products/allett-stirling-51-battery-cylinder-mower
> 
> 
> 
> I've got one on order. Yes they are a lot of money, but I believe the improvements and overall design of the Stirling will make for a much more robust mower that shouldnt wear out components as easily with use on bermuda as the Liberty 43 (this is what I am hoping at least). Also, I like that they went to Ego power supply. All that...plus a much much better cartridge-change design and packaged in a 20" width allowed my curiosity to get the best of me.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I genuinely hope you love the mower and it works well for you. We should all have mowers we love to use!!
Click to expand...

Thanks and I agree with you. And hey, if no one buys them then they will never get better/ cheaper in the future, so I am considering it my small contribution to the future of the battery reel mowing world :lol:

I have several suppressors that have been obsolete for a decade, but if people hadnt bought the early designs then the industry wouldnt have pushed for better designs, mounting systems, materials etc. (i think you're a gun guy so i thought that would be a decent enough analogy)

And to the point of buying a toro or JD greens mower...sure it makes more sense and those mowers will spank any resi-grade reel mower up and down the grass all day long. But for me, i love being able to grab a battery off the charger, throw it in the Liberty and get to mowing within a couple minutes. They are quiet which is a bonus because I like to mow, and i dont have to bother my neighbors with a gasser multiple times a week.

All of these are my personal reasons, but it is still a risk...with new products, come new challenges to troubleshoot.


----------



## DFW_Zoysia

monsonman said:


> DFW_Zoysia said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> monsonman said:
> 
> 
> 
> I've got one on order. Yes they are a lot of money, but I believe the improvements and overall design of the Stirling will make for a much more robust mower that shouldnt wear out components as easily with use on bermuda as the Liberty 43 (this is what I am hoping at least). Also, I like that they went to Ego power supply. All that...plus a much much better cartridge-change design and packaged in a 20" width allowed my curiosity to get the best of me.
> 
> 
> 
> I genuinely hope you love the mower and it works well for you. We should all have mowers we love to use!!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> *I have several suppressors that have been obsolete for a decade, but if people hadnt bought the early designs then the industry wouldnt have pushed for better designs, mounting systems, materials etc. (i think you're a gun guy so i thought that would be a decent enough analogy)*
Click to expand...

My wife and I have two lists. List one are the people we will help shelter during the zombie apocalypse that we will take care of. The second list are the people we will also welcome but they don't know they are to be used for bait with the Zombies.


----------



## JerseyGreens

monsonman said:


> ntx_ethan said:
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone already in the EGO family ordering one of these? Look like they come out this summer.
> 
> https://www.allett-usa.com/products/allett-stirling-51-battery-cylinder-mower
> 
> 
> 
> I've got one on order. Yes they are a lot of money, but I believe the improvements and overall design of the Stirling will make for a much more robust mower that shouldnt wear out components as easily with use on bermuda as the Liberty 43 (this is what I am hoping at least). Also, I like that they went to Ego power supply. All that...plus a much much better cartridge-change design and packaged in a 20" width allowed my curiosity to get the best of me.
Click to expand...

Just a heads up - they went with brushed motors instead of brushless. Not all Ego products are created the same.

Coming from someone who already owns an Allett and about 7 Ego products.

I hope you love the Stirling pending the batteries don't overheat on you all the time!


----------



## ADanto6840

Liberty 43 question for you guys!

As a preface: I ordered an Accu Gage yesterday, I'm excited for it to get here -- thus far I've been basically just "guessing" via getting the number in the HoC gauge window approximately the same, but there's plenty of human error in that (some days more than others, depending on distractions/children/beer/etc). =D

I have measured my HOC a few times using a flat steel stock/bar & a digital caliper, but it's a little "fiddly" at best, so I'm looking forward to the Accu Gage (and it'll satisfy my OCD, despite the price).

*Anyways, my question:*
Does anyone else have some "play" in the front roller assembly? If I tilt Liberty back, I can move the front roller assembly up/down by maybe as much as 0.25" which seems like an awful lot. It's not the front roller itself, it's the entire assembly, and I don't see (though also haven't gone looking for) anywhere that the assembly could be tightened. I actually took a video of this last year & sent it to Allett, not long after receiving the mower, and IIRC they were going to ask "the UK" about it and get back to me but I never heard anything back on it (I think I had a belt issue around that time which took priority so it likely got lost in their shuffle & mine as well).

Now that I have an Accu-Gage on the way though (with the magnetic option!), I'm wondering if anyone else has "play" in their front roller assembly. I'm thinking ahead to the first time I use the Accu Gage -- I'll tilt the machine back, stick the gauge on magnetically, and then I'll probably *still* need to apply "upward force" to ensure the roller is at its "highest" point (ie with my manual force acting like the ground which would be pushing the assembly "up", under the weight of the machine) in order to get an accurate measurement.

*Anyone else with an Allett, especially Liberty owners -- do you guys have "play" (vertical plane) in the front roller assembly?*

I can take a video if my description doesn't make sense. Or if anyone knows how to tighten it, that'd be great too, lol. I have searched & not found anything on it really, so anyone with knowledge or first-hand experience that can chime in, I'd appreciate it very much! =)

PS -- Excited for you @monsonman -- can't wait to hear how you like it & hear first-hand experience & see the results it gives you. Slightly jealous, too. Congrats -- definitely let us know when it arrives!! Fingers crossed that it'll be worth every penny for ya!!


----------



## JerseyGreens

@ADanto6840 - no play in my front roller on my K20. I also have an accugage and the HOC is off by .05 when comparing the left to right edges. I've let it go because it's not bothering me all that much. If that delta increases then I'll reach out to Allett as that could mean something isn't right.

I don't have a Liberty but based on the design I don't believe there should be any play in the front roller.


----------



## ADanto6840

Here's a video of the "play" I have in mine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qSi1CirKgw

Not the best video/angle & a little long but about halfway through there are some angels that make it pretty easy to see. I can try to tighten the one exposed bolt but there's a visible gap there that seems large + I don't have immediate access to the other side's bolt, and there's obviously play in both sides or it wouldn't "rock" like that. I don't think I've ever pulled the other side off, so I'm not sure how/what (if anything) is on that side that I could try to tighten.

LMK any thoughts -- am kind of guessing that it's not intended to be this way, but I'd love to be wrong heh.

Edit: I took it apart. I see how the HOC adjustment works now, and I now understand why the other side must (obviously) be allowed to pivot there as well. It's almost like the "HOC adjustment assembly" is a bit loose; either that or it's intended to be less secure and instead the spring is supposed to keep ample tension on it & my spring is maybe under-tensioned... Could even be both, not sure.


----------



## ntx_ethan

monsonman said:


> ntx_ethan said:
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone already in the EGO family ordering one of these? Look like they come out this summer.
> 
> https://www.allett-usa.com/products/allett-stirling-51-battery-cylinder-mower
> 
> 
> 
> I've got one on order. Yes they are a lot of money, but I believe the improvements and overall design of the Stirling will make for a much more robust mower that shouldnt wear out components as easily with use on bermuda as the Liberty 43 (this is what I am hoping at least). Also, I like that they went to Ego power supply. All that...plus a much much better cartridge-change design and packaged in a 20" width allowed my curiosity to get the best of me.
Click to expand...

Jealous! I'll have to follow up with you later this year and see how you like it.


----------



## ADanto6840

Got my Accugage today. I can now quantify how much "flex" I have in the front roller assembly -- it's a bit less than I thought but it's right around 4.5mm of movement/flex. Not a *ton* but also seems like quite a bit.

I'm cutting lower than I had realized, just over 10mm, so with the "flex" it means that if I accidentally put some weight on the handle then I could be getting a variance of nearly 30-40% in HoC. That's a little concerning... Does anyone else have (or not have) "flex" in their front assembly like I do?

@KeeWay -- Do you have any flex? Any chance you (or anyone w/ a Liberty) could take a picture of the underside of your machine, am wondering if I'm missing a bolt/screw on the main HoC adjustment part (the knob turns a screw which moves the assembly up/down -- the screw that the knob turns is quite loose on mine, seems like it should be "secured"/tight against the machine but it isn't. a screw HoC

RE: Reels -- My 10-blade is nearly perfect with less than 0.25mm difference between the two sides. Next time I swap cartridges I'll throw my 6-blade in just to check it. I've always felt like the 10-blade gave a better & more even cut, so wouldn't be surprised if the 6-blade is less perfect but we'll see.

The Accu Gage w/ magnet is awesome btw. =D


----------



## KeeWay

here is the pics of my liberty, also i made my own height gage and between the play in the roller i am getting about 1.2mm play but mine seems to snap back pretty good so my guess my spring is still got some good tension.





thanks
James


----------



## AndyS

JerseyGreens said:


> DFW_Zoysia said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ntx_ethan said:
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone already in the EGO family ordering one of these? Look like they come out this summer.
> 
> https://www.allett-usa.com/products/allett-stirling-51-battery-cylinder-mower
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not putting down Allett and to each their own - but $4,700?!?!?!?!?
> 
> Personally I'd spend $3500 on a pristine Toro that at least has some resale value.
> 
> Again, nothing against Allett.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> The first shipment just arrived to the states and I saw some homeowners got their deliveries today on Facebook. I'm sure it will perform well but Allett is targeting the homeowners with some serious money in the bank account...that price doesn't include a battery.
Click to expand...

I was recently in the UK and the Sterling is going there for the equivalent of about $3,400 USD.

But, wait for it… That's including a 5ah battery… and a charger… and free shipping…

Still not done… and is inclusive of 20% sales tax (VAT)

Not sure how import duty applies but on most items we get a price break in the US because it's such a large and beneficial market (e.g., compare the price of equivalent BMWs). Allett seems to have taken a different approach.


----------



## JerseyGreens

AndyS said:


> JerseyGreens said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> DFW_Zoysia said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not putting down Allett and to each their own - but $4,700?!?!?!?!?
> 
> Personally I'd spend $3500 on a pristine Toro that at least has some resale value.
> 
> Again, nothing against Allett.
> 
> 
> 
> The first shipment just arrived to the states and I saw some homeowners got their deliveries today on Facebook. I'm sure it will perform well but Allett is targeting the homeowners with some serious money in the bank account...that price doesn't include a battery.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I was recently in the UK and the Sterling is going there for the equivalent of about $3,400 USD.
> 
> But, wait for it… That's including a 5ah battery… and a charger… and free shipping…
> 
> Still not done… and is inclusive of 20% sales tax (VAT)
> 
> Not sure how import duty applies but on most items we get a price break in the US because it's such a large and beneficial market (e.g., compare the price of equivalent BMWs). Allett seems to have taken a different approach.
Click to expand...

If I understand correctly are you trying to get the machine delivered to the US from UK? Keep me posted if you pull that off and Allett promising to warranty the machine for two years!!


----------



## ADanto6840

JerseyGreens said:


> AndyS said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JerseyGreens said:
> 
> 
> 
> The first shipment just arrived to the states and I saw some homeowners got their deliveries today on Facebook. I'm sure it will perform well but Allett is targeting the homeowners with some serious money in the bank account...that price doesn't include a battery.
> 
> 
> 
> I was recently in the UK and the Sterling is going there for the equivalent of about $3,400 USD.
> 
> But, wait for it… That's including a 5ah battery… and a charger… and free shipping…
> 
> Still not done… and is inclusive of 20% sales tax (VAT)
> 
> Not sure how import duty applies but on most items we get a price break in the US because it's such a large and beneficial market (e.g., compare the price of equivalent BMWs). Allett seems to have taken a different approach.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> If I understand correctly are you trying to get the machine delivered to the US from UK? Keep me posted if you pull that off and Allett promising to warranty the machine for two years!!
Click to expand...

I think the point is simply that they're selling it in the UK for almost half the price they're selling it for in the US. I knew it was cheaper in the UK, and that's *after* VAT -- didn't realize it included battery & charger too, though, hah. I suspect warranty & usage pattern maybe impacts that some (ie higher warranty costs here) but, even still, that's *quite* the price delta!


----------



## JerseyGreens

@ADanto6840 - that pricing delta is nothing new for those following Allett the past few years. From my POV its driven by the Independent, Exclusive Allett Seller in the USA...supply/demand. He is going to charge what the market is willing to bear (Capitalism!)

I'm interested in someone procuring one from the UK and what the final cost savings average out too.


----------



## AndyS

ADanto6840 said:


> JerseyGreens said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> AndyS said:
> 
> 
> 
> I was recently in the UK and the Sterling is going there for the equivalent of about $3,400 USD.
> 
> But, wait for it… That's including a 5ah battery… and a charger… and free shipping…
> 
> Still not done… and is inclusive of 20% sales tax (VAT)
> 
> Not sure how import duty applies but on most items we get a price break in the US because it's such a large and beneficial market (e.g., compare the price of equivalent BMWs). Allett seems to have taken a different approach.
> 
> 
> 
> If I understand correctly are you trying to get the machine delivered to the US from UK? Keep me posted if you pull that off and Allett promising to warranty the machine for two years!!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I think the point is simply that they're selling it in the UK for almost half the price they're selling it for in the US. I knew it was cheaper in the UK, and that's *after* VAT -- didn't realize it included battery & charger too, though, hah. I suspect warranty & usage pattern maybe impacts that some (ie higher warranty costs here) but, even still, that's *quite* the price delta!
Click to expand...

Exactly. I get the commercialism aspect and the market will probably bear it, but not for me. It looks like a great machine and I could afford it, but I don't think the price is justifiable. The UK price by comparison seems reasonable.

Importing would be interesting… I'm not one of those savvy guys that can work that out. I wish I was!


----------



## ADanto6840

AndyS said:


> Importing would be interesting… I'm not one of those savvy guys that can work that out. I wish I was!


I'm not _overly_ interested in doing so, but I went ahead and requested a quote from a shipper, to see what it might cost to get it from the UK to me. Mostly am just curious -- though I do have some friends in the UK that could take initial delivery & ensure it gets to the overseas freight carrier.

Anyways, even if just for curiosity's sake, I'll let you guys know what the shipping cost would be.

WRT warranty -- you'd probably lose the warranty, I guess. I'm personally not sure how valuable the warranty really is -- my first issue they were responsive, and I now have a small supply of belts, but since then I really haven't received any responses from them (have also only inquired with issues/concerns once or twice since then, too). Also, the charger may not usable in the US, at least without an adapter, but that's relatively small potatoes.

I kind of hope the freight quote is $1k+ ... otherwise I'll have to weigh pros/cons vs the wife-factor. :lol:


----------



## MasterMech

ADanto6840 said:


> .... Also, the charger may not usable in the US, at least without an adapter, but that's relatively small potatoes. ...


So many electronic items using switch-mode power supplies work on both 120V-60Hz and 230V-50Hz with no issues. I'd be surprised if there's anything preventing the EGo chargers from doing the same other than the physical plug. I did notice that the manuals and the bottom stickers on US models only call out 120V-60Hz vs the typical 120-240V 50-60Hz ratings you find on other appliances.

That said, I don't think I'd have any safety concerns with testing a UK charger on 120V-60Hz via a physical adapter or plug swap.


----------



## MasterMech

AndyS said:


> ADanto6840 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JerseyGreens said:
> 
> 
> 
> If I understand correctly are you trying to get the machine delivered to the US from UK? Keep me posted if you pull that off and Allett promising to warranty the machine for two years!!
> 
> 
> 
> I think the point is simply that they're selling it in the UK for almost half the price they're selling it for in the US. I knew it was cheaper in the UK, and that's *after* VAT -- didn't realize it included battery & charger too, though, hah. I suspect warranty & usage pattern maybe impacts that some (ie higher warranty costs here) but, even still, that's *quite* the price delta!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Exactly. I get the commercialism aspect and the market will probably bear it, but not for me. It looks like a great machine and I could afford it, but I don't think the price is justifiable. The UK price by comparison seems reasonable.
> 
> Importing would be interesting… I'm not one of those savvy guys that can work that out. I wish I was!
Click to expand...

Only because there is next to zero competition and a slim chance of that changing in the near term. None of the domestic reel manufacturer's here have a traction drum design that's not a full-on greensmower. McLane, TruCut, Cal Trimmer - nada. No cartridges either. So developing competition to this unit would be an expensive undertaking.

There are certainly costs with importing Lithium batteries into the US but being that they're using a platform that's now widely used here in the US, having it sourced stateside is merely a logistics issue. Drop shipping a BA2800T and CH2100 from a USA warehouse every time a mower is sold is no big deal.


----------



## DFW_Zoysia

AndyS said:


> Exactly. * I get the commercialism* aspect and the market will probably bear it, but not for me. It looks like a great machine and I could afford it, but I don't think the price is justifiable. The UK price by comparison seems reasonable.
> 
> Importing would be interesting… I'm not one of those savvy guys that can work that out. I wish I was!


As someone who did importing in a past life, let me shed some light on this that the average person doesn't understand.

People assume it's simply a delta between the UK unit price and the USA selling price and then distributers simply get greedy. Of course in the case of a monopoly that can play a factor, but not really - if they get too greedy in pricing and people aren't willing to pay the price then they don't sell any. If they price it too little, then that is not a smart business move either as they then need to deal with more importing, more logistics, more headaches with a smaller profit margin than if they priced it higher and sold less units. There is a very fine line to find the right balance point.

Plus from a cost point of view, usually there are the taxes the importer pays to import it to the US gov. And they have the headache of dealing with customs. And they need to pay the shipping and insurance. And they need to pay to warehouse the product. And they need to pay for a building and insurance on the facility and property taxes. And they need to pay for the help to manage the inventory. And they need to pay benefits for the help. And they need to pay taxes on the help they hire. And they need to pay for the product liability insurance. And they need to assume they will loose an additional 35-45% in state and local income taxes on any profit. AND after all that they need to make enough profit to support their living on a relatively small volume seller. That all gets factored into the final price.

So yes, while lack of importers plays a role, it's not evil capitalism (not saying you're saying it us, but often people do say that when discussing importing prices) and there aren't other importers as it's such a small volume item it probably isn't financially viable for multiple importers.


----------



## JerseyGreens

@DFW_Zoysia - all fair points. I bet the pricing gets pretty darn close for someone serious about importing one of these units and cartridges into the US from the UK. At that point the buyer should just support the US dealer...


----------



## DFW_Zoysia

JerseyGreens said:


> @DFW_Zoysia - all fair points. I bet the pricing gets pretty darn close for someone serious about importing one of these units and cartridges into the US from the UK. At that point the buyer should just support the US dealer...


Thanks. There are a lot of costs associated with importing that people don't (understandably) think or know about.

Also, here is a review link on the new Allet. Looks nice, but in my mind it screams to me "too many electrics that can go wrong".


----------



## JerseyGreens

DFW_Zoysia said:


> JerseyGreens said:
> 
> 
> 
> @DFW_Zoysia - all fair points. I bet the pricing gets pretty darn close for someone serious about importing one of these units and cartridges into the US from the UK. At that point the buyer should just support the US dealer...
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks. There are a lot of costs associated with importing that people don't (understandably) think or know about.
> 
> Also, here is a review link on the new Allet. Looks nice, but in my mind it screams to me "too many electrics that can go wrong".
Click to expand...

From an electronic standpoint it's fairly simple like other ego products. My main issue and definitely why I'm passing on the first year model is that they decided to utilize brushed electric motors instead of brushless.


----------



## DFW_Zoysia

JerseyGreens said:


> DFW_Zoysia said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JerseyGreens said:
> 
> 
> 
> @DFW_Zoysia - all fair points. I bet the pricing gets pretty darn close for someone serious about importing one of these units and cartridges into the US from the UK. At that point the buyer should just support the US dealer...
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks. There are a lot of costs associated with importing that people don't (understandably) think or know about.
> 
> Also, here is a review link on the new Allet. Looks nice, but in my mind it screams to me "too many electrics that can go wrong".
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> From an electronic standpoint it's fairly simple like other ego products. My main issue and definitely why I'm passing on the first year model is that they decided to utilize brushed electric motors instead of brushless.
Click to expand...

I meant when I see electric safeties, as an example, that don't allow it to start at all when the handles are forward - that those are the kind of switches/safeties and stuff I see fail most often in equipment. Though maybe not difficult to fix, they can certainly impede mowing bliss.


----------



## kredmore

JerseyGreens said:


> DFW_Zoysia said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JerseyGreens said:
> 
> 
> 
> @DFW_Zoysia - all fair points. I bet the pricing gets pretty darn close for someone serious about importing one of these units and cartridges into the US from the UK. At that point the buyer should just support the US dealer...
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks. There are a lot of costs associated with importing that people don't (understandably) think or know about.
> 
> Also, here is a review link on the new Allet. Looks nice, but in my mind it screams to me "too many electrics that can go wrong".
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> From an electronic standpoint it's fairly simple like other ego products. My main issue and definitely why I'm passing on the first year model is that they decided to utilize brushed electric motors instead of brushless.
Click to expand...

Curious - how do you know they are not brushless? I couldn't find anything. US website doesn't say, and UK site says brushless.


----------



## JerseyGreens

kredmore said:


> JerseyGreens said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> DFW_Zoysia said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks. There are a lot of costs associated with importing that people don't (understandably) think or know about.
> 
> Also, here is a review link on the new Allet. Looks nice, but in my mind it screams to me "too many electrics that can go wrong".
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From an electronic standpoint it's fairly simple like other ego products. My main issue and definitely why I'm passing on the first year model is that they decided to utilize brushed electric motors instead of brushless.
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Curious - how do you know they are not brushless? I couldn't find anything. US website doesn't say, and UK site says brushless.
Click to expand...

I speak to an Allett engineer often who has become my good friend. I'm sure there are good reasons they went with brushed motors but I'm more than likely waiting for the V2 Stirling because I'm sure they are going to learn/develop a lot along the way.


----------



## kredmore

Ah, gotcha, inside info! Thanks. And agree on V2 improving on the original, reminds me of the swardman.


----------



## downriverlawn

ADanto6840 said:


> Liberty 43 question for you guys!
> 
> *Anyone else with an Allett, especially Liberty owners -- do you guys have "play" (vertical plane) in the front roller assembly?*


Hey I noticed in this video he shows the same thing as you. It might be a "feature not a bug"
At about the 10:00 mark


----------



## steffen707

ADanto6840 said:


> *quite* the price delta!


WOAH! you're telling me. I had put down $4000 for a stirling, but then when I found out I had to buy a battery and they didn't use brushless motor, i was like.......I gotta cancel this.

Now its $4700....... :shock:


----------



## steffen707

JerseyGreens said:


> kredmore said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JerseyGreens said:
> 
> 
> 
> From an electronic standpoint it's fairly simple like other ego products. My main issue and definitely why I'm passing on the first year model is that they decided to utilize brushed electric motors instead of brushless.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Curious - how do you know they are not brushless? I couldn't find anything. US website doesn't say, and UK site says brushless.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I speak to an Allett engineer often who has become my good friend. I'm sure there are good reasons they went with brushed motors but I'm more than likely waiting for the V2 Stirling because I'm sure they are going to learn/develop a lot along the way.
Click to expand...

Maybe we'll be V2 Stirling buddies!


----------



## steffen707

MasterMech said:


> There are certainly costs with importing Lithium batteries into the US but being that they're using a platform that's now widely used here in the US, having it sourced stateside is merely a logistics issue. Drop shipping a BA2800T and CH2100 from a USA warehouse every time a mower is sold is no big deal.


It hurts less if you also need to buy a snowblower. Get an Ego with a battery or 2, and then you don't pay the huge price of $450 for a 10ah battery.


----------



## DFW_Zoysia

Holy Crap - I was checking out their 24" "C" series. It's like almost $20,000 with blade. Who would spend that kind of money???? I'd buy a brand new Toro GM for a lot less money before I'd spend that kind of money on a Allet - or anything else.


----------



## JerseyGreens

DFW_Zoysia said:


> Holy Crap - I was checking out their 24" "C" series. It's like almost $20,000 with blade. Who would spend that kind of money???? I'd buy a brand new Toro GM for a lot less money before I'd spend that kind of money on a Allet - or anything else.


Their commercial units are definitely pricey, although I'd assume a brand new 1600 isn't too far off from ~15-20k...

At that kind of pricing and a lack of dealer network most courses and athletic fields are probably a hard sale for their equipment...


----------



## MasterMech

DFW_Zoysia said:


> .... Who would spend that kind of money???? .....


A business that earns money by providing turf and spends it on labor to maintain it. Usually a playing field of some kind. Sports teams/stadiums, golf courses, parks/rec etc.


----------



## UFG8RMIKE

DFW_Zoysia said:


> Holy Crap - I was checking out their 24" "C" series. It's like almost $20,000 with blade. Who would spend that kind of money???? I'd buy a brand new Toro GM for a lot less money before I'd spend that kind of money on a Allet - or anything else.


Ya, pretty absurd for a honda engine on a frame that spins a little round cylinder


----------



## DFW_Zoysia

JerseyGreens said:


> DFW_Zoysia said:
> 
> 
> 
> Holy Crap - I was checking out their 24" "C" series. It's like almost $20,000 with blade. Who would spend that kind of money???? I'd buy a brand new Toro GM for a lot less money before I'd spend that kind of money on a Allet - or anything else.
> 
> 
> 
> Their commercial units are definitely pricey, although I'd assume a brand new 1600 isn't too far off from ~15-20k...
> 
> At that kind of pricing and a lack of dealer network most courses and athletic fields are probably a hard sale for their equipment...
Click to expand...

I thought the GM 1000 and 1600 was closer to $12K and the Flex's closer to $14K. But I may be wrong.


----------



## Sonoran Desert Lawn

https://youtu.be/G-JwKclF558


----------



## enforcerman

The EGO battery Allett is over 5k in case you're wondering....seems they've sent out several to all the YouTubers we watch. I've seen a few videos.....Nice...but 5k..No thanks.


----------



## JerseyGreens

enforcerman said:


> The EGO battery Allett is over 5k in case you're wondering....seems they've sent out several to all the YouTubers we watch. I've seen a few videos.....Nice...but 5k..No thanks.


I'd buy a 26inch model at 5k in a heartbeat but agreed the thing looks sweet but too much $$$


----------



## kredmore

JerseyGreens said:


> kredmore said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JerseyGreens said:
> 
> 
> 
> From an electronic standpoint it's fairly simple like other ego products. My main issue and definitely why I'm passing on the first year model is that they decided to utilize brushed electric motors instead of brushless.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Curious - how do you know they are not brushless? I couldn't find anything. US website doesn't say, and UK site says brushless.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I speak to an Allett engineer often who has become my good friend. I'm sure there are good reasons they went with brushed motors but I'm more than likely waiting for the V2 Stirling because I'm sure they are going to learn/develop a lot along the way.
Click to expand...

Allett just confirmed Stirling brushless motors on their youtube live chat comparing Liberty and Stirling mowers.


----------



## JerseyGreens

@kredmore - that's great to hear. Guess they made a design change for the better. I did tell the engineer that going brushed to save a few bucks was a huge mistake.


----------



## kredmore

:thumbup:


----------



## NClawnnut78

Funny I called ego and suggested they make a reel mower for a product line lol. Never though it would be two companies. I even mentioned makeing one like allett had. I am sure I am not the only one to call and make that product suggestion. Guess they partnered with someone instead. To funny. However I will still need a gas mower. Also the cost of this thing is more to make back the R&D on it.


----------



## radar112

I also looked into an Allett Liberty 43 and decided to take the plunge. $3300+ with shipping and taxes to East Tennessee and a scarifier cartridge at Roland's recommendation. Had to wait a couple of weeks for batteries and charger to be ordered (another $600 for (3) 6 amp-hour batteries with slow charger). I chose a slow charger for less heat during charging to extend battery life. So I got 3 batteries.

After a day of charging batteries and a little tweek on reel adjustments and I was off. I had some grass that grew early to about 6" high while the rest was 2-3". The 2-3 inches cut well. I had to slow the speed (and apparently the reel speed)or a lot of grass was just being pushed down. The taller grass was just pushed down and would not cut. I used a weed whacker to lower these (no problems, this is a well known limitation of reel mowers. I got 1.5 - 2 hours of operation on one battery (very pleased).

My lawn is new el torro zoysia from sod. My front yard is relatively flat with unevenness where the grass grew at different rates and some soil filled in uneven subsoil (clay). My side yard is concave slope in all directions to a point where my backyard begins an E-W slope of ~20 degrees. I'm in East Tennessee where very few lawns are flat. The total yard is near 0.5 acres.

On the front yard (flat), the Allett rollers would free spin on one side and not turn at all on the other do to the unevenness of the yard (<1" difference). I had to press on the handle but received a "choppy" cut because the reel was being raised and lowered.

The side yard and back yards were a disaster. The Allett Liberty slid diagonally down the side yard. I injured my hand trying to keep the mower on path (unsuccessfully). I gave up on the side yard. On the back yard, I could keep the Liberty on path with a lot of effort but I had the same problem as the front yard.

Roland felt that scarifying the yard would resolve some of the front yard problems but his advice on the side and back yards (to scarify)would not work due to the slippage. He had no practical advice for a yard that was not flat. Does anyone have any advice that might help me. I have around $4000 invested in this mower that I can only use on my front yard?

I asked about returning the Allett Liberty 43 as it was not designed for a yard like mine. Roland said that they DO NOT accept returns or offer any warranty. It took a while for me to get a response as Allett would not respond to messages or comments online. Christine was great and got an expeditious answer though it was not the answer that I wanted.

Any advice would be appreciated.


----------



## ADanto6840

Replies for you @radar112:

RE: Warranty -- They definitely do have a warranty, not sure about returns, though. I'm sure they would try very hard to not have to take a return.

RE: Level -- Just about any reel mower is going to need a relatively level surface to get solid results, is my understanding at least. Higher HoCs should be more forgiving. Rolling unevenness isn't usually problematic, the main problems seem to come from "jarring" changes or "semi-rugged" terrain. Hard to say without photos but you may want to consider a leveling project perhaps (unsure if Zoysia is as forgiving WRT leveling or not).

RE: Traction -- Many of us have added some traction/grip-helping strips -- there's a thread in here somewhere about mods, mostly led by KeeWay. I get much less slippage after adding the 3M 'stair tread' strips to my rollers & they've held up flawlessly so far this season. If anything, I have a few spots where they can 'dig' in a bit & create (very light) ruts if the ground is slightly uneven & wet.

@radar112 -- What's your goal/target HoC? Is the 0.4 acres accurate (approx 17k sqft)?

Unrelated, RE: Stirling -- 
I _really want_ the grass box (not to mention what appears to be a much more sturdy HoC adjustment mechanism, but alas). The Liberty grass box drives me *nuts*. Why did they put such big 'lips' on it?! And why did they make it so large when you're never going to be able to fill it more than about 60-70% at best, heh. Alas, maybe we'll get lucky and @KeeWay will come up with an idea for fixing the Liberty grass box, too! =D


----------



## KeeWay

@ADanto6840 once i get my belt situation resolved i might take a crack at the grass catcher :mrgreen:, I don't like it much either.


----------



## santhony1231

Just ordered a Liberty 43. You guys seem to have a fair bit of criticism, but I sure hope it does exactly what I need it to do! $400 off right now through the end of June.

Looks like they have a new model replacing the Liberty next year? I was fearful that the price jump of this new model might be significant.

Got the scarifier cartridge. Going to buy the batteries and charger separately as they seem to gouge on those items.

Can't wait to try it out next week if this heat wave gives us a break!


----------



## qball

I have about 10 hours on my kensington 20h and I am starting to see uneven cuts at 7/8" HOC (hybrid bermuda).

when I am in front of the mower facing the back of the mower and the unit is on a smooth and level surface (garage floor) I see the bed knife on the right side is 1/16" higher than the bed knife on the left side (to the floor).

I have re-seated the cartridge numerous times and tried different spots in the garage…

My assumption is that the rear drum is fixed and the cartridge and frame were manufactured correctly… If so, the only way I see to fix this is to adjust the front roller…. True? I see videos that show how to adjust the rake on the front roller but not the front roller itself…

Most of the posts I see end with no conclusion or start talking about HOC adjustments, and I don't see how those would help make the bed knife parallel to the floor…

Greatly appreciate any tips!


----------



## qball

I think I have now read every forum post google can find about uneven cut with the kensington model.

I found 2 posts that resonated with me and my situation, and I think they may hint at the answer.

I will post them here in case it helps someone else. I am gonna try to adjust my front roller tomorrow. I will post the results.

This post is what I was after (I think). It sounds like the holes for the front roller bolts might be a slot or slightly bigger than needed. This might let me lower the one side 1/16"…



This next post was the most comprehensive post I found on the topic and also hints at what I think is my issue (#4). thanks @SunnyBermuda


----------



## Austinite

@qball - My experience was uneven weight distribution. Same for another member here that lives near me. The "fix" was replacing the body. Which of course we both thought was ridiculous to task us wit that.


----------



## qball

@Austinite

I discarded the weight distribution idea because my Honda engine looks more or less centered… Also, I see this height difference at the bed knife on a smooth concrete floor. I can certainly check the left and right side weight though…

Also, the height difference I mentioned was measured using a 3/4" brass bar on the garage floor with HOC set so that the top of the bed knife is perfectly flush with the bar. it is perfect on the left and 1/16" off on the right. It just seemed to me like the front roller needed a small adjustment or something…

replacing the body!? yikes…. allett suggested that!?

I had to work late tonight and mowing was a priority so I will see if I can adjust things next time.


----------



## DFW_Zoysia

So I have to ask - and this isn't meant to be jerky - why do people buy Allet and take the chance? It seems like for years there is post after post after post of a problematic and poorly designed product that never improves and poor service?

Also - a questions aimed at Allet - as a company do you not care about the reputation of your company?

This is my take on reading Allet posts for years. If it is not accurate, please let me know. It's a sincere question as we've seen how quickly other companies on this forum with problematic products get zeroed in on.


----------



## JerseyGreens

@DFW_Zoysia - valid questions and great conversation starter.

From my POV - I tend to find more issues/complaints for a company/product versus good reviews simply because folks that like their machine don't find the need to post about it. That skews the public opinion to them being poorly made machines.

Allett UK definitely cares about their reputation and I can say Roland does as well here in the states but I'd beg to say that he's still understaffed. That has 100% led to poor customer service and left a bad taste for nearly every Allett owner.

My final two cents - I think these machines struggle with warm season grasses. Based on anecdotal research/comments on these boards and social media.

If I personally had warm season grass and was looking to get into the cartridge system I'd hesitate to drop that much coin on the options currently in the market...unless a nice Dennis became available.


----------



## DFW_Zoysia

JerseyGreens said:


> @DFW_Zoysia - valid questions and great conversation starter.
> 
> From my POV - I tend to find more issues/complaints for a company/product versus good reviews simply because folks that like their machine don't find the need to post about it. That skews the public opinion to them being poorly made machines.
> 
> Allett UK definitely cares about their reputation and I can say Roland does as well here in the states but I'd beg to say that he's still understaffed. That has 100% led to poor customer service and left a bad taste for nearly every Allett owner.
> 
> My final two cents - I think these machines struggle with warm season grasses. Based on anecdotal research/comments on these boards and social media.
> 
> If I personally had warm season grass and was looking to get into the cartridge system I'd hesitate to drop that much coin on the options currently in the market...unless a nice Dennis became available.


Thanks for the comments. I appreciate it. Some of the points I see (and again - may not be accurate) from posts on this forum are:

- cheap and breaking throttle cable;
- machine is designed with uneven weight distribution so it will cut uneven (@Austinite and others);
- Someone recent posted and was joined in by others saying they were repeatedly misled and given rewashed excuses regarding service.

I'm not trying to zero in on any one person, but it seems like the same issues over and over. From an observers point of view, I find it all very interesting that its the same issues repeatedly that never seem to change.


----------



## thelawnlife

"If I personally had warm season grass and was looking to get into the cartridge system I'd hesitate to drop that much coin on the options currently in the market...unless a nice Dennis became available."

I believe this is the heart of the issues with Alletts and possibly Swardsmans as well.. the UK market mowers are designed for their main type of grass which is dwarf ryegrass..totally different beast than warm season tifway type Bermuda.


----------



## Austinite

Im not sure the grass type has anything to do with it. At the end of the day, it's reel to bedknife. All the other gadgets and gizmos are the problem.


----------



## RCUK

Fine Fescues and Bent are the most common grasses in the UK as they are native here. Rye is common on football pitches, lawn fanatics lawns, and mixed in with Fine Fescue for sod rolls or bags of homeowner seed.

The mowers aren't designed specifically for Ryegrass.


----------



## XLT_66

Anyone here have a C-level cartridge system? I stumbled upon a C27 with every cartridge for a hair over $5k shipped to my door.

I'm using it to mow about 4k of Zeon and 11k of Celebration at 3/4". So far - the 8 blade has been offering a great cut and I've used the dethatcher and veriticutter a couple of times with great success.

The reel is not relief ground so I'm hoping to have that done this off-season so that so can backlap at home but otherwise - so far so good!


----------



## JerseyGreens

@XLT_66 - that's a steal. Sweet setup. Not sure any of us regulars have their commerical line-up. That's a different ballgame.


----------



## Austinite

That is a very low price with all the reels. Does the seller state why he is selling?


----------



## FATC1TY

DFW_Zoysia said:


> So I have to ask - and this isn't meant to be jerky - why do people buy Allet and take the chance? It seems like for years there is post after post after post of a problematic and poorly designed product that never improves and poor service?
> 
> Also - a questions aimed at Allet - as a company do you not care about the reputation of your company?
> 
> This is my take on reading Allet posts for years. If it is not accurate, please let me know. It's a sincere question as we've seen how quickly other companies on this forum with problematic products get zeroed in on.


I think that's the frustrating part… the residential and homeowner reel arena is mostly void of anything good. Sure you've got the tru cut, Mclane and maybe even cal trimmers. But they aren't the easiest to work with, replace parts, etc.

Then you've got this higher end market with allett and swardman.. slick looking machines, all the bells and whistles a homeowner wants. The issue is they are junk! Look at how the service is for them, and it was the selling point. They appear to be built cheap, even compared to trucut and mclane. You at least see old mowers being restored, you don't see many people attempting that with early models of the new breeds. I know they are young and lots of people love them, but buyers remorse is real, and an old greensmower isn't for everyone. I do think people realize they are the more frugal purchase at this point, especially with the price increases but there's an enormous gap in this industry that no one has been able to handle.

As much as you see allett in a bad light, I'd offer that we saw swardman bloom to exceptional heights, especially here when they used this forum to bolster their market. Look where it is now…


----------



## FATC1TY

Austinite said:


> Im not sure the grass type has anything to do with it. At the end of the day, it's reel to bedknife. All the other gadgets and gizmos are the problem.


I don't think the actual grass is the biggest issue but the amount of use, is. In the native climates of allett, they aren't exactly needing to cut thick bladed turf, darn near daily.


----------



## Austinite

Well said, @FATC1TY on your 2 posts above.


----------



## JerseyGreens

Austinite said:


> Im not sure the grass type has anything to do with it. At the end of the day, it's reel to bedknife. All the other gadgets and gizmos are the problem.


I think there is a vast difference between KBG and Bermuda for example when it comes to strain on a mower/belts, etc. Especially when the mowers are full of plastic parts.

I could be wrong but that's simply my opinion.


----------



## FATC1TY

JerseyGreens said:


> Austinite said:
> 
> 
> 
> Im not sure the grass type has anything to do with it. At the end of the day, it's reel to bedknife. All the other gadgets and gizmos are the problem.
> 
> 
> 
> I think there is a vast difference between KBG and Bermuda for example when it comes to strain on a mower/belts, etc. Especially when the mowers are full of plastic parts.
> 
> I could be wrong but that's simply my opinion.
Click to expand...

I think you are absolutely on par with the thought. American yards are generally much much larger, not near as flat due to being so large, and a vast majority of the people who engage in regular or excessive lawncare have warm season grasses. Not to exclude the cool season yards, those seem to be even larger, full of specific grasses that are much thicker and dense.

Two different homeowners cutting 800 sq ft of fescue will absolutely find less things to complain about versus the homeowner trying to cut 12,000 sq ft of zoysia with the same mower. Frequency, and types I believe are the issue, but I also think trying to make a machine a jack of all trades, makes them a master of none.


----------



## XLT_66

Austinite said:


> That is a very low price with all the reels. Does the seller state why he is selling?


This was purchased from Horizon Distributors which was liquidating their Allett inventory apparently because Allett was coming in to DTC in the US. I purchased the unit as a demo with an 8-blade and the dethatcher and then the pallet showed up with aerator, verticutter, brush, and scarifier as well.

Didn't see me complaining…


----------



## DFW_Zoysia

FATC1TY said:


> JerseyGreens said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Austinite said:
> 
> 
> 
> Im not sure the grass type has anything to do with it. At the end of the day, it's reel to bedknife. All the other gadgets and gizmos are the problem.
> 
> 
> 
> I think there is a vast difference between KBG and Bermuda for example when it comes to strain on a mower/belts, etc. Especially when the mowers are full of plastic parts.
> 
> I could be wrong but that's simply my opinion.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I think you are absolutely on par with the thought. American yards are generally much much larger, not near as flat due to being so large, and a vast majority of the people who engage in regular or excessive lawncare have warm season grasses. Not to exclude the cool season yards, those seem to be even larger, full of specific grasses that are much thicker and dense.
> 
> Two different homeowners cutting 800 sq ft of fescue will absolutely find less things to complain about versus the homeowner trying to cut 12,000 sq ft of zoysia with the same mower. Frequency, and types I believe are the issue, but I also think trying to make a machine a jack of all trades, makes them a master of none.
Click to expand...

Based on the amount of issues and the lack of quality on the Allet (how hard is it to make a throttle cable that doesn't break regardless of yard size) or a mower that is evenly balanced (not sure how lawn type affects an unbalanced mower design) it begs the question are the incapable of building a better product that is reliable for the market they sell in or just too cheap?

I don't recall any of these "market arguments" defending Swardman (Swordsman made its own bed and deserved the rep it got). It just seems as an outsider who owns neither Allett nor Swordsman that Allett seems to be held to a different standard when we have post after post or very poor quality, poor customer service, and poor product overall. It the product can't handle American lawns, then don't sell it here at crazy high prices.


----------



## JerseyGreens

I think the conversation is starting to get a little sidetracked. I don't think Allett is being held anywhere near a different standard than Swardman. In fact I'm actually bucketing the two together for multiple reasons. They both share similar pros and cons.

Yes, I have noticed a theme where the Swardman "downfall" is leading those with a high enough budget to buy Allet's but we live in America - and thank God we have choices.

I don't think we can go as far as saying Allett can't handle American Lawns because with the right technical experience one can achieve LOTM (speaking from personal experience).


----------



## DFW_Zoysia

JerseyGreens said:


> Yes, I have noticed a theme where the Swardman "downfall" is leading those with a high enough budget to buy Allet's but we live in America - and thank God we have choices.


I could not agree more. Competition is always a consumers best friend!


----------



## JerseyGreens

DFW_Zoysia said:


> JerseyGreens said:
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, I have noticed a theme where the Swardman "downfall" is leading those with a high enough budget to buy Allet's but we live in America - and thank God we have choices.
> 
> 
> 
> I could not agree more. Competition is always a consumers best friend!
Click to expand...

Yes, absolutely but I totally agree with you...Allett has a long way to go. They are basically using the same Atco design for there residential lineup that's 30 years old...seeing the design of the Stirling gives me hope that they will use their profit margins on R&D...(could be wishful thinking)


----------



## Dude

Idk. They're high on my list. Ive been looking hard at the c34 E for a while. My next mower is likely going to be that or a v-ride or stand on zero turn. Don't think a triplex is in the works, so I'm hoping stuff works out price wise within the next few years. Mowers look incredible,


----------



## El_cesped

Scarifier teeth get misaligned: some of the scarifier teeth on my 20" cartridge have tried to pull out of the cartridge. If one of the teeth were to come all the way out of the cartridge and fall into the lawn it could damage the reel should I mow over it.

Has anyone found a reliable method to prevent this problem? Possible solutions include putting a zip tie through each tooth or putting safety wire through each tooth.

Zip ties would be much faster to install, but in my experience they are prone to breaking in this sort of application. But if they broke and pieces fell into the turf they might not damage the reel.

Putting safety wire on each tooth would be time consuming but would probably be a longer term fix.

Are there other "tried and true" solutions that I should consider?


----------



## Austinite

My Liberty sits waiting for belt replacement every other month (sitting right now, useless). Allett is garbage compared to other units out there. And yes there is something to be said about building a mower in a country where the average lawn is 3 sq ft., then taking that same mower to the US where many lawns are 1/4 acre +.

My experience has been with Kensington and Liberty, Loved both on day 1, but after that... both are total garbage. I had plenty issues with Swardman, but they were all addressed and fixed. Swardman today puts Allett to shame. I'm surprised there are recalls on Liberty and Kensington. I would use a Fiskars push mower before I touch a Kensington again. Really hoping the Sterling is not designed by the same group. Sterling really looks like it could be amazing, but so does everything else on video.

Don't fall for the hype and YouTubers with Paid promo videos.


----------



## JerseyGreens

@Austinite - damn that is some bad luck with multiple machines. If I recall correctly you had a similar forum post, nearly identical, bashing Swardman. I'm not about say operator error and stir the pot but is there something with your yard (maybe slope?) that don't fare well for Allett or Swardman machines. Maybe something else is at play here.

I'm totally in agreement that the homeowner range from both manufacturers have issues with handling American lawns. My front yard is very level...I'd bet that I would possibly run into issues if I had any different terrain.


----------



## AMG

@Austinite I've had nothing but good luck with Allett. I have had a terrible experience with swardman. I have a broken Electra all year. I've texted with Swardman and responses take weeks at a time.

Considering as of 08.01.2022 Swardman now has their own US Store, maybe they'll have a fix for the Electra. I doubt it though...a lot of the hang up was having to translate my issue to Czech. Something must be lost in translation.

I am interested in picking up a Allett Stirling 51, it's a shame such a pricy mower doesn't come with a battery or charger.


----------



## Austinite

JerseyGreens said:


> @Austinite - damn that is some bad luck with multiple machines. If I recall correctly you had a similar forum post, nearly identical, bashing Swardman. I'm not about say operator error and stir the pot but is there something with your yard (maybe slope?) that don't fare well for Allett or Swardman machines. Maybe something else is at play here.
> 
> I'm totally in agreement that the homeowner range from both manufacturers have issues with handling American lawns. My front yard is very level...I'd bet that I would possibly run into issues if I had any different terrain.


Yes, you may have missed the remainder of that thread. I also followed up and said Lee with ReelRollers came to my house and fixed my swardman. The allett was defective. Allett put that in writing. No user error. Since Lee fixed swardman, its all Ive used and its been flawless. Elektra, not so much. Caught fire but Lee refunded that.

the allett issues I had were mentioned by many members, one is my neighbor. Same issues.


----------



## Austinite

AMG said:


> @Austinite I've had nothing but good luck with Allett. I have had a terrible experience with swardman. I have a broken Electra all year. I've texted with Swardman and responses take weeks at a time.
> 
> Considering as of 08.01.2022 Swardman now has their own US Store, maybe they'll have a fix for the Electra. I doubt it though...a lot of the hang up was having to translate my issue to Czech. Something must be lost in translation.
> 
> I am interested in picking up a Allett Stirling 51, it's a shame such a pricy mower doesn't come with a battery or charger.


I would love to see someone here pickup the Sterling. Very interesting machine.


----------



## Kiza

For any Allett users, how are you guys sharpening (not backlapping) your blades? If the machine breaks, how are you guys servicing that? As far as I know there isn't an Allett shop in the US.


----------



## DFW_Zoysia

Austinite said:


> the allett issues I had were mentioned by many members, one is my neighbor. Same issues.


Allet issues have been reported far and wide. I considered them a while back but a simple google search showed them to have many, many issues. Also, their service has been reported by many people to be terrible in most instances. At Lee at Reel Rollers cared and offered amazing service.

You had two mowers, both of which are well documented to have many issues with them. Not sure how you having issues with two mowers that are well know to be problem mowers is somehow your fault.


----------



## monsonman

Austinite said:


> I would love to see someone here pickup the Sterling. Very interesting machine.


 :shock:


----------



## Trent161

monsonman said:


> Austinite said:
> 
> 
> 
> I would love to see someone here pickup the Sterling. Very interesting machine.
> 
> 
> 
> :shock:
Click to expand...

I am very interested to see the review on this... especially long-term.


----------



## Austinite

monsonman said:


> Austinite said:
> 
> 
> 
> I would love to see someone here pickup the Sterling. Very interesting machine.
> 
> 
> 
> :shock:
Click to expand...

WOAH! Sweeeeeeet!! Looking forward to your thoughts on it!!


----------



## qball

I'm afraid I'm coming to the same conclusions as @Austinite about the Kensington 20…. 

I dismantled everything this weekend. Long story short, I saw no way to adjust the front roller height on just one side (without drilling a bigger hole in the roller support bracket, which I don't want to do)…

Further, when I stopped to think about it, I realized that my unit mows lower (fairly consistently, by about 1/4") on the belt side. Remember, though, that my bed knife is higher by 1/16" on that side…. So, if I were to fix the bed knife height, that would make my problem worse!

You can see my latest cut here. It looks much worse zoomed in, and in person…



I spent a lot of time considering my uneven cut issue was due to thatch, level issues, or thick turf…. However, I have scarified 5 times this year, and I see minimal amounts of thatch when I inspect my turf. My lawn is also not perfectly level, but the cut in the picture was done via manual push (not self propelled). I did this to slow things down, and make sure I had clean stripes and the front roller never popped up (because I hit a bump)…. To me, the uneven cut is fairly consistent, and I dont see this primarily as a leveling issue…

Also, as info, I am cutting paper cleanly left, middle, and right.

Considering I did not have these issues at all early in the season (when my grass was thin), this seems to be a weight distribution issue paired with thicker bermuda turf…

This is sorta ironic because weight was one of my reasons for going with this homeowner unit over a greens mower. Live and learn I guess…

I tossed the unit on a scale. By way of confirmation, you can see the belt side weighs 10.8 lbs more than the non belt side…





I just don't see other, more reasonable, explanations at this point…

I plan to mow double wide stripes next time, to see what that pattern looks like (belt-side & non-belt-side together, mowing in the same direction).

I also have a 10 lb weight on the way to see if that helps…

This was an expensive mower… I gotta make this work, somehow… The Mrs. would kill me otherwise…. :shock:


----------



## Austinite

Sorry to hear that @qball. You have such a healthy lawn, it's a shame. But luckily it's just grass and I know you will fix it in time.

The weights should help. My neighbor was told they would send him a new frame, and he would have to swap frames. I believe the new frame accounted for the weight distribution issue. He wasn't having it and after a year or so of battling them they finally sent him a new mower with the new frame.

Keep us posted, I hope you get it working! The Kensington is much easier to maneuver than most other mowers I have used.


----------



## monsonman

Sorry to drop a teaser pic of the Stirling crate without following up sooner! My wife and I had our third child a couple weeks ago so life has been a little crazy!

**First things first: I ordered the Stirling 51 on 3/23/22 - It arrived one 8/1/22 (just to give anyone interested a time frame ref)
This lead time may begin to shorten as production and shipment to US continues to improve but I really have no idea.

I ordered the mower along with the 10-Blade reel, Scarifier and Verticutter Cartridges
.





































Assembly is as basic as can be. You can be mowing with it in as little as 5 minutes after uncrating it.

I did check reel to bed knife contact and it was a little loose, so i tightened it and with a couple of clicks it was cutting clean across the entire width.

It has been non-stop rain every day for the last 10 or so days so with my grass rebounding off PGR and not being able to cut it because of the rain (and newborn in the house), my bermuda was probably somewhere around 2" when i took this thing out for a maiden cut.

I went straight down to 1" and the mower didnt hiccup once. And this thing stripes!!










So with the first cut under its belt and with me being unhappy to be mowing at 1" i figured i would take the opportunity to go ahead and reset the HOC with more rain in the forecast for the next week.

So i went from 1" to .60" then down to .45" bagging the clippings as I went.

*sidenote, the new grass catcher is an incredible improvement of the previous poly one on the liberty.



















and then down to .45"



















____________________________________________________________

So first impressions:

This thing is HEAVY. It feels so grounded when running it and doesnt bobble around as much as my Liberty did.

The control bar is sturdier than i anticipated. From pictures and youtube videos it looked light and potentially flimsy, but it is solid and feels great even when maneuvering the machine around and turning with it.

The reel being on an isolated motor is a dream compared to the Liberty. Being able to drive slow while the reel is still running wide open will be so nice, especially when running the verti and scarifier.

The HOC dial is an improvement as well. It is nice to see the numbers (in mm and inches) instead of the arbitrary number dial on the other machines. I did find that the indicator is off by just under 1mm when i compared it with my accugauge. i dont think this is a huge deal and there may be a way to true it up. may look into that later.

And lastly with my limited time on the machine...this thing is FAST. Full speed is a borderline uncomfortable walking pace, but this may suit some taller/faster guys and gives a wider range to dial in a clean cut especially if you are using the 6-blade reel.

I will continue to update my thoughts and experiences with this machine but for now I am highly impressed and excited to continue putting it through its paces. Time will tell how the machine wears and ages.


----------



## weirj55

ADanto6840 said:


> Got my Accugage today. I can now quantify how much "flex" I have in the front roller assembly -- it's a bit less than I thought but it's right around 4.5mm of movement/flex. Not a *ton* but also seems like quite a bit.
> 
> I'm cutting lower than I had realized, just over 10mm, so with the "flex" it means that if I accidentally put some weight on the handle then I could be getting a variance of nearly 30-40% in HoC. That's a little concerning... Does anyone else have (or not have) "flex" in their front assembly like I do?
> 
> @KeeWay -- Do you have any flex? Any chance you (or anyone w/ a Liberty) could take a picture of the underside of your machine, am wondering if I'm missing a bolt/screw on the main HoC adjustment part (the knob turns a screw which moves the assembly up/down -- the screw that the knob turns is quite loose on mine, seems like it should be "secured"/tight against the machine but it isn't. a screw HoC
> 
> RE: Reels -- My 10-blade is nearly perfect with less than 0.25mm difference between the two sides. Next time I swap cartridges I'll throw my 6-blade in just to check it. I've always felt like the 10-blade gave a better & more even cut, so wouldn't be surprised if the 6-blade is less perfect but we'll see.
> 
> The Accu Gage w/ magnet is awesome btw. =D


My Liberty 43 also has play with the front assembly. I do not have a way to measure it, but I would venture to guess it is similar to yours.

Did you ever figure it out? (I am only part of the way through this chain, but wanted to write my two cents)

I am currently waiting for parts for mine. I had the spring pin shear in my motor, rendering the mower useless. That was on June 7th, 2022. I immediately contacted Chrissy and she has assured me that my parts were shipped, but I have not yet received them. August 8th... ummmm, I am not happy. I should have a new motor unit, belts and plastic gears according to Chrissy, hopeful to see them soon.

I took delivery of my unit in October, 2020, used it for about a month as I live in WI. The 2021 mowing season was great until August 28th, 2021, when I needed replacement belts and could not find a parts list. I was sent belts that did not fit the machine on two occasions and was finally back operational with belts that worked, but were still not right on October 26th.

There have been 13 active mowing season months since I took delivery of my Allett Liberty 43. It has been fully functional for about half of that time, partially functional an additional 2 months and a paperweight 4.5 months. When it is working, it really is amazing and I love it, but my tune is changing rapidly with the lack of service and warranty repairs/replacements.


----------



## DFW_Zoysia

weirj55 said:


> ADanto6840 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Got my Accugage today. I can now quantify how much "flex" I have in the front roller assembly -- it's a bit less than I thought but it's right around 4.5mm of movement/flex. Not a *ton* but also seems like quite a bit.
> 
> I'm cutting lower than I had realized, just over 10mm, so with the "flex" it means that if I accidentally put some weight on the handle then I could be getting a variance of nearly 30-40% in HoC. That's a little concerning... Does anyone else have (or not have) "flex" in their front assembly like I do?
> 
> @KeeWay -- Do you have any flex? Any chance you (or anyone w/ a Liberty) could take a picture of the underside of your machine, am wondering if I'm missing a bolt/screw on the main HoC adjustment part (the knob turns a screw which moves the assembly up/down -- the screw that the knob turns is quite loose on mine, seems like it should be "secured"/tight against the machine but it isn't. a screw HoC
> 
> RE: Reels -- My 10-blade is nearly perfect with less than 0.25mm difference between the two sides. Next time I swap cartridges I'll throw my 6-blade in just to check it. I've always felt like the 10-blade gave a better & more even cut, so wouldn't be surprised if the 6-blade is less perfect but we'll see.
> 
> The Accu Gage w/ magnet is awesome btw. =D
> 
> 
> 
> My Liberty 43 also has play with the front assembly. I do not have a way to measure it, but I would venture to guess it is similar to yours.
> 
> Did you ever figure it out? (I am only part of the way through this chain, but wanted to write my two cents)
> 
> I am currently waiting for parts for mine. I had the spring pin shear in my motor, rendering the mower useless. That was on June 7th, 2022. I immediately contacted Chrissy and she has assured me that my parts were shipped, but I have not yet received them. August 8th... ummmm, I am not happy. I should have a new motor unit, belts and plastic gears according to Chrissy, hopeful to see them soon.
> 
> I took delivery of my unit in October, 2020, used it for about a month as I live in WI. The 2021 mowing season was great until August 28th, 2021, when I needed replacement belts and could not find a parts list. I was sent belts that did not fit the machine on two occasions and was finally back operational with belts that worked, but were still not right on October 26th.
> 
> There have been 13 active mowing season months since I took delivery of my Allett Liberty 43. It has been fully functional for about half of that time, partially functional an additional 2 months and a paperweight 4.5 months. When it is working, it really is amazing and I love it, but my tune is changing rapidly with the lack of service and warranty repairs/replacements.
Click to expand...

FYI - others have reported and claimed on this forum that Crissy and Roland are not truthful about shipping parts out for repair. You may want to stay on top of them.


----------



## ADanto6840

Yeah, TBH my Allett is not running real well right now as well. It's making an awful noise and I've checked everything, from the tension on the belts to the "mating" of the cartridge gears, to the motor itself.

*Yesterday's mow was easily the worst I've ever had with the machine, I'm sad to say: *
I backlapped both of my reels (10-blade and 7-blade) and then I started the mow. For context, I mow every-other day, like clockwork (and in July it was closer to daily), so it's not like I was submerging the mower in grass. If anything I was taking off _maybe_ 1/10" of grass blade at the most, and the majority of the lawn/grass blades was significantly less than that (ie most was sub-mm). Not to mention that, at this point, my HOC is *much higher* than I had been at, and desire to be at, simply because the machine can't handle going any lower -- I'm trying to avoid having the Allett stall + shriek loudly. If I was mowing my front yard I would literally not be able to mow, due to sheer embarrassment that my *electric* mower is making these god-awful sounds. =(

That issue, along with the "give" in the front roller, means I basically have been relegated to HOC of >3/4", otherwise the mower will consistently "dive" (and it does so more on the left/motor -side than on the right), which results in shrieking + stalling + scalping (with the scalping being primarily on 1 side). I actually had to double-mow yesterday because of the 'diving', it looked like crap; I got through the "first pass" completely, but only about 60% of the way through the "second pass" (all at the same HOC, argh) because of the shrieking -- on the second pass I began hearing a "popping"/creaking/crackling sound accompanying the stalls (I had removed the grass catcher for the 2nd pass), and it just got to the point where I had to stop after getting ~60% through the second pass, the sound was just too god-awful disturbing.

I basically ended up manually pushing the mower the vast majority of the time, in order to avoid it 'stalling' which results in the shrieking noise. Pushing it manually seems to allow a bit more power to the reel (understandably), but even then it still occurs when I go into semi-dense areas of the lawn, but by not using self-propel it probably lessens the occurrence of the stalling (and accompanying shrieking/grinding/whatever awful noise) by maybe 30%.

*Anyways, worst mow of the season by far* -- usually I look forward to mowing, and it's a great venue for me to blow off some steam, release some stress, and just mentally slow down and relax a bit. Yesterday was the exact opposite -- it was literally stress-inducing and, in retrospect, that seems to increasingly be how I feel about getting the Allett out, quite unfortunately.

Between the machine moving slower than ever before (on both of my batteries & with everything checked, belts properly tensioned, etc), the mower "diving" causing scalping, and then to top it all off, the 'stalling' & the god-awful shrieking sound -- it's truly gone from being something I look forward to every day, a great way to blow off steam; to me now being somewhat embarrassed to use the machine to mow if my wife or kids are even outside.

I can tell my wife notices the diminished quality of cut, too; she's stopped mentioning it lately (I'm sure she can tell that the topic is driving me nuts enough as it is), but a month or so ago she mentioned "why is there a 'horizontal gradient' in HOC within each 'stripe'/mower pass" -- she has asked about the sound once or twice, but she can tell it's a sore subject. In any case, yesterday the gradient was so bad that I *had* to double-mow (it seems to 'dive' when it stalls), an even on the 2nd-pass I was basically "holding up" on the handlebar to keep it from diving + to 'skim' the (already just-previously cut!!) grass to try to avoid stalling+scalping.

I'll probably message Chrissy and/or Roland today. I'm technically out of warranty now I guess, by about 1 month, ugh. That said, the last time I pinged them with a problem/inquiry (the "give" on the front roller), they requested videos & I sent them, and then I was told they'd have to discuss with EU team and would get back to me -- but I never received from them, nor to my handful of weekly follow-up texts over the following ~4 weeks. =|

I wish one of the commercial companies (ie Toro, JD) had a non-gas option -- maybe they do now, I admittedly haven't been watching very closely; though even then, I'd assume we would probably still be a few years away from them being sold used and/or getting close-enough to being moderately-homeowner-esque price points.

Frankly, the best & most economical way to go (assuming you already have a Liberty) would probably be to do something along the lines of what KeeWay has done -- motor upgrade (and paying extra mind/attention to thermal concerns when doing so, ie substantially improve cooling/heat dissipation strategy; KeeWay mentioned the same, but I anecdotally experience worse performance at higher temps; my motor was very hot yesterday when I gave up on the 2nd pass).

Unfortunately I don't think I've got the time nor mechanical inclination required to go down that avenue, but it may be one of my only viable & realistic options, outside of buying a different ($1k+) mower and relegating the Allett to being used solely as a 5-10X/year "power rake" (scarifier) + "verticut" utility machine. Ugh.

Alas, I don't know.


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## DFW_Zoysia

ADanto6840 said:


> I'll probably message Chrissy and/or Roland today. I'm technically out of warranty now I guess, by about 1 month, ugh. That said, the last time I pinged them with a problem/inquiry (the "give" on the front roller), they requested videos & I sent them, and then I was told they'd have to discuss with EU team and would get back to me -- but I never received from them, nor to my handful of weekly follow-up texts over the following ~4 weeks. =|


I'm sorry you're dealing with this.

I wanted to give Roland and Chrissy the benefit of the doubt. But it seems like a pattern based on the threads on this and other forums that all say the same thing - they initially respond then go silent when it comes time to follow up with real service even when in warranty.

I would file a BBB complaint to start warning people the kind of business they are dealing with and hopefully get them to actually care about servicing the units they sell.

IMO, there are too many people on this forum having the same kind of issues with Roland and Crissy. It's a business that people need to think long and hard before buying their product. It's one thing to sell a poorly designed product (defective?) product, it's another to shirk responsibility for getting the units fixed.


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## TulsaFan

monsonman said:


> Austinite said:
> 
> 
> 
> I would love to see someone here pickup the Sterling. Very interesting machine.
> 
> 
> 
> :shock:
Click to expand...

Last night, I watched the following video comparing the Liberty to the Stirling:






Congrats on the purchase! :thumbup:

It seems the Allet engineers designed a really great beefier product in the Stirling. The independent control of the reel and rear roller reminds me of my past Trucut. It's nice to have the flexibility to mow up close without going full speed to an instant stop.

I am curious as to the steel quality of the reels. Do Allett reels in general require grinds every year or just bedknife replacements?

Looking forward to your feedback on this machine...


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## weirj55

DFW_Zoysia said:


> FYI - others have reported and claimed on this forum that Crissy and Roland are not truthful about shipping parts out for repair. You may want to stay on top of them.


In my past experiences with them, I have always needed to keep on top of the situation. This time was not much different. Chrissy messaged me back last week, letting me know that I was potentially getting a new Liberty 43. The next day, I received an email stating that I would be getting a new one. Now I wait...

In the meantime - has anyone here found a U.S. source for replacement belts for their Liberty 43? Besides asking Allett US?


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## SunnyBermuda

Thought I'd share a few pictures. Recently sold my small Kensington. Love the C24. Buckingham is a beast!


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