Well in the appliance dept at Lowes what's on display is who pays for display space. Could be the same in OPE. But can you order gas mowers at Lowes?
Gas mowers almost non existent
- Thread starter ARB1977
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It's almost July, that's most of the way through the big mower season, they're probably already starting to get in the stuff to stock for fall (and winter further north ) at the big box stores, they likely won't restock high end equipment as it sells out getting later in the season.
Owen Lucas
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For the past 2 falls I've seen rows of returned and used electric lawnmowers on sale at deep discounts at Home Depot. HD doesn't even bother to clean them up, still covered in dust and grass clippings. You don't see this with gas mowers, not to this level. I'm not anti-electric mower or anything but many (non-BITOG) people buying them realize its not the same and it won't be for a while.
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I can see the benefit of a electric mower to some people - they don't know how to or want to maintain a gas mower, have trouble pulling the starter, don't like storing gas - even though its safer than Lithium batteries probably.
However for anyone that can do simple maintenance, there half the price, last a very long time, have more power, and use what, 3 or 4 gallons of gas a season?
However for anyone that can do simple maintenance, there half the price, last a very long time, have more power, and use what, 3 or 4 gallons of gas a season?
The benefit with electric power equipment is no exhaust emissions and lower sound levels. I cut my lawn 2x per week with a 21" EGO self-propelled mower, and I can leave the windows open in the house while mowing. When my neighbor cuts his grass with his Honda gas mower across the street, I can smell his exhaust in the house unless the windows are closed, and in addition, it's loud.
Power equipment is a significant source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, emissions:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/05/010529234907.htm
In the Swedish testing, the researchers used regular unleaded fuel in a typical four-stroke, four horsepower lawn mower engine and found, after one hour, that the PAH emissions are similar to a modern gasoline-powered car driving approximately 150 kilometers (93 miles). A typical push-type lawn mower is run for an average of 25 hours per year, according to the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute.
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Your study is from 2001. All small engines since 2012 had to meet new EPA and CARB - depending on sale point.
Not Hondas
I’m hoping the ryobi I returned was just flawed. I should be able to cut grass that is tall on a hot day and not stall on me. Battery powered mowers don’t have the balls like gas powered has.
That’s nice. We all know gas won’t let you down. If they’re forcing us to go battery powered equipment. It’s gotta work and not be sensitive to short grass only on a cooler day. Im all for change but it needs to work like the big boys. I’m hoping the ryobi I returned was just flawed. Love the Toro 165 CC I picked up.
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I'm trying to hold on to my Toro Super Recycler as long as possible.
I bought it for $100 bucks from someone probably 5 years ago. I would say it's at least 10 years old. I've been using it to mow other's lawns, and it's held up really well.
I've done:
Oil changes, blade sharpening, grease wheels, and spark plug and air filter every year or other year. The only other things I did was replace the 2 rear wheels, and a spring for the self propel system brole
It has the Briggs 7.0 flathead, and it is a work horse
I bought it for $100 bucks from someone probably 5 years ago. I would say it's at least 10 years old. I've been using it to mow other's lawns, and it's held up really well.
I've done:
Oil changes, blade sharpening, grease wheels, and spark plug and air filter every year or other year. The only other things I did was replace the 2 rear wheels, and a spring for the self propel system brole
It has the Briggs 7.0 flathead, and it is a work horse
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One has to wonder about total cost of ownership as well as total carbon footprint. A lawnmower is used about once a week, for an hour, for half the year. A decent gas lawnmower will last literally decades if maintained and you can get parts for them anywhere.
I wonder how long these new electric mowers will last? When a Chinese motor controller fails on your E-lawnmower will a replacement be available? I doubt it. Not to mention, electronics combined with heat and vibration tend to fair poorly, and there not making these lawnmowers to the same quality standards of a car ECU at this price point, more like a cheap toaster.
When I bought my gas mower years ago elecctric wan't a thing. By maintaining and running it going forward, I am saving all the carbon to create a new electric mower.
The government should send me a green rebate check for saving the environmnet.
I wonder how long these new electric mowers will last? When a Chinese motor controller fails on your E-lawnmower will a replacement be available? I doubt it. Not to mention, electronics combined with heat and vibration tend to fair poorly, and there not making these lawnmowers to the same quality standards of a car ECU at this price point, more like a cheap toaster.
When I bought my gas mower years ago elecctric wan't a thing. By maintaining and running it going forward, I am saving all the carbon to create a new electric mower.
The government should send me a green rebate check for saving the environmnet.
I had to laugh. When I used the ryobi I was thinking saving the environment. When it came time to edge I whip out 9 year old Sthil. The smell of two stoke doesn’t get old. Although now I think if it I am running it at 80-90:1 with Amsoil Saber. In a way I’m using less oil which is saving the environment.
Owen Lucas
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You can bet there is planned obsolescence engineered right into every part of these machines. Maybe Milwaukee brand equipment will last longer but I would definitely buy the longest available extended warranty on electric mowers.
You'll know when the stores admit that these products are e-waste is when they stop selling the extended warranties. This happened to me on a halogen work light (they are flicker free when filming as compared to LED despite 60hz frame correction). Lowes and HD don't offer extended warranties on these because they are poorly built and appear have high return rates according to the reviews, the store won't take that gamble though the manufacturer most likely would refund you after the warranty period if you ask (as they have for me).
Then real battle that the save-the-planet crowd should be fighting for is against crappy products instantly turning into e-waste. With poor engineering and lack of available parts (i.e. Samsung appliances) a usable product ends up in a landfill. How's that good for the planet? No need to recycle if the machine doesn't degrade into garbage after 2 years.
How many of those late fall electric mower returns are actually getting resold or going to auctions? I bet a good amount gets trashed. All that energy, materials, and mining for a battery, controllers, deck, and motor magnets right into a dumpster.
The Macbook is a good example of e-waste ebcause you can't change the SSD. The SSD is part of the motherboard and not replaceable, the only way to change it is a with new motherboard which costs almost as much as a new MBP. Out of warranty this is instant e-waste.
If you are skilled and crazy enough to de-solder and re-ball the SSD, it might not even work because it is probably serialized, requiring proprietary software to initialize. Some of the newer MBP models have issues where a short in the power supply controls NEXT to the SSD fails and reverse feeds power right into the SSD, frying your memory.
I'm age 71 and certainly will be dead before an electric mower is an option for me.
