I've been looking to buy a replacement for my old dog, and I've seen
these. But I still wonder if the technology is still a bit early.

"46erjoe" wrote in message
...
I've been looking to buy a replacement for my old dog, and I've seen
these. But I still wonder if the technology is still a bit early.

I had an Ryobi cordless weed eater, loved it. 5 years later the charger was
shot and the batteries were not much better. Replacements were no where to
be found. Sure I could piece it together but that cost more than 2x a new
corded one.
I have a corded lawn mower. Ok as long as I keep the grass dry and short.

Not sure where you live but in the SF Bay area there is a govt sponsored
buyback next month
http://www.baaqmd.gov/pio/lawnmower/lawnmower_06.htm



"46erjoe" wrote in message
...
I've been looking to buy a replacement for my old dog, and I've seen
these. But I still wonder if the technology is still a bit early.

On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 00:05:18 GMT, 46erjoe
wrote:

I've been looking to buy a replacement for my old dog, and I've seen
these. But I still wonder if the technology is still a bit early.

I've never tried one, but I suspect a battery-powered lawn mower will
only work with battery-powered grass.

On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 00:41:01 GMT, "PipeDown"
wrote:

Not sure where you live but in the SF Bay area there is a govt sponsored
buyback next month
http://www.baaqmd.gov/pio/lawnmower/lawnmower_06.htm

I thought you meant battery was no good and the govt was buying *them*
back, for some reason. Rather, it is the opposite, for battery and
corded mowers.



"46erjoe" wrote in message
.. .
I've been looking to buy a replacement for my old dog, and I've seen
these. But I still wonder if the technology is still a bit early.

Have been using a cordless mower from Black Decker for 4 or 5 years
now. I have had few problems, you do have to replace the battery about
every 3rd year, (it will not hold a charge) cost about 125.00 to
replace. For the 125.00 the Black and Decker service place charges me,
they clean, adjust, etc.and give the machine back looking almost new.
I have a small lawn maybe 100 by 30 ft, usually will run long enough
on a single charge to complete the job, unless I let the grass get too
tall. I would recommend it for most people with a small yard, or are
willing to wait for the machine to recharge before completing the job.
One thing I dislike is the fact the mower is fairly heavy to push
around and you can not get a self-propelled model. I love never having
a problem starting, not dragging a cord around, and do not miss having
to buy and keep gas and oil laying around the house. I also use a
cordless line trimmer works very good, only draw back, kind of heavy
for my wife to use (:

"46erjoe" wrote in message
...
I've been looking to buy a replacement for my old dog, and I've seen
these. But I still wonder if the technology is still a bit early.

Battery technology is pretty good these days in general. I've even seen a
robotic electric lawn mover, kinda like a roomba. I had a corded mower, and
if you add a battery I think the weight will be "comparable" to a gas mower
but not self propelled.

Electrics (battery or corded) are only for smaller yards, that may be the
biggest consideration. My corded mower was great when I lived in town.
But, I now have a house centered on a 90 x 175 lot and the trees and bushes
really get in the way of the cord. I reluctantly ended up going gas.

Steve

46erjoe wrote:
I've been looking to buy a replacement for my old dog, and I've seen
these. But I still wonder if the technology is still a bit early.

If you search this forum, you'll find a review or two that I wrote for
the Robomower:

Here it is

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.h... eac1dae2aa6c

In summary, I love the Robomower.

What I'd like to see is one that runs on both and when the battery will no
longer take a charge, it would still run on the cord thereby not forcing me
to get a new batterry or new mower.


"mrsgator88" wrote in message
. net...
"46erjoe" wrote in message
...
I've been looking to buy a replacement for my old dog, and I've seen
these. But I still wonder if the technology is still a bit early.

Battery technology is pretty good these days in general. I've even seen a
robotic electric lawn mover, kinda like a roomba. I had a corded mower,
and if you add a battery I think the weight will be "comparable" to a gas
mower but not self propelled.

Electrics (battery or corded) are only for smaller yards, that may be the
biggest consideration. My corded mower was great when I lived in town.
But, I now have a house centered on a 90 x 175 lot and the trees and
bushes really get in the way of the cord. I reluctantly ended up going
gas.

Steve

Have the Black/Decker CM1000, cost about $430. Three years old. Never a
problem.

Always starts on first pull LOL. Easy for the kids to operate, don't
have to change the oil, etc. I can get about an hour of mowing done if
the grass is dry and medium height.

If's really wet and tall, cut that time by half.

Only complaint is that it doesn't have the power of a good gas mower,
but then again, I'm not mowing bamboo. As another poster said, they are
a bit heavy.

Haven't needed a battery yet, but I heard the early models of this did
have some battery problems. I'm hoping that by 2003, when I bought
mine, that they had that sorted out....

On Thu, 20 Apr 2006 23:24:19 -0400, mm
wrote:

On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 00:05:18 GMT, 46erjoe
wrote:

I've been looking to buy a replacement for my old dog, and I've seen
these. But I still wonder if the technology is still a bit early.

I've never tried one, but I suspect a battery-powered lawn mower will
only work with battery-powered grass.

And every 3 years you have to replace the battery in each blade, or it
turns brown and gives off a foul odor.
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what
to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb
contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin

On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 06:15:34 -0600, Random Netizen
wrote:

In article , says...
I've been looking to buy a replacement for my old dog, and I've seen
these. But I still wonder if the technology is still a bit early.

If you want to get an environmentally-friendly lawn mower, get a manual lawn mower. They
require more elbow grease to function, but they use up no electricity, produce no
exhaust, and simply need to be kept sharp.

Once when I was in a Lowe's recently, someone asked about one. They
didn't have any.
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what
to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb
contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin

On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 17:56:58 GMT, "PipeDown"
wrote:

What I'd like to see is one that runs on both and when the battery will no
longer take a charge, it would still run on the cord thereby not forcing me
to get a new batterry or new mower.

Get one of those cars that run on both, and put a blade underneath it.


"mrsgator88" wrote in message
.net...
"46erjoe" wrote in message
...
I've been looking to buy a replacement for my old dog, and I've seen
these. But I still wonder if the technology is still a bit early.

Battery technology is pretty good these days in general. I've even seen a
robotic electric lawn mover, kinda like a roomba. I had a corded mower,
and if you add a battery I think the weight will be "comparable" to a gas
mower but not self propelled.

Electrics (battery or corded) are only for smaller yards, that may be the
biggest consideration. My corded mower was great when I lived in town.
But, I now have a house centered on a 90 x 175 lot and the trees and
bushes really get in the way of the cord. I reluctantly ended up going
gas.

Steve

If you are considering a Black a Decker cordless mower, sometimes you
can buy Factory Refurbished at a B and D store. A friend bought one,
his is a refurbished and has had no problems, comes with same warranty
as a new one.

Walt wrote:
If you are considering a Black a Decker cordless mower, sometimes you
can buy Factory Refurbished at a B and D store. A friend bought one,
his is a refurbished and has had no problems, comes with same warranty
as a new one.

Exactly what I did two years ago, paid $210. Looked like it was never
out of the box. It definitely had never been used to cut grass. I
think the batteries are now having problems holding enough charge to
perform as specified (cuts 6000 sq. ft. on a charge) but still adequate
to cut my 3000 sq. ft. lawn. I'm wondering if a pair of motorcycle
batteries of the approximately same dimensions would work ($20 to $30
each) rather than the $125 that others quoted for replacement.

Lena

On Sat, 22 Apr 2006 19:33:25 -0600, Random Netizen
wrote:

In article , 10 says...
If you want to get an environmentally-friendly lawn mower, get a manual lawn mower. They
require more elbow grease to function, but they use up no electricity, produce no
exhaust, and simply need to be kept sharp.

Once when I was in a Lowe's recently, someone asked about one. They
didn't have any.

And, of course, if they don't have them at Lowe's, then they simply don't exist.

Now that there's a Lowe's in town, some people will forget about the
others.
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what
to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb
contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin

Mys Terry wrote:
"Lena" wrote:
Walt wrote:
buy Factory Refurbished at a B and D store.
Exactly what I did two years ago, ...I'm wondering if a pair of motorcycle
batteries of the approximately same dimensions would work ($20 to $30
each) rather than the $125 that others quoted for replacement.

Lena

Motorcycle batteries would not last very long at all with that sort of use. You
need deep cycle batteries.

Took your advice and searched high and low for deep cycle, sealed,
rechargeable lead acid batteries. Nothing online, but found a pair
here in Montgomery County, MD, at Battery Warehouse off Gude Drive (395
E Gude Drive). Exactly the same size, made by Toyo, a Chinese Company,
which replaced the Panasonics, also made in China. $90 for the pair,
with tax; not as bad as I imagined. Installed the batteries, had
enough charge on them to run the mower and verify everything was hooked
up properly, but I put them on the charger and will test them out at
the next mowing.

I read up on the difference between starting batteries and deep cycle
batteries, where starting batteries have mesh-like plates designed to
deliver high current for a short time. These mesh plates would fail if
the battery is continually fully discharged. The deep cycle batteries
have solid plates, provide lower current initially, but over a long
period. They can tolerate full discharge/charge cycles and will last
longer in a lawnmower.

Lena

Follow up on experience with Toyo batteries to replace original
Panasonic batteries in my B&D CM1000 lawnmower: These batteries lasted
for the full mowing job and there was hardly any drop in voltage by the
time I was finished. The Panasonics always seemed to get close or into
the yellow zone on the lawnmower's voltage indicator by the time I
completed mowing my less than 3000 sq ft of lawn. I suspect now that
the reason I was able to pick up this pristine mower at a B&D Outlet
for half the retail price was that the batteries were defective. Can't
complain, I got almost three years out of the pair of original
batteries, but if one is getting a deal on this mower, they ought to
figure in the cost of a new pair of batteries ($90) to anything sold at
a B&D Outlet.

Lena