Dave's Product Review number 1: The Ozito electric lawnmower

[david]

When we moved to suburban Camberwell from inner-urban St Kilda we went from a patch of lawn about 3m x 3m that could be done with an old push mechanical mower to a lot more lawn that couldn't.

We're planning to lose a lot of the lawn for beds etc (possums allowing) but in the interests of good neighbourly relations we need to keep what we've got mown.

I grew up on a farm with an older brother who lives for high-powered internal combustion driven machines so at age 10 I was happily pushing a Briggs and Stratton slasher around what we used to refer to as lawn. (Which was primarily the grassy bits near the house that the animals hadn't eaten.)

Unlike my brother I find IC engines a pain so when we decided to get a lawnmower I was very interested in getting an electric. If you're on one of the green power schemes there's another benefit with the electric models in that there's vastly reduced greenhouse emissions.

You can buy machines that have a rechargable battery or you can buy cord powered units. The battery models were hundreds of dollars but the Ozito I bought was only $100. Having just taken on a mortgage the $100 unit was the choice de jour.

A few things:

a/ Having the cord is a pain. You have to be careful - very careful! - not to cut it. So you're always swinging it about, moving it out of teh way etc. And you have to make sure that the cord doesn't unplug from the mower so you have to find a way to arrange the cord in such a manner that it's not pulling on the mower's plug.

b/ It's only a relatively small engine (1 kW or about 1.3HP from memory) so it will have trouble tackling longer grass. And it will get blocked up around the blades and the blade housing in longer, lusher grass. But to be fair I don't think that it's designed for bigger mowing jobs.

c/ The manufacturers in my opinion haven't done such a hot job on designing the wheel attachments. I find that if I pull the mower backwards a lot the wheels eventually fall off and have to be screwed back on again. Screwing them back on isn't a big job but it's a nuisance.

The good points from our perspective are that it's fairly quiet, it does the job on our 8000sf as long as we don't let the grass get away from us and it was only $100.

David

[david]

The Ozito was returned to Bunnings yesterday after the blade came off. In my opinion this was not satisfactory. I declined their offer of a replacement unit of the same model. I traded up to an Electrolux electric mower that appears to be a bit larger. Hopefully, the wheels and blade won't fall off this one.

David

[~Tullymoor~]

Cheaper and easier to get a rabbit hutch and a couple of rabbits David?
They eat the grass....you eat them. :lol: :lol:

Gawd, I'm starting to sound like my mate Tezza :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[baleboy]

i am amazed with all the cheap shit you can buy these days

and it is THESE DAYS !! there have always been lowere priced products who quaility was not as good but it is getting rediculous !!!!

i get so angry that people are producing products that dont even work when they are new

my house mate bought a hammer and the head fell off on the first nail

i get so frustrated about the amount of waste and lack of pride in producing complete bull crapthat a few times i have considered doing a mike moore type doco on these wastful products

i was going to go to the engineers to meet them and talk about how much time they spend trying to find parts that work in the demonstration only and break on arrival home

i am sure there are many of you out there who have bought a cheaper product thinking "how could you get this wrong it is just a simple _____(fill in the gap )

i bought a fork to turn my compost it broke on te second use

if i wasnt a peace loviiing pacifist who has never been in a fight in his life i would go and stick that fork where it fits !!!!!

wwwhhooo i need to calm down ......... i just struggle with people who take sort cuts make lots of money and it is always the consumer and the planet that pays

maybe ill start a lynch mob anyone wanna join

baleboy

[baldcat]

Count me in...

I hate second rate products, and $2 dollar shops.

My partner purchased a fish bowl from a $2 dollar shop (it was a $5 however) after giving it a rise, and placing in the small gravel , upon pouring in the first litre. the bottom fell out, and the bowl shattered in her hands.. The glass was that thin that you couldn't pick it up.. It was like gladwrap on the floor. AAAGHHHH

I guess you get what you pay for.. Problem is, the market has been flooded