Post by: Oleg Volk on April 11, 2005, 09:53:18 AM
Post by: Harold Tuttle on April 11, 2005, 09:56:32 AM
for a small lots its fine & its very quiet
you will learn the zen of drag cord flipping
Post by: charby on April 11, 2005, 10:05:12 AM
I use a 2 cycle lawnboy Silver series and love it.
You could check out this mower on your small lot. Its electric and mows by itself. http://www.ie.husqvarna.com/node1533.asp
Post by: mtnbkr on April 11, 2005, 10:17:00 AM
Oh, I use a Black and Decker mower. I've had it for 3 years now and it's still running strong.
Chris
Post by: client32 on April 11, 2005, 11:22:58 AM
A google search should turn up options.
Post by: mtnbkr on April 11, 2005, 11:30:57 AM
I used mine for a season and a half and ended up selling it at a yard sale for $20.
Chris
Post by: cfabe on April 11, 2005, 11:42:00 AM
Post by: Tallpine on April 11, 2005, 11:50:59 AM
Change the oil every season and it will probably last about 10 years (or more).
Or ... I got one of those high wheel 6hp mowers new for about $200 on sale a few years ago. Harder to mow around flowers and trees but better if the ground is rough.
I used an electric ONCE ... couldn't stand the dang cord.
Best idea: get one of those little minature horses :-)
Post by: cdma on April 11, 2005, 12:02:54 PM
I'd start by looking at the Honda Harmony II line of mowers. They start in the high $300s, but last for years. and are excellent mowers. They're also good mulchers if you want that. Depending on how severe your slope is, the additional expense of a powered mower may be well worth it. However, if your lot has many obstacles that you'll need to manuever around, the added weight of a self-powering mechanism will be an impediment.
I never was a fan of electrics; I never could master cord management. They are relatively quiet, though, which is a plus.
Post by: XLMiguel on April 11, 2005, 03:33:15 PM
If you can get along with gas, a 4 HP 20" would do ya fine, <$150 new.
Plan B - any neighborhood kids around with an entrepanueral bent or work ethic?
Post by: Waitone on April 11, 2005, 03:35:07 PM
Post by: possenti on April 11, 2005, 03:43:24 PM
Post by: TarpleyG on April 11, 2005, 03:45:18 PM
Greg
Post by: roo_ster on April 11, 2005, 04:35:15 PM
The electrics are nice for the reasons mentioned above...and are a PITA for the reasons mentioned above...
Here's a possible solution: buy the 6HP gas mower AND a reel mower, as they are really cheap, too. If you stay on top of it, you don't break out ol' smelly & noisy that often. If you let it go two weeks, you'll thank yourself for having a gas-powered mower.
What did I do? I have a smaller than .2 acre lawn & bought a 21" 6HP self-propelled mower at Costco. The cool thing is that the motor is a Honda, but I did not pay a Honda price, as it was produced by MTD.
Welcome to yard work. At first I dreaded it, but now I see the parodies of suburban guys on their mowers or doing landscaping and feel a tinge of solidarity and (I seem to have a mote in my eye, sniff, sniff) a little pride.
Post by: kudu on April 11, 2005, 04:38:45 PM
Post by: Standing Wolf on April 11, 2005, 05:45:13 PM
As trusted, it was easier on the ears than a gas model. The cord was something of a bother; once I learned to mow away from rather than toward the house, however, it wasn't so bad. A year after I bought it, I discovered "mulching" the cut grass was altogether the wrong thing to do in Colorado: it's so dry here, the clippings don't decompose, but clog up the lawn.
I bought a Honda gas-powered motor. I never run it without first putting on a pair of shooting muffs. All my neighbors know I'm a gun nut, and anyway, I carry openly about half the time when I'm in the yard. It's self-propelled, so it handles the inclined back yard better than the electric model. Dumping the bag is a bother, but the lawn is healthier now. Changing the oil is another bother, as is remembering to fill the gas can at the station. Other than the hassles, the mower is a champion.
Post by: grampster on April 11, 2005, 05:48:32 PM
Post by: nico on April 11, 2005, 06:07:10 PM
I also cut my grandmother's lawn with a Craftsman electric mower and I absolutely hate it. She has a few small trees in her yard and a deck and I have to screw with the cord every couple of minutes. If you're cutting a clear patch of land, I think it'd work fine though.
Post by: Guest on April 11, 2005, 07:04:15 PM
Quote
Get a Honda, 4stroke, self propelled. End of Story.
Yes.
Post by: DustinD on April 11, 2005, 10:47:11 PM
Post by: Peter Ratner on April 12, 2005, 12:30:57 AM
If you're gonna go with critters use sheep - goats will et everything they can reach (even getting up on their hind legs), and don't particularly like grass. Sheep are much better at mowing grass, and tastier too.
Post by: Leatherneck on April 12, 2005, 04:44:14 AM
Two problems account for 90% + in the gas mowers:
1. Low/no oil,
2. Bad gas in the springtime.
So if you're fond of changing oil, storing gasoline, noise, smell, etc go with the gas mower.
TC
Post by: BryanP on April 12, 2005, 05:59:44 AM
You can get them for about $100 at Lowes.
The only problem with the battery powered models is runtime, but again with a .2 acre lot I don't think that will be an issue.
Post by: mtnbkr on April 12, 2005, 07:03:26 AM
I really wanted mine to work out, but it just wasn't happening. Roots, ruts, too tall grass, etc all make it difficult to use. When conditions were right, it worked very well, but that was seldom.
Chris
Post by: Wildalaska on April 12, 2005, 07:54:04 AM
WildittakesavillageAlaska
Post by: BryanP on April 12, 2005, 07:57:27 AM
I used one as a teenager, but the yards I mowed were very putting-greenish, so that's probably why I didn't mind.
I've always thought someone should make small (12" cut) self-propelled remote-controlled lawn mowers. You could market them with snap-on plastic shells to make them look like the vehicle of your choice. The NASCAR crowd would eat it up.
Post by: grampster on April 12, 2005, 06:17:25 PM
Post by: Mabs2 on April 12, 2005, 08:02:55 PM
Am I missing something?
Post by: Sylvilagus Aquaticus on April 12, 2005, 08:43:48 PM
Regards
Rabbit.
Post by: mack on April 13, 2005, 06:42:28 AM
Post by: Stickjockey on April 13, 2005, 10:42:20 AM
Quote
You can get them for about $100 at Lowes.
Let me check, but I think I've got one I'll send you for $50.00 and shipping.
Post by: Greg Levy on April 13, 2005, 02:40:27 PM
Quote from: Waitone
Goats, think goats.
Hmm...I was thinking it was time for kids, myself.On the idea of a Push Reel Mower...I bought one because most of my yard is trees and shrub, with only a 15 X 20 foot section of grass. I HATE IT!!!! It works good, until I find a pine cone or a small tree branch. Anything other than grass, and it stops like you hit a brick wall. Nothing like having to rake BEFORE and AFTER you mow.
If I had it to do over again, I would have bought something else...
Quote from: Stickjockey
Quote
You can get them for about $100 at Lowes.
Let me check, but I think I've got one I'll send you for $50.00 and shipping.greg
Post by: mtnbkr on April 14, 2005, 06:02:00 AM
Chris
Post by: mfree on April 15, 2005, 06:19:29 AM
What's the ramifications of getting a little tiller and just chopping it all under and starting from scratch with clover? If it's too bad I'll just spend a day out there with an electric string trimmer and a rake...
Post by: charby on April 15, 2005, 06:48:50 AM
Quote from: mfree
What's the ramifications of getting a little tiller and just chopping it all under and starting from scratch with clover? If it's too bad I'll just spend a day out there with an electric string trimmer and a rake...
Pissed off neighbors and rabbits eating and breeding like crazy in your yard.
Post by: mtnbkr on April 15, 2005, 06:51:36 AM
I had to do this the other day with my electric mower. I have a much smaller yard though.
Tilling it under and starting over might work, but it may also open your lawn up for a weed invasion. As long as you keep a nice thick carpet of grass, it's hard for weeds to get a foothold, but by tilling it, you'll open it up for every weed seed dropped by the breeze, birds, or animals. I had no weeds at all in my front yard until a drought and my laziness let a large thin patch appear (lawn pattern baldness?). From there on, it's been a battle to keep weeds out. I'm almost back to my previous state, but it's taken a lot of chemicals and manual weeding.
Chris
Post by: mike on April 23, 2005, 07:03:44 AM
Post by: mfree on April 26, 2005, 10:46:24 AM
Will I care? :-D
Only thing I really care about now is that the lawns are growing past what I consider regular cutting length in *4 days*.... what the heck kind of grass is this!