Electric Lawn Mowers in The Triangle (homes, buy, live)

[MikeJaquish]

Originally Posted by geoff2v

Good point -- my house was built in 2004, so I should be all set on that front. I didn't realize that outdoor outlets would have GFCI although in retrospect it's obvious that they should.

Someone on some other website said they put a few small stakes in the ground and would place the power cord around those, and that the stakes were placed in such a way that they could mow the lawn without problem.

Sigh. Maybe I'll just sow my yard with salt.

FWIW, test your GFCI to make sure it functions.
The outlet on the back of my house was just tied into the kitchen circuit, with no GFCI protection. By the Builder's electrician. It only took 18 inches of wire.....

[PDXmom]

Geoff2v, last summer I ended up paying a neighborhood teen to mow the lawn. This summer I bought a Homelite from Home Depot and have been very pleased with it. We have 1/3 acre lot and and I'm able to mow on one charge easily. Our back yard slops. My neighbors who are local call it a hill, but it's not hill in Portland terms. The mower even though it's a bit heavier does fine on the slop/hill. In my old house in Portland I had a corded mower, I'm loving being "unchained". It's great! I'll never go back to corded!!!

And I love that when I'm done I smell only fresh cut grass! Not icky gas & oil mixed w/ fresh cut grass smell.

BTW, this Spring it was REALLY hard to find a cordless at Home Depot in Chapel Hill. I tried several times. They were selling out as soon as they came in. I went to North Durham for mine. I would call before you go, especially w/ gas at $4 now!

Edit: I've read about the Neuton Mower (google it). It's suppose to be super nice, super light. There was a lot of things I liked about it.... interchangeable battery and various attachments. But it was out of my budget. This one you have to order online.

[geoff2v]

Originally Posted by PDXmom

Geoff2v, last summer I ended up paying a neighborhood teen to mow the lawn. This summer I bought a Homelite from Home Depot and have been very pleased with it. We have 1/3 acre lot and and I'm able to mow on one charge easily. Our back yard slops. My neighbors who are local call it a hill, but it's not hill in Portland terms. The mower even though it's a bit heavier does fine on the slop/hill. In my old house in Portland I had a corded mower, I'm loving being "unchained". It's great! I'll never go back to corded!!!

And I love that when I'm done I smell only fresh cut grass! Not icky gas & oil mixed w/ fresh cut grass smell.

BTW, this Spring it was REALLY hard to find a cordless at Home Depot in Chapel Hill. I tried several times. They were selling out as soon as they came in. I went to North Durham for mine. I would call before you go, especially w/ gas at $4 now!

Edit: I've read about the Neuton Mower (google it). It's suppose to be super nice, super light. There was a lot of things I liked about it.... interchangeable battery and various attachments. But it was out of my budget. This one you have to order online.

Thanks for the advice. That Neuton mower does look fancy shmancy, and only 48 pounds with battery (for the smaller one). I'll need to investigate.

[starla]

Originally Posted by geoff2v

Good point -- my house was built in 2004, so I should be all set on that front. I didn't realize that outdoor outlets would have GFCI although in retrospect it's obvious that they should.

Someone on some other website said they put a few small stakes in the ground and would place the power cord around those, and that the stakes were placed in such a way that they could mow the lawn without problem.

Sigh. Maybe I'll just sow my yard with salt.

Have you considered a goat? Granted, they're not completely emissions-free, but hey, you'd get free milk.

[MikeJaquish]

Originally Posted by starla

Have you considered a goat? Granted, they're not completely emissions-free, but hey, you'd get free milk.

Goats are good!

[PDXmom]

Originally Posted by starla

Have you considered a goat? Granted, they're not completely emissions-free, but hey, you'd get free milk.

I'd like to consider myself an eco-friendly gal, but I draw the line at goats. We had them when I was a kid (no pun intended) and boy do they ever smell when it's hot out. I'll take chickens over goats any day... especially as hot as it gets here.

[DanielChang]

What, exactly, is the advantage of a corded electric mower over gas-powered mower?

[geoff2v]

Originally Posted by PDXmom

I'd like to consider myself an eco-friendly gal, but I draw the line at goats. We had them when I was a kid (no pun intended) and boy do they ever smell when it's hot out. I'll take chickens over goats any day... especially as hot as it gets here.

How about a cow?

[plf86]

i have a scotts manual reel mower. My neighbors laughed until they started filling up their gas tanks. For my .13 acre lot, it is just a quick as a power mower with no carbon footprint. It was between that ansa nelectric as i too do not want the gas in the garqage if aI could help it.

[PDXmom]

Originally Posted by DanielChang

What, exactly, is the advantage of a corded electric mower over gas-powered mower?

Electric mower has a much smaller carbon foot print. Gas powered mowers are some of the worst engines in terms of releasing carbon into the atmosphere. The best way to go is the manual reel mower another poster mentioned.

Another advantage to electric is that it is VERY easy to start. You just squeeze a lever. I always had a hard time starting gas powered mowers. You also do not have to store gas and oil nor do you have to shell out $4 a gal for them.

The best part is when you are done, your yard smells like cut grass. Not grass clippings that have been spread over a freeway.

geoff2v, hmmm a cow, good idea. I like cows and as much milk as my family drinks that would be a wise investment. Now if I can just convince the HOA.