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View Full Version : New lawnmower - Wow


john_ny
08-30-2009, 04:54 PM
Just got a new lawnmower. It's surprisingly powerful, and rechargeable cordless electric. No gas, no noise, no yanking on starter cord!

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=21926&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=21926&ppuser=826)

LilRaverBoi
08-30-2009, 06:28 PM
NICE....looks like a sweet mower. And you get points in my book for being green!

momoese
08-30-2009, 06:31 PM
Pretty slick looking!

Cleaner Air: Mowing Emissions and Clean Air Alternatives. A Fact Sheet (http://www.peoplepoweredmachines.com/faq-environment.htm)

LilRaverBoi
08-30-2009, 08:41 PM
Thanks for that link, Mitchel! I had no idea mowers were so horrible on the pollution scale! Good to know!

momoese
08-30-2009, 09:35 PM
Just think about all the gardeners mowing grass and using their 2 stroke weed wackers and blowers all day long. That's a lot of pollution! I have to think our local air quality would quite a bit better if they used electric equipment.

bencelest
08-31-2009, 03:12 AM
But how much it costs?

stumpy4700
08-31-2009, 10:22 AM
Can it mow my 3 acres? and how long?

ewitte
08-31-2009, 10:30 AM
I'd be worried about power. Sometimes the grass gets thick enough to even stall a 6.5hp gas powered mower. My electric (corded) weed wacker is very underpowered.

bencelest
08-31-2009, 10:44 AM
Ah, I don't need a very strong lawn mower to cut tall weeds. Just ordinary lawn mower to cut my lawn. Is the cost over $300?
From the looks of it it is not a heavy duty kind but that will do to cut ordinary grass. I like the electric kind for its simplicity and ease of use.

ewitte
08-31-2009, 10:56 AM
Talking about simple and green I saw someone cutting their grass with a machete a while back while walking the dog.

r3tic
08-31-2009, 11:20 AM
Electric mowers are cool, however by the time you take into account the carbon emissions from electrical generation and efficiency losses involved in transmission and storage in batteries, the environmental outlook is a little different. I forget where I read the study but a rechargeable mower has something like 2-3 times the carbon emissions as a gas mower. Cleaner air, but more carbon...Now if you were to set up a small solar array to charge it with, that would be ever so sweet!

I personally have a manual reel mower that was built in 1933 that I mow with. It takes about twice as long to mow than with a gas mower but I need to get it properly sharpened. Once sharpened it shouldn't take much longer to mow at all.

Great buy, anything is better than gas burning. Quieter and cleaner.

conejov
08-31-2009, 11:58 AM
Talking about simple and green I saw someone cutting their grass with a machete a while back while walking the dog.

Talk about multi tasking. Where was this the heights?

momoese
08-31-2009, 01:04 PM
Electric mowers are cool, however by the time you take into account the carbon emissions from electrical generation and efficiency losses involved in transmission and storage in batteries, the environmental outlook is a little different. I forget where I read the study but a rechargeable mower has something like 2-3 times the carbon emissions as a gas mower. Cleaner air, but more carbon...Now if you were to set up a small solar array to charge it with, that would be ever so sweet!

I personally have a manual reel mower that was built in 1933 that I mow with. It takes about twice as long to mow than with a gas mower but I need to get it properly sharpened. Once sharpened it shouldn't take much longer to mow at all.

Great buy, anything is better than gas burning. Quieter and cleaner.

Dave, here is a quote from the link I gave about electric mower emisions.
Electric mowers don't totally eliminate pollution, however emissions from the electric industry are more regulated and are not in your backyard. Also they save on gas spills and gas refinery and transportation. To achieve a net environmental savings from switching from gas to electric mowers depends on the efficiency of the power plant from where the electricity originates. Only reel mowers have a 0 carbon footprint. This is why we still prefer reel mowers to all other types of mowers, and electric reel mowers which can have an electric kick for those days when the lawn is longer or your time is shorter.

CTA site to calculate your lawnmower's pollution :
http://www.etc-cte.ec.gc.ca/databases/lawnmoweremissions/default.aspx


I have a Reel mower and a gas mower. There are some reel mowers with a heavy flywheel that makes it much easier to mow providing you keep the blades sharp.

ewitte
08-31-2009, 01:15 PM
Talk about multi tasking. Where was this the heights?

lol no I was the one walking the dog. In Sugar Land.

Bananaman88
08-31-2009, 03:30 PM
lol no I was the one walking the dog. In Sugar Land.

Hey, that's a great visual! Ewitte walking his dog while swinging a machete at his grass. Oops! Now Fido only has three legs!:ha:

You gotta watch those folks in Sugarland!

john_ny
08-31-2009, 03:35 PM
I like the new mower very much.
To answer some of the questions:
Cost: $500.00 delivered.
Area: I don't think it would be practical for 3 acres. They say it's ideal for up to 1/3 acre, on one charge. We are part of New York City, so we don't have large acreage. (residential land, around here, is a little over 2 million per acre). We have a little over ¼ acre, and there is a piece next door (supposed to be a street that they decided not to put through) of between a quarter, and a third of an acre that we use also. Of course part of this area is occupied by my house, and part is covered by all my nursery stock containers, so this machine can handle the grassy areas that remain.
The motor is 750 watt, 36 volt, and the charge lasts about an hour. When we were using it yesterday, it knocked down some half inch diameter stalks of knotweed with no problem.

Kim
08-31-2009, 04:13 PM
I like the new mower very much.
To answer some of the questions:
Cost: $500.00 delivered.
The motor is 750 watt, 36 volt, and the charge lasts about an hour.

That's great john_ny;

I for going green myself, but I have heard stories where the batteries only lasted a year :confused: and the cost to replace them were outrageous :eek: . Have you checked these things out? if so, what were you told? My gas mower is used for only 5 minutes when mowing my front yard (Total operation time per YEAR is 1 hr to 2 hrs ). I use my electric weed eater for everything else.

Currious: Could you be a Cash Cab possibility? (it's a game show).

Congratulation for going GREEN.

ewitte
08-31-2009, 06:33 PM
1hp = 746w so that thick grass of mine (usually only when I do not cut for 2 weeks during the summer) is stalling about 4849w of power ;)

I wouldn't worry about gas being used as I use as much gas in a year mowing as my car does in a week.

john_ny
08-31-2009, 07:27 PM
Don't know what you're trying to say here. Are you trying to say my new mower is no good? Are you saying that your gasoline mower is much better? This works for me, and doesn't stall with the weeds I have. I like it, and if you like your's better for you, that's great.

Scuba_Dave
08-31-2009, 10:51 PM
This is a green mower:


http://someyapping.com/Media/ReelMower2.jpg
As is this: :ha:


http://www.southdacola.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/goat2.bmp

LilRaverBoi
08-31-2009, 11:25 PM
LOL...that goat is super cute, but I still don't want one. :)

Kim
09-01-2009, 12:09 AM
Don't know what you're trying to say here. Are you trying to say my new mower is no good? Are you saying that your gasoline mower is much better? This works for me, and doesn't stall with the weeds I have. I like it, and if you like your's better for you, that's great.

No john_ny, I am not saying your new mower is no good. I think its great you bought an electric mower. :2720:

What I'm trying to let you know is, like, when you buy a new vehicle and a couple months later you discover things about it that wasn't mentioned to you at the time of sale. :D

Example: My brother bought an electric mower 10 years ago and when his battery gave out, the replacement battery cost twice as much as the mower did. :mad:

For my yard an electrc mower would work great for me also. It's just that I'm waiting for the battery issues to be solved to my satisfaction. :2750:

Happy mowing. :rollerbananadone:


BTW Scuba_Dave, love the goat pic. :bananabeard:

Patty in Wisc
09-01-2009, 02:13 PM
John, I think Kim was trying to be helpful. I would want to know of any issues too. Sometimes the cost of a battery is outrageous. 15 yrs ago, my friends cell phone battery went bad after 1 yr use & she went nuts after paying $60.00 to get a new one (battery). I know lots of ppl who buy those cheapo watches at WallyWorld for $5-10.00 & when the battery goes dead, they throw the watch away cuz battery costs same as a new watch.

ewitte
09-01-2009, 02:28 PM
For NY I doubt it will give you any problems. Grass grows like weeds down here in TX. Two weeks can be about 5-7" high and extremely thick. Basically what I was saying is people always go out for "green" but most of the "green" options are not as tough as gas powered. I remember a dealer way back laughing at a insight that was having a hard time making it up the service ramp. They also seem to overstate the effects of mowers when they use extremely small amounts of gas.

I do agree with one of the last pictures though. Animals are sometimes the most efficient way to get things done. Keep the grass short and provide you with fertilizer as a byproduct. Possibly milk too.

ewitte
09-01-2009, 02:32 PM
I know lots of ppl who buy those cheapo watches at WallyWorld for $5-10.00 & when the battery goes dead, they throw the watch away cuz battery costs same as a new watch.

Using an Eco-Drive the "battery" is supposed to last 20+ years. For my translator I purchased a tray of like 50 for about $20 off ebay.

momoese
09-01-2009, 02:58 PM
They also seem to overstate the effects of mowers when they use extremely small amounts of gas.


Who does, the EPA?

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a traditional gas powered lawn mower produces as much air pollution as 43 new cars each being driven 12,000 miles.

Keep in mind that small engined 4 stroke lawn mowers have no emission control devices, and the 2 stroke engines on weed wackers and leaf blowers are even worse. If you live in the city like I do you can hear these things all day long around the neighborhood, it's non stop. Sunday is the only quite day. There is one running right now next door! The EPA estimates that 5% of US air pollution is created by lawnmowers. That's quite a bit!

ewitte
09-01-2009, 03:23 PM
Maybe people using extremely old models. Which I see to be the case here for a large number of contractors. Cars made 20 years ago also have crappy emissions. All I know is the lowes one I got 2-3 years ago barely uses any gas. While you think 5% is high look at the statistics on houses which are mostly electricity ;) Which is why I'm on a 100% wind plan.

john_ny
09-01-2009, 03:57 PM
I bought this thing mainly because I was sick and tired of the problems I was having with my gas machine. Right after it went off warranty, I had to bring it in for service, because the engine would race. $100.00, thank you please. In a couple of months, it was back to the same. Then, it wouldn't run fast enough. Then it was hard to start. I had a neighbor, who's a pretty good mechanic, take a look at it. He told me to get some spray starting fluid (ether), and he had me pulling on the starter cord, as he was spraying. That got it going a couple of times but, when I was alone, and tried to spray, and then run around to pull the starter cord, I didn't do so well. The neighbor has the machine again, trying to tweak it.
In the meantime, I bought the electric. It got pretty good reviews, and I like it, so far. As I said, it got through some half inch stalks of knotweed.
Patty - I know what you're saying about the cost of batteries. I have a cordless (not cell) phone that stopped ringing. I asked my nephew (my electronics geek) to look at it. He said it was the battery. Then he went on line to look up the cost of a replacement, and he said, if you catch a sale, you can get a new base station and four headsets for the price of a new battery.
The battery for the mower costs 20% of the cost of the machine. The company claims it will last 3 to 5 years. We will see!
And Kim & Patty - I was not referring th Kim's post when I asked if they were telling my my machine was no good.

Kim
09-01-2009, 05:08 PM
......Which is why I'm on a 100% wind plan.

Fantastic ewitte;
100% wind plan is great. I wished California would get their head out of the donkeys rear end :2729: and make it easier and a whole less costly to allow it's residents to make the change overs :07:. Instead, they are making more money pushing energy saving appliances :2710:.

Do you have a sperate unit on your property supplying your own power or are you connected to a grid where the power is supplied to your property from a windmill farm? :pinwheelnaner:

Have a great day. :woohoonaner:

Kim
09-01-2009, 05:20 PM
And Kim & Patty - I was not referring th Kim's post when I asked if they were telling my my machine was no good.

Thanks John;
I just felt I needed to respond to the statement anyway. :lurk:

Have a great day john.

:woohoonaner:

ewitte
09-01-2009, 06:35 PM
Do you have a sperate unit on your property supplying your own power or are you connected to a grid where the power is supplied to your property from a windmill farm? :pinwheelnaner:

Have a great day. :woohoonaner:

No its one of the plans with the electric company not that much more than the normal one. In plans for an earth sheltered home on 5+ acres in about 5 years. I will want to supply my own power. Most likely I will have some animals helping me keep the grass short.

Patty in Wisc
09-02-2009, 01:44 PM
My fiance' saw a John Deer rider mower for sale on someones lawn in July & bought it for $400.00. It ran OK when we looked at it but it won't start now. I wonder how much it'll cost to fix it!! He prolly shoulda bought an electric one.
John, can you come over so we can use your new lawn mower!?? :)

momoese
09-02-2009, 02:11 PM
My fiance' saw a John Deer rider mower for sale on someones lawn in July & bought it for $400.00.

How did their lawn look? ;)

Scuba_Dave
09-02-2009, 08:15 PM
I keep getting rid of more & more lawn
Gardens go in, no mowing :woohoonaner:
I have a weedwacker, I no longer use it
Instead I edged all my gardens w/brick/edging stone
Last year I picked up a couple hundred bricks off craigslist - free
I just picked another load 700 bricks for free, off craigslist again-still have 500 left

The new garage (24x36) & driveway (20-24- widex65) are getting rid of some more lawn

Patty in Wisc
09-03-2009, 04:24 PM
How did their lawn look? ;)
Their lawn looked great. Their neighbor cuts theirs with a big tractor in trade of using some of his property for storage or whatever.
He said he didn't use the Deer for 2 years. It started fine while we were there.

momoese
09-03-2009, 05:09 PM
Did you change the fuel yet? A tune up will be needed also. If it ran on the old fuel then it probably ended up fouling the spark plugs.

Patty in Wisc
09-03-2009, 05:25 PM
Good point!! I kinda thought the guy changed all that if it sat for 2 years. I'll check it out when I'm there this weekend. Thanks...Michael is not mechanically inclined if ya know what I mean.