Electric Lawn Mowers in The Triangle (Raleigh, Durham: townhome, neighborhood, purchasing)

[PDXmom]

Are there any home owners out there that use electric mowers on lots bigger than .25? I'm wondering if I should bring the electric mower (have to use an extension cord). My lot in Durham is .30. I worry that the extension cord might be too much to manage on my new lot. (Current lot is only .13).

I'm also considering getting an electric mower w/ a recharageable battery. Any recommendations on battery size, brand, etc?

If any one has info to share about non-gas powered grass cutting options I'm all ears! I'm considering the old fashion non-engine push thingie, but my new yard is not level and needs some work. So to begin with I don't know how viable this will be.

Thanks for the help!

[MikeJaquish]

I think the electric mower will be OK, but check the manual for the length and size of the extension cord.
You will burn the motor up with a cord that drops current because it is too long for the size of wire.

I'd ditch the battery idea with a .25 acre lot.

[bta]

Originally Posted by PDXmom

Are there any home owners out there that use electric mowers on lots bigger than .25? I'm wondering if I should bring the electric mower (have to use an extension cord). My lot in Durham is .30. I worry that the extension cord might be too much to manage on my new lot. (Current lot is only .13).

I'm also considering getting an electric mower w/ a recharageable battery. Any recommendations on battery size, brand, etc?

If any one has info to share about non-gas powered grass cutting options I'm all ears! I'm considering the old fashion non-engine push thingie, but my new yard is not level and needs some work. So to begin with I don't know how viable this will be.

Thanks for the help!

We had a Bully rechargeable mower in Northern VA for our small townhome lot. Once we moved to Cary and met our new .29 acre lot face to face, we knew the Bully wouldn't be big enough. We bit the bullet and jut got a gas powered Toro. I briefly considered a corded electric mower, but one extension cord wouldn't be long enough (at least the one long orange one I own now isn't long enough).

I couldn't imagine doing the cord dance with the mower over the whole lawn - so gas powered won out. I loved my lil battery powered mower though. It found a new home with my father in law who has a much smaller lawn to mow. You might consider keeping the electric mower for parts of your lawn - the gas mower is certainly over kill for small parts of our front yard where a light electric mower would make it easier to mow around trees and flower beds. Our electric mower was still too small for that - but your corded one is probably bigger.

Hope this helps.

[gastric]

I've always wanted one of the robotic automated mowers. But then again at the price of those things you could hire a neighborhood kid for many years.

[cooperwx]

My next mower will be the manual reel kind. Here's a great, informative website. These should cut any lawn up to 1/2 acre.

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

Originally Posted by cooperwx

My next mower will be the manual reel kind. Here's a great, informative website. These should cut any lawn up to 1/2 acre.

I am a fan of reel mowers as well, but this brings us back to the topic of the best grass to grow in this climate. Contrary to some info out there, I think it is important to cut your grass at the proper height. If you have fescue which many down here do, most reel mowers only cut to a max height of 2.25.to 2.5 inches which is not so great for fescue lawns. In the heat of the summer fescue should be cut no shorter than 3 to 3.5 inches. If you cut it shorter you are just asking it to get fried by the sun. I love reel mowers but I have yet to find one that cuts at the proper height for fescue.

FWIW, I would get a gas mower for anything over .20 acres. I have an electric weedwhacker (cordless) and find it lacks the power I need at running it for a while.

[PDXmom]

Originally Posted by North_Raleigh_Guy

If you have fescue which many down here do, most reel mowers only cut to a max height of 2.25.to 2.5 inches which is not so great for fescue lawns. In the heat of the summer fescue should be cut no shorter than 3 to 3.5 inches. If you cut it shorter you are just asking it to get fried by the sun. I love reel mowers but I have yet to find one that cuts at the proper height for fescue.

NRG, I had not thought about that! Good point! Here is a link that shows cutting heights for different types of grasses:
http://www.organiclawncaretips.com/c...for_grass.html

Originally Posted by MikeJaquish

check the manual for the length and size of the extension cord.
You will burn the motor up with a cord that drops current because it is too long for the size of wire.
.

Mike, thanks for the reminder. I had forgotten about that!

Originally Posted by bta

You might consider keeping the electric mower for parts of your lawn - the gas mower is certainly over kill for small parts of our front yard where a light electric mower would make it easier to mow around trees and flower beds..

BTA, GREAT suggestion!

Originally Posted by cooperwx

My next mower will be the manual reel kind. Here's a great, informative website. These should cut any lawn up to 1/2 acre.

Loved that website! Thanks!

[nynraleigh]

Originally Posted by PDXmom

Are there any home owners out there that use electric mowers on lots bigger than .25? I'm wondering if I should bring the electric mower (have to use an extension cord). My lot in Durham is .30. I worry that the extension cord might be too much to manage on my new lot. (Current lot is only .13).

I'm also considering getting an electric mower w/ a recharageable battery. Any recommendations on battery size, brand, etc?

If any one has info to share about non-gas powered grass cutting options I'm all ears! I'm considering the old fashion non-engine push thingie, but my new yard is not level and needs some work. So to begin with I don't know how viable this will be.

Thanks for the help!

When I move into my home, I plan on purchasing an electric mower, either corded or cordless. I checked a few models out online...viewed some in Home Depot & Lowes, think they were Black & Decker. I do not like the idea of a gasoline mower stored in the garage or a gas can for that matter. We always had gas self-propelled mowers, Toro to be exact. I can remember as a kid seeing my dad mow the lawn, and then eventualy I took over the task as a teen. My lot is .25, I think I will be fine with an electric mower....My opinion, stay with your electric mower...

[gastric]

I lost interest in the reel mowers after reading it would take me longer to mow my lawn. Now if I had a teenage son we'd be having a different conversation.

[alice_61]

We have a battery operated mower that we have used for many years with good results on .3+ acre lots. It lasts ~30-40 minutes per charge so you may have to do your yard in sections. I don't mind that since it is easy to start up and push around (no cord to plug in or starter cord to curse at). Ours is a Sears, bought ~1997. I don't know what is best now.