Comments on: Frugal Lawn Care: Using an Electric Lawn Mower

By: Kyra

Kyra — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:33:06 +0000

I have an electric mower, and I am very happy with it. I’m a first-time homeowner, did not want to deal with gas (flammable), spark plugs and oil changes (I’m not mechanically inclined), or the noise (my son has hearing loss, ADHD, and autism). My neighbors looked at me funny at first, but I like to think that it was mainly because I was huffing, puffing, and sweating lol. I have a Black and Decker Lawnhog I think ($199), with a side attachment to mulch and a detachable bag for clippings. The only thing I don’t like is that the lever has to be continually pulled for the mower to work and it causes pain on my thumb. I actually wish I had bought a reel mower, but the ones I saw were around the same price as the one I ended up buying.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:00:38 +0000

I moved into a new home with a relatively small yard. I did not want the gasoline smell in my garage from a traditional mower so I purchased an electric one with some hesitation. I mowed my yard last weekend and the mower worked great, even in the long grass. It is quieter and less smelly than a traditional mower. The cord is easy to adjust to and I am delighted with the results. We will see how well I like it over an extended period.

By: Victor

Victor — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:51:19 +0000

@Kevin – I bought my reel mower for $89.99 Canadian (on sale from $99.99). I did not see any gas or electric mowers below $100. So the cost is comparable. However, don’t forget how many variable costs you are saving (oil, filters, batteries, gas, electricity, etc.). Really you just need to sharpen the blades just like with any other mower.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:31:54 +0000

@dawn: 30-45 minutes to mow. I should explain — we aren’t planning on staying here forever. I hang on to appliances and tools for a while and in the future we will likely have a larger yard.

Again I was dissuaded by the price of battery-only as well as the lack of local options. What happens if it dies? Who works on them?

@Russell: Interesting. I didn’t come across — or don’t remember it — Mastercraft. $10 is a good deal!

@Victor: Interesting take. I thought about that but when I compared the cost to my plug-in they were pretty similar (if I remember correctly).

@CHA NC: That was my thought too. I figured we might as well try it — I didn’t know if electric would work well or not. But it sure is a lot easier than a traditional gas mower.

@Bret: Wow. Unfortunately down here in the south you don’t usually see the typical environmental rebates (like tax credits for solar panels, etc.) — wish we had something like that just to get them more popular in the area.

By: Bret

Bret — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:16:03 +0000

Here in sunny So. Cal., they will trade your gas mower in for a brand new cordless electric mower. It only costs $100 for a Neuton CS, so it’s a great deal.

My Mom and one of my friends have already done it and they love the new electric mowers. They would never go back to gas.

Here is a link to the story:

http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/tools-electrical-helpers/tradein-your-gas-guzzler-for-an-electric-mower-in-southern-california-088295

By: Carnival of Personal Finance #211: Burn Notice Edition

Carnival of Personal Finance #211: Burn Notice Edition — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:05:21 +0000

[...] No Debt Plan shares his expirience withÂ Frugal Lawn Care: Using an Electric Lawn Mower. [...]

By: CHA NC

CHA NC — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:40:08 +0000

I believe the days of choosing a little convenience over environment are over. Sutability is surely important. If it works, we should choose tools which are less damaging to the environment. I was unable to mow my yard with a manual reel mower because of mix of differnt grasses and weeds. I have put zoysia and hoping to use it again, once it completly covers my yard. Have just bought a elctric mower from Sears. A little concerned about the cord but will let everybody know of the experience….

By: Victor

Victor — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:36:13 +0000

I use an old-fashioned (but new) reel mower on my quarter-acre yard. No emissions (not even long-distance emissions like with your electric mower), no cords, no gas, no filters, no oil, no batteries, need I go on?

It also cost me less than any gas or electric mower I saw for sale.

Finally, the last advantage is that despite what many people think it’s suprisingly easy to push. As long as you mow the yard at least once every 2 weeks, it really is not harder to push than a gas or electric mower (without self-propel obviously).

I would HIGHLY recommend this if you are serious about finding ways to greenify your life and cut costs too.

http://greenifyyourlifebook.blogspot.com/

By: Russell Fascenda

Russell Fascenda — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:08:52 +0000

Kevin, I’m surprised the big stores aren’t into electric mowers these days, I bought my first one over 20 years ago. At that time I think there was only one company Mastercut making them. I bought it used for $10 from a friend of the man who sold my house to me. That one didn’t last a year (I remember it blew up on July 4, shooting sparks, my own fireworks display).

I bought a new Mastercut to replace it and used it for 10 years. I had a small enough property that I could reach the whole place without having to unplug my 100-foot extension cord. The great benefits are what you pointed out, no maintenance, no trips to the gas station, and you could store the thing anywhere, no messy fluids. You could even hang the thing on the wall of the shed since there was nothing to leak out.

When i moved to a place with a little more property I decided to get a gas-powered small riding mower. I still have my Mastercut though, maybe it would do me some good to get out and exercise with it once in awhile.

By: dawn

dawn — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 11:43:53 +0000

But you only have a quarter of an acre. How long does it take you to mow it?