My experience has been about the same with mine... I have yet to even check the oil after 5 years (which reminds me I probably should) I've never sharpened the blade (which is another thing I should probably do) and it's never let me down yet, I think it was around $200 when I bought it.
Home Depot has a Ryobi 20” 40V 5A on sale for $250. I went ahead and ordered one… When it comes in next week we’ll see how it does.
I've gone with the Echo 58V stuff (https://www.echocordless.com/). Love it, including the push mower for trimming. I've successfully eliminated small gas engines from my collection and now have either electric for small equipment or diesel for anything larger, including my riding mower. Ethanol free.
anyone remember lawnboy mowers that were 2 strokes? neighbors had one when I was a teen. about 1988. super quiet and ran forever. I did some window replacement at a guy's house a few weeks ago and he had one of those EGO cordless mowers. he has a huge yard and cuts it with one. so I assume it works pretty well. I can't imagine if you let it get tall it would handle cutting tall stuff though. or at least on a single charge.
I’ve had two. Bought the first in 1984 and the second in 2001. Their staggered wheel design and 2T allowed them to be great slope mowers. Since the staggered wheel sat out further, it was more resistant to flipping over. And, the 2T didn’t rely on crankcase oil, so no oil starvation. I’ve used them on lakeshore properties, where I repeatedly flipped them and they kept on running and much faster than a string trimmer. Great little mowers, up until they were sold to Toro.
Back in the dark ages when I used to cut lawns for gas money, one of my customers had a hover mower for the terraces on his front lawn. Damn thing worked pretty well. He had a Yazoo big wheel mower for the rest of the yard.
The old 2T weed eater finally gave up today so picked up a Kobalt 24V combo with the blower. Been needing a cordless blower anyway. Did the job well and was only $159 for the pair. More than enough for our place.
I REALLY don't see much problem with the 10% ethanol gas I have to buy here in Milwaukee Cnty.- f'ing tree huggers It's leaving the fuel in them for months is what messes them up! It's not new gas w/ some ethanol. My 2008 B&S 4 HP toro front wheel drive push mower starts 1st pull e'ry time. IN the last 11 years, I did change the oil- once! I also have a B&S 20HP riding mower, that also always starts and runs no problem. While I know the ethanol actually cost more to put in there, and is worse for the environment to use, it ain't that big a deal for lawn equipment. Drinking Kool aid maybe. I finally ditched my 14 yr old 2stroke week wacker for an 18 V electric one a few years ago- works OK. My chain saw, which I use some in my brush line, is a 2 stroke!