Lawn mower recommendation for a small lot.....

[Walt34]

I'll also vouch for the Honda mower. My first one lasted 26 years with just the scheduled maintenance until a rear axle broke and since it was self-propelled I didn't bother fixing it because the parts were expensive and well, it was 26 years old and I figured it was time for other stuff like the clutch to wear out. (The engine stays running when you let the handle go instead of shutting off like most mowers.) So I simply bought a new Honda mower, figuring it might outlast me.

We also have a self-propelled Lawn-boy mower with electric start Briggs & Stratton engine that DW likes a lot. She just doesn't have the upper body strength to spin the engine fast enough to start it. We initially bought it for use at FIL's house and left it there at the time. It's about six or seven years old now and I just had to replace the cable that attaches to the transmission. DW likes it better than the Honda because it is much lighter in weight. There is also no choke or fuel valve so she doesn't have to remember those things. Her mechanical skills are, shall we say, minimal. It's lighter weight because it looks like it was made with cheaper parts, like the thin stamped steel deck. In normal use I'd give it about ten years, less if not stored under roof.

So when I bought the new Honda mower I got the one with electric start because DW likes to mow once in a while. After I got it home she said it was too heavy for her to use.

 

[Dawg52]

I think a lot more people die from sitting on their butts than from mowing their lawns. If you just want to buy convenience, have at it.

I need the exercise so I don't mind mowing a smallish yard. Now when I become, I'll hire it done.

Thanks for all the replies. I'm going to sleep on it. Kind of leaning towards a cordless. Batteries still bother me a bit, but I think a cord might be a headache when mowing down the sides of the house. Not ruling out another Briggs and Stratton type mower. Even if I only get 3 years out of one, still pretty cheap mowing. The one I have is pushing 6 years and I paid $150 for it.

 

[Bamaman]

I've got a new Honda self propelled mower, and it's great. I've worn out 4 or 5 of them in the last 35 years. I mow my 4 houses with a zero turn mower.

For a very small yard, research the lithium cordless mowers. They're very light and the new style batteries make the charge last so much longer. They're the way to go in your situation.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I would recommend calling/visiting a local lawn mower repair place as they will very often have used ones for sale. When my Dad's 4 cycle died (after about 20 years), I picked up another one for about $50 and it hasn't given us any issues for about 4 years.

And I know I will hear it from someone, but in my 30 some-odd years of mowing grass..I have NEVER changed the oil in the mower...check the level? Yes. Change it? No.

My SIL also has a reel trimmer and has been using it for about 3 years; she loves it.

 

[Lakedog]

I have a very small yard and use a reel mower. As long as it is kept sharp and any small twigs are picked up first it does a great job.

+1
Picking up twigs/debris prior to mowing makes a big difference with a reel mower. I had a small yard at my last house and used a reel mower the last few years there. It was nice not having to deal with a power cord, gas, etc.

 

[Sunset]

Last year about this time, I was driving home from work, out of the corner of my eye I see a guy laying down with what looks like a push mower on top of his legs, I turn around pull in the drive, sure enough an elderly gentleman had a heart attack and fell backwards and pulled the mower on top of him, he was dead. I think of that every time I see an elderly person mowing.

This is a very good point about reel mowers.
Imagine if he had an electric or gas mower, you would have only seen part of him

Of course, the counter argument is he died exactly because the of extra effort of the reel mower, and would still be alive if he had a self propelled Toro mower (with variable speed to match your walking) as I do.

 

[Dawg52]

+1
Picking up twigs/debris prior to mowing makes a big difference with a reel mower. I had a small yard at my last house and used a reel mower the last few years there. It was nice not having to deal with a power cord, gas, etc.

What kind did you have?

 

[ProspectiveBum]

I have a Fiskars reel mower, bought for $35 on CL. We have a small amount of grass in the front and back yards, and it works fine for our needs. If the grass gets too tall, I do need to make a couple of passes at different heights to get it cut down to my preferred length (it binds up if you try to cut tall grass very short).

 

[Bestwifeever]

Good thread--we will either replace our mower soon or go to a yard service, or both. I just finished mowing. I like mowing the lawn (I think this should be everyone's first decision whenever possible, for everything: do you like doing it?), and if it gives me a heart attack, so be it. So might a pilates class (and since that's something I don't like, I'm pretty sure that won't happen). And I thought the same thing as travelover re death by car vs mower. But I digress. Our yard is not too big but not small and we typically just replace the inexpensive gas push mowers every ten or so years (machine maintenance ranks below pilates in my like-to-do column so no maintenance ever done on them). I just know we would chop a cord in half on the first outing so an electric is out. I'm thinking we will move to self-propelled and no lawn service, or inexpensive gas push mower and occasional lawn service. I appreciate the comments here as food for thought!

 

[HFWR]

I'd rather have my heart attack in an air-conditioned gym... YMMV...

 

[Lakedog]

What kind did you have?

Great States was the brand - believe it was this model:

https://www.amazon.com/Great-States-415-16-16-Inch-Standard/dp/B00002N691

But I think I bought it at Home Depot or Lowes for under $100 (although that was several years ago).

 

[6miths]

I've had a Honda mower for 15 years. Starts on one pull. Never any issues. I wish every product was this reliable. Best value for your $, even with a smallish yard.

+1

For a small lot a non-self propelled Honda is a great value. Almost overkill. A generic version with a Honda motor might be more cost-effective. For bigger yards I prefer Toro lawnmowers as they seem to me to have more power and usually have higher height settings which is my biggest complaint about my Honda.

 

[davemartin88]

If the yard is flat and easy to mow, I'd get a good quality reel mower and not hassle with batteries, cords, or gas.

 

[Dawg52]

Great States was the brand - believe it was this model:

https://www.amazon.com/Great-States-415-16-16-Inch-Standard/dp/B00002N691

.

What kind of grass did you have? Mine is mostly centipede but does have a little bermuda in the back, but not a lot. Most reviews I have seen suggest buying a 7 blade for bermuda. I'm assuming 7 would be fine for centipede too.

If the yard is flat and easy to mow, I'd get a good quality reel mower and not hassle with batteries, cords, or gas.

My yard is flat, but does have just a little bermuda grass in the back as mentioned above. It can get thick there, but most reviews I have seen indicate 7 blades will handle it fine. My overall lot with house is 5000 sq ft, back out the house & driveway...... I doubt I have 3000 sf ft to mow. I'm think I'm going to give it a try. If it doesn't work out, I'll give it to my nephew as he has a small lot as well. Going to keep my old gas mower for backup in case grass gets too tall to mow with the reel mower(when out of town). It should make it through the rest of the season.

 

[niven]

I've had a Honda mower for 15 years. Starts on one pull. Never any issues. I wish every product was this reliable. Best value for your $, even with a smallish yard.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

+1 Same on our 12 year old Honda mower - worth every penny.

 

[Tadpole]

This youtube makes reel mowers look light touch on flat lawns.

 

[razztazz]

I have a patio home on a lot that is 50'x100'. Of course the house eats up a big chunk of it so not a lot to mow. With my old gas push mower it might take 10 minutes on the front and 15 on the back including the sides. I love small yards . But the mower is on it's last leg and I'm starting to look at my options. Maybe an old fashion reel mower or an electric mower. Although I weed eat with a corded unit and handle the cord fine, I'm afraid a corded mower might be a pain. I have looked at cordless mowers, but poor reviews on battery life gives me pause. Anything you look at has pros and cons however.

I guess my question is.....any one using reel, electrical or battery powered mowers? If so any recommendations? I can always buy a small gas push mower again, but thought it might be nice getting away from oil and gas. At some point I will just hire it out, but I'm still young enough to do it and need the exercise.

I have lived on similar sized lots since 2005 and have used a reel mower the whole time. **LOVE IT!**

After the first reel mower (an off brand name) broke I got a corded electric. Yes the cord is a bit of a pain but it's not as bad as it looks. However i didn't like using it. It's heavier to push and the cord does restrict how you approach
the lawn. It comes in handy in the Fall at the new place because I have one tree. I found that simply plowing through the leaves and mulching them and letting the wind do the rest is easier than raking and bagging and calling for a pick-up. If you have no leaves to worry about, you're golden.

Also, if I get caught in one of those spells where the lawn needs to be cut but we're having 5 days of rain, the extra long grass can be dispatched faster with the electric. Not absolutely necessary but nice to have.

All in all though, since 2011 when I bought the electric you can count the number of times I've actually needed it vs the other 99.999% of the time when the reel mower was just fine, and a lot more fun to use. Makes me feel like it's 1965 again when I use it.

My personal observations of neighbors who spent a ton on battery electric mowers is, if you have a lawn that can be done with a rechargeable electric, you are better off with a reel mower. Those shaky reviews you've read are accurate.

 

[Dawg52]

I have lived on similar sized lots since 2005 and have used a reel mower the whole time. **LOVE IT!**

After the first reel mower (an off brand name) broke I got a corded electric. Yes the cord is a bit of a pain but it's not as bad as it looks. However i didn't like using it. It's heavier to push and the cord does restrict how you approach
the lawn. It comes in handy in the Fall at the new place because I have one tree. I found that simply plowing through the leaves and mulching them and letting the wind to the rest is easier than raking and bagging and calling for a pick up. If you have no leaves to worry about, you're golden.

Also, if I get caught in one of those spells where the lawn needs to be cut but we're having 5 days of rain, the extra long grass can be dispatched faster with the electric. Not absolutely necessary but nice to have.

All in all though, since 2011 when I bought the electric you can count the number of times I've actually needed it vs the other 99.99% of the time when the reel mower was just fine, and a lot more fun to use. Makes me feel like it's 1965 again when I use it.

My personal observations of neighbors who spent a ton on battery electric mowers is, if you have a lawn that can be done with a rechargeable electric, you are better off with a reel mower. Those shaky reviews you've read are accurate.

Thanks. I plan to get an electric down the road for occasions as you mention. My belching and spitting gas mower will serve that need until it goes belly up. No trees or leaves to worry with in my yard. A handful of leaves blow over from a small tree a couple of houses over, but not much of a bother.

I emailed sales at Great States and they said a 7 blade would work better in my situation so will give that one a try. I'm either going to be happy or will be consuming more alcohol.

 

[razztazz]

Thanks. I plan to get an electric down the road for occasions as you mention. My belching and spitting gas mower will serve that need until it goes belly up. No trees or leaves to worry with in my yard. A handful of leaves blow over from a small tree a couple of houses over, but not much of a bother.

I emailed sales at Great States and they said a 7 blade would work better in my situation so will give that one a try. I'm either going to be happy or will be consuming more alcohol.

There are several threads here about exercise. Some of them currently in motion. I find mowing the lawn with a reel mower quite a pleasant way of getting exercise on an "off-exercise-day. Warren Buffet, who lives just a few miles from where I am typing, said he used to mow is own lawn till he was in his sixties and was proud of that fact.

 

[sailor]

We used to have a manual reel mower, but after moving to the current house, we needed something which would mulch leaves in the fall.
We are mowing 2/3 of an acre and for last to years quite happy with corded Lowe's Kobalt brand, which is selling now for $199:
Shop Kobalt 13-Amp 21-in Deck Width Push Corded Electric Push Lawn Mower with Mulching Capability at Lowes.com
I'm using it with 100ft 14-gauge extension cord.

 

[Winemaker]

During my high school and college days, I sold lawn mowers at the local hardware store.
Went to several training seminars for different manufacturers, however I am not familiar with newer electric mowers. Some points I think are still true:

1) 2 cycle engines require a gas/oil mixture which actually allows you to cut grass upside down. The engine is always lubricated if the mixture is correct. A 2 cycle will last longer if your lawn has hills, because a 4 cycle has oil in a pan, and parts may run dry momentarily when oil runs to the low side of pan.
2) Reel mowers are easier on the grass and give you a true cut, instead of by a high speed "machete" at 1000+ RPM. But with all mowers the blade must be sharpened often.
3) 2 cycle engines if provided proper fuel/oil will last longer. I purchased a 1979 Lawnboy mower for DF, and he gave it to me for my use in my rentals in 2001. I used it til 2007, and replaced it with another Lawnboy. My current mower is a commercial Lawnboy that I bought in 1991, when I was relocated. Still going strong.
4) The stupid mandate requiring alcohol in modern gasolines reeks havoc on lawn mower carburetors ( as well as automotive), so expect a rebuild every 5 years.
5) If you get an electric mower that requires a cord, get the biggest gauge wire at the minimum length extension cord you need. This minimizes voltage drop and will extend the motor life.
6) Battery mowers weren't around back in 1978 that I remember, but I used batteries in mobile equipment in an industrial setting for 35 years. They sucked in the 80's, and they still sucked when I FIRED in October 2014.

 

[Lakedog]

What kind of grass did you have? Mine is mostly centipede but does have a little bermuda in the back, but not a lot. Most reviews I have seen suggest buying a 7 blade for bermuda. I'm assuming 7 would be fine for centipede too.

My small yard was mostly centipede but had some bermuda as well. Not sure whether a 7 blade would be better or not but the 5 blade (I think) worked very well for me.

 

[wolf]

I've used electric for much of my adult mowing life - today's are much cheaper and better than 20+ years ago. I see two major advantages: 1) I never have to store/carry/transfer gas, and 2) It is MUCH quieter than any gas mower.

You learn to do the cord dance thing pretty quickly, I've only severed one electric cord in my life.

+1. Have a small lawn. Can't beat electric. Always starts. Do not have
to store gasoline, change spark plug, and worry about stale gas and varnish.

Had gas mowers in the past. Compared to electric. to much maintenance.

 

[pb4uski]

We have a reel mower. It works well on grass but our back yard has a fair amount of crabgrass and other weeds and it doesn't do well on that so I rarely use ours. Perhaps you can find a friend or neighbor who has one and try it out on your lawn. ....

I applied weed & feed in the spring and the lawn is more grass than weeds than it was in the past. I used the reel mower today and it worked fine. Good exercise too.

 

[bbbamI]

Heh..if you want exercise, don't buy another mower, just 'mow' your yard with a weed eater.