Battery Power for Lawn equipment -- is it time?

I have not used an electric mower yet, so I really can't judge if any of them are capable of doing the job my current gas-powered mower is doing. I would love to try it, but no such trial unit is available. I have not looked into this, but I suspect the cost of an electric mower is higher than my current gas mower which I paid ~$200 5 years ago. The thing is I use this mower only a couple of times in a season. We had about half-acre of the lawn when we moved, but they were not neatly cultivated bluegrass but rather weed mixed perennial fescue and rye. Also, a portion of our backyard is very soggy and wet where grass can not grow, so they are covered by sedges. I have converted most of the lawn area into a meadow with wildflowers over the years. I now have only a very small section of grass-covered areas where a less powerful mower would work, but I am switching them to clovers now. Only a high foot traffic path is going to be covered by grass. I use the gas mower in all of those areas and beyond in the area covered with nothing but weeds, small woody shoots, and natural ground covers. I have a feeling that for those thick non-grass vegetation, most electric mowers are going to struggle. I might be wrong, and I still would like to try... if there is an available loaner electric mower.

 

I have loaned our EGO out to a few friends so they could try it out.
I wouldn’t be surprised if someone in your area would be willing to loan you one to try.

 

My Ego hedge trimmer (no cord, shares same battery as the mower, weed wacker, and blower) never noticeably heats up or slows down going through my overgrown dismal yew.

Something kind of noticeable about the newer electric equipment, alluded to upthread, is the common use of electronic motor controls that tend to hold a target RPM very tightly. If you're used to things slowing/bogging down under heavy load, it can be surprising how little that happens with the new electric tools.

 

Yeah, if I know of someone who owns an electric mower from further away than immediate neighbors, I would ask. My next-door neighbor is a quarter-mile away. Most of them have their own tractor to cut the grassland. I have not spotted anyone with an electric mower or even hand pushed gas mower in my neighborhood.

 

On my last hardware-store visit, I saw that Ego now offers a rider.

I did not inquire into the price. I saw that its battery cover concealed six battery bays.

 

Got curious to check prices at Lowe's. Ain't cheap;



.

 

... couple years ago, scruffy ANTIFA like couple, walking their little rat dogs, caught red handed leaving presents on their neighbor's lawns, encountered me, mowing mine.

"... so, I guess you expect me to clean that up?"

Thoroughly disgusted at the horrific sight, of my GCV-190 Honda, they had no compunction whatsoever giving me a piece of their mind, imposing upon me, telling me how they think I ought to be living my life.

"DON'T YOU REALIZE, YOU'RE MELTING THE ICE CAPS, KILLING INNOCENT ESKIMOS, AND BABY POLAR BEARS? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF, MR. FASCIST-RACIST-WHITE SUPREMACIST!?"

As I'm hosing them down a little to cool them off, my wife pulls into the driveway with our family Prius - Samuel, '04 Ruthiemobile.

 

had the opposite experience in a whole foods parking lot while unplugging. guy on a bike comes up and screams, 'DON'T YOU REALIZE THOSE BATTERIES ARE CAUSING AN ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER?'
i pistol whipped him with the free j1772 and drove off

 

That may be, but the reel mower is probably better for your health.

Years ago, I came across electric reel mowers on an UK site. Seems they are now available here.

Think Honda's have something similar.

 

Slightly, just slightly, off-topic again

But say I had a battery-powered EGO string trimmer that I inherited in December and had not been used since last fall.

And, last week, I plugged in the charger, slipped the battery into the charger and the charger immediately lit up and said battery was fully charged. So, I take it out of the charger.

Late yesterday, put battery in trimmer, it works for about 10 seconds and dies. I pressed start again and the same result. Third time, same thing. Put battery into charger and it is not totally depleted, but charger says it needs charging. Left it in charger for about 20 minutes and charger says fully charged,.so, try again.

I used it for about 20 minutes with no problem.....Is it O.K.? What happened.
kris

 

Reel movers provide a much better cut than spinning blades.
It's the scissors action that sometimes gives a much cleaner cut to the individual blades of grass rather than shattering them with a spinning hunk of relatively dull metal.
The difference is remarkable but few people, including yours truly, will bother with a reel mower unless they live in a suburban neighborhood with a postage-stamp sized lawn that they're able to pre-rake for twigs, pine cones, etc...
The closest I've come is my corded electric mower, which uses a gossamer thin blade spinning fairly FAST.
The cut is remarkably good and the mower is quiet, but if you live where there are any Loblolly pines, then you will quickly discover that blades do not STAY sharp (or even straight) with one of these appliances unless you pick up everything in advance - something that my gas mowers do not require.

I actually HAVE an antique Craftsman reel mower that's probably older than I am, and having used it.....ONCE or TWICE...I'm not the least bit surprised that the previous owner HAPPILY threw it away once a motorized alternative became quasi cost effective.

I'm also not the least bit surprised that they have electric reel mowers in the UK/EU, and I might get one if they become available here.

...maybe.

 

As a kid, McClain King O Lawn were The Cadillacs of the reel mower industry. Nothing from them yet in the way of battery operated.

 

Electric reel mower
Sun Joe 24V-CRLM15 24-Volt iON+ Cordless Push Reel Mower Kit (snowjoe.com)

 

Had a relatively new pipetter at work. One day, it stopped working. The LCD screen came on with button pushing, but no response from the pump. There was a little symbol on the screen, that was new, but no mention of it in the manual. That was just before the COVID shutdown.

Get back into the lab about 18 months later, I decide to take the pipetter apart. Unplug the battery pack, plug it back in, get the whole thing back together, and it works fine. Sometimes errors in the electronics and software just happen; this might have been plugged in when a power outage occurred. We don't know the exact cause, and a reset, like unplugging a router/modem, gets it fixed.

Since it is likely people may not know what I am talking about,

but mine has a snazzy red crystal case.

There is also gas ones, California Trimmer Classic Standard 20 in. 7-Blade Honda Gas Walk Behind Self-Propelled Reel Lawn Mower RL207H-GX120

My question is why? Wouldn't the powered reels have the same issue as the manual ones; uneven cutting if the grass is allowed to get too tall?

 

".....Mow up to 4,910 sq ft of grass with zero carbon emissions...."
I like some of Sun-Joe's stuff, but there's a nearly 100-percent chance that this statement is balloon juice.

I'm sure that the 4500 square foot (1/10 of an acre??) patch of lawn will look remarkable though....

I didn't think that they would allow a gasser lawn mowers in Caly.

This particular ($1500) 20" mower is intended for grass that would never be allowed to "get too tall" but I'm thinking that the Chonda or Honda? engine would be able to power through relatively taller grass, you would just have to empty the catch bag more frequently.

My last mower purchase (8 years ago?) was a 30" suburban riding mower, that was $500 cheaper.
We will be using it until enough sucke....I mean "early adopters" make electric mowers more affordable.
Fortunately?
The particular 30-inch unit that I bought is being lovingly maintained by us (My CFO won't let me use it ) and thus I won't be in the market for a replacement anytime soon......most particularly since I have acreage and 2 other riding mowers out in the country.

 

Really like my Kobalt 80 volt mower. Wife loves it too. Going on 4 years now old same single big ole 6 amp battery. This is a propelled mower.

I have four 2 amp 80 volt battery's for the Kobalt blower and weed whacker & edger & 18 inch chain saw. The 6 amp battery is very expensive like $360+ so have not pulled the trigger on another one yet. Still going strong. The 2 amps aren't bad like $160+ tax. Have not had one fail on me yet.

The 18 inch 80 volt chainsaw has some balls. With a fresh Oregon chain it will tear through a 10 inch Live Oak log no problem. Such a joy coming off of Stihl chainsaws that require that real fast & hard whip to start it. If it starts on the first whip. I don't have that whip in my 67 year old shoulders anymore and a Stihl requires that to start it. But doesn't matter the 80 volt out performs a Stihl anyway.

The 80 volt Kobalt mower & blower and edger and saw have been flawless for years. No pull start no gas hassles so nice.

The trick to Kobalt battery's is never let the battery sit uncharged and never keep the battery's in the garage or other hot place.

I think I'm going to need it all down here this years coming Hurricane season will probably be very bad. I got 2 gens and 500 lbs of propane so far. And 40 gallons of gas. Dual fuel's.

9 days with no power after Irma never again. The thing about hurricanes down here is after they pass through the mosquitos go crazy everything is soaked for days. Its quite miserable.

 

Nice you've recovered enough to handle the saw.

 

Recovered enough; hmm -- that's up for debate -- in other words, don't tell my ortho doc.
kris

 

I won't say a word.