1st post and it's the obligatory what the heck should I buy?

[Flak]

Looking for suggestions for a cordless lawn mower. Our lot size (according to zillow) is 16ksq ft, though that includes the house/driveway/sidewalks/shed... etc.


Thanks

 

[KennyV]

WELCOME to these Forums...
Looks like you will end up mowing between 1/4 and 1/3 acres... there are several battery pack mowers that will easily handle that... even a few riders. :smile:KennyV

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

try to buy locally so you can return any mower you're not happy with.

while it has a couple of peculiarities, I am generally satisfied with the Greenworks twin Force G-Max 20" mower that replaced my 21" Bolens gasser. It isn't life changing or some kind miracle. It has downsides and differences, but, overall, I'm still feeling it is a useful alternative to what i had before. I'm still adapting to it, but it hasn't failed to do about as good a job as the gasser did.

But, it is hard to recommend as, much depends on your actual use/conditions, and there seems to be some quality issues with the mower. I guess i got one that works - so far. The battery system is brilliant (be careful not to confuse G-MAX with incompatible non-g-max 40V !)

If you are able to mow a well maintained lawn (cutting grass and removing about 1/3 of the blade) with a 20" mower in less than an hour - this will work. If you split front yard and backyard on different days, you can mow successfully with a larger total acreage of course. But, if you wait a week too long to mow some overgrown weed-infested vacant lot with your 8hp brush-hog behemoth - you won't be happy with a battery-powered mower.

 

[reynoldston]

try to buy locally so you can return any mower you're not happy with.
.

What dream world do you live in? Maybe a big box store you could? Just what does a local store do with the mower your not happy with after you used it, sell it for new or used?

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

What dream world do you live in? Maybe a big box store you could? Just what does a local store do with the mower your not happy with after you used it, sell it for new or used?

I think I see your point but, I was concerned about the cost of shipping a unit back to Amazon or other on-line source. They will usually honor a return. I suspect Sears or Wal-mart would allow a return.

The mower I bought DOES come from Lowes and I likely could have returned it within 30 days of purchase.(but maybe they'd only give me store credit?) But, in a small town, there may not even be a battery powered mower available - or perhaps only one or 2 models. I live in DFW so, I do have access to large retailers.

EDIT: from Lowes

Customer satisfaction is our goal. If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, simply return the merchandise to any Lowe's store in the U.S. within 90* days. We, in our discretion, will repair it, replace it, or, based on your method of payment with a valid receipt, refund your money.

In most instances, your receipt can be retrieved by using the original credit card, checking account number, MyLowe's card or by your phone number. For returns without a valid receipt, in-store credit may be issued for the item’s current selling price. Lost or stolen gift cards can only be replaced for the remaining balance by presenting the original receipt.

Lowe's reserves the right to refuse or limit the number of returns permitted without valid receipts. No returns for purchases made with checks will be made if you have outstanding checks with Lowe's. Lowe's may require valid picture ID (state driver's license, state ID card or military ID) for any return. Lowe's stores use refund and check verification systems. All returns are subject to system approvals. Valid picture ID information or phone number may be entered into these systems where authorized by law.

These remedies are your exclusive remedies. All other remedies are hereby excluded. All warranties, express or implied, including the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose are expressly excluded. The exclusions herein are subject to and may be limited by applicable law and you may have additional rights that vary from state to state.

If you have questions, contact Lowe's Customer Care toll-free at 1-800-445-6937 or by email at customercare@lowes.com.



*30 days on major appliances (including but not limited to refrigerators 9 cubic feet or larger, washing machines, dryers and range hoods), outdoor power equipment (including but not limited to mowers, chain saws, generators, pressure washers, trimmers and blowers) and highway trailers.

similar language and rules from websites seems to show Sears at 60 days and Wal-Mart at 30 days. Ace hardware 'seems' to be at 30 days for store credit only, except for gas-powered equipment which is disallowed immediately after having gas or oil placed inside. I have no idea if Ace carries a battery mower in local stores or at the website.

 

[KennyV]

What dream world do you live in? Maybe a big box store you could? Just what does a local store do with the mower your not happy with after you used it, sell it for new or used?

reynoldston...
I absolutely Agree with you on that. I have Never understood the thought process ' If I don't like it, I'll take it back'. As a consumer you should have Enough understanding of how machinery works & (in the last 50 years), the ability to 'discover' the strong and weak points of Almost anything. If you Choose to buy something, and Use it... It's at that point Yours, if you wish to Sell it back as a USED machine that's Okay... but the Idea that you can experiment on somebody else's inventory is Not reasonable $$.
Know what your doing when buying something OR take a knowledgeable person with you...
There Will be an occasional defect either from assembly error or bad part... But that is a much different situation... That will generally be remedied with a Repair... :smile:KennyV

 

[KennyV]

1 Lucky Texan... My comment is Not intended to pick on You... I understand what you are saying about buying Online, BUT there again ... If you buy it AND use it, it should be Yours. If defective and needs repairs, Know how you are going to accomplish that.
Do your research First, and know that your expectations Match the products ability. :smile:KennyV

 

[Flak]

This returns stuff always seems to be a generational thing.

You can't return opened/used software. However, just about every piece of software has a trial period or a demo version. So you can use it in your actual environment however you were planning on using it. It doesn't work, no loss. If it does work you buy it.

Hardware you don't have that luxury. What happens if I do my due diligence. I read reviews, I do my research and it gets recommended to me by friends and family. So I go to a store or shop online and if someone helps me they also say it would be a good fit... I spend my $10 or $2000.... etc on this item. I get it home, try it. Guess what, unlike what I read and was told, it does not work for me in my environment. So now, as the consumer I'm out $2k?

I can see this turning into some kind of flame war as it does in other places, lol.


I thank you for the suggestions though. How are the worx line of cordless mowers? They claim 18k sq ft per charge.

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

It's never been easier to research a product before purchase than in the 'internet age' and I encourage folks to do that.

But, how can someone experience a battery mower when they are relatively new to the marketplace? Does your neighbor, co-worker or relative own one you can try? I read/participate on the Lowes product review page for my mower and can tell you several people have buyer's remorse after purchasing the mower. I see no reason a manufacturer or retailer wouldn't expect a novel item to not please everyone. I'm not suggesting folks should regularly purchase everyday items and abuse a return policy. Indeed, the same retailers I listed all have a system to track people who may abuse the policy. My mower was $400. It better perform as well as the gasser I passed along to my son-in-law. It's advertised/promoted to be a replacement for a small gas mower as used on lawns of 1/3 acre or less. If I find it doesn't do what it's purported to do, wouldn't that border on deception by the manufacturer? And the retailer that failed to do good research before offering the item has some responsibility too don't they?

What if you bought a $500 robot vacuum cleaner (http://www.amazon.com/iRobot-Roomba-Vacuum-Cleaning-Allergies/dp/B005GK3IVW/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top ) and found it just didn't live up to it's promises at your house? (217 reviews - 29 of which are 3 star or worse) Would you return it?

(dunno which generation was being referred too - I was born in 1954 )

 

[MowerMike]

How are the worx line of cordless mowers? They claim 18k sq ft per charge.

The WORX mowers are good quality, but they grossly exaggerate the mowing range. The blades are all 1" shorter than the deck width, which is how they rate the cutting path, so the 19" WG788 that advertises an 18.5K sq ft cutting area only has an 18" blade, which equates to about a 17" cutting path assuming 1" overlap. Also, that 18.5 K number assumes you are running for 60 minutes in low power mode. Personally, I take all the WORX numbers and divide by 2. That model is pretty heavy as well, about 40 lbs heavier than the Greenworks 20" twin blade model, and the battery takes about 15 hours to recharge. I have two small WORX mowers, the 14" (13" blade) WG782 and 15" WG786 (14" blade), which I use for trimming and accessing tight areas, and they do a great job, but I certainly would not want to use them as my main mowers.