Anyone jump in the pool yet with an electric lawn tractor?

[HCHTech]

My aging Cub Cadet is telling me that it's time for a replacement. I mow just over an acre, so not a big lot, but too big for a push mower. I've had the 42" 19Hp Cub Cadet for just over 5 years (got it gently used from a friend who went to a service), and before that had a John Deere 42" 16Hp (purchased new) for 12 years.

I was hoping to get another year out of my current tractor, but there is always something wrong, it seems - I repaired the deck a couple of years ago (rusted through near the main spindle mount), put new spindles and pulleys on at the same time. Did all 4 tires last year. Towards the end of the year, the main drive belt started slipping, so I replaced it, but even after 2 tries and going with an OEM part, it slips going up hills. There's no real adjustment - it's a "negative spring" system where all the go pedal does is let a spring pull the pulley back to tighten the belt - and yes, I replaced the spring. Ugh.

This year, mousies that wintered under the hood (it was stored in an unheated garden shed) chewed through the spark plug wire, and I can just feel another season coming with several repairs ahead of me.

So, having taken the plunge and gotten my wife an electric car last year (off-lease Chevy Bolt), I'm wondering if I should take a chance on an electric lawn tractor as well. 90% of my use is mowing (I always always mulch - no one's got time for bagging or sweeping), but I do pull a roller around in the spring and do some dethatching and seeding with pull-behind attachments. I also have a small trailer to get heavy things from one end of the yard to the other. Reviews that I've looked at are either "the best decision I ever made" or "the worst decision I ever made" - haha. Trouble points seem to be hard to locate servicing if they die (hopefully not a problem for me, but you never know. I've always done all needed work myself on this kind of thing - the only exception was when my beloved John Deere threw a rod - that was more than I wanted to take on. I would have purchased another one, but they saw fit to close the only place anywhere near me that sold & serviced them.

So any recommendations? Anyone have one they like or hate?

 

[labtech]

Not quite relevant to your question...
I deal with a lot of leaves in the fall.
So, about about 2 years ago I got an electric leaves blower. I love that thing.
Obviously it does not last as long on one battery charge as a gas based model, but it works for me.
Not having to deal with mechanical components is so refreshing.

 

[NviGate Systems]

Not to mention the fumes which are really bad for you.

 

[britechguy]

Not to mention the fumes which are really bad for you.

And the environment. The amount of pollution put out by things like lawn mowers, string trimmers, and the like in an hour far exceeds tailpipe emissions of modern automobiles over longer periods of time.

When the current gas mower goes belly up, which is coming, I intend to replace it with a battery powered electric. I've used them at friend's places and they're so quite that I don't need ear protection, either.

 

[Sky-Knight]

I used a 5hp Toro push mower for my lawn for a very long time, then the front axle broke... self propulsion system detonated and I thought... you know what, this yard is in a good shape, I have outlets at key points... I'm going to get a CORDED electric mower, because I can, that electric torque would be great, it'll be quiet so I can listen to my music while working easier, and I've got a solid idea how to cut this thing so the 100ft cable isn't a big deal.

So I did it, and I LOVED IT... for two months. Then I felt a bump, and it just stopped... flipped it over to see the blade sitting in there sideways, and the motor's mount utterly destroyed. I all but threw the thing at Home Depot and bought another Toro, a half decade later it's still in my garage, ready for when I need to do the yard.

The new mower uses about two tanks of gas a SEASON to cut this yard. The old one was a tank a trim. So there have certainly been some changes in the decades between. And I really... REALLY wish the electric worked out... but my adventure didn't.

My mother in law has an electric push power that's worked for almost 15 years now, just gets new batteries for it every so often. And the golf cart my wife used to take the kids to school on didn't die for electrical fault, but instead body cancer because I didn't know how to care for it. So I suppose if you know what you're doing, an electric lawn tractor should do well. Just beware those batteries, they will survive the cold as long as you keep them charged, but heat? Heat they don't like so much... Though that's much more of a problem for me here in AZ than it is for you up in PA.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Prior large house I had a tractor and lots of yard equipment, didn't do any electric there.
Current house, small yard, on a hill. Got tired of the heavy gas push mower, even with its self propelled. So snagged an electric push mower. I was unable to locate any availability for "Made in USA" brands....so ended up getting a "Made in China" one from Lowes...Kobalt brand.

Very much enjoy it. Whisper quiet, so light...I rarely use the self propel mode. Can stand up against the wall in the garage to free up floor space. The only thing I'm not crazy about...it "auto adjusts power as needed". When going over thin areas, it slows down engine rpm (likely to maximize battery run time). When going through thick areas...it ramps up the power...until you leave the thick area. That's fine an all, but....in the fall, when there are leaves on the ground, I'd like it to run at 100% all the time for maximum suction/lift/mulching. No over ride switch to control that. So for anyone shopping for an electric mower, there's a feature you may want to make sure the one you're buying has, if mulching leaves is important to you.

I also try to consolidate "brands/models/volts" to that...I can rotate a couple of batteries and a single charger across several products. My cordless drills and such..share the same brand/couple of batteries. I will get a Kobalt leaf blower and trimmer that shares the same battery as my mower.

...I don't like having many batteries, as...while I believe "electric" is the direction to go, current battery technology is not kind to our planet. Mining of materials, and production of the batteries...well, for our country, we "feel good" about it because it's mostly done far over the horizon. Other 3rd world countries bear the brunt of this. South America, Congo Africa, China...they all bear the brunt of highly destructive and polluting mining of cobalt and lithium and other "bad" ores required for batteries. And when we're done with the batteries...we throw them in the garbage...even all those household AA and AAA and C batteries and such...and they end up in our own land fills...leaving a permanent mark on our own soil for future generations to deal with. I will embrace electric cars when we get solid state batteries (they're coming soon). Right now, the carbon footprint of producing electric cars is upside down...still causing more "damage" to mother earth...it's just over the horizon where most people don't care. For tiny electric vehicles, you'd have to drive over 30,000 miles before it now has less of a carbon footprint versus a petrol vehicle. For larger luxury models, that increases to over 125,000 miles. And that usually never gets realized, because the batteries usually have to be replaced before then. I know we need to get there, and part of getting there is....going through what we're doing now.

Solid state batteries....go get some "QS" stock....those will be a major step forward for us.
Anyways, back to tractor,

 

[HCHTech]

current battery technology is not kind to our planet.

Yes - I'm concerned about this as well - there was a SA article 10 or so years ago I think that dug deep into the process of how lithium is mined and harvested in South America in particular, but also noted how few sources there actually were on the planet. I'm rationalizing with that same 'we have to get there' mentality, but still...

 

[nlinecomputers]

Anyone jump in the pool yet with an electric lawn tractor?​

Ok…But wouldn’t an extension cord and a toaster be easier?

I’ll show myself out…

 

[timeshifter]

Ok…But wouldn’t an extension cord and a toaster be easier?

I’ll show myself out…

I was thinking along the lines of "that would be difficult, I guess if you built a ramp next to the pool maybe..."

 

[timeshifter]

I don't have their riding mower, but do have a push mower that's worked out really well. Had it about 5 seasons now. Also have a bunch of companion tools like a blower, trimmer, hedge trimmer. All use the same batteries.

The #1 Rated Brand in Cordless Outdoor Power Equipment | EGO

EGO Power+ is the next generation of cordless outdoor power tools. Patented battery technology delivers gas power and performance plus longer run times.

egopowerplus.com

 

[Blues]

I have a gas weed eater which I use to mow my entire lawn, it is on a terrible slope, and I usually have to put gas in it twice I am not sure how an electric would do for me as in my experience every electric I have used doesn't have a comparable battery life to fuel take and/or the power to do the work.

 

[MichaelBits]

Well, I don't have a pool, but I did buy an electric rider last year.

This one:

38" 75 AH Electric Riding Lawn Mower

Visit the interactive landing page to learn more about this mower. Environmentally friendly. Virtually maintenance free. Super quiet. Intuitive operatio...

www.ryobitools.com

I've been using Ryobi electric tools for many years, and have never had an issue with them. Have quite a few of them as well.
Last year my Toro rider started to die, and I had already been looking at switching to electric and took it as a sign to "take the plunge" into my non-existent pool.

I have less than a half acre to mow, to didn't need anything big, but didn't want the smallest version either.

So far, I freaking love it. It's quiet, has plenty of power, and is so easy to maintain. My experience so far is limited, this summer will really let me know how it holds up.
I purchased it towards the end of the season last year, so only used it maybe 3 or 4 times before storing it for the winter. I'm worried on how well the batteries held up over the winter. It doesn't use lithium batteries, but old school lead-acid, which don't like the cold.

Using it last season, even taking my time and messing around driving around the yard for fun, I only ever managed to take the battery down about 1/3.

I'll find out once I get it out this season how the batteries did over winter.

One funny thing that took me a bit to get used to...
Obviously the only time it makes noise is when the blades are on. While mowing I would shut the blades off occasionally and I kept reaching to restart it because I thought it died when it went silent.

 

[britechguy]

but old school lead-acid, which don't like the cold.

They may not "like" the cold, but survive it just fine provided they're not put up for a long winter's nap completely discharged.

You might want to consider a trickle-charge battery maintainer if you feel the need. For my car that goes away for a winter's nap I just disconnect the battery so that there can be no draw on it at all. That system has been working quite well for over a 15 years now.

 

[MichaelBits]

You might want to consider a trickle-charge battery maintainer if you feel the need.

To maintain, you're supposed to keep it plugged into its own charger over winter. Which I have. I have still read reports of people reporting a bad battery after winter though... (it has 4)