Non-OEM battery for lawnmower/

[SailinAway]

Can someone please explain the meaning of volts and amps and how they relate to each other? As in, for example, an 80 volt 2 amp battery versus 40 volts 5 amps. Do those terms refer to the power delivered to the arbor or the time capacity of the battery, or both?

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by SailinAway

Can someone please explain the meaning of volts and amps and how they relate to each other? As in, for example, an 80 volt 2 amp battery versus 40 volts 5 amps. Do those terms refer to the power delivered to the arbor or the time capacity of the battery, or both?

Voltage is dependent on the appliance needs.
For instance, the DeWalt Flex system allows for the battery to change voltage (lowering or raising the flow of current)... the more ampere/hours that the battery has the longer it will last at each voltage level.

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by SailinAway

Can someone please explain the meaning of volts and amps and how they relate to each other? As in, for example, an 80 volt 2 amp battery versus 40 volts 5 amps. Do those terms refer to the power delivered to the arbor or the time capacity of the battery, or both?

I think you are technically referring to Ah - Amp-hours, not amps.

Without getting super deep into an EE-level discussion, you can think of volts like strength. More volts will generally equate to more power or ability to do something. All other things being equal, an 18v drill will be able to drill a larger hole than a 12V drill.

Amp-hours is a measure of how long the battery can supply that force for (again, simplifying things here). You might prefer to have a battery/drill than can drill 100 1" holes, instead of a drill that can drill a 4" hole, but only 2 of them before the battery dies.

Ah, or Amp-hours, is a rating of how long a battery can maintain its rated voltage or a given amount of power draw. A 5Ah battery can (theoretically) supply 5 Amps for 1 hour, or 1 amp for 5 hours, or 2.5 amps for 2 hours, etc.

In terms of electricity, Watts is the absolute measure of power, and watts is Volts * Amps. A 12V battery with a 5Ah battery can do more total work than a 24V 1Ah battery, but the peak "work" it would be able to do would be lower, limited by the voltage.

Ah ratings can be a little deceptive, as they ignore battery chemistry. Some batteries can be damaged by an excessive discharge, while others can be drawn down to a lower voltage without damage. So in some cases the Ah rating might be what you can actually expect from the battery, and in other cases it represents a number that would damage the battery if you were to actually try to use all that charge/capacity. The Ah rating is also often at an ideal draw, not maximum output. Kind of like MPG ratings on a car, you get optimum mileage within a narrow band of speed, not if you floor it all the time.

For a given manufacturer or brand of battery, higher Ah ratings will equal longer run times or usage between recharges. But across different brands two batteries both rated as 12V / 3Ah might have very different performance curves in real life.

[magicrobotmonkey]

I'm on my 4th or 5th year with an EGO mower, still on the original battery, still lasts long enough to do my .25 acre... Even lent it to my neighbor to use in his snowblower a few times when his ran out!

[SailinAway]

Originally Posted by magicrobotmonkey

I'm on my 4th or 5th year with an EGO mower, still on the original battery, still lasts long enough to do my .25 acre... Even lent it to my neighbor to use in his snowblower a few times when his ran out!

Thank you for that feedback. I have one acre of lawn but I'm happy with a battery that lasts 45 to 60 minutes, like the EGO, because I don't care to mow longer than that anyhow. Plus, a gas mower runs out of gas after about an hour.

[SailinAway]

After doing a lot of research and reading and watching a ton of reviews, it seems to me that at this point in time batteries and electric lawnmowers are not at the point where they are a reliable product and good investment. Reasons:

1. Short run time
2. Short lifespan of battery
3. High cost to replace battery
4. Poor cutting: uneven, poor suction, bogs down in taller grass and weeds
5. Difficulty contact the manufacturer
6. Difficulty getting the manufacturer to honor the warranty

These problems seem typical of a product that hasn't been on the market long enough nor had enough R&D to be reliable. In contrast, I've had my Craftsman gas mower with Briggs and Stratton motor for somewhere between 15 and 20 years. My previous mower had a terrible B&S motor and Sears in Concord replaced it free of charge one year past the warranty because it was a known faulty motor. They didn't even make me file a warranty claim; they just gave me a new mower. The replacement mower has not had a single problem in more than 15 years. I pretty much abuse it. I've only changed the oil about 3 times. Last spark plug replacement was 3 years ago. Air filter ever 3 years. Today it started on the first pull! Granted, I dislike it for all the usual reasons: weight, not self-propelled, storing gas, spilling gas, dealing with plugs and filter, harm to the environment, etc. But it mows through tall, thick vegetation and has been completely reliable all these years and has lost no performance. I've had a similar experience with my gas Husqvarna string trimmer that I've had for 7 years---always starts on the 3rd pull as expected.

The reviews basically say, "A battery-powered lawnmower is pretty good when it works, but you have no idea if it's going to stop working one month or three years from now---they're unpredictable---and when it does stop working, it's going to be a nightmare trying to get it fixed or replaced."

If you think I'm being too harsh and I should give an electric mower a try, please explain. I really want to like these mowers. I just think they're a few years away from being cost effective and reliable.

[John Mercier]

Bad choice of manufacturer.

[WinnisquamZ]

Originally Posted by SailinAway

After doing a lot of research and reading and watching a ton of reviews, it seems to me that at this point in time batteries and electric lawnmowers are not at the point where they are a reliable product and good investment. Reasons:

1. Short run time
2. Short lifespan of battery
3. High cost to replace battery
4. Poor cutting: uneven, poor suction, bogs down in taller grass and weeds
5. Difficulty contact the manufacturer
6. Difficulty getting the manufacturer to honor the warranty

These problems seem typical of a product that hasn't been on the market long enough nor had enough R&D to be reliable. In contrast, I've had my Craftsman gas mower with Briggs and Stratton motor for somewhere between 15 and 20 years. My previous mower had a terrible B&S motor and Sears in Concord replaced it free of charge one year past the warranty because it was a known faulty motor. They didn't even make me file a warranty claim; they just gave me a new mower. The replacement mower has not had a single problem in more than 15 years. I pretty much abuse it. I've only changed the oil about 3 times. Last spark plug replacement was 3 years ago. Air filter ever 3 years. Today it started on the first pull! Granted, I dislike it for all the usual reasons: weight, not self-propelled, storing gas, spilling gas, dealing with plugs and filter, harm to the environment, etc. But it mows through tall, thick vegetation and has been completely reliable all these years and has lost no performance. I've had a similar experience with my gas Husqvarna string trimmer that I've had for 7 years---always starts on the 3rd pull as expected.

The reviews basically say, "A battery-powered lawnmower is pretty good when it works, but you have no idea if it's going to stop working one month or three years from now---they're unpredictable---and when it does stop working, it's going to be a nightmare trying to get it fixed or replaced."

If you think I'm being too harsh and I should give an electric mower a try, please explain. I really want to like these mowers. I just think they're a few years away from being cost effective and reliable.

Agree. Own three dyson battery vacs. Going on four years on the original battery on one. The other two have required new batteries. One lasted less then a year. Must say the after market battery on both are better then the original


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

[SailinAway]

I felt so motivated by my last post that I went out to mow some more. I hit the stub of a 4" tree and the motor stopped with a loud clang. Some smoke came out of the carburater. I checked the blade---intact. I restarted it and there was a clanging sound, seemed to be coming from the motor rather than the blade. Hmm . . . maybe time to try a battery mower.

[John Mercier]

Probably the same would happen with the batter, the shaft got jarred and there is damage higher up. Could be a collar, bearing, or worse.

[SailinAway]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

Probably the same would happen with the batter, the shaft got jarred and there is damage higher up. Could be a collar, bearing, or worse.

John, I'm guessing that given the age of this mower, it's not worth getting it repaired. What do you think?

[John Mercier]

You could remove the blade and start the mower, if it doesn't clang... then a new blade should keep it going for a while.

Other than that... not worth the amount of parts and labor to replace either with a cheap gas mower or a decent battery if that is what you want.

[SailinAway]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

You could remove the blade and start the mower, if it doesn't clang... then a new blade should keep it going for a while.

Other than that... not worth the amount of parts and labor to replace either with a cheap gas mower or a decent battery if that is what you want.

OK, that was interesting. It turns out that the blade is severely bent. I can just imagine what that force did to the motor. The motor wouldn't start without the blade. End of a 19-year relationship.

So, if I use 40 gallons of gas per year at $5 a gallon, that's $200 a year, or $1000 over 5 years, which is the expected lifespan of a battery mower. The mower + a new battery after year 3 would be about $700. Surprisingly, the battery mower may be cheaper at today's gas prices?

I'm leaning toward a non-self-propelled battery mower because they're lighter and simpler (fewer things to go wrong). I do have some hills (grades) on my property but the mower + battery weighs about 60 lbs, so maybe that's manageable. My gas mower was probably about 85 lbs. Any thoughts on non-self-propelled?

[DickR]

Originally Posted by SailinAway

OK, that was interesting. It turns out that the blade is severely bent. I can just imagine what that force did to the motor. The motor wouldn't start without the blade. End of a 19-year relationship....

If you are trashing the mower, can I have it? I have been looking for either a working used push/walk behind mower or at least a frame I can put under my working 5 HP engine. What size is the mower?

[SailinAway]

Originally Posted by DickR

If you are trashing the mower, can I have it? I have been looking for either a working used push/walk behind mower or at least a frame I can put under my working 5 HP engine. What size is the mower?

Dick, I'm so sorry, I actually didn't see this post until just now. I put the lawnmower at the end of my driveway at 10 pm on Friday. It was gone when I got up at 6:00 a.m. I would gladly have given it to you. It was a 21".