New Battery Mower?

[p38arover]

Dunno if this should be here or in Tool Time.

We currently use a Victa EnviroMower.

188494

It's looking like it needs yet another pair of 12v 10Ah AGM batteries (the thirds set) so we've been thinking of biting the bullet and buying a Ryobi RLM18X33S40 18v One+ battery mower at $299. We already have some One+ power tools so the batteries would be compatible.

Both it and the Victa have a 33cm cut.

The Victa isn't much of a mower, I'm surprised Victa put their name on it. I bought it near new (about 6 years ago) and cheap with accessories for $100 when it was selling for $460 without accessories. It struggles to cut longish grass and I usually have to charge it 3 times to mow all the lawn which isn't that big.

Does anyone have the Ryobi and can offer any reviews on it? Ideally, I'd like to borrow one to try.

Oh, is there any advantage in spending an extra $70 for the brushless motor version?

[Tombie]

Brushless is always better.

Having said that. An 18v mower is for tiny strips of lawn, mowed regularly (manicured).

If you have a “lawn” of significant size and don’t mow weekly - go 40v or forget it.

[LuckyLes]

I have an EGO 56v that I bought after trying a friends small battery mower, it does my 870sq m block without recharging and does a very good cut. For battery, go big or go petrol.
Forget about cheap.
Cheers
LuckyLes

[p38arover]

I went electric as I could no longer pull start my two ICE mowers after rotator cuff injuries on both sides.

I think I might be better off buying an electric start petrol mower.

[V8Ian]

Or Lawn Mowing Services | Professional Lawn Experts | Jim’s Mowing (https://www.jimsmowing.com.au/service/lawn-mowing/) [bigwhistle]

[p38arover]

^^ I've thought about it.

[Ferret]

Does anyone have the Ryobi ...

I have that mower. I bought it for the following reasons:

1) I have only a small amount of lawn to maintain maybe 70~80 m2 total.

2) the battery pack is common to all other skins in the Ryobi One+ range so has other uses.

3) it's very light to carry and very small to store away.

If you judge things on looks then it looks like cheap plastic crap (Tonka Toy) but it does the job for my purposes and cuts well. The battery easily lasts for what I have to mow plus has enough charge left to power the cord trimer and blower to clean up afterwards.

Yeah, I borrowed one first also to see how it would go - no problem for my use.

For you, I don't know, but if you have the stereotypical house on a quarter acre block with the front and back lawn that might imply then I say it's probably not for you - go for a bigger and probably more robust model.

[Arapiles]

One of the 18V Ryobi mowers advertises that it can use two 18v batteries for longer run time and "25% extra power" - not sure what that means: not 36v but 23v?

[Tombie]

One of the 18V Ryobi mowers advertises that it can use two 18v batteries for longer run time and "25% extra power" - not sure what that means: not 36v but 23v?

Current limited.

[1950landy]

I bought a Makita Self Propelled Mower last mowing season, it takes 4 batteries, using 2 at a time with a switch to switch to other 2 batteries. It uses same batteries as my other Makita tools so have plenty of batteries fully charged all the time, I can usually get the yard mowed on just 2 batteries though. So far has been great, starts every time. Only downside at the moment with all the rain is if grass gets too long/ thick or is wet the auto cutout will cause it to stall so have to adjust the height & do 2 or 3 cuts to get down to length I want. When I bought it, it was a new model so they had a special deal going, it came with the 4 batteries, 2 battery quick charger & Makita sent me a leaf blower that takes same batteries for free about a week after I registered the warranty details & it was cheaper than buying a new Chinese S/P 4 stroke.

[Homestar]

I’ve got a 36 volt Ryobi mower and it’s brilliant. It shares the battery with my chainsaw which is one of the reasons I went with it.

My Son has the version you’ve linked and it’s fine for his tiny yard but it doesn’t have anywhere near the grunt of mine and it struggles in longer grass but if you’ve only got a bit to do I like them - they’re light and easy to use.

[Tombie]

I’ve got a 36 volt Ryobi mower and it’s brilliant. It shares the battery with my chainsaw which is one of the reasons I went with it.

My Son has the version you’ve linked and it’s fine for his tiny yard but it doesn’t have anywhere near the grunt of mine and it struggles in longer grass but if you’ve only got a bit to do I like them - they’re light and easy to use.

Same. That’s why I went the 40v units

Mower
Brush cutter
Chain saw
Pressure washer

Interestingly they eBay special batteries have been great (I only get the ones using Panasonic cells)

[goingbush]

I bought an 80V Victa & whipper snipper 7 years ago, which is terriffic but they were not on the market long .

Problem post shoulder surgery , too hard to push as I tend to let my grass go too long.
Bought a Sthil self propelled but is gutless , Ok if you cut the lawn every week. It has a 2.0Ah & 3.0Ah battery , need both batteries to do our yard. But the Sthil leaf blower I bought at the same time is bloody fantastic.

Dissatisfied with Sthil Mower I read a few reviews & bought a Greenworks Pro self propelled 3 years ago , its coincidently on the same chassis as the Victa and uses the same catcher and blade. It has 2 x 60v 4.0Ah batteries , When one is flat it switches across to the other. It easily does the grass & fills the sulo bin to the top when the yard is overdue for mowing ( every time for me) .

only downside it comes with one charger for the 2 batteries, so bought a 2nd charger online.

(Still on the Victa 80v whipper snipper , (on its 2nd head) better than any petrol one ive had.)

188539

[1950landy]

188543188544 My Makita Self Propelled & Battery charging station in garden shed.

[p38arover]

Well, this is embarrassing!

I flipped the mower onto its side last week to hose off the collected grass that sticks to the underside. If the lawn is in anyway wet, the clippings stick like the proverbial to a blanket.

As I was hosing it, I thought, "Hang on, that blade is rotating the wrong way and cutting on the squared off edge, not the sharp edge."

I looked further and realised the blade was rotating in the correct direction but had been installed upside down at the factory (it's a single bar of steel). So it hasn't been cutting efficiently or throwing the grass out the discharge chute - the upturned ends were battering the grass not throwing it. No wonder it would clog.

I turned the blade over and tried the mower again. It now cuts properly and fills the catcher (it never would before). It lasts longer and mows more than it ever did before. I wonder if the less efficient cutting was loading the motor more and causing it to draw more current. That wouldn't have helped battery life over the years.

I'm tempted to buy a couple of new 12v AGMs to reload the battery case.

I'm rather embarrassed in that I hadn't noticed it a long time ago - we've had the mower about 10 years (I checked).

[V8Ian]

Well, this is embarrassing!

I flipped the mower onto its side last week to hose off the collected grass that sticks to the underside. If the lawn is in anyway wet, the clippings stick like the proverbial to a blanket.

As I was hosing it, I thought, "Hang on, that blade is rotating the wrong way and cutting on the squared off edge, not the sharp edge."

I looked further and realised the blade was rotating in the correct direction but had been installed upside down at the factory (it's a single bar of steel). So it hasn't been cutting efficiently or throwing the grass out the discharge chute - the upturned ends were battering the grass not throwing it. No wonder it would clog.

I turned the blade over and tried the mower again. It now cuts properly and fills the catcher (it never would before). It lasts longer and mows more than it ever did before. I wonder if the less efficient cutting was loading the motor more and causing it to draw more current. That wouldn't have helped battery life over the years.

I'm tempted to buy a couple of new 12v AGMs to reload the battery case.

I'm rather embarrassed in that I hadn't noticed it a long time ago - we've had the mower about 10 years (I checked).
Yeah, well we all regularly check to see if our mower blades are fitted upside down, don't we? [bigrolf]
You have less to be embarrassed about than me. My first experience with a circular saw was many years ago, as a young bloke with my mate and I playing TA for my mate's Dad, while he was building a pergola. I was tasked with changing the blade on the eaw and passing it to him. Yep, I put the blade in backwards. :wallbash:

[scarry]

When we cleaned out Mum's place a couple of years ago,my youngest brother took the hand mower,and it had the blades on backwards.[biggrin]

They could have been like that for decades,as it only did a tiny yard,and for the last few years the gardner mowed it as she was not strong enough to start it.[biggrin]

[4bee]

I went electric as I could no longer pull start my two ICE mowers after rotator cuff injuries on both sides.

I think I might be better off buying an electric start petrol mower.


Either that a a few litres of Glyphosate. Gives the garden that "Desert Look" so popular with local Councils these days, or maybe Tombie's garden. Drop a few local boulders around, some scats of Possum ****e, an old worn tyre tossed over the fence a few rusty Horseshoes, some aborigines doing a Welcome to Country. Cheaper than a new Mower unless they demand some free baccy.


Just think Ron ,your lawns could be the talk of the town.

Job done!

[4bee]

When we cleaned out Mum's place a couple of years ago,my youngest brother took the hand mower,and it had the blades on backwards.[biggrin]

They could have been like that for decades,as it only did a tiny yard,and for the last few years the gardner mowed it as she was not strong enough to start it.[biggrin]



Speaking of reversed blades,[bigsad] I put a new pair on my ROVER/MTD 38"rideon yesterday with the aid of next door's impact wrench/RATTLE GUN just to remove 2x shaft nuts.
Bugger removing the deck & all it entails , so I was able to place it at an angle against a bench frame using a Garage floor Jack & 2 x axle stands after sealing off the fuel tank filler.

Anyway it had enough clearance to get the Impact Drill under so off they came.
It was then I found that for most of the time the blades had been replaced they had been upside down & wondered why they were never Marked as such. .The Maker stamped his name but nothing else.
With the curved end facing down & it was Scouring the Lawn & hitting & throwing gravel.

Reversed the new ones when refitted & Bob's me Uncle (He is actually or was, until he snuffed it a few years ago. The irony was that it was next doors ( the owner of the impact drill )that fitted the blades each time. He has never charged me for his time so what could I say? Nowt.

[scarry]

Over the years i have found hundreds of fans fitted incorrectly,or the wrong motor so the blade went the wrong way.
Mainly single phase refrigeration units.
Even 3 phase units,no matter the direction of the motor,the fan can still be fitted the wrong way.
Sirocco wheels the same,double shaft motors,one fitted correctly,one backwards.

And on it goes,they work OK in cooler weather,but as soon as summer comes,they fall over[biggrin]

[austastar]

I went electric as I could no longer pull start my two ICE mowers after rotator cuff injuries on both sides.

I think I might be better off buying an electric start petrol mower.Hi,
I used to start an old mower with an electric drill when the windup spring broke.
Cheers

[p38arover]

I've seen a few YouTube videos on doing this conversion.

[scarry]

Hi,
I used to start an old mower with an electric drill when the windup spring broke.
Cheers

I wish i could do that to my 8.5HP chpper/mulcher,as i get older,it is getting harder to start.

[austastar]

Hi,
Take the cover off the starter mechanism, if there is a pulley bolted on with one big nut, use that with a socket driven by your drill .
Cheers

[4bee]

I wish i could do that to my 8.5HP chpper/mulcher,as i get older,it is getting harder to start.


That is a sure sign that you were not meant to be a Gardener or a Fridgie & one day you may find you'll need a Nuclear weapon to kick it over. That 'll be the time to kiss it all goodbye.


ED. for nuclear knowledge on the size weapon to us,e contact an ex-Sailor.[biggrin]

[RANDLOVER]

On NYE I mowed the front lawn with my Ryobi 18v mower and hit one of the bolts that holds the lamp post, the machine tripped out, and I thought I was going to have to buy myself a belated Xmas present of a new mower, but after a minute or so it restarted!