Electric Lawn Care: The Challenge

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I didn't think it was crazy.

Last summer, my wife and I bought a house in the country. There's about 0.8 acre of actual lawn, with some rough area, gardens and other space.

It's our first house and we came from an apartment, so we weren't bringing any outdoor tools with us. When we toured the house, the seller had an entire shed full of gas-burning machines for taming the property.

All of our new neighbors have large lots and many gas powered machines. In fact I almost never see electric gear around the area.

So maybe this is a Quixotic challenge?

We have a Robomow RS 630 which handles most of the actual lawn mowing. Later we added a Greenworks 40v 19" walk-behind mower to better handle certain areas. We also have a DeWalt 40V string trimmer.

I didn't really expect any of these choices to be a big deal, but after living here for a bit over a year we've now had about a half dozen random people pull off the road to ask questions about this gear while I'm just trying to get it done.

It all seemed obvious though- why mess with a gas engine unless I could not get enough power out of an electric solution? So far, only the snowthrower is gas powered. I just couldn't find an electric one big enough for this driveway, though I do have the Greenworks 40v electric shovel for light clearing.

Anyway nice to have found the forum, looking forward to exchanging tips and stories over the winter so we can act like we know what we're doing come summer!
 
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Winter mode

We got a little snow last night. It wasn't worth clearing the driveway with the big gas blower, but I cleared part of it with a greenworks electric shovel. Fast little thing!

After that a bit of path-clearing with the blower and cleanup was quick. I'm thrilled that I did it all without burning gas!
 

liz27

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It is important to realize that appropriate care of your electric lawnmower will result in better working of the machine. As a result, you will spend less money on changing the dysfunctional mower parts. Robomow RS 630 is a great tool. I am working with Robomow's RS 612.
 

Darryl G

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OMG, that Robomower is $2,500.
 

Darryl G

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Opps, double post somehow.
 

bertsmobile1

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OMG, that Robomower is $2,500.

And so were the robo vacs for our house when they first came out.
If you get the full design life out of it then it will be cheaper in the long run than a petrol powered mower.
It is also better for your lawn as it cuts the grass every day and deposits the clippings back into the grass where they belong.

I for one gave up the mowing thing a long while back.
We put prostrate bushes in the front yard under the trees.
The rear yard is 1/3 veggie garden ( no dig ) 1/3 ornamental garden with the last 1/3 lawn to make a fire break around the house and some where to hang the washing over.

Careful choice of planting means the garden can be left untouched for weeks at a time and not look neglected.
OTOH I fix mowers for time poor customers who also work 60 hr + weeks then try to maintian 5+ acres of manicured lawns & close clipped hedges which most of the time look trash.
But what the heck, they keep breaking things, I keep fixing them & that keeps food on the table ( if it ever rains again ).
 
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And so were the robo vacs for our house when they first came out.
If you get the full design life out of it then it will be cheaper in the long run than a petrol powered mower.

My back of the envelope math says that it needs to last about 6 years to be cheaper than the lowest bid I got for having somebody else do the whole yard. That does take into account the need for a new battery at the 3-year mark and seasonal upkeep. I think it's likely that there will be a better unit available for the same, less, or maybe even much less after this one has run out.

A gas powered riding mower is probably a cheaper proposition overall, but somebody has to ride it, maintain it, store it, and put up with the noise & fumes. I don't mind paying a few bucks extra to minimize my exposure a little sooner than everyone else in the grand scheme of things.
 

RogerMower

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Nice to read your post about Robomow RS630 SwitcheDon Quixote . I'm considering buying one myself but wonder if it's the right one. It's not a cheap robot but it do sound to be a nice machine. You have a 0,8 acre lawn and according to reviews https://robot-lawnmowers.com/robomow-rs630-review the recommended size of lawn is 0.37 acre. My lawn is about 0,5 acre. With your 0.8 acre do you think my lawn is too big for this Robomow? What is your experience with Robomow RS 630?

Greetings
Roger
 

Boobala

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Nice to read your post about Robomow RS630 SwitcheDon Quixote . I'm considering buying one myself but wonder if it's the right one. It's not a cheap robot but it do sound to be a nice machine. You have a 0,8 acre lawn and according to reviews https://robot-lawnmowers.com/robomow-rs630-review the recommended size of lawn is 0.37 acre. My lawn is about 0,5 acre. With your 0.8 acre do you think my lawn is too big for this Robomow? What is your experience with Robomow RS 630?

Greetings
Roger

You and the other guy's with these "robotic-mowers", are gonna die an early death from sittin on your arse, gettin obese, and no exercise, get with it you guys, live longer, be stronger !! .. :laughing:..:laughing:
 

MowerMike

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You and the other guy's with these "robotic-mowers", are gonna die an early death from sittin on your arse, gettin obese, and no exercise, get with it you guys, live longer, be stronger !! .. :laughing:..:laughing:

Yeah, unlike all you guys with your electric start riding mowers who get plenty of exercise. :laughing:
 
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