Bring on the BERM please

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LouB
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Re: Bring on the BERM please

Post by LouB »

This is an old topic but, for those interested in battery-electric ride-on mowers, I just got this update from Ryobi Australia:

"we have good news - more mowers have just landed in Australia!"
AND
"Catcher now available . Visit your local Bunnings Warehouse to place an order via. Special Orders Desk"

I noticed that the Ryobi ride-on has not been available on the Bunnings catalogue for the last few months and was beginning to think I had bought an orphan product. For some peace of mind, I sourced and purchased 2 sets of spare cutter blades that, with some sharpening and balancing, should go for long time.
My mower has now done a lot of work, without any problems. Much more relaxing to use and just as efficient as my Rover zero-turn (that Im' thinking of selling as it has not been used for a whole season).

As wozz says, the very tight turning circle makes it just about as good as a zero-turn when cutting around trees. The only thing I would say is that: changing from forward to reverse is fiddly and I have found it faster to just go with forward gear, except where reversing is the only safe option.
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4Springs
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Re: Bring on the BERM please

Post by 4Springs »

I'd love a catcher, but that one looks quite convoluted and likely to clog up. Also difficult to empty - you have to get off the mower!
I'd been assuming that I'd get one of these mowers (sans catcher) before spring. But the reversing problem looks like it might change my mind. How exactly does it work/not work? I have one section in particular which I mow by going forwards, backwards, working my way sideways with each swipe.
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LouB
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Re: Bring on the BERM please

Post by LouB »

This excerpt from the Ryoby Quick Start Guide assumes that you want to actually mow while reversing, rather than simply reversing:

"To Reverse Mow:
1 Depress brake and bring mower to a complete stop.
2 Push blade engage knob down to turn blades off.
3. Place direction control switch in reverse (R) position.
4 Press reverse mode button.
5 Raise the blade engage knob, slowly press accelerator and reverse mow as
needed."

In practice, the few times I need to reverse out of a tight spot I don't need to have the cutter blades engaged, so it is simply a matter of following the first 3 steps as the area has already been mown on the way in.

For me, mowing a couple of acres, with many trees, the Ryobi's very tight turning circle more than makes up for any mowing-in-reverse peculiarity. It is a bit like driving an EV where there may be some disadvantage, such as restricted range, that are outweighed by lower carbon footprint, more relaxed driving and lower running costs.
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4Springs
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Re: Bring on the BERM please

Post by 4Springs »

I see, thanks.
The tight turning circle may negate the need for the reverse mowing I do now. I reverse mow in part because my mower does not have a good turning circle, and partly because it can go instantaneously from forwards to reverse, so it's very easy to do. I may be able to do it in circles instead. It's only one fairly small fiddly bit, the rest of the lawn would be fine.
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LouB
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Re: Bring on the BERM please

Post by LouB »

Hi Christopher,

I can only relate what works for me, and I find the Ryobi to be OK for my needs.

I too was spoiled from using a Cox friction-drive ride-on for years, that went from Forward to Reverse instantly by heel & toe operation. But then, it needed to. Because of its large turning circle it required multiple Y turns to mow around each tree or bush. I find that the Ryobi cuts very close around each tree trunk with a single pass in Forward gear. I haven't timed it, but I also get the impression that, as a result, it covers the same tree studded area faster than the Cox.

The other plus for me is that removing the cutting deck takes seconds and allows easy maintenance, blade sharpening etc. Doing the same with the Cox meant a morning's work.
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coulomb
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Re: Bring on the BERM please

Post by coulomb »

I saw one on display at Bunnings Browns Plains (just south of Brisbane). $3999. Looked pretty cool to me.
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Re: Bring on the BERM please

Post by icenov »

We have the ryobi 42" 100 Ah mower - and have done about 18 hrs so far. Our "other" mower is an Ariens 42" 22 hp zero turn, which we use for the rough areas (13 acres, trees, knee high scrub...).
So far the ryobi has worked well, other than a poorly set under seat switch, which kept turning the mower off when my wife was using it - easy enough to pack a plastic strip underneath.
It is slow to charge - as per lead-acid, but it has a 5 level charger with max charge level of about 1100 W (checked with power meter), and drops down by about 200 W per level as it approaches "full" charge. The SoC indicator is pretty inaccurate.
At some stage down the track, I'd like to swap out the lead-acid for lithium and get a faster charge and longer range, but suspect it will be a very bespoke project. If anyone sees/hears of such a swap out, I'd be interested to know.
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