Petrol vs electric mowers

[Ranga]

Like the chainsaw thread, but this time about mowers.

I'm very happy with the Ryobi battery chainsaw I've had for 5 years. My cheap old Aldi petrol mower has just carked it after 10 years (which actually pleases me, as it never cut well, but at least always started).

So, I'm in the market for another mower, and am considering going electric.

I already have plenty of Ryobi One+ gear, including 2 x 5.0Ah, 1 x 4.0Ah and 1 x 1.4Ah lithium batteries, plus 3 chargers.

I'm struggling to decide between the Ryobi 18V smaller mower currently on sale at Bunnings with a blower, charger and 4.0Ah battery for $399 (18V ONE+ Blower & Mower 4.0Ah Kit Product Detail - RYOBI Tools (http://www.ryobi.com.au/outdoor/products/details/18v-one-blower-mower-40ah-kit)) or a bigger mower (Ryobi or otherwise). I already have a blower, so this would be redundant, as would another charger. The extra 4.0Ah battery would be handy though. Perhaps I could sell the blower, charger and used 1.4Ah battery to recoup some costs.

Ultimately, it comes down to the quality of the mower, and whether I can put up with:

the small cut size (33cm)
the small catcher (35L)
the plastic body of which I'm skeptical about the lifespan
no mulching feature that I can see, although I've never used this before
no brushless motor.

On the other hand this mower:

has a 6 year warranty, and the salesman said if I tried it and didn't like it I could return it (although I'm skeptical about this also).
is small and light, so easy for the wife and kids to use ;)
can use all my existing batteries.

If I don't go with this, I think I'd choose either the Victa, AEG or EGO over the larger Ryobi.

Anyone care to comment?

[austastar]

Hi,
Years ago my mower died, and both neighbours had similar problems.
We jointly bought a professional model at nearly 3 times the cost of a domestic model.
It has been going for nearly 30 years as a shared item, and still cuts like new.
I service it
Clive pays for it
Garry stores it.

Cheers

[Gordie]

Victa 2-stroke....Victa 2-stroke....Victa 2-stroke...that's all I have to say on this matter....will cut anything...and keep going. My first one is still going 20yrs later.....so who needs a warranty!

[Ranga]

Like many things, you get what you pay for. I'm tempted to buy a Honda or similar petrol mower for this reason.

[V8Ian]

I like Honda and if that's the way you decide to go, contact Fluids; but I prefer...

125306

[DiscoMick]

We bought a Victa electric with a long lead and no battery off Ebay for next to nothing and it's been fine since. We only have a small yard in Brissie.
In Maleny we inherited a ride-on and a Honda mower with the house and land.
If I was starting from scratch I'd buy an electric mower and chain saw which used the same batteries.
I have a long and unhappy history with petrol mowers and chain saws.

[Wraithe]

I probably shouldn't even answer this discussion...

Never used an electric mower and other than in shops, I've never seen one being used...

My mowers are usually the throw aways from others... Currently a VIC as the TA left a while ago, been knocking for last 6 or so months, but I do have another flasher one(comes with catcher) to replace it...

If the mowers run out(that hasnt happened for last 20 or so years), I do have a scythe, might need sharpening but as I usually leave the weeds til there a foot high, the scythe would work well...

And as for a desperate solution, put a horse in house yard, they'll eat it down and fertilise at same time...

The only thing that an electric would be good at, is being nice and quiet...Could listen to music while mowing, now would be cool!

[trout1105]

[bigwhistle]
125326

[Slunnie]

Victor 2-stroke.

[Vern]

Vs Battery mower as well?
I will be going all battery when our mower dies.
Now that we are downsizing from 3 acres to a normal house block.

[weeds]

Honda guaranteed to start first pull (cannot think of its actual name)......the kids can start it...it stops as soon as they let go of the handle.

There is a good thread on myswag where a professional lawn mower and switch 100% to cordless...

[PhilipA]

I have a 40 year old Rover Craftsman with Briggs & Stratton 4 stroke, which I bought second hand about 20 years ago.
It starts first time every time and seems happy with an oil change every 3 or 4 years. I gave it a birthday a couple of years ago with a new plug and air filter .

However it is HEAVY and I have to lift it down 5 stairs when I mow and I have a nature strip that is about 100 metres long and steeply up hill which means I am almost horizontal pushing it. It has now broken one of the handle mounts out of the baseplate which I have fixed with big washers.

So I am really considering a Ryobi 2x18 V electric as they are light and should go long enough to do my small backyard and the footpath. I have 1x5aH battery at present and a drill, impact drill (fan bloody tastic) , a vacuum and a blower. So I have to buy the mower and at least one more 5AH battery.
Just on Ryobi Quality my original drill recently fused after about 16 years . The chuck was so worn it would not hold a 1MM drill. It also took out one of my 2.4AH lithiums at the same time with Joseph Lucas smoke. I immediately went out and bought another one as I think they are terrific.
Regards Philip A

[Tins]

Honda.

[trout1105]

My Sister bought a cordless mower a couple of years ago and she Loves it.
It came with 2x batteries one does the back lawn and the other does the front lawn.
When she has finished the job she charges both batteries up ready for next time.

My yard is 3-4 acres, Hence the Ride on Mower.

[Ranga]

Another consideration is the lifespan of electric vs petrol, particularly the availability of parts. I suspect a petrol mower will have a longer lifespan. I reckon batteries will be hard enough to get 10 years down the track, and a fixing the motor virtually impossible (another one for the throwaway society?), whereas a decent petrol mower will probably be cheap enough and easy enough to be repaired for many years to come.

[Vern]

Honda guaranteed to start first pull (cannot think of its actual name)......the kids can start it...it stops as soon as they let go of the handle.

There is a good thread on myswag where a professional lawn mower and switch 100% to cordless...
We have a honda brush cutter, first pull my ass!

[weeds]

We have a honda brush cutter, first pull my ass!

The thread is for mowers not brush cutters....and Honda have a guarantee first/start mower. It has never not done it in four years

My hind brush cuter is nearly always 2 or 3 pulls max.

[Vern]

Yes its a mower thread, but you never said mower in your post😉

[PhilipA]

Ryobi has had compatable batteries for the 18V for about 20 years now, first as NiCad now Lithium.

I don't know about the future but if the past is to go by, then it should be OK.

Regards Philip A

[trout1105]

One of the problems with the electric mowers is getting replacement batteries that are compatible in the future and the cost of repairing the electric motor when it wears out.
The 4 and 2 stroke motors on the petrol mowers seem to last forever with some minor costs for maintenance over their lifetime.