Cordless Mower

LucMan
LucMan Solar Expert Posts: 223 ✭✭✭
in Energy Use & Conservation #1
I am in the market for a new push lawn mower. The mower will be used for trim work around flowers etc. Would like to go to a battery operated if they are worth the money.
Any one have experience with them?
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  • russ
    russ Solar Expert Posts: 593 ✭✭
    #2
    Re: Cordless Mower

    There is a blog - This Week in Batteries http://thisweekinbatteries.blogspot.com/ written by a researcher working for LBNL - advanced battery research.

    He recently bought a house and needed a lawn mower. Being a battery man he started looking at battery powered mowers knowing that would be best and ended up with a mower with a cord.

    As far as Venkat was concerned, at the end of his studies it made no sense to buy a battery powered unit.

    He write an interesting blog and has a great sense of humor.

    Russ
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  • Slappy
    Slappy Solar Expert Posts: 251 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Cordless Mower

    yes they are, for me any ways. I use mine for trim work around my and my neighbors house. it is the craftsman 48 volt push. Have had it for 2 mowing seasons. It is very quiet, and do not need ear muffs. battery last for a while but never timed it. But the draw back is of course, is tall grass and/or wet grass, it will kill the batts fairly quick. but I do cut damp grass, and wash it off with the water hose, and charge it from my solar array system, and dont have to buy gas, change oil, filters and etc.........but sooner or later I will have to replace the batts, but they should last a pretty long time
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  • Ralph Day
    Ralph Day Solar Expert Posts: 1,022 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: Cordless Mower

    I'm on my 3rd season with a 24 volt Yard Works brand unit. Presently it just does my 30 minutes of cutting before reaching the "gotta charge" level soc. When new it would last 45 minutes at least...batteries aging.

    New battery for the mower is $149, just under half the new whole unit price. Probably next year to replace. My cordless trimmer (Worx) has a new battery this week. It lasted about 3 years before only putting out for 7 minutes or so. I was tired of the smell and noise of ice mowers and trimmers, but they are starting to look better and better. Of course, the solar charging is "free" whereas gasoline is not ($1.25 per litre...quart).

    \if you're only mowing a little amount then cordless is fine...I find I'm pushing around the same weight as the old Lawnboy when mowing with the battery mower. Same exercise result. I tried a push reel type mower, and it worked, but required cutting 2-3 times per week! Ralph's rules of lawncutting: 1. never cut until May 2. never cut more than 30 minutes 3. never cut more than once per week. All rules were stepped all over this wet spring:grr

    Ralph
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  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,006 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Cordless Mower

    When my 20 yr old weed eater, finally quits smoking, I'll go for a corded version. I use mine only with blades and purchased a Sun Joes Tiller refurb for $99(shipped) including shipping and was very happy with it.

    They make a corded, bladed, weed eater for $50 refurb shipped.

    and they also have a lithium battery string version For $69

    Just from the tiller refurb, it was pretty much like new and had good reviews at WalMart and Amazon. I now own and think it does a great job in the poor clay heavy soil here in Missouri.

    I don't own either of these other "weed trimmers", but will look into them from the quality of the Tiller.

    Edit - Well, Gosh, I guess the sun's getting to me, they do have mowers as well, but I thought they looked a bit flimsy, but I'll leave the post for others who might be looking for a weed eater thingy, or tiller!
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
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  • JESSICA
    JESSICA Solar Expert Posts: 289 ✭✭
    #6
    Re: Cordless Mower

    Cordless, battery-less, no gas nor fumes. Power last as long as your legs:
    http://www.reelmowerguide.com/
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  • RandomJoe
    RandomJoe Solar Expert Posts: 472 ✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: Cordless Mower

    You'd have one heckuva time getting the job done with one of those reel push-mowers in my yard. I can't keep it clear of sweetgum tree "gumballs" more than about an hour after raking, and those things get HARD.

    I have a corded electric mower, looked at battery ones when I bought this (now 7 years ago!) and at least then they weren't worth the price premium (to me). Biggest problem was runtime, I'd wind up having to do my lawn in two stages. But the way I like to procrastinate, I'd never get around to the second half! :roll:

    Sadly, your question now has me thinking dangerous thoughts... I've measured the current draw of my mower with a Kill-A-Watt before... What would it take to make it battery-powered?!? :p Ah well... Something else to kill some spare time thinking about! :cool:
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  • jcgee88
    jcgee88 Solar Expert Posts: 154 ✭✭
    #8
    Re: Cordless Mower
    LucMan wrote: »
    I am in the market for a new push lawn mower. The mower will be used for trim work around flowers etc. Would like to go to a battery operated if they are worth the money.

    Last year, I almost bought a battery powered one. I like the
    idea of cordless as well as no need for gasoline. However,
    one of my friends, who worked for Toro at the time, advised
    against it. His working for a major lawn mower company
    meant that he knew what he was talking about, and we being
    friends meant that he wasn't going to just put on the company
    hat.

    Anyways, he said that I wouldn't be happy with a battery
    powered mower because they lack the power to do high grass
    (like you see in Spring) and the battery capacity to mow for
    an extended time (my lawn takes an hour to mow with a gas
    mower). In other words, it was a light duty product, whereas
    my lawn required a heavy duty product.

    I also perused the various user reviews for the battery
    powered mowers, and they largely echoed my friend's comments.
    If it does make a difference, the Black & Decker model looked the
    best to me.

    John
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  • 2manytoyz
    2manytoyz Solar Expert Posts: 373 ✭✭✭
    #9
    Re: Cordless Mower

    Make sure whatever electric model you're considering is rated for your region. Here in FL, we have thick St. Augustine grass, and it is often wet since it rains here a good part of the year. If you read the fine print of the electric mowers I've considered, all said not for use here.

    The grass can also grow several inches in a week during the rainy season. Don't see many people with reel type mowers here. I've used those in England at my grandparents house. Worked well on their thin lawn. Too shaggy here.

    I'd love to own an electric self-propelled mower, but ultimately gave up on my search for now.

    There are some homebrew models on YouTube.

    Good luck on your quest. If you find one that works for you, please post results!
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  • AntronX
    AntronX Solar Expert Posts: 462 ✭✭
    #10
    Re: Cordless Mower

    I was tired of dragging power cord around, so I gathered my old A123 cells and built this:

    5805124478_0bcdca4efe_m.jpg

    5804567775_ecd172d0fd_m.jpg


    22 cells in series for 72Vdc. Lasts 1 hour light duty. Battery needs BMS. Right now I charge it in sections at a time using RC charger.
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  • LucMan
    LucMan Solar Expert Posts: 223 ✭✭✭
    #11
    Re: Cordless Mower

    I picked up a 36 v Black & Decker cordless locally. So far so good, it's quiet and seems to cut well. I haven't run it long enough to run the battery down yet, so have no idea on battery life.
    I will update as my wife and I have used the mower more.
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  • Ralph Day
    Ralph Day Solar Expert Posts: 1,022 ✭✭✭✭
    #12
    Re: Cordless Mower

    My most cordless of the cordless. Used on 70% of the lawn, then the 24v for the edges and longer stuff (and when I get lazy and miss the window of opportunity to use the sunmower).

    How do you get a big picture onto the forum format? Answer me that and you;ll get to see me cutting my grass. Thanks
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #13
    Re: Cordless Mower
    Ralph Day wrote: »
    How do you get a big picture onto the forum format? Answer me that and you;ll get to see me cutting my grass. Thanks

    Ralph;

    When you make a new post, scroll down a bit. There's another box that says "Additional Options". The second "sub box" in that says "Attach Files" with a button labeled "Manage Attachments". That's the one to click for gluing pictures in.
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  • mikeo
    mikeo Solar Expert Posts: 386 ✭✭✭
    #14
    Re: Cordless Mower

    Just bought this cordless lawnmower for my wife to use.
    http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_07160039000P?sid=I0084400010000100600&aff=Y

    She has a girl-cave house in the city and hires the yard mowed once a month for $50. She plans on using the cordless to mow two postage size patches of yard in the front of the house in between the hired mowers to keep the grass looking good. Will let you know how it turns out when I get it assembled for her.
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