Are new, battery operated, mowers up to the task for around 1/3 acre yard?


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Old 05-28-16, 08:11 AM
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Are new, battery operated, mowers up to the task for around 1/3 acre yard?

Hello,
Our old Toro 22" GTS is pretty beat up. I'm pretty beat up (recently broke my ribs), so it's difficult to pull start the old Toro. For ease of start and ecological reasons, the idea of a battery operated mower has real appeal. I'm wondering, however, if a battery operated mower will be strong enough for an approximate 1/3 acre yard. I'm looking at the ECO 21 inch 56 Volt Li-Ion mower that Home Depot sells.
Any experience with or opinions are welcome.
Thank you.
 
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Old 05-28-16, 05:24 PM
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How long does it take you to push mow your yard? The mower you're considering advertises 60 minutes of cut time. I'm assuming that's an absolute best situation so you will probably get something less than that in actual use.
 
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Old 05-28-16, 08:36 PM
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@Pilot Dane. It takes at least 1 1/2 hrs to push mow my yard. On a related note, I stopped by Home Depot today and they have a special going on where they'll throw in a second battery for free if I buy the mower before June 1.
 
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Old 05-29-16, 05:12 AM
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That's an awfully long time for a cordless. I imagine you'd be pushing it to the limit to do your yard on two batteries but the first might be charged enough to finish the lawn after you've used up the second battery.

I would consider getting a mower with an electric start or converting yours so you can use a starter on it. If your current mower is old and beat up I probably wouldn't put the money into converting it. Since you mentioned Home Depot they have electric start mowers for less than $400.

I used to race go karts which used converted "lawnmower" engines. Because of the modifications it was almost impossible and dangerous to pull start them so we removed the pull start assembly and started them with hand held electric starters that engaged the flywheel nut.

 
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Old 05-29-16, 10:13 AM
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Cool! @Pilot Dane. I hadn't thought of an after-market addition of an electric starter. I definitely won't be putting any money into the old Toro though. The self-propelled feature broke years ago and, this morning, one of the front wheels fell off. I've already replaced the rear wheels.
 
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Old 05-29-16, 02:25 PM
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If your current mower is that worn I'd consider a new one instead of trying to add electric start.
 
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Old 05-29-16, 06:59 PM
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Agreed @Pilot Dane. I think it's time to say goodbye to the old Toro. It has served me well. With the free second battery, I'm going to take a chance on the ECO mower. Maybe with the easy start feature, I can even get my wife or son to mow the lawn :-)
 
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Old 05-30-16, 05:02 AM
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Keep in mind that batteries don't last forever. Replacements for that mower are $379 each at HD ($300 from Amazon). When the batteries die you may need to throw away the mower.

EGO 56-Volt 7.5 Ah Battery-BA4200 - The Home Depot
 
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Old 05-30-16, 07:12 AM
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Dang, @Pilot Dane, just when I think I've made a decision, you hit me with reality
 
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Old 04-04-17, 10:45 AM
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or replace the battery....

currently in my experience with battery powered mowers, 1/3 acre might be pushing it. can probably get it under ideal conditions (dry grass, not overgrown, etc).

I have the EGO 56V push mower, I really like it. BUT, I have ~.28 acre lot and have roughly 1/4 battery left when complete. I expect it to be closer as the battery ages some...
 
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Old 04-04-17, 11:04 AM
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I'm just throwing out ideas. Have you considered checking Criagslist or other classifieds for a good used riding mower? I base this on the statement you made about your health. Where will your health be in 5 years, realistically speaking. Will you be able to use a push mower in 5 years... or sooner?

If you can find a good riding mower for $400 - $500, that maybe your best bet at this point in your life. That may also entice your son (& make it easier for your wife if the need should rise) to help out.
 
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Old 04-05-17, 06:35 AM
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Thanks @stevenfl and @Dixie2012 for reviving this thread from last year. Your replies are timely. I just "bit the bullet" and purchased the EGO 56V self-propelled mower. It's so new to me that it's still in the box. HD recently had a price drop from $599 to $549, so I thought it was time to take action. I would have preferred the deal they had last year--offering a 2nd, smaller, battery--but I'm guessing the $549 deal is the best we'll see this year.
Thanks for your concern @Dixie2012. I'm mostly healed from last year's fall. In fact, toward the end of Summer/early Fall I was back nursing the old Toro along until it would no longer start. My wife and I actually did discuss getting a rider. We decided against it due to lack of space to store it and cost and that we'd still need a push mower for some of our tight areas.
Wish me luck with the EGO 56V.

Thanks again!
 
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Old 04-05-17, 09:37 AM
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After mowing the yard a few times make sure you post back and let us know how the mower does.
 
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Old 05-14-17, 07:47 PM
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Impression of the EGo Self-Propelled mower

I love this mower and, more importantly, my wife loves the mower.
My wife has wanted to help out with the yard work to free-up time for me to work on the re-siding project. Our old gas-powered mower was hard to start and the self-propelled feature broke years ago, so my wife was unable to do any of the mowing. Now, she's able to handle with EGo with ease. She actually seems to enjoy mowing the yard now.

The EGo is as easy as it gets to start. My wife really appreciates the self propelled feature. It makes mowing the yard more like a walk around the yard. That's in stark contrast to our old gas powered mower, which felt more like pushing a cart of bricks around the yard.

I really like how quiet the mower is too. It is no longer mandatory for me to wear hearing protection when I mow. It is also great to be able to mow the yard with NO FUMES emitted from the mower!

A fully charged battery powers the mower for about an hour--that's enough time for me to mow the back yard. I re-charge the battery and it's then ready for my wife to mow the front yard.

There was a brief, but important learning curve for me. My old gas powered mower had front wheel drive (that is, before that feature broke), so I was accustomed to tilting the mower onto its back wheels when I needed to change direction. That does not work with the EGo's rear wheel drive. The first time I tried that, I tore up a little bit of turf. I had to learn to release the self propel lever before I came to a turn. Also, I do not use the self-propelled feature at all in tight spaces.

One more thing, if you are used to having a mower with a metal deck, you may be skeptical of a mower with a plastic deck. We've had an awful lot of rain lately, so I've needed to cut the grass when it was still fairly wet. I can tell you that it's super easy to clean all the wet grass off of the plastic deck simply by hosing it off.

In summary, my wife and I give it two thumbs up.
 
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Old 05-15-17, 04:45 AM
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Good report. Thanks for taking time to provide that. I am sure it will help others in the future looking for this info. Thanks again & good luck with your mower. I am glad it worked out well for you & your wife.
 
 

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