by daveesl77 » Fri Jun 03, 2016 12:11 pm
Well, for all the "nay-sayers" (laughing), I just finished my second cut on my yard and I absolutely love this mower. The early morning temperature (about 8:30am) was about 80f and the humidity was central Florida crazy. It is like walking, the mower is so light. As I said originally, the lawn portion of my yard is about 1/3 acre and is very steep. I cut side-side, so I'm not having to climb my hill on each pass.
As to the cord, it is no problem at all. What I found is that I cut half of each yard area ( front area, back area), beginning at an imaginary line down the middle of the yard area, from side to side. I secure the cord in the front to a big oak tree, which is the initial split point. I simply walk from the oak tree across the yard, turn and walk back. I hold the cord away from the direction I'm mowing (moving downwards or upwards, depending on the half). After one full cut, side to side, the cord now automatically stays out of the way, as it is laying where I've already cut. You are cutting away from the cord at all times. In the back I do the same, except I loop the cord around a stump for my initial starting point at half-way. I take a break after each half and do one yard area each day, in the morning.
Now, as to the comments on the destroyed gas mowers - yes 3 engines blown, but perhaps I should have clarified that. One happened over a decade ago and was a result of having the deck too low and hitting a short stump of an orange tree I had cut down. The second happened on a rider I salvaged from my neighbor who could not get it to start and after changing oil and filter, tuning it up, I got it to fire up, ran for about 1 minute and the engine seized. So yes, who knows what he did to it or how long it had been out of commission. The 3rd mower was a Craftsman rider with the stupid 20hp B&S aluminum engine design that has a long history of tearing itself apart for no apparent reason.
After the Craftsman blew I searched long and hard for another rider and unless I desired to spend several thousand dollars, they either all suffered from the same "blown motor syndrome" or other mechanical maladies. I looked at the Honda self-propelled, but guess what, the reviews all state that while it is a Honda engine, the manufacturers decided to use either plastic or pot metal drive systems, thus they fall apart. It just made no sense, why throw money down the tube on some junk that while under a name brand is just a rebrand of crap. Troybilt, Cub, Yard King - they are all the same MTD with a different decal, same crap motors.
I just want my yard mowed and look good, I don't want to spend a load of money to find out the week after the warranty goes out that the company, regardless of who they are, decided to short-change some vital part. I have a 5 YEAR warranty on this mower, not 1 year or even 90 days (as is the case with some gas jobs). This is my second electric, the first being about 35 years ago and was only good for, well nothing. This one cuts better than any mower I've ever had and to be honest, it really isn't any more difficult and barely more time consuming, if at all, than my riders. It is a heck of a lot less expensive.
I'm not saying everyone should go to electric, do whatever you want. But start looking at reviews on various models and I think you'll be amazed at how far down the quality has dropped across the board.
dave