Allett Kensington 17H Review

[@lawnporn]

Here’s a link to a document about the Allett Homeowner Range. cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0465/7096/3108/files/new_brochure_file_wit_briggs_small_2.pdf

[@bradkuypers6048]

Would be good if you could review the liberty 43. What are your thoughts on that model?

[@philrichmond5919]

I have the Rover version of the Kensington, same mower but with a Loncin clone of the Honda engine. Your assessment is pretty much spot on. Couple of points, it’s a 10 blade reel not a 12. Second, the split rear roller is actually a differential drive which means on slopes it can slip on one side and the other does nothing - if that happens brake the slipping side with your foot and it will transfer power to the other side. And I agree about the side cover, if you look at Allett’s videos demonstrating the cartridges you’ll see they have cutout the cover for easier cartridge swaps. I’ll be modding mine now that I’ve bought some cartridges. Those used to chain drive might have concerns about the plastic drive gears, but it’s worth remembering that these and belts don’t need lubrication and the maintenance required is less. Grass is high in silica and quite damaging to chains when mixed into lubricant as it becomes a grinding medium so this is a smart choice for a domestic mower. The turf rake is great, but note that if you change the cut height you’ll need to adjust it and when using the scarifier or verticutter it’s best to raise it out of the way. One final note, the catcher will sit in two positions so make sure it’s seated correctly. The lip around the catcher opening will block some of the clippings if not seated correctly. That lip also makes it a bit fiddly to get all the clippings out, but it makes it very rigid. These mowers never got the attention they deserved when Rover/MTD were selling them, so hopefully ADE will correct that. You’ve given them some help with an excellent review 👍

[@alandickson1629]

Now look at that Allett such an awesome machine. The best there is Allett is King

[@SuperTA329]

Great video on the Allett and its cartridges. I'm going for the Liberty 43. Thanks for doing this video.

[@lawnporn]

You are welcome

[@philipdigrazia5036]

Love the video, thanks. My Kensington 17H with cartridges is on the delivery truck to my house. I purchased before your video came out, but your video made me feel better about my decision. Thanks again!

[@garythorington9543]

Same here mine is arriving September 7

[@LawnRight]

Love how allet is getting a lot of traction right now worldwide

[@philrichmond5919]

Just goes to show Bosch didn’t know what they had, when they sold the design rights to Atco Qualcast and Suffolk Punch to Allett. It’s funny how much attention the Kensington is getting now, when it and the QC cartridges are a decades old design. If only I’d known, I’d have bought one twenty years ago! Well done to Allett, they know one thing (mowers) and they know it well and saw the potential to grow their business into the domestic market. Naming the products after the Royal palaces was a stroke of genius, that’s the perfect pairing of British and manicured lawns.

[@lawnporn]

Yeah they are doing so well and that is great to see.

[@richardharwell]

Great video, Lots of info on the Allett mower." I think that dog was trying to up stage you" !!

[@lawnporn]

I don’t think the dog has to try at all. I’m easily upstaged.

[@richardportelli1983]

Looks like it has it all! And cheaper than swardman and I think looks much nicer also!

[@shaneallen4042]

Have one on the way from ADE; British made with a Honda engine; can't go wrong. Great review, bought off the back of this review.

[@lawnporn]

Thanks for that comment and I’m glad this review was a help.

[@shaneallen4042]

@@lawnporn mate how do you go with the height of the handle bars on the Allett? I am 6'5 and have to stoop to use it. Any way of extending the handlebars?

[@thomasevans1959]

One of the best Allett reviews I've seen, thanks

[@lawnporn]

Wow, thanks!

[@Boodieman72]

I have the 20H version and I like it a lot.

[@lawnporn]

Great machines

[@lukecoombe6977]

Thanks for the review Matt great video

[@lawnporn]

My pleasure!

[@malbster]

Damn inflation, the Kensington is now almost 5k.

[@lawnporn]

I know. Prices of everything is crazy.

[@supersonic249]

Oh yep and the increasing our interest rates is going to magically fix that apparently 👍

[@tobz173]

I wish the Kensington cartridges were the same to change as the Stirlings :(

[@lawnporn]

Yeah a change is a bit of work.

[@GC987]

Nice video - very good editing..... only those who own a Kensington will understand that changing the cartridges is like a TV chef (announcing as they put a cold dish into the oven & pulling out a hot one that's already been cooked) : "here's one I made earlier". The truth is that changing a cartridge is about a 3 minute job (so is not overly onerous) but does require undoing & doing up of 6 screws. The laughter is a result of those in the know appreciating that like home cooking, some things take longer that the magic of TV (or KZbin) would suggest. Your suggestion of having a simple flap for the cog on the cartridge is an excellent one, and I would like to see Allett reverse engineer such a flap/door or sliding mechanism. for 50% - 75% of the cost of a cartridge, I imagine they could sell a few to their existing customers (as well as upgrading to a mark 2 machine). In reality I suspect tooling cost/injection mould costs would make that exercise prohibitively expensive, but injection moulds need to be replaced from time to time so surely there must be an opportunity ! They might also take the opportunity to use a faster camloc type fastening system like on the cowling of a Cessna aircraft for the plastic cover (because the cable tension does need to be adjusted).

[@adeturfequipmentptyltd5402]

Great Video Matt! That lawn is looking fantastic 💪

[@brendanaylward1733]

Hiya ADE, what does something like this set you back roughly, with a verticut cartridge, to 6233 😁

[@adeturfequipmentptyltd5402]

Hi @@brendanaylward1733 the Kensington 17H retails for $2,650 Ex GST + Cartridge whilst they retail between $200-$600 Ex GST Each 👍

[@dennis7533able]

@@adeturfequipmentptyltd5402 How much for the 14H ? Including GST.

[@adeturfequipmentptyltd5402]

Hi @@dennis7533able the Kensington 14” only comes out with the B&S Engine. Whilst we’re currently not importing that model due to insufficient enquiries, sorry.

[@dennis7533able]

@@adeturfequipmentptyltd5402 Thank you. Any finance options such as interest free options.

[@DS-xw3qp]

I am really interested in getting the Allett Liberty 43. How do you think the Allett mower will cope with Dwarf Kikuyu? I want to get the scarifier and verticutter as well. Would appreciate your feedback on how it will cope on this style of lawn

[@lawnporn]

I think it will do fine however I dont think the scarifier would do much. I could be wrong but I will find out September and October 2021 as we are going to put that exact mower to the kikuyu test at Matt Ryks place.

[@nasaspacemanwho6711]

Love how this mower is used and setup. Never thought about spending this much on the mower but this is definitely ontop of my list for my next mower.it will also be my first petrol or engine mower so need to look into that. Is the fuel standard unleaded petrol fuel you get from the petrol station? Greetings from the UK. Very envious of your weather :) really enjoying your channel.

[@lawnporn]

Thanks for commenting mate much appreciated. Ive been on nightshift so I have taken a few days to get back to normal, hence my late reply. Yes, this mower uses standard unleaded petrol that we have in Australia and use in our cars.

[@vk2him]

Does the knife bed come out with the blade cartridge or do you have to remove it separately? Can the reels and bed be sharpened easily like other reel mowers?

[@lawnporn]

The bed knife is with the cartridge. Easy to sharpen blades and bed knife.

[@vk2him]

@@lawnporn Thanks Matt - that makes it really easy then!

[@josephconsuegra6420]

The best mower you can buy.

[@lawnporn]

This does really well for a lot of people.

[@turb06]

Great vid. This has added another option as I am going to swap to a cylinder mower next season. One question did you leave the mower at the same height when swapping from the reel to the verticutter and dethatcher?

[@philrichmond5919]

You change the height adjuster. The diameter of the scarifier, verticutter, dethatcher and aerator is bigger than the cutting cylinders, and produce negative values ie can cut into the soil, on S that can be 5mm deep. It’s best to start high and work down to the desired level with them. It’s not a problem because the height adjuster is numeric and predictable - one click is 0.75mm.

[@lawnporn]

Thanks for this question. I went a little bit higher on both cartridges

[@shrek6389]

Seeing as you paid for both Matt, I have to ask the $64 question. If you could only have one cylinder mower would it be the Allett or the Mowmaster? Yes I understand the Allett has advantages over the Mowmaster with the cartridge system, but the Mowmaster will go lower than 6mm and looks much more solid/heavy duty. So which is it? You can only have one.

[@lawnporn]

Ah good question Tony! Thanks for asking. I have a super good relationship with Luke and Dave at MowMaster and Austin and Dave (Allett) and I’ll think you’ll find there’s a mutual respect between the companies. I have also met Dave and Austin in person at different times, super guys 100%, I haven’t met Luke and Dave yet thanks to Covid. You are comparing a commercial grade mower at twice the price and over trice the weight of a domestic mower. It’s not really a fair to compare but I’ll answer the $64 question. For my needs there is about 2 months of the year I am just below or at 5mm. I am at the stage where I really appreciate a commercial grade, a heavy and stable sit that’s nicely manoeuvrable. I would this instance pick the MowMaster in this choice. The bloke that chooses the Allett Kensington over the MowMaster will have a great time lawning with that machine and would be laughing at me when I come to borrow his unit with the verticutter cartridge.

[@philrichmond5919]

@@lawnporn surely the right answer would be an Allett C20, a pro level mower with cartridges and cuts reliably to 2.4mm for the one mower, money no object question 😁

[@lawnporn]

@@philrichmond5919 I don’t think that was the question though? Was it?? Maybe I am reading into the question wrong but I thought the choice Tony was referring to was the Allett Kensington (and some cartridges) v MowMaster R22W. Both which I have purchased. I’ve used the Allett C24 with just a blade, not the other cartridges. I did a review on that. Such a sweet bus. I wish I had more time with it, showed it to the local golf course etc but Covid (I had the mower Early March 2020) was moving so rapidly that I was worried I wouldn’t get it back to ADE Turf because of borders closing. So really it was a got it one day, did the cut at my old place the next (I had moved out a few weeks prior but was still looking after the gardens for the next tenant) and ship it back to ADE Turf as quickly as possible. I considered buying a C20 for sure but it’s not within my budget. It is obviously a sublime unit and the cartridges would make a lawn masterpiece for sure.

[@shrek6389]

@@lawnporn Thanks Matt. Horses for courses' and I get what you mean with the height, my Rover will only go to 6mm which is where I set it at the start of the season and - unfortunately - with thatch build up on my Santa Anna, even using my groomer on a regular basis, it is now being mown at 10mm + and I really need to go higher as the blade is grabbing on the thatch and scalping in places. So it will be shred, level, Fert, water repeat come October.

[@mitchdelport4245]

@@shrek6389 hi Tony, which rover mower do you have, im thinking of Rover vs Allet

[@Premier_lawns_official]

Fantastic review. ❤️👍

[@lawnporn]

Thank you so much 😊

[@garydodd8717]

Hats off, that's a fine mower

[@lawnporn]

Still going strong too

[@daleblackmore3084]

Great info Matt. Would love to see a vid or know your thoughts on Allett K17 v Swardman Edwin 2.1. They appear to be close competitors in the domestic cartridge mower market. As a first time reel mower buyer, what are the pros and cons of both?

[@lawnporn]

I was waiting for this question lol! They are both great mowers. It was a shame to see what happened to Daniel and Thomas in Swardman, somehow they were ousted out of the company. I haven't had much to do with the company at that point but that is only because that the distributor in Australia I refuse to deal with. The feeling I got from Swardman/Distributor after that point is that they only wanted me using a Swardman. I can tell you Allett / ADE Turf has been a much friendlier experience. I have met Austin Jarrett and Dave Allett, both 100% good guys. Jack and Tim and the team at ADE Turf in Victoria, great business. I have used the 2.0 not the 2.1 which has several upgrades, from what I understand the back transport wheels were reinforced (that needed to happen, I was waiting for it to bend and pop off one day), the cutting cartridges were improved somehow. The big disappointment with the Swardman is the hollow rear roller and the cables to the controls which are a proprietary would break easily. They are also attached by bolts that constantly shake loose so you must keep an eye on them and tighten. The holes in the handle (height adjustment) start getting bigger and the assembly becomes loose. For cartridge changeover, you have to fiddle with belts which is cumbersome and the belts can fray because you take it of the reel and put it on the reel. The belt system comes loose and things like the verticutter when hitting ground can struggle. The height of cut locking screw is easy to strip the thread. The cartridges were generally good imo although one cutting cartridge would always need adjustment when the other reel I had didn't need much adjustment at all. The Allett 17H is what I have but I have experience with K engine as it was on my Swardman. It is a good quiet motor and I think the power is good. It is early days with the Allett but to me it feels the more complete mower. The roller is SOLID which is amazing at this price and really makes the mower sit lovely, mind you it is not as good as a commercial mower at twice the weight and price, but it is nice. The cartridges are excellent and mirror the professional C24 cartridges except for the powered groomer/cutting cartridge. I think the blades are maybe thinner than what I remember of the Swardman. I love how you don't have to fiddle with belts changing the cartridge but having to undo and redo 4 bolts for the belt cover is a pain. The cartridges also like the Swardman require putting in 2 bolts which isn't in the easier position to put in (the reel gets in the way of say a Y hex spanner) and they are not easy to line up as you can't see exactly where you are going. I think a grooved front reel would further improve this mower. The plastic grass box is great because you will bump into things. There is a bit more plastic to the sides but this is sensible in the domestic space. Obviously it is early days with this mower for me to highlight service issues. It seems well made to me.

[@daleblackmore3084]

@@lawnporn thank you Matt for such a detailed response.

[@mattyburrows9059]

swardman sells you a dethatcher and tells you its a verticutter..the rear roller is crap and so is the handle so they made the electra battery mower and fixed the roller and handle..but the motor overheats when cutting bermuda just like the battery allett does..that screams the motor will not last..i hear swardman are updating the motor in september .but still no verticutter..if you used their dethacher as a verticutter to get closer slit lines you would need to make 2 or 3 passes and because a dethacter is more agressive you would have no lawn left..i think the bladed cylinder in the swardman is better than alletts. it has thicker blades..thats the only place the allett honda comes up short..but is that really an issue? id say no.they are thick enough and its alot cheaper than the electra..even with an updated motor..its electric and battery powered..so are new commercial machines but mmmmm..i cant see any electric motor out lasting a honda

[@alandickson1629]

Dale just get the Allett, Swardman has to many problems and Allett has 50 years of experience.

[@alandickson1629]

@@lawnporn You made the right choice to go with Allett. They are a great company.

[@garythorington9543]

When I change cartridges I have trouble putting that bar back in place. It’s the bar that the grass catcher hangs on. Sometimes it slips in fast and other times it’s very difficult. Anyone else have that problem.?

[@lawnporn]

When it comes to cartridge I have the same issue sometimes. It’s kind of the angle you are putting it in if it isn’t right then it can be a little difficult

[@anthonyb8208]

Matt, can I top dress my lawn anytime of the year other than winter, I'd like to get it as level as I can for the coming spring. Also I watched your repair on the School Ground, when you used the matic, how deep did you go, 50mm or more, then you put top dress on it for turf, I can't afford that so would seeding it in early to mid spring be better, grateful for any info thanks.

[@Superfly1503]

Hey mate, topdress should be applied during the growing season of your lawn. Late spring is what most people do. You can also apply a lighter topdress in early autumn when the lawn is actively growing. If you do it in winter, you risk smothering your lawn and killing it.

[@anthonyb8208]

@@Superfly1503 thanks mate, I'll wait till spring.

[@nevilletisch899]

Whats the Allett worth

[@lawnporn]

the one you see in the video is about $2,500aud and the cartridges range from about $500 to $800. Best thing to do is visit ADEturf.com.au and send them an email as they are the distributor and have the up to date pricing.

[@carthicmn]

Isn't that the "Adelaide oval" lawn?!

[@lawnporn]

Certainly is. Grown from 1m2 of the Adelaide Oval.

[@craigmonty]

Same mower is now $4,700 - Wow, what a price hike in 2 years.

[@lawnporn]

Yeah it’s crazy

[@jmginthent651]

How do they justify that

[@mattyburrows9059]

welcome to 2021 the 10 blade cart identifies itself as a 12 blade cart

[@diongadsby6949]

12 blade?? I thought they only made a 10 blade and a 6 blade?

[@jmginthent651]

That’s a big mower for a little lawn😂

[@rymoe6299]

I love my Alett But my Dennis Mower is a country mile better.

[@lawnporn]

Cool. We don’t have them here in Oz but I looked them up they seem really nice.

[@Welcome0002]

Plastic gears, that should last very long.

[@lawnporn]

Yeah I you look at forums and the like you can find people that have busted theirs. Mine haven't after 2 years of use so all good for me so far.

[@chenzhong8588]

It’s not worth. I will go for maclane.

[@lawnporn]

Mate the Maclane looks nice.

[@purpledingo4747]

I don’t like the plastics . Also way over priced

[@adeturfequipmentptyltd5402]

This is a Homeowner Model, the “C” Series which is apart of the Sports & Pro Range removes a lot of the plastic. However the Plastic and Nylon allows the Kensington to take knocks without causing damage, plus it won’t dint or scratch the paint as easily. We’re however curious as to why you believe the unit is overpriced, what have you compared it to which offers the same or similar features? Matt (LawnPorn) has previously done a video on our Demo C24 unit if you would like to checkout that video! Thank you, for the feedback.

[@ALLETTMOWERSUK]

We’re really sorry you feel this way, but we do understand that our mowers are not cheap. We like to think of them as ‘reassuringly expensive’. While we are constantly and relentlessly striving to drive down our production costs to deliver better value, we have chosen to continue to design and manufacture our mowers in England and we have not moved to a factory in China like most of our competitors. We sincerely hope that the customers using our products see the value in this. I hope this helps you understand our position and hope that one-day you will enjoy the lawn that an Allett mower can deliver! In terms of the plastic. They are made with plastic cogs so they are replaceable when they take the tension of any bumps in the garden.

[@lewismortimer9306]

Can’t wait for more content featuring this mower. I have the Rover Kensington with the same cartridges as you.

[@ashleyjoslin5388]

@@ALLETTMOWERSUK I've seen it mentioned several times that the plastic cogs are designed to be a point of failure to protect the machine. Considering you're assuming they will occasionally need to be replaced, do you include any spares with the new unit?

[@ALLETTMOWERSUK]

@@ashleyjoslin5388 Hi no spares are supplied no however your local Allett dealer will supply under warranty