Living dangerously ?
 

Been around the V's long enough to know it can be "dangerous" to ask for advice from someone experienced in a topic, but, here goes: Not keen on battery operated things, drills, saws, trimmers, mowers, etc. etc. but they do have their advantages. That is why we are "considering" replacing our self-propelled gas mower with a self-propelled battery electric. Have looked as many brands now, EZGO "seems" to be the highest rated, but, seems if you select the correct size and battery best suited to the size of the lawn, most brands seem to do the job (1/4 acre, 1/2 acre, etc.) But, before making a decision, would love to hear from our neighbors who already use one, what brand, and are they happy with their selection ? Don't want to be rude, but not looking for suggestions such as: just call some lawn service and have them mow it. Our doctor gave us the best advice for retirement of all we received at the time, and we've never regretted taking it. Said: "when you retire, you want to keep all those bad guys away from you, Hi, Art, Dibe, all of them, so keep doing what you've always done before retirement, and good luck up there in central Florida". We were puzzled of course, not sure what he meant, until, with a slight smile, he said, "high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes and ALL of them". So, we continue to mow our lawn, trim our trees and bushes, and... play some golf...LOL !

My father in law had the same opinion, no way a battery operated lawn mower could work on his 1 acre lot - He’s been using an electric mower for a few years and loves it. He has a few batteries.

If I did my own grass, I would go with a battery powered mower, with a few extra batteries.

Super thanks for an honest reply, really appreciate ! We have been looking at some brands and models that come with 2 batteries, most of those seemed to give the customer a break money wise, from buying the mower and battery, and THEN finding they need a second $69 to $129 battery. So had been thinking of buying one of the deals that come with two ! Again, thank you for sharing... just so reluctant about "battery" powered anything ! If you happen to remember, would be interested in what brand he went with... especially since he's had it more than two WEEKS....LOL !

Not convinced that batteries are the way to go: our yard guy died a few months after we moved here and I figured that if I bought an 110 volt electric mower, hedge trimmer and weed whacker/edger, along with a 50' extension cord, I could do everything he did and in about a year I'd have all the stuff paid for. And so it was. The cord eliminates all the fuss over removing, replacing and charging batteries, plus the power is constant--don't have to worry about batteries running low and slowing things down. Granted, it did take me a few tries to get the cord thing down to where I could manage it but once you get the hang of it, it is no more of a problem tugging the extension cord attached to the mower/weed whacker/trimmer around the yard than a battery powered unit.

Got everything at Lowe's. The mower (21") is plenty big enough for the yard and the cutting power never wavers. Weed whacker and hedge trimmer, the same. Mower was $205.00 about 2 1/2 years ago, weed whacker maybe $50, and the hedge trimmer about $60 (all three most likely more now). All three still work like new and as I'm pretty handy with a file and a Dreml tool I keep the mower and trimmer razor sharp. The only thing I'd do differently is that I'd get a self-propelled mower: St. Augustine grass grows pretty thick and can be a bear to push a mower through it.

IF (big if) you end up with a 120 volt ac powered lawn mower please do the following.
First make sure all of the outlets you would use have WORKING GFCI installed.
Second, find the most obnoxious colored extension cord, so it is easy to AVOID.
Third, as previously noted look at your lawn and figure out a pattern that avoids crossing the cord.
Fourth, make sure the cord is rated for the ampacity of the mower.

As for battery powered mower you might check with consumer reports to see if they did any testing on these.

Really appreciate all the time you took to give a detailed answer. We once had a corded electric too, a LONG time ago. Had a very specific pattern that had to be followed (up, back, up, back, etc. letting out the cord in an organized manner. Then, raising sons, felt gas mower met our needs better... one distracted second and the cord could be cut, so we went with gas. Now, retired, but with an easy flat yard, started thinking go gas cans, no stabilizer to add in "winter" months, not quite a loud, etc. etc., so really appreciate your input ! St. A grass IS a challenge, tough stuff !

I made the conscious decision to go with the Makita cordless. Once you buy into a brand it is easiest to stay with that brand.

Makita makes more cordless tools than anyone else. Makita chargers fan cool the batteries while charging to prevent overheating. I believe that they have at least four mowers to choose from.

Makita avoids marketing hype. A Makita 21 inch mower means a 21" blade. Other brands have 21" decks but 19" blades. It is not the cheapest brand but the pain of price is felt only once.

Have a premier home with a "large" lot. $70 a month for lawn cutting, edging and blowing.

Bad news is on some occasions they wake me from my nap.

Good luck with all your mowers, edgers, and blowers.

We have had all three, gas, electric via cord and battery. Cord is a pain, and i have cut it and patched it a bunch of times. . Now, battery operated is the way to go. But the mowers are light and the grass can get tough for light weight mowers to cut low enough so lightest weight might not be the best for the FL grasses.

no more gas, storage and mixing etc, too messy versus popping a battery in and just go.

good luck

electrifried guy

I have an EGO not Ezgo which I think is golf cart. Courtyard Villa Corner Lot. Deans etc does not come frequently enough in growing season nor back off when not needed so I cut it myself though I would rather not. I like the EGO very much but if I had it to do over, I would go for the self propelled version.

Got real tired of hearing the weekly/biweekly mower /blower/edger on our 6600 sf lot with a 1914 sf designer Iris on it. Not only was the noise a big pain but we were the lucky recipients of deep gouges in our lawn from the mower wheels. Soooo, we got the EGo battery, self propelled mower/blower/edger 2nd hand on TOTV & now are pretty happy. Be sure you get a battery that will mow entire lawn in 1 charge. Or you can buy the smaller, cheaper battery & have a nice iced tea while it recharges. Good luck!

The V’s, that is a new one, many use TV but being a camper TV is for tow vehicle and tv is for television so I just say the Villages.

If I was buying one it would be a Ryobi. Just about every tool or yard tool I have is a Ryobi either 18 volt or 40 volt. I like them all but my mower up north is named John Deere and my mower down south is named Mark and they both do a great job.

All Makita here. Same battery system for all. You can buy some tools with and w/o batteries. I always have extra batteries available when needed. 21 months in, we are happy with our choices

Mower (self propelled is available, mine is not) -

Amazon.com

Blower -

Amazon.com

String Timmer -

Amazon.com

Makita Stick Broom -

Amazon.com

He said ampacity. This electricity rabbit hole seems endless.

I bought the Ego 56V self-propelled mower, trimmer, and blower about 15 months ago. The equipment is more than capable of keeping up with a large lot on a single charge. Each piece of equipment came with its own charger. The batteries charge quickly and maintain full power until discharged. I bought the equipment at Lowes and it was a little pricey, but I don't have to buy or store gas and the mower folds up for storage, which is a plus for me. The mower has a lot of plastic parts, but no durability issues so far.