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dilladog t1_je6onr3 wrote

Reply to comment by username-1787 in Yo! When’s your first grass cut gonna happen this year? by Pancake108

I've struggled to reckon the ROI on continuing to use my second-hand gas mower vs buying an electric mower. When do the emissions of my existing equipment outweigh the emissions of manufacturing something new?

If you are a first-time buyer, I totally recommend electric. I borrowed my buddies to test out and it worked perfectly fine, although it was a bit over 10Ah of batteries for about 1/10 acre.

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username-1787 t1_je6pv2s wrote

Agreed. It's the same argument as with phasing out gas stoves/water heaters etc. The ecological cost of a brand new one is higher than continuing to use the one you have, but new ones should all be electric (hence the ban on gas appliances in new construction in a some states/cities). I suppose this also depends on how the old equipment is up/downcycled (stripped for parts, etc)

You're probably fine to continue using the old one but if/when replacement becomes necessary electric is definitely the way to go

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just_an_ordinary_guy t1_je8barc wrote

Honestly, for a 1/10 acre skip the battery and just use a cord. You'll probably need to get an expensive one for higher amp draw. For instance, I got one of those leaf blower/vacuum things because I have a below grade driveway and leaves get piled up down there. Use it a couple times a year so no leaf blower hate plz. For comparison, my lot is 7000 sqft, which is about .15 acres.

Anyhow, it draws a lot of amps (around 15 amps) and I need 100 feet to reach all of my yard with ease. So you need a cord with larger guage wires. 12 guage for around 15 amps and 10 guage for anything over that up to 20 amps (has one of the prongs sideways). Because the longer the cord, the more voltage drop which can damage the tool. Anyhow, the extension cord will usually have labeled the amp rating it's designed for. Heavy duty is usually designed for these amps.

The batteries for tools are decently expensive, and lithium ion is only good for full capacity up to maybe 500 full cycles. Corded tools are also cheaper for a comparable battery powered tool. And fewer rare earth metals for environmental responsibility if that's your angle.

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dilladog t1_je9quxw wrote

I was gifted a 40V Ryobi string trimmer and already have two batteries, but good input.

Our property is also challenging with slopes and retaining walls that would make a cord a bit of a headache. Working to slowly lessen the overall area of turf though.

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just_an_ordinary_guy t1_jeatvmg wrote

I had one of those Ryobi string trimmers and I had to use it pretty frequently. The motor only lasted a year for me, hopefully the made them better in the time since. But yeah, one you have is better than one you have to buy. I'm working on shrinking the amount of lawn I have to maintain too.

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