Looking for the best recommendations for lawn mowers based on ease of operation and maintenance. Value for money model/brand will be great. It will be used for around 600 sq mtr area. I haven't dealt with it yet but I would hate to buy, store and fill petrol so I would prefer battery version unless it is a way poor choice. Thanks in advance.
Lawn Mower Recommendations
virhlpool on 10/12/2023 - 21:49
Last edited 10/12/2023 - 21:50
Last edited 10/12/2023 - 21:50
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Can't say without knowing how much I would need to spend for an ideal 'value for money's model. But I would assume, less than $500? Sorry, can't give the exact number.
https://www.bunnings.com.au/ozito-pxc-36v-2-x-18v-460mm-brus…
You can't go wrong with this thing. I've got the self-propelled model and its great.
You must be careful though, as the temptation to get other tools in the PXC eco-system is very hard to resist.
As a loose rule of thumb, the 2x 18 (or 36) volt PXC range are all great bit of kit.
I have this exact mower and I rate it. I recently grabbed 2 extra x 4ah batteries on sale for $69 for the pair. So, for under $600 for a mower with 4 batteries and a great warranty, it’s a great deal.
I live regionally with a large corner block that includes the worlds largest nature strips + dirt road/extra grass curb combo and the 4 batteries easily does the entire lawn. When one set runs out, I just drop em on the charger and put in my second set. Charging only takes 1 hour.
Full disclosure, I was already on the Ozito ecosystem and generally everything has been great for the price. Here is also a great community on FB if you wanted to ask more questions.
You don't happen to have the whipper snipper do you?
I've been tempted to get it, just not sold.
I already have some ozito tools.
@creesy: yep, got the 36V snipper. It's good with stronger cable (2mm dia only). Another guy reckons you just have to keep the string line in water until you use it.
@imnotgoingtopayrrp: Bloke at the mower shop told me to soak the trimmer string in water last week. First I’d heard of it. Seems it’s recommended.
600 sq mtrs is a fairly big job for a battery lawn mower.
Best idea is a petrol lawn mower.Nevertheless, most battery lawn mowers provide guidance as to what area of lawn they can cut. or otherwise run time.
But very importantly also depends on length of lawn.
With battery lawn mower you must cut regularly as they are nowhere near as powerful as a petrol lawn mower.
Hence if OP leaves the lawn to grow, the battery lawn mower is going to struggle and will use much more battery power.
ie the battery mower wont last for the full cut whereas a petrol lawn mower will.Furthermore to get around the lack of power, battery mowers typically have a much narrower cutting width, so you end up taking twice as long to mow the lawn….Another good reason for a petrol lawn mower in OPs case.
Basically, if not petrol then OP needs a battery lawn mower with high capacity (mAh) batteries and the widest cutting width available on a battery mower….Good luck
And is probably looking to spend BIG $$$ BUCKSCan always buy an additional battery for extra capacity too if needed (600sqm is fairly large).
I have a Ryobi electric and love it. No need to store petrol, oil etc and pulling the damn string to start the mower. Just push a button and go. Mine is 46cm width so a decent size. Cost around $500 I think with battery.
I use a battery mower too, but no way i'd be using it on 600 sqm of lawn. Maybe in
22050 years when we've got graphene superbatteries.I think you mean "Battery" or "cordless"
But yes about an extra battery
They are horrendously expensive for a powerful cordless mower
Hence adds even more cost.
yes about easy start too.Battery mowers definitely best for small lawns when regularly cut.
Petrol is much cheaper to buy and much better for cutting large lawns.
Ask any lawn-mowing man
@HeWhoKnows: Your advice on battery mowers is out of date. The technology has improved a lot in recent years.
My yard is about 700 sq m. I use a Ryobi battery mower, no issues. I have 3 batteries and it does the job easily with power to spare. That includes tackling overgrowth near fence.
Not all cordless electric mowers are equal. Avoiding the cheap entry level mowers is a must for large yards.
I waited for a sale and got the Ryobi 36V HP 46cm 6.0Ah Brushless Mower Kit, and 2 additional 4Ah batteries. This mower is very good. It has an "eco" mode which does a good job balancing power and battery use. For the overgrown parts I switch to "power" mode which unleashes the full power of the mower to easily cut through overgrowth. You can hear the motor ramp up to full speed, and you get this sense that "wow, cordless mowers really can match petrol power"…. I use power mode perhaps 10% of the time, as eco mode is powerful enough for most of the lawn.
Pretty much my reason for buying petrol. I got a $1000 Honda petrol mower for my 500sq meter and there is a few occasion the mower stopped due to grass being too long. The battery probably will not fair any better. I am lazy so long grass will be frequent
LOL Battery wouldn't even make the first 10 metres in your case.
Battery or petrol preference?
Battery preferred. Any pros and cons? I would hate petrol smell and the hassle of buying, storing nd filling petrol, honestly.
I know nothing about battery powered lawn equipment. It's all petrol and 2 stroke in my shed.
Old school. Good school :)
As a fellow, well-established bargainer. You have to have a crack at the Ozito PXC specials, especially the battery combo deals.
@imnotgoingtopayrrp: My shed is full of ozito pxc tools - just not garden equipment (except a blower to dust out the shed). I have 3 acres of manicured gardens around my house so battery powered shite just doesn't work for me.
Battery preferred
EGO
I have a big EGO
I thought Dan took away your "big" EGO
@jv: With big EGO like that, of course you shouldn't be travelling more than 5km radius from home. That's a right call.
For a 600 sqm side yard (as someone with a similar size), I would go Petrol. My wife (with the help of my father in law), bought me a Victa 18" Super Mulcher Petrol Lawn Mower when we moved into our new place and it is great.
I would hate petrol smell and the hassle of buying, storing nd filling petrol, honestly.
It isn't that bad to do. Just have a large gerry can and you do it every now and then. The smell isn't that bad either.
I… Like the smell of petrol in the shed.
He's likely not into oil changes
Battery mowers are great, but be sure to get what you need to cover the area. I don't think many battery mowers advertise coverage of more then 500sqm but you can always get an extra battery.
Agree with you on petrol storage, smells, hassle etc. Have had petrol mowers before and didn't like them. Ended up paying a guy to do our mowing for years because I found the petrol mowers to be a PITA. Now I have the electric I'm back to doing it myself.
Are you mowing a townhouse lawn or a 2 acres? Flat, sloping, terraced?
Large backyard. Not as small as a townhouse but a typical house backyard. Not acres for sure. Backyard has a a bit of slope.
30m² or 600m²?
You need to help us so we can help you.
Of course. More like 600m2.
@virhlpool: That's a typical block, not backyard, in my area!! Power tools probably won't get you far mowing 600m2
I’m a fan of the ozito steel deck battery mower. Get a second set of batteries. You’ll find it light and easy to use if you don’t let the lawn get too long. If you are cutting 8inch grass, it chews the batteries and takes longer.
There is no maintenance, and you can start mowing immediately.This sounds more like one that should suit me. Does it go for sale or usually have a standard price?
@virhlpool: I think this is it:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/ozito-pxc-36v-2-x-18v-460mm-brus…I got it a couple of years ago for $399, but I don’t know if it ever sells at that price these days.
@virhlpool: Battery/electric is an adequate replacement for petrol now. Not suitable for a farmer or Jim’s mowing who needs to run for 8hours non-stop.
There are many who say they will never switch from petrol. I’m sure people said that about coal fires and kerosene heaters - as they experience the convenience, lower operating costs, and similar performance they will be won over.
The ozito mower is approximately as powerful as the rover or victa petrol mowers I’ve had in the last 15 years. Maybe a $1200 Honda outperforms it, but it would want to do so for 2.5 times the cost.
People rave about the ego mowers - I haven’t used one, but maybe they are better.
I just want to cheaply and easily cut the grass and get back to lazing around.@virhlpool: I have a battery mower (a 36V Ozito) and it's fine for my 150sqm, so long as I'm on top of it; however, if I miss a week and it's longer than usual, I'll need to swap out batteries. It's fine if you're already investing into the ecosystem and have two pairs, otherwise you'll have to charge in between. I think you're seriously going to struggle with 600sqm using either battery or corded.
@mskeggs: They released a new model of it recently and upped the price by $100. I think the old one was seasonal (they only sold it part of the year), this is permanent.
Hopefully it goes on sale eventually though with the price hike but the new version is only a couple of months old.
This!
It goes on sale at Bunnings as a special buy a few times a year.Don't by the not so great regular 36v….the special one - there is a beefcake self propelled one and a lighter steel decked one.
Goes awesome, buy 2x or 3x Ozito 4ah batteries on special — living the dream.Ps. I have about 300m2 to mow and 4x 4ah is enough to mow, run the ozito line trimmer, then edger, then blower.
Would never go back to petrol if I could help it.
@Ozbargainerd1: Can you link that (and batteries) up mate so I don't end up with a wrong model? Cheers.
Just get the Corby420 at Bunnings.
Could you share a link? I couldn't find this model. :)
Lol - depending on your state it's sometimes called the Schapelle69
Honda for petrol
EGO for battery
I know a highly satisfied Honda HRG466 Battery owner
ryobi batts have low voltage discharge protection.
makes it handy if you buy adaptors to reuse the batteries to power things other than ryobi gardening equipmentI bought a Bosch battery mower last year when I was too crook to start my petrol mower. It’s pretty good. Better if you keep the grass short by mowing every couple of weeks. Battery lasts about 20 minutes so I need a second one to get the job done. Push button start and reasonably quiet. Cheers.
Sounds good. Can you link your model here please? I assume you bought an extra battery? Is it easy to replace the battery?
Bosch Home & Garden 36 Volt… https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B083QMPWLS?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_s…
I bought this recently during Black Friday sales. Amazon will probably discount it for Boxing Day sales.
It’s brushless compared to my older 10 year old brushed Bosch that’s gone to heaven. So much more powerful. You’ll need extra batteries.Thanks. How much did you pay during the sale?
Honda petrol mower. HRU196 if you have the budget, otherwise Bunnings has a domestic one.
Not impressed with battery mowers at all.
What's not impressive about battery mowers? Time of operation per one battery charge? Or is it its inability to mowe taller/bigger grass? I assume the battery mowers would still do the latter but it will take longer. Right? Hoping to hear your views.
What's not impressive about battery mowers?
None will cut as well as the Honda HRU196.
Or is it its inability to mowe taller/bigger grass?
This is my concern about battery mowers…….
Time of operation per one battery charge?
Followed by this……. especially for a large yard. Might need a few batteries and always remembering to charge them. Don't want to leave them on charge all the time due to Fire Risk……..
The Ryobi battery for my mower holds a charge pretty well. I recharge after use and then turn the charger off. When I go back next time its usually still almost 100% charged.
Block-quote inability to mower taller/bigger grass?
It will take longer yes, but it's a frustrating longer - my Ego will stall constantly if the grass is more than a certain height… and goes through the battery faster (in my case it won't finish the yard in one go).. But you adapt - you mow more often, and if I can see the weeds are long in a few areas, I'll grab the linetrimmer and take the top off the offending area first…
I went all-in on Ego a few years back - I'm very happy not to have to deal with petrol and 2-stroke and wouldn't go back, but they're not perfect.
Taller grass can be a problem. Mow more often, or mow it on a high setting then go back for a second bite if you’ve been ‘on holidays’.
My neighbour has a 600 sq mt block & a stihl battery mower, it's under powered, she has the worst lawn in the street. Ever wonder why contractors use petrol? especially Honda.
Ever wonder why contractors use petrol?
No, they go from job to job with nowhere to recharge batteries. To do a whole day's work they'd need a whole lot of charged batteries. If they forget to charge them, or don't have enough, they can't do the work and don't get paid. Whereas if they use petrol it just takes a drum of fuel that can be refilled at the local servo in 5 minutes. So they choose petrol.
But a person just mowing their own lawn simply doesn't have that problem. They can mow it, or finishing mowing it, tomorrow after they've recharged their battery.
Contractors choose petrol for a reason that is important to their business that simply isn't relevant to homeowners mowing their own lawn occasionally.
If you get a quote from a garden care contractor it may help with your budget. I know someone with barely 200m² whose cheapest quote was $90 - because tradies get paid to travel. So you many not need to mow many times to amortise your equipment cost.
Have a Makita battery mower which is a great - takes the same batteries as the rest of my Makita tools.
Also have a petrol mower, but haven't used that at all since I got the battery mower.
I would say major benefits of the battery mower is that it's significantly quieter (don't have to wear hearing protection), and it's much more convenient and easier to use. My batteries are always charged up, it literally takes me a minute to load up the batteries and be ready to mow.
Even if you go with a petrol mower, I would definitely go with a battery line trimmer, hedge trimmer, chainsaw…etc., your joints will thank you for it because they don't vibrate like the petrol tools do.
So is 600m2 your block size or lawn size? If it’s the latter, that’s quite a large lawn
If it’s the latter, that’s quite a large lawn
And is that a problem? I would say that is how large my backyard is. Not completely square, but I have a 1200 sqm block, 50% house and shedding, and the rest is lawn + garden.
It’s only a problem if you’re considering battery mowers. 600m2 is going to chew a lot of battery. My lawn is 355m2 (measured) and uses a full 36v 5ah battery for a regular mow. More when it’s thick.
Yes, exactly. I would be going petrol for sure. Battery is only good for a small yard that you might have to do once a month. I am having to do mine every week with the amount of rain and warmer weather we are having in VIC. Filled up an entire garden bin of clippings yesterday just for my backyard!
@geekcohen: I’ll never have a petrol mower again. Battery starts immediately, no smelly fumes and much less noise. It also cuts off immediately and reatarts with no effort after emptying catcher.
My battery mower does the job fine and I don’t have a small yard, it’s an 800m2 block plus there’s the council footpath section outside the boundary - so 355m2 of grass. If it’s a bit longer I’ve got an extra battery to keep going.
@Euphemistic: I guess to each to their own. My power starts in one or two pulls. Its a decent model so no issues there unlike my previous 2nd hand one I had.
Personally, I am a bit of a rev head, so I prefer Fuel Powered over battery for most things.
@geekcohen: I’m a bit of a rev head too, but much rather the convenience and simplicity of battery for my tools.
Got a petrol hedger at work. it’s a pain to start but does start after 3-4 attempts, takes ages to warm up to run properly, requires going to the servo to get fuel (admittedly rarely), it’s probably twice as heavy as my home battery hedger that does almost the same job. I can swing the battery hedger for much longer than the petrol one without ending up with stuffed arms the following day. Admittedly the battery hedger won’t cut as thick a branch as the petrol one, but both do the same job on maintained hedges.
I recently changed to a Honda-powered Victa mower. Having had Victa and Rover-powered machines in the past, I can say that the Honda engine easily supports the extra $$$ spent. Cost about $700 delivered.
If you’re going battery, then worth thinking more broadly than just the mower. We run mower, line-trimmer, blower, (small) chainsaw, hedge trimmer all off the same batteries.
We’re using Ryobi, but other brands have similar interchangeable batteries.If it really is 600m2 of grass (not block including house) you’re gonna struggle to get a battery mower in your budget.
I’ve got a Ryobi 36v and it uses a full 5ah battery to do 355m2 and won’t finish the job if the lawn has been let go a bit long.
Stihl 36v battery mower. Been using one for 18 months, it mulches and is self propelled, cannot fault it! You may need 2 batteries if your mowing area is larger than a normal House Block.
+1 for self propelled especially as you have a slope, it takes all the strain out of it
Do you have any existing battery tools ? If so you may want to look at mower skins that use the batteries you already have.
depends on how often you plan on mowing, if you are one of those people that do it when it gets long and doesn't care much about aesthetics and just wants it cut to the absolute shortest so you don't have to do it often? you are better off with petrol mower.
if you don't mind mowing and will get out every week to give it a trim to keep it tidy, go with battery power,
If its really that big, I'd be considering a ride on!
A big 21/22" Self propelled mower at worst, and definitely Petrol. Battery will not go the distance unless you commit to buying multiple batteries.Aside from the logical reasons for Petrol over Battery across that land area, I'm going back to Petrol from battery following my own experience with battery mower and hearing other's stories since.
My Victa 82V just decided to no longer work after 3 years and has since been written off as unrepariable by Victa!
Most likely motherboard failure from my own investigations.
Still in Warranty so I got my money back, and I am aware that the 82V gear was discontinued due to bankruptcy, but I'm also aware that the gear and spare parts are still actually available internationally branded differently.
I've heard similar stories from owners of EGO, Ryobi and Ozito. Battery equipment is sadly not built to last. Petrol gear has decades of history showing it'll last 10+ years with minimal maintenance.Agreed about petrol. I like the idea of battery but my petrol mower was the cheapest mower at Bunnings when I bought it 6 years ago. I've changed the oil once in that 6 years and it still goes like a champ
If I had 600sqm of lawn to mow i'd be buying a ride on.. thats a lot of lawn..
I've got a battery Ozito for about 120sqm of lawn on a major slope. I need 2 batteries to get it done but I need the lightness of an electric mower to deal with how sloped it is.. i'd struggle to move a petrol mower around the space.If I had 600sqm of lawn to mow i'd be buying a ride on.. thats a lot of lawn..
Good weekly exercise and it's not that much. Takes me 1.5 hours with a push mower to do my 600sqm, front, back, nature stripe and council rear. Including doing the edges.
A ride on for some blocks would be very painful. Mine would be as it isn't 100% square and would be stuffing around a lot more with a ride on.
My place is on 3 levels, so being able to easily cart a mower up and down is a huge benefit.
My old place was 500+m2 over 5 levels, and was a hard job.
I have a pair of 4ah batteries and 2 pairs of 3ah batteries. If I start with them charged I never run out of power, even with longer, damp grass, as the first set is recharged by the time I finish with the others.It's not like petrol mowers don't require refueling, and I don't need to head out to the petrol station every 10l like a petrol user does.
I've got 400m2 of lawn (actual lawn, not block size), and with a 36v (2 x 18v) makita mower, I use 2 x 5ah + half drain another 2 x 5ah batteries in a self-propelled Makita battery lawnmower per mow. This is mowing about every 2 weeks - kikuyu for about 60% of it as the backyard recovers.
At 600m2 of lawn, I'd estimate you'd need 6 batteries to fully mow that amount of grass. Its very, very easy to changeover as true push button start so its not like starting a petrol mower. I made an investment in a makita setup (mower/multitool - whipper snipper, polesaw, edger, cultivator, hedgetrimmer + other shed tools) and I'm very happy to have converted the garden tools to battery. Never thought I would, but yeah - would never go back.
are you talking actual 600sqm of lawn or is your block of land 600sqm ??
I'd look for a 2nd handed Honda 160cc 3-speed self propelled mower with the bag catcher. Prices will vary on the Facebook marketplace but do remember you get what you pay for.
Usually I'd aim for around $500-600 secondhanded?
The one with the manual choke where you push the throttle all the way down to activate, and pull it back slightly to disable.
That thing is bulletproof and will pull you along lol.
(Remember to check that the frame is not cracked or punctured, especially near the front. And that it starts easy with the choke on. Also make sure the self propelled system hooks up in every gear. Aim for a machine that wasn't used commercially… you can usually tell based on the physical appearance of the machine)
What sort of grass and how often do you mow ? There is no reason to buy a petrol mower for DIY unless you want to get a cheap second hand one.
If you have thatchy buffalo or unmaintained kikuyu - get a 36v one,
If you have a well maintained lawn - any decent 18v one would do. But try to get the widest one you can afford.
If you have other cordless tools / planning to buy stick to one brand so you can re use the batteries.
I bet you will be more confused after this topic wraps up than you were to start with.
There was a good deal on an Ego mower at Total Tools and Sydney Tools a couple of months ago - $649 I think it was- a week after I bought something else of course - but most of their lousy deals are bonus blowers. I can't think of a more useless bonus.
Dunno. I would enjoy a blow or some blow
EGO battery mowers, brilliant. 1000% better than all the previous petrol mowers I've had.
Just get a goat
I have the best lawn on the street (and I don't use any fancy products that various FB lawn pages rave about). My mower? A 10 year old Victa 18" from Bunnings (yes, the mower most lawn guru's love to bag).
It started getting hard to start a couple of years ago, so I changed the air filter, spark plug and engine oil (which had never been done prior to that). Ever since it's started first time every time, with just a half-strength pull, even with fuel that's often several months old. It has enough grunt to get through thick Buffalo and Kikuyu, and even to give them a heavy groom several notches lower each Spring. And a large solid catcher; none of that mesh bag rubbish most mowers use these days (even the coveted imported Honda's). After sharpening the cutting blades from a factory roudish-square edge to a sharp 30 degree edge, it cuts cleanly with minimal tears. A relative bought one a couple of years ago and so far zero issues. Prior to that he had an inherited one which had been going for around 20 years.
It's considerably cheaper than the frequently suggested Masports, Hondas and EGO's, and does a much better job than equivalently priced battery mowers from the likes of Ozito and Ryobi (too light, not enough torque, not enough endurance, and some of them even have narrower decks).
For everything else (edger, whipper snipper, blower, hedge trimmer, etc) I use battery. I'm happy with them all except the blower - they have nothing on 2400W corded blowers - fine for grass clippings, but not so good at moving gum leaves which have an uncanny ability to seemingly glue themselves to the ground.
Honda HRU19
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Have you got a budget?