I am hoping when referencing the old nursery rhyme people, like me, will know of it. When I heard it some time ago I never thought or intended to own a meadow to actually mow one, but that’s the position I find myself in today. On our last visit to Gigha the meadow was certainly in need of a mow and neither the hover mower or the petrol push along really seem meaty enough to do the job. So to further fuel my mid-life crisis of buying farm vehicles it has been decided that a sit on mower is required.
After consulting with my good friend and tractor specialist, James, he tells me that I need the ‘tractor end’ of sit-on lawnmowers. As my budget doesn’t stretch very far he has also hinted that longevity of tractor life coupled with a rudimentary knowledge should allow me to buy in the second hand market. So small budget and no knowledge, other than that I have borrowed from James already, should make for a safe plan right?
So to facebook marketplace where I immediately find 2 suitable candidates only to quickly realise that to be able to collect said mower I was going to need a way of getting into, and securing it in, the Hilux. Ramps soon bought and cargo straps too – no chance of disaster right?
First problem, whilst I am waiting for ramps to arrive the first mower get sold from under me. However, second one is still live and all going to plan will be picked up on Friday evening.
Part1 sort of successful. The main body of the mower fits in the Hilux with the cutting deck removed but a return trip is required for the collecting box, which simply would not fit. To Gigha tomorrow to unload.
4 days after I started writing the post I am happy to report that the tractor was transported to Gigha without incident. The Hilux coped well wit a 300kg machine in the back and the driver was sensible enough to rise at 5.30 and drive empty roads at a moderate speed – most unlike me. I reversed the machine off the truck (Karen didn’t manage a video of this feat) again without too much stress only to lose it to my wife for the afternoon….
But no York story is quite complete without one mishap. When putting the mower to bed on the first night in Gigha I found a discarded fragment of gripper rod from our early renovations. I am currently searching the interweb for tyre inner tubes.
Middle Age Musings 