Cordless electric lawnmowers

[NutBucket]

Your statement is wrong in so many levels that I say - hook up the exhaust to your bedroom and call me in the AM.

Why is it wrong? I made no environmental claims.

 

[bigi]

^
Power, cheaper, and they last longer. Oh, and zero recharge time

Power - what power? You are cutting grass blades - Electric are fine for that. Gasoline is poison.
Cheaper - at the time of purchase, maybe. Cheaper - $150 bucks? Okay. Which takes us to the last point - you still need to drive out to get gasoline to a container and keep it around your house to refuel it.

Gasoline is so HDD.
EV is so SSD. Once you go EV you never go back.

 

[herm0016]

^
Power, cheaper, and they last longer. Oh, and zero recharge time

Power - what power? You are cutting grass blades -

i would not want to cut an acre of field grass with electric. My 18hp shaft drive tractor bogs down when its more than 6 inches getting cut.

for a small yard, a manual reel mower is actually pretty nice. we used one in a rental that had a small front yard.

 

[NutBucket]

^
Power, cheaper, and they last longer. Oh, and zero recharge time

Power - what power? You are cutting grass blades - Electric are fine for that. Gasoline is poison.
Cheaper - at the time of purchase, maybe. Cheaper - $150 bucks? Okay. Which takes us to the last point - you still need to drive out to get gasoline to a container and keep it around your house to refuel it.

Gasoline is so HDD.
EV is so SSD. Once you go EV you never go back.

Batteries are still more expensive than gas and longevity...I have small gas engines that are 10 years old and run flawlessly. Will a rechargeable battery still be viable after 10 years of use? I've used Ryobi 40V yard tools. They're OK but gas engines still perform better. You never addressed the recharging issue. Either spend big bucks on more batteries or you're stuck waiting for them to charge.

And yes, you do need power for cutting grass. If you've let it grow too long or its a bit wet even a 5HP gas engine can bog down a bit. Same for things like leaf blowers and chain saws. Now, maybe if you buy commercial grade Stihl units or something but then the cost argument completely tilts towards gasoline.

I'm not even talking about a huge yard here, just normal suburban homeowner stuff.

 

[bigi]

^ gas gets subsidized 20.5 billion per year with our money. It ain't that cheap as one might think. I pay for it, so do you.
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/10/6/16428458/us-energy-coal-oil-subsidies

Batteries and technology get zero help in terms of subsidies. Let's compare once this gets equal.

You still need to drive to gas station for gas and store it. I can charge at home for pennies. I find this much more convenient.

Gas engines simply can't last longer that electric motors due to their construction. Apples to apples - gas engine is much more complex.

Gas engines need oxygen to operate as well and will perform worse as air gets thinner.

Gas engines are at ~ 30% efficient - which makes 70% of your gasoline to produce heat only.

Gas engines require more maintenance which is a hassle when you have to 'winterize' your equipment.

I just take out my unit and mow.

I don't have to hear loud engine noise and inhale deadly fumes. This is very important for some living creatures, believe it or not.

I'll stick to electric gardening power tools. I guess some people are a part of the new world, some of the old one.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Batteries are also reusable so you only pay for it once. At small scale like mowing the savings are tiny but at larger scale like a car the savings are higher especially if you drive a lot. If you charge it off solar/wind power it's practically free to operate.

 

[NutBucket]

Yes, but like i said I have gas engines/equipment that are over a decade old and run fine. What battery do you own that is 10 years old and still operates like new? I've also noticed that most big-box cordless lawn equipment is built even more cheaply than big-box gas equipment. I've seen my uncle burn through a 40V Ryobi hedge trimmer and string trimmer. Either the gears strip or the bearings/bushings wear out, etc.

I agree the electric motor itself will last longer; it's the battery that is the large cost and needs replacing more often. I'm already purchasing gas for my car weekly so it's hardly a burden to fill another tank. Winterizing is non-issue in my climate but it's a reasonable point.

 

[Viper GTS]

Much like cars the user experience on electric is just vastly superior. Unlike cars though gas powered lawn equipment has zero nostalgic value for me so I've gone essentially completely battery. For most applications outside of heavy snow throwing or wood chipping electric options exist that are far more convenient, lower noise, no fumes, no maintenance, etc. You can make cost arguments if you want but there is far more to life than spending as little as possible. I am absolutely willing to pay more for it because it's simply a better experience.

I back this opinion up with my purchasing. In 9 months of home ownership I have picked up quite a bit of EGO stuff. I have the big dual battery mower:

https://egopowerplus.com/mower-21-inch-self-propelled-dual-battery/

Plus a snowblower, hedge trimmer, string trimmer, backpack blower, and edger. All of these tools are quiet enough that you can have a relatively normal volume conversation while running them. No hearing protection required.

My only gas tools are a bigger two stage snowblower + wood chipper (also have an electric one but I couldn't find a true bladed chipper with a hopper for leaves/smaller stuff).

Viper GTS

 

[NutBucket]

For me it's kinda like cars. It's better performing with a proven track record. Saving money is just a bonus since I know it will last a long time with minimal maintenance.

But, that's why there are choices. Everyone is happy!

 

[nakedfrog]

Update now that it's mowing season again, things are still good. At first the mower kept cutting out, but turns out it was just a loose clip.

I know you're looking at battery mowers, but I've used a 13 A corded Greenworks mower (and the same Kobalt version at my GF's) for the last ~5 years now, and they don't really bother me. They are relatively med-largeish yards, but you get used to watching your cord. If you have a small city yard, it should be even less hassle, and they are significantly cheaper.

Though I will say that the #1 gripe is looking like an absolute chump in your front yard, with that cord dangling from your shoulder as people drive by. ....city lot. That might be a bigger issue for you.

Having a corded electric snowthrower was enough to convince me to go cordless for my mower.

 

[lxskllr]

Electric can't replace my (big)chainsaws or brushcutter. Can't replace my mowers either if I want to get a job done in a single session. Electric is fine for some things, but right now it isn't appropriate for heavy work *for homeowner use.

*Before someone links a $1m bleeding edge combine or something