Stiga Park Pro 540 IX mulching ride-on mower review in HD
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- čas přidán 7. 09. 2024
- UPDATE: This mower gets an on-site service and is working like new again in 2023: • Jungle Rescue: Revivin...
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See how the new top-of-the-range Stiga Park Pro 540 IX out front mulching ride-on mower performs on my uneven lawn - including reviews of Stiga's Electric Tool Lift, Rake and Combi Cart attachments.
Best review I've ever seen. Superb video. Really well done. Thank you
Best comment I've ever had. Thank *you*.
@@kayberry6292 Totally agree - super video. - Has encouraged me to buy one, though not sure if it will be able to manage 5 acres?? You have a lovely voice, and would be fantastic as an animation voice-over. - Paddington Bear came to mind - not joking - lovely voice - that's a big compliment!! Many thanks.
You're very kind - and I do like marmalade. This mower is advertised as suitable for up to 5 acres - presumably with a 125cm deck - and it will certainly keep going all day if you want it to.
@@kayberry6292 Love your reply, 😂🐻, Many thanks X.
A kiss! For the avoidance of doubt, I am the bearded chap in the video and not the mythical Ms Berry of my nom de plume. But right back at you - and happy mowing.
Can we appreciate for a second: this man made a video purely for their spread of quality information. There is no affiliate advertising, product plugs et cetera 👍
So this is the famous video you spoke about.. you did a great job.. you have a good voice for CZcams
Thanks for dropping by! This was almost my first YT video, shot on a cheap old SJCAM SJ4000. Looking forward to my first pocket gimbal cam (FP2), arriving shortly, influenced by you. My voice seems to work for lawnmowers but not so much for young technophobes who speak a different language. And the face is ideal for radio.
@@kayberry6292 oooohhhh... Fimi palm 2 ..did I suggested that.. are you sure.. it's not that great
@@HowToGuyChannel No. Mine went back. I'm now happy with a Sony ZV-1.
Thanks a lot for getting back to me so promptly Kay. I live in Ireland and we tend to get more rain here, even during the summer, so I sometimes have no option but to cut the grass when it is a little damp! The mixture of sunshine and rain of course result in the grass growing pretty quickly during the summer months, hence the need for frequent cutting even when the grass is damp.
Unfortunately the tyres did not repel the damp clippings so I had to wash them off before the dealer picked up his machine. I was still very impressed that there were no clippings visible on the grass though.
As the grass was just a little bit damp when I cut it with my new Stiga the other day there was very little grass stuck to the underside of the mower. I had a go at removing it with a wooden spatula but it was boring and would take forever if there was a lot of clumps of grass stuck to it. I agree with you that life is too short for that!
I'm going to clean it with a hose in future while making sure that I don't point it directly at the bearings.
Regards John
John, there will be plenty of advantages to living in Ireland -- the biggest of which, for me, being that you don't have any of those pesky moles.
Great video Kay. My local dealer recommended a Stiga mulching mower to replace my aged Castlegarden ride on as it's deck was on the way out. I viewed your video and was very impressed with the power and flexibility of your Stiga Pro mower. My dealer allowed me to try out a 2 WD mechanical steering version but I found the steering very heavy so he then allowed me to try out his own Park 740 PWX 4WD which has power steering and is a wonderful machine that is very easy to use.
It really did a greatl job on my lawn and a much better job than my previous tractor mower which nearly always left clumps of grass on the lawn when I used it in mulching mode.
When I cut the lawn with my dealer's mower it was quite wet and I was amazed that there were no clumps of grass left on the lawn when I finished. I took delivery of my new 740 PWX on Monday and used it for the first time yesterday, needless to say I'm really pleased that I bought it. I retired a couple of years ago and I have no doubt that it will see me out!!
Like yours, my deck lifts up about 30 degrees for cleaning, without disengaging the belt. It lifts up 90 degrees with the belt disengaged but that's more complicated and so I'll probably stick with the 30 degree lift.
I'm wondering how you clean your deck. Stiga appear to recommend cleaning it with a water hose (see the UTube video on the Park Quick Flip for example) and that was how I intended to clean it. One of the mechanics working for my dealer recommended not using a hose as it may lead to problems with the bearings.
I'd appreciate feedback based on your experience.
Regards
John Butler
Thank you, John - and congratulations on your new Stiga. As per my reply to Nils below, I try to always mow when the grass is dry since that helps the clippings to fall right down to the roots and also stops them sticking to the tyres. If I mow damp grass then I do get a gradual build-up of clippings on the tyres which eventually fall off to leave a few clumps on the surface which can sometimes be dispersed by mowing over them again; otherwise I collect them with my attached rake. I'm a bit jealous if your tyres magically repel damp clippings!
The other big benefit of mowing dry grass is that very little sticks to the underside of my deck, making cleaning easier, and sometimes unnecessary. I do use a hose - and occasionally, when there is a thick residue to remove, I use a pressure washer since a hose won't shift it. After a year, there have been no ill effects. But I only use the pressure washer on the deck and the tyres, taking care not to point it at bearings or belts. The rest of the mower stays pretty clean so all it gets is a blast from my leaf blower before I wash the deck and tyres. When I'm mowing regularly through the season, I don't bother to clean it every time if the grass is dry.
If you are cleaning the deck and tyres without a hose, I imagine you would need to dislodge the residue with a wooden spatula or a very stiff brush - but life's too short for that!
I watched your reviewed on numerous occasions convincing myself a little more each time that this was the machine for me....well I took delivery of then said mower c/w 125 deck today and all I can say is wow...what a great piece of kit. I agree with your review 100%, it is without doubt the quietest ride-on mower I have ever used and it cuts/mulches perfectly.
Pricey...but hopefully it will last a very, very long time.
Congratulations, Paul! I'm obviously relieved that my review didn't mislead you!!
Great video, very informative and well made. Looks like a superb bit of kit!
Thank you Adam!
Adam Godfrey kko
Fantastic review. Very informative and useful when considering a new mower. All the best .
Great Video!
Multiclip is the most efficient way to maintain your Lawn properly . 4WD is perfect for switzerland...thx and enjoy,René
I have had my park 14 for 3 years and not a single problem.Use it, with snow rake, flail mower, mower and combi cart.Guess the next step is to buy a Pro machine with a Honda engine:)
Stiga company have to pay much money tou you for this video.... coz its perfect video thanks
LOL - thanks for the compliment but they paid me nothing and gave me no freebies. I did get excellent support though both from my dealer and Stiga UK (before and after my video was posted) including the fabrication of my customised extended towbar which allows me to tow my cart without removing the rake attachment.
Best review ever
My grass is the same with moles you can use traps on them .
Hi there. Great review. I live in SE England and was thinking of getting one of these machines. Now after three years of use are you still happy with the matching. Any problems with it or is it still going strong. Cheers Steve
Apologies for missing your question. I feel exactly the same about this mower as I did on day 1 and it hasn't missed a beat - nor have I had to replace any parts.
Thanks for posting your review, it's very informative. I have a few of questions: If cutting grass close to a path, does it throw clippings out of the sides that would require the paths being swept? Do you have any experience of using it on banks or clearing meadows? One final question: Now you have had the mower a while, is there anything you are less happy about. Also, what are the annual servicing costs likely to be if used on a 5 acre garden mown weekly?
Richard, I apologise for the delay in replying to you but for some reason our host didn't flag up your message to me.
In mulching mode, a small amount of fine clippings would end up on your path. I simply go around afterwards with a cordless blower to tidy mine up.
I use my 540IX on gentle banks but it is able to tackle steep slopes with excellent traction thanks to the 4WD and power to spare. My permanently attached rear rake reduces my ground clearance when going up slopes as the rake can dig in when I start to climb. Mowing horizontally across the side of a hill could be precarious as the official recommended tilt is 10 degrees. Stiga are protecting themselves because I have read in a forum of at least two landscape contractors using their machines daily on 45 degree slopes! I keep my tyre pressures at the low end of the spectrum to improve my ride comfort but this also would be a good idea for slopes.
If your meadow grass is long, Stiga would recommend getting a flail mower attachment but I can cut tall grass (12-20ins) roughly by using a standard deck tilted up - then I go over it again with the deck flat and on max cutting height…and if I need to cut lower, I lower the cutting height and do it again. This is not recommended by Stiga of course - but there isn't an automatic blade brake when the deck is raised up as there is with many machines - at least not with my 105cm deck. Further, although I have never tried it, you simply have to remove a plug to convert the deck from mulching mode to conventional rear ejection of the clippings - which would be the logical option for long grass.
After a year, I am as happy with my mower as I was on day one. It starts first time, every time, even in winter and it has never missed a beat. I haven't had to top up any vital fluids other than fuel and the blade remains sharp (but I do clear stones etc away before mowing). I still wish Stiga had included a fuel gauge on the dashboard display instead of some of the esoteric information that I don't need. And I know from past experience that my metal deck will start to rust soon even though I keep it clean. I could have chosen a plastic deck but I had one on a Husqvarna out-front ride-on and didn't like it as it felt flimsy and made a lot more noise than the metal deck - especially if a twig gets spun around under it.
As for servicing costs, I can only tell you that my local Stiga dealer does my annual service for £200 including collection/delivery and new filters/oil etc as recommended - but not yet a new blade. But my weekly-cut lawn is less than a fifth of the size of yours.
Brilliant review thank you.
What decks fit the 540 ix? The Stiga website says 110 or 125 only, yours is the narrower 105cm which I'd also go for - or maybe the triple blade 100cm would be sufficient but I'm being guided by the website.
Thank you, Donna. The latest 540IX model seems to support only 110-125cm decks with 'Quickflip' technology so your best bet may be to hunt around Stiga dealers for some older stock. Here are a couple which appear to offer the 105cm deck:
www.mowers-online.co.uk/stiga-park-pro-540-ix-4wd-front-cut-ride-on-lawnmower
www.lawnmowers-uk.co.uk/stiga-park-pro-540-ix-4wd-out-front-ride-on-lawn-mower
@@kayberry6292 Thanks for the reply, very much appreciated. I'll persevere.
nice
Great Video! I have a question, when you say that you can't leave the gras long for the mulching to work, do you mean that you cant cut off to much at a time or that you must keep the gras short overall? I prefer my gras very long (3 inch +) and I had some problems with clumps with my 95 combi deck, similar to yours. Although my gras is extremely lush and thick.
I have also had a combi 100 deck (100cm with 3 knifes) I think that the 2 knifes deck cut better but it is more sensitive to rocks and roots because of its timings belts. Did you know that there is a striping kit for your mower deck? It is a roller that attaches to the back of the deck. Most Stiga dealers don't know this so you have to be a bit "pushy" to get them to call Stiga to order it.
I have had 3 Stiga Park so far but no 4wd yet. Regards Nils from Sweden
Thank you Nils! For me, there are two reasons why mulching doesn't work so well on long grass, even if you just trim the top off. First, it isn't so easy for the mulched clippings to find their way to the base of the grass plants because they have further to travel and they have to negotiate their way through a thick sward where grass blades overlap and intertwine to obstruct the law of gravity. And second, however dry long grass appears to be at the top, it is often damp at the bottom where the sun and wind are blocked out - so the mulched clippings, even if dry, will tend to stick to the damper grass instead of settling at the base. And, of course, if the clippings are even slightly damp, they will stick together forming clumps which lay on top or stick to your tyres.
That's why, on the first cut of the season (when just trimming the top off), I either collect the grass clippings or I mulch-mow again after 24-48 hours when the remaining grass has had a chance to dry out properly.
Check this video to see what happens when mulching long grass: czcams.com/video/GTQYQyiq-qQ/video.html
I agree that two blades give a better cut than three - partly because the larger blades are heavier and cut through the grass more cleanly - but there is no blade overlap on new Stigas so the timing belt has been dispensed with.
I do know about the striping kit but it's not for me as my lawn is an irregular shape and I often shoot off sideways to mow under shrubs. Anyway, the striped effect is achieved by forcing the grass to lean over and that isn't going to help my mulched clippings drop vertically down to the bottom. Of course, the tyre tracks leave something of a striped effect behind anyway!
Thanks for the long and informative answer. I think I will try to cut the grass short and see if the mulching improves. Are you sure about not having timing belt on the 2 blade deck? As far as I know, they still have that but it's easy to check. Regards Nils.
Having just replaced it, I can confirm it is a toothed timing belt. The critical requirement for effective mulching is dry grass so keeping it shorter will help the wind and sun to dry it. It will also provide less resistance to the blades so that they rotate faster and therefore shred the clippings better before they fall to ground.
Nice mower, great engine, honda are the best. What's your fuel consumption
Thanks Thomas. I don't know the exact answer to your question but a full 14 litre fuel tank lasts about 4 hours.
why would you gas or blow up a mole hill anyway it is easy to just let them get on with it and then you could use the rake and sort them out otherwise I think I might buy one of these since I heard bad review of the Husqvarna 200 series which was my original choice also a good mowing tip cut off a bit of the lawn so it is a rectangle then go around the outside once or twice then go up and down then this will stripe it good
My previous mower was a Husqvarna 316TXs (after several Stigas). I sold it after a year because it felt flimsy, made too much noise and didn't cut as evenly, or mulch as finely, as the Stigas. Although I prefer the sleeker styling of the Husqvarna, it is inferior in several respects - not least in the fact that its deck is less "out front" so it can't mow as far under shrubs and obstacles as the Stiga. It is also harder to clean the deck. And it bounced me around so much on my uneven lawn that I went looking for my new Stiga with its bigger wheels and air suspension.
My rake attachment is great for levelling the molehills but the real problem with the moles is the dense network of invisible tunnels they leave, just below the surface. I twisted my ankle once when the ground gave way under my weight so I rate moles as a danger to life and limb! In some countries you can inject poisonous gas into the tunnels, but not in the UK unfortunately.
I know things like moles are popular in uk since I live in the middle of no-where and I see them all the time so I get a sheet of paper with my garden on and I draw where the hills will be and the next time I have an idea but I can see why you don't like them
Hi Kay Berry,
What is the Drive pedal made of? Plastic right?
I'm thinking of buying this to my Stiga Park Prestige as a retrofit.
I think it's metal.
@@kayberry6292 Ohhh okay! Thanks!
Would this produce a cut of say 1 inch nearly as good as a cylinder?
I would say yes on level ground. But if you like a pronounced striped effect, you would probably pick a cylinder.
You still enjoy riding it ;)
I sure do - but with the continuous rain and chill since November it's been slim pickings for most UK lawn cruisers until last week.
Yes, it's the same deal here in Denmark :-)
Does the knob come with the steering wheel?
It does.
Me gustaría ser servicio técnico en Valencia saludos
So is it a air seat or hydraulic?
I can only tell you that there's a rotating knob to adjust the seat rigidity. How it works is unknown.
Hi, I remembered watching your great video (which inspired me to get a mulcher). In the end I decided to get a Husky since I have a very local dealer and the price was also good. I think they are pretty compareable to your model. if you like check out my video. Wish I could have afforded to get you as a voiceover actor for my video :)
I'm glad you're a happy mulcher! I owned your Husky for a year but it was a bit too lightweight for me - but as your video demonstrates, it is very nimble. Coincidentally, I have bought my first drone - the Autel EVO which terrifies me but it's great fun and takes unbelievable images. I'm sorry to take a month to reply but CZcams diverted your post to the spam folder for some reason so I didn't see it.
@@kayberry6292 Thanks for replying at all! I know that spam behaviour...
thanks for watching my video - I thought I have to share it with you.
Now in the winter I almost miss the lawnmowing work - since it's so much fun with this device.
greets from Austria, Mario
how big is your land if you need such an expensive mower. For 12000 bucks I would rather buy a used tractor in good shape
Less than half an acre so I agree that the mower is over-specified. But no other machine gave me all the features I wanted - and there are no mulching tractors with out-front decks. I knew I was over-spending but it would only have gone on wine, wimmin and gambling otherwise and I haven't regretted it.
Great answer lol
@@kayberry6292 atta boy!
Hell if you got the money to burn and you enjoy being on the yard then cost of what you buy doesn’t matter. Lol I have 72 inch commercial toro, and I only have 1.5 acres.