Electric vs Oil mower

masterboy123

I am looking for a mower and looking for advice whether to get an electric or kerosene based mower?

It's a semi detached house with 1200 sq. feet grass area.

Thank you!

Dempo1

masterboy123 wrote: »

I am looking for a mower and looking for advice whether to get an electric or kerosene based mower?

It's a semi detached house with 1200 sq. feet grass area.

Thank you!

My greatest fear with electric is power (as in ability to do the job), also reliability and life span. Its hard to beat a good petrol mower and if maintained, cleaned after each season, it will last years. My last one did a very large garden for 12 years. Electric mowers also have the added annoyance of a cable to watch out for but ultimately its really down to them doing the job. Your garden is a manageable size. Storage may be an issue re petrol and mower but they need to be stored internally, shed etc

You'll also see great deals for petrol mowers at the moment, if going that route, spend a litle extra on self propelled, makes an enormous difference.

masterboy123

Thanks so much.

I thought electric one will be wireless, but thank you for opening my eyes.

It seems petrol one is the best bet. We don't have a shed at present but I suppose I can store in it the utility room for the time being.

Can you recommend an affordable petrol mower with self propelled please? And i will follow up on the reviews etc.

Thanks a mill

Dempo1 wrote: »

My greatest fear with electric is power (as in ability to do the job), also reliability and life span. Its hard to beat a good petrol mower and if maintained, cleaned after each season, it will last years. My last one did a very large garden for 12 years. Electric mowers also have the added annoyance of a cable to watch out for but ultimately its really down to them doing the job. Your garden is a manageable size. Storage may be an issue re petrol and mower but they need to be stored internally, shed etc

You'll also see great deals for petrol mowers at the moment, if going that route, spend a litle extra on self propelled, makes an enormous difference.

phormium

Cordless/battery would be my choice, no messing with petrol or servicing and no cables. It's all I've used for 25 plus years, only had two in that time.

masterboy123

Wow, I am now in dilemma as previous poster highlighted the benefits of petrol based mower.

How many litres of grassbox should I be aiming for? 1200 sq. feet grass area.

phormium wrote: »

Cordless/battery would be my choice, no messing with petrol or servicing and no cables. It's all I've used for 25 plus years, only had two in that time.

Dempo1

masterboy123 wrote: »

Thanks so much.

I thought electric one will be wireless, but thank you for opening my eyes.

It seems petrol one is the best bet. We don't have a shed at present but I suppose I can store in it the utility room for the time being.

Can you recommend an affordable petrol mower with self propelled please? And i will follow up on the reviews etc.

Thanks a mill

You may be mixing up electric as opposed to battery, these are horrendously expensive and again, I'd be doubtful of their power.

There's so many to recommend but your looking ideally for one that has a Honda or Briggs & Stratton engine. I would also advise you deal locally, you might pay a little more but you'll get service and warranty etc.

Dempo1

masterboy123 wrote: »

Wow, I am now in dilemma as previous poster highlighted the benefits of petrol based mower.

How many litres of grassbox should I be aiming for? 1200 sq. feet grass area.

Have battery powered mowers been available for 25 years?

bobbyy gee

The batteries ones are getting better but are expensive you need 2 batteries a petrol one will do a better job
Why not electric one
Don't store petrol one in house

Dempo1

Minimum width cut of 38cm up to 51cm, these mowers usually have 45litre collection box approx, this is more than fine

Lumen

There is no right answer.

Petrol is powerful, long run time, noisy, well proven, polluting, needs care, can't really be stored in house.

Battery is weaker, short run time, quiet, new, clean, no maintenance, can be stored anywhere.

My lawn is mostly cut with a petrol but I have a battery one as backup.

If I was buying another electric I'd get an Ego. Neighbour has one and loves it.

L1011

I've gone electric (wired, not battery) for a medium sized lawn area and its been absolutely fine. No risk of it stopping mid-mow. Went for a Bosch Rotak with a decent warranty but it was still fairly cheap; Argos had it cheapest the day I bought it.

Petrol mowers will quite plausibly be banned for sale (not use) within the next few years; so if you find the electric isn't up to it, get the petrol quickly.

120sqm is nothing.
I'd be going battery powered.
Batteries have come a long long way .

ted1

Go electric, 120sq m is about the same as I have.
Plug it in and work away move away from the plug or use a battery one.

Petrol ones can be annoying with petrol , spark plugs, pull cords, spark plugs, etc they can break your heart

phormium

Dempo1 wrote: »

Have battery powered mowers been available for 25 years?

I was being conservative with that guess of 25 yrs I am actually in this house 30 yrs and have had a battery mower for the bulk of that time, had an electric for maybe first couple of years but it was a nuisance.

I imported the first battery cordless Flymo from UK as I couldn't get one here, was expensive at the time compared to electric but so much handier. That lasted years with one battery replacement, I bought a second one in B&Q a good few years ago at very good price as they were selling them off half price as obviously not that popular here at that time, it's a Bosch Rotak and excellent machine. I am no good with garden sizes but I have a reasonable sized side and front town garden but on a corner so have two long strips of footpath grass to cut as well. One charge does the lot easily, I don't have or don't need a second battery.

In past couple of years the cordless ones are everywhere, Aldi/Lidl are doing them, I bought one last year in Aldi for around 150 euro for my daughter. Argos have a good selection and I saw several in B&Q as well last week.

I can't imagine why anyone would buy an electric one anymore when there is a cordless option and for me anyway I don't want any messing with petrol or servicing, no doubt the petrol models are stronger if you have a big lawn. It takes me about 30 mins or so to cut my grass/paths and battery has never ran out while doing it.

RandomViewer

L1011 wrote: »

I've gone electric (wired, not battery) for a medium sized lawn area and its been absolutely fine. No risk of it stopping mid-mow. Went for a Bosch Rotak with a decent warranty but it was still fairly cheap; Argos had it cheapest the day I bought it.

Petrol mowers will quite plausibly be banned for sale (not use) within the next few years; so if you find the electric isn't up to it, get the petrol quickly.

They arent two stroke so i cant see why theyd be banned,

masterboy123

Thanks everyone.

I have decided to go with electric mower, may need cord extender which I already have. Seen good few corded mowers 1500w under 80 euros. I will get one of those.

Cordless mower is a bit outside of my budget.

Petrol one won't suit me as we don't have a shed and might be risky + bulky to store in the house.

Cheers

L1011

RandomViewer wrote: »

They arent two stroke so i cant see why theyd be banned,

They're still extremely poor for emissions compared to the power produced.

Purgative

masterboy123 wrote: »

It's a semi detached house with 1200 sq. feet grass area.

Roughly 10m x 11m. A battery yoke would do it, without any trailing leads..

Kaybaykwah

BrownFinger wrote: »

120sqm is nothing.
I'd be going battery powered.
Batteries have come a long long way .

Exactly, I have a much bigger lawn and I have a battery powered and it runs great.
No gas fumes, no awful noise, it is very silent. A battery will have an hour run time, your lawn is small enough to use an e-mower.

Sorry, just read through the thread. You chose wisely, you at least won't have to walk in back of dizzying fumes and noisy motor.

masterboy123

Thanks!

The battery powered is out of budget at the moment. But got an excellent wired lawn mower 1500w.

Kaybaykwah wrote: »

Exactly, I have a much bigger lawn and I have a battery powered and it runs great.
No gas fumes, no awful noise, it is very silent. A battery will have an hour run time, your lawn is small enough to use an e-mower.

Sorry, just read through the thread. You chose wisely, you at least won't have to walk in back of dizzying fumes and noisy motor.

jack of all

I have very small lawn areas that need cutting; when my old petrol mower gave up the ghost (engine was fine, decks inevitably rust out years before the motor is past it) I went for a corded electric mower, a Bosch Rotak. For smaller areas (though not so good for very rough or uneven areas) I'd go for a corded electric all day long. OK the cord is a nuisance but there's no fuel to store, less noise, no emissions and the electric mower is light, easy to store and doesn't present problems with starting after months in storage. The other big plus is no servicing!