Cordless Electric Lawnmower ??? Anyone?

:thinking:So here's the situation. I have a push MTD mower that has been an absolute piece of junk since day one. It finally looks like it's gong to die. I'm not at all disappointed. While I hate the thing for being a cheaply constructed and ill designed mower I did chage the oil and keep it maintained so it has lasted for 7+ years.

Within the first year the self propelled controls cracked off (plastic) as did the plastic wingnuts for fromt wheel height control as well as a few other plastic parts. THe self propell stoppoed working in year 1.5. I didn't really need it but I got it for my fiancee as she helps out in the yard.

Now that I've moved to a larger piece of property I have a 44" deck riding mower which I use btu we still need something for the small areas and edging around trees, fence, shrubs etc. We're thinking electric.

The reason is that there's not a great deal of cutting needd for the puch mower and it would be lighter and easier to handle on some of the small hills. My fiancee does the detail work while I use the rider so this will save her arm from starting and will be lighter on the hills (assuming the mower is in fact lighter).

Due to the size of the yard we're going to have to have a cordless model. I can't imagine the hassle of draging a 400ft extension cord out every time. So do any of you have a cordless electric mower? If so how has your experience been?

not baaa-aad...

Uh yeah but then I'd need a cordless sheep sh** pickup unit.

bitslammer said:

Uh yeah but then I'd need a cordless sheep sh** pickup unit.

Click to expand...

You're getting a dog? Sorry, couldn't resist.

bitslammer said:

Uh yeah but then I'd need a cordless sheep sh** pickup unit.

Click to expand...

Just buy a blower then, sheep ships are like little balls

My only concner with a battery powered mower would be the battery retention after a few years. I mean, your car battery goes bad even while being used in the winter. Sitting all winter can't be good for it. Plus, i bet it isn't a simple drop in lead acid. Probably a NIMH pack that is more expensive :/

I have been toying with putting a battery and an AC inverter on an electric push mower.

havand said:

My only concner with a battery powered mower would be the battery retention after a few years....... Plus, i bet it isn't a simple drop in lead acid. Probably a NIMH pack that is more expensive :/

Click to expand...

This one uses a simple 24V SLA battery.

DonShock said:

This one uses a simple 24V SLA battery.

Click to expand...

Ah, shows what I know..Cool! I didn't think the leadacid battery would be able to sustain the current and deep cycling.

bitslammer said:

it would be lighter and easier to handle on some of the small hills. My fiancee does the detail work while I use the rider so this will save her arm from starting and will be lighter on the hills (assuming the mower is in fact lighter)....Due to the size of the yard we're going to have to have a cordless model. I can't imagine the hassle of draging a 400ft extension cord out every time. So do any of you have a cordless electric mower? If so how has your experience been?

Click to expand...

Don't have a cordless mower, but considered getting one and then went with a corded model.

Briefly considered the Neuton model referenced above, which might be good for cutting very small yards or for edging around bigger yards. My medium sized yard exceeds the Neuton's capabilities for battery endurance and for reasonable cutting speed due to its narrow cutting swath.

So I considered a Black and Decker rechargeable. One issue with the more powerful cordless mowers is that they weigh nearly twice as much as corded mowers of equal cutting capability. My Black and Decker corded mower weighs 44 lbs, but a Black and Decker cordless mower of similar cutting capability weighs 76 lbs.

Subjectively, that weight difference is huge. The corded model is very quick and easy to maneuver around obstacles, and can be quickly one-handed up and down steep inclines. Rapid mowing techniques I use with the light corded mower would be impossible with the heavier cordless mower.

Once you develop the correct routine for mowing your yard, which may take some trial and error, the cord is really very little trouble. Toss the coiled cord on the ground then mow away from the coil, in a pattern that will gradually uncoil the cord without requiring you to cross over the cord as it uncoils.

A 150 foot cord hangs coiled on my mower handle. Another 150 foot cord hangs coiled by the basement door where the mower is stored. Combined, the two cords give a 300 foot cutting radius. Once finished with mowing, I spend a few minutes carefully recoiling the cords so they will deploy smoothly the next time I mow. That's about it so far as regular maintenance. Far less trouble than dealing with fueling, starting, and maintenance issues with a gasoline mower.

My medium sized yard can be cut in slightly less time with my Black and Decker corded electric than with my old gasoline push mower.


.

Might as well go with the RoboMower where you simply let it do the mowing for you. :huh:

http://www.friendlyrobotics.com/robomow/mowers/

Enjoy!

Looked at the Robo Mower a while ago. It had bad reviews from Consumer reports and users so it's not in the running. The areas where I'm considering would not be suitable for it anyway.

Not worried about battery. I put the battery from the rider on a 2A trickle charger over winter and could easily do that with another.

A cord is still not an option as there are many trees/obstacles to weave in and out of. It would be a hassle to keep untangling.

I have always liked the idea of having a 12-volt 'portable power station' which means just a couple hefty 6-volt batteries with handles (using 'SLA' -AGM, batts these days..) placed on a wagon if necessary, used with a little inverter to power AC tools in remote locations.. you don't have to lift the batteries while cutting, and they last a long time...also the amps/$$ ratio is much better on bigger batteries..

(I have that 'wonderwinder' cord winder and was disappointed to discover it needs two hands to operate..the last few feet of a 100' cord are difficult to wind in.)

ps although the sheep in the pic may not be electric, they are certainly experienced ..

I've got a Ryobi 24v. cordless I've had for a few years. I don't use it now simply because the battery died and they are over $100. It is very heavy compared to my gas model(a cheapy wal-mart model) and doesn't cut nearly as well. It was free for me so not a bad deal. I've notice you can get a Black & Decker CMM1000 for about $500 which is similar to the Ryobi but for me, is way to much money considering the performance and battery cost. my.02

My neighbor with a medium sized yard tried to manage with a Black and Decker cordless for a few years. It had trouble keeping enough charge to finish the job. He also was not happy about the weight. Now he's got a self-propelled Honda.

Geoff

I have had this one for a year or two. It's not bad.

-Quiet
-Small
-It is not self propelled - motor turns cylinder
-Pushing it also turns cylinder so you can still use it if the battery dies
-OK for small to med lawns
-It does not like pine cones

bitslammer said:

A cord is still not an option as there are many trees/obstacles to weave in and out of. It would be a hassle to keep untangling.

Click to expand...

I had the same attitude as you about corded electric mowers, because my yard also has a lot of trees. I was reluctant to buy one because I thought dealing with the cord would be a constant hassle.

But, I sort of wanted an electric so began checking out all the different cordless mowers. Read all the reviews I could find and talked to people who owned them.

After comparing prices and weights of corded and cordless electrics, and after checking out the runtimes and replacement costs of batteries, I couldn't see buying a cordless mower.

-Twice as expensive as corded.
-Twice as heavy as corded.
-Limited runtime; not enough for my yard.
-Battery replacement every couple of years.

I was about to give up and buy another gasoline mower except that a friend let me try out his Black and Decker corded mower. He showed me how to use it without tangling up the cord.

With a reasonable price, great reliability, and negligible operating costs, the Black and Decker corded mowers offer a lot of bang for the buck.

The cord isn't an issue once you get used to using the mower. I thought it might be a hassle, but it isn't.


.