"Musty Bits" McGeeAnyone know if electric lawnmowers are any good?
Or generally what to look for?
I don't have much yard or shed space so just want something minimal effort/grease/maintenance
Just a push mower? Brushless? Should I avoid cordless?
Ash K@arichtman They're fine. I bought a cheap one back in the day and it was a bit underpowered. If you have a small enough space and can get a corded one I'd personally do that, because then it will probably outlast you. But I don't know if they're really a thing any more.
@ash yea my general hunch is to avoid battery power stuff since a) usually less actual.power used and b) replacement batteries are often not guaranteed to be available and are often proprietary. Same thing that makes me skittish about an e bike.
That said - known power tool brands offering stuff that matches their existing battery system is reassuring.
That said - known power tool brands offering stuff that matches their existing battery system is reassuring.
@arichtman Yeah that's the thing. My dad has an Aldi one that's 600 years old and he can only do half the lawn now, and there's no way to get a new battery 😭
Kit Bashir@ash @arichtman it’s not too hard to repack the batteries if you want to try that; i have all the gear.
@Unixbigot @ash 😳
I had never even considered that... Could be a fun weekend 🤪
That said I've got no dead batteries...yet
@arichtman @Unixbigot this sounds like an explodey hobby 🤔 Maybe a bit too explodey for me
@ash @arichtman the round 18650 cells in power tools are disappointingly nonasssplodey.
@ash well...once a year it might be in the specials/center isle - gotta watch that catalogue like a hawk!
Brad Saillard@ash @arichtman
I have an Aldi one which takes their standard power tool batteries. I could pop down to Aldi right now and get a couple more if I needed them.
I have an Aldi one which takes their standard power tool batteries. I could pop down to Aldi right now and get a couple more if I needed them.
@ash @arichtman
In case you want more details, it is around 5 years old (It cost $230 in Oct 21, 5 year warranty). It seems a bit flimsy with the body made of plastic, but it hasn’t given me any trouble. And it is light and manoeuvrable. And the motor seems powerful enough for domestic use. We have a full size suburban block so it takes over 30 minutes to mow front and back. I have been quite happy with it.
In case you want more details, it is around 5 years old (It cost $230 in Oct 21, 5 year warranty). It seems a bit flimsy with the body made of plastic, but it hasn’t given me any trouble. And it is light and manoeuvrable. And the motor seems powerful enough for domestic use. We have a full size suburban block so it takes over 30 minutes to mow front and back. I have been quite happy with it.
Roy Brown@arichtman if it’s a small space, lower-power battery is fine. Small mower, low (5-6 MAmp/ hrs) works well. Larger space, larger mower and 36v battery system. Been doing that at least 6 years.
@Roybrown this is a helpful few numbers - thanks!
@arichtman and yes, brushless = better
millennial fulcrum@arichtman push mower for small yard I reckon, but just test it first to make sure that mower cuts that particular grass. if it doesn't cut easily and properly, return it.
in which case a cheap electric with a chargeable battery. no cables with lawn mower. trust me on that.
@falcennial cables ✂️
CalyxWorks@falcennial @arichtman Push mowers are not only type-of-grass dependent, but height as well. If the grass gets too high a push mower won’t cut it, just literally push it over.
Hugo Slabbert ⚠️@arichtman we got into the Ryobi 40V series of yard equipment, and it's been fine. Push mower.
We have one 4 Ah battery and one 6 Ah. We have a mower, 14" chainsaw, leaf blower, and string trimmer. All do their job well enough. The 40V range probably still sacrifices a bit of power compared to gas options, but is significantly more convenient.
I've heard good things about the Greenworks 80V range. If I were to start again today, I'd probably go that route instead.
Batteries are the big expense, so, similar to general power tools, basically you "get into" one or the other ecosystem and then generally stick with it.
@hugo yea I'll take the trade of power and recharging over dealing with petroleum. I mean it smells nice and all but for one thing it's just too annoying to manage
Dread Pirate (Tom) Roberts@arichtman I am gonna watch the replies to this.
I have this vague sense that while electric whippersnippers are ok, actual mowers are more dicey.
@troberts looks like electric mowers are alright!
Biggles 20X6!@arichtman @troberts the ryobi battery one is good. Friend had one - very sturdy, 5-7yr warranty brushless motor, 36v batteries, swapped into other power tools.
Only sold it cos they moved to an apartment.
Only sold it cos they moved to an apartment.
Daniel Carosone@arichtman they're great. So much less faff.
If you don't have a large space, even better. Go with cordless, because even the faff of getting out and packing up the cord (and not running over it) is more overhead than just using it.
Brushless is good for a little extra power and efficiency, though one offsets the other. I would, for me. But if small, cheap and cheerful is all you need, no need to go OTT or pay extra.
Lisa@arichtman I used to have a fairly cheap cordless mower when I used to mow my own grass.
It was great; being cheap the battery didn't last that long, but enough to mow half a decent sized suburban block in the morning, charge it through the heat of the day, and finish the job in the late afternoon. No doubt a better quality one would last longer. But even that cheapy would chew through thick grass and stalks better than any petrol mower I've used.
It was great; being cheap the battery didn't last that long, but enough to mow half a decent sized suburban block in the morning, charge it through the heat of the day, and finish the job in the late afternoon. No doubt a better quality one would last longer. But even that cheapy would chew through thick grass and stalks better than any petrol mower I've used.
@TicklishHoneyBee helpful data point - thanks!
Marg is grim@arichtman we have a battery powered Makita - I think partner went with Makita for all power tools so he can use thr batteries across the range. It's been going strong for abt 4-5 yrs with not much maintenance and a lot of abuse. And it does a biggish back and front yard plus neighbours'. Having said that I have zero knowledge about lawnmowers.
@Margaritak plus neighbors - d'aww aren't you a darling couple to live next to
@arichtman haha love the self praise right?! I wouldn't bother but next door is a share house and it gets a bit out of control. The question is what lawnmower you getting?!
@Margaritak I will check out a couple of the big power tool brands (ryobi and makita?) cause they're gonna have batteries about for a while and will presumably be good builds. I'll also check out this EGO brand - got a couple of positive recommendations on that one https://egopowerplus.com.au/47cm-mower/
Power+ 47cm Self-Propelled Mower
EGO POWER+ 47cm Self Propelled Mower suitable for small tight spaces or close to trees, this EGO POWER+ mower is designed to make lawn care quick, easy and more efficient. Technologically advanced in every way, each mower packs incredible petrol-matching power as standard.
Jes - Hedgehog Edition @arichtman I pulled out a lawn mower that sat in a damp basement for nearly a decade across 2 house moves and all I did was pour oil and gas in it and replaced a standard air filter and it started after like half an hour of pulling the crank start incorrectly
and tbf it is a slightly fancier mower with a self-propell mechanism and it tells you that you never have to replace the oil, just add more.
but for electric mowers, walmart's hart brand ones seem pretty decent and cheap for what it is. it's cordless too. cordless is a luxury thing, but honestly as someone who mowed the lawn with a corded lawn mower, it's dreadful, but it's cheaper. I think the convenience cost is worth it tho.
and tbf it is a slightly fancier mower with a self-propell mechanism and it tells you that you never have to replace the oil, just add more.
but for electric mowers, walmart's hart brand ones seem pretty decent and cheap for what it is. it's cordless too. cordless is a luxury thing, but honestly as someone who mowed the lawn with a corded lawn mower, it's dreadful, but it's cheaper. I think the convenience cost is worth it tho.
@Jes hmmm good point about running over the cable!
Merospit@arichtman We never had issues with our Ryobi battery lawnmower.
max@arichtman in the UK I've never seen a petrol mower, electric is standard here. smaller gardens I suppose. I don't have any advice but they're fine. I have accidentally mown the cord several times though lol
@tinybird helpful data point - I think I shall go cordless then!
@tinybird @arichtman that is great electric has taken over! that weekend noise pollution of petrol mowers was an abomination.
@falcennial @tinybird idk why but old mate next door decided to do his lawn on the day it was 35/feels-like 38 - twice!
@arichtman 😂😂🤌
he must've been doing it for the cold beer afterwards.
fedops 💙💛@arichtman I bought a Makita battery mower 4 years ago since most of my power tools are Makita using the 18V packs. Very happy with it. It's super light and can be stored standing vertically. I usually go through a set each of 5 and 6 Ah packs unless grass is very dry and light. Area is app. 400 square meters.
I would not buy a mower with proprietary batteries since they are the biggest ticket items.
Craig Askings@arichtman I’ve been quite happy with my 82v Victa mower. As a general rule the higher the voltage of the motor the better the mowing performance. More torque etc.