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Thread: Lawn Mowers Gas or cordless

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
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    San Antonio, TX
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    530

    Lawn Mowers Gas or cordless

    My 21 year Scotts lawnmower gave three puffs of smoke and stopped just as I made the initial loop around the perimeter of my front yard.
    Trying to figure out what to replace it with. (I think its problem is fatal, and if not enough other things on it are dead or dying)

    If I go gas I would like self propelled, with a separate blade clutch so I don't have to restart the engine if I have to stop to move something out of the way.
    But that seems like a hard feature to find.

    Looking at replacements at the Lowes I was intrigued by the Kobalt 80V self propelled cordless electric mower they have. Any one have any experience with that?
    It's a bit on the pricey side ($550) vs mid $300s for an equivalent to the Dead Scott's (self propelled but with motor kill rather than blade clutch)

    Total yard is less than 1/4 acre...probably less than 6000 sq ft that is actually grass (not house, garage, shed, patio or driveway).

    Thanks

    John

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Lewiston, Idaho
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    28,504
    I have a daughter who has an electric battery powered mower. I have used it to mow her small lawn when visiting. I am not impressed with the power of it. If the grass was extremely long and/or wet, I'd be a little skeptical of it's ability to mow it properly.

    I have Honda gas powered, self-propelled with a blade clutch. I have had it for around 10 years. It's been trouble free and starts easily. I bought it for my wife to use. You don't have to shut it off to empty the bag.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
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    New York, NY
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    I saw that Stihl makes a cordless mower now, the one I recently saw at the dealer looked pretty snazzy.



    https://www.stihlusa.com/products/la...er-lawn-mowers

  4. #4
    I have some steep banks and neither electric or gas did a credible job with ease. I found the perfect, self propelled, lawn mower that also trims the edges and fertilizes. Our Sheep. Just close the driveway gate and open the sheep pen. Takes me all of about 45 seconds to do my part.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
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    San Antonio, TX
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    Quote Originally Posted by Perry Hilbert Jr View Post
    I have some steep banks and neither electric or gas did a credible job with ease. I found the perfect, self propelled, lawn mower that also trims the edges and fertilizes. Our Sheep. Just close the driveway gate and open the sheep pen. Takes me all of about 45 seconds to do my part.
    Well, I have always thought about that, but being in San Antonio city limits they allow maximum two sheep and require a $150/year license fee. I am guessing that I would have to supplement feed in addition to my vast 1/4 acre ranch grazing

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2008
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    Peshtigo,WI
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    1,395
    I have a TORO mower that has the blade clutch, it's 20 years old and I just rebuilt the drive wheels and other two wheels last year. Other than the wheels I've had no trouble with the mower.
    Confidence: The feeling you experience before you fully understand the situation

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Virginia
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    1,209
    I looked at mowers a year ago. At that time I came to the conclusion the cordless electric technology is not quite there yet. A buddy of mine has a corded electric he likes, but then you have to deal with the cord. I went with a Husquevarna self propellled from Lowes, with a Honda engine.

  8. #8
    My wife went rogue on me one year and came back with a corded electric mower. She didn't want a gasoline machine because of the upkeep and she'd have to actually pour fuel into it (gasp!)

    So she used that for about 5 yrs. Cut the cord several times. Had to make sure to be vigilant about mowing the lawn before it got to long. Several times it got to long and it took quite a bit of extra time to cut it because of the lack of power. I think it was a 10" 1/2HP. Not sure about the HP rating.

    So eventually we replaced it. I was the one to pick out the machine this time. We got a 5HP gas machine with a rear discharge bagger/mulcher.

    The first time we used it the lawn was quite high. She was dreading how long it was going to take her. I laughed. When she came in she was ecstatic at how nice it worked and how powerful it was. All I could say was "Really?" It usually starts 1st or 2nd pull and sips gas. I put fuel in it for her.

    So my choice would be a gas operated machine.

  9. #9
    I recently went through this process, too. Looked extensively at high-quality gas-powered ones, the cordless Stihl one Peter mentioned, cordless Makita one that uses LXT batteries, and the EGO cordless ones sold at Home Depot. Ended up buying the EGO one and could NOT BE HAPPIER.

    No gas. No oil. No fumes. Start and stop instantly. Quiet enough to talk over. Has a headlight, which is actually useful, because it's quiet enough you literally could mow at night if you were so inclined. More than enough power for regular (or even wet) grass. Mulches. Bags. Lightweight. Folds flat for storage. Easily adjustable. I got the non-self propelled version (because it's so lightweight you really don't need the propulsion), but they make a self-propelled version, too. I wish I could provide more details on how it cuts, but my wife enjoys using it so much that I've barely gotten to try it, myself.

    EGO also sells cordless blowers, snowblowers, trimmers, etc, that all use the same battery.

    As much as I respect the Stihl brand, I think the EGO ones are more refined and mature in development. I can't see a reason to go with the Kobalt unit.

    Try the EGO. I think you'll be impressed. They probably have a generous return policy if you're not.

  10. #10
    Got a Fiskars Staysharp Max Reel Mower and have been quite pleased with it. Decent exercise since a lot of the lawn has some significant slopes.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
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    Northern Oregon
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Friedrichs View Post
    I wish I could provide more details on how it cuts, but my wife enjoys using it so much that I've barely gotten to try it, myself.
    Great info, I'm sold.
    "Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t - you’re right."
    - Henry Ford

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Las Cruces, NM
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    2,037
    Of my 3 lawn mowers, my favorite is:

    https://www.blackanddecker.com/produ...g-mower/cm1936

    It is more powerful than my "Greenpower" 40 V mower and less powerful than my gas mower. However, one thing to keep in mind about a powerful electric mower is that if you hit an sizeable obstacle the result may be a bent motor shaft. That will require replacing the whole motor (which I've done once). By contrast hitting an sizeable obstacle with gas mower usually results in only a bent blade.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
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    Virginia
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Friedrichs View Post
    I recently went through this process, too. Looked extensively at high-quality gas-powered ones, the cordless Stihl one Peter mentioned, cordless Makita one that uses LXT batteries, and the EGO cordless ones sold at Home Depot. Ended up buying the EGO one and could NOT BE HAPPIER.
    I have 1/3 of an acre, and could not get any real confidence from the literature I found as to whether the batteries would handle one good mow, or if I would have to recharge, and I also could not get straight how long I could expect the battery to last before the ability to hold a charge started going downhill, and whether I would have to buy a new one at that point, or how much a replacement battery would be.

    I know someone who bought a Prius for example, and loved it for about five years. Then the batteries started degrading, and she was quoted something like $10,000 to put a new battery in it. The environmental and financial benefits of the thing started to look a little different to her at that point. Obviously a mower batter is not going to cost that much, but I don’t particularly care to buy a new mower every three years or five years, or whatever, or at least want to know I will have to do that up front.

    How large is the area you mow? If I had a townhouse, I would definitely go with one of the electrics, or with a reel mower (which is what I used when I had a townhouse).

  14. #14
    I think the electrics work very well on small yards (probably under 1/5 acre or so). For that duty - they are way better than keeping up with the gas and maintenance on a gas mower... Bigger yards - you probably need the power and speed....

    The second consideration is type of grass and how fast it grows.
    Northern Fescues, bent, and bluegrass cut really well and would probably do quite well...
    Southern bermuda and St Augustine are not nearly so cooperative.... And they grow really fast.. And they grow really thick....

    I tried a reel mower on it and sold it... It would jam the reel mower after about 3 days of growth and I just didn't have the heart to mow 3x per week.... I have plenty of friends with electrics up north - and they make total sense there... But it is a different situation down here.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Nicholas Lawrence View Post
    How large is the area you mow? If I had a townhouse, I would definitely go with one of the electrics, or with a reel mower (which is what I used when I had a townhouse).
    I have a 1/2-acre (minus an "average" number of trees, house, etc), and it can be mowed on one charge of the 5Ah battery that was included (EGO also sells a 7.5Ah battery).

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