OP
OP
We bought a plastic Honda, used, from a pawn shop when we bought this house. It lasted a few years until it started bowing oil out the carb. Good mower.
Battery Powered Lawn Equipment
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I've learned two lessons about small gas engines over the years:
- Always use Sta-bil additive in gas. I add it before I put the gas cans into the trunk. A container of this will last a LONG time.
- It takes about $15 and 5 minutes to swap out a carburetor. If I can't get it to purr with adjustments to H/L within about a minute, I replace the carb. The last carb I bought was $15 and came with replacement fuel filter, fuel lines, gaskets, even a spark plug.
I want one of those roomba lawnmowers so badly.
https://www.wired.com/2016/07/husqvarna-automower-450x-review/
https://www.wired.com/2016/07/husqvarna-automower-450x-review/
jgln
Well-Known Member
LOL...I remember as a kid my friend's dad had an electric lawnmower with a cord and we were always running over it and cutting it. Imagine vacuuming a carpet but a lawn and a lawnmower.....what a PITA.
I had nothing but problems with 2 cycle weed whackers then I read 4 cycle engines have 1/10 the issues and so far they were right.
I have a lot of heavy weed whacking to do, we live in "the country" and don't have a nice lawn, mostly a mix of grass and weeds we cut now and then, edging only when it gets out of hand. I have 10 acres but really only 1.5 we mow, the rest woods or farmed. I never tried a battery one and for now probably not a good option.
ALWAYS REMEMBER TO WEAR EAR PROTECTION AROUND MOWERS AND WEED WHACKERS!!!!!!...........What??
You don't want constant ringing in your ears for the rest of your life like me.
I had nothing but problems with 2 cycle weed whackers then I read 4 cycle engines have 1/10 the issues and so far they were right.
I have a lot of heavy weed whacking to do, we live in "the country" and don't have a nice lawn, mostly a mix of grass and weeds we cut now and then, edging only when it gets out of hand. I have 10 acres but really only 1.5 we mow, the rest woods or farmed. I never tried a battery one and for now probably not a good option.
ALWAYS REMEMBER TO WEAR EAR PROTECTION AROUND MOWERS AND WEED WHACKERS!!!!!!...........What??
You don't want constant ringing in your ears for the rest of your life like me.
mirthfuldragon
Well-Known Member
I bought an Ego 56v string trimmer over Memorial Day for like $160, and so far it has delivered on every promise. I still use a gas mower, but for trimming around the edges and around the flower beds, it is as easy and straightfoward as charge-squeeze-whack done. Usually 1 charge is good enough to last two uses for my 2/3 acre suburban lot. Price is a direct competitor to a good quality gas trimmer, without having to mess around with 2 cycle issues. It is also very quiet, to the point where ear protection isn't necessary - and my dad's near deaf from a lifetime of working on heavy machinery, so I am neurotic about ear protection.
Beernik
Well-Known Member
I had a homelite cordless lawnmower until I moved into the condo I just moved out of.
It was good as long as I didn’t let the grass go more than 10 days between mowings. If it got more than 14, it would take a couple charges to do the front & backyard and they were small yards.
I loved not having the gas exhaust blowing grass pollen all over me. It really helped keep my grass allergy problems down. My only complaint was that a replacement battery for it cost almost as much as the freaking mower.
This time, I think I’ll buy a corded mower.
It was good as long as I didn’t let the grass go more than 10 days between mowings. If it got more than 14, it would take a couple charges to do the front & backyard and they were small yards.
I loved not having the gas exhaust blowing grass pollen all over me. It really helped keep my grass allergy problems down. My only complaint was that a replacement battery for it cost almost as much as the freaking mower.
This time, I think I’ll buy a corded mower.
applescrap
Be the ball!
Cool!
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Have had good service out of Honda 4 cycle weed whackers, but you do have to change the oil regularly if you want to get a lot of life out of them. They are a little quieter also. I use them for my mowing crew, so they only have to carry one type of gas and I do not have to worry about how it is mixed.
Of course the "two cycle problems" are almost always fuel related, if you use good mix oil and fresh gas, they work pretty well too.
applescrap
Be the ball!
This saw seems awesome. I have the original 18v battery, I think the plus is better but it works in this saw. The camping light is 24 I think that would be nice to have too. I found a video of someone using a 18v weed wacker. While not right for everyone these tools might help someone out there.
OP
OP
After 10 minutes of moderate weed whacking today, slightly overgrown border of a flower bed, the battery was nearly dead. It's not even worth buying another if they don't last more charging cycles than this. Sucks. The C3 it self is a fine tool.
applescrap
Be the ball!
That seems oddly short. I did the street weeds, gutter, sidewalk, the side of my house, front and back yards, bushes, shrubs on fence, neighbor mint etc. On full charge without killing it. The blower, not so much. The cold might hurt it? I am going to take better care of the batteries this winter. Going to get the camping light tomorrow if swmbo agrees. That camping light says 73 hours run. Pretty cool.
Still Brewn
Well-Known Member
Did you ever come up with something? I have been eying the electric riding from Ryobi.... well now they have 2 this year. I have been using Ryobi tools since they came out with their first 18v kit in 99 and have been very happy with them.
The riding mower with the steering wheel has a transmission, gears, motor made for the ez go golf carts if that helps you out any. They are tough and will take plenty of abuse and still keep running. We went through 2 sets of batteries in 5 years with all three of the ones we have at our cabin properties if that tells you how much we abused them. All three with custom wheels and tires and all three were used about every day during the summer, during the day hauling things around from loads of firewood to including the occasional towing of a car or air boat. At night joy riding on 1000 acres of land.
They also have a ZTR but I haven't looked at that because I don't like the way they leave can tear up the grass when turning.
The riding mower with the steering wheel has a transmission, gears, motor made for the ez go golf carts if that helps you out any. They are tough and will take plenty of abuse and still keep running. We went through 2 sets of batteries in 5 years with all three of the ones we have at our cabin properties if that tells you how much we abused them. All three with custom wheels and tires and all three were used about every day during the summer, during the day hauling things around from loads of firewood to including the occasional towing of a car or air boat. At night joy riding on 1000 acres of land.
They also have a ZTR but I haven't looked at that because I don't like the way they leave can tear up the grass when turning.
I'm impressed that a 38" riding mower can run up to two hours. If I derate that by a half hour it'd still handle my acre+.
The two evident issues are the bagger option - it's a double, I run a triple and that cuts down on the trundling to the compost pile from the other end of the property...and the price(!) Without their bagger option that's still over double what I paid for my current 42" v-twin Husky rider with a triple hard-sided bagger...
Cheers!
The two evident issues are the bagger option - it's a double, I run a triple and that cuts down on the trundling to the compost pile from the other end of the property...and the price(!) Without their bagger option that's still over double what I paid for my current 42" v-twin Husky rider with a triple hard-sided bagger...
Cheers!
Still Brewn
Well-Known Member
True.... very pricy but on the flipside you have plenty of backup power if your electricity goes out all you need is an inverter. Been there with the golf carts. After a storm cut the power and as everyone else was leaving the island we were able to continue having our party with enough power to keep the band playing And the beer cold....
OP
OP
I just did my front weed trimming, edging, and edged the neighbor's curbs along the street. 15 minutes maybe. It wasn't heavy today. The battery wasn't dead, but I don't think it had much left. I may hold off until it dies altogether and go with Kobalt, Ryobi, or splurge on Stihl.
I've got a bunch of the ryobi 18 volt stuff, it helps to get a few different size batteries, so you can swap em around according to need.( i've got 2 included 1.5 ah 1 2.5 ah free "bonus" one and 1 4 ah bought one)
The trimmer is nice, especially if you buy the plastic "blades" instead of the string(we have lots of rocky area's)
The hedgecutter was mandatory after i've cut through several cords on the corded one.....
Got a bunch of saws and such, though my drills are bosch blue series(better quality).
Lawnmower I've been thinking as we have a lot of lawn terraced over 4 different heights....but so far the old gasoline one works fine.
The trimmer is nice, especially if you buy the plastic "blades" instead of the string(we have lots of rocky area's)
The hedgecutter was mandatory after i've cut through several cords on the corded one.....
Got a bunch of saws and such, though my drills are bosch blue series(better quality).
Lawnmower I've been thinking as we have a lot of lawn terraced over 4 different heights....but so far the old gasoline one works fine.
I tried various string trimmer heads, including the one with the plastic "blades". The one below, which is cheap on amazon and Home Depot, is by far the best. I took a whole spool of string (and a beer) and cut the whole spool into the necessary lengths. That will probably last me a lifetime.
Replacing string is so easy. I HATED the string "feeder" heads that come with trimmers, gawd.
OP
OP
They're all a pita. The C3 advances line by letting off and on the trigger. It mostly works, but like the bump and feeds, sometimes the line gets bound on the spool.
The type like above are okay(ish) if the machine can handle heavy line, at least .095. Even then, if you do a lot of whacking or you whack it hard it means you have stop and reload a lot. IME anyway.
The type like above are okay(ish) if the machine can handle heavy line, at least .095. Even then, if you do a lot of whacking or you whack it hard it means you have stop and reload a lot. IME anyway.
mirthfuldragon
Well-Known Member
I actually kinda like the trimmer head on my Ego electric. You cut 18' of line, string it halfway through the head (9' on either side), then twist the head to feed it back in. The entire process takes maybe 3 or 4 minutes.
Good to know. I have that trimmer but it’s so new I haven’t had to change line.
So far I’m impressed with ego’s stuff. A little spendy but nice.
I’ve hade their blower for 3 years and use it at least three times per week.
My 40v ryobi has a a similar setup. Comes with a hand crank. Can reload in about 90 seconds.
Hey Andrew, I went through them all too and I ended up with the same one you posted. Works great and keeps going without ripping off the string if you hit something! I also make my own replacements with a spool of line. I have a little over and acre of land and I also cut my mom's house (who also has a little more than an acre) and it's great not having to mess with the line all the time.
John
We just got some new stihl battery equipment at work today, haven’t gotten to try them out yet, but interested in how they do compared to the gas equipment. I think they will definitely have their place in the lineup though.
applescrap
Be the ball!
Opposite here, but I remember that when growing up. The ryobi let's a little out when started. I thought, yeah sure, Mf,ers want to make everyone buy string. But in actual fact as long as it's on you only add when you want by turning it off. And has worked flawlessly since I got it. So I have been cheap and tried rewinding many many times and finally was like, just pay the little extra and get the wound. So got the spools, one goes, and another on. This light weight pos is awesome, I still wildly reccomend. I take no care of it, never clean it, and toss it in with other tools when done. Same battery still, pretty cool. I got my 60 dollars back.
I've have owned a "Core" 20.5V-6aH string trimmer with interchangeable blower attachment for about 5 years now. Been very happy with the battery life out of it so far. Trimming alone I can get about 4-5 hours on a charge. When using the blower attachment it cuts the battery runtime down to about 2-3 hours on highest setting. Not sure if this brand is still around as I was looking at getting the hedge trim attachment at some point. This thing has been a tank so far.
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LOL
Finally got a chance to do a quick test run on the new stihl equipment.
Pros
-lightweight
-no startup, just squeeze trigger and go
-the backpack takes all the weight off the tool so it is even lighter in hand
-can just leave the pack on and swap tools very fast.
-very quiet, biggest plus I see for working around the public
-plenty powerful, edged a bunch of sidewalks and blew them off no problem whatsoever.
-feels kind of like I’m a ghostbuster, could be a pro or a con.
Cons
-Price!
These are great and I’ll use them a lot at work, but unless they were priced closer to a gas tool I wouldn’t buy it for my personal use. The tool cost is about the same, but then the batteries add up fast, the smallest is $200 and the largest backpack model is $1000.
-can’t speak to battery life yet until I get to test them for a full day.
Overall I like them and will be happy to use them especially when working close to the public.
Pros
-lightweight
-no startup, just squeeze trigger and go
-the backpack takes all the weight off the tool so it is even lighter in hand
-can just leave the pack on and swap tools very fast.
-very quiet, biggest plus I see for working around the public
-plenty powerful, edged a bunch of sidewalks and blew them off no problem whatsoever.
-feels kind of like I’m a ghostbuster, could be a pro or a con.
Cons
-Price!
These are great and I’ll use them a lot at work, but unless they were priced closer to a gas tool I wouldn’t buy it for my personal use. The tool cost is about the same, but then the batteries add up fast, the smallest is $200 and the largest backpack model is $1000.
-can’t speak to battery life yet until I get to test them for a full day.
Overall I like them and will be happy to use them especially when working close to the public.
Hoover Dam has all the power I need. Buy an extension cord.
I’m going to need a loooooooooong extension cord.
The posted run times on Stihls website is fairly impressive. One thing I may have missed is what type of motor are these running? Brushed or brushless?
hopefully the backpack doesn't catch fire while you're wearing it....lol
and here i remember being a kid coming back to san diego, from san fran...looking at san onofre.
edit: when you really need long lasting electric power...nuclear! i'd like to see @Miller4 with that strapped to his back!
FloppyKnockers
Well-Known Member
Started with some Kobalt stuff. It was just okay IMO. The beginning of the season and the sales that came with it prompted me to go EGO. I got the trimmer/blower 2.5 ah set on sale and then the 7.0 ah self-propelled mower with a bit of a discount. I'm kicking myself for not doing that years ago. The trimmer shreds, the blower's turbo functions is amazing, and the self propelled feature still works without the blade spinning (suck on that, gas!). Of course it sounds like a Power Wheels on the way back to the shed, but that doesn't make it that much less amazing.
Pro tip: When patronizing the big orange place for a sizable purchase, visit the pro desk or customer service first - ask for a discount. A lot of the times they will have a 10% off coupon (you may have to use your card). Sometimes they'll take even more off. At minimum you should get 5%.
Pro tip: When patronizing the big orange place for a sizable purchase, visit the pro desk or customer service first - ask for a discount. A lot of the times they will have a 10% off coupon (you may have to use your card). Sometimes they'll take even more off. At minimum you should get 5%.
A buddy of mine told me how nice his 80v greenworks trimmer worked, so I went ahead and got one for myself. It's overkill for my little yard.
I've got some problem trees that need to come down, but the tree removal folks want a ton because the one in the backyard is tough to get at, really tall, and over power lines and my roof. I bought the pole saw that takes that battery and I've tested it out a few times on some safer branches. Works pretty good so far.
So today I plan to head up on my roof and see what I can reach. Hopefully I can take down enough branches to make it pay for itself.
I've got some problem trees that need to come down, but the tree removal folks want a ton because the one in the backyard is tough to get at, really tall, and over power lines and my roof. I bought the pole saw that takes that battery and I've tested it out a few times on some safer branches. Works pretty good so far.
So today I plan to head up on my roof and see what I can reach. Hopefully I can take down enough branches to make it pay for itself.
Please don't end up on your local news channels
I had second thoughts after I actually got up on the roof. I think I'll hire a professional. Not worth dying over.
Probably for the best.
I'm not a fan of roofs + power lines + long electrically conductive tools even on my best days
Cheers!
I'm not a fan of roofs + power lines + long electrically conductive tools even on my best days
Cheers!
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While trimming a tree about 25 years ago I came REAL close to falling 20 feet to the ground. Decided that day to leave that job to the professionals from then on.
