Hi all
I'm considering taking the money I pay a lawn service and investing in an electric mower and trimmer -- fully battery powered, no cords.
I have about 1/3 of an acre -- part of the backyard is a hill, so something that doesn't weigh a ton would be great for going up/down it.
What are people's thoughts on whether the current products out there are adequate for the job, battery life, and recommended products? I probably spent close to $1000 on a lawn service last year, so I figure I can spend way less than that for my own equipment and save money fairly quickly doing it on my own.
To add -- I'm a relative newbie when it comes to mowing lawns. My previous house was a small home in a city with a super tiny lot that I could use a pure manual push mower (complete old school). I have zero experience with gas or other types of mowers. I left that behind for the next owner to use in the yard. The owner of this home left behind a gas mower that I haven't tried out yet but which is fairly old and supposedly works.
But I'd rather donate it to charity and go electric and not bother with the maintenance and hassle of a gas mower. Though the more experienced of you out there may think that's backwards -- let me know.
My oldest kid is 9 -- what's the right age to start having a kid safely mow a lawn from your all perspective? I was thinking another couple years, but am curious what others do. I am a pediatric ER doctor so get paranoid about kids around lawnmowers -- I've seen some nasty injuries, and am generally risk averse when it comes to kids being around sharp objects.