[Kolyan2k]

Yeah so basically 3 to 4 years to pay for itself, but the benefit is that you dont have to bother with maintenance and mowing weekly for those years.
Will see when I get some prices around. I work and pretty much full time babysit, I am not sure yet if I have time to do any house work. Although it could be something fun to do with the kid outside....better then TV after all.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by Kolyan2k

Yeah so basically 3 to 4 years to pay for itself, but the benefit is that you dont have to bother with maintenance and mowing weekly for those years.

...as I suggested back on page one:

Originally Posted by vreihen16

After 15 years of cobbling together broken lawn tractors, I threw in the towel and hired a lawn service last year. You can't put a price on sleeping in on weekends instead of dreading mowing the lawn...well, you can and for us it is $35 every two weeks.....

As a side benefit, you're supporting a small business in your own community, creating local jobs, etc.....

[GenXer]

Originally Posted by Kolyan2k

Yeah so basically 3 to 4 years to pay for itself, but the benefit is that you dont have to bother with maintenance and mowing weekly for those years.
Will see when I get some prices around. I work and pretty much full time babysit, I am not sure yet if I have time to do any house work. Although it could be something fun to do with the kid outside....better then TV after all.

Mine was only $1600. It already paid for itself 3x
Yardwork can be enjoyable too.

I have just over 1/4 acre and it takes me about 25-30 minutes to mow and about 40-60 minutes to trim and clean up.

Or just get one of these. It's cool but not sure how well it's going to work.
https://www.amazon.com/WORX-WR140-La.../dp/B07TWHSWW8

[upstatedoc]

Originally Posted by GenXer

Yardwork can be enjoyable too.

i find it to be therapeutic

[OkieSnuffBox]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

After 15 years of cobbling together broken lawn tractors, I threw in the towel and hired a lawn service last year. You can't put a price on sleeping in on weekends instead of dreading mowing the lawn...well, you can and for us it is $35 every two weeks.....

Mowing every two weeks would be nice. I'd pay someone at that point. That's like one nice brunch.

Some times of the year, depending on how much sun and rain we get, we will be mowing every 4-5 days.

[ToddinTN]

Originally Posted by wdb

Okay. I warned you!

Their fast attach plows are easy. Front mount snow throwers, not so much. On either you still need chains and suitcase weights.

Based on the yard size and the trees, and not knowing what storage considerations you have, a 30” Toro TimeMaster WAM might fit the bill. Brand new right around $1K. Phenomenal cut quality and good for your health.

On snow, it’s all about how much time you want to spend outside, and how much you might procrastinate getting out once it starts falling. Single stage, look at Toro. Two-Stage, Honda or Ariens.

I work in OPE, but not for a manufacturer. Any brands suggested above are based on my experience, not necessarily due to my relationships with them.

Personally I have a HOP automower do my backyard and I walk the front with an AWD HOP because I like the stripes. For handheld jobs I’m all Dewalt based on the battery ecosystem across both my yard tools and garage stuff.

Lastly- I have to commend everyone in the thread, it’s rare to see OPE threads full of solid advice and devoid of misinformation. Well done.

[ToddinTN]

Originally Posted by AlpineWhite_SJ

The place where I got my mower stocks TruFuel and I’ve considered it, but it’s definitely not cheap at $21.99 a gallon.

It is staggering how much straight gas is sold at retail for $20 a gallon. Even more popular is the premixed two cycle stuff. Nice side effect, a dramatic decrease in customer issues, returns and repair costs. Once you try it, you typically stick with it based on the ease in use.

Another nice deal, quite a few handheld folks offer free extended warranties when you buy fuel along with the tool.

[unluky]

I mow right at 1.7 acres of my 3 acre lot where my normal daily house is. The company we formed to own our farm pays my nephew to mow that one. I did that the first year and even with my sister mowing every other time - I was done. Trying to mow 4.5 acres 1.25 hours away from each other in the spring was a nightmare - never again.

I have a 60" Dixie Chopper that flat moves. I bought it back in 2007 when I bought my current primary residence. It has served me VERY well ever since and is still going strong. Still starts on the 3rd crank even after sitting all winter long. Been a great mower for me - but I do take care of my stuff.

I used to have a gas blower I fought. My Dad bought a EGO blower - which promptly made me laugh at him. Till I used it. Then I went and bought one. I'm on my 4th season with it and have never looked back. No gas, always ready to go, blows harder than my gas blower. My dad got one of their chain saws, which prompted me to chuckle again - but when a big red bud tree blew down in his yard I cut the entire thing up and hauled it off on one battery charge - again I changed my tune. I now own one of their pole saws and when my current weedeater finally dies - I will have one of their weedeaters.

Great company, great customer service. Just make 100% SURE you register your equipment. If you do - they will take care of you.

[Kolyan2k]

Thanks. I'll look at EGO stuff

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by BMWGUYinCO

Our yard is a tad larger than average I would say.

I bought all electric EGO products:

Lawnmower
Trimmer (allows for multiple attachment options such as trimmer, edger, chain saw, etc. - pretty convenient)
Blower

Have multiple spare batteries so I am always in power - they work fantastic and I don't miss smelling like gas when I do yard work.

PS My wife keeps asking me why I don't hire out for someone to do all this, but since I invested a decent amount in the EGO brand, I don't mind getting out there myself.

Ah yes, it is nice to not smell like gas but you lose the ability to pretend you cant hear the wife nagging you over the roar of the gas engines.

[GenXer]

We moved from a 4 acre property to 1/4 acre so I have 8 gas cans and a gambit of gas powered trimmers, chain saw and a huge 2 stage snow blower that get unused.

Now I only need one gas powered lawn tractor.

Battery powered trimmers/blowers are nice if you don't have a lot of land. They require no maintenance whatsoever.

[B58 parts]

I got the Honda hrx 7xx mower, it's a little under powered and especially recently hasn't been running right. It's a little rich I think I have to mess with the carb. Otherwise it gives a fantastic cut at 4" with a sharp blade. I have the best yard for sure.

I have the echo 760 low noise backpack blower and it's great, very quiet and plenty of power, holding up well 3 years of use.

Also ariens 24" snow blower, it makes quick work of all the sidewalk.

And the Echo stick edger, it's ok. The trigger housing is cheap and keeps moving on the stick. But otherwise it runs for 5 minutes every two weeks and makes a big difference.

I have the Ryobi battery trimmer and small blower, both ok for what they have to do but I do want to replace them with the Makita ones so I don't have two batteries. I use the little blower just for the deck and sidewalk, I don't have a lot of trimming.

I use ethanol free in everything and just leave them sit. All start up first or maybe second pull.

[omasou]

Originally Posted by Kolyan2k

Spoke to a buddy of mine, his lot is bigger and he only pays $40 per week for lawn and 60 to plow big driveway several times per year. Told me for him makes no sense getting lawnmower

Do you have to do lawn every week or can get away doing it every 2 weeks?

Some lawn guys don't want to bother w/folks trying to save a dime. They have plenty of work and don't need to negotiate or go over your lawn twice b/c you let it get too long. In Summer you can sometimes get away w/less but not in Spring.

You also need to weed and feed the lawn. When I bought the house, I used Scotts and did the work myself. The lawn was beautiful. Then about 3-4 years ago, I tried a lawn service b/c the cost was only a bit more than the chemicals and no labor for me. They "recommended" 6 treatments. My beautiful lawn went to shit. I fired them after 2 years. I learned later that by law (at least in my area) they are only allowed to treat for weeds 2x. So that means the other 4 treatments are fertilizer! They said they would spot treat "in the lawn" but they must not have b/c weeds grew like crazy but they were more than happy to sell me a different service to take care of it. Before using them I had a bit of nutsedge and knocked the stuffing out of it. Their second year using them it came back fierce. Could have been coincidence but I'm leaning to there equipment infecting my lawn from someone else's. Two years later using Scotts again and my lawn is fantastic.

[Alfisti]

No pesticide allowed here so it's absolutely BRUTAL trying to keep a clean lawn. Dandylions run RAMPANT, and i mean rampant.

With zero chemicals allowed the only way to go weed free is to do a huge hands and kneeds removal of all weeds every spring, order in yards of soil and a yard o seed and drown your lot with a fresh layer of both to thicken it and choke the weeds out.

Shit tons of time and money. Shit tons. And not to mention the cost of watering.

[Housekeeping]

Zero turn Gravely here, just love the quality. Previously had Scag and Exmark, all great. I’d never buy a riding mower, heck, I make fun of my neighbors on their John Deere or some Home Depot garbage, also their electric trimmers and blowers. I only buy commercial lawn equipment, the results speak for themselves.

[awilki0101]

I have an acre to mow and bought a John Deere D140 when we built. It's been going strong for 5 years so far with the usual maintenance. Replaced the belt once, oil changes, spark plugs, and fuel filter. For what I paid for it I am averaging $27 a month. Well worth it instead if $100 a week to have someone mow for me. I have a gas powered echo blower that also works wonders now for 7 straight years. Can't comment in the snow blower since we don't get snow here.

[Efthreeoh]

With that lawn, you can get away with homeowner grade equipment. If you want a zero turn, which I think is a bit overkill for your yard. I'd get the Cub Cadet zero turn with a steering wheel. Commercial-grade zero turns with levers are difficult to learn how to use and don't have brakes. And if you don't pick up the knack how to actually zero-turn, you'll constantly tear up the grass, because you are the "differential" and have to learn the technique to get one wheel rotating in reverse while the other in forward. The Cub with the steering wheel takes the guesswork out of it. Zero-turns can cut crass much faster because they turn around much faster than a riding tractor. Plus zero-turns let you cross cut the grass to get a better even cut, which prevents the grass from getting a "memory" from cutting it in the same direction every time.

From your questions, it sounds like you've never lived in a home with a yard. So as someone said earlier, if you don't find it therapeutic to cut grass, and see it as a time-consuming chore, hire someone. Also, yard equipment takes quite a bit of maintenance, cleaning, lubing, engine tune-ups, oil changes, winter storage, and blade sharpening, so if you are not into turning wrenches, hire a lawn maintenance company.

My 2 cents. I have 4 acres of yard to care for and 13 pieces of petrol-power lawn equipment including a diesel small-frame farm tractor and a Ferris zero-turn (someone mentioned Ferris).

Now, if you are into having a yard mower with independent coil-over suspension, get a Ferris.

[Kolyan2k]

Did have yard with lawnmower, but that was 20 years ago. Back then we ended up going with landscapers because I didn't find it fun to cut grass at 90F but our lot was alot bigger too and lawnmower was some old used junk left by previous owners. It was great at first but sweating for over an hour wasn't that pleasant after all.

[upstatedoc]

That Toro was such a great investment.

[Ngilbe36]

Ive got a 42in toro zero-turn I bought from my dad when he got a new one. He had it for 7 years, Ive had it for 3. No issues at all in all that time. Oil changes, grease applied and blade sharpening is all its ever needed.

STIHL is the best IMO for small 2-stroke tools
Buy a power head and the different attachments. Very handy

[XutvJet]

Honda Honda Honda. Expensive, but you get what you pay for. It's also easy to source parts for even the oldest of Honda lawnmowers.

My dad's 1987 Honda mower lasted until 2015. I was able to buy any and all parts for that mower when I was maintaining it. I have a Honda mower I bought in 2015 and a Honda snow blower bought in the same year. They both part on the first pull, every season. They run like tops and haven't had a single issue.

The carbs on Honda's are simple, cheap, easy to work on, and tune.

[Hawkeye]

Originally Posted by Kolyan2k

Thanks. I'll look at EGO stuff

Home depot deal of the day today... just sayin.

21" mower for $250 and has a bunch of the other tools for sale today as well

https://www.homedepot.com/SpecialBuy/SpecialBuyOfTheDay