Bob's Tool Shop

  We are mowing two yards every week or so.  My son and I have been cutting about every five to six days.  The first two times, we used both the 6AH batteries and part of a 5AH battery.  On the third time (#5 and #6), my son ran the mower, and he used all of that third 5AH battery.   Last week we shared mowing, and we used both of the 6AH batteries and both a 4AH and 5AM batteries.  The grass is not any longer, it may be a bit thicker, but I feel the problem is the blade sharpness.   Blades after six and eight cuttings Before we mow again this week, I will sharpen the blades to see if I am right! NOTE:  The mower is still cutting very evenly! NOTE: With my Honda gas mower, I had to do the same thing, sharpen multiple times over the season.  The Honda did not cut well at all if it was dull.  

  I have two lawns I mow mine and my in-law's next door.  They are both about 1/3 of an acre.  We are towards the top of a hill, and there are some minor slopes in the yards.  I set the mower at 2.5 inches in height, and I swapped between side discharge and mulching.  The grass is just starting to grow well as the ground warms up. The cut is pretty even, and it does not appear to have much difference between side discharge or mulch.  The mulched grass pieces are around 1/2 in long.  When mulching, there is a strip of grass that lays down in the reverse direction.  You will see that in the photographs. The mower is reasonably light to manage around the yard.  The power drive works well, but the three speeds available do not fit my pace.  Two are too slow, and one is WAY TOO fast! The noise level is low compared to a gas mower, but you still need ear protection! OF course, I am holding the battery use to the last.  I started with two fresh batteries and was able to mow about 80% of t

  I am getting ready for my first run mowing the yards.  I have re-read the manual and found some confusion about mower height. The mower single adjuster lever has numbered slots for height.  It does not indicate the actual height.  There is no table in the manual. The following settings are what I measured with my mower. 1.5 inches 2.0 inches 2.5 inches 3.0 inches 3.5 inches 4.0 inches 4.5 inches The manual has a caution to remove Start Key and battery packs before adjusting the height. In general, I feel that a bit more caution is needed around this type of mower as it is simpler to start! Removing the Start Key and hanging it up in a safe place seems to be a good idea.  I also am thinking about purchasing a spare start key as a backup.

  I have completed the setup and first look at the new Ryobi lawnmower.  Here is a video summary: The mower is ready to go, but the grass has to grow.  I will be back with much more on this mower. --Bob

  The new Ryobi 40 HP Lawnmower is a significant step into the Ryobi 40V line of outdoor power tools.  I have set up the lawnmower and created some documentary videos to help others along the way. Here is my unboxing and setup timelapse: Assembling the Mower Operating this lawnmower is easy.  The mower runs on one battery at a time.  The Start key has to be inserted pointing to the battery you want to use.  It is good to remove the start key when the mower is not in use.  I will also be discussing battery safety and storage. This mower is part of my long-term home testing program!  Shortly I will post my visual manual videos on the blog!

  A few days ago, Seth Godin wrote a fascinating post on all kinds of "tools If it's a tool, not a destination, what's the tool for?