"Amadeus W. M." wrote in message
news
I bought my first house 1/2 year ago, and now I have to mow the lawn.
The previous owner left me probably a 50 years old gas mower which just
died. I broke the start rope trying to crank the engine. Don't know if
that can be fixed.


The pull cord can be easily fixed, and probably for far less than the price
of a new electric mower. If that is the only issue with the mower, I would
call around to repair shops to get an estimate. Electric mowers are fine,
but they can be a hassle, particularly if you don't have outlets situated in
convenient locations. As I recall, Black and Decker (who seems to be the
manufacturer of the Sear electric mower) recommends an extension cord under
80 feet or the use of a heavy duty (read: thick, heavy and expensive)
extension cord. I bought an electric mower the first time around and dumped
it after two years. I don't have a lot of grass, but what I do have is not
convenient for mowing with a corded mower and I haven't been impressed with
most battery operated tools, so I passed on the battery operated mower. I
think a lot depends on the configuration of your particular lot. The cost
for fuel, whether it be gasoline or electric is rather insignificant.
Electric mowers have three positives: 1) no gasoline to handle and no
fumes, 2) they are light and easy to push, 3) they are quieter than gas
mowers. Gasoline powered mower are more diverse in that you can choose from
hundreds of models ranging from small to very large, push to
self-propelled --- and you don't have the hassle of the cord.