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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2014 11:52:00 GMT -5
As I've probably noted before, my ideal lawn would consist of green concrete. Or maybe Astroturf.
Though I suppose the outdoor cats wouldn't go for that. I guess I'd leave about a 10- x 10-foot square of bare earth.
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Post by Prince Hal on Jul 28, 2014 12:12:16 GMT -5
As I've probably noted before, my ideal lawn would consist of green concrete. Or maybe Astroturf. You and the Brady Bunch...
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2014 12:12:55 GMT -5
... walk into a bar ...
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Post by Prince Hal on Jul 28, 2014 12:16:02 GMT -5
- The battery powered edger is going back to Home Depot straight-away. Corded model plus a really long extension cord are in my near future.
You can replace "battery-powered edger" with virtually every other item I've ever bought at Hell Depot. Worst... store... ever. Bought a leaf rake there, took it home and 20 minutes later I had to return it. Handle snapped two minutes into the job. Probably made of reprocessed celery. Clerk says, "Oh, okay. Just go over and grab another one." To which I replied, "Why? So that you can see me in another 20 minutes?"
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,761
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Post by shaxper on Jul 28, 2014 13:03:36 GMT -5
Bought a leaf rake there, took it home and 20 minutes later I had to return it. Handle snapped two minutes into the job. Probably made of reprocessed celery. Clerk says, "Oh, okay. Just go over and grab another one." To which I replied, "Why? So that you can see me in another 20 minutes?" Me too. Except I did take another one. And it broke too. The mower I bought that lasted 10 months also came from Home Depot, and the one I bought that lasted six years came from Lowes. Same price, and the two looked almost identical.
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Post by Rob Allen on Jul 28, 2014 13:27:17 GMT -5
Our palatial estate (one-tenth of an acre) has no lawn, so no mowing for me. But the extensive landscaping does require maintenance by someone who knows what he's doing. So we have a gardener come in for two hours a week.
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Post by Prince Hal on Jul 28, 2014 14:45:22 GMT -5
Bought a leaf rake there, took it home and 20 minutes later I had to return it. Handle snapped two minutes into the job. Probably made of reprocessed celery. Clerk says, "Oh, okay. Just go over and grab another one." To which I replied, "Why? So that you can see me in another 20 minutes?" Me too. Except I did take another one. And it broke too. The mower I bought that lasted 10 months also came from Home Depot, and the one I bought that lasted six years came from Lowes. Same price, and the two looked almost identical. There's a reason they call it Home Despot. I've always called it Hell Depot.
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Post by impulse on Jul 28, 2014 14:59:21 GMT -5
I use an electric mower and edger because I find nothing more frustrating than trying to get those ripcord motors going, or having to drain and responsibly dispose of the oil each season. I also learned a long while back that not all mowers were created equal and now research reviews online before buying. Loews and Home Depot make a lot of money by exclusively selling only a few brands, and sometimes all of those brands are junk. The first electric mower we bought lasted ten months. We researched the second, and it lasted six years. I was skeptical to get an electric mower fearing it wouldn't have the power or battery time to be convenient, but I'm good with just about everything else being electrical. How have you liked it? Seconded 100% on online reviews. The model I bought was well-reviewed in multiple places by professionals and consumers, so I felt fairly safe with it. I also asked my dad which clinched it. I mowed yards for at least 5-6 summers, & maybe a few more than that, as a kid. Only time I ever used a self-propelled mower is when a one-time client had me use theirs. The 4 or so mowers I've owned as an adult, including the one I bought about 3 months ago, aren't self-propelled, either. Yeah, I used to mow for my parents, but after I moved out of their house for college, I rented for 13 years. Bought my first house last year right in the fall when the growing season had passed, so I made it almost six months before I even had to think about lawn care. I hired someone a couple times, and my father in law helped out a time or two, but I had to make a long-term decision. I was 25 before I ever owned a mower with height adjustment. The feature is worth its weight in gold. Before that, changing heights meant taking off & putting back on every damned wheel with a wrench, then waiting for the gas & oil levels to return to normal from having had the mower on its side or at an angle or whatever. Oh, it's wonderful. Transcendental. The difference in hassle/time/health and look of lawn is astounding.
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Post by impulse on Jul 28, 2014 15:00:25 GMT -5
Also, I'm surprised to hear so many awful stories about Home Depot. I've never had a problem yet, but we were also well into the world of online reviews and instant information before I really started paying attention to hardware in earnest. Maybe I just missed the BS?
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Post by Prince Hal on Jul 28, 2014 15:06:24 GMT -5
Also, I'm surprised to hear so many awful stories about Home Depot. I've never had a problem yet, but we were also well into the world of online reviews and instant information before I really started paying attention to hardware in earnest. Maybe I just missed the BS? I think Home Depot BS is the one long-lasting product they stock.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2014 15:56:05 GMT -5
My yard takes only about 35 minutes to mow (about 20 in front, 15 in back), so I went with a rather cheap mower from Walmart. The one I had before that was an old one given to me by a friend, & the one before that was a newish (but cheap) one I bought via Craigslist for $50, but it was stolen.
I think the Craftsman I bought from Sears back in the summer of '86, when we bought our house in North Little Rock, is the only one I've ever paid more than $200 for. It needed the occasional repair, but it pretty much lasted something like 16 summers.
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Post by MatthewP on Jul 28, 2014 16:09:33 GMT -5
I have an electric mower and a long extension cord which is just enough to reach the far corner of my back yard. I've had it for many years and have been very happy with it. It's never needed any maintenance at all beyond occasionally cleaning out some caked-on wet grass. It just starts right up with no effort and does the job. It can slow down a little if the grass is extra tall and thick, but I try not to let that happen too often. It also has a very simple height adjustment. I would highly recommend it for being easy and very non-smelly as gas mowers often are.
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,761
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Post by shaxper on Jul 28, 2014 19:18:56 GMT -5
I was skeptical to get an electric mower fearing it wouldn't have the power or battery time to be convenient, but I'm good with just about everything else being electrical. How have you liked it? Depends what you're looking for. We have a small yard, so it's not a riding mower. What I love about it is that it's 100% dependable. You never have to worry whether it will start up. It also requires zero maintenance, which is a major plus for me. In terms of power, if your grass is really high, you can definitely feel the motor struggling and it won't cut as well, but that's just more motivation to stay on top of your lawn. The one danger is that, with my first electric mower, once when the motor over-reacted, it blew out the entire circuit in my house that the outlet it was connected to was a part of. That's never happened with my other two electric mowers though.
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Post by Rob Allen on Jul 28, 2014 19:44:13 GMT -5
We always had an electric mower when I was growing up. I only cut the extension cord with the mower once.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2014 19:48:06 GMT -5
When I used to mow my grandfather's yard, I had to use a hand mower, just a circle of blades whose power came form you pushing it. No motor, no cord no nothing, just manual labor. Luckily he lived in downtown Hartford, so the backyard was an alley and the front yard was just a hill the size of a matchbook, but I will never forget using that hand mower on hot summer days.
-M
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