Can anyone tell me about lawn mowers?

[jess_g]

Since I am the stay at home mom, husband thinks I should do all the chores (including mowing the lawn!). I have an electric lawn mower that overheated last summer and does not turn on now and no ideas on gas lawn mowers. Can someone explain some basics. What features to look for? What kind to get for a small yard? How do you get the gas in them? And how noisy are they? Are there any other options? Has anyone tried the electric one with the rechargable battery? (We had the one with the cord and I was always running over the cord which you are not supposed to do! but the electric one was not too noisy which I liked).

Thanks,

Jessica.

[MamaKath]

We have a decent size yard, and use a push mower but gas. It does take maintenance and even as a self propelled mower it takes quite awhile. Dh is now looking at tractors. I hate that the gas mower has to always have gas available (and we have a neighborhood kid that steals the gas can on us). Also where ever we store the mower stinks like gasoline, yuck! It is easy to operate though and mowing with it isn't awful.

We also had a small summer place growing up with a tiny yard and always used a manual mower (either truly manual or electric). I hated the electric because I always ran over the cord. I much prefered the manual mower.

I found these the other day, they are like our old manual.
http://www.leevalley.com/images/item/gardening/pa810g2.jpg
The downfall is you need to have the blades sharpened ocassionally (or do it yourself); but with a regular mower you have to replace the blades ocassionally anyway. If I had a small yard (like at a townhouse) I would get one of these in a blink! http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&p=10190&cat=2,2160,51170

I would take a trip to Home Depot and to Sears to check out what is available also.
HTH~

[bostonsmama]

First of all, when you say small yard, do you mean townhouse front and back-small, condo strip-lawn small, or just under 1/4 acre small? That would probably determine how powerful and feature-laden a lawn mower I'd look for.

Currently, we have a gas-powered MTD w/ a Briggs & Stratton engine of median horse power that bags on the side and has high wheels in the back for uneven terrain. It works fine, but we're in the market for a new mower b/c when my DH deploys next year, I want a mower that gets the job done as quickly and easily as possible in case i'm pg and/or a new mom. Features I'm looking for include: variable speed, rear-wheel self propelled engine, rear bagging, mulching flap, deck height up to 4inches, and easy start button.

With a small yard, self-propelled will be both overkill and frustrating unless you have a lot of open spaces and no nooks and crannies to get around. Gas mowers are easiest to maintain, actually. Gas (from a plastic gas can w/ nozzle) gets poured into a reservoir with a large round cap seated near the engine. Fresh oil needs to be added to the oil resevoir every couple of months depending on use (no oil "change" needed though). With the new technology out there, there are even pull-less starters, fuel stabilizers to prevent stalls, and easy switch-over from bagging, to side discharge to mulching. FYI, the side bagging is so irksome, since it makes it nearly impossible to mow tightly against fences, gardens and in between narrow spaces.

Electric mowers are nice b/c you only have to plug them in and they're light & quieter. But I just don't know anything about them. Check Consumer Reports for recs on all mowers!

Larissa

My-oh-my, we're doing it in July!

Proud Aunt to Jack Dorian, born to my brother and SIL on 3/06
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/32719.jpg

[annex]

I hate gas mowers too. We started out with one the manual reel mowers the previous poster linked to (rather naively, since we have a oversized lot.) It actually wasn't so bad the first summer because it was very dry so our grass was half dead and pretty easy to cut. It was just too much work to use in rainy spells when the grass got thick/high, that we were constantly borrowing my sister's electric mower to make the job easier. We finally got a corded electric of our own (couldn't find any cordless) and are so much happier. The cord is a hassle, but we got a mower with a flip handle, which means you can "turn around" without moving the cord to the other side.

HTH,
Anne

[almostamom]

I had a gas mower when I was single. I hated it - I couldn't start it even once by myself, and I'm fairly strong. Our local electric company had a program where they would give you credit for turning in gas powered lawn equipment and you could use it toward purchasing electric mowers and edgers so that's what I did. Money was tight so I bought a very basic electric Black & Decker model (it uses a cord and has the bag or mulching option). Seven years later, it still works perfectly.

~Linda~
http://lilypie.com/pic/060427/fDdc.jpg http://b2.lilypie.com/qW3mm7.png

[Lmoor]

We have a reel mower that we got from this great online site:

http://www.cleanairgardening.com/scotclasreel1.html

It's done fine on our relatively small grass area (house w/ front and back yard on <1/4 acre). The drawback to a reel mower is that you cannot let your lawn get too long, or it is a nightmare to mow. The grass lays down, and you get these long tufts that don't get cut. So, you end up having to rake it up, then mow over it. To avoid this, you have to mow 2x a week. Ugh. Anyway, this is our 2nd reel mower. When we purchased our first at Home Depot, several years ago, they only had really cheap ones that didn't work well. We like the Scott's one b/c it is much more substantial and has a higher mowing height. It's also easier to adjust. The sharpening isn't a big deal; I think they sell you the sharpening kit also. I didn't look into the Brill brand ones, but you might call this company to ask about them, because they seem to like them.

[JBaxter]

Our lot is 1/3 an acre we have an Ariens brand self-propelled gas mower. DH is one of those research nuts and that one was on the top of his list.

[ribbit1019]

We have a gas Toro with a bag. That is about all I can tell you about it because I've only used it once and we bought it three years ago.

I talked DH out of the rest of the tools being gas so the clippers, weedwacker and blower are all electric. He refused to compromise on the mower though so I can't answer your question on the battery. Sorry!

And I know this isn't what you are asking but it is crappy that he doesn't want to help you at all.

Christy
My Waterbabies
Maddy 6/9/04
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040609/3/4/0/-5/.png
& Jarred 3/8/06, 11 lb 14.5 oz 24" @ 6 wks, a happily breastfed babe.
http://b1.lilypie.com/KH1pm5/.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/steitzsmith/Other/jump.gif

[jess_g]

Thanks for all the advice. Amazon.com has some reviews of other electric models that I am reading through (well I take a break from housework that is). I am leaning towards getting another electric one as they are easy to use. But I am still undecided so if anyone else has any ideas on what to get please post your advice. I wish there were a company like Miele that made just what I am looking for (a quit full featured lawn mower that worked easily) but I don't think there is.

Thanks,

Jessica.

[BillK]

If you get a gas mower just get a Honda and be done with it for about the next 50 years. Absolutely the best push/self propelled lawn mower you'll ever buy bar none.

[american_mama]

I know the person who started and owns this company www.cleanairgardening.com and he's done really well selling on the Internet. He used to answer all questions personally, but I think he has a customer service staff now, so it might be him or someone else who answers any questions. It makes me want to get a push mower. He says that push mowers are a million times better than they used to be and to ignore any naysayers who haven't used a new one. I like the push mower idea because I'd like something that is quiet, stops when I stop, and can be used even if the kids are outside. I'm nervous with power mowers around kids.

[teddy]

I use a gas powered, self-propelled Toro on our lawn. It takes me about 45 minutes to do our yard, which is less than 1/4 acre. That includes emptying the bag once. It's loud but not nearly as loud as the landscapers' mowers and edgers that most of our neighbors use. I can mow while my kids' window is open and they don't wake from their naps.

Basically, my husband bought the Toro because it will last forever. He bought the mower for himself but I end up using it. It's super easy to push and easy to empty and easy to fill the gas. Although one time it wasn't starting (even though I primed it properly and was pulling the cord properly) and the Good Humor Man saw me, probably felt sorry for me, and came out of his truck to help :)

[mik8]

Whether you end up with either gas-powered or electric, you can always use ear plugs. Really, the noise of those lawn mowers can damage your ears over the course of time. My only incentive to do lawn mowing (since DH is super busy) is thinking of it as a way to lose my perpetual post pregnancy weight.