OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Walk Behind Lawn Mower Frames Question On Scott Bonnar Cylinder Mowers Scott Bonnar or Masport Reel Mower

Hey everyone, long time reader, first time poster.

I currently own a little 14inch model 45 that I picked up cheap on eBay to test out a cylinder mower on my soft leaf buffalo lawn. I modified the height adjustment so that I can cut up to around 35mm which is better for my lawn than the standard 25mm limit.

My question is, as I have roughly 450sq/m of lawn, 300 out back and 150 for the side and front, I'm looking to buy a bigger 20inch model to cut down on mowing time. I can pick up a 20inch sb45 on eBay and rebuild it to as new, plus modify the height adjustment again, and drop a new Honda engine in it (purists don't hate me) for around $900 or so all up, or I can purchase a brand new Masport Olympic 20 or 26 inch for $1600-$1900? The Masport cuts to 30mm so I wouldn't need to do much to get the extra 5mm, but I don't know whether the SB would outperform or outlast it?

What is everyone's opinion? I understand you all love your SB's, but the Masport seems like it'll do what the SB can do, with a few upgrades and improvements?

Well I asked a guy who sharpened my SB blades the same question. I told him I looked at the masports on their website the other day and he said you can waste your $ if you want but the SB's work fine. He said he had one a while back and the greenkeeper couldn't get it to cut below 5mm so he had to make him a new bedknife to fix that problem. Another person said the council they work for tryed using them for there work and they ditched them for SB's instead. SB's were stronger and more durable.
A bloke in my area has one and his lawn very very fine! Id own one if the price was right, but I sold a SB45 and kept a SB430 so my tastes in mowers some maynot agree with..

Hi Nick and a warm welcome to the forum.
It's great to have another Scott Bonnar owner on board.

You've posed a hard question to answer because I don't know of any members of this forum possess a new Masport Olympic, but I can tell you that Masport/Morrison are a New Zealand company and from recent research that they have a Ransome's cutting unit fitted....we don't know at this stage how easy they are to disassemble or sharpen.
See the thread....Click HERE
We have plenty of members here that own Scotties but very few on the ground with Masport cylinder mowers.
Hoping this is of help....
Once again Nick, to OutdoorKing