Husqvarna Hover Trimmer

[gobbler]

I was browsing through the Husqvarna website today and stumbled across a Husqvarna Hover Trimmer .

This thing floats on air as it cuts. Anybody actually seen one.

 

[EastTexFrank]

Those type of hover mowers were really popular in the U.K. about 20 year ago. They were mainly electric, not gas, driven. I had one just before we left to come to the States. We didn't have a huge garden but that electric cord was still a pain. It did cut slopes very well and handled wet/damp grass pretty good, much better that a normal walk behind. My neighbour used to borrow it to cut his 45 degree slope. He tied a rope around the handle, let it run down the slope and then pulled it back up. There was a safety issue with them as it was really easy to get your toes under the deck when it was running but they have obviously addressed that or the lawyers would be having a field day. I always wondered why they never marketed them in this country.

 

[5030]

Believe it or not, I had one about 20 years ago and I wish I still had it. It was absolutely the best mower for doing ditch banks made. Mine wasn't a Husky though. It was a Flymo. Flymo is owned now by Electro-Lux Products division and they aren't sold here in the states. They are a European item.

Mine had a 2 stroke engine on it, a metal blade and you could hang it on the wall still running. It didn't matter how tall the grass and weeds were either and it mulched. I bookmarked the website and I have a dealer locally. Saturday, I am going to visit him and order one.

 

[SPIKER]

I remember the flymows never used one but thought they were fun looking but back then I was using an old reel mower the non-powerd version!

they are available at lowes according to the web site...

Mark m

 

[AndyM]

I remember people who had Flymo's in the 80's.
If I remember correctly, they had models that were electric. I suppose that was to make them as light as possible, so they would "hover" correctly.

It's all about accepting change. It seems Americans aren't receptive to anything that is different from the accepted norm. I guess that's why the Flymo never caught on in the U.S., and probably why Americans won't buy diesel automobiles, which is the rule and not the exception in Europe and Japan.

Daryl, give us a review on it after you use it, and the price if you want (pictures too). I'm interested in how it would work along the ditch by the road.

 

[slowrev]

AYP is owned by electrolux so is Craftsman riders, and some others. Husky brand is AYP. Maybe Poulan too, not sure... About 1/4 of the lawn mowers sold in the US are made by an Elecrolux owned company.

 

[samisam]

Husqvarna is a sister company to Ayp, Poulan, and Flymo along with others. But the Husky flymo unit is a Flymo unit that is U.S. versioned. The only problem with it is it has heavy duty nylon line instead of a blade on it now days. Along with the line it has a screen to cover the bottom of the deck. From what I have seen and heard it works o.k. but not as good as the bladed units did.
Samisam

 

[EastTexFrank]

5030,
If you do order one, I'd be interested in what you think of it. I was trying to remember what make the one I had in the UK was ... thanks guys, it was a Flymo. The memory is going, but I'm lucky, I suppose, that I could remember having one in the first place. Hey, it was 20- years ago!!!!
I'm disappointed that they replaced the blade with nylon line but because of the liability issues it was probably inevitable. I've got a couple of slopes in the yard where it would be really useful for trimming. As I said, let us know what you think.

 

[AndyM]

Opening up an old thread for the sake of good discussion... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I was surfing the internet and found this site.
Anyone ever hear of this brand?

Eastman Industries Hover Mower

Hover Mower

They are sold at Medina Tractor Sales in Northeast Ohio, and probably other places. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[jrlichina]

It's funny when I tell people about the old Flymo, they never believe me that they actually made a mower like that! I remember using the Flymo all too well when I was like 11. It had the 2 stroke engine it did work good but you had to be carefull when mowing under the pine trees because those pine cones would get chucked out every now and then. I'm really surprised they still make this type of mower these days. I think I'll buy one while I still can!

 

[Charlie_in_TX]

I got a question about them. Do they work over water.

I have a pond, grass and weed grow out the first few feet from shore. I can use a weed eater but if this would work it looks alot better.

 

[par4thecourse]

Flymowers are still used alot on golf courses. I've used them mostly around ponds and on steep banks.

They won't hover on water.

par4thecourse

 

[tracdoc]

Re-opening the thread, as I am interested in acquiring one of the gas-powered hover trimmer/mowers.

Does anyone have one of the Flymos from Husqvarna? I see that for the USA market they are now equipped w/ a 4-stroke Honda engine. On-line, they are available from The lawnmowershop {HERE}

The website for the Eastman Industries Hover Mower is active {HERE} , but I have not seen any independent info or reviews on this product.

Does anyone have and use one of either of these brands or perhaps some other label that I am not yet aware of? Thanks for your help.

 

[joe_padavano]

I've actually got one of the 1960s-vintage Toro Flymos with a real metal lawnmower blade. I found it about a year ago on ebay. It uses a two-stroke Tecumseh engine. There's a centrifugal fan above the blade that forces air to the edges of the mower deck to provide lift without pushing the grass down where you're trying to cut it. The cut height is adjusted by putting spacers between the blade and the fan. The deck is fiberglass to save weight. They even ducted the engine exhaust into the fan to give a little added lift.

I remember ads for these when I was a kid. I always wanted one and finally found it. Unfortunately there are too many idiots and too many lawyers in the US to sell them here.

Joe Padavano

 

[hobbyfarm]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Mine wasn't a Husky though. It was a Flymo. Flymo is owned now by Electro-Lux Products )</font>

5030,
Actually, it was a Husqvarna. Look at all the brands <font color="red">Electrolux</font> has now. They've been doing some shopping!

 

[hobbyfarm]

tracdoc,
If you're looking for various brands of lawn and garden equipment, this <font color="brown">directory</font> is an awesome resource.

 

[tracdoc]

hobbyfarm,
Thanks for that resource! It will certainly go into my Favoites for future reference.

As near as I can tell, the only currently manufactured hover type mowers are the Husqvarna (Flymo label) and the Eastman. They both show up on your resource list. Before I plunk down some serious $ for one, I was hoping to hear from Forum folks on their experiences.

I have gathered that the original style gas-powered Flymos, with a standard rotary mower blade, are not made for USA markets any longer. Current hover style mowers for USA either have a triple string array (Husky and Eastman) or triple blade array (Eastman only). Which type to get, if any??