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Anyone have a cordless lawn mower?

Clementine_3

Clementine_3

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
VIP Member
I am thinking of getting a cordless/rechargeable mower and am looking for opinions and feedback.
Exhaust fumes really, really bother me (headaches, hurts my nose) and I am pretty sure I would run over a cord on a regular electric mower (multiple times). A little push mower is not an option, my yard is a tad too big for that and it seems like more a workout than I want. So, I am thinking rechargeable.
Looks like the charge would last long enough and it appears as if it would be fine for my needs but I have to wonder if over-all they are really any good. My main concern is how long the battery really lasts before it needs to be replaced, and, when that happens what if the battery is no longer for sale? Then I'm stuck with an expensive, useless mower.
Looking at something like this
 
The biggest problem with a cordless/rechargeable mower (even the lithium powered) is that the power curve isn't there. So while you have a great cutting lawn mower when you start mowing, as the battery loses its charge, the mower will lose its cutting ability and that's not good for your lawn. I found a propane powered mower that's not too insanely priced. Building Supply Plus: Store Home I haven't seen one in action or know of anyone that has, but it may be worth investigating if a gas powered mower is not an option (Although I understand there are some low emission mowers out there that you might find tolerable). Another option, have you considered getting someone to mow your yard for you?
 
Clementine_3 said:
I am thinking of getting a cordless/rechargeable mower and am looking for opinions and feedback.
Exhaust fumes really, really bother me (headaches, hurts my nose) and I am pretty sure I would run over a cord on a regular electric mower (multiple times). A little push mower is not an option, my yard is a tad too big for that and it seems like more a workout than I want. So, I am thinking rechargeable.
Looks like the charge would last long enough and it appears as if it would be fine for my needs but I have to wonder if over-all they are really any good. My main concern is how long the battery really lasts before it needs to be replaced, and, when that happens what if the battery is no longer for sale? Then I'm stuck with an expensive, useless mower.
Looking at something like this
Click to expand...
I bought mine at home depot (i did not get the mulcher version) I charge it about once every 6 weeks for a few hours. The battery is completely replaceable, as it pops off the top, so if it ever needs a new one, it is a simple drop ship of a battery pack. Easy really. And for $300, it was a deal for me. I dont have any gas powered lawn equipment any more. Everything I have is battery powered, sqve for one corded high powered edger.
 
I've been using rechargeable mowers & weed eaters for about 7yrs now and I'll never go back to gas powered. I have a rather large lawn and my neighbors are slowly changing over to what I use since I tend to have one of the best looking yards in the neighborhoods. I plug them in each time after I'm done and next time when I go to use it the blade spins just as fast when I'm done as it did when I started so I don't know what TxGoat is talking about. Maybe he got a bad mower? I don't know.
 
I've got a WiFi lawn mower. Not only does it cut grass, but it serves as an AP for my refrigerator
 
OstrichSaK said:
I've been using rechargeable mowers & weed eaters for about 7yrs now and I'll never go back to gas powered. I have a rather large lawn and my neighbors are slowly changing over to what I use since I tend to have one of the best looking yards in the neighborhoods. I plug them in each time after I'm done and next time when I go to use it the blade spins just as fast when I'm done as it did when I started so I don't know what TxGoat is talking about. Maybe he got a bad mower? I don't know.
Click to expand...

To be fair, my experience has been with the Worx brand. I went through 3 of their weedeaters before I finally decided on a Ryobi. The Ryobi isn't without issues either, but at least it works. After about 1 hour worth of work, you can tell that the power isn't as consistent. I find myself going back to my old Craftsman gas mower from time to time.

SUroot said:
I've got a WiFi lawn mower. Not only does it cut grass, but it serves as an AP for my refrigerator
Click to expand...

Don't you mean an EMO yard?

emo-lawn.jpg
 
TxGoat said:
To be fair, my experience has been with the Worx brand. I went through 3 of their weedeaters before I finally decided on a Ryobi. The Ryobi isn't without issues either, but at least it works. After about 1 hour worth of work, you can tell that the power isn't as consistent. I find myself going back to my old Craftsman gas mower from time to time.
Click to expand...

Get the Black & Decker. I have had two (after about 5yrs the battery of my first one wouldn't hold much of a charge) of the 24v ones and Home Depot was even nice enough to swap me out when the first one's battery decided to give up the ghost. I wouldn't say that's company policy but I spend quite a bit of time/money there and they all know me by name so they hooked me up. Other than that, flawless. I know that's a pretty big deal but the new one not only has a removable battery but is also 36v which is a very nice upgrade from 24v. I haven't used one to say but I'm strongly considering selling my 24v on Craigslist to upgrade to one of the newer versions because if it's anything like my weed eater upgrade I'll be VERY happy with the change. I had the 12v Grass Hog since they came out about 8 years or so ago (my first electric lawn care device... still using a gas powered Honda mower at the time) and it was fantastic. Last year I got a VERY good deal on a 24v Grass Hog and the performance difference is amazing. I didn't know what I was missing until I got it but the RPM difference is noticeable. The batteries (it came with two removable) are much smaller & light which make it easier to handle. I actually dislike the new way you have to turn it into edger mode but other than that it's a massive improvement all the way around.

To summarize: the 12v weed eater and 24v mower do just about everything I did with my previous gas powered equipment and have been maintenance-free during years of use which is WAY more than I could say for my gas powered equipment. No loud engines. No stinky exhaust. No issues with starting. Ever. You pull a little trigger and a couple seconds later the blade or wheel is spinning full speed. First time every time and no worries about plugs, oil, gas, filters... anything. If you're on a budget look for these two versions as people like me will likely be selling them cheap to 'upgrade' to the higher voltage brothers and they will serve your needs just fine. If you've got the extra budget get the new higher voltage versions and know you won't have to worry about a neighbor one-upping you once they cave to the idea of your electric equipment being better. :D

I won't even get into my experience with my electric snow blower because you wouldn't believe it w/o seeing it with your own eyes. ;)

By the way, this is the mower I'm currently using which is quite a bit less expensive and has given me fantastic service. This is the weed eater I got for about $55 shipped as a refurb w/two batteries. This is the one that I used for years before that and even sold for more than I paid for the new refurb. lol
 
SUroot said:
I've got a WiFi lawn mower. Not only does it cut grass, but it serves as an AP for my refrigerator
Click to expand...

Yes, but will it run apps? If not, then it's a fail. If I can't play Angry Birds on it, I'm just not interested.

TxGoat said:
To be fair, my experience has been with the Worx brand. I went through 3 of their weedeaters before I finally decided on a Ryobi. The Ryobi isn't without issues either, but at least it works. After about 1 hour worth of work, you can tell that the power isn't as consistent. I find myself going back to my old Craftsman gas mower from time to time.
Click to expand...

I've had similar experiences with weedeaters. You use them for a couple of hours (especially in thick weeds) and the battery starts to drain. As the battery drains, the cutting power of the unit is diminished. I would think cordless mowers would suffer the same limitation, but I've never used one. Perhaps they're designed differently.

I'm curious about the exhaust problem with the OP's current mower. I can't say I've ever experienced this at all. I've got a 1 year old mower though. The 15 year old unit I was using died and I couldn't get it to work no matter what I did.
 
A.Nonymous said:
I'm curious about the exhaust problem with the OP's current mower. I can't say I've ever experienced this at all. I've got a 1 year old mower though. The 15 year old unit I was using died and I couldn't get it to work no matter what I did.
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I don't have a mower. I just bought my house (well, in the fall) so need one.
Any time anyone mows or leaf-blows or uses a snow blower the fumes really bother me. I know it sounds silly and I can't explain it properly but I get a physical pain in my nose, a horrific 'taste' in my mouth and throat and an instant headache. It doesn't matter if it's next door or down the street, I am very sensitive to it and always have been. When I had a house before I would close all the windows when any outside work was being done, it helped but not much.
I think I am going to get the Black & Decker that I linked, it seems like a good idea over all.
OstrichSaK, thanks so much for your input!
 
Clementine_3 said:
I don't have a mower. I just bought my house (well, in the fall) so need one.
Any time anyone mows or leaf-blows or uses a snow blower the fumes really bother me. I know it sounds silly and I can't explain it properly but I get a physical pain in my nose, a horrific 'taste' in my mouth and throat and an instant headache. It doesn't matter if it's next door or down the street, I am very sensitive to it and always have been. When I had a house before I would close all the windows when any outside work was being done, it helped but not much.
I think I am going to get the Black & Decker that I linked, it seems like a good idea over all.
OstrichSaK, thanks so much for your input!
Click to expand...

Interesting. We all have things like that though. I won't tell you what mine are or people will go deliberately do them.
 
Clementine_3 said:
OstrichSaK, thanks so much for your input!
Click to expand...

No problem and I'm glad you posted this thread because I've also toyed with the idea of 'upgrading' my 24v mower to the newer 36v version because I like the idea of readily changeable batteries because sometimes I mow neighbors lawns and have often thought that one could even do many lawns if you had a second battery charged on stand by. It would be cool to see a small lawn mowing company that advertised all electric equipment. I see now they also have a self propelled 36v version which may be nice too as our property has a few steep hills and it would be nice to have the more pull itself up it rather than the other way around. Now that I'm thinking about it and the season hasn't quite got into full swing (even though I've mowed already this year ;) ) I may go ahead and get one of these 36v options and Craigslist my current one to offset the purchase price.

I know what you mean about exhaust fumes. I'm not as sensitive but since I switched to electric equipment I notice it much more from others now too. My neighbor and I had a little side by side snow blower competition between his large gas powered and my electric one and within seconds I was overwhelmed by the stench his exhaust produced. I think it's a lot like smokers who say the smell of cigarette smoke is nauseating after they've quit for a while. I think our bodies adjust to such things and we don't notice them as much.
 
Clementine_3 said:
I don't have a mower. I just bought my house (well, in the fall) so need one.
Any time anyone mows or leaf-blows or uses a snow blower the fumes really bother me. I know it sounds silly and I can't explain it properly but I get a physical pain in my nose, a horrific 'taste' in my mouth and throat and an instant headache. It doesn't matter if it's next door or down the street, I am very sensitive to it and always have been. When I had a house before I would close all the windows when any outside work was being done, it helped but not much.
I think I am going to get the Black & Decker that I linked, it seems like a good idea over all.
OstrichSaK, thanks so much for your input!
Click to expand...



For me the gas fumes and the exhaust are the least of my problems. It's the fine dust/pollen/mulch that irritate the crap out of me. I can finish mowing, shower for about 40 minutes, and still come out feeling itchy and can feel my nose lined with whatever I inhaled during the work outside. As a matter of fact, I just finished mowing/weed eating/leaf blowing and showering. I still feel like the strawman from the Wizard of Oz. I'm hoping to work up enough of a sweat in a few minutes with some P90X to clean myself from the inside out.
 
TxGoat said:
For me the gas fumes and the exhaust are the least of my problems. It's the fine dust/pollen/mulch that irritate the crap out of me. I can finish mowing, shower for about 40 minutes, and still come out feeling itchy and can feel my nose lined with whatever I inhaled during the work outside. As a matter of fact, I just finished mowing/weed eating/leaf blowing and showering. I still feel like the strawman from the Wizard of Oz. I'm hoping to work up enough of a sweat in a few minutes with some P90X to clean myself from the inside out.
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That's the way I am with the pollen. What kind of mower you use won't fix that though. I should invest in a goat on a rope. Might look into that.

I hate to bust your bubble, but sweat isn't going to purge toxins. Either your kidneys work or they don't. :(
 
A.Nonymous said:
That's the way I am with the pollen. What kind of mower you use won't fix that though. I should invest in a goat on a rope. Might look into that.

I hate to bust your bubble, but sweat isn't going to purge toxins. Either your kidneys work or they don't. :(
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lol, no I mean all the crap that's stuck to my skin. I just finished mowing and my arms looked like I had green hair on em. I can shower and scrub the hell out of my arms but I still feel gritty. I figure sweating will at least clean the pores out. Although, sweat does in theory help bring some crap to the surface.... But yeah some stuff can't be so easily washed off or sweated out.
 
Thanks for the link. I haven't 100% decided but think it is probably what I will get. I want to see a floor model somewhere before I order 'er up. Looks like a good site though!
 
Clementine_3 said:
Thanks for the link. I haven't 100% decided but think it is probably what I will get. I want to see a floor model somewhere before I order 'er up. Looks like a good site though!
Click to expand...


Just a heads up though, I believe that's a sale price and I'm not sure how long they'll have the item on sale. What I found odd about that particular model, it's a lower model # than the one in your original post, but if you check the exact same model # on Home Depot's website, they sell it for $499, which is more than the one you listed. I figure manufacturers increase the model # when a newer model is introduced, thus it's odd that this one has a lower model # but is more expensive at Home Depot. Oh, and if that store doesn't have any locations in your state, you won't have to worry about tax NOR shipping.
 
There's a BIG difference between the one you linked to and the newest one I linked to. The newer one has the interchangeable battery and if you're going to spend the money I say get that one. This way when the battery does finally crap out after a few years you'll have an easy replacement and be back up and running again.

Here's the Amazon link to the one you just posted for comparison even though your link is less expensive. This is the newer one I was talking about that has a removable battery as well as a few other upgrades to be able to compare. There's also a self propelled version of the new one that seems very nice and is the one I'm leaning towards. Just not sure how much more quickly the battery would run down propelling the mower since there's a LOT more torque (the enemy of electric motors) involved with that versus spinning a blade. I'm also curious how much additional weight the self propelled mechanism would add to the package. The specs say shipping weight is about 18lbs more but who knows what that equates to in mower weight difference.
 
^^^ yes, whichever one you buy, ensure it has the battery you just drop in the top. Can not begin to tell you how easy it is. And I believe these batteries cost around $100 drop shipped to your door.
 
I will get the newest version with the removable/drop in battery, that seems like a great feature (for a number of reasons). The more I look around the more I realize this is the way to go for me. Of all the ones I've compared online I keep coming back to the B&D 19" w/removable battery.
I am going to begin my local in-store search for one and then will scour the interwebs for a better price if there is one.
Again, thanks for all the input...keep it coming!
 
I switched to a Yardworks cordless, rechargeable mower several years back. I switch back to a corded electric mower. My issue with the cordless is that the battery seems to die on it after 2 years. I heard that there was an issue with the battery on my particular model. However, I decided not to go back. There is a maintenance routine where you have to keep the mower charged even though the winter which I admit I never really followed. That probably also contributed to the battery issues.

Another thing I found with the cordless mowers is that they are significantly heavier than my old corded mower. My lawn is inclined in one spot and the extra weight makes it more difficult to navigate that part of my lawn.

I have gone back to a corded electric mower now.
 
Stuntman said:
I switched to a Yardworks cordless, rechargeable mower several years back. I switch back to a corded electric mower. My issue with the cordless is that the battery seems to die on it after 2 years. I heard that there was an issue with the battery on my particular model. However, I decided not to go back. There is a maintenance routine where you have to keep the mower charged even though the winter which I admit I never really followed. That probably also contributed to the battery issues.

Another thing I found with the cordless mowers is that they are significantly heavier than my old corded mower. My lawn is inclined in one spot and the extra weight makes it more difficult to navigate that part of my lawn.

I have gone back to a corded electric mower now.
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I actually tried a corded mower before I decided on rechargeable and I HATED fighting the cord all around the house and dealing with it. To me that was more of a PITA than gas and oil. On top of that all the corded mowers at the time were smaller... I think like 16" or so and the rechargeable at 19" cut a substantially larger path with each pass. Maybe that's not the case anymore but this was a big deal breaker for me.

You do need to keep them plugged in through the winter and this is the case for pretty much all rechargeable battery items. Fully charged is better than nearly empty and as they sit they lose charge so letting them sit for months w/o a charge is bad. Same can be said for your car battery. Anyone who has owned several vehicles knows that if you let one sit for any period of time they will go dead. Chances are good that when that happens they will die shortly thereafter if not that time as rechargeable batteries don't like to be deep cycled, that is allowed to run dead. They are a little bit heavier and the one time my wife used it she struggled a little here and there since we have some pretty steep parts. I'm a fairly big dude so I don't really have any issues. I think I'm going to give the newest self propelled version a shot though as it would make doing several yards easier.
 
Good to know about the battery! It won't be an issue to keep it charged through the winter.
The local Walmart has them in stock according to their website ($10 less than H.D. too), I am going to go over today and have a lookie-see at them.
I know I would have cord issues, it's just the way things go for me. lol
 
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