Need a new mower- go electric?

[JimD]

For Minnesota with fescue and/or bluegrass an electric might work OK. For the south with a spreading creeping grass, I don't think it would be worth trying. I've lived in the north with the grasses I mention and am now in the south with Bermuda and a little Centepede in spots where it has invaded. I think a gas powered mower is the only realistic option unless you have a VERY small lawn and like a workout (a reel type will be a workout).

With respect to maintenance of gas powered it is pretty minimal. Sharpen the blade is a good idea but mine is on it's third year at the moment (it needs sharpened, I admit). Changing the oil is a good idea but I haven't done that in more than a year either. I check the oil and make sure it is full before filling with gas. Every few years you might have to clean out or replace the air filter and replace the spark plug but it seems like those go 3-5 years. My self propelled mechanism seems like it only works on one side but it does not bug me enough to mess with it yet. I may just give it away and buy another one.

For a small yard you don't even need self propelled so you should be able to pick up a mower under $200 and it should last 10 years - more if you are better about maintenance than I am. It still seems like the best option for most people. They have really improved the starting. No priming and mine starts on about the third pull cold, usually first pull hot. When I bought it maybe 7 years ago it started first pull hot or cold. Probably time for a tuneup. I'm not sure I've ever checked the air filter or the plug.

Jim

[DrChas]

I have used a B&D mower for many years, and I have been very happy with it. Admittedly it is not as powerful as a gas mower, but it also doesn't kill as many pelicans, or support as many terrorists. I guess I am a bit too green: I mow with an electric, I ride my bike to work, etc. etc., but I really strongly believe that if we want to start cutting down our gas usage we need to start somewhere.

Caveates: I live in the north, southern grass may be tougher. If I had to buy a new mower today I would get one with an easily replacable battery. My current mower is some 10 years old, and one of the first cordless B&D. I think the new ones are better. I am also not convinced that B&D is the only choice, but I am not sure what the choices are.

[sailor55330]

I too, live in MN unfortunately. How are you guys getting away with mowing once a week? I am mowing 3-4 times a week and I'm being dead serious. I can actually mow every other day and cut a legitimate 1-1.5" off. I have between a third and a half acre to mow. I was using a Honda 5.5 hp self propelled. The noise really wasnt' that bad, but the truth is I was having a hard time getting through the grass it is so thick. I ended up buying a Hustler zero-turn mower. It has a 16.5HP Honda V-twin. The blades rotate at 18,500 FPM (yes, feet per minute). I don't have any trouble now........

If your grass is anything like mine, stay away from the electrics. Honda engines are the way to go in my opinion when it comes to small engines---I've had Briggs, Tecumseh (crap--glad they are gone) and Honda. Honda is the best by far.

Now for a real laugh, when I lived in Houston, where St. Augustine is the dominant grass, my neighbor tried an electric. He couldn't even get it to cut the distance of it's own length before the motor started smoking. That stuff is brutal on mowers.