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  #1   Report Post  
R. Guzman
 
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Default Electric Mower? Any thoughts?

I just had my gas mower die on me. I'm reducing my landscape down to 20' x
20' due to my backyard being paved.
All I left with is a small lawn area in front of the house and a side strip.

Made me wonder, if my new mover might not need to so powerful or gas
operated at that.

Anyone may the switch for Gas to Electric mower and if so, do you recommend?

Anything for me to look for in a new Electric Mower?

Thanks.


  #2   Report Post  
Curly Sue
 
Posts: n/a
Default Electric Mower? Any thoughts?

On Wed, 04 Aug 2004 01:05:15 GMT, "R. Guzman"
wrote:

I just had my gas mower die on me. I'm reducing my landscape down to 20' x
20' due to my backyard being paved.
All I left with is a small lawn area in front of the house and a side strip.

Made me wonder, if my new mover might not need to so powerful or gas
operated at that.

Anyone may the switch for Gas to Electric mower and if so, do you recommend?

Anything for me to look for in a new Electric Mower?


I first bought a gas mower at Home Despot. Took the box out of the
car with great difficulty (heavy!), found the manual, read about gas,
preparing the mower for winter storage, etc. etc. etc., put right back
in the box and took the darn thing back. I wanted to buy a reel mower
(would that work for you) but none were available at that time, so I
got the smallest electric I could find (Black and Decker 18"
mulching).

I see now they have the electrics with handles that flip so you can
change directions easily; that adds maneuverability in small spaces.
I wish I had it. Mine did not come with a bag to catch clippings, it
was extra. It mulches really well. I see my neighbors leaving big
clumps of grass on their lawn after they mow but that never happens
with mine no matter how long the grass gets. The only way I can tell
it's leaving anything is when I go onto the sidewalk to turn, and see
green "dust" blowing out from underneath. Also my string trimmer
gets great green gobs of grassy gook caked under it but the mower is
always clean as a whistle for some reason.

Remember, with an extension cord, start close to the outlet and work
your way out so the cord extends as you go back and forth. That way
you won't have to worry about the cord getting in the way.

Oh, yeah, don't mow when the grass is wet ;

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!
  #3   Report Post  
m Ransley
 
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Default Electric Mower? Any thoughts?

20 x20 get in shape, use a push mower, lazy ....

  #4   Report Post  
m Ransley
 
Posts: n/a
Default Electric Mower? Any thoughts?

20 x20 get in shape, use a push mower, lazy ....

  #5   Report Post  
R. Guzman
 
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Default Electric Mower? Any thoughts?

Great Note, Thanks.

"Curly Sue" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 04 Aug 2004 01:05:15 GMT, "R. Guzman"
wrote:

I just had my gas mower die on me. I'm reducing my landscape down to 20'

x
20' due to my backyard being paved.
All I left with is a small lawn area in front of the house and a side

strip.

Made me wonder, if my new mover might not need to so powerful or gas
operated at that.

Anyone may the switch for Gas to Electric mower and if so, do you

recommend?

Anything for me to look for in a new Electric Mower?


I first bought a gas mower at Home Despot. Took the box out of the
car with great difficulty (heavy!), found the manual, read about gas,
preparing the mower for winter storage, etc. etc. etc., put right back
in the box and took the darn thing back. I wanted to buy a reel mower
(would that work for you) but none were available at that time, so I
got the smallest electric I could find (Black and Decker 18"
mulching).

I see now they have the electrics with handles that flip so you can
change directions easily; that adds maneuverability in small spaces.
I wish I had it. Mine did not come with a bag to catch clippings, it
was extra. It mulches really well. I see my neighbors leaving big
clumps of grass on their lawn after they mow but that never happens
with mine no matter how long the grass gets. The only way I can tell
it's leaving anything is when I go onto the sidewalk to turn, and see
green "dust" blowing out from underneath. Also my string trimmer
gets great green gobs of grassy gook caked under it but the mower is
always clean as a whistle for some reason.

Remember, with an extension cord, start close to the outlet and work
your way out so the cord extends as you go back and forth. That way
you won't have to worry about the cord getting in the way.

Oh, yeah, don't mow when the grass is wet ;

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!





  #6   Report Post  
R. Guzman
 
Posts: n/a
Default Electric Mower? Any thoughts?

I'm 49 yrs old, and I figure I might as well be lazy now. (Thanks for
making me smile, though :-)

"m Ransley" wrote in message
...
20 x20 get in shape, use a push mower, lazy ....



  #7   Report Post  
Joe Doe
 
Posts: n/a
Default Electric Mower? Any thoughts?

In article . net,
"R. Guzman" wrote:

Anyone may the switch for Gas to Electric mower and if so, do you recommend?

Anything for me to look for in a new Electric Mower?

Thanks.



I have plugged Electrics before (do a google search with my name and
mower) for my general thoughts 7+ years of experience with them.

In my area, the only choice is Black and Decker. I have had very good
experience with their mowers (never bought small tools from them) and
the following story illustrates it:

My two year old Black and Decker had a problem at the beginning of this
season where I could not tighten the blade - it would freewheel, because
an internal part was probably broken. After spending half a day trying
to find the receipt, I went to the local Black and Decker store eager to
present it. The guy just looked at the number on the unit as I wheeled
it in and said it was under warranty, no need for receipt. They
completed the repair under warranty and offered me a courtesy discount
on some other stuff that I bought at the store. They even diagnosed a
switch problem on an older electric that I shared with a friend for
about five years (now 7+ years) and sold me the part to fix it. So they
get an A for service.

Normally, Black and Decker gets a lot of bashing on their small power
tool quality. I have been very pleased with their mowers and would
recommend them without hesitation.

Roland
  #8   Report Post  
Ron
 
Posts: n/a
Default Electric Mower? Any thoughts?

I use a push mower and I have a few years on you. It's more of a pain to get
the cord, unravel it, and plug it in than pulling out the push mower. It
only takes a few minutes to mow a small area and it's quieter and cheaper.



"R. Guzman" wrote in message
ink.net...
I just had my gas mower die on me. I'm reducing my landscape down to 20'

x
20' due to my backyard being paved.
All I left with is a small lawn area in front of the house and a side

strip.

Made me wonder, if my new mover might not need to so powerful or gas
operated at that.

Anyone may the switch for Gas to Electric mower and if so, do you

recommend?

Anything for me to look for in a new Electric Mower?

Thanks.




  #9   Report Post  
Chuck Yerkes
 
Posts: n/a
Default Electric Mower? Any thoughts?

R. Guzman wrote:
"m Ransley" wrote
20 x20 get in shape, use a push mower, lazy ....


I'm 49 yrs old, and I figure I might as well be lazy now. (Thanks
for making me smile, though :-)


The push mowers of 2004 are NOT the ones my gramma made me use in the
60s/70s. Dull blades, steel and iron. Perhaps rusty.

No, the new ones weigh about 2/3rd less, have better blades and gearing
and are just generally not the punishment that the ones you're thinking of.

Hit your Sears and check them out.
400 square feet ain't a lot of work to push mow. It's silent and might
take you an hour. get lazy when you're 69.
  #10   Report Post  
John W. Wells
 
Posts: n/a
Default Electric Mower? Any thoughts?

On Wed, 04 Aug 2004 01:35:29 GMT, (Curly
Sue) wrote:

On Wed, 04 Aug 2004 01:05:15 GMT, "R. Guzman"
wrote:

I just had my gas mower die on me. I'm reducing my landscape down to 20' x
20' due to my backyard being paved.
All I left with is a small lawn area in front of the house and a side strip.

Made me wonder, if my new mover might not need to so powerful or gas
operated at that.

Anyone may the switch for Gas to Electric mower and if so, do you recommend?

Anything for me to look for in a new Electric Mower?


I first bought a gas mower at Home Despot. Took the box out of the
car with great difficulty (heavy!), found the manual, read about gas,
preparing the mower for winter storage, etc. etc. etc., put right back
in the box and took the darn thing back. I wanted to buy a reel mower
(would that work for you) but none were available at that time, so I
got the smallest electric I could find (Black and Decker 18"
mulching).

I see now they have the electrics with handles that flip so you can
change directions easily;


"NOW?" My Daddy bought an electric Sunbeam mower in about 1950 that
had a flipping handle! We lived on an acre lot and I mowed about half
of it. I loved it (compared to the self-propelled, but damn near
impossible to start gas mower it replaced).

Dad bought two 100 foot extension cords. With a little planning and
that flip handle it was still a long job, but a piece of cake.

But jeez Louise, Ralph, 20' by 20'? Surely they still make hand
mowers! Getcher 49 year old (old?!) butt out there and PUSH!

--JWWells

that adds maneuverability in small spaces.
I wish I had it. Mine did not come with a bag to catch clippings, it
was extra. It mulches really well. I see my neighbors leaving big
clumps of grass on their lawn after they mow but that never happens
with mine no matter how long the grass gets. The only way I can tell
it's leaving anything is when I go onto the sidewalk to turn, and see
green "dust" blowing out from underneath. Also my string trimmer
gets great green gobs of grassy gook caked under it but the mower is
always clean as a whistle for some reason.

Remember, with an extension cord, start close to the outlet and work
your way out so the cord extends as you go back and forth. That way
you won't have to worry about the cord getting in the way.

Oh, yeah, don't mow when the grass is wet ;

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!




  #11   Report Post  
Joseph Meehan
 
Posts: n/a
Default Electric Mower? Any thoughts?

Good idea. I have had both. Right now my lot needs a gasoline mower,
but with a few more trees I may get it back to electric size.

The flip handle is a good thing. I don't have any advice about current
models so I will not make any suggestions there.

With that size, you may want to consider battery power. Today's battery
power tools are great.

Find a copy of Consumer's Reports from spring. They do a mower issue
every year and it includes electrics. Read the whole story, not just the
ratings. (the people who dislike CR generally only read the ratings). That
will give you a good overview of what is available.


--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math



R. Guzman wrote:
I just had my gas mower die on me. I'm reducing my landscape down to
20' x 20' due to my backyard being paved.
All I left with is a small lawn area in front of the house and a side
strip.

Made me wonder, if my new mover might not need to so powerful or gas
operated at that.

Anyone may the switch for Gas to Electric mower and if so, do you
recommend?

Anything for me to look for in a new Electric Mower?

Thanks.



  #12   Report Post  
Curly Sue
 
Posts: n/a
Default Electric Mower? Any thoughts?

On Wed, 04 Aug 2004 06:08:59 GMT, Chuck Yerkes
wrote:

R. Guzman wrote:
"m Ransley" wrote
20 x20 get in shape, use a push mower, lazy ....


I'm 49 yrs old, and I figure I might as well be lazy now. (Thanks
for making me smile, though :-)


The push mowers of 2004 are NOT the ones my gramma made me use in the
60s/70s. Dull blades, steel and iron. Perhaps rusty.

No, the new ones weigh about 2/3rd less, have better blades and gearing
and are just generally not the punishment that the ones you're thinking of.

Hit your Sears and check them out.
400 square feet ain't a lot of work to push mow. It's silent and might
take you an hour. get lazy when you're 69.


An hour??

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!
  #13   Report Post  
 
Posts: n/a
Default Electric Mower? Any thoughts?

"R. Guzman" wrote in message link.net...
I just had my gas mower die on me. I'm reducing my landscape down to 20' x
20' due to my backyard being paved.
All I left with is a small lawn area in front of the house and a side strip.

Made me wonder, if my new mover might not need to so powerful or gas
operated at that.

Anyone may the switch for Gas to Electric mower and if so, do you recommend?

Anything for me to look for in a new Electric Mower?

Thanks.


I went electric several years ago with a much bigger yard than yours.
Doesn't cut quite as efficiently as gas-powered but not having to
breath exhaust fumes is more than worth it. I have a corded electric.
Starts instantly. Keeping the cord out of the way is a minor annoyance
(I ran over it once and cut it) but I've had no maintenance costs,
other than replacing the blade. Don't have to store gas or oil or get
tuneups. I also switched from a gas-powered string trimmer to battery
powered and I wouldn't go back to gas. The electric starts instantly
and I can get three sessions around the yard before recharge. It cuts
better than I expected and suffers none of the start-up problems I've
encountered with various gas trimmers. Again, not polluting my
backyard is a major benefit.
  #14   Report Post  
Jennifer
 
Posts: n/a
Default Electric Mower? Any thoughts?

"R. Guzman" wrote in message link.net...
I just had my gas mower die on me. I'm reducing my landscape down to 20' x
20' due to my backyard being paved.
All I left with is a small lawn area in front of the house and a side strip.

Anyone may the switch for Gas to Electric mower and if so, do you recommend?


I love love loved my Black and Decker electric mower, even though it
was corded (after the first use, you get the hang of managing the
cord). It cut as well as my current gas mower, but in narrower
swaths (18 or 19", IIRC). On the plus side, it was almost as light as
a toy. Pushing it was a breeze, even on slopes. Unfortunately, my
current half-acre was too much for it.

For a yard as small as yours, I would probably go for the push mower,
but an electric is another easy option.

--
Jennifer
  #15   Report Post  
Bluesman
 
Posts: n/a
Default Electric Mower? Any thoughts?

"R. Guzman" wrote in message link.net...
I just had my gas mower die on me. I'm reducing my landscape down to 20' x
20' due to my backyard being paved.
All I left with is a small lawn area in front of the house and a side strip.

Made me wonder, if my new mover might not need to so powerful or gas
operated at that.

Anyone may the switch for Gas to Electric mower and if so, do you recommend?

Anything for me to look for in a new Electric Mower?

Thanks.



They suck. No power and you will cut the extension cord with the
mower. Unless you have a tiny yard, get a cheap gas mover for $200.


  #16   Report Post  
William Brown
 
Posts: n/a
Default Electric Mower? Any thoughts?

I'm older than you and my lawn is bigger. I ordered a push mower from
Lee Valley. It's lighter than either a gas or electric, and easier to
push. Also, its said to be better for your grass to be cut than
slashed, as the rotary mowers do. You don't have to buy and store gas
or cords. The only disadvantage to the push mower is that you have to
mow fairly often, as it doesn't do really overgrown grass well.

R. Guzman wrote:
I just had my gas mower die on me. I'm reducing my landscape down to 20' x
20' due to my backyard being paved.
All I left with is a small lawn area in front of the house and a side strip.

Made me wonder, if my new mover might not need to so powerful or gas
operated at that.

Anyone may the switch for Gas to Electric mower and if so, do you recommend?

Anything for me to look for in a new Electric Mower?

Thanks.



--
SPAMBLOCK NOTICE! To reply to me, delete the h from apkh.net, if it is
there.

  #17   Report Post  
John W. Wells
 
Posts: n/a
Default Electric Mower? Any thoughts?

On Wed, 04 Aug 2004 10:50:48 GMT, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

Find a copy of Consumer's Reports from spring. They do a mower issue
every year and it includes electrics. Read the whole story, not just the
ratings. (the people who dislike CR generally only read the ratings).


Really? I always figgered they were the ones who'd already bought the
items at the *bottom* of the ratings list!

That will give you a good overview of what is available.


Absolutely! This is one of the best reasons to read CR, even if ones
own needs/desires are different from the 'average' reader.

--JWWells
  #18   Report Post  
Joseph Meehan
 
Posts: n/a
Default Electric Mower? Any thoughts?

John W. Wells wrote:
On Wed, 04 Aug 2004 10:50:48 GMT, "Joseph Meehan"
wrote:

Find a copy of Consumer's Reports from spring. They do a mower
issue every year and it includes electrics. Read the whole story,
not just the ratings. (the people who dislike CR generally only read
the ratings).


Really? I always figgered they were the ones who'd already bought the
items at the *bottom* of the ratings list!


I think you have a point there. :-)


That will give you a good overview of what is available.


Absolutely! This is one of the best reasons to read CR, even if ones
own needs/desires are different from the 'average' reader.

--JWWells


--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math



  #19   Report Post  
Chris Lewis
 
Posts: n/a
Default Electric Mower? Any thoughts?

According to William Brown :
I'm older than you and my lawn is bigger. I ordered a push mower from
Lee Valley. It's lighter than either a gas or electric, and easier to
push. Also, its said to be better for your grass to be cut than
slashed, as the rotary mowers do. You don't have to buy and store gas
or cords. The only disadvantage to the push mower is that you have to
mow fairly often, as it doesn't do really overgrown grass well.


We have one of the Lee Valley ones too. It's so easy to use, my son
actually _wants_ to mow the lawn.

This is with the older/heavier LV one. The newest model is even
lighter and almost zero rolling resistance. The blades don't actually
touch each other...

[He's only doing the pool enclosure and one small patch outside. The other
acre is with the lawn tractor...]
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.
  #20   Report Post  
MilkyWhy
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I have a plug in mower, it is old and makes a lot of noise so I wear
earprotectors, but it cuts fine. It is so nice to not have to pull and yank to
get a mower going. Also so nice to just flip the switch to start and stop it. I
bought mine used for $10
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