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NFT: Lawnmower Recs

TyreeHelmet : 5/14/2019 9:10 am
I have a small lawn front yard and back and need to decide whether to outsource it or purchase a lawnmower. Does anyone have a recommendation on a lawnmower for a simple small yard? Thoughts on electric vs gas? Any other general tips to maintaining a nice looking lawn? Thanks.
I have a 1/2 acre  
Chef : 5/14/2019 9:13 am : link
yard and I have a Honda. Beat the crap out of it the past 10 years and it starts first pull every time.. be sure to get a mulching mower with a mulch plug. No need to bag.
what's 'small'? 1/2 acre? 1/4 acre?  
giants#1 : 5/14/2019 9:21 am : link
If you've got <1/3 acre, I'd go with an electric lawn mower. I've used the Ryobi 20 in and could do ~1/3 acre in 45-50 min with it. If the grass is long and/or moist you'll need at least one spare battery though, which is (IMO) the only downside with the electric mowers. Otherwise, they are quieter, more than enough power, fewer parts to maintain, don't smell, etc.
Link - ( New Window )
Honda  
eric2425ny : 5/14/2019 9:28 am : link
Makes a great mower. Bought this one last year for our 1/4 acre lot. Way better than the Toro I had previously. Also very easy to change the oil and air filter. Change each of those once a year and this will run forever. This one has the ignition start as well which is awesome.


Link - ( New Window )
I’d go with one of the Toro...  
Ryan : 5/14/2019 9:28 am : link
...personal pace mowers right off a big box store shelf. Generally reliable and very powerful for a reasonable price. Just take care of it.

I’d looked at electrics (I have a lot of property but my front lawn is only
about 7k sq ft so I baby it) and eventually lost interest for the exact reason of dealing with wet grass. We’re going on 2 years of non stop rainfall so if this is going to become anything approaching normal climate now then electric loses a lot of its allure.
Ryobi battery powered  
Metnut : 5/14/2019 9:37 am : link
incredibly easy to use.
Ego - Battery powered  
ChicagoMarty : 5/14/2019 9:58 am : link
Self-propelled

Can't go wrong.

Quiet

No fumes

Easy to use and to store since it is fold up

Home Depot guy told me he sold 100 Ego mowers last summer and not one customer returned. 100% customer satisfaction is hard to beat
honda is the best  
ron mexico : 5/14/2019 10:00 am : link
but you will probably be fine with a cheap toro
I love my toro personal pace mower.  
BigBlue2112 : 5/14/2019 10:12 am : link
but I have a half acre and have the large deck, two blades etc which may be overkill for your sized property
Honda is without a doubt the best lawnmower  
Rick in Dallas : 5/14/2019 10:12 am : link
Not even close
I had a Honda for 10+ years, gave it away and got an Ego  
Adam G in MD : 5/14/2019 10:13 am : link
I went through a new carburetor almost yearly. Dreaded the first mow of the spring. Didn't know if it would start or not. Need to make sure the gasoline doesn't get too old. If you have a small yard, and don't use too much gas this could be a problem. I strongly recommend the Ego self propelled mower. Very reliable. Very easy to use and totally worry free. In fact, I've outsourced mowing to my 8 year old son - I never would have considered that with the gasoline Honda.

The Honda, when working well, is more powerful than the EGO. But for a smaller yard, I don't think that would matter. Besides the EGO is lighter, and easier to store.

Just my experience. Other's may vary.
they have these no interest financing deals right now  
gidiefor : Mod : 5/14/2019 10:32 am : link
for the robot Husqvarna Automower 450X

If I had a smaller yard I'd be sorely tempted to try that out - but in my 3 acre lawn there are too many chances for mishaps and range issues --

it's like a lawn Rumba
Get a battery powered mower  
Shecky : 5/14/2019 10:34 am : link
If it's a small lawn especially!!
Got one several years ago after I got sick of paying someone to do it for us. It's way easier than I expected to do. Unfold the mower (yes, it folds so it barely takes up any room). Drop in battery. Press start. LITERALLY NO MAINTENANCE!!

AS said above, it can be a slight hassle if you let the lawn to thick/tall. And don't cut it when it is soaked.

When I first got it, the joke in the neighborhood was that I was pushing around a fisher price toy since it was so small and quiet. Put a little bubble maker on it one morning for a good laugh. Half the neighbors have since converted to battery mowers since...
.  
giants#1 : 5/14/2019 10:42 am : link
1. If you're grass is thick and wet, even self-propelled gas mower will struggle (I had a Toro before my battery Ryobi).

2. If you're an early riser with neighbors close, the battery powered mowers are quiet enough to mow with at 8 am on a Saturday without feeling guilty about waking the neighborhood. With a gas mower, I always felt I was sitting around watching the clock and trying not to be the first one out there...
Hondas are garbage now.  
Red Dog : 5/14/2019 10:51 am : link
Higher end Toros are far better mowers, start better, are cheaper and easier to maintain, and last a lot longer. This is the voice of experience with both brands, supported by experiences of some of my buddies.
one big negative with the battery powered mowers  
giants#1 : 5/14/2019 10:57 am : link
is they're too new to know how they'll age. Will they last 10+ years? At a minimum, the batteries will lose some capacity over that time and need to be replaced/supplemented.
I have to agree the Honda has fallen off.  
Giant John : 5/14/2019 11:04 am : link
I’m on my second one in six years and just had to bring that one into the shop. Bad thermostat. I expect it will keep running for a while but if I was in the market for a new one I’d shop around. If gas most people mportant is fresh gas, high test only. My mechanic says to dispose of unused gas after 1 month. In the truck it goes.
RE: one big negative with the battery powered mowers  
Shecky : 5/14/2019 11:05 am : link
In comment 14443091 giants#1 said:
Quote:
is they're too new to know how they'll age. Will they last 10+ years? At a minimum, the batteries will lose some capacity over that time and need to be replaced/supplemented.


Good point about battery replacements. Not that it matters for everyone, but this was my thinking when taking the plunge a few years ago.

Cost of a battery replacement every couple of years < cost of maintaining a traditional mower. Oil, gas, winterizing for some, spark plugs etc. And the time saved by not doing that.
Snapper  
Gman11 : 5/14/2019 11:12 am : link
for gas mower. I've had two in the last 25 years. First one lasted 17 years. Current one 8 years and counting.
RE: RE: one big negative with the battery powered mowers  
giants#1 : 5/14/2019 11:19 am : link
In comment 14443110 Shecky said:
Quote:
In comment 14443091 giants#1 said:


Quote:


is they're too new to know how they'll age. Will they last 10+ years? At a minimum, the batteries will lose some capacity over that time and need to be replaced/supplemented.



Good point about battery replacements. Not that it matters for everyone, but this was my thinking when taking the plunge a few years ago.

Cost of a battery replacement every couple of years < cost of maintaining a traditional mower. Oil, gas, winterizing for some, spark plugs etc. And the time saved by not doing that.


True, it's a lot easier to buy a new battery too!
Honda  
mattnyg05 : 5/14/2019 11:22 am : link
highly recommend the Honda push mower. Got one last year and it was a tremendous upgrade over the Craftsman I had (and that one wasn't really bad either).
I'm looking at electric  
haper : 5/14/2019 11:22 am : link
My neighbor has a self-propelled Ego which they really like, but imo it leaves uneven grass which they either don't notice or don't care abt. For example, if the mower has a width of 20 inches, 18 inches will be cut at say 3 inches of height and other 2 inches at 4 inches. Maybe it's a simple adjustment and they just don't bother with it, idk.

In researching, I've learned you are better off with a brushless motor bc they are more efficient which means more power goes toward actually cutting the grass. And when comparing battery sizes, look at both the Volts and the amp-hour (Ah) ratings. I think you can look at Volts like you would horsepower on a gasoline engine, the higher the value the more powerful the battery. Amp-hour is what it sounds like, how much current can be delivered over the course of one hour. So an 80V 2Ah battery is much different than an 80V 5Ah battery.
I'd go with a Toro  
Beer Man : 5/14/2019 11:33 am : link
They are well built and run like tanks. I have a 14-year old Toro 22" recycle mower that I have frequently neglected, and it still run like a champ.
.  
Danny Kanell : 5/14/2019 12:05 pm : link
I just bought this Troy-Bilt and love it. I've only had it for a few weeks so I can't speak to how long it will last but so far, it's my favorite one i've owned. Cuts great, mulches and pretty easy to push.


Link - ( New Window )
Kobalt 80v electric  
penkap75 : 5/14/2019 12:39 pm : link
Been using it since 2015.
So far so good on my 0.5 acre lot.
Ego  
JesseS : 5/14/2019 1:08 pm : link
Amazing
Ego  
Giantimistic : 5/14/2019 1:21 pm : link
Also my vote
RE: Ego - Battery powered  
rsjem1979 : 5/14/2019 1:39 pm : link
In comment 14442971 ChicagoMarty said:
Quote:
Self-propelled

Can't go wrong.

Quiet

No fumes

Easy to use and to store since it is fold up

Home Depot guy told me he sold 100 Ego mowers last summer and not one customer returned. 100% customer satisfaction is hard to beat


I bought an Ego about a month ago after my first home purchase - as I was pushing it towards the checkout at Home Depot one of their floor associates told me (unsolicited) "great choice, everyone loves 'em".

So far so good - I've got about 1/4 acre, the battery has been more than enough to do it without recharging, but the recharge is pretty quick anyway. I'll probably buy an Ego trimmer with another battery just in case.

Lawnmowers  
nochance : 5/14/2019 7:49 pm : link
What ever happened to Lawnboy? The old Lawnboy 2 cycle gas mower used to be the landscaper industry standard. If you remembered to add oil to the gas they would almost last forever.
I have had very good luck  
ChathamMark : 5/14/2019 7:52 pm : link
with the Honda mowers.
Drive-by thread  
Jim in Fairfax : 5/14/2019 8:06 pm : link
No participation by the OP.
RE: Drive-by thread  
EricJ : 5/14/2019 8:11 pm : link
In comment 14443899 Jim in Fairfax said:
Quote:
No participation by the OP.


Maybe he is out mowing the lawn...
RE: RE: Drive-by thread  
Jim in Fairfax : 5/14/2019 8:17 pm : link
In comment 14443902 EricJ said:
Quote:
In comment 14443899 Jim in Fairfax said:


Quote:


No participation by the OP.



Maybe he is out mowing the lawn...


That’s fair. With no mower it must take awhile.

Before you buy a battery operated lawn mower,  
Karl Hungus : 5/15/2019 8:55 am : link
make sure you are comfortable with the price of a replacement battery. Because eventually you will need at least one. And they aren't cheap.
I've had my Honda 22" self propelled  
AnnapolisMike : 5/15/2019 11:07 am : link
for 8 years. I change the oil and air filter, sharpen the blade and adjust the propulsion wire. That has been it. It starts every time on the first pull...might take two pulls at the start of each season. Best mower I have ever had.

Read the reviews of the model you are interested in.

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