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Honda is a cut above the rest

Announcement posted by Canstar Blue 19 Aug 2014

Canstar Blue releases Lawn Mowers 2014 – Most Satisfied Customers Award

Young Australians are struggling to find the time – and effort – to properly maintain their gardens.

That’s the upshot of a new study by Canstar Blue, which found that for more than half of Generation Y survey respondents, there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to get outside and mow the lawn. That compares to two in five from Gen X and just one in five Baby Boomers.

Busy young Aussies were also twice as likely as Boomers to declare mowing the lawn as being their least favourite household chore (48%) and admit to envying others who don’t have a garden to look after (42%).

The survey, of more than 500 Australian adults who have purchased a lawn mower in the last three years, found that a third of Gen Y respondents were happy to hire someone to mow their lawn for them. That is perhaps just as well, with the same number saying they have (or have come close to) seriously hurting themselves while using a lawn mower.

Of those who do maintain their own gardens, 40% of young Aussies admitted to letting their grass grow so long that their lawn mower couldn’t handle the task of cutting it.

“The contrast in attitudes between our young and old respondents is striking,” said Canstar Blue Business Unit Leader Megan Doyle. “It’s unusual to see such a variation of results between generations, but there may be some good reasons for it.

“Baby Boomers, for example, are probably more likely to have a greater amount of free time, which could be used to maintain their gardens. They are also more likely to be home owners and have a greater desire to keep their outdoor living areas in good conditions. A young person renting their home might not have the same motivation to get their hands dirty in the garden.” 

When it comes to deciding which petrol lawn mower to buy, reliability and performance are the most important purchase decision-making factors for Australian consumers, the Canstar Blue report shows.

And with five-star ratings across all survey categories, including ease of use, quality of grass cutting and value for money, Honda has received Canstar Blue’s Most Satisfied Customers Award – Lawn Mowers 2014.

Honda beat off very strong competition from Masport, Rover and Victa, which all performed well in terms of reliability and performance, and value for money.

“To receive five-star ratings across all survey categories, which also included after sale service and warranty, is a fantastic achievement and a great endorsement of the Honda brand,” added Mrs Doyle.

“Owners of all brands of lawn mowers included in the survey seem generally happy with their purchase, with Masport, Rover and Victa all achieving at least one five-star rating. And no brand scored less than a four with regards to value for money, which suggests they are all keeping their customers reasonably satisfied.”

The Canstar Blue study also asked respondents how much they spent on their lawn mowers, with 65% spending between $250 and $550. Just 14% spent less than $250, while 22% splashed out more than $550.