Cordless electric lawn mowers

[Bruce Gibson]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(briloop @ May 16 2007, 08:02 PM) [snapback]443757[/snapback]</div>

Someday I'll have to replace my 10 year old gas lawn mower. I am considering a cordless electric model. My yard is small and flat. I can mow it in less than 40 minutes.

Does anyone own a cordless electric lawn mower?

If so, what make and model?

What has been your experience with it?

Would you recommend buying one?
TIA
[/b]

I have been using a Task Force from Lowes for two years. It is just like the Black & Decker but with a steel deck instead of a plastic deck. It was about $100 less than the Black & Decker. I have a small yard that takes about 20 minutes to mow. I mow 3 times between a charge. It has a set of leds that let you know the battery level. I looked at the Nutron, but it is much smaller - the Task Force is 20" and Nutron warned about using it on St Augustine - a very thick grass. I have no probelm with the Task Force.

[M. Oiseau]

Here are excerpts from Consumer Reports re electric mowers. Looks like the best run time on a full charge is 40 minutes.

"Manual-reel mowers. Pushing these simple mowers turns a series of curved blades that spin with the wheels. Reel mowers are quiet, inexpensive, and nonpolluting. They're also relatively safe to operate and require little maintenance other than periodic blade adjustment and sharpening. On the downside, our tests have shown that cutting performance is typically mediocre, and most can't cut grass higher than 1 1/2 inches or trim closer than 3 inches around obstacles. Some models have cutting swaths just 14 to 18 inches wide--another drawback. Consider them for small, flat lawns a quarter-acre or less.

Price range: $100 to about $400.

Electric mowers. These push-type, walk-behind mowers use an electric motor to drive a rotating blade. Both corded and cordless versions start with the push of a button. They produce no exhaust emissions, and, like reel mowers, require little maintenance aside from sharpening. Most offer a side or rear grass catcher, and many can mulch--a process where clippings are recut until they're small enough to hide unobtrusively within the lawn. But electrics are less powerful than gas mowers and less adept at tackling tall or thick grass and weeds. What's more, their narrow, 18- to 19-inch swaths take a smaller bite than most gas-powered mowers at 21 inches. Both corded and cordless electrics have other significant drawbacks. Corded mowers limit your mowing to within 100 feet of a power outlet--the typical maximum length for extension cords. Cordless versions, while more versatile, weigh up to 30 pounds more than corded models and typically mow just one-quarter to one-third acre before their sealed, lead-acid batteries need recharging. Both types of electrics are mainly suitable for small, flat lawns of a quarter-acre or less.

Price range: corded, $125 to $250; cordless, $400 or more."

CORDED ELECTRIC PUSH MODELS Overall "Score"
Black & Decker MM875 $230 63
Worx WG712 $200 58
Homelite UT13120 $200 56
CORDLESS ELECTRIC PUSH MODELS
Black & Decker CMM1200 $400 64
Homelite UT13122 $300 60
Neuton EM 5.1 $350 56

[Darwood]

I hope to get an electric (I'd go with the cord, It's gotta be cheaper and I don't mind the cord hassle).
But for now, my 12 year old Toro just keeps on running. It only uses about a cup of gas per week.
My lawn is also still pretty big, as I've only been there a little over a year and have only just begun to replace grass with raised bed gardens. I have plans for an entire corner of the front yard to be an orchard and another large section to be zeroscaped. Then I want to expand the garden in the back to about 1/3 of the yard. Another 1/3 will be fabric and mulch. If the ole Toro lasts till then, I'll go get my electric mower for mowing the rest. I'm quite proud that despite 6 mature trees and many bushes, I did not dispose of ANY yard waste last year. All of it was mulched or composted and the massive amount of wood I had to thin out is in use as pathways around the gardens (over fabric) or neatly stacked as firewood.

[SSimon]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Darwood @ May 17 2007, 01:27 PM) [snapback]444318[/snapback]</div>

I'm quite proud that despite 6 mature trees and many bushes, I did not dispose of ANY yard waste last year. All of it was mulched or composted and the massive amount of wood I had to thin out is in use as pathways around the gardens (over fabric) or neatly stacked as firewood.
[/b]

You can also consider just leaving your yard messy with the twigs, stems and leaves as the will be utilized by wildlife for nesting material. I had a huge pile of cut bluestem from last year's growth that I laid out for them and it's gone. The birds are going so far as to pluck any of last year's growth that I may have missed.

[Sufferin' Prius Envy]

I had a corded Black and Decker mower for 7 years. It was very reliable, and yes, if you think about power cord management while mowing it's no big deal . . . unless you have several trees in the yard to contend with.

I would have kept that mower except a friend was moving into a condo and sold me her Black and Decker cordless mower for $50. I then sold my corded model to a brother with a dying gas mower for $25.

The cordless is easier to use - not having to drag a cord around verses having to plug it in to charge, but, if I had to buy a new mower today, I think I would save my money and get another corded model.

[Oxo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(briloop @ May 16 2007, 06:02 PM) [snapback]443757[/snapback]</div>

Someday I'll have to replace my 10 year old gas lawn mower. I am considering a cordless electric model. My yard is small and flat. I can mow it in less than 40 minutes.

Does anyone own a cordless electric lawn mower?

If so, what make and model?

What has been your experience with it?

Would you recommend buying one?
TIA
[/b]

A few years ago I had one with a 12V battery or maybe 24V, but can't remember. It worked OK if the grass was fairly short but it couldn't cope with longer grass as a petrol mower can. I got rid of the cordless because I had to buy a new battery every couple of years and they were expensive (about £80 each ($160) at the time as I remember). I now have a petrol mower - far more powerful if you neglect the grass too long or if it's a bit wet. Of course batteries may be better now but the sales people won't warn you that heavily used batteries have a short life.

[Pinto Girl]

With the Sears mower I used (regularly for at least 4-5 seasons with no problems whatsoever), the important thing was to plug it in right after you're done with mowing the lawn, and make sure it *remains* plugged in all the time between mowings.

I never had to do anything to the battery, and the little charge indicator on the mower itself wasn't noting much of a change in capacity, even after five years. It was a really nice mower, actually.

As far as the manual reel mower, I'd suggest staying away from that unless your lawn is one of those *really* short ones. Mine was this dark green Fescue; the reel lawnmower I tried before buying the electric one never had a chance.

Cut was uneven and it was a terribly laborious process that yielded mixed results at best. I think the reel mowers are best for putting greens and absolutely flat areas that you make sure to *always cut regularly.* Miss a week or perhaps two, and there's no way the reel mower will get through!

I'd definitely look for 24volt batteries vs. 12volt, if you have the choice. My 24volt ex-mower cost $350 from Orchard Supply in 1998. One time I actually let the lawn go for the entire winter(!) and it still was able to give a pretty good cut with one pass...the battery still had lots of extra capacity when I was done.

[skruse]

I grew up using a professional Trimmer mower (heavy duty, reel and catcher in front). With air quality concerns I have moved on to an electric, rechargeable Neuton http://www.drpower.com/. Convenient, quiet, battery good for 40 to 60 minutes of use.

http://www99.epinions.com/NEUTON_Cordless_...wn_Mower_EM_4_1

[tcooper185]

Those of you who have the Neuton cordless mower, could you let me know:
What model (year) you have?
What size lawn you cut?
The type of grass you cut?

My county is doing a mower exchange where I can trade in a gas mower for a Neuton mower and only pay $199. That's a pretty huge savings, and includes the bag and mulching kit, plus free shipping (they say a $452 value)

I have about 6/10 of an acre and cut a mix of centipede and fescue, and am tired of my gas mower which is going to need some repair anyways.

Thanks in advance!

[Hobbs]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(briloop @ May 16 2007, 11:02 PM) [snapback]443757[/snapback]</div>

Someday I'll have to replace my 10 year old gas lawn mower. I am considering a cordless electric model. My yard is small and flat. I can mow it in less than 40 minutes.

Does anyone own a cordless electric lawn mower?

If so, what make and model?

What has been your experience with it?

Would you recommend buying one?
TIA
[/b]

You must get a robot one. Lots of brands here.
http://www.robotmatrix.org/Lawnmowerrobot.htm