I have a Black & Decker CMM1200 battery mower that works absolutely fine. They seem to keep having problems making them right, but apparently always have excellent customer service in getting the recall work done.
I keep finding them (and the pre-cursor CMM1000) for free or cheap at garage sales and thrift stores. Sometimes they just get too old and need a battery, and you can find replacements online or at BatteriesPlus for $100 or $150, which is still cheaper than a new one. Just make sure it comes with a charger.
I'm a real cheapskate, so this has really worked for me. They are easy to push (I'm with you on the self-propelled crap!), and the only problems I've ever had with them (besides batteries) have been stuff that B&D replaces for free. With a good fresh battery, it has no problem mowing all of my 1/3-acre lot, but I usually don't feel like mowing more than the front or back at once, anyway.
Joy
--- In DoIt_Yourself@yahoogroups.com, "opinicize" <opinicize@...> wrote:
> I have been struggling to find an appropriate mower this summer. My old mower will not work without some serious effort, and I just don't have the time or inclination to spend a large part of a couple of days trying to figure it out. Meanwhile, the grass grows and grows; embarassing as the neighbors wonder why you are too lazy to mow. I did a lot of reading of consumer reviews about the electric mowers, as I am so frustrated with the gas powered problems. Electric eliminates the need for gas, oil/oil change, spark plugs, filters, etc. However, they will probably not last long as they are primarily made of plastic parts. The plastic will probably not break or crack until two days after the thirty day return period. The good ones have the largest battery, which also makes them heavy, therefore harder to push uphill. However, if your yard is small and flat, that would not be a problem for you. I had an electric loaded in the car, and returned it before I even left the parking lot. It nagged at me that I would have a $400 pile of plastic in short order, and noone (either retailer or manufacturer) would care. I dont't think $151 will buy you enough mower to actually cut the grass, or last through the season, but again, you might get lucky for a little while. I was talked into a nice machine with a Honda engine, supposedly the longest lasting, so even though there's a higher up front cost, over time it's less expensive, and more reliable, so less frustrating overall. It was self-propelled, which I didn't think I would like, but it has been suggested to me in the last two mowers I have purchased. That fabulous mower lasted two mowings before I returned it. I wanted to be sure to get it back within the thirty day return privelege, because I hated it. I have never had a mower that was so hard to use. I'm 5'8", 142 lb and can haul 80 lb shingles on a hip roof, so I'm not weak, but I could not move this mower. My intuition on self-propelled was right; it just doesn't work for me. I like a lightweight mower that can be pushed AND pulled. A self-propelled will NOT move backwards, even when the self-propelled feature is not engaged. The manual will tell you this, and it is definitely true. I found it extremely unmanueverable. It was al
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