Hi there, I'm new to lawn mowing.
From what I've read so far, I need a 20'+ mower as my backyard is quite large. I would say approx. 300m2 with the front yard being around 150m2 as well.
Does anyone have any recommendations of what is a good mover? Whether i should go electric or petrol for durability?
Battery mower are fine, just like most things, buy crap, get crap. So make sure you get a decent one like you said 36v or great.
I have a 56v one and its amazing, far better than my old 'petrol' powered one.
Bigger battery usually goes with wider cut.
My Ryobi 36v battery mower has 46cm cut.
In contrast the small 18v units only have 30cm-33cm cut because they just dont have the power needed.
Wider cut EQUALS less laps and cutting time
So look for 36v battery with 46cm cut.
Like this one:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/ryobi-36v-46cm-brushless-lawn-mo…
The Ryobi mower has a straight edge on one side alllowing for easy straight edge cutting along a wall
Bigger battery usually goes with wider cut.
Ego does a 42cm width mower, and they are 56v. So not always higher the voltage, the wider they are.
In contrast the small 18v units only have 30cm-33cm cut because they just dont have the power needed.
That's because they don't have the power to give, 18v is fine for a lot of tools, but the 18v batteries can't deliver the amps when needed. Which is why 36v or more is better.
YMMV, it will depend on the size of the yard, grass type and how often you mow it. If you mow it often, then 18v mower might be ok. If you mow it once a year, then maybe not.
fair enough that's on me for cheaping out. what are people's thoughts on corded ones?
Corded is fine, generally powerful enough. The cord can be a hassle. If youve got a small lawn and easy access to power theyre great.
Might need to change your mow pattern. I changed from concentric laps to across and back away from the nearest power so the cord would trail behind and not be in the mow path. I did manage to trip the power and shorten a cord once.
Got jack of the cord when we moved to having 5 sections of lawn requiring 5 power cord runs. Coiling, uncoiling got old very quickly but it's fine for maybe 2 sections.
Flymo is the only corded I rate
Me electric Victa works like a champ on a similar sized yard, and has for years.
Durable mower: Honda. Petrol (21-inch) or 36V battery (18-inch), both self-propelled; will come down to what type of lawn/grass you're cutting?
Old school Victa. Handles buffalo and Kikuyu no issues, relatively cheap to service and maintain. Had ours 20 years and gifted to family after downsizing. Still easily cutting a large suburban block.
Just make sure you get a good size catcher and I think they come with push button starts now
Definitely petrol. But then my only experience with electric was years ago and crp
The old Powertorque 2 strokes are great.
Good prices. I bought a Victa 18" with the Honda 170 engine and it's easily the best engine I've had on a lawn mower. The 21" deck would be good for a larger yard as described by the OP.
Awesome! Good price point. What are the main differences between the two?
I need a 20'+ mower
You'll have difficulty getting a more than 20 foot mower. I think they are called combine harvesters.
No, you can definitely get what OP is asking for.
I recommend the Krone Easy Cut 6210CV , which is a 20' cut. Much cheaper than a combine.
https://www.farmersequip.com/ag-showroom/krone/disc-mowers/P…
It should be able to cut OPs lawn in around ten seconds.
Sweet, here I am doing many passes with my puny 5ft slasher
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Some great battery mowers out there at the moment… Ego, Stihl, Toro would be my pick. We've about 400m2 and out 60v Toro Recycler does it in one go. Best thing is not having to deal with oil, petrol and servicing. Just keep it clean, keep the blade sharp and you'll be set. 4 years in, battery still running as it was when we bought it.
Suggest doing some google research, watch videos on YouTube, and find what works for you. You decide!
I went the green works electric with self propulsion mower last year. Fantastic. Not going back to petrol.
I am hanging out for a robot mower. Next year is the year!
Definitely go electric, I bloody hated having to mix two stroke and maintain the thing. Electric is as simple as it gets, just wait for a battery sale to pick up some extras.
I had a cheap Ozito, don't recommend it. Upgraded to the steeldeck ozito ones and life is easy. I can do my 250m2 twice on the batteries, so I imagine you could do the whole lot in one run no issues.
I had a cheap Ozito, don't recommend it.
What’s wrong with it? My 18V dual 4A Ozito serves me well. Nearly 200m2 turf.
Jump onto gumtree/facebook and buy a second hand petrol one, or go to a local lawn mower guy (there’s always one in a neighbourhood) and see what he has.
I spoke to a couple of mower shops, and petrol vs electric is 50:50. I see quite a few tradies with Stihl battery tools, and they swear by it.
Kinda tempted to get a Stihl electric mower but my Honda isn't dead.
I'm not wishing the demise of your Honda, mine is more than 35 years old and still going strong. But I am looking forward to these new US models when they eventually get released here.
Battery multi tool is a good idea. The hedgers are better than petrol in every way, and you can get some very useful attachments like edgers, pole pruners etc. But for blowers and mowers petrol is still king for now.
I reckon youd be mad to shell out for a new petrol mower these days. Battery is good.
I have around 250m2 of lawn, did measure, but cant remember the exact number. 36v 46cm cut does the job. It doesnt quite make it on a single charge if the lawn has been let go, but if its kept tidy, single battery does the job.
Ill never have petrol powered garden equipment for home again.
Make sure it is petrol and a Honda, ideally HRU series, don't be afraid to buy second hand. Battery mowers still not good enough and i've tried a few of them, sticking with Honda petrol for a while yet. I own the Stihl RMA510V and can't stand it, feels like a toy and cut quality is nowhere near as good.
What abour HRN? As mentioned in the eariler post
Have you considered getting goats? Cheaper and easier to set up than a robot mower.
Just make sure you get at least two so they don't get lonely and keep them away from your laundry.
I got a Masport elite from mitre 10. They had the best range of various petrol mowers.
Had a 36v for years and it was tough going, the deck would dig in, if grass was wet it'd stall easily.
Wouldn't go self propelled, it adds to much weight. If I had to compare maintenance, they aren't very different. Swapping and charging batteries vs adding petrol, I guess oil, but that's once a year or so. Both need washing and blades sharpened. I think my new petrol is less mucking around, the tank is larger and will do 3 mows before refill.
If petrol, consider 4 stroke vs 2 stroke, no mucking around with having to put 2 stroke in your fuel. Also, don’t use e10 for your petrol. That said, a lot of whipper snippers and blower vacs are of 2 stroke variety.
I've had four stroke mowers forever, I'd like to say I'm out of the two stroke game, but the whipper snipper and chainsaw use 2 stroke. Once upon a time I would keep a bottle of two stroke oil and measure out the right amount (or eye ball it if I was feeling lazy), but moving to a squeezy bottle like this makes like so much easier (and cleaner!).
https://www.bunnings.com.au/valvoline-power-armour-1l-2-stro…
I've had two mowers in my life, a hand me down Rover from my Grandfather that was old when I got it and did nearly 20 more years. Now a Masport push mower which has done eight years, although just needed a new front axle after the original failed. A quick and easy fix and being newer parts are easy.
Pretty sure this is what I have and was $460 (back in 2016 anyway): https://masport.com.au/outdoor-garden-products/petrol-lawnmo…
Sounds like we have a similar sized yard and I can say the move from a 17" to a 19" was magic, would bigger again be good? Maybe, but I wouldn't want to go back to smaller and I don't know that I would pay much of a premium.
I like the idea of electric, so maybe next time around. But I also like not having to manage batteries to make sure they are charged or that there is a spare. Do you leave it plugged in all the time? Remember to charge on Friday night before mowing on the weekend? Leave it plugged in but have a timer so it only charges on a Friday night so it's not constantly charging? Does it even matter with modern batteries? (Also how often do you have to replace them?) The reality is that it probably doesn't matter and they just work, but I suspect a petrol mower will last longer, cost less upfront as well as over its life.
Fuel is pretty damn convenient to just tip in and get moving and while maintenance would be good, short of checking the oil, mine tends to get serviced only when it needs new blades.
Maybe I'm just getting old but it seemed to take me ages ( and wear me out) just getting the petrol mower started. Battery mower for me.
Honda starts first pull every time even after decades of use
My Victa petrol mower is 30+ years old and going strong..
Last year purchased a 4 stroke Rover Duracut 955 self propelled 22inch cut 196cc mower for $605 delivered on Ebay. Beautiful mower.The major mfrs , like the car mfrs are gearing up to go battery but to my mind we aren't quite ready for full battery power yet. Check around and see what's on offer. You might get a bargain.
EGO 56v battery mower, they are very good, much better than the petrol Victa mower I had previously.
save yourself some grief and stay away from battery systems if you have a big yard. if you insist on a battery system at least ensure you get a 36V because you might as well use scissors if you have a 18V