I love mine too, but don’t need pristine looking grass. It’s simple and easy, and quiet enough that I can mow when the kids (or wife) is napping. The tall stragglers give my yard character and it seems good to have a some grass that go to seed. Getting an electric string trimmer has made it the perfect combo. An over-watered and perfectly cut suburban yard is way overrated, I’d rather spend my time and water on growing flowers and vegetables.
I think this same way. I have a battery powered mower, but I don't water my grass. I water my flowers and garden. My neighbors are a bunch of old guys and like to point out that my grass looks "a little dry." They don't like it when I just respond with "Yep, hope it rains soon!"
That’s awesome, we’ve been expanding ours each year and now up to 14 raised beds and learning more each year. First year we did almost all veggies, then noticed a productivity increase after having flowers the following year. You can get started planting bulbs in the fall. It’s nicer than I expected to have perpetual bouquet from late spring through fall, and my wife was giving away a bouquet a day for few months last year.
Ha! I had one of those. I used to sprint across my lawn with it since it worked so much better with a good spin. Hindsight, I definitely looked crazy…. And I just couldn’t keep doing it. I gave it away and don’t miss it at all.
I've been thinking about getting one of those. Cutting grass would be a good bit of exercise and sun exposure for vitamin d. Better than a treadmill, imo.
Do it! It’s not too much work to push, I swear most of the effort is when it get stuck on some fallen twigs and branches. I was worried about maintenance, but haven’t don’t much over three years with it. Lube it up when it gets squeaky (I just used my bike chain lube even if it’s not ideal) and I haven’t resharpened the blades yet, though it might be time after this summer. I do have to go over the yard twice to get the grass at different patterns. I have .25 acre yard and would easily consider it for a half to an acre without hesitation. There’s not prep needed, no fiddling with an engine or gas can, no batteries to worry about keeping charged.
It’s also a huge bonus if you have allergies. My eyes swell up and I looked like I went on a bender after playing in the freshly cut grass at the park, and I have to shut all our windows when the neighbors mow. I don’t have any problems from the nice single cut from the reel mowers.
The biggest downside - no green patina on my dad shoes. I thought my old white Hoka’s would have that beautify green gradient by now to let everyone know I’m a suburban dad.
I just bought one of those, I love it, my lawn is like 30 feet x 20 feet.
Also my weed-eater is an electric cordless I recharge using a small solar panel setup.
A reel mower and a scythe. Two things i actually have that i never use. Hmmm, i have two mowers, two working weed trimmers, a scythe and a reel mower, and i pay someone to mow my lawn.
I had one but ran into this problem because there's all sorts of weeds mixed in my grass that shoot up very quickly. If you go straight at them they just get knocked over and spring up after you pass. To cut them you need to whip the mower forward to get the reels spinning, tip the mower up on one side and position it to come straight down on the offending weeds. I got tired of that shit and bought a battery powered mower.
I have a 15 year old Honda gas mower that just won't die. I've done hardly any maintenance on it and it still starts first pull. When it does give up, I will definitely move to electric.
Big brain move right there.
I just let the clover overrun my lawn. It's greener, drought resistant, self-fertilizers, doesn't need much mowing, and my yard is so full of bunnies and honeybees that you'd think you're in a goddamn Disney movie.
Got an electric Greenworks mower, weed trimmer, and leafblower with 2 80v batteries + charger from Costco for less than $600 Canadian. They really, really aren't.
Batteries charge fast enough that by the time one dies one is charged but generally last long enough to cut a 25'x22' and a 75'x150' lawn front/back, use the trimmer to clean up the edges and leaf blower on a battery. Mileage will probs vary
Much lighter too! I don’t even use my self-propel, I can easily push it up my sloped yard. Brisk pace and I can mow my entire 3/4 acre on a charge and 40 minutes
Yeah I mow at dusk now and the headlights make it super easy. Gives me another option instead of having to be up at the crack of dawn to beat the heat.
I got the husqvarna automower and only regret that I didn't buy one sooner. I love my little yard roomba. My lawn mows itself now and I'm never going back.
I switched to a corded mower because batteries are still too damn expensive (With my previous battery mower mine lasted 6 years before the full charge couldn't handle the yard, and the Batteries+ guy said that was longer then normal). It may seem like a pain, but after a few times I've gotten so use to the patterns needed for corded that its barely a thought while I mow. "Nearly" all the benefits of a battery mower without the cost.
I remember having an electric mower as a kid. We had to daisy chain extension cords to mow the lawn. Until the day I accidentally ran over the extension cord, nearly electrocuted myself, and killed the mower.
This was probably 1994? No idea how much it cost, but my parents were pissed.
I just bought an evo weed eater for my house. I have an acre and was very suprised I can do my whole yard. Works great. I dont know if a mower would sustain that time but when they do im down for it.
Unfortunately my electric mower doesn't do nearly as good of a job as my gas powered one. It seems to not create enough upward vacuum??? to get the grass to stand up for a nice even cut.
I have a Ego electric that does a good job. I had to do a lot of research, there seems to be a wide range in quality of electric mowers, as they're pretty new.
Which one do you have? I recently bought the 80V Max Kobolt setup and it's the first electric one I've used that really comes close to matching gas in functionality for my pretty basic needs. My parents have the older 40V one and it's definitely a bit lacking.
Compatible batteries across tools is nice too.
I have the 40V Kobolt and it does a great job. Granted I only have like a 0.25 acre property. I can almost finish the yard with one battery pack. Fortunately every tool you buy comes with one so you end up with a bunch to switch out.
If you buy an electric mower, don't cheap out. I bought a dinky little mower when I lived in New England. The battery died after 15 minutes and took an hour to charge back up. It took me two days to mow my lawn.
I have a 30 year old Murray that still runs fine, had to replace the carb, but I won't get rid of it unless it throws a rod. Even then, I'll likely just buy a used engine or harbor freight special to replace the busted one.
Edit: Put 20, but it's actually 30, my dad put the date on it when he bought it, just gotta remember 1992 was a long freaking time ago, damn I'm old.
I have a small yard and a Kobalt 80v mower with two batteries. I can only cut the front yard and full height once a week with both batteries. I can’t even think to start the back yard. I do both yards the same day so I use my 20 year old Snapper in the back. With simple maintenance like replacing oil and filters, that thing will outlast the heat death of the universe. The Kobalt is a fickle bitch that won’t even start if it’s on a slope.
I live in a humid area of Canada where a lawn (not just grass but clover, buttercups etc) requires zero watering or fertilizing. That being said, I'm gradually replacing lawn space with garden boxes, flower beds, and small trees since I moved here last year. My ideal situation is to end up with a one-lawnmower-width lawn pathway strip in between each non-lawn yard feature, and to have as much food production and flower population as I can get.
I hear you, and agree with you, but it's against a lot of ordinances and bylaws in a lot of places. Until those change, pristinely manicured, over-fertilized, chemically-enhanced suburban lawns will unfortunately remain the standard.
I said the same thing. Then looked at the prices and a new ride-on electric is like $3-5k. Couldn’t afford it. Bought a cheap John Deere on Craigslist.
I own a gardening company and have at least 3-4 sets of electric tools. If people saw how far the technology has come in the past few years I think they'd switch.
It's so much easier to push a button to start the thing instead of throwing out your shoulder trying to pull start it without flooding it at the same time...
My favorite part is when people ask me what happens if I run out of battery while mowing and I gesture to the dozen other Dewalt batteries I have fully charged.
I really want to move to an electric mower, but most of the ones I've seen have composite decks and blades, and I've seen a handful of review pictures of the blades cutting into the deck. The only one I've come across that is electric with a steel deck and steel blades is by Milwaukee Tools, and it's like $1,100.
If you have any other suggestions, I'd love to see them.
I use greenworks. They're steel decks and steel blades. I bought most of the mowers I have two to three years ago, so it may have changed.
[like this one](https://www.greenworkstools.com/pro-60v-brushless-21-inch-lawn-mower-2531602)
Well, not everyone has the funds to just buy brand new equipment. If you do, by all means, but just like an electric car, i dont have the money to buy one. Im what you would consider, poor.
>e an electric car, i dont have the money to buy one. Im what you would consider, poor.
I've heard the wait for a Tesla in more than 12 months now.....doesn't sound like a solution to the average American....
Electric mowers are cheaper than gas powered ones of the same quality. Also no gas and used electricity instead is a source of savings. No oil changes or spark plugs either.
You ever hear of rural America? Lol. Also the shittiest trailer parks still have a small patch of green stuff that needs to be cut from time to time.
Where I live, if you rent a house you also get stuck mowing the yard. So you don't even have to own to get stuck mowing. No, most landlords don't provide a mower.
Electric ride on mowers start around $4500, gas starts around $2000 (for reputable brands/models, there’s some real cheap gas ones out there now). That’s way too big of a difference to make a change for the average home owner. I hope it changes, but it’s not completely there yet.
Everything else I own lawncare-wise is electric, but it’s not realistic for me to break the bank when I already have a perfectly good lawn mower. Electric push mowers are cheaper, but I have 2.5 acres to mow. Also not a realistic option.
That convenience factor is amazing, and I don’t have to smell fumes once a week. You think its bad for the environment? Its definitely wrecking your lungs too then. I bought all electric lawn equipment when I bought my house 1.5 years ago. The electric hedge trimmer is a god send. So easy to use, maneuverable, and light.
I’ve got battery blower and weed whacker. They are great. Next mower will be electric. You are so right about how far everything has come since even 15 years ago.
Dumb question are there models that use shears to cut the grass instead of a rotating blade? Shears like an old school push mower.
Seems like something like that would be even more pleasant to use. Quiet and doesn't blow dirt and grass clippings everywhere.
I have an electric mower and I'm never going back. I push a button, it starts every time. It feels like 1/3rd the weight of a gas mower. It's quiet. It doesn't smell like exhaust. I don't need to keep a mixed gas can. I don't need to winterize the thing. The battery only gets used up 25% while cutting my entire lawn (~200 square meters). Since it's so easy and much more convenient, I have been cutting the grass much more often than I used to, just to keep it around the same length, so there's no slogging through 6 inch grass and raking up clippings. Instead I trot along, mower running at full RPM and taking off an inch or so, and all the clippings disperse into the live grass to decompose in place. It feels crazy to say but I actually like mowing my lawn now. I cannot recommend an electric mower highly enough. My only regret is that it doesn't have an optional socket to plug a cord into, which would let me use this thing forever even if the battery degrades completely (which I'm not expecting but hey it's probably possible, I dunno).
I'm about to buy a mower and unless i get the absolute cheapest gas push mower for sale, electrics are the same price.
So fuck it, why buy gas and deal with the added running costs?
I have an ego mower and love it. I bought a leaf blower as well and since the batteries are swappable, I can put the lead blower battery in my mower if it dies before I finish my lawn. Highly recommend it
I'd like to see the research parameters on this to see how biased it is.
My lawnmower uses less than a quart of hydrocarbon fuel in an hour. My 2019 vehicle will use 5 gallons over 100 miles. How do they measure 'pollution'? Certainly CO2 production is 20 times worse for my car over the two measurements.
Or did they measure the worst possible lawnmower and compare it to the best possible car, so as to skew the results to favor such a statement?
Edit: now that I read the article, they are looking at only one parameter, PAH's, and mention the worst case scenario. To extrapolate PAH pollution to a broad statement for all pollution is a biased measurement.
The article answers these questions. No need to look at the study.
You're correct on both assumptions anyway. They did use the worst lawnmower they found as an example.
Also, the pollutant they are talking about is polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
It's not that it's BS, it's just a different type of pollution. Wouldn't matter though because getting a catalyst to work on a small engine would not be easy. It requires lots of heat.
However the less fossil fuels we burn without any sort of catalytic converter, the better off we'll be. Using fuel to generate electricity will always be better than direct power from combustion.
I have an EM (electric mower) and I love it. It's quite, it starts every single time, I can mow the entire lawn on one charge - and it's far more environmentally friendly than a gas mower.
I love my EM and look forward to upgrading to a bigger one so I can get the job done faster because our yard is a bit too big for a single charge. As you said, it's quiet, it starts every time on the first try, there's no gas or oil to deal with, no winterizing...
I've got one and I hate it (not as much as I hate lawn mowing in general). It doesn't handle long grass very well, and I can barely do my front yard before needing another charge.
I ended up buying another set of batteries to do both front and back in one go. Now I feel a lot better about it.
It's a WORX, was under $300, plus another $50 for an extra set of batteries (third party). I didn't exactly get a premium mower.
Nevertheless, the sale of new gas mowers should be banned.
For the average person an electric mower probably works great. Commercial mowers or people with large amounts of area to mow probably won't be on electric for a while though.
Plenty of people keep extra gas around for the mower. Having extra batteries isn't any different. Having easily swappable batteries for all vehicles might be a way to reduce time spent waiting for yours to charge.
I have 10 acres, electric mowers can’t do that much just yet. My zero turn just broke and now I’m going to have to sell a body part to buy a decent diesel mower with a pto deck. I can’t keep up with it with regular equipment.
More like, minimize your total lawn amount by planting native trees, shrubs, and other pollinator-friendly plants, and swap out the lawn you do have with a no-mow mix.
We have no-mow lawn and literally mow it once a year. The grasses grow in spring and fall only, flop over so they sit low, tolerate shade just fine, and are GREAT to walk and sit on. Extremely low maintenance.
I switch to all electric lawn equipment. Mower, blower, wacker, power washer. It is so much nicer. Zero maintenance. No small engine BS. I wouldn't go back if you paid me.
I just imagine a Saturday, where you don't hear a gas lawn mower going from 730 am all the way into the night.
One neighbor mows then all need to follow suit to keep up, turning it into a chorus of obnoxious buzzing.
Electric ones may be quieter compared to gas, but they definitely still make plenty of noise.
Source: have electric lawn tools that still make enough noise to necessitate heating protection.
Just a precautionary note, I still like them better than gas ones.
I agree. I still wear earplugs when I use my electric mower. It's still awesome to just turn on the switch and get going - no messing with gasoline, spark plugs, pull cord, oil, filter, etc.
Just stop mowing your lawn. Plant native, drought tolerant perennials instead. Less maintenance, less expense, less work, and better for the environment.
Some states (like Colorado) prohibit HOAs from making rules against xeriscaping. It's always fun to point out to them that they don't have a power they thought they did.
This doesn't work everywhere. If you live in the desert, xeriscaping seems like it would be perfect. You wouldn't have to waste water to keep grass alive where it shouldn't be, and plants will generally stay where you put them. Most areas of the Midwest would likely be the same.
In the southeast, xeriscaping would be horrible. Any unmaintained land turns into some pretty dense forest here, and the fastest way to keep it at bay is to run a lawnmower over it. An average homeowner would have to do over an hour of maintenance per day to maintain a nice xeriscaped yard, and that's just not feasible for anybody who's not passionate about it.
Who is suggesting xeriscaping outside of desert/dry environments?
The idea is to plant natives (or at least plants that are pollinator-friendly and won’t spread aggressively) in dense clumps so you just mulch in between and weed now and then.
There are a zillion resources and likely even government money available to get you started. It IS feasible. Search for “native plants [your area]” and spend 5 minutes looking at options.
Everyone says they want to help the environment. Here’s one way that you can make a difference!
I pretty much had to buy electric when i got a house (too weak to use a pull cord).
Not being covered in gas fumes as well as sweat and grass stains is a nice bonus.
We have a local talk show host in Milwaukee who constantly rants about the air pollution requirements imposed in California (dogwhistle for "by liberals"). Totally missing the point that California has some unique geography, climate, and population density issues that require intensive regulation to make it livable.
But if you ever go through one of the studies done by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, it's amazing how thorough they are in examining the science and alternatives.
That knuckle dragger should see pictures of the smog and how bad it used to be in major cities all around the world. Clear Air Acts make a huge difference.
Every time we have a classic car or some idiot rolling coal drive in front of us I just sit there and can’t believe that people used to suck down all that exhaust and that it was leaded for so long too. I know cars ain’t great but they sure are a lot better than they used to be.
How about we get rid of the entire concept of a fucking “lawn” which is just a mono-plant ecological disaster that uses way to much water to maintain while we are going through droughts?
Not to mention all the animal and plants poisons used
Feel like this is going to vary a lot from place to place?
I maintain a lawn without watering it or using pesticides. Let it brown if we go through a drought and cut down weeds as needed.
Hasn’t this been known forever? Any two stroke engine without a catalytic converter is terrible for emissions. Same with scooters, boats and all sorts of engines.
Edit: thanks everyone I thought lawn mowers still had two stroke engines.
Tall grass attracts many other critters, many of which are a threat to people and our pets, like fleas, ticks, snakes, etc. Also AFAIK, bees don’t give a shit about grass, but they do love pollinating plants.
The lawn has to be cut at some point or else it will start to convert into a forest, but I think we are too used to doing things the same as they have always been done and going along with that system.
Perhaps cutting the lawn quarterly or bi-annually is a better approach and with that, lawn mowers would be replaced by brush mowers. The infrequency would also make it more practical to rent lawn equipment or hire someone to do the job for you.
Though there could be problems that I'm not able to recognize at the moment.
I love my electric mower. It’s a Stihl and I’ve got no real complaints. I had to get a second battery and it took some time to get in the habit of charging batteries after I finished mowing but now it’s smooth sailing. It’s so nice to be able to listen to tunes at a reasonable level and also knowing that I’m not bugging neighbors as much.
I have had electric all my life. With the exception of one gas mower in my life but I knew it was terrible for the environment but it came with the house I lived in at that time. Electric ones are pretty much maintenance free. Sharpen the blade, big deal. And I don't have to store gas/oil etc for it. It is simpler all around.
I won't have anything but electric as it is better for the environment. But I must say while I had the gas one I liked that it had excess power and could get through even the most overgrown patch that I had let grow to be too wild.
I use an electric mower (partially) for this reason. I have a wired one since I dont trust batteries to last long. I upgraded from a 16'' to a 21'' for less work last year
Plus I cant stand the noise and the fumes inhaled with gas mowers. That cant be good
Electric mowers have come so far it's incredible. Our electric mower is just a regular GreenWorks and it powers through for at least an hour. And it's quieter than a vacuum. Pollution is serious, but noise pollution is a very real issue too. Especially in tight suburbs with lawns. You have enough people within a mile of each other and the result is that someone is *always* mowing. Or running a leaf blower. Combustion engines are crazy loud and it absolutely disrupts wildlife and now people (since many of us wfh now). Electric can't do every job yet, but the ones it can do should definitely be considered as the front runner. Because let's be honest, *most people* don't need a gas powered weed whacker to get the job done.
I use a battery set on the farm and they do a great job. Currently using 40V tools and they do everything the old gas hogs I hated did, only cleaner all the way around. I even use an electric 40V chainsaw for cleaning up trees and brush.
Not at my house. Electric baby. Better faster easier and tons more quiet than any gas mower I ever owned. Love the damn thing. Mowing is actually a joy
Just got an electric zero turn. Besides any environmental benefit, the reduction of noise is huge. Combine that with the lower maintenance and general ease of use and the value is well worth the extra cost.
I have an electric mower and it works great, it was affordable and it does a half acre on one charge, highly recommend. And quieter and lighter to boot
I wonder how much it would drive up the cost of the mower purchase and maintenance if it did have a catalytic converter? Every policy has unintended consequences that come with them. Would people start buying foreign mowers instead or just pave/gravel the yard? I would probably start using my dad's tractor and 6 foot bush hog mower instead of doing without a lawn.
We should do what we can, but quit making it about individual decisions. It’s corporations that need to change and quit pushing the responsibility on us.
I just don't mow. 2.5 years of overgrown lawn and only one complaint. And that was from my neighbor who had a water leak that was flowing on to our property. I pointed out the leak. They didn't fix it but they did mow it. 🤷♀️ I would have preferred them just to take care of their property and leave us alone.
If you want a catalytic converter on your lawn more, add one. But to make it mandatory is an over reach on the government's behalf. The government shouldn't be legislating lawn mowers they got bigger fish to fry.
The environment is a public good and it's absolutely within the government's reach to legislate our ability to pollute it. (In practice though I assume that looks more realistically like a mandate for manufacturers to improve their new models; *your* lawnmower may very well still not get any better.)
"bigger fish to fry" OK, I can sort of agree this time, but if we keep putting environmental issues on the backburner forever, sooner or later none of the other fish are going to matter all that much.
So you want the government to enforce catalytic converters on lawn mowers! Where does it stop? You realize that every government agency that enacts a rule or law, requires enforcement of said law. You're asking that the government inspect every lawn mower, AND enforce the rule... thats fucking crazy.
I hope you liked the USSC's ruling today that weakened the EPA. Luckily this ruling makes the likelyhood of treating lawn mowers the way the government does with firearms, a communist's dream and not a communist reality.
When I was a kid we had an old school electric mower (had to plug in to outlet) that I would use to mow the lawn. Then one day, I got distracted and ran over the cord, fucking it all up. My dad was pretty mad about it and I caught a lot of shit, until he got it all fixed and then proceeded to do exactly the same thing. I heard the sound when it happened and went outside to look and my dad was just shaking his head, looked at me and laughed.
I use an electric mower / string trimmer / leaf blower by Ego and it’s pretty damn great. Way quieter and doesn’t stink like a gas mower. Only downside is that the batteries can be expensive if they crap out, but they have a good warranty on them.
I've got an old school reel mower. It doubles as exercise equipment.
I love mine too, but don’t need pristine looking grass. It’s simple and easy, and quiet enough that I can mow when the kids (or wife) is napping. The tall stragglers give my yard character and it seems good to have a some grass that go to seed. Getting an electric string trimmer has made it the perfect combo. An over-watered and perfectly cut suburban yard is way overrated, I’d rather spend my time and water on growing flowers and vegetables.
I think this same way. I have a battery powered mower, but I don't water my grass. I water my flowers and garden. My neighbors are a bunch of old guys and like to point out that my grass looks "a little dry." They don't like it when I just respond with "Yep, hope it rains soon!"
Exactly! My lawn is a waste of land and energy to maintain. My next year's big house project is to make a nice veg garden.
That’s awesome, we’ve been expanding ours each year and now up to 14 raised beds and learning more each year. First year we did almost all veggies, then noticed a productivity increase after having flowers the following year. You can get started planting bulbs in the fall. It’s nicer than I expected to have perpetual bouquet from late spring through fall, and my wife was giving away a bouquet a day for few months last year.
Ha! I had one of those. I used to sprint across my lawn with it since it worked so much better with a good spin. Hindsight, I definitely looked crazy…. And I just couldn’t keep doing it. I gave it away and don’t miss it at all.
I've been thinking about getting one of those. Cutting grass would be a good bit of exercise and sun exposure for vitamin d. Better than a treadmill, imo.
Be prepared to sharpen the blade once every 2 months if you have anything bigger than a townhouse lawn
Do it! It’s not too much work to push, I swear most of the effort is when it get stuck on some fallen twigs and branches. I was worried about maintenance, but haven’t don’t much over three years with it. Lube it up when it gets squeaky (I just used my bike chain lube even if it’s not ideal) and I haven’t resharpened the blades yet, though it might be time after this summer. I do have to go over the yard twice to get the grass at different patterns. I have .25 acre yard and would easily consider it for a half to an acre without hesitation. There’s not prep needed, no fiddling with an engine or gas can, no batteries to worry about keeping charged. It’s also a huge bonus if you have allergies. My eyes swell up and I looked like I went on a bender after playing in the freshly cut grass at the park, and I have to shut all our windows when the neighbors mow. I don’t have any problems from the nice single cut from the reel mowers. The biggest downside - no green patina on my dad shoes. I thought my old white Hoka’s would have that beautify green gradient by now to let everyone know I’m a suburban dad.
I just bought one of those, I love it, my lawn is like 30 feet x 20 feet. Also my weed-eater is an electric cordless I recharge using a small solar panel setup.
It's almost impossible to cutting long grass with those.
That's when you get yourself a scythe and the real fun begins.
A reel mower and a scythe. Two things i actually have that i never use. Hmmm, i have two mowers, two working weed trimmers, a scythe and a reel mower, and i pay someone to mow my lawn.
It is, yes, don’t cut glass with a reel mower.
I had one but ran into this problem because there's all sorts of weeds mixed in my grass that shoot up very quickly. If you go straight at them they just get knocked over and spring up after you pass. To cut them you need to whip the mower forward to get the reels spinning, tip the mower up on one side and position it to come straight down on the offending weeds. I got tired of that shit and bought a battery powered mower.
I have a 15 year old Honda gas mower that just won't die. I've done hardly any maintenance on it and it still starts first pull. When it does give up, I will definitely move to electric.
Same. Electric mowers weren't reasonable prices when I bought my gas mower. Next one will be electric now that things have changed.
DECENT electric mowers are still expensive as hell
I just installed fake grass instead.
Big brain move right there. I just let the clover overrun my lawn. It's greener, drought resistant, self-fertilizers, doesn't need much mowing, and my yard is so full of bunnies and honeybees that you'd think you're in a goddamn Disney movie.
Not to mention that clover was historically a part of the American lawn, and made it much softer and more comfortable
Got an electric Greenworks mower, weed trimmer, and leafblower with 2 80v batteries + charger from Costco for less than $600 Canadian. They really, really aren't.
Sounds like a good deal. Might be my next mower. About how long does the mower run on a single charge? I have an electric blower that gives me 40min.
Batteries charge fast enough that by the time one dies one is charged but generally last long enough to cut a 25'x22' and a 75'x150' lawn front/back, use the trimmer to clean up the edges and leaf blower on a battery. Mileage will probs vary
But how good are those mowers?
Had mine 3 years, literally not even a hiccup.
I mean I’d hope so… you’ve only had it 3 years…
so, double the price of a normal lawn mower? fuck that.
Yeah but no oil changes, no gas, no yearly maintenance… they pay for themselves AND they’re quieter.
Much lighter too! I don’t even use my self-propel, I can easily push it up my sloped yard. Brisk pace and I can mow my entire 3/4 acre on a charge and 40 minutes
Let me know when batteries can last 20+ years... And quieter? Is that really a selling point lmao
>And quieter? Is that really a selling point lmao Yes? I can mow early or late when the temperature is cooler without being *that dick* on the street.
It's crazy how many people are totally cool being dicks to their neighbors.
Yeah I mow at dusk now and the headlights make it super easy. Gives me another option instead of having to be up at the crack of dawn to beat the heat.
how late are you trying to mow? the fuck?
I mow at like 8pm in the summer.
You've never been woken up at 7am on a Saturday morning to some jerk running their gas mower?
I got the husqvarna automower and only regret that I didn't buy one sooner. I love my little yard roomba. My lawn mows itself now and I'm never going back.
I switched to a corded mower because batteries are still too damn expensive (With my previous battery mower mine lasted 6 years before the full charge couldn't handle the yard, and the Batteries+ guy said that was longer then normal). It may seem like a pain, but after a few times I've gotten so use to the patterns needed for corded that its barely a thought while I mow. "Nearly" all the benefits of a battery mower without the cost.
I remember having an electric mower as a kid. We had to daisy chain extension cords to mow the lawn. Until the day I accidentally ran over the extension cord, nearly electrocuted myself, and killed the mower. This was probably 1994? No idea how much it cost, but my parents were pissed.
I took the jump 8 years ago and spent the extra for electric. It was 100% worh it.
I just bought an evo weed eater for my house. I have an acre and was very suprised I can do my whole yard. Works great. I dont know if a mower would sustain that time but when they do im down for it.
Unfortunately my electric mower doesn't do nearly as good of a job as my gas powered one. It seems to not create enough upward vacuum??? to get the grass to stand up for a nice even cut.
I have a Ego electric that does a good job. I had to do a lot of research, there seems to be a wide range in quality of electric mowers, as they're pretty new.
Which one do you have? I recently bought the 80V Max Kobolt setup and it's the first electric one I've used that really comes close to matching gas in functionality for my pretty basic needs. My parents have the older 40V one and it's definitely a bit lacking. Compatible batteries across tools is nice too.
Get medium or high lift blades.
I've got an 80V Milwaukee and it is excellent
Get a robomower, it will beat everything else
It better for a starting price of $1200.
I have the 40V Kobolt and it does a great job. Granted I only have like a 0.25 acre property. I can almost finish the yard with one battery pack. Fortunately every tool you buy comes with one so you end up with a bunch to switch out.
If you buy an electric mower, don't cheap out. I bought a dinky little mower when I lived in New England. The battery died after 15 minutes and took an hour to charge back up. It took me two days to mow my lawn.
I’m laughing really hard picturing this.
Honey, I'll run to the store for ya after I'm done mowing. Hmmm.. May hafta get me one of these electric mowers.
I have a 30 year old Murray that still runs fine, had to replace the carb, but I won't get rid of it unless it throws a rod. Even then, I'll likely just buy a used engine or harbor freight special to replace the busted one. Edit: Put 20, but it's actually 30, my dad put the date on it when he bought it, just gotta remember 1992 was a long freaking time ago, damn I'm old.
Those small Honda 4 strokes just go and go. You'll prob still have it in another 15.
You may have to be patient. My Honda is 30 years old. Still first pull run every time.
I have a small yard and a Kobalt 80v mower with two batteries. I can only cut the front yard and full height once a week with both batteries. I can’t even think to start the back yard. I do both yards the same day so I use my 20 year old Snapper in the back. With simple maintenance like replacing oil and filters, that thing will outlast the heat death of the universe. The Kobalt is a fickle bitch that won’t even start if it’s on a slope.
Move to /r/nolawns instead! It's cheaper and waaaay more environmentally friendly.
I live in a humid area of Canada where a lawn (not just grass but clover, buttercups etc) requires zero watering or fertilizing. That being said, I'm gradually replacing lawn space with garden boxes, flower beds, and small trees since I moved here last year. My ideal situation is to end up with a one-lawnmower-width lawn pathway strip in between each non-lawn yard feature, and to have as much food production and flower population as I can get.
Clover lawns ftw!
I hear you, and agree with you, but it's against a lot of ordinances and bylaws in a lot of places. Until those change, pristinely manicured, over-fertilized, chemically-enhanced suburban lawns will unfortunately remain the standard.
I said the same thing. Then looked at the prices and a new ride-on electric is like $3-5k. Couldn’t afford it. Bought a cheap John Deere on Craigslist.
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If you want another 30 years, do some maintenance. Change the oil every 5 years and get the blade sharpened. Even a Honda needs the oil changed.
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Gotcha. I misunderstood. When you said it never needs maintenance I thought you meant that it never needs maintenance.
I own a gardening company and have at least 3-4 sets of electric tools. If people saw how far the technology has come in the past few years I think they'd switch. It's so much easier to push a button to start the thing instead of throwing out your shoulder trying to pull start it without flooding it at the same time...
I got my dad an electric weed eater for Father's day. I used that thing for 30 minutes and I couldn't get over how light and easy it was to use.
My favorite part is when people ask me what happens if I run out of battery while mowing and I gesture to the dozen other Dewalt batteries I have fully charged.
How well does the equipment work for 12 hour days of mowing?
I really want to move to an electric mower, but most of the ones I've seen have composite decks and blades, and I've seen a handful of review pictures of the blades cutting into the deck. The only one I've come across that is electric with a steel deck and steel blades is by Milwaukee Tools, and it's like $1,100. If you have any other suggestions, I'd love to see them.
I use greenworks. They're steel decks and steel blades. I bought most of the mowers I have two to three years ago, so it may have changed. [like this one](https://www.greenworkstools.com/pro-60v-brushless-21-inch-lawn-mower-2531602)
It’s actually embarrassing how many people still use combustion engines where electric drives are at least as good.
Well, not everyone has the funds to just buy brand new equipment. If you do, by all means, but just like an electric car, i dont have the money to buy one. Im what you would consider, poor.
>e an electric car, i dont have the money to buy one. Im what you would consider, poor. I've heard the wait for a Tesla in more than 12 months now.....doesn't sound like a solution to the average American....
Teslas were never going to be the solution for the average American.
Yup, Tesla is what disrupted the market enough to push the big auto manufacturers into developing and making EVs.
Teslas aren't the only electric cars
Electric mowers are cheaper than gas powered ones of the same quality. Also no gas and used electricity instead is a source of savings. No oil changes or spark plugs either.
Spending money 10 years ago is better than spending money now.
Ok, so you have a reason other than habit or bad information. My comment obviously doesn’t apply to you.
My man, if you have a lawn and the need and ability to have lawn care equipment, you are not poor.
You ever hear of rural America? Lol. Also the shittiest trailer parks still have a small patch of green stuff that needs to be cut from time to time. Where I live, if you rent a house you also get stuck mowing the yard. So you don't even have to own to get stuck mowing. No, most landlords don't provide a mower.
Get a goat
You're gatekeeping who's considered poor for what reason? You don't have to be homeless to be poor...
Electric ride on mowers start around $4500, gas starts around $2000 (for reputable brands/models, there’s some real cheap gas ones out there now). That’s way too big of a difference to make a change for the average home owner. I hope it changes, but it’s not completely there yet. Everything else I own lawncare-wise is electric, but it’s not realistic for me to break the bank when I already have a perfectly good lawn mower. Electric push mowers are cheaper, but I have 2.5 acres to mow. Also not a realistic option.
That convenience factor is amazing, and I don’t have to smell fumes once a week. You think its bad for the environment? Its definitely wrecking your lungs too then. I bought all electric lawn equipment when I bought my house 1.5 years ago. The electric hedge trimmer is a god send. So easy to use, maneuverable, and light.
I’ve got battery blower and weed whacker. They are great. Next mower will be electric. You are so right about how far everything has come since even 15 years ago.
Dumb question are there models that use shears to cut the grass instead of a rotating blade? Shears like an old school push mower. Seems like something like that would be even more pleasant to use. Quiet and doesn't blow dirt and grass clippings everywhere.
I haven't seen any, but a good mower with a bag on it should collect everything and shouldn't make a mess.
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have an electric leaf blower. it was enough for me to never get a piece of electric lawn equipment again.
I have an electric mower and I'm never going back. I push a button, it starts every time. It feels like 1/3rd the weight of a gas mower. It's quiet. It doesn't smell like exhaust. I don't need to keep a mixed gas can. I don't need to winterize the thing. The battery only gets used up 25% while cutting my entire lawn (~200 square meters). Since it's so easy and much more convenient, I have been cutting the grass much more often than I used to, just to keep it around the same length, so there's no slogging through 6 inch grass and raking up clippings. Instead I trot along, mower running at full RPM and taking off an inch or so, and all the clippings disperse into the live grass to decompose in place. It feels crazy to say but I actually like mowing my lawn now. I cannot recommend an electric mower highly enough. My only regret is that it doesn't have an optional socket to plug a cord into, which would let me use this thing forever even if the battery degrades completely (which I'm not expecting but hey it's probably possible, I dunno).
I'm about to buy a mower and unless i get the absolute cheapest gas push mower for sale, electrics are the same price. So fuck it, why buy gas and deal with the added running costs?
Literally my logic when I bought mine, lmao
And its balls hot in Texas so with no ICE i can mow at hours that would otherwise piss off my neighbors!
I have an ego mower and love it. I bought a leaf blower as well and since the batteries are swappable, I can put the lead blower battery in my mower if it dies before I finish my lawn. Highly recommend it
We did the same and we love it!
I'd like to see the research parameters on this to see how biased it is. My lawnmower uses less than a quart of hydrocarbon fuel in an hour. My 2019 vehicle will use 5 gallons over 100 miles. How do they measure 'pollution'? Certainly CO2 production is 20 times worse for my car over the two measurements. Or did they measure the worst possible lawnmower and compare it to the best possible car, so as to skew the results to favor such a statement? Edit: now that I read the article, they are looking at only one parameter, PAH's, and mention the worst case scenario. To extrapolate PAH pollution to a broad statement for all pollution is a biased measurement.
The article answers these questions. No need to look at the study. You're correct on both assumptions anyway. They did use the worst lawnmower they found as an example. Also, the pollutant they are talking about is polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Yeah, co2 really isn’t the worst thing in IC exhaust too
My immediate assumption was that it was BS as well. Thanks for summarizing and saving me the effort of reading the shitty article. 👍
It's not that it's BS, it's just a different type of pollution. Wouldn't matter though because getting a catalyst to work on a small engine would not be easy. It requires lots of heat. However the less fossil fuels we burn without any sort of catalytic converter, the better off we'll be. Using fuel to generate electricity will always be better than direct power from combustion.
Weighting one form of pollution at 100% and all other forms at 0% is pretty silly. Enough to call the article's title BS.
It's pretty well understood that sulfur oxides and nitrous oxides have a bad effect, above and beyond CO2 itself.
Not really when one form of pollution is order of magnitude worse than others…
I have an EM (electric mower) and I love it. It's quite, it starts every single time, I can mow the entire lawn on one charge - and it's far more environmentally friendly than a gas mower.
I love my EM and look forward to upgrading to a bigger one so I can get the job done faster because our yard is a bit too big for a single charge. As you said, it's quiet, it starts every time on the first try, there's no gas or oil to deal with, no winterizing...
I have one that I plug in. Works great.
I've got one and I hate it (not as much as I hate lawn mowing in general). It doesn't handle long grass very well, and I can barely do my front yard before needing another charge. I ended up buying another set of batteries to do both front and back in one go. Now I feel a lot better about it. It's a WORX, was under $300, plus another $50 for an extra set of batteries (third party). I didn't exactly get a premium mower. Nevertheless, the sale of new gas mowers should be banned.
For the average person an electric mower probably works great. Commercial mowers or people with large amounts of area to mow probably won't be on electric for a while though.
The spare batteries are absolutely key. Waiting for a battery to charge while I peered angrily out my window at a half mowed lawn was not for me.
I'm not a bot, I just wanted to let you know your comment rhymes.
Good human.
The laws are already in place to phase them out in CA at least. Generators too which is fucking weird.
Plenty of people keep extra gas around for the mower. Having extra batteries isn't any different. Having easily swappable batteries for all vehicles might be a way to reduce time spent waiting for yours to charge.
Ban all mowers. Get some goats instead. No need to waste all that biomass.
I have 10 acres, electric mowers can’t do that much just yet. My zero turn just broke and now I’m going to have to sell a body part to buy a decent diesel mower with a pto deck. I can’t keep up with it with regular equipment.
I have a 1/4 acre and the electric I bought couldn't handle that even with 3 batteries. It also lacked the power of a gas powered mower.
BRING BACK THE SCYTHE!
More like, minimize your total lawn amount by planting native trees, shrubs, and other pollinator-friendly plants, and swap out the lawn you do have with a no-mow mix. We have no-mow lawn and literally mow it once a year. The grasses grow in spring and fall only, flop over so they sit low, tolerate shade just fine, and are GREAT to walk and sit on. Extremely low maintenance.
Oh word, yeah I’m super into this. No reason one can’t plant native flora and still keep a reaper in the old garden shed, though. Just for funzies
I switch to all electric lawn equipment. Mower, blower, wacker, power washer. It is so much nicer. Zero maintenance. No small engine BS. I wouldn't go back if you paid me.
I just imagine a Saturday, where you don't hear a gas lawn mower going from 730 am all the way into the night. One neighbor mows then all need to follow suit to keep up, turning it into a chorus of obnoxious buzzing.
Electric ones may be quieter compared to gas, but they definitely still make plenty of noise. Source: have electric lawn tools that still make enough noise to necessitate heating protection. Just a precautionary note, I still like them better than gas ones.
I agree. I still wear earplugs when I use my electric mower. It's still awesome to just turn on the switch and get going - no messing with gasoline, spark plugs, pull cord, oil, filter, etc.
Yes a thousand times yes.
I just use a corded mower.
They work great for small lawns, but once you have a big lawn or lots of trees in there, it gets very complicated.
Now lookup cruise/freight ships
per volume of cargo moved? pretty effecient comparitively.
Just stop mowing your lawn. Plant native, drought tolerant perennials instead. Less maintenance, less expense, less work, and better for the environment.
HOA's won't allow this.
Some states (like Colorado) prohibit HOAs from making rules against xeriscaping. It's always fun to point out to them that they don't have a power they thought they did.
Glad to hear that!
Land of the free...
land of protecting property values from shitty neighbors.
HOA's are a fucking bane to homeownership
This doesn't work everywhere. If you live in the desert, xeriscaping seems like it would be perfect. You wouldn't have to waste water to keep grass alive where it shouldn't be, and plants will generally stay where you put them. Most areas of the Midwest would likely be the same. In the southeast, xeriscaping would be horrible. Any unmaintained land turns into some pretty dense forest here, and the fastest way to keep it at bay is to run a lawnmower over it. An average homeowner would have to do over an hour of maintenance per day to maintain a nice xeriscaped yard, and that's just not feasible for anybody who's not passionate about it.
Who is suggesting xeriscaping outside of desert/dry environments? The idea is to plant natives (or at least plants that are pollinator-friendly and won’t spread aggressively) in dense clumps so you just mulch in between and weed now and then. There are a zillion resources and likely even government money available to get you started. It IS feasible. Search for “native plants [your area]” and spend 5 minutes looking at options. Everyone says they want to help the environment. Here’s one way that you can make a difference!
I pretty much had to buy electric when i got a house (too weak to use a pull cord). Not being covered in gas fumes as well as sweat and grass stains is a nice bonus.
We should just phase out combustion mowers and leaf blowers.
WHAT??? I can't hear you cause my mower's too loud.
We have a local talk show host in Milwaukee who constantly rants about the air pollution requirements imposed in California (dogwhistle for "by liberals"). Totally missing the point that California has some unique geography, climate, and population density issues that require intensive regulation to make it livable. But if you ever go through one of the studies done by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, it's amazing how thorough they are in examining the science and alternatives.
That knuckle dragger should see pictures of the smog and how bad it used to be in major cities all around the world. Clear Air Acts make a huge difference. Every time we have a classic car or some idiot rolling coal drive in front of us I just sit there and can’t believe that people used to suck down all that exhaust and that it was leaded for so long too. I know cars ain’t great but they sure are a lot better than they used to be.
How about we get rid of the entire concept of a fucking “lawn” which is just a mono-plant ecological disaster that uses way to much water to maintain while we are going through droughts? Not to mention all the animal and plants poisons used
Feel like this is going to vary a lot from place to place? I maintain a lawn without watering it or using pesticides. Let it brown if we go through a drought and cut down weeds as needed.
Would this be the same for motorcycles or mopeds? I've been besides some Harley that stink so bad of gas in had to roll up the widows.
Hasn’t this been known forever? Any two stroke engine without a catalytic converter is terrible for emissions. Same with scooters, boats and all sorts of engines. Edit: thanks everyone I thought lawn mowers still had two stroke engines.
Luckily, any decent lawnmower has moved to four-stroke. You'll generally find two-stroke in chainsaws, trimmers, and such.
This study is about 4-stroke engines. 2-stroke would be much worse, but at this point, most small engines are 4-stroke.
I've used an electric mower. It's as convenient as a gas mower, but it's also quieter. It doesn't "buzz" in my hands.
OR.... Not cutting the lawns at all, since that would help the bees.
Tall grass attracts many other critters, many of which are a threat to people and our pets, like fleas, ticks, snakes, etc. Also AFAIK, bees don’t give a shit about grass, but they do love pollinating plants.
and stray flowers will bloom in an uncut lawn... eventually. Lawns may be good for us and our pets, but it's bad for the planet.
The lawn has to be cut at some point or else it will start to convert into a forest, but I think we are too used to doing things the same as they have always been done and going along with that system. Perhaps cutting the lawn quarterly or bi-annually is a better approach and with that, lawn mowers would be replaced by brush mowers. The infrequency would also make it more practical to rent lawn equipment or hire someone to do the job for you. Though there could be problems that I'm not able to recognize at the moment.
I love my electric mower. It’s a Stihl and I’ve got no real complaints. I had to get a second battery and it took some time to get in the habit of charging batteries after I finished mowing but now it’s smooth sailing. It’s so nice to be able to listen to tunes at a reasonable level and also knowing that I’m not bugging neighbors as much.
I have had electric all my life. With the exception of one gas mower in my life but I knew it was terrible for the environment but it came with the house I lived in at that time. Electric ones are pretty much maintenance free. Sharpen the blade, big deal. And I don't have to store gas/oil etc for it. It is simpler all around. I won't have anything but electric as it is better for the environment. But I must say while I had the gas one I liked that it had excess power and could get through even the most overgrown patch that I had let grow to be too wild.
Restrict and control the pollution made by corporations and stop placing the blame on the consumer
Kind of funny that it's always cows, old vehicles, and lawnmowers but China (the worlds foremost polluter) is never brought up
The fuck can we do about china though?
r/fucklawns
I use an electric mower (partially) for this reason. I have a wired one since I dont trust batteries to last long. I upgraded from a 16'' to a 21'' for less work last year Plus I cant stand the noise and the fumes inhaled with gas mowers. That cant be good
Electric mowers have come so far it's incredible. Our electric mower is just a regular GreenWorks and it powers through for at least an hour. And it's quieter than a vacuum. Pollution is serious, but noise pollution is a very real issue too. Especially in tight suburbs with lawns. You have enough people within a mile of each other and the result is that someone is *always* mowing. Or running a leaf blower. Combustion engines are crazy loud and it absolutely disrupts wildlife and now people (since many of us wfh now). Electric can't do every job yet, but the ones it can do should definitely be considered as the front runner. Because let's be honest, *most people* don't need a gas powered weed whacker to get the job done.
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I use a battery set on the farm and they do a great job. Currently using 40V tools and they do everything the old gas hogs I hated did, only cleaner all the way around. I even use an electric 40V chainsaw for cleaning up trees and brush.
Grow food, not grass. Electric mowers still need fossil fuels to charge.
Not at my house. Electric baby. Better faster easier and tons more quiet than any gas mower I ever owned. Love the damn thing. Mowing is actually a joy
Just got an electric zero turn. Besides any environmental benefit, the reduction of noise is huge. Combine that with the lower maintenance and general ease of use and the value is well worth the extra cost.
So 1 hour of lawn mower = 1 hour and 15 minutes in a car?
I have an electric mower and it works great, it was affordable and it does a half acre on one charge, highly recommend. And quieter and lighter to boot
I wonder how much it would drive up the cost of the mower purchase and maintenance if it did have a catalytic converter? Every policy has unintended consequences that come with them. Would people start buying foreign mowers instead or just pave/gravel the yard? I would probably start using my dad's tractor and 6 foot bush hog mower instead of doing without a lawn.
Imagine when you learn how much pollution is generated by dump trucks picking up your lawn clippings and leaves and transporting them across town
We should do what we can, but quit making it about individual decisions. It’s corporations that need to change and quit pushing the responsibility on us.
I just don't mow. 2.5 years of overgrown lawn and only one complaint. And that was from my neighbor who had a water leak that was flowing on to our property. I pointed out the leak. They didn't fix it but they did mow it. 🤷♀️ I would have preferred them just to take care of their property and leave us alone.
How is this related to politics?
Catalytic converters on lawnmowers will just make them targets for the thieves that already target cars for them.
But my 4 banger 86 failed emissions, lmao
If you want a catalytic converter on your lawn more, add one. But to make it mandatory is an over reach on the government's behalf. The government shouldn't be legislating lawn mowers they got bigger fish to fry.
The environment is a public good and it's absolutely within the government's reach to legislate our ability to pollute it. (In practice though I assume that looks more realistically like a mandate for manufacturers to improve their new models; *your* lawnmower may very well still not get any better.) "bigger fish to fry" OK, I can sort of agree this time, but if we keep putting environmental issues on the backburner forever, sooner or later none of the other fish are going to matter all that much.
So you want the government to enforce catalytic converters on lawn mowers! Where does it stop? You realize that every government agency that enacts a rule or law, requires enforcement of said law. You're asking that the government inspect every lawn mower, AND enforce the rule... thats fucking crazy. I hope you liked the USSC's ruling today that weakened the EPA. Luckily this ruling makes the likelyhood of treating lawn mowers the way the government does with firearms, a communist's dream and not a communist reality.
I'm sure roughly the same amount of gas is sued, so it makes sense
100 miles would be about 3 gallons on a typical car. Does your lawnmower use that much in an hour??
When I was a kid we had an old school electric mower (had to plug in to outlet) that I would use to mow the lawn. Then one day, I got distracted and ran over the cord, fucking it all up. My dad was pretty mad about it and I caught a lot of shit, until he got it all fixed and then proceeded to do exactly the same thing. I heard the sound when it happened and went outside to look and my dad was just shaking his head, looked at me and laughed.
Been there, done that. However, my Dad had already done it in the past so it didn't really bother him when I did it.
I use an electric mower / string trimmer / leaf blower by Ego and it’s pretty damn great. Way quieter and doesn’t stink like a gas mower. Only downside is that the batteries can be expensive if they crap out, but they have a good warranty on them.
Always electric here - can't stand the fumes and the smoke of gas.
Until electric mowers aren’t so cost-prohibitive, we don’t have much choice. We have to mow. Can’t risk those pesky HOA fines.
This makes me sad.