So I'm looking at buying a riding mower for the new house. My old place, landlord took care of it, so never needed one. I got like 1.25 acres, some hills. Was looking at electric. Any one have one or can recommend. Looking at the ryobi 30 inch for $2500. Seems reasonably priced with good reviews
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Need to buy a riding mower, looking at electric
- Thread starter jshupp
- Start date
cabaiguan juan
Fucking Pandas
A Tesla lawnmower?
jfields
Where did all my money go?
I was thinking the same thing I’m pretty sure. Better have a lot of batteries on hand unless you plan on mowing it over the course of a few days.
Yep. Even with a gas mower, 30 inch is not really big enough. I mow about 2 acres with a 56 inch rider and I’m out there for a good hour and a half just riding. That’s not counting the trimming and areas I can only push mow.
CigarStone
For once, knowledge is making me poor!
Maybe he has a really long extension cord?
Seriously though, 30in is very small and while it would probably be good for maneuverability; I personally would feel like it would take forever with a 30-inch cut.
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smellysell
Go Vols!!!
Also, as started earlier, don't forget you'll need a push mower also for the areas you can't get with the rider.
So after the in put here, I went out and really looked an my yard. You guys are right. Think I'm going to go with a 48" gas mower. The thouod not having to buy, and go get gas sounds nice, but probably not practical in my situation
Battery operated ride on? I wasn't aware such a thing existed. I do a couple acres a week with a 60". Takes a couple hours not including strimming.
Dont need to spend loads either. The motor is the important bit, forget brand name. Honda, Briggs & Stratton or Kawasaki are a good starting point.
Mow up and down hills. Going side to side can leab to the mower toppling...almost did it with the tractor one year. Talk about a shit your pants moment!
Dont need to spend loads either. The motor is the important bit, forget brand name. Honda, Briggs & Stratton or Kawasaki are a good starting point.
Mow up and down hills. Going side to side can leab to the mower toppling...almost did it with the tractor one year. Talk about a shit your pants moment!
xyz123
Obviously you're not a golfer.
Do you have any other aspirations for your land.. moving earth, stump/root yanking, plowing, tilling, snow removal, etc? Something base model you can add implements to? Or just strictly making long grass shorter?
Snow removal might be nice. I know this may sound stupid, but I've never needed to buy a riding mower lol
Thanks for that tip
CigarStone
For once, knowledge is making me poor!
Make sure you mount a beer holder.
xyz123
Obviously you're not a golfer.
Not stupid at all.. you just haven't needed one before now. I would take the Mrs., and just slowly walk the property together and discuss any ideas or goals you may have (other than the physical structures). As northerners, having the ability to move snow in bulk is a BIG thing to consider when plunking down many thousands on a tractor.
Even then there's considerations.. would you want just a simple plow attachment, or maybe a bucket that can do the same thing while also being able to move earth if needed. There's even snow-blowing attachments. That's why you need to start looking and potentially planning your long-term goals for the land too.
If you're not looking to develop the land much beyond where it's at now, I'd look at a pre-owned rider with at least a 48in deck. General rule of thumb is to start considering riders for 1/2 acres and up. Tractors are a big deal here in Wisconsin. We have all the farming along with a shit-ton of annual snow (a known meteorological term here).
I have a buddy who's sold Case and now works as a John Deere sales manager. The return rate is huge... not because they suck, but because people bought too small. So there's a great pre-owned and secondary market (usually). Maintenance and repair on most anything made these days is pretty straightforward and inexpensive. Especially with all the DIY YT vids now.
I agree with @Hixs on motors.. and especially on hills. At age 13 or 14, I ditched a JD tractor when I lost control on a hill. I wasn't hurt and the tractor just tipped on its side with no actual damage. I doubt I'd be able to make the same leap today...
Which brings me to roll bars and pressure switches. Even back then, the pressure release (killswitch) off the seat stops the blades abruptly and kills the engine. You mentioned having hills, keep that in mind (depending on grades of course). Also, if kiddos, strict yard rules when mowing: if they're outside, they MUST be on the opposite yard of you. If mowing the front, they can only be in back, and vice versa. I've put pebbles through siding before from mowing.
Look for torque and don't get sold on HP numbers.. a common sales tactic used on Joe Blow homeowner. If your mowing land is mostly obstacle-free, stick with a simple steering wheel. If you have to do a lot of maneuvering, opt for a zero-turn radius mower. They're pricier, but way worth it. I'd also look at a bag, even if your plan isn't to bag clippings, I'd still look at one that has it available. Carts are a nice option as well and will get used more than you think, but they can be had used and cheap.
Creature comforts: definitely a cup holder, definitely a HIGH backrest, and foldable arm rests. A hydrostatic tranny is nice too if found at a reasonable price. Smoother ride and shifting, quieter, more responsive.
Keep in mind that just about everything is more expensive right now. If you have a Home Depot card, they always have some kind of promo with it.. and the more you spend, the better it is. It'd be a good place to start if you're not buying from a dealership.
Lastly, if you decide you want to finance, contact the lender you just used for your mortgage first.
Provided you borrowed at a decent LTV, they may be amenable to tacking on an asset related to home maintenance and upkeep at your closing rate. Just make sure to knock it out as fast as you can!
Whatever you end up deciding on, keep us posted and let us see some pics of your new hog!
PaulTra
I'm so bad I should be in detention!
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2020
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- 2,747
Have to looked at Ego's riding lawn mower? I'm not sure if their specs will line up with what you need, but they do make excellent products. I have their self propelled push mower, weed eater, and blower. All of them have lasted me the past four years with no issues. Batteries are all interchangeable. Switching to electric has been great for me. No need to worry about getting gas, pull cords, or mixing. Just put a battery in and hit the start button.
xyz123
Obviously you're not a golfer.
Curious, how loud are they? Also, does the mower use the detachable batteries too? I've been using interchangeable batteries on my Ryobi set (trimmer, blower, 14in chainsaw), but I still use a self-propelled push mower (oxymoron?) Toro from the 90s.
I've seen other electric mowers but it's like your phone, plug in to charge. If your mower uses detachable batteries, about how much can you do on a full charge?
PaulTra
I'm so bad I should be in detention!
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2020
- Messages
- 2,747
Not loud at all! The only noise my self propel really makes is from the electric motors in the wheels. Sounds like a little RC car haha. It does use interchangeable batteries All of Ego's products use the same exact same batteries so if you own multiple Ego products you can use your batteries for everything. To charge them you simply take the battery off the product and put it on a charging dock, much like battery power tools. On a full charge I can usually do my whole yard (roughly about the size of two standard home lots) a lot of it depends on how thick the grass is at the time, and the size battery used.
MilesMingusMonk
Breaking Wind Master
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- Nov 17, 2003
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I am not an expansive lawn guy - I am a gardener who turns traditional yards into vibrant gardens.
Every landscape I build has a grass lawn element , but minimized for upkeep, and mowers are a necessary tool of life.
I purchased a 21" self propelled EGO push mower last year to move away from the gasoline mower.
My thoughts:
Battery charging is quick and reliable , getting 45+ minutes of run time depending on how rugged the slope, and the need to use the "self propelled" power function.
When charging the battery in my workshop, there is a distinct ozone-like issue that can be annoying to be around. Battery charges quickly.
The mower is mostly a plastic build. It is (relatively) light - easy to transport, lift in and out of my truck, but doesn't feel very durable for long term use.
Folds up and stores upright - great space saving in the garage.
Cutting action is good , but not great. Not nearly as neat as I like! Hacks overgrown lawns requiring multiple passes.
The wheels suck - poor turning radius for even simple curves.
If you have a "normal" flat lawn, this unit works great, but if your land is hilly, bumpy or has a lot of landscaping elements that require precision, this isn't the mower for you.
I will be keeping this mower for what it does well, but I am on the prowl for a used gas powered big wheel mower that stores upright to be my workhorse.
Every landscape I build has a grass lawn element , but minimized for upkeep, and mowers are a necessary tool of life.
I purchased a 21" self propelled EGO push mower last year to move away from the gasoline mower.
My thoughts:
Battery charging is quick and reliable , getting 45+ minutes of run time depending on how rugged the slope, and the need to use the "self propelled" power function.
When charging the battery in my workshop, there is a distinct ozone-like issue that can be annoying to be around. Battery charges quickly.
The mower is mostly a plastic build. It is (relatively) light - easy to transport, lift in and out of my truck, but doesn't feel very durable for long term use.
Folds up and stores upright - great space saving in the garage.
Cutting action is good , but not great. Not nearly as neat as I like! Hacks overgrown lawns requiring multiple passes.
The wheels suck - poor turning radius for even simple curves.
If you have a "normal" flat lawn, this unit works great, but if your land is hilly, bumpy or has a lot of landscaping elements that require precision, this isn't the mower for you.
I will be keeping this mower for what it does well, but I am on the prowl for a used gas powered big wheel mower that stores upright to be my workhorse.
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I don't have much to add on riding mowers, but I will say that the Ego trimmer and blower have been great additions. Aside from the no pulling on a recoil starter until my arm falls off, the best thing is the way the string loads into the trimmer head - just feed new line through the head and push the load button, it sucks the new line up and you don't even have to take the head apart. If I'm doing the whole place ( 3 lots with 2 drive entries and sidewalks and 4 lots worth of curb since I edge the neighbor's curb while I'm at it) I carry a pre-cut length of string in my hip pocket. I can re-load in about a minute, faster than the time it'd take to walk back to the garage.