Gas vs battery lawnmowers

[ive]

Hi all.

Kind of stumped about whether I should get a gas or a battery lawnmower. I just put sod down on both the front and back yards. My old electric mower is falling apart.

Total lawn size is about 2500 sq f.

Thanks for all Input.

I have read gas for bigger lawns, good for obstacles and lasts longer. Battery for smaller lawn. What about cut quality? Important for new sod?

Thanks everyone

 

[Iowafox]

I am one that I say go gas powered. If you take care of it and like doing the maintenance stuff. I do and I like the sound of gas engines.
I have never used battery powered ones but I heard alot of people like them. I personally think batteries should stay out of lawn equipment if you want something that will last a good number of years plus runtime on gas stuff is generally much longer.

 

[ItsNemo]

Battery mowers for more than 1000 sq ft just aren't there yet...plus most batteries are proprietary and good luck getting a replacement in 5 or less years when it dies without spending nearly as much as a new mower.

Gas on the other hand will last 30 years if taken care of.

 

[Skin]

Not a fan of electric/cordless for this application mostly due to the fact that the failure mode on the electric/cordless generally necessitates throwing it away.

2500 square feet (sure you arent missing a zero?) is almost nothing to mow though so you're probably a good candidate for cordless since its going to see such little use and run time degradation will basically be a non-factor.

Battery mowers for more than 1000 sq ft just aren't there yet...

....thats only a 50' x 20' patch of grass.

 

[Niteman9]

I have a Greenworks 25" dual battery. It works great. It is dual blade. Cuts good, haven't found a down side yet.

I have a bunch of greenworks stuff.

25" Mower
18" Chainsaw
16" Chainsaw
2 string 1 @ home 1 @ the lake
2 hand held blower 1 @ home 1 @ the lake
2 backpack blowers one still in the box. I may sell that one.
Hedge clippers.

They are all to 60 volt models sold only at Lowes or Greenworks.

We'll see how the hold up.

I got them all when they were on sale.


Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[engineer2]

A rechargeable electric mower should have no problem with 2500 square feet. Many suburban lawns are twice that. If you already have a cordless platform, see what they offer for lawn mowers. A good rechargeable mower should last for many years as long as you can find or rebuild batteries. I see a few neighbors using the consumer brands like Worx, Ryobi, or Ego from the local big-box stores. If you want spendy and professional, look at Makita.

 

[Indexmill]

2500 square feet is tiny. Anything will work fine.

 

[xjfish]

Battery mowers have come a long way and work fine. I vote gas for value. A new push-mower is cheap and can last a long time. Fuel costs are negligible.

 

[ItsNemo]

Not a fan of electric/cordless for this application mostly due to the fact that the failure mode on the electric/cordless generally necessitates throwing it away.

2500 square feet (sure you arent missing a zero?) is almost nothing to mow though so you're probably a good candidate for cordless since its going to see such little use and run time degradation will basically be a non-factor.




....thats only a 50' x 20' patch of grass.

Yeah, ever try to do thick healthy grass with an electric mower? LoL it's an exercise in frustration.

 

[getbent4x4]

You would have to keep fresh fuel on hand; fuel more than a half of a year old gums up the carbs on gas engines. Fuel also needs emptied at the end of the season. A cheap gas mower would be fine for a yard that small.

 

[franktv]

I still prefer gas in my fun car, but for only 2500 sq ft of lawn I'd seriously consider cordless. EGO has high reviews but their mower batteries are only compatible with some of their outdoor equipment, whereas Makita has cordless brushless mowers that run on multiple 18V batteries that are interchangeable with some 270+ tools.

Now if you let your grass get really tall and then expect to cut it really short while it's wet and it's dense to boot, you may be cursing your decision to go cordless, but my son just cut his front lawn in those conditions with a Honda HRX commercial rated gas mower and constantly had to lift the deck to prevent it from stalling out, so either way you go there are limitations.

 

[speed bump]

I would go electric unless have a big lawn or lots of thick grass. Almost zero maintenance (sharpen blades, put batteries on charger after you finish), anyone can use it, and it's much quieter.

 

[Ralf11]

cut quality is equal

battery ones are less hassle esp. with today's Ethanol gas

do NOT buy a RYobi battery mower

 

[ive]

Hi guys thanks for the input.

So the cut quality would be the same in dense grass for my size yard? Some are saying it is, some are not.

 

[shawhite]

For that small of a yard I would go with one of these.

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Outdoor...ent-Lawn-Mowers-Reel-Lawn-Mowers/N-5yc1vZc5av

 

[laser3kw]

Battery mowers have come a long way and work fine. I vote gas for value. A new push-mower is cheap and can last a long time. Fuel costs are negligible.

Yeah, ever try to do thick healthy grass with an electric mower? LoL it's an exercise in frustration.

These two are my reasons also.
I also worry about battery replacement after a few years. I have had "learning experiences" when it comes to rechargeable batteries - like some types require "topping off" every few months (whether you use them or not) or they may not take a charge if left sitting for a period.

 

[Bodycount_NJ]

I use a corded electric mower. You can pickup used specimens in excellent condition for $50 or less.

The cut is acceptable and convenience is high.

Hose the underside occasionally and sharpen the blade each season.


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[seber]

Battery is convenient, low hassle. Gas is more powerful, cheaper, longer lasting. The biggest difference is price. Five years is probably a good estimate for the life of a battery unit. There is little point in trying to revive it with a new battery after that so figure that high purchase price every five years. And as stated, 25 years would not be unusual for a gasser with such a small yard.

 

[Citation]

I used a Kobalt electric mower on a very small, thin yard. It was nicer than a gas mower but I didn't find it to be revelation that was going from a gas to electric trimmer. The electric is lighter and quieter but the deck is smaller than my own push mower. I've found my dumb, basic gas mowers to be very low effort to maintain. Yes, starting for the first time in the year is a bit grumpy but that's just a few extra pulls. Honestly, I'm really impressed with how little service either of my recent push mowers ever required. I've had two only because a somewhat better mower was offered to I dumped my 16 year old mower that worked just fine. Unlike when I'm trimming, the extra weight of the gas model isn't as bit a deal. Same with starting and stopping. I'm running more continuously and once started my gas mower stars rather easily. Noise, easy of starting and the ability to stop between trims are the big reasons why I prefer an electric trimmer. Those reasons just aren't as important with the mower.

I'm inherently cheap so I think this is where I prefer the gas mower. Electric, for an equal sized deck, is nice to use in my limited experience. However they cost quite a bit more than a basic gas mower. Yes, they are cheaper to operate but I doubt I would get more than 10 years out of the batteries. I don't think I would use up the difference in price ($100-$200) in gas and oil over that 10 year period. If I get 20 years out of my mower as I could have with my first one then we are talking about a big difference in cost.

So, unlike a 2-stroke trimmer, I think the advantage of an electric mower is smaller vs electric trimmer. The cost difference is bigger in real dollars given the higher price of mowers vs trimmers. If my mower broke today and I didn't mind the extra up front cost then I would consider one since they are nicer overall. I mow about 4000-5000 ft^2 so I would also have to look at deck width. I think the electric I used was something like 16-18" vs something like 20-22" for my mower. That does add up.

 

[TuxThePenguin]

For that size probably electric. If electric is a viable option for a given situation, then going gas is just a bother to the neighbors. On weekends there is pretty much always someone cutting their lawn with a gas mower. No peace and quiet, ever. Noise pollution is a big problem and if you don't have an actual need for equipment that contributes to noise pollution then it's nice to avoid it and your neighbors will probably appreciate it. Unlike IowaFox, most people hate the sound of any engine, especially when they aren't the one controlling it.

Now of course gas is "better" for power but based on the requirements stated, it doesn't seem like anything that would require gas. Maybe if you let your lawn grow really long sometimes before you cut it. Gas would still be better at handling that.

(I use electric stuff like string trimmers myself so I put my money where my mouth is - my next mower will be electric too but my yard is somewhat large and I will probably wind up with both an electric mower and a gas mower at some point)

 

[Ton ton]

I wish I had a tiny yard to mow. I got lots of mowing to do.

 

[Niteman9]

Ya I have a zero turn for most everything. I use the electric for the places the rider won't fit.

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[bpjr]

Between gas and electric I'd do electric for only 2500 sq ft...but if it was me I'd probably not buy either and do one of those push mowers that doesn't have an engine.

 

[Newell33]

Hi guys thanks for the input.

So the cut quality would be the same in dense grass for my size yard? Some are saying it is, some are not.

I can't vouch for the other brands, but I tried a Craftsman V60 mower for one mow. I have a Milwaukee sting trimmer, and was looking to go battery powered for my trim mower as well. The battery life was great, but the cut was not. Instead of a nice sharp cut like my gas powered mower, the Craftsman had a tendency to push the grass over rather than cutting it. I believe this is mainly from the difference in blade speed from gas power powered to electric. I saw this same complaint in many of the reviews for the other brands as well, so I decided to buy a new Honda gas powered mower instead. Reviews of the other brands are mixed, but this complaint came up enough that I wasn't going to waste my time again with battery powered. Maybe in a few years...

 

[WittHay]

For that big of a yard, its borderline between gas or cordless. Unless you get one of the newer expensive cordless and mow the grass twice a week to keep it manageable

 

[vavet]

I'd probably go cordless electric. I think my next push mower will be cordless electric, but my 14 year old honda self-propelled is in fine shape, so it might be a while.
If I was in your shoes, I might even consider one of the robot mowers.

 

[Showkey]

I'd probably go cordless electric. I think my next push mower will be cordless electric, but my 14 year old honda self-propelled is in fine shape, so it might be a while.
If I was in your shoes, I might even consider one of the robot mowers.

The robots are far less tolerant of thick grass, wet grass, they are meant to run all the time and cut off 1/4”.

 

[M0E]

I got a nice Snapper XD 82v for my parents yard last year when the electric start on their old gas-powered Toro was giving problems (worn flywheel). Unfortunately, it couldn't handle the thickness of their grass so I returned it; note the old Toro handled the same grass without issue.

Still on the hunt for an appropriate replacement.

 

[Ralf11]

Hi guys thanks for the input.

So the cut quality would be the same in dense grass for my size yard? Some are saying it is, some are not.

if it's wet, the electric may do better as it has much more torque near stall

my experience is that cut quality is the same and depends on the blade sharpness for a rotary

the reel types give the best quality of cut but your lawn needs to be like a golf course for them to work well

 

[MarkG]

Get a Honda walk-behind mower and be done with it for a few decades. You couldn't pay me to fool with battery powered stuff if there's a gas version available, especially if it's a Honda.

 

[PCMusicGuy]

For that small of a yard I would go with one of these.

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Outdoor...ent-Lawn-Mowers-Reel-Lawn-Mowers/N-5yc1vZc5av

I have the big Fiskers 18inch and if you intend to cut twice a week, or maybe once a week, those are fine. It becomes very hard to cut after 1 week if your grass grows fast and you have to end up raking up the clippings as you go. If Milwaukee ends up releasing an electric mower that works on their M18 platform I will certainly buy one.

 

[MikeF2316]

Another Milwaukee fan. ^^^^^^^^^^^^

I have about the same area to cut as the OP. My next mower will be battery powered.

My current one is a gas powered one, 26 years old now. I just spent (this week) almost $20 fixing its cold starting problem.

If Milwaukee had a M18 mower, I would have bought it this week. While I was waiting for parts I looked at the ones available, I liked the EGO and Toro ones. However, the old Briggs powered Murray lives to mow another day.

 

[Skin]

Yeah, ever try to do thick healthy grass with an electric mower? LoL it's an exercise in frustration.

Not the newer models. You can buy a Toro Recycler now with an electric power pack and the new Makita looks fine for the OP (just expensive).

 

[Voi]

I used a Kobalt electric mower on a very small, thin yard. It was nicer than a gas mower but I didn't find it to be revelation that was going from a gas to electric trimmer.

All of my OPE is now cordless electric (Makita). Two string trimmers, a chainsaw & a leaf blower. Sold one of my gas chainsaws & my two stroke string trimmer as soon as I had some hours on the new cordless versions.

I agree that the mower was not the same revelation that the switch to cordless electric replacements for any of our previous two stroke OPE.

However, I do like it & plan to use it at our new house until it dies or I decide I can't live without gas. Even then I'd keep it as a second mower.

My Makita was & maybe still is the lightest mower I could find specs for. In my hilly area that has been great.

 

[txvwnut]

I have an EGO 21" self propelled and it would probably do that 2500sqf on a single charge. I usually get a couple of mows on a charge and I think I'm a little more than half of what the OP has to mow. It does very well at maintaining blade speed to grass load, heavy damp grass it will bring the speed of the blade up to handle it and then drop back down when you get into lighter grass. I've had this for a couple of years and the only issue is the variable speed for the propel motor has gone out so until I get it in for warranty I've only got one speed to mow with which is actually about as fast as my old gas self propelled.

 

[Den69rs96]

I have a 1.5 acre and just sold my Honda self propelled mower and went with a Toro 22 inch personal pace 60volt recycler mower. I use it strictly for trimming. I love it. My yard is hilly and it’s much lighter than the Honda. It’s much more quiet and cuts better. I use between 1/2-3/4 of the battery. I have a decent amount of trimming. I think they say the 6ah battery could mow 1/4 acre. A lot of it depends on the cutting height And thickness of your lawn. I like the zero maintenance of the mower other than sharpening the blade. I have a lot of small equipment engines and I’m going electric where I can. I had 13 small engine and I’m down to 11. I’m considering going from the 3 chainsaw plan down to 2 and losing another small engine in the process.

 

[Wyoming09]

I vote gas but it's your money. My Toro gas mower is over 25 years old and still runs great. Starts on the first pull nearly every time. All I ever do is in the fall I change the oil, sharpen the blade, clean and reoil the air filter and install a new plug. I also clean all the crud on the underside of the deck. It does use a small amount of oil but I check it every time I mow so it never runs low. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[WisJim]

I have a bunch of Greenworks electric stuff, and I like it a lot better than gas tools. No noise or smell, and my wife can use the weed wacker and chain saw. My oldest batteries (40 volt lithium) are over 5 years old and work as well as the ones I got last year. I have a GE Elec-trak garden tractor with front mounted mower that I used to mow the couple of acres in our orchard, front yard, and around all the gardens. I also have an older battery mower that I don't use any more because the Elec-trak and string trimmer take care of all the mowing. All 3 of my sons have battery electric mowers, though, and like them a lot. I would never get a gas engine mower again.
My Elec-trak garden tractor is 49 years old, and the current battery set in it is going on 8 years old.

 

[Parrothead]

Get a Honda walk-behind mower and be done with it for a few decades. You couldn't pay me to fool with battery powered stuff if there's a gas version available, especially if it's a Honda.

As the owner of more than one Honda powered mower that runs great, I’ll never buy a gas powered mower again. Why?

Buy an EGO 56v and be done with it.

Gas Mowers
Gas - Need it in hand, goes bad over time
Carb - Needs cleaned, rebuilt, and/or maintained
Spark Plug - Needs replaces as maintenance
Air Filter - See above.
Oil Changes - More maintenance, also need on hand
Recoil starter - They go bad over time
Pull handle - All of mine have part of the handle snapped
Pull rope - break through wear and fatigue
Loud - Even the quite Honda need hearing protection

Battery Mowers
Battery - Will eventually lose charge or die
Charger - Could fail and leave you without a useable battery
Storage - many can store upright
Maintenance Almost none.

 

[DerekV]

If you’ve got an acre or less to mow, I think there’s a real case for electric. It’s just nice, fast, clean, quiet, easy, etc. Otherwise, gas.

Batteries don’t have to be a problem either. I just finished this, gonna give it a go in the morning. It starts up, but if it works well during actual use I’m going to tidy up the wiring a bit. The packs are snug in there. I tried to get them to move/bump loose and they weren’t budging. Not the prettiest, but if it works it works

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8640309