Hayter Harrier 56

Replaced my very old Harrier 56 (sold for £50) with the new Harrier 56 model (bought for £1100 in 2017) based solely on the strength of the Hayter brand and my previously good experience with the 'same' Harrier 56 model. I was looking for a long term purchase and willing to pay over the odds for good quality.

I was immediately disappointment with the quality from new and my perception has steadily got worse over 3 years of use. Each time I use it, I constantly regret not fixing the relatively simple issues with my old one as it was so much better.

The problems I have experienced are: it doesn't cope with wet grass like the old one did, at 'top speed' it is much too slow to walk behind, the carb has no guard / protection and the spring gets damaged/lost with any overhanding bushes (I've since made a protection guard from aluminium plate at the recommendation of the chap that fixed it), the handle knobs rattle loose and fall off, the carb is way too sensitive to any fuel impurities such as pollen or dust which seem to leak in around the flimsy air filter casing, the grass collector is often awkward to fit, my wife says that its heavier than the old one and hates it even more than I do... And I'm pretty sure the lack of a pull starter (I got the Instastart version in error, incorrectly assuming that there would also be a manual start option in addition to electric start) will be an issue due to high cost when a replacement battery is eventually needed.

All in all, it's very poor quality for such an expensive machine. Hayter is no longer a trusted brand for me and I'm actively looking to PX it for a different brand.

Just bought a 56 pro and governor spring already broke once. Ridiculous. Show me an English lawn that doesn't have a few overhanging plants. Wish I'd chosen Honda now but too late.

A Hayter customer for 30 years, but this is a disaster

No protection for the rev control spring!

It pings off if you even look at an overhanging bush

I then need binoculuars or a metal detector to find it.

Not easily replaced either

DO NOT BUY THIS MOWER

HAYTER REALLY HAVE LOST THE PLOT

How can Hayter not be able to design a fool proof drive system for their mowers. After a couple of seasons with my Hayter 56 mower, the self drive suddenly packs in, quite disgraceful. Also another annoying design fault is the groove that the grass bag locates into, this gets filled with grass every time you empty the grass bag and you have to clear out the grass cuttings from this groove before you fit the bag back on again. There is a hole in the deck that grass blows through, is it too much trouble, or expensive to fit a grommet.

Are these machines not tested before they go on the market?

Sort these basic and obvious problems and you will have an excellent product!!!

Dont buy this machine. Im in the trade for 25years and the build quality in the last 5 years is dreadful. In the first 3months I had 3 sets of wheels, new casing as it cracked as it is so thin. and as for collection when damp...what collection.

Oh and to top it all the plastic liner is in bits under the deck. Sooooooo poorly and cheaply built.

Buy Etesia, yes they are expensive but for a reason they last. Amazing machines.

Hayter are a disgrace IMHO! As a gardner with over 35 yrs experience I just cannot recommend this machine. I bought it partly cos of the perceived lifetime crankshaft gtee only to find out now in the small print that the BBC model isn't covered, and it cost me the best part of £1,100. The crankshaft is bent despite the fact I didn't hit anything and all that happened was that it got badly clogged up in wet grass. This is my 3rd Hayter 56 and clearly the build quality and performance is way below what was previously the case. I am now fighting both the dealer and Hayter after having been quoted between £5/600 to repair. The maching is less than 12m old! Wish me luck! I should've been told this model's crankshaft wasn't covered. So so angry!

ive had this lawnmower now 2 weeks and what a complete waist of money £1000 for a lawn mower not fit for purpose very very slow under powered small grass box. How hayter have the cheek to call this lawnmower a pro is by far a complete pile of bull. i would have get better buying a £99 pound cheap lawnmower out of b&q.

WORD OF WARNING ! DO NOT BUY THE HAYTER HARRIER PRO ! COMPLETE WAIST OF MONEY MAX SPEED OF 2MPH HAS NO POWER AT ALL

THE MOWER IS THAT BAD I AM SENDING IT BACK FOR A REFUND SO I CAN BUY A PROPER PRO LAWNMOWER

Having used Hayters for years I hoped that this product would be up to the same standards. However, the increased use of plastics and changes in design now make this a product to avoid. It is also much worse at picking up wet grass than our old 56 and the build quality is inferior. In its first season it has been into the dealers twice - once to have the gear drive replaced under warranty.

Can't believe it will improve with age & feel it best to exchange before it causes any more trouble.

I purchased 3 of these 2 yrs ago and 1 needed a new gearbox after 2 weeks of use which was dealt with under warranty, another I sold to another contractor and the third is now on its second gearbox. The build quality of these machine is awful, they are to slow (tweaked mine up a little), they can't cut anything in the wet ( just ordered some high lift blades to see if they improve collection), the front wheels break very easily as well. My old 2004 56's are battered but still more reliable then the new ones, although I have put new Quantum engines on with new crank, still underpowered but do not block up with wet grass as much. To be honest even on dry days the pro does not fill the grass box fully, maybe the new blades will help?

They also need a constant supply of new drive belts and after speaking to hayter to see if they would help with the cost of replacing the entire roller and gearbox on a machine that although 2yrs old has only had one full season of use, they said that if repairs were carried out by an approved dealer then maybe subject to a report they might help. I have ordered part already and paid for postage etc so will have to forget this and fit myself. Would I buy another of these? No way ever hayter again, will have to try honda 21 roller mower, more money but less aggro I am told. Shame because used hayters since mid 80's, they must have cut costs and quality of parts and not great for a machine costing in excess of 1k.

oh dear...what have hayter done to their once great mowers?...over 30 years a professional gardener I have used many of their machines....but their hayter 56 (2006 model on) is a travesty. Poor grass collection and retention because of the sharply angle bag and poor airflow....I suspect bag is angled to allow for feet but.....and then there is the drive...variable?..works for a while then loses grip....plastic/metal pulley mechanism gets warm and belt slackens.....not good!...also whereas the previous model with side output shaft worked well and collected grass well...this one because of the redesigned underdeck clogs up easily...even damp grass is too heavy to be thrown into the back of the bag...and the plastic underdeck gets scratched etc and collects grass gum.....causing grass buildup.....as for the drive belts etc....they're not man enough to shift such a large and heavy machine.....listen hayter to those who use your machines....we matter..we use them....and we buy them..but we are fed up of dodgy costcutting and dodgy design..before you put mowers on the market...try them out first.....in all conditions!!!!!