The Australian-owned Bushranger brand is quickly becoming a powerful force in the commercial landscape maintenance industry. Bushranger’s new self-propelled commercial machine is designed to take on proven heavyweights in the commercial market.
The 21-inch alloy deck reduces overall weight, eliminates rust problems and has an efficient wide cutting path, which is essential for contractors who need to get the job done. A steel protection plate is fitted to the outside of the alloy deck for extra protection and to cope with the punishment of contractor use. Four swing back blades are fitted providing a neat, even cut whist both catching and mulching. The mulch plug is a standard inclusion.
The shaft drive oil-filled gearbox has three speeds easily selected from the top of the handlebar beside the throttle. A brisk 4.6km/h is the fastest speed enabling contractors to mow at pace when conditions and terrain allows, whilst the slow speed of 3.6km/h ensures easy manoeuvring around tight areas and obstacles.
A quality Honda GXV160 is fitted to the mower – this proven engine is perfectly suited to the application. The GXV160 engine is renowned for easy starting, longevity and reliability even in tough commercial situations.
Quality appointments to this machine are evident with the large 200mm x 50mm metal rimmed wheels featuring dual ball bearings both front and rear. The catcher has a large 70-litre capacity, which is essential for a wide cut commercial machine because operators like to reduce emptying time. Grass packed well into the catcher and it filled to capacity before any residue was left on the lawn.
The Dacron construction has a plastic moulded base and is fitted with rear and top dust covers reducing operator discomfort in dusty conditions. A single lever height adjuster enables the operator to select any of the seven heights with ease, which is much easier and more practical than individual wheel adjusters. The seven positions range from 25mm to 75mm in 10mm increments. A machine of this size and calibre is bound to be heavy and with a dry weight of 52kg it is quite heavy, so ramps or a low trailer are definitely required for transportation.
Comfortable padded grips on the handles reduce vibrations and a quick adjusting mechanism on the handles enables multiple operators to adjust the handles to suit. There is a range of positions available with the quick change adjustment compared to only two or three on competitor models. The new Bushranger 800SP Self Propelled Mower has been developed to tackle contractor life. It is well constructed with an attention to toughness and only time will tell if it performs as well over the long term as other leading commercial machines. It is priced at the top end of the commercial market at $1799 including GST and the chassis and gearbox is covered by a 6-month commercial warranty.