So now I am mowing the lawn...

[master of none]

Nelson you will like the Echo weed eater I'v been using them for years and never have a problem with them and I use them a lot harder than you will.

 

[Kernbigo]

I'am in the lawn mower repair business and i would recommend the Toro recycler, for the mower and a stihl trimmer either gas or battery

 

[HMF]

kernbigo,

I bought the recycler for $400- that was the one I was referring to.
Unfortunately, I had it shipped because it is 100 pounds. UPS has been sending it all over NY state and NJ. They are fools.
It went from Texas (where Toro's warehouse is) to Maurnee, Ohio, to Uniondale NY, 10 miles from me, to East Schenectady, NY, about 500 miles from me to Parsippany, NJ to Secaucus, NJ. They passed me by 3 times. Ohio to Uniondale passes my house in Queens. Uniondale to East Schenectady passes my house, so does East Schenectady, NY to NJ.
No one knows why- it was properly labeled.
I just hope the fools at UPS didn't break it.

I heard good things about the Stihl, but HD has the Echo in stock.
I also bought the gas conditioner, and tune-up kit. I know I will need it.
I always buy the extra stuff.
I have all the spare belts and pull cord for my Troybilt snow blower. I already had to unblock the carburetor jets and change the pull cord on it. 2 years old.

 

[HMF]

Many mowers now use Honda engines , Toro use to have a great two cycle engine model but no more two cycles on mowers . Toro usually make good mowers , I'd be Leary of electric start tho. The batteries don't hold up well and are costly. The problem as the mower ages the battery loses power to spin it fast enough to start. Nelson if it gets that way buy a cheap jump box and make a wire connector to use to jump it. Keep it maintained is the best option for long lasting mower. Oil changes and air filters too. Stihl makes some good trimmers , even there battery model seems good. I've spent forty years doing repairs on small engines , Never had an unhappy customer. Forgot , for awhile many of the four stroke trimmers had problems with the valves closing and causing hard and no starts.

Never spray water into the side cleanout to clean out the grass that is stuck there. Although that is what it is supposed to be for, by doing so, you get the battery terminals and connections wet and they corrode, and do not work.

Use a putty knife or similar scraper to remove the grass clippings instead, and the battery will last longer.
The electric ignition is used as a backup by me, in case (or I should say when) I break the starter cord.
I bought a roll of starter cord for that reason.
I pulled hard on my snow snower cord, and it broke in the middle of a huge snowfall.
I plugged in the extension cord and it started right up.
Like I said, I use it as a backup.
I start it up in my shed every month.
That assures that I can get it running when I need to, and the yellow jackets and other bugs hate the noise and smell of the exhaust in my shed, so they don't build their nests in there.