(Sung to the tune of “Row Row Row Your Boat”)
Too much rain for too long a time created a literal jungle in my yard that I could not mow with my non-motorized reel mower. The young man who used to mow my lawn is now in college and is busy with dual degrees and working other jobs to help pay for college. What to do?
After much research, I decided to buy the Task Force 18” 12-amp electric lawn mower at Lowe’s and mow down the jungle myself. I don’t like to mess with gas and oil for a gas-powered mower, and I need something fairly small and easy to handle since I’m only five feet tall and “mature.” Of course, the mower was going to have to handle getting through the forest of grass and crazy weeds that had sprung up with the flood of rain. (I found wild onions in my yard. Yikes!)
Well… my choice was a good one! This little mower cut right through the forest. Of course, it would be an easier job if I were 5’9” and had muscles and strength. But, considering my size and minimal strength, I am very happy with the job the mower is doing for me so far.
Here are a few pictures to help you visualize my predicament –
Street side yard after a couple of runs with the mower.
The mower has a bag on the back, but I had to hitch it up to the highest height measurement to get through the mass. (This mower has eight height adjustments. Woo! Hoo!) That’s why some of the clippings escaped from underneath as I was mowing.
Front of side yard after a couple of runs. As you can see, “cut” is the goal at this time, not “pretty.”
I pushed the mower into the tallest jungle in the side yard so you can see how tall the jungle is in places and the incredible situation I had to deal with.
The main front yard isn’t nearly as tall or dense. Thank goodness!
However, the back yard is going to be a real ordeal, I’m afraid. The picture doesn’t really show just how high or dense this is. I haven’t tackled that part yet.
When I was researching, I found some small electric mowers that were 6.5 amps. But I thought I would probably need a little more power, so I got the 12-amp. I’m not sure the 6.5 amp mower could have done the job that this little guy is doing.
I don’t have to deal with gas or oil. I don’t have to try to pull on a chord to get it started. I just plug it in, press a start button, and lift up on the engager bar. It includes a mulch plug and a side-discharge chute if I want to mulch or just let the clippings fly when the grass is shorter. I’m using the collection bag right now since the grass is so tall. The collection bag is super simple. The front of the bag has two bars that fit easily right into slots on the back discharge chute. The top of the bag has a handle to grab to help lift and manipulate the bag.
The mower didn’t quit on me even once. It even sliced through a soda can that I didn’t see to remove from the tall grass.
I’m still working on figuring out the best way to deal with the electric cord that follows me everywhere like a giant snake. I’m so afraid I’ll run over it and slice it that I keep stopping to move it around. But I’m sure I’ll figure out a good process at some point.
It will take a few days to get through all the front and back yard – not because of the mower but because of the heat and my limitations. But since I have to do this myself, I’m really glad I found this small super trooper.
Disclaimer: No compensation has been promised or provided by Lowe’s for references to products in this post or for this review.
Grandawn - Aging Semi-Gracefully 
I have Task Force Electric Mower #227684 and cannot figure out how to mulch with it. Any help would be appreciated. I love this mower
Please help. Have a Task Force 20in. 12A lawnmower. Need to sharpen blades and change oil
I “happened” on your site while looking up information about this little mower to put it up for sale, as I inherited it in a round-about way and already have 2 gas mowers. Now I’m re-thinking this decision! As an older person, it might be an easier way to go! Thanks for having the blog here for me to stumble over! I enjoyed the words and the pictures.
I have always used electric mowers (started in the early 1950’s). You will need a 100 foot extension chord (Red & Black). I sure find them easier than using gasoline mowers. The problem I had with this mower is that the switch broke. If this happens, get a handyman to install a wall switch in a metal box and attach it to the top of the handle. He will be able to figure out how to do this. The first mower from Sears that i used for over 25 years, had an ‘in line’ switch something like what i am recommending for you. I am now going on 76 years and still find electric mowers the better choice where you have a place to plug then in.
Please let me know if you have any more questions.
Sincerely, Fred Hoffman, Austin, Texas
keep it. use it. love it. i am also mature. and suffer from the usual “mature” issues. i began having difficulties starting a mower, so of course i bought a push mower with an electric start – two thumbs down. it worked about a year, but was so heavy and had to be manhandled to use. finally the light bulb. i’ve had my task force approx 5 years and am so happy each spring when i plug it in and presto, i am mowing. i did buy the smaller one as my mower experience indicated i would be buying a new one in a year. had i but known. do pay the extra for the larger model, it will be faster going when that grass has gotten just a bit too high or you live in the south (like me) and you lawn can go for weeks without the grass totally drying out. my little guy has never let me down and i am delighted with the trade of starter cord, gas, oil, spark plug etc to an electric cord.
I really love this site. Help me a lot for me choosing the best electric lawn mower. Thanks!
Hello and THANK YOU for the info above re Task Force electric lawn mower model 25113. I have this mower and have found myself needing the power button/switch assembly (more precisely: the same black plastic broken piece that attaches by screw to the metal safety handle inside the assy that another person mentioned needing in a previous post here). I found the part online; thanks to you/your fellow posters, and wanted to share in hopes of speeding the process for the next guy/gal.
http://www.ordertree.com/sun-31103227/
greenworks Model 25022 – Upper Handle Power Switch 31103227 REPLACES: 31103227-2, 31103227-3, 311032273
Does anyone know how to find part # 31103227, Upper handle assembly for this mower? The switch does not turn on because the bail bar has broken the plastic part that it fits into inside the switch unit. A replacement for that black plastic part would fix the problem. I have searching for more that 2 hours for parts for this mower and cannot find them anywhere. Lowe’s no longer handles this brand of mower, and I am not sure that it is made anymore.
Call 1-866-456-8934 Sunrise handle Task Force now Greenworks parts. Or visit ordertree.com
were you ever able to find that part? mine has broken as well
Contact Lowe’s Parts Dept. (for replacement Parts) you are likely to get a new upper handle section which includes a new switch. A BETTER solution is to use a 15amp wall switch and mount it on the old handle.
Good luck to you and yours.
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Great video blog. Love how the mower really took care of that yard! Must be a pretty strong piece of equipment!
Thank you for visiting my blog, Sal. Yes, it’s a good little mower!
Just bought myself an older version of this lawnmower. Not much older, 2007 I believe. I have a huge yard and had the same problem as you with overgrowth. To my surprise it cut through everything with little effort. I was skeptical at first because everyone was telling me that electric mowers are terrible but I saw no issues with it aside from making sure you don’t run over the cord. And even then once you figure out how to mow in a certain pattern you can avoid it completely like it wasn’t there in the first place. Definitely recommend the simplicity of electric over the messy and loud gas powered mowers now. When it comes to cutting there really isn’t a difference between them.
Mike, Thanks for visiting my blog and posting your experience. I’m glad to see that you like this lawnmower too. 🙂
Hi Darlin’! I’m so glad to see your name popping up here and there. For some reason or other, I haven’t been getting the notices in my e-mail box until just now, so I’m catching up on the reading of your terrific blog! So glad you are back!
As far as Lowe’s goes, I really think you should e-mail them this post! Maybe that can be your new job – since you are looking for one! Not e-mailing, but working as “elder spokesperson,” I mean! 😆 We have a mowing service for our 1-acre lawn. Spring started way early this year and our lawn is growing like “Topsy,” as my Hubs says. We only have it mowed every two weeks, and that is starting to get a bit financially difficult for us because it costs us $50 per mow! Maybe we’ll get a couple of goats. Actually I think that would be fun, but Hubs says if our house sells soon (we hope), they might not be allowed within the town limits. I told them we could convey them with the house as a bonus accessory! What do you think? 😆
Lowe’s is my Hubs’ favorite place to go. Whenever he sees one, our car automatically turns into their driveway. It doesn’t say much for me that when I’m driving, the car automatically turns into the grocery store entrance; and then my shopping cart automatically goes to the ice cream aisle! Oh well, now I’ll go back to being “fat and jolly,” instead of “thin and mean.” Some choice. . .!
BTW, I wonder if there is a gadget for electric mowers, attached to the handle bar, that lifts it up out of the way.as you go. Sort of like the one that you can get for your iron, to hold the cord out of the way. You might check. . .at Lowe’s!
Hey, Paula, Good to see you here! Thanks for the idea about being “elder spokesperson.” My good friend, JoAnn, suggested that too. I could let people know which products work well for the more “mature” person. I’ll have to check that out. I’m thinking the goats are a good idea! And, you’re right. You could convey them. The buyers might really appreciate that. 🙂 Yummmmm….. ice cream! I know the kind of thing you’re talking about for the iron. I haven’t seen something like that for an electric mower, but it’s definitely a good idea. You could hook this big antennae thing to the handle and just walk under the cord when you turn. Hmmm…..
Check online for something like that – I will too, and if I find something, I’ll let you know. The only problem I can envision with that is that it would shorten the length of your cord.
Good idea! I’ll check, and you let me know if you find something. Great!
Hiya,
I’m not a techie re. lawnmowers but when we used to have a huge yard so long lead for mower, hubby used to have a cricuit breaker. A very worth while investment. If you chop the wire…it cuts the elcecticity and you don’t go up in a puff of smoke!
Happy mowing!
I’ll have to look into that. Thanks!
Awesome! Maybe your new job SHOULD be a spokesman for Lowe’s for the “older” generation!
Hmmm… Now, that’s an idea.