- Average Rating:
- Manufacturer: Allen
- Model: XR44
- Suitable For: 15ft - 30ft Lawns
- Type: Petrol
- Design: Hover
- Weight: 13kg
- Grassbox Capacity: 0litres
- Cut Width: 40cm
- Power: 2.5hp
- Self Propelled: No
- Best Price: £349.00
The smallest hover mower from Allen, the XR44 includes an efficient Honda GXV57 2.5hp petrol engine, and 40cm cutting width, making it suitable for medium sized lawns where inclines exist, and grass collection is not required.
The Allen XR44 features a Flexiblade, which is a safe, durable, nylon cutting mechanism, keeping the overall weight down, and delivering performance close to that of a metal blade. The Flexiblade is also safe and easy to change, for maintainence.
The Honda engine is connected to a lower impellor which draws in air through the top of the mower deck and forces it along the surface of the underside of the deck moving it in a circular motion. This allows the machine to hover just above the ground and also sucks the grass into an upright position to ensure a clean and even cut. In addition the circulating air stream allows each grass cutting to be re-cut many times before the air stream forces them back into the turf.
Robustness has been considered in the design of the Allen XR44, a strong ABS deck provides a lifetime of durability.
In addition, the Allen XR44 is extremely manoeuvrable due to its light weight and hovering capability. The XR44 is able to mow up inclines of 20 degrees.
| Model | Weight (kg) | Capacity (ltr) | Width (cm) | Power (hp/w/v) | Cost (£) |
| Hovertrim | 17.6 | 0 | 46 | 4.5hp | 375.00 |
| Professional | 19 | 0 | 51 | 5.5hp | 402.71 |
| XL500 | 15 | 0 | 50 | 5.5hp | 143.31 |
| XR44 | 13 | 0 | 40 | 2.5hp | 349.00 |
16 April 2010
XR44 is complete and utter c..p. This mower i have been using lost front cowel on day one left trails of grass clippings and now has been making strange buzzing noise, on investigation it has lost 2 screws/bolts holding the engine to the abs deck. Thank god for the other 2. With very little help from hayter i am now at peace, the mower is in its rightful place in the scrap metal recycling bay at smallmead tip, please do not return as an XR44. please do not waste your money, you get a lot more bother with this hover.
By Steve Lynch
16 August 2009
16th August 2009
I agree with all that Harling has written I also own a Allen 446 and although a lot heavier it is chalk and cheese to the 44, the cut height on the 44 is no way low enough. I have heard you can get a metal blade for the 44 does anybody know about this. I am not impressed so far with my 44 I bought it for lightness as the 446 is very heavy, but I am afraid this is its only advantage. I will be discussing these thoughts with Hayter and will be interested to hear their response.
By Colin Shepherd
16 June 2009
My Hayter Allen XR44 Petrol Hovertrim has been a very disappointing purchase, having owned Flymo petrol hover mowers for over 30 years I decided this time I would try a different maker as in my experience Flymo have always been dodgy starters with their 2 stroke engines, Hayter have been around for many years so maybe time to give the XR44 a go.
My first impression before using the machine looked very good with the renowned Honda 4 stroke engine and the nylon cutter blades. After using the XR44 for a couple of months with good engine starting compared to the Flymo L400 I found the usage of the XR44 to be very poor with long tufts of grass missed by the cutting action resulting in having to perform a second cut to eliminate them.
The cutting height position lets the XR44 down, the nylon cutting blades are looped in place through one of a set of three predetermined pairs of holes in the fan plate that sets the height of the cut required. The lowest setting is nowhere near low enough compared to Flymo's metal blade and a different arrangement for this task. I have noticed that Hayter Allen offer an optional extra that increases the machines cutting height, we are going the wrong way here Hayter Allen unless the XR44 was designed for cutting an overgrown meadow!
I still own my old Flymo L400 and after a lawn cut with this machine it takes over ten days growth before a cut with the XR44 makes a contact with the grass, consequently the lawns need to be cut twice as often with the XR44 compared to the Flymo.
Now the Honda 4 stroke engine is a very good starter, this maybe due to a choke system compared to the Flymo?s poor primer system. The Honda engine does have it's faults, the fuel tank capacitance is far to small and this problem is enhanced because you must keep the fuel level well below the tanks neck to avoid fuel spillage through the fuel cap breather screw.
On a plus point the XR44 skirted body has a 'Hand-Hole' for carrying, however when you lift the XR44 from one lawn to another the fuel tap must be turned off and the breather cap screwed hard down to avoid fuel spilling everywhere, this never happens with the Flymo's.
Finally, the XR44's safety stop bar spring is far to strong, a tight grip is required with the handlebar throughout the time the engine is running, very uncomfortable, surely this is not necessary.
My conclusions are that 'My time for a change' to the XR44 was a bad move. I may appear to be a 'Flymo Fan' but this is not the case as the Flymo's can be horrific for engine starting however if I had known what I know now about the Hayter Allen XR44 Hovertrim I would have stayed with Flymo, bad engine starting and all.
By Harling
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